Join VCC Alumni and Students At The Annual Gala We missed Flourish last year, but won’t let that happen again, so stay tuned for coverage on this years’ gala, or, better yet, get there yourself and enjoy all the delicious dishes with wine pairings! Flourish Gala is a fundraiser for the Vancouver Community College Foundation to provide scholarships and training materials for current and future VCC students. This is an intimate evening showcasing the work of VCC’s highest-achieving students, faculty members and alumni. In addition to tasting creations by Vancouver’s leading culinary minds, guests will experience the best of VCC’s fashion arts,…
Author: Cassandra Anderton
Drink up for a good cause with the Mother of Dragons Cocktail at Gotham Steakhouse In celebration of International Women’s Week, Gotham Steakhouse & Bar is offering a special cocktail, and donating proceeds to a local charity. Created by bartender Carolyn Yu, Mother of Dragons is a fiery blend of Hennessy VS Cognac, Cynar, Bittered Sling Malagasy Chocolate Bitters, and housemade Dragon’s Tears tea. Gotham is proud to share proceeds from this special promotion with The Pacific Immigrant Resources Society, a charity that helps refugee and immigrant women and young children settle in Canada by providing community engagement opportunities, ESL lessons and affordable…
2019 Sporting Season Off To Tasty Start At BC Place Stadium Last week we headed downtown to gain five pounds check out the new menu at BC Place as Centerplate kicked-off the 2019 sporting season, and we sampled some of the new menu additions that will help fuel ‘Caps fans at Whitecaps FC home matches. While we didn’t eat the Outrageous Burger (in name and character), we did have a mini-version and a rather large piece of the Rainbow Grilled Cheese, a total favourite. Created by BC Place Executive Chef, Will Tse, the new additions will be available for purchase at…
Spirited Industry Professional, Sommelier of the Year, Wine Program Excellence Awards The Vancouver International Wine Festival announced the 2019 trade competition winners today at Celebrating Excellence: 16th Annual Awards Lunch Featuring California Wines, presented by ContainerWorld. The Celebrating Excellence program is part of the three-day Trade Days Conference; the program honours those professionals who contribute to this region’s exceptional wine and food culture. Guests enjoyed a meal prepared by Vancouver Convention Centre Executive Chef Mark Massicotte, exquisitely matched with a selection of 40 wines from California. 2019 SPIRITED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL AWARD The annual Spirited Industry Professional Award is presented to an individual who has…
What To Do In Vancouver This Week How can we be celebrating the last week in February already? I’m feeling like I’ve done nothing this year, it’s a blur, it’s just flown by and it’s been a lot of reaction and not much pro-action. After a week in Kelowna for the Canadian Culinary Championships (congrats again to Chef Yannick LaSalle) and a couple of events and meals out, it’s time we made some proper plans for the year before it disappears. We’ll work on that over the next while, and are definitely going to get into planning mode, but in…
Wine, Wine All Around – and Many Drops to Drink It’s not too late to get in on the action at the 41st Vancouver International Wine Festival as a few stellar events still have tickets available. This week’s festival includes 53 events, 160 wineries, 16 countries, 1,425 wines and 25,000 participants. Join them! If you attend only one of the festival’s events, make it an International Festival Tasting. The Tasting Room at the Vancouver Convention Centre is the heart of the festival, where you’ll find ~725 wines from 160 wineries and eight regional tasting stations representing 16 countries. Discover exciting…
Grain Artisan Flour Miller Rebrands as Flourist and Launches Bakery We love Grain, now Flourist, and are thrilled to hear their products and now baked goods, will be available at a new bakery and cafe coming soon. From the release: The Vancouver-based, artisan flour miller and farmer-direct dry goods supplier formerly known as GRAIN has rebranded as Flourist and will open a 2,800-sq.-ft. bakery and cafe at 3433 Commercial St. in East Vancouver later this spring. The new bakery and cafe will feature fresh flour stone-milled on site, sourdough bread baked daily, coffee and baked goods, an all-day approachable food program and…
Give and Give Back This Valentine’s Day With East Van Roasters Finally getting around to some V-day content here on GLV and didn’t want you to miss the news about East Van Roasters! If you’re shopping for something sweet for yourself or someone special this Valentine’s Day, head to East Van Roasters (319 Carrall St., Vancouver). This social enterprise will melt your heart with a new assortment of artisanal chocolate goods made in-house with love. Established in 2013, East Van Roasters is a certified charity and social enterprise operated by PHS Community Services Society, a non-profit housing and health care…
Mixing Up A Ungava Gin G & T With Grapefruit Juice From our pal Karen: I was totally fascinated with Ungava Gin @ungava_gin when the bold and beautiful yellow colour caught my eye in the Gin aisle. This Canadian Gin is named after the Ungava Peninsula found at the northern tip of Quebec. It has natural herbs and berries from the Tundra: Wild Rose Hips – Crowberry – Labrador Tea- Cloudberry – Arctic Blend – Nordic Juniper…………………………………It’s Juniper forward in flavour with floral and Citrus notes and some spiciness. I have served it here with Tonic and fresh ruby red grapefruit juice…
Black Box Challenge Ingredients Tough Ones at the #CCC2019 The second challenge at the Canadian Culinary Championships is the Black Box Challenge, where the chefs are given a box of mystery ingredients, access to the Okanagan College Kitchen pantry and then let loose to create a memorable dish using all the ingredients in the Black Box. This year’s ingredients were. Chestnuts – Neighbour Sylvia Koal, Koal Orchards. Quinces – Mikuni wild harvest of Vancouver. Saffron – True Saffron Producers Inc from Northumberland County in Ontario. Sweet Potatoes – Assiniboine Community College. Lion’s Mane Mushrooms – Gruger Family Fungi in Nisku,…
Chef Yannick LaSalle Takes Gold at the Canadian Culinary Championships We were in Kelowna for the Canadian Culinary Championships and it was a grueling few days for eleven of Canada’s top chefs. Chef Yannick LaSalle of Restaurant Les Fougères in Chelsea, Quebec took gold with silver going to Chef Christopher Hill from Taste Restaurant Group in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and the bronze to Chef Dave Bohati from Murrieta’s in Calgary. We’ll have more soon, but for now here are the dishes of the final night. Yannick LaSalle’s Eastern township duck magret & Quebec saffron fennel with sea buckthorn Chris Hill’s “After the…
CHEF TAKASHI ITO RECEIVES PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WITH HIS PAIRING WITH MYSTERY WINE VISTA’S EDGE CABERNET FRANC FROM MISSION HILL FAMILY ESTATE We are already into day two here and the chefs from the Canadian Culinary Championships have finished the Black Box competition and are preparing for tonight’s finale. Last night’s competition saw Chef Takashi Ito take home the people’s choice award, but the judges have the final say in who takes home the gold. Congrats Chef Ito on capturing the peoples hearts and stomachs! Now to get ready for tonight! The 2019 Canadian Culinary Championships closes off competition #1…
Chef Elia Herrera from Los Colibris in Toronto Today’s the day the Canadian Culinary Championships begin and the chefs are hard at work designing their dish for tonight. Chef Elia Herrera answered our interview questions and we are looking forward to trying her dishes over the next few days. Best of luck to all the chefs! Tell us a little bit about your restaurant. My restaurant is a very traditional regional Mexican cuisine, inspired in my grandmother and my childhood Where do you eat in your city? I eat at Pai thai restaurant, Ufficio Italian inspired restaurant. What would be your…
Chef Takashi Ito From Aura Restaurant at The Laurel Point Victoria The Canadian Culinary Championships are on and I met all the chefs last night! Very exciting things are happening right now in the kitchens at the Okanagan College as they prepare for tonight’s event. Chef Takashi Ito is our local BC winner and I had interviewed him before he competed and won in Victoria, so I’ve copied a bit from that interview and added a bit more from more recent conversations. Best of luck to Chef Ito! Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking.…
Chef Davina Moraiko From RGE RD in Edmonton The Canadian Culinary Championships start tomorrow and we’ve got a couple more interviews with the chefs competing to publish! Next up Chef Davina Moraiko from RGE RD in Edmonton. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant. RGE RD , Edmonton Alberta. We source ingredients and provisions from farms and small-scale producers across western Canada. Our menu is dictated by the season and we aim to use every part of every ingredient. Where do you eat in your city? I love to eat at Biera, Café Linnea and Woodwork . What would…
Chef Yannick LaSalle From Restaurant Les Fougères, Chelsea, QC The Canadian Culinary Championships start tomorrow and we’ve got a couple more interviews with the chefs competing to publish! Next up Chef Yannick LaSalle representing Ottawa/Gatineau. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant. Restaurant Les Fougères is located in Chelsea Qc in the middle of the Gatineau Hills. Our recently renovated dining room is contemporary gorgeous! Clean lines, local craftsmanship, very little wall with uninterrupted views over gardens and woodland, inviting bar, open kitchen- a fun, beautiful environment for seriously wonderful, hyper-seasonal and hyperlocal food, be it bar snacks, small plates or large.The…
Chef Dave Bohati From Murrietas Calgary As Canada’s top chefs pack to head to Kelowna to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championships, we’re learning a little bit about them before they compete. Here’s some Q and A from Calgary’s Chef Dave Bohati Tell us a little bit about your restaurant. Super electric atmosphere in the heart of the booming business district Stephen Avenue Where do you eat in your city? Mainly in the comfort of my home, but go out for sushi every once in a while What would be your ideal food day? Any day that starts with a…
Chef Christopher Hill From Taste Restaurant Group Saskatoon As Canada’s top chefs pack to head to Kelowna to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championships, we’re learning a little bit about them before they compete. Here’s some Q and A from Saskatoon’s Chef Christopher Hill. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant. I am the Corporate Chef of Taste Restaurant Group. We are a locally owned group currently operating 4 restaurants. UNA pizza + wine UNA Pizza is a neighborhood restaurant serving Californian inspired, thin crust pizza with Mediterranean influenced food and flavors. Bar Gusto Gusto means “to taste”, and as such…
Chef Katie Hayes From Bonavista Social Club Newfoundland This weekend eleven of Canada’s top chefs will head to Kelowna to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championships. We’re learning a little bit about them before they compete and here’s our answers from Newfoundland’s representing chef, Chef Katie Hayes from Bonavista Social Club. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant. Located in Eastern NL, in a town of 30 people, surrounded by gardens and animals that we serve. Located on the Ocean. Where do you eat in your city? No restaurants in Upper Amherst Cove but my night out is to…
Chef Irwin MacKinnon From Papa Joe’s PEI This weekend eleven of Canada’s top chefs will head to Kelowna to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championships. We’re learning a little bit about them before they compete and here’s our answers from PEI/New Brunswick’s representing chef, Chef Irwin MacKinnon from Papa Joe’s. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant. Papa Joe’s is one of if not the busiest restaurants in Charlottetown. We serve a very eclectic style menu with Mediterranean, Indian, Classical and comfort foods with flare in a casual but upscale atmosphere. Where do you eat in your city? I…
