Get ready to Kick Back on our inviting Patio and browse the Ambleside Farmer’s Market

It’s Patio Time:

With the May long weekend on the horizon, summer fun and sun are on their way.  When temperatures rise and the clouds part (even a little!), the Beachside Forno patio is the place to be.
Overlooking Ambleside Beach, the ocean, Stanley Park, Lion’s Gate Bridge , the Vancouver skyline, and the seasonal cruise ships passing – this is a view that reminds us why we are blessed to live in this beautiful place. Everything seems to taste just a little better out on the patio.

To Market, To Market!

Plan your Beachside Forno brunch around the Ambleside Farmer’s Market located in our parking lot.
Starting Sunday, May 8th, with a special Mother’s Day celebration element, the 2011 Ambleside Farmer’s Market kicks off its season. The market features a great variety of organic and conventional farmers who have fully adopted the market’s “grow it, make it, bake it” mandate. The market offers fresh produce, a great selection of prepared foods and BC-made crafts as well as a book exchange, games table, kids play area, and live music.  The Market runs every Sunday through October from 10am to 3pm, well timed with Beachside Forno’s brunch schedule….

Discover the Artists in Our Midst – Enjoy a West Vancouver Art Walk Seawall Style

The West Vancouver seawall path provides the perfect hop-on, hop-off path to enjoy a few of the area’s lovely art galleries and installations.  Start or finish your walk with lunch or dinner at Beachside Forno, depending on your appetite and direction.  Begin (or end) at the Bellevue Gallery (Bellevue & 25th) to experience rotating exhibits of both famous and up-and-coming artists globally and locally. From here, head down to the seawall at Dundarave Pier and walk towards Ambleside.  Stop in at the Ferry Building, West Vancouver’s first heritage building and enjoy one of the 20 exhibitions the gallery houses annually.  One more quick stop before lunch or dinner, “Art Park”  – a new outdoor display installed by land owner Grosvenor, in cooperation with the Buschlen Mowatt Foundation and the Vancouver International  Sculpture Biennale at the corner of Bellevue/Ambleside at 14th Avenue.  The exhibition currently features the Blue Tree “living art” art installation by Australian sculptor Kostantin Dimopoulis and the “Overflow IV Sculpture” by noted Spanish artist Jaume Plensa of Spain.

Cocktial Classroom – The Boardwalk

The arrival of summer has the bar team at Beachside dreaming up ultra-refreshing cocktails to enjoy on the  sensational seaside patio.  In anticipation of the upcoming sunny days we have created a few cocktails designed for relaxing on, or off, the patio. As always our ingredients are fresh, inspired and –  as local as it get  – from our very own herb garden.

Fresh and flavourful herbs like mint, basil and sage, grown right at our back door, are the driving inspiration behind oursummer cocktail list. We amp up the taste even further with seasonal fruit, lively flavours and premium spirits.    Enjoy the latest edition to our repertoire, The Boardwalk, the perfect palate refresher

The Boardwalk

Ingredients:
2 oz. Cucumber Gin
Zest from a fresh lemon
Squeeze of Elder flower Syrup

Method:
Zest a lemon to the inside of a chilled martini glass making sure the lemon peel oils line the glass.
Shake gin and syrup in a martini shaker with ice.
Strain into martini glass, garnish with lemon twist and serve.

For a sparkling twist, try The Boardwalk over ice with a splash of soda

Mixology 2.0 – Make your own Elderflower syrup
A handful of elderflower heads
A couple of tablespoons of sugar (depending on your taste)
1 lemon (cut in wedges)
1 lime (cut in wedges)
2 cups boiling water
20 g citric acid
Be sure to thoroughly wash the Elderflowers before using
Pack the elderflower heads, lemons and limes into large heat-resistant glass jars,
Divide the sugar evenly amongst them and top off with boiling water.
Leave to cool uncovered, then cover and place on the windowsill and let infuse for 3 days.
On the third day, remove the elderflower and citrus fruits, drain through a fine-meshed sieve or a filter.
Put into a large pot, bring to a boil, then add the citric acid and simmer for 10 minutes.
Let cool and store in the fridge for up to one week.