Great Big Taste At Rocky Mountaineer Launch Of Dine Out Vancouver We had a fantastic time catching up with our friends from many of BC’s top restaurants at The Great Big Taste, sampling some of the dishes that they are serving during Dine Out Vancouver and sipping some local wines, beers and ciders. Dine Out is on until February 2, and some restaurants have extended it. This event was also a fundraiser for the BC Hospitality Foundation. Greeted with an Espresso Martini from Sid’s Handcrafted Vodka! Did you know Sid’s sponsors the Hand Craft Spirits radio show, where we have…
Author: cassandra
Dine Out Vancouver At Provence Marinaside And It’s Delicious Did you know that Tourism Vancouver invented Dine Out Vancouver to get diners out between New Year’s Eve, and Valentine’s Day – a time period that’s typically a little slow in the hospitality industry? This year there are over 200 Vancouver restaurants participating, and Provence Marinaside’s Chef Jean-Francis has been a supporter of DOVF from the early days. Don’t forget the wine pairings to really complete your dining experience! Wine Director Joshua Carlson has created an optional wine pairing matching each dish with a wine. Joshua has put together some great…
Sip Some Delicious Drinks During The Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival With the chill descending over the Lower Mainland, there’s no better time to warm up with some inspired creations courtesy of the 2020 Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a 28-day celebration that’s bigger and better than each edition that came before and showcases 114 hot chocolate flavours at 44 local purveyors. We got some news from about some of the creations available at Origo Club and Honolulu Cafe and have some recipes for you to make these at home should you choose. ORIGO CLUB…
Leagh Barkley Places Third In Sommelier Challenge Congratulations to all the competitors in the Best Sommelier competition! Here’s more on Leagh Barkley from Toptable’s Press Release – GLV The Sixth Annual Best Sommelier of BC competition came to an exciting and intense finish as the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) announced its 2020 winner this week at Rogers Arena. Out of a grouping of 15 contestants, Campagnolo’s Peter Van de Reep was awarded the coveted title of BC Sommelier of the Year. Peter now goes on to the Canadian finals that will be held in the Okanagan this fall.…
Barb Wild’s Weekly Pick Chevalier de Dyonis Barb Wild has been sipping again and this week’s pick is Chevalier de Dyonis, Read more on wine on The Good Wine Gal site at https://goodwinegal.blogspot.com/ If you watched “Sideways”, you will recall Miles shrieking in exasperation ‘no more f’ing merlot’. It was a moment that changed consumer behaviour forever with the rise in appreciation for Pinot Noir and more noticeably, a decline in the love for Merlot. This week I wanted to share my value “go to” Pinot Noir that offers a classic burgundy taste experience at a great price. A little…
Peruvian Food Hits The High Notes at Vancouver’s Chicha Restaurant Dine Out Vancouver is in full swing and we’re sampling a few dinners this week. First up, Chicha Restaurant on Broadway, just west on Main Street. This is a spot we are very familiar with, as it’s owned by one of my fellow Dames (more on Les Dames d’Escoffier here), Shelome Bouvette and her partner Kumiko Umeno, the food here is top notch, flavours are never absent and their take on Peruvian food is exceptional. This is a cozy room with tables that can be grouped or divided into douces…
Delicious Events In And Around Vancouver We’ve over half way in to January and time is flying by. Dine Out Vancouver is in full swing and we’ve previewed a couple of items on the menus at the Great Big Taste Event, and you can catch those photos on Facebook here, and Instagram here.We’ll be checking out a few more Dine Out menus this week and there’s no shortage of other things to do in and around the city that don’t always involve eating. Here’s some of our suggestions. Douce Diner in North Van Goes Vegan on January 25th Dine with…
Adventures in the Acura MDX – The Lodge On Harrison Lake As we weren’t going anywhere for Christmas this year, Michael and I opted to take a little overnight trip out to Harrison Hot Springs before the holidays so that we’d feel we’d actually had an actual vacation, even if it was a mini one. Usually we’ve stayed at the actual official Harrison Hot Springs Resort, but a new lodge beckoned just minutes outside the village, as it looked quieter and more relaxing, The Lodge on Harrison Lake. The drive out there was intense, the rain was bucketing down, but…
Dine Out all over Vancouver at Donnelly Group Pubs and Cocktail Clubs We’ve just seen the menus for the Donnelly Group and have booked a table at Butcher & Bullock as it’s such a deal! Dine Out Vancouver launched on January 17th, and Donnelly Group is pleased to have seven of its pubs and cocktail clubs taking part this year, each offering a unique menu packed with some of Vancouver’s best Dine Out value. For more on Dine Out check out our events listing here. This year’s menus include warming house made soups and fresh salads alongside hearty entrée choices…
Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country announces Savour the Sun Vancouver Series H Tasting Lounge will host three winemaker dinners this season and we’re all in favour! GLV From the press release: As part of the popular Savour the Sun series, Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country is excited to announce a new partnership with H Tasting Lounge in The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver. Held monthly from February to April, Savour the Sun Vancouver will celebrate seasonally-influenced menus centered around the bounty of the Vancouver seafood scene, while showcasing wines from some of British Columbia’s most prestigious winemakers. Each interactive dining experience will be prepared…
Bells and Whistles Huddles Up For Second Annual Super Bowl Tailgate Party February 2, 2020 Lots happening around town this winter. Here’s the latest release from Bells and Whistles. – GLV From the press release: NFL Fans Can Enjoy Home-Field Advantage in the Fraserhood with Group Bookings, Early Brunch, All-Day Happy Hour Specials, New Signature ‘Pigskin Poutine’ Bells and Whistles is saving gridiron fans a red-zone spot for the biggest sports spectacle of the year when the Fraserhood sports headquarters hosts its second annual ‘Tailgate Extravaganza’ for Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, February 2. Starting with all the pre-game prognostications,…
Barb Wild’s #WineWednesday Wine Pick For January 14, 2020 We’re adding more wine into the Good Life Vancouver mix this year and introducing you to Barb Wild, The Good Wine Gal, whose nose, palate and wit will be sure to impress you! I’ve been leaning on Barb for her wine recommendations for a while now and she has yet to disappoint. I grow more knowledgeable each time we sip and savour together, on the topic of wine and more. I know many of you in the wine world will know her already, but for those who don’t there’s more about…
The Wine World Is Coming To The Vancouver Wine Festival Yesterday Wine Festival Director Harry Hertscheg announced the Vancouver International Wine Festival will welcome wine writer Andrew Jefford as the keynote speaker for the 2020 festival as we tasted some of the wines that will be showcased. Jefford will moderate and speak at a number of public and trade-only events over festival week, which takes place February 22-March 1, at the Vancouver Convention Centre and other venues Vancouver. The festival theme is France this year and there will be 42 participating wineries from France in the theme country section of…
DL Chicken officially opens seven days a week and launches retail storefront Have you had DL Chicken? I need more in my life, so when we heard they are now open 7 days a week, we just had to share. GLV From the Press Release: Fried chicken fans, rejoice! DL Chicken Shack (905 Commercial Drive) is now officially open on Mondays. Doug Stephen and Lindsey Mann are launching a new retail shop, which doubles as a prep location – allowing people to enjoy Nashville hot chicken seven days a week. In celebration, several exclusive flavours will drop only on Mondays including…
BC Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier Food & Beverage Scholarships Open Now Applications are open on-line at www.lesdames.ca for BC women to obtain food and beverage scholarships to further careers in culinary, beverage, agriculture, aquaculture or hospitality fields. The 27-year-old local chapter has over $40,000 to give out this year. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2020. Every year since 1992, Les Dames d’Escoffier’s BC Chapter has awarded scholarships to women in our province’s Food & Beverage sector to pursue educations which will further the evolution of our industry. Year-round fund-raising initiatives such a Gala Dinner, Summerdine, Dames Wine and…
Dine Out Vancouver January 17- February 2, 2020 Many exciting events coming up for this year’s Dine Out Vancouver and we’d really like to get to all of them. Here’s hoping you have time to check a few out! GLV From the Press Release: Tis the season to taste! Dine Out Vancouver Festival’s event tickets are now available for purchase. In addition to prix fixe menus at a record- breaking number of participating restaurants across the city, foodies can choose from a range of unique culinary events happening between January 16 and February 2, 2020. Kicking off the festival is…
Wildebeest Welcomes Acorn For Roots to Shoots Winter Harvest Dinner on January 13 Two of our favourite restaurants and Chefs are teaming up for a Winter Harvest Dinner at Wildebeest as Chef Ian McHale hosts The Acorn Chef Devon Latte for a multi-course feast. We love that there’s a zero-proof cocktail pairing option too! For more about Chef Ian McHale check out our interview last fall here. – GLV Winter Harvest Dinner Press Release: Two chefs with one shared culinary philosophy will join forces when Wildebeest’s Ian McHale shares the line with The Acorn’s Devon Latte for an all vegetarian ‘Roots to…
Richmond BC Named In Eaters Where To Eat We’ve known about Richmond, BC’s food scene for a while now and Vancouver Food Tour even has a Richmond Dumpling Trail Tour that began in 2019. To learn more about that visit Vancouver Food Tour. Take a tour with me in 2020! We’ve been exploring Richmond, check out one story here, and The Globe and Mail’s Alexander Gill has dived deep into Richmond’s cuisine and now judges the Chinese Restaurant Awards, where Richmond is featured large, and now Eater has caught on! From the Tourism Richmond Press Release: Food authority website Eater recently…
Wellness Show Celebrates 28 Years Of Healthy Lifestyles The Wellness Show is the West Coast’s largest and long-established healthy lifestyles showcase. For the past 28 years, The Wellness Show has been a leader in keeping Lower Mainland residents healthy. The Show takes place February 1 and 2 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and includes more than 250 exhibitors, 100+ speakers, cooking and fitness demonstrations, all with the goal of helping Vancouverites achieve their healthiest, most holistic selves. The Wellness Show includes exhibitors, speakers and demonstrations on a diverse range of health and wellness topics, including nutrition, exercise, beauty, healthy aging,…
Pourhouse Dials It Back To The Era Of Prohibition Pourhouse will embark on a year-long tour of far-flung destinations and cocktails that became popular with American imbibers during the era of Prohibition when it introduces its Prohibition Cocktail Program on Wednesday, January 8. Press Release from SMC. Throughout 2020, Pourhouse Bar Manager Adam Domet and staff will take guests back a century to a time when Prohibition brought about an end to the Golden Age of Cocktails and sent spirits aficionados in search of foreign destinations where they could still legally enjoy stiff drinks. During the year-long promotion, Pourhouse will…
