Chef Jefferson Alvarez has had a busy fall as he’s recently opened Cacao, inspired Latin American plates in Kitsilano. We had a few questions for him as he preps for Gold Medal Plates to compete for Gold, but there were no hints as to what he’ll be serving! Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. We are a latin American restaurant style progressive Latin Where do you eat in your city? Where chefs are hands on! What would be your ideal food day? Food from my mom What trend do you wish would die? ALL…
Author: cassandra
Our next interview is with Chef Mark Filatow from Kelowna who’s also on his way to Victoria to compete in Gold Medal Plates Culinary Competition. He’s competed before and taken the gold so it could be a repeat performance if all goes well! Filatow answered a few questions about ingredients he always has on hand, and who’s coming with him. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. We really focus on the seasons and use our travels and research to combine for new ideas. What trend do you wish would die? Picture perfect food that tastes like nothing! What…
Chef Ned Bell is on his way to Victoria this week to compete for the in Gold Medal Plates culinary competition and we posed a few questions in advance to get a feel for just what he might be preparing. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. My Focus is on Wild Seafood from the Pacific Ocean, and responsible aquaculture, farming seaweeds, shellfish and fin fish in a responsible way from a clean ocean. (Chef Neb Bell is at the Vancouver Aquarium) Where do you eat in your city? At home with my family, having 3…
Counting down to Gold Medal Plates in Victoria November 17! Top chefs from British Columbia compete for the gold, silver and bronze medals in this ultra-tough culinary competition. Prior to this yearly face off, we catch up with the chefs competing for and next up is Chef Rob Walker. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. My style is very simple, local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients treated as simply as possible Where do you eat in your city? Well I have two young children so we don’t get out much and if we do the places we choose to go have to be…
I walked home last night just as the US election results were being finalized, the streets were empty and it began to rain hard, hopefully not a complete foreshadowing of what’s to come in this new era of Trumpism. We can only hope that the ugly thoughts of those who who seem to feel that hatefulness has any place in this world and will serve anyone well in any manner at all, can be peacefully addressed and dissipated, but this is very hopeful thinking. I am sad and shocked that this is where we find the world today and don’t look forward to…
This summer when I was searching for some sturdy portable BBQs that could be wheeled out to our local beach, or park, and wouldn’t fall apart after merely one use, I came across a super cool site, UncommonGoods, that featuring a super cool BBQ that I had to have. At the time they weren’t shipping to Canada, but they thankfully now are, and I’m thinking I may just do a little more shopping this season for some holiday gifts. The company has been around since 1999, is based in Brooklyn, is privately-owned and features unique jewelry, designer décor, tabletop items, and…
Welcome to the dreary days of November folks. Sorry to report that there will be rain for a while now. If you are lucky you are booking a sunny escape, or perhaps you’re more of a snow fan and thinking about Christmas in November at the Fairmont in Jasper, where I’ll be next week. In the meantime stay dry and head inside to one of these “you’ve got the blues”-busting events. November 5 – Sparkle Gala Fundraiser for Starlight Children’s Charity This year’s event will feature local chefs partnered with local Starlight children and teens to create a culinary…
Make Your Home Smarter, Lighter and Safer, with Best Buy If you call yourself a techie, you may have the latest smart phone, smart watch, pimped out car and camera, but what about the latest in home technology? While your television may unlock the full potential of HDR, and you’ve even got a home 3D printer, have you updated to the latest in home security? Are your your lighting and thermostat controls amped up? And can you monitor the temperature, air quality and even noise pollution inside and outside your home? If not, you may not be worthy of that nerd shirt…
Visit Oakland Where Wines Aren’t Always Among the Vines Heading to California and looking for some wine tasting? There’s no need to venture right into the vineyards of Napa or Sonoma, (although we wouldn’t frown upon that) instead hit the new urban wine trail right around Oakland. Oakland’s a quick jaunt from the San Francisco Airport and the trail is even easily bike-able! I ventured down to California this spring and have the scoop on this hip destination. Stay You’ll want to check yourself into the Waterfront Hotel Oakland in Jack London Square, the only publicly accessible mixed-use waterfront in the…
Events this week and on the Horizon New(ish) for this week we are switching “What’s Good Week of” (because that title was kind of silly) to “Weekly Goods”. Each week (well most weeks) we will bring you what’s up for the week, a couple good things on the Horizon, and perhaps a few other good things. Does this sound too much like Martha Stewart’s “It’s good thing”? Tuesday October 25 Chefs FISH FIGHT Long time friends and Vancouver vetrans, Chef Andrea Carlson and Chef Robert Belcham, team up together to bring you FISH FIGHT! An Ocean-forward, collaborative dinner, focused on the bounty…
Lunch served at Oppenheimer Park On Thursday, October 20, 2016 dozens of British Columbia’s chefs will celebrate International Chefs Day by serving lunch to the homeless and hungry in Oppenheimer Park from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Chef’s associations all around the world and across Canada celebrate their craft on this designated day by giving back to their communities, and coming out of their kitchens to donate their time. The British Columbia Chefs Association encourage the public to come and join both junior and professional chefs preparing food for the less fortunate, and anyone who wishes to share a specially prepared meal…
Bartender Justin Taylor at The Cascade Room – Burrard Gimlet If you been following the Hand Crafted Spirits Show, you may have caught a few segments where Joe Leary and I search for tasty cocktails on TSN1410. This week we were off for a quick lunch and cocktail sampling in East Van. Main Street’s Cascade Room is now home to Justin Taylor, who’s been a fixture behind the bar at places such at the Four Seasons, and recently Boulevard at The Sutton Place Hotel. He impressed us with his Burrard Gimlet and let us in on what the Cascade Room’s been up to…
Thanksgiving Dinner Reservations Still Open What are you doing for this Thanksgiving? We’ve ordered our turkey and I hear it’s being brined and stuffed this year, thanks to Michael. I’ll make a pumpkin pecan pie and head to the Vancouver Farmers Market to sort out some fresh veggies to round out the meal. If you are cooking at home, be sure you’ve got a fresh one and you can order to pick up at 235 East Broadway from my client Home on The Range Organics, knowing it’s free range, medication free and delicious. Ask Chef Allen for some tips and…
Thanksgiving is upon us and there are lots for ways to be thankful, give to others and treat ourselves this week! Harvest Haus – Until October 9 Held under the Festzelte at Queen Elizabeth Plaza – Harvest Haus brings folklore from the 1st century to the Great White North. Combining modern fare with authentic European harvest traditions, gather your closest mates for the most gluttonous and gratifying weekends of the year. The crunch of fresh produce, crackle of the grill, the fizz of the pour, the bite of the chopping block and the clinking of glassware. Applause. Laughter. Conversation. Music.…
Learn More About Les Dames d’Escoffier and their newest fundraiser, #Dameswine this Friday On Friday, October 7 from 5pm-6:30 pm at Marquis Wine Cellar, several members of Les Dames d’Escoffier will be pouring free samples of Dames White and Red all paired with cheese and charcuterie. Dame Mireille Sauve will be on hand to discuss the wines AND update us on the new rose she is currently fermenting AND Dame Jennifer Schell’s latest cookbook, The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine and Cheese Maker, By The Sea, will be available with a generous $10 going to women’s scholarship funds. It’s not too early to start your Christmas/Holiday…
RYU – Made By Athletes For Althetes What’s Canadian and rhymes with “You”? Well RYU active wear of course, a new brand that takes athletic technology to the next level. I first experienced RYU in bag form with their Daily Duffle, billed as “The Gym Bag, Reinvented”, which keeps its shape whether empty or full and opens wide for easy access. It’s surprisingly roomy, given the small size and there’s even an external zippered pocket to put frequently used items in and four internal pockets to organize all that stuff. RYU stands for “Respect Your Universe” and there are lots of recycled…
Chef’s Table Society Presents Slow Fish in the Kitchens of PICA The Slow Food movement includes food from the land and also food from the Ocean. It’s a little more difficult to see the state of the sea and what lies beneath, but it’s equally important. For the third year a group of chefs from the Chef’s Table Society and sustainable seafood suppliers band together in Vancouver to present a Slow Fish Dinner, and this September 8 chefs cooked in 8 kitchens and paired their dishes all with salmon-safe local wines to raise awareness of the seafood we should be…
Summer’s Not Quite Over Yet at Cultus Lake Park and Marina One hour east of Vancouver BC, just south of Chilliwack you’ll find a ton of outdoor activities, camping and watersports and it’s still not too late to have some fun in the sun this season . Cultus Lake offers restaurants, golfing, sport fishery, water sports and more! While our crew ventured out a little earlier in the year, the Cultus Lake Marina is still open for boat and jet ski rentals, and the camp grounds are busy with shoulder season campers. In fact it’s better in the Fall as the…
The Royals Are Coming – Celebrate Regally Pinkies up people, the time has come for some afternoon tea, perhaps some fish n’ chips or a proper sausage roll, in honour of the royal couple, and their visit to town. Prince William and Kate will be in town on Sunday, September 25, 2016 and we’d love to know where they are staying, and exactly what they are doing, but alas it’s as top secret as 007. There are, however, some British-themed activities you could choose to partake in this weekend to nourish your inner Brit. Tea at The Wedgewood This is a…
Events in and Around Vancouver Fall is coming fast here in Vancouver, and there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the harvest! Old Fashioned Wednesday at Prohibition Cozy up at Prohibition to celebrate one of the world’s most famous whiskey cocktails, the Old Fashioned, every Wednesday between now and November 23. Each week, both traditional and creative interpretations of the classic cocktail will be on special for $10 CDN, alongside live bluegrass music and all-American food features such as wings and truffle fries. Two feature Old Fashioned cocktails will be on special every week, showcasing bourbons from Collingwood, Woodford, Jack…
