Shopping for an Outfit on BC Ferries and Shoes by Keen Last week I went over to Vancouver Island for a few evenings in Sooke, Victoria and Cowichan. I took the ferry and have to report back as I learned two things on this passage. One, the Seawest Lounge is a must. For just $12 you get peace and quiet, coffee, tea, nuts, juice, pastries, cheese and more. Trust me, you’ll love it. The other discovery was that lots of the clothes on the ferry are absolutely gorgeous and I was able to purchase an entire outfit for around $200. The…
Author: cassandra
Chicha Restaurant Celebrates with a Peruvian Nikkei Collaboration As part of Vancouver international tequila expo, Chicha Restaurant hosted an exceptional dinner collaboration with Chef Benjamin Berwick of Stage Wine Bar and Chicha Restaurant’s Chef Shelome Bouvette. Empanadas and Fully Loaded Mussels! Spot Prawn ceviche (spot prawns, sea asparagus, avocado,dashi, agua chile) with Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila Snapper Tiradito (snapper, leche de tigre, aji amarillo Peruvian chili, cancha corn) with Nuestra Soledad Zoquitlan Mezcal Eric Lorenzo from the Tequila Festival was on hand. Trio of causa (cold, chilled whipped potato topped with variety of toppings; dungeness crab, vegetable, and chicken) with T1 Excepcional Reposado Tequila Lomo saltado (Med rare Pemberton…
Vancouver Event’s and What You Should Be Checking Out this Week It’s going to be a hot few days, so we’re going to recommend a few things to cool you down. Get your Donnelly Group Beer Passport Stamped til June 15 Donnelly Beer Passport, runs until June 15th and delivers the opportunity to explore delicious and rare beers, collect passport stamp entries for a chance win a trip to the Tour de Fat in New Belgium’s hometown of Ft. Collins, Colorado or one of five custom New Belgium cruiser bikes. Passports are available at Donnelly Pubs, in the June issue of…
Winning a Wedding in the Bahamas We got engaged in December and now we are focusing on wedding plans and were aiming for the fall or spring. A contest came up and now we were trying our hand at Winning A Wedding in the Bahamas; you may have noticed since we were shamelessly plugging this all over social media. Unfortunately some of the other couples have an amazing amount of votes and while some are legit and we tip our hat to them, it’s been discovered there has been some manipulation of the system. The whole thing is giving me a stomach ache, but it’s being…
Vancouver Events and Stuff We Think YOU Should Do! Another week full of food wine and fun! May 25 is your chance to get to know mezcal and tequila better at Chicha, Vancouver Craft Beer Week in ON, the tequila festival is in full swing and if you are in Penticton there are spot prawns a boilin’ on Sunday! Thanks to Diane Chow Fabulously Frugal for the shot! Chicha Peruvian Nikkei Collaboration Dinner Menu May 25 2016 part of Vancouver international tequila expo Executive Chef Stage Wine Bar: Benjamin Berwick Executive Chef Chicha Restaurant: Shelome Bouvette Tickets $100 here Cocktail and Canape…
Vancouver Events and Stuff We Think YOU Should Do! It’s a tasty week once again with lots to eat and drink. Get your theatre fix in two with Bill Elliot and why not try to win yourself some Uprising Beer for a whole year? Spot Prawn Boil at Blackbird Public House – May 17 and May 31 Spot Prawn season is here and The Blackbird Public House is getting set for its annual Prawn boil dinner. Inspired by the original Southern-style seafood boils, these dinners will feature perfectly seasoned prawns and vegetables served family style, right from the pot to the…
National Caesar Day is May 19th Pick Up Some Stoli and Get a Bonus of Walter Caesar Mix Until June 3! When the urge strikes you to whip up Canada’s official cocktail, leave the MSG, corn syrup and artificial colour on the shelf and reach instead for the all-natural craft Caeser mix by Walter. Walter’s made in Canada with top notch vine-ripened tomatoes, spices, grated horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire and real clam juice. Select from the Well Spiced version, for those who like a kick in their glass or Mildly Spice for those with more delicate palates. A Walter Craft…
We test drove the Honda Accord and didn’t want to return it! This year we’ve tested out a couple different rides so far and when we were on our way to Semiahmoo Resort, we booked the latest Honda Accord Coupe Touring V6 2016. This is a zippy number with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine; 278 hp, 252 lb-ft and a 6-speed automatic transmission. It looks expensive, but comes in around around $30,000-$35,000 depending on features. The car has the standard 2 doors, seats 5 passengers, and gets 21/32 mpg city/hwy. Great on gas and lots of room for luggage and shopping purchases on our road trips.…
Semiahamoo Resort – New Chef Brings Revamped Locally Sourced Menu Grab your passport and head south for a getaway just across the border at the Semiahmoo Resort. My pal Tess and I recently returned from a great night of relaxing, with some spa time and an amazing dinner prepared by Executive Chef Bruno Feldeisen and his team. The next morning, after an delicious breakfast, we did some biking around Birch Bay and a little shopping further south to complete our little getaway. The resort has recently gone through a renovation and the guest rooms feature insanely comfortable bedding, complimentary Wi-Fi and modern electronics.…
Events in Vancouver This is one busy week for those who love great food and wine. The sun is out and patio’s will be hopping, if you have a favourite let us know in the comments as we are putting together a list of our favs. So many events in Vancouver, but don’t miss those spot prawns this week, as although there will be plenty of time to enjoy them in the coming weeks, the gala and festival will be amazing. 2016 SPRING PATIO WINE TASTING at Dockside – May 12 Speaking of patios, Coal Harbour Liquor Store presents a unique patio…
Hot Pepper School We headed out to Quesada in Burnaby to sample some burritos and caught up with founder Steve Gill who demoed his hot pepper recipes and made some spicy salsa! Their chicken burritos were fantastic and their burrito bowls a great way to get your veggies in. Check out our video below for the salsa method! Steve’s Top 3 Hot Pepper Recipes Steve Gill, Founder and CEO of Quesada Burritos & Tacos is constantly in the kitchen experimenting with different flavours. To help recreate fresh and flavourful Mexican-inspired recipes at home, Steve shares his tips & tricks to cooking…
May 1-9 is Chickpeas Fest in Vancouver – Vancouver Food Networks Celebrate Year of the Pulses Grain, a farmer-direct, socially and sustainably focused dry goods business recently donated 2,000 of chickpeas to Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks. These visually imperfect, but otherwise completely consumable legumes couldn’t be sold through Grain’s regular channels, so the company wanted to make sure they go to feed those in need. Monday at Little Mountain Neighbourhood House is the Newcomers Community Kitchen; Tuesday is Seniors Lunch at Kits Neighbourhood House; Thursday at Cityview Church is the Open Table Lunch; Friday at Little Mountain is the Community Meal…
Blossoms and Beer at the Abbotsford Tulip Festival and Field House Brewing Abbotsford has been growing rapidly recently, and the city is attracting many new and very cool businesses and festivals! We recently ventured out for the Abbotsford Tulip Festival (which runs until May 1, 2016) and stopped in for some craft beer and a locally sourced pop-up dinner at Field House Brewing. The area is known for its farmland, and while the Abbotsford Tulip Festival is seasonal, many farms and attractions are open year round; check the Circle Farm Tour website for touring suggestions. Be sure to mark your calendar for…
Mother’s Day Gifts Global TV asked us to suss out some items that won’t break the bank for Mother’s Day and we delivered! You don’t have to cheap out when it comes to Mother’s Day! You can find some great buys around, all less than (mostly) $30. Just remember to buy something that your mother may not spoil herself with. No ironing boards! Oxo French Press – 4 Cup $39 (Cook Culture) Salt Spring Coffee and Mug Purdy’s Mother’s Day Chocolate $21 (Purdys) Oxo Good Grips Hand Spiralizer $20 (Cook Culture, Well Seasoned Langley) Presidents Choice Cheese Board $10, Natural…
Events in Vancouver We’re back from our Okanagan getaway and seem to have brought the sun back with us! Perfect weather to check out indoor and outdoor events in Vancouver! The Greasy Spoon Vol 14. Featuring Trevor Bird from Fable Kitchen – April 26 An evening affair that will defy your preconceptions of diner food!The Greasy Spoon Diner was conceived by a group of passionate Vancouverites led by Mark Brand who hosts it monthly at his Save On Meats diner. It pairs a chef and his chosen team, often from many other kitchens, alongside a front of house team comprised…
Canadian Cheese stars in a Seafood-based Mac n’ Cheese We’ve always got some sort of Canadian Cheese in our refrigerator and pasta is never complete without a grating of a little extra atop. Last week four top chefs and foodies from across Canada took to the stage in an attempt to create the ultimate comfort food using Canadian cheese, pasta and a little imagination. Alexandra Feswick, Chef de Cuisine at the Drake Hotel in Toronto, today emerged victorious in one of Canada’s highest profile culinary comfort food battles, Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) Grate Canadian Cheese Cook-Off. With Mac & Cheese again…
Taking Skipper Otto’s Cortes Island Oysters from Ugly to Awesome If you are an oyster lover, you know oysters come in all sizes and shapes. Some are best slurped fresh, right out of the shell, some dressed up with a bit of mignonette, and some of the bigger ones are better in stews or baked. Recently we were offered a sample of Skipper Otto’s Cortes Island oysters, a gnarly bunch of creatures that aren’t exactly supermarket shelf pretty as they cling to each other and are wildly misshapen. However ugly these may be deemed, they are absolutely delicious, and at $9…
Temperatures are rising in Vancouver, but by the weekend should cool off and we may even see some rain, so get out on those patios today and tomorrow! If you love oysters you’ll want to pack your bags for the Okanagan’s Osoyoos Oyster Festival, but there’s plenty to do around town should travel not be on the agenda. Osoyoos Oyster Festival – April 20-24 The oyster festival was created to give oyster farmers a bit of a break, while entertaining locals and visitors in the shoulder season. The weather is always sunny, and just a little bit crisp, and the…
New Zealand Wine Visits Vancouver May 5, 2016 New Zealand is my birthplace and I have returned on far too few occasions and I’m left with a gap in my heart each time of think of my home country. I miss my relatives (four generations are still living as my grandparents are in their 90’s) and all the great food and wine that occurs when we are together. The last time I visited New Zealand I visited many cellar doors in Hawkes Bay where the majority of the extended family lives now, and have been to a few on Waiheke Island, but…
It’s another busy week ahead! What’s Good In This Week in Vancouver? Garagiste North – April 17, 2016 First and foremost, wine lovers need to set this Sunday aside, well at least a few hours of it, to explore the smaller producers of our province. Held at the Wise Hall in East Vancouver, this once a year experience will walk you through the up and comers, and those who just don’t want to go big. Chat with the winemakers and owners and sample some bites for Chicha Vancouver, a wonderful Peruvian spot! TICKETS! Sakura & Sake at Shangri-La’s Market until April…
