New Zealand Wine Festival

The Sweetest Event of the Year!

There She Goes.ca is getting ready for their second annual Bake Sale fundraiser for the Vancouver Food Bank

There She Goes
2nd Annual Bake Sale for the Food Bank
Saturday, June 3rd - 11:30 – 4:00
Vancouver Museum
Located in Vanier Park
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
Free admittance

This year they are combining food and fashion with a whole lot of fun! Tenlower mainland stores will be selling their favourite treats and sharingtheir secret recipes in an adorable cookbook at the Vancouver Museum between 11:30am and 4pm.
Each storeowner will be baking up a storm, and the more guests buy and eat at the bake sale, the more shelves they can fill at the Food Bank. A “Bake Off” competition has been added this year between Chambar, West, the Fairmont Hotel and Curious, and has pastry chefs creating the desserts oftheir dreams. No rules, no limits! Go big or go home. Judging thecompetition is Anna Wallner and Kristina Matisic (a.k.a. The Shopping Bags), Simi Sara of City TV and Karen Khunkhun of the Fox and CTV. Never sure what one should wear to a Bake Sale Fundraiser? The Honey Mustardjoins us with nine of Vancouver’s top designers creating not only an outfit,but one of a kind aprons as well. This is your chance to purchase anoriginal designer apron, as they will be sold off after the fashion show.
The Blanche Macdonald team will be giving free makeovers, hand massages andhair up-do’s to guests in our movie lounge area, and Z 95.3 will be thereproviding music and excitement for the day.
It really is going to be “The Sweetest Event of the Year!”Please visit http://www.thereshegoes.ca/ for full details in their events calendar.

Eat Vancouver

Harrison Hot Springs

Friday night we drove out to Harrison for the Taste of Agassiz that my friend billed as "a bad wedding". Another comment was a "bad wedding crossed with a high school dance". I just don't do buffets as I fear people sneeze into the food on the way around the buffet - ICK!
However the hotel was awesome and we managed to salvage the evening with a burger and drinks at the hotel bar and some spa-ish time.

East tower - Hospitality suite


Connecting to a Deluxe Lakeview Guestroom and located on the seventh and eighth floors. These spacious suites include 2 balconies, built-in bar and are ideal for entertaining a small group for a private function.

Unfortunately the bar wasn't stocked, but the local wine store sufficed.

We stopped at Farmhouse Cheeses on the way back and I picked up some tasty brie and cheesecurds. Big points to my friend for the patience shown while I was indulging in my foodie and wine interests. Apparently rye and ginger is a really good drink, and you really only need to eat once a day. Who knew?

In the Pink X 2

1) Aurora Bistro's Kurtis Kolt is after my soul this week with the "PINK THEMED" tasting menu.

Other BC fav pinks of mine are the Great Ranch Rose, Blue Grouse Rose, Wild Goose Blush and Arrowleaf's rose.

Your Food, Your Wine @ Aurora: Think Pink! - May 30th-June 1st 2006 $48 per person (plus $10 for dessert)

Warm Cornmeal Crusted Alpine Gold Cheese, Arugula Salad, Dried Blueberry Preserve
Garry Oaks 2005 Blanc de Noir (Pinot Noir/Zweigelt)

Seared Halibut Cheeks on Barley with Preserved Lemon and Wild Nettle
Pentâge 2004 Gamay Blush

Organic Chicken Braised with Wild Mushrooms and Pemberton Potatoes
Joie 2005 Pinot Noir Rosé

Anise Ice Cream in a Dark Chocolate Cone
A Mini Blood Orange Kir Royale (Sumac Ridge "Stellar’s Jay" Brut w/ Blood Orange Syrup)

2) Daenna van Mulligan's tasting group - JUICED also picks up the pink with
"A Rosé by Any Other Name" on Monday, June 5th, 2006

at Savory Coast Cucina Mediterranea 1133 Robson Street www.savorycoast.ca

What says Summertime more than sipping Rosé on the patio? Rosé is Hot, Hot, Hot these days and we at Juiced Wine have gone out of our way to hunt down a variety of different styles from Oz to Italy. These Rosés are made from grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Grenache, Negroamaro and Charbono to name a few. It's not your grandmother's blush and it's not white zinfandel, forget the old saying, "If its pink don't drink"!Rosé is the ultimate food wine, modern and trendy...elegant and intriguing.

Join Juiced Wine Group on Monday June 5th to explore this month's theme, "A Rosé by Any Other Name".

The Wines:

Tormaresca -Paiara Rosato, Italy. 2005 Craneford - De la Rouge, Australia. 2002 Joie - Rose, Okanagan, BC. 2005 Bonny Doon - Ca' del Solo "Big House Pink", California. 2004 Ceceile Chassagne - Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, France. 2004 A MYSTERY ROSÉ

www.juicedwine.com

Sanafir Part 2

We returned to Sanafir to check out the place when I wasn't pressed against 300 people. I had an excellent threesome of ahi tuna spring roll, osxtail cappeletti with white truffle cream and seared Japanese eggplant. My friend claims to eat only once a day and therefore just had a very large corona - how this relationship is going to last I don't know! I revisited the Desert Rose cocktail with rose and citrus vodka and sparkling lemonade. Then, guess what, we went to the Gramercy Grill. Surprise surprise.

FG

Fixed my Computer

My computer is finally fixed. Don't know why it took them so long to figure out what I wanted.

Sanafir

Rosana and I met at Saltlik prior to the grand opening of Sanifar. I am not sure if I should thank the bartender, but the martini was very strong! Thank god Flame was driving after the libations at Sanafir. It was packed with people, they were even serving out onto the street.

Successfully sampled:

CRISPY PORK PAKORA, SHREDDED YAM CURRY SMOKED PAPRIKA

TIGER PRAWN WRAPPED WITH KANAFA, WATERCRESS DIPPING SAUCE

Kama Sutra - Passion Fruit,. Guava & Raspberry

Sanafir Lights Vodka, Cranberry, Redbull & Champagne

Must return for a more detailed expoloration.

The long weekend of procrastination

Well. I have been dancing around the issue of actually writing and finishing some projects, - the deadline is looming. I keep telling myself that I will write well in advance of deadline and it never happens. I was the student in uni who took the courses WITHOUT the essays. That's right, no writing please. I can do math now though. Very helpful for a food writer. So this long weekend I am doing what I do best. RESEARCH. Saturday I went to the Vancouver East Side Farmers Market with my new writing coach S Fuller. Pickings were slim, but we found beets and greens to make an excellent salad and discussed why I procrastinate (while I was procrastinating). Saturday night I had my "shift" at the Gramercy. Duck confit and halibut with a citrus risotto. I don't think I actually like lemon or lime in my starch though. I keep forgetting this. Brilliant.
Sunday has found me actually getting some work done, but not without a stop at Granville Island to check out how the new Edible BC Store is coming along. I am also cooking up a meal (that's right I am finally cooking!) of flank steak marinated in citrus (it's ok with meat) and herbs from my patio, beet and goat cheese salad, couscous with sundried tomato and pine nuts, cumin/honey carrots, and mushrooms with garlic from the farmers market. Jane's here, so better go complete this collage.

Monk McQueens

A picture says a thousand words......

The search will have to continue. The view was good, the company remarkably well behaved, but the food left something to be desired (perhaps proper preparation?) We had some very salty calamaria and some overcooked scallops and oily overcooked wontons. Fortunately we composed ourselves and stopped by the Gramercy on the way home where Jada ordered excellent gnocchi with a prawn salsa and allowed me to sample.
I've had similar experiences around town where the view is there, but the kitchen is not. Lift, Joe Fortes, Watermark. I'm thinking that my favourite patio so far is the Jericho sailing club. Must return for some burgers or the nachos and, of course, the beer.
There must be a perfect patio out there somewhere. The search continues.......

Vancouver Patios

Why is that whenever the weather gets a bit sizzling it is so hard to figure out where to go deckside? After a brief conference call and a couple sips of a cocktail at home. Monk McQueens was decided on. Will report back.
PS - Kate if you hadn't cancelled my Diva dinner AGAIN! :o) I wouldn't have this dilema.

Vancouver Mag Restaurant Awards

Vancouver Restaurant Awards were yesterday. Unfortunatley Vancity Girl was too sick to go! Congratulations to Nu, Aurora and Bin!

I am not sure who wrote this - I borrowed it off www.egullet.org!

They came, they ate, they accepted their accolades. Yesterday afternoon, Vancouver Magazine held its 17th annual Restaurant Awards, a gala event at the Sheraton Wall Centre in which the who's who of the foodie world gathered to pay tribute to the best in culinary excellence. Food highlights included taro coated prawns with a sweet chili dipping sauce, tomato and bocconcini on skewers, and pan fried sablefish with sauteed fiddleheads. Out of the dessert selections, the silky milk chocolate tart provided by La Regalade was especially decadent. The wine also flowed abundantly with the Wines of South Africa sponsoring and providing the beverages for the event.

After much mingling in a room warm with chatter and good food, the lights dimmed to signal the start of the award ceremony. Gloria Macarenko and Steve Burgess were effervescent hosts who managed to keep the show moving at an entertaining, yet efficient pace. Video clips that included Thomas Haas crafting his chocolate desserts and the owners of Lolita's Cantina extolling the glories of tequila, punctuated the handing out of the many awards. Award winners were brief in their acceptance speeches but still managed to convey the passion and dedication that have contributed to their successes. The quirky Gord Martin of Bin 941/942 unofficially won the award for "Best Dressed" while Robert Clark from C Restaurant garnered the award for "Future Best Dressed" with his winning of an Ermenegildo Zegna gift certificate that accompanied his Chef of the Year award. Especially moving were tributes given by Jamie Maw and Vicki Gabereau to three Vancouver legends, Jean-Claude Ramond, Werner Forster, and Joel Thibault, who all passed away this year, leaving legacies as impressive as the food and the restaurants that they created. After much fanfare, the Restaurant of the Year was announced to be yet again, West , that outdid itself in its commitment to impeccably innovative, high quality cuisine. Amidst the applause and the congratulatory handshaking, the crowd slowly filtered out to enjoy celebratory bubbles and chocolate dipped strawberries. A very satisfying end to a year of exceptional dining on the Vancouver food scene.

Award highlights (Due to lack of energy on the writer's part, see your May 2006 issue of Vancouver Magazine for full listing):

Restaurant of the Year: Gold - West; Silver - Lumiere; Bronze - C Restaurant

Chef of the Year: Gold - Robert Clark (C Restaurant); Silver - Jeff Van Geest (Aurora); Bronze - Pino Posteraro (Cioppino's/Enoteca)

Best New Fine Dining: Gold - Nu; Silver - Senova; Bronze - Mistral French BistroBest New

Informal: Gold - Diner; Silver - Habit Lounge; Bronze - Lolita's South of the Border Cantina

Best Regional: Gold - Raincity Grill; Silver - C Restaurant; Bronze - Aurora

Best Seafood: Gold - C Restaurant; Silver - Blue Water Cafe; Bronze - Tojo's

Best Small Plates: Gold - Bin 941/942; Silver - Nu; Bronze - Lumiere Tasting Bar

Wine List Awards recipients announced

Press release:
Vancouver, BC (May 2, 2006) – The 28th Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has VANCOUVER and area

GOLD
Blue Water Café/C Restaurant/Cin Cin Ristorante & Bar/Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca/CRU/Fish House in Stanley Park/La Terrazza Restaurant & Lounge/Raincity Grill/West Restaurant

SILVER
Caffé de Medici/Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia/Diva at the Met /Earls Restaurant/Globe at YVR Restaurant (Richmond)/NU/Provence Marinaside/The Cannery Seafood Restaurant/Vij's Curry Art

BRONZE
Aurora Bistro/Bravo Restaurant & Lounge (Chilliwack)/Haus Uropa Restaurant (Gibsons)/Fleuri Restaurant - Sutton Place Hotel/Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House/Pearl on the Rock (White Rock)/Tomato Fresh Food Café/The William Tell Restaurant/winebar @ fiction