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Crunchtime Cereal Bar is popping up in Gastown this weekend on Saturday October 1st and Sunday October 2nd 8am – 6pm. This pop-up cereal bar offers domestic and imported cereals with all proceeds donated to local charity Backpack Buddies.

After Cereal Killer Cafe in London opened up, word spread about an amazing cafe serving up over 100 different types of cereal from around the world. With 30 different varieties of milk and 20 toppings. Vancouverites were really excited when a similar pop-up concept was coming to Vancouver.

Milk Creative Communications launched in Vancouver today using Crunchtime Cereal Bar as the official launch event for Milk, an eight person Vancouver-based agency, previously known as Heth PR.

Interior

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They created a neon-meets-tropical escape in the heart of Gastown inside the space of Timbertrain Coffee Roasters. You can see floral flourishes, brightly coloured accents and a cereal curtain.

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Cereal selection

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There are 12 different cereals to choose from:

  • Krave
  • Frosted Flakes
  • Cinnamon Toast Crunch
  • Fruit Loops
  • Cookie Crisp
  • Batman Chocolate Strawberry Cereal
  • Lucky Charms
  • Smorz
  • Cap’n Crunch
  • Nature’s Path Choco Chimps
  • Golden Nuggets
  • Lion Cereal

A majority of these cereals were not very interesting, but there are a few ones that I haven’t seen before.

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Price

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All pop-up proceeds will go to local charity Backpack Buddies, which supplies hungry schoolchildren with food during non-school hours.

  • Bowls of cereal with regular milk for $5
  • Almond, soy and chocolate milk available at an additional charge of $0.75
  • Toppings will be available for $0.50 per topping

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Cereal Bowls

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You can craft your own bowls in any way you want. You can definitely make it into a super sugary treat by adding extra toppings.

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Final Thoughts

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At first, it wasn’t known who was behind Crunchtime Cereal Bar, it seemed a bit strange but who doesn’t like a good bowl of cereal? Milk Creative Communications wanted to treat their rebrand like how they would do for their clients, by offering an array of creative communications strategies and solutions.

It definitely drove a lot of attention, but customers coming here on the weekend can still enjoy bowls of cereal that will benefit Backpack Buddies.

Details:
Saturday October 1st and Sunday October 2nd, 2016
8am – 6pm

Website:
http://www.crunchtimecerealbar.com/

Address:
311 W Cordova St. Vancouver

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Nat Bailey Stadium has cranked up some cool menu items for the 2016 Vancouver Canadians baseball games. From baseball game classics like burgers and nachos to sushi and the new 3-foot-long Yard Dog, the Nat has something for all fans.

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When at the game, grabbing a drink or food item is part of the whole baseball experience. Since the games start at 6pm, it’s prime eating time.

We got a chance to try out a few of their signature items that are a hit with fans.

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Smoked Brisket Sandwich

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Smoked brisket sandwich is a popular item to eat during the game. Easy to eat when its tender and juicy. It comes with a bag of chips on the side too.

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The brisket is rubbed for 24 hours with Regional Executive Chef O’Brien Tingling’s secret home recipe then smoked for 15 hours and is ready to be served when the doors open at 6pm on game days.

3-foot-long Yard Dog

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The new 3-foot-long Yard Dog has only just been introduced to the stadium this season. In the previous year, they’ve only offered 2-foot-long hot dogs, but they knew they had to step it up. This all-beef giant is perfect for splitting between 4 -6 people.

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Or if you are super ambitious, you can try eating it yourself. It’s an huge hot dog, but they couldn’t acquire a large enough bun for the 3 foot hot dog, so they have 2 2-foot buns from a local bakery. They are trying hard to see if they can source a 3-foot bun thats fits better for the next season.

If you aren’t up to the challenge, they have 1 foot or 2 foot hot dog options.

Nachos

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Nachos are a game day staple, cover it with a lot of cheese and toppings to make it amazing. Easy item to share too.

Pretzels

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Pretzels are another traditional game day favourite. A pretzel in one hand and a beer in the other.

Ice Cream

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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. You can get an ice cold treat in a Canadian’s Baseball cap cup. We got the mint chocolate chip ice cream housed in that super cut cup. With the hot summers, have a nice cold ice cream for the kids in a great accompaniment.

Beer and other alcoholic beverages

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Speaking of beers, they have a large variety of domestic and international beers. Whistler Brewing has a few of their beers here. They also have Hey Y’All hard iced tea for those who want a little something something without a strong alcohol taste.

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Food and drinks are an essential part of the game with the Vancouver Canadians. Of course the game itself is entertaining when someone hits a home run or when people strike out. They also have fun things to engage fans beside food, like, their bobblehead giveaways.

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Website:
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t435

Address:
4575 Clancy Loranger Way, Vancouver, BC

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YVR Food Fest was this weekend on Aug 6th and 7th. Vancouver has a vibrant food truck scene and where else can you get the city’s best food trucks and a few eateries all in one place? Right by Olympic Village and the Cambie St. Bridge is where the YVR Food Fest is located.

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There were various types of tickets available:

  • General Admission
  • Taster Ticket
  • The Big Feast

With all these different types of tickets, it was a little bit confusing especially if you have the taster tickets.

If you have general admission tickets, you can just order that regular items off the food trucks menu.

I was invited to the YVR Food Fest and given a few taster tickets to use for the event, so the items seem in this recap are of the taster items.

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With all the food trucks and vendors here, not all of them accept the tasting tickets. Most vendors have 1 item available on the tasting menu, a small item that gives you a taste of what they have to offer.

Seating

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They have a few picnic tables and tented seating to keep people shaded from the hot sun. We didn’t have any problems finding a space since there would be a lot of movement in the area.

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The Original Hurricane Potato

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The Original Hurricane Potato truck had mini version of their spiral potatoes for the tasting. Very cute and pint sized.

C’est Si Bon

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C’est si bon has their regular menu filled with their French inspired menu with sliders, beef bourguignon, salad, and pastries.

For the tasting tickets, you can get a mini item of something on the menu. My friend got the beef bourguignon and I went with the beef slider. It’s so cute. Taste was pretty meh.

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Le Tigre

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Le Tigre has always been a fan favourite for having their kick ass rice bowl. For their tasting tickets, they had miniature rice bowls with fried chicken and a delicious sauce on top. There are some red chilis in it to give it a nice kick.

Mom’s Grilled Cheese

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Mom’s Grilled Cheese severs up delectable grilled cheese sandwiches around town. For their taster, they had pickle and cheese in a blanket. Definitely a different than what they normally serve but it was interesting.

Fliptop Filipino Fusion

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Fliptop Filipino Fusion Food Truck has delicious items. One item I love its their Flippin Adobo ‘Fili’ Cheesesteak.

Their tasting was the Longanisa Wonton Cups with sweet cured pork, salsa, calamansi sweet chilli sauce, and pea shoots.

Tacofino

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Tacofino has food trucks serving up their delicious tacos and burritos.

Their tasting item was the Walking Taco has chorizo, bean dip, cheese sauce, cilantro and corn chips. This reminded me of a Frito pie. It was pretty different that what is on their regular menu.

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Kafka’s Coffee and Tea

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Kafka’s Coffee and Tea has a food truck roaming around town serving up cold drinks on tap.

  • nitro cold brew coffee
  • nitro cold brew tea
  • rosemary lemonade
  • ginger beer from Dickies
  • salted caramel ice cream sandwiches

I grabbed a ginger beer and it had a good amount of ginger kick to it.

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Amoda Tea

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Amoda Tea had their pop-up tea shop at the YVE Food Feast. They had a bunch of matcha drinks for sale.

I went with the iced matcha tea with no added syrups. Very good and refreshing for the hot weather.

Eastside Flea

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The Eastside Flea is a modern day flea market hosting local vendors selling handmade craftsmen goods, vintage clothing, antiques & collectibles, and plants.

A pretty cool addition to to the YVR Food Fest with a little bit of shopping.

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Overall, it is a fun event to enjoy a bunch of food carts all in one place. If you live or work outside of Vancouver, spotting food carts is pretty hard since most of the carts are in Vancouver or at special events. This event is a good chance to catch them all.

Try to get there earlier as lines can get quite long to get inside the food fest or waiting at the food trucks for your food.

Beside just having food, there is live music, games, cocktail/beer garden, and a few other things.

Websitehttp://www.yvrfoodfest.com/

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The 21st Annual Champagne & Caviar event by Liberty Wine Merchants at the Vancouver Rowing Club was put on to benefit amateur sports in BC.

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Tons of people gathered on a Thursday evening to devour glasses of champagne and bites of caviar.

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We had 52 different types of sparkling wines to try out. If I tried them all, I wouldn’t be able to get home. Only a handful were from BC and the rest were from around the world. There were white, rose and even one red sparkling wine.

Okanagan Crush Pad

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Okanagan Crush Pad makes some of my favourite wines. They were serving the Haywire The Bub and Narrative XC Method.

Both amazing in taste, but if I had to choose only one, it would be the Haywire The Bub that wins just by a hair.

The Bub has fermented and aged using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. It is a fresh and lively wine with nice warm bread aromas and a crisp green apple finish, which is a shining example of what the Okanagan does best – crisp, fresh, and delicious.

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Peacock & Martin

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Peacock & Martin has 3 wines to feature:

All three are from BC.

I enjoyed them all, but the Elephant Island Pink Elephant was my favourite. It has pink hues with lots of tiny bubbles. It is finished brut, currant and green apple notes with cassis on the finish.

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Philippe Dandurand Wines

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They had a few different wines to try out too:

  • Ferrari Brut
  • Ferrari Brut Rose
  • Thienot Brut Champagne

The Ferrari Brut has a clean taste with golden apple fruity notes.

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Empson Wine Canada

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Empson Wine Canada had 3 wines to showcase:

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The Canella Bellini was a very unique drink. It is composed of two parts sparkling wine, one part white peach juice and pulp from select, perfectly ripe peaches and a few drops of wild raspberry. Very sweet and refreshing.

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The Lini 910 Lambrusco has balanced aromas and flavours of ripe blueberry and raspberry.

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Caviar

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Once the caviar came out, it was a mad dash to get a little taste of the delicious little salty eggs.

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There were 4 kinds of caviar to choose from and you can spread them onto crackers with green onions and sour cream.

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I’m not a caviar expert, but each one had their own distinct taste and texture.

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Because there were so many people, I didn’t pay much attention to what type of caviar was on the table. I just knew they tasted different and had different colours.

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Champagne and caviar has been classy pairing thats not just for any occasion. The salty taste of the caviar is enhanced by the dryness of the champagne.

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Overall, it was a great time chatting with friends and trying a variety of champagne and caviar.

Website: http://libertywinemerchants.com/pages/wine-tasting-events.php

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I tend to avoid watching fireworks in Downtown Vancouver because there are thousands in the crowd.

Canada Day Fireworks at Canada Place has a family friendly area and their own dedicated Fireworks Viewing Zone. You purchase tickets ahead of time for $15 for adults or its free for kids 5 and under.

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My little sister has her birthday on Canada Day, so we thought it would be great to have her see the fireworks in real life rather than on the TV.

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The space opens at 8:30pm and its not too busy compared to the other areas by the Convention Centre. A lot of people came right when it opened to get a front row seat by the railings.

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You do get a bit closer to the fireworks since the pier juts out more than the convention centre. Even though you have to pay to be in this area, you always have easy access to washrooms and its not too crowded.

If you have kids with you can you don’t want to wait all day to get a spot, this option does take the stress away.

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The fireworks begin at 10:30pm and lasts for about 20 minutes. The fireworks were beautiful but it was too bad there wasn’t any music in the area to go along with it.

For $15 to go to this reserved area, I would do this again.

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Websitehttps://www.canadaplace.ca/events/canada-day/fireworks-2/

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The Port Moody Rib Fest is back this year at Rocky Point Park. For rib lovers, this event can’t be missed. It is a 3 day event with delicious BBQ, live music, craft breweries in the beer garden and fun family activities. Free admission too. It is put on every year by the Rotary Club of Port Moody.

This place was packed, so parking is a bit hard, so we parked a few blocks away so we didn’t have to fight over parking.

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There are 5 ribbers as part of the Rib Fest:

  • Gator BBQ
  • Boss Hog’s
  • Smoke & Bones
  • Prairie Smoke & Spice
  • Misty Mountain BBQ

All 5 are award-winning BBQ masters that have won multiple awards.

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You can eat sitting on the grass or there are a few tents with seats. It was pretty sunny on Saturday, so a lot of people were huddled underneath.

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The line ups were a bit long at the stalls, so we decided to order our food and beer in the beer garden, so they would deliver it to us when it is done.

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You line up in the beer garden, put in your order, and pay.

They will take your phone number and will text you when your order is ready. We waited about 20 minutes, but we were busy playing Pokemon Go to pass the time as there were 2 lures close by.

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The 3 of us ordered $65 worth of BBQ and sides. We wanted to try a little bit of everything.

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We got a variety of different items:

  • Boss Hogs 1/2 beef ribs
  • Boss Hogs Coleslaw
  • Gator BBQ 1/2 Chicken
  • Gator BBQ Tators
  • Smoke and Bones 1/2 Pork Ribs
  • Smoke and Bones Coleslaw
  • Smoke and Bones Baked Beans
  • Corn Bread

Boss Hogs

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We got the 1/2 beef ribs with coleslaw from Boss Hogs. Very large ribs and super delicious.

Gator BBQ

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The half chicken was ok. The skin was delicious because of all the spices and flavour are located there. Certain parts of the chicken were dry, but could have been better.

The cornbread wasn’t from Gators, but it was so good. You need to get the cornbread.

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The Gator Tators is basically mashed potatoes. In my mind, I thought it would be tator tots. Still delicious nonetheless.

We also realized they threw in a half rack of pork ribs, they must of misread our order, but we dug in anyways. The pork ribs were really meaty and super enjoyable.

Smoke and Bones

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1/2 Pork RibsColeslaw, and Baked Beans from Smoke and Bones had very good flavours. Not has meaty as the Pork Ribs from Gators, but still had a good smokey flavour.

Ordering beer

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You need to purchase tokens and the get your beer. Craft beer is $5.50 and wine is $7. All the beer available are from the Port Moody Breweries across the street – Moody Ales, Twin Sails, Yellow Dog and Parkside.

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Seat in Beer Garden

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There is tons of seating and definitely nothing to worry about in the beer garden.

Overall

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The Port Moody Rib Fest is always a treat to go to, but it can be very busy. Some people had to wait over an hour to get their food. We came at 1pm and the lines were not as crazy yet. Like any festival, there are going to be waits, but you just need to be prepared. For us, Pokemon Go helped us pass the time. hahaha.

I really enjoyed hanging out with my foodie friends seating BBQ and drinking beer. I would go again.

Website:
http://www.portmoodyribfest.ca/

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Vancouver Craft Beer Week kicked off a few weeks ago from May 27th to June 5th. There are events throughout the week, but the 3 days festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was where the largest numbers were in attendance.

People flooded to the PNE Fairgrounds to experience 100+ breweries & cideries pouring 350+ craft beers & ciders from across the globe.

Entry and Tokens

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General admission was $35 and covers entrance and a souvenir mug. You have to buy beer tokens for $1.50 each.

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Port Moody

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There are different areas of the PNE and there was event a Port Moody brewery area that included Twin Sails, Parkside Brewery, Moody Ales and Yellow Dog. All amazing breweries and within walking distance of each other. If you love beer, you’ll love Port Moody and the beer scene out there.

Tofino Brewing Co

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One of my favourites was Tofino Brewing for their blonde ale! I jump at any chance to drink this beer since its so light and refreshing.

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Sunday Cider

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Sunday Cider is Vancouver’s first cidery brought to you buy the guys who created Bestie. Since the restaurant closes on Sunday, they would spend this time crafting different recipes until they found a few good batches.

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Dageraad Brewing

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Dageraad Brewing is a brewery located in Burnaby and they have a Belgian-style beer called Burnabarian.

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Stiegl

Stiegl is an amazing Austrian brewery and even since I visited back in 2008, I have fallen in love with their beer. One drink in particular which is amazing is the Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit.

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Phillips Brewing

They are a popular brewery from Victoria, BC. Besides brewing beer, they also have a soda company and a distillery.

I tried one of their lighter beers – Pilsner that also has a clean, crisp and bright taste.

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DriftWood Brewing Co

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Driftwood Brewery is another local brewery out of Richmond and has grown in popularity quite quickly. I tried the White Bark Witbier. Light, refreshing and has a citrus finish.

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Fuggles & Warlock

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Fuggles & Warlock pushes traditional styles of beer to the limit, by adding a West Coast flair. Expect some adventurous brews aimed toward adventurous palettes. The branding has a distinct focus on “Geek Culture” with references to video gaming, and pop culture.

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I had to try the Strawberry Wit and wow, it was refreshing and had strong strawberry flavours. Very unique especially among the Metro Vancouver craft beer scene.

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Fruli

Similarly, Fruli makes premium strawberry beer to but their flavour profiles are quite different.

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It was a fun few hours at the Vancouver Craft Beer Week and trying all the different types of beer from all over the world. Good to try some good ol favourites and finding those new ones that tickled my taste buds.

Website: http://vancouvercraftbeerweek.com/

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Vancouver Craft Beer Week kicked off on May 27th at their opening event at the Yaletown Roundhouse presented by Craft Beer Market. There are 32 breweries & cideries with 50+ beers and ciders to sample. It costs $60 and you get 4oz samples of the drinks, passed appetizers, and entertainment.

Hoyne Brewing Co

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I started off trying the Summer Haze Honey Hefe. It is light and great for the hot summer days.

Steel & Oak

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Tu Meke oceania inspired saison was one of the options made in collaboration with Strange Fellows Brewing for Vancouver Craft Beer Week. Pretty unique taste with notes of spice and pepper in it.

Mission Springs Brewing

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Lemon Ginger Radler is a very light beer with nice flavours of lemon and ginger that compliments each other. It only has 3% alcohol, so its very easy to drink.

Stiegl and Erdinger Weissbrau

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Both Austrian and German beer companies shared a booth. We were all so excited because they both have amazing beer.

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Parkside Brewery

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Parkside Brewery is a new brewery that just opened in Port Moody in close proximity to the other breweries like Twin Sails, Moody Ales and Yellow Dog. Their first keg was poured at this event and I was glad I got a taste of the Dusk Pale Ale. It has a good amount of citrus hop flavours and malt.

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Field House Brewing

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The Sour Wheat Gose is very sour when you first drink it and then with a touch of saltiness at the end. Definitely not a drink for everyone.

Food and Snacks

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Food was very hard to spot at this event. Once it came out, people were going crazy just to get a piece. I wasn’t too hungry since I ate ramen ahead of time with a few friends ahead of time.

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I don’t remember what food they had since it was impossible to see what came out. I was more focused on the beer.

KIND Snacks was there giving out whole size granola bars which was nice. A favourite was the Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate.

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Seating

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There’s no seating indoors as it is all standing room, but there are some tables outside where you can sit and enjoy the beers with friends. Even though it was a rainy day, people still were outside enjoying the fresh air.

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Overall, it was a great way to kick off Vancouver Craft Beer Week. There was plenty of beer flowing, but for some people, they definitely wanted more food to be served especially when they’re consuming alcohol.

Websitehttp://vancouvercraftbeerweek.com/

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Make It! is a Handmade Market located in Vancouver, St. Albert and Edmonton. It is the largest event of its kind in Western Canada. It gives shoppers the opportunity to buy directly from local top artists, crafters and designers.

I came here with a few friends to check out the local artisans and to find something unique to decorate my living room with.

The next Make It Vancouver will be on December 8 – 11, 2016, so make sure you don’t miss it.

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Right outside were a few food trucks to discover like C’est Si Bon, Community Pizzeria, Disco Cheetah, Melt City grilled cheese, Porky’s Foods Inc, The Reef Runner, Varinicey Pakoras.

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A few of the vendors have online stores or sell mostly at local craft fairs. I love going to these things since I’m able to see some original and creative artwork from some of the vendors here.

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Blue Trimble had some unique gemstone jewellery. They draw inspiration for their pieces from the natural beauty of the raw crystals, thus making each piece is as strong, unique and modern as the person wearing it.

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Retro Repurposed takes used pallet would and turns them into homemade art and furniture. It give a nice rustic look to your home or office. I was considering getting one of these but I couldn’t decide which one I liked, but since they have an etsy store, I can ponder for a little while longer.

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Reclaimed Print Co. has some coasters and wall art. They print their beautiful designs onto wood. Alternatively, you can also provide them with your own photos and they can print it onto wood for you.

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Since I’m so indecisive, I decided to go home to see if I had any photos in my collection that I would get enlarged and printed on wood. Seeing that I mostly have food photos, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have food hanging in my living room. Nonetheless, it’s good to know there are some cool alternatives to print photos that aren’t on canvas or paper.

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I’ll Know It When I See It has some very cheeky cards for all occasions. I’ve gotten a few of these from a friend and I just love them.

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Emerson apparel creates unique, stylish and well-made clothing for free-spirited child who just loves to play and have fun. They use high quality materials that are mommy approved.

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Thirsty Whale Elixirs  are naturally concentrated raw syrups made with organic apple cider vinegar, fruit and cane sugar. They’re pretty good especially when you mix them with sparkling water.

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Living Lotus creates plant-based desserts that are free from gluten, dairy, refined sugar and soy.

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C Yarn Hut makes a lot of hand knitted accessories, amigurumi dolls, and other things.

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Ebony and Sparrow creates cool wooden pendants that are minimalist and super pretty.

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Coconama Chocolate is always a crowd favourite at any craft fair or food show. You can also find them at specialty stores around town or visit their shop in North Vancouver. They opened the first ganache chocolate shop in Vancouver.

Their chocolates are similar to the Japanese chocolate – Melty Kiss, but a lot better.

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Art + Soul Creative Co also sells neat cards. Full of awesome puns and a cool artistic and fun look to them all.

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Vancouver Candle Co has a series of premium soy-based candles names after popular Vancouver neighbourhoods like Mount Pleasant, Gastown and Kitsilano. All of the candles are made in small batches by hand. Soy candles tend to last longer too.

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My friends at Craft’ed Van sells super cute bookmarks, magnets and cards. The dynamic duo – Erica and Diana started this company back in 2012 and have captivated many by their cute cartoon designs. Plus, their cards are full of awesome puns.

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Of course there are so many more booths that didn’t cover, but everyone of them had something unique about them that you can’t just get at a big box store. Each vendor really showed their passion for what they were doing and creating.

If you haven’t been to a huge craft fair like this, you should at least check it out once in your life. I didn’t buy a lot of things from Make It, but I know what artists I like for the future when I’m ready to purchase.

Website: http://makeitproductions.com/vancouver/

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Vancouver Community College has brought back their popular – VCC Chef’s Table for the Summer until June 30 at the Downtown Campus. I am a huge fan of dining at culinary art schools as the food is cheap, tastes great and it helps train our future chefs.

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Chef Hamid Salimian shares his knowledge and expertise with a new generation of chefs as an instructor in the VCC Culinary Arts program. He did an awesome job crafting the menu with the students.

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This pop-up style restaurant is located in the Bistro on the 2nd floor. Just walk up the stairs and it’s on your right.

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Guests are seated while the students use modern techniques to create a 5 course set menu before your eyes for $30 or $45 with wine pairings.

It’s a small space, so I think there were 5 tables. All reservations are gone, but be sure to check back in the Fall for their next Chef’s Table series.

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The menu rotates every 2 weeks and its a surprise what you will be served.

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If you don’t want to do the wine pairings, they have cocktails and other beverages they can prepare for  you.

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The first course is the Puffed Foie Gras with an apricot puree, candied almond, and rose water honey bubble. It is paired with Grey Monk Odyssey Brut Rose 2012.

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The texture was very delicate and tasted so good. We popped the honey bubble and mixed it into the puffed foie gras.

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Cavatelli and Lobster has NextJen gluten-free cavatelli, lobster, sweet onion, parmesan, and lobster foam. It was paired with the Fern Walk Sauvignon Blanc 2014.

The lobster was cooked perfectly and the lobster foam was so addictive.

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Roasted Squab has sour cherry, red beet, brown butter vinaigrette and topped with greens. It is paired with a Sumac Ridge Pinot Noir 2015.

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The squab was tender and full of flavour, but I wish the piece of squab was larger.

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24 hour Short Rib has popcorn sweetbreads, hen of the woods, and potato. It is paired with a Red Rooster Hen House Ruffled Wine.

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This was our favourite dish of the night. Short rib was tender, potato puree was additive, and we could eat a whole bucket of those little popcorn sweetbreads.

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Chocolate Bar has hazelnuts, milk chocolate, and salted caramel ice cream. It is paired with a See Ya Later Ranch Gewurztraminer 2014.

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It was so good! The dense chocolate bar and the salted caramel ice cream was a match made in heaven.

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It was so much fun seeing all the students create the dishes right in front of our eyes. All the dishes came at a good pace and it was a great experience. For $30 for 5 dishes, it is worth the price. You get a good amount of food, but if you are a big eater, you might not be completely full.

I would come back again in a heartbeat for their VCC Chef’s Table.

Address:
250 West Pender Street, Vancouver‎

Website:
http://www.vcc.ca/international/about/news-and-events/events/article/the-chefs-table-pop-up-kitchen-april-19—june-30.html

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East Side Beer Fest was put on by Liberty Merchant Company at the WISE Hall. All proceeds from ticket sales and draw prizes went directly to support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. It was a crazy wind and rain storm in Vancouver, but lots of people still showed up to taste a wide variety of beer.

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The following breweries and agencies were present:

  • Bomber brewing
  • Bridge Brewing Co
  • Copper & Theory
  • Craft Beer Imports
  • Dageraad brewing
  • Driftwood brewery
  • Four Winds Brewing Co
  • Moody Ales
  • Off the Rail Brewing Co
  • Parallel 49 Brewing Co
  • Powell Street Craft Brewery
  • Steel & Oak Brewing Co
  • Strange Fellows Brewing
  • Trucraft Beverages
  • Untapped Craft Imports
  • Westbier Imports

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As a beer drinker, I loved the event. It’s a great way to try a few different beers all in one place. Plus, you can drink as much as you want. For $25 a ticket, it wasn’t bad at all.

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When I go out to restaurants,  I always get the same types of beers. Usually light and fruity. It was a good chance to try some new beers to see if I would like them.

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Strange Fellows was there serving up their Talisman West Coast Pale Ale, Nocturnum Dark IPA, Jongleur Belgian Wit and Bayard Farmhouse Saison.

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Of those, my favourites were the Jongleur Belgian Wit and Bayard Farmhouse Saison.

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Moody Ales all the way from Port Moody in Coquitlam was sampling their Affable IPA, Hardy Brown Ales, and Smouldering Smoked Porter.

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The Smouldering Smoked Porter was a pretty unique beer in my mind. It tastes dark with hints of smokiness. It would definitely pair well with steaks or meat pies.

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Dageraad Brewing has their Blonde Ale, Sri Lanka Belgian Strong Ale with Treacle and Tamarind, and 10 Degrees quadruple.

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A good array of beers, but I still like their Blonde Ale the most. The fruity and citrus aroma is what won me over.

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Parallel 49 Brewing has so many varieties of beer to try – Craft Lager, Jerkface 9000 Northwest Wheat Ale, Salty Scot Caramel Scotch Ale, 187 On An Undercover Hop Imperial IPA, Bodhisattva Dry Hopped Sour, and Russian Imperial Stout.

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What I lover about Parallel 49 is hoe they name their beers and have such cool illustrations.

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What caught my eye was their Jerkface 9000 Northwest Wheat Ale. I found it was light with citrus and floral notes.

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Bomber Brewing sampled their Pilsner, IPA and Russian Imperial Stout.

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I’m still not a fan of darker beers with a strong hop taste, so I gravitated more towards the Pilsner.

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Four Winds Brewing Co. sampled their Juxtapose Wild IPA, Nectarous Dry Hopped Sour, Pale Ale and IPA.

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I didn’t try them all, but the Nectarous Dry Hopped Sour. It was fruity, sour, and bubbly. Very unique and I would purchase this.

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Glutenberg creates gluten-free beers. It’s definitely a good option since more and more people can’t have gluten. The Glutenberg Lapsang d’Automne Gluten Free Beer was pretty strong but I thought it was cool since it was made of tea. Tasted ok, but not for me.

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Bridge Brewing Co from North Vancouver had their Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat Ale, North Shore Pale Ale, and Wunderbar Kolsh for tasting.

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All of them were pretty good. Definitely hard to choose a favourite, but if I went to a restaurant to grab a beer, I would be happy with any of the 3 I tried.

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Powell Street Craft Brewery sampled their Hopdemonium IPA, Ode to Citra Pale Ale and the Dive Bomber Porter.

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By the end of the night, beer was flowing and everyone could try something familiar or something completely new.

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A very good event for beer drinkers and those who are new to the craft. The East Side Beer Fest was in it’s 4th year and hopefully more years to come. If you missed it this year, keep an eye open for it next year.

Websitehttp://libertywinemerchants.com/pages/wine-tasting-events.php

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Vancouver Magazine’s 10th Annual Big Night is Vancouver’s most exciting and exclusive culinary event. Every year, Vancouver Magazine unleashes a team of food and wine judges on the city’s culinary scene in order to determine the best bites and bottles consumers can enjoy. In their journey, 6,500 wines were poured and over 2,000 dishes consumed.

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YP Dine was the presenting sponsor of the Vancouver Magazine’s Big Night. The app gives you suggestions on where to eat, with handpicked lists by local food experts. YP Dine has full restaurant details with photos, and the ability to reserve a table right in the app. The service is available in Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver.

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Over 500 food and wine enthusiasts gathered to enjoy award-winning chefs from the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards serving dishes specially created to match top wines from their 2016 International Wine Competition. This year it was held at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. For $99 per ticket, it was not bad at all. You get to sample 10 of the best restaurants in town along with wine pairing. And you can go back for seconds…thirds or fourths if you want.

The event was well organized and the line ups were not too long.

Cactus Club | Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve

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Cactus Club Cafe was rated Best Casual Chain in Downtown. The restaurant originated on the West Coast of BC and has expanded across the country. With Canada’s first Iron Chef America Champion – Chef Rob Feenie spearheading the culinary team, they have a comforting menu that will appeals to a large audience.

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They prepared a Branzino Crudo with Domenia Fiore Novello, shaved Himalayan pink salt, and fresh lemon.

It paired with the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve. A nice sparkling wine to kick off the evening.

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Blue Water Cafe | SakeOne G Joy Genshu Junmai Jingo

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Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar won in the Best Seafood Category. Executive Chef Frank Pabst puts together a delectable menu with amazing pieces of carefully selected fish. Along side the cooked foods are their raw seafood with clean and pure flavours as well as detailed preparation led by Raw Bar Chef Masaaki Kudo. All their seafood is sustainable with the Ocean Wise stamp of approval to ensure it is sourced ethically without compromising their natural habitat.

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During the event, the prepared salmon caviar with seaweed tempura and devilled organic egg. I liked this bite-sized treat with the crunchy texture of the tempura and the saltiness of the caviar.

The SakeOne G Joy Genshu Junmai Ginjo was paired with it. A pretty good sake.

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 Au Comptoir | The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2013

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Au Comptoir won Silver in Best French Casual. They are a classic Parisian cafe in Kitsilano. Once walk inside, you will will notice the décor giving it that Parisian vibe. Very enjoyable and you will notice the difference in their food compared to come other French restaurants in town.

They sampled Albacore tuna confit with espelette pepper aioli, bacon and fennel gremolata and on a spiced cracker. It was paired with The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2013. The tuna and the spiced crackers textures complimented each other.

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Campagnolo Roma | Garry Oaks Estate Pinot Noir + Zweigelt 2013

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Campagnolo Roma won Silver for Best Italian Casual. Their restaurant features the specialties of Rome, Campagnolo Roma serves up classic antipasto, pastas, and pizzas in a casual atmosphere for their guests. Out of all the restaurants on this list, it is definitely more relaxed and casual.

They server their Coppa di Testa with smoked lingua, winter herbs and mostarda on pane bianco. They paired it with Garry Oaks Estate Pinot Noir + Zweigelt 2013.

Vij’s | Chateau de Nages ButiNages Rose 2014

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Vij’s won Best Indian and Chef of the Year. The restaurant has been around since 1994 spicing up the Vancouver culinary scene with their outstanding dishes like their wine marinated lamb popsicles. By blending their Indian spices and cooking techniques with fresh local produce, they give customers a unique experience making them coming back for more. Every night, you will see long line ups out the door with waits of up to an hour long.

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At the event, he served up Vegetarian Koftas with fenugreek curry. It was paired with the Chateau de Nages ButiNages Rose 2014.

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Miku | 50th Parallel Estate Riesling

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Miku won Bronze for Best Japanese Upscale. You can’t get anymore West Coast fresh than at Miku. From their patio, you overlook the beautiful North Shore Mountains and the Vancouver waterfront. If there was ever a place to really #treatyoself, it would be Miku. It’s one of my favourite places to take people visiting Vancouver.

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They served up their Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi which has pressed BC wild salmon, jalapeno, and Miku sauce, then it’s torched. There was also an albacore tuna and kaiso seaweed tartare with a spicy sesame ponzu vinaigrette, wasabi creme fraiche, and micro greens on top of a sesame wonton.

They paired it with 50th Parallel Estate Riesling 2014. It was my favourite wine of the evening.

It was a no brainer that this was my favourite item of the night. Multiple people kept coming back for more.

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CinCin | Fontodi Chianti Classico 2011

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CinCin won Bronze for Best Italian Upscale Restaurant. CinCin has been around for over 25 years, reaching a quarter of a century milestone. Opened in 1990, their contemporary Italian menu and wine pairings have captivated locals as well as celebrities visiting Vancouver.

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They had a veal and pork polpette, tomato, parsley and olive oil. They paired it with a medium red wine – Fontodi Chianti Classico 2011.

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Hawksworth | Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

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Hawksworth won for best upscale restaurant. Chef David Hawksworth and his team receive an array of awards year after year by serving up contemporary cuisine that pleases the palates of their diners. Walking into the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, the restaurant located right on the ground level entices diners with their beautiful dining room bursting with style and sophistication.

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They presented a beautiful dish with Confit lamb presse, charred eggplant, puffed black olive, mushroom soil and mint. It was the most beautiful dish of the evening and that lamb was very tender.

It is served with a rich red wine – Wynn Black Label Cabernet Sauvingnon 2012, which wont Best of Show.

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Tableau | Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnary 2014

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Tableau on best casual french restaurant. They are located close to Coal Harbour under the Loden Hotel and is known for their traditional French bistro fare. Their interior combines old world classic bistro elements with modern touches and a French-inspired menu that blends classic culinary flavours of Paris with the use of fresh west coast ingredients.

They served up slow cooked lamb neck, beetroot and citrus ravioli with a celeriac puree. It was paired with Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay 2014.

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Preston’s | Cockburn Special Reserve

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Located in Coal Harbour is Prestons Restaurant + Lounge serving up dishes with local and seasonal produce to keep the menu refreshing and innovative. As it is close to the financial district of Downtown, they have express lunch specials that will fit right into your lunch break.

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Prestons was the finishing dish of the night presenting their Stilton cheesecake with walnut crumble, grape and port compote.

It was paired with Cockburn’s special reserve.

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Sommelier of the Year | Bryant Mao’s Wine Pick
Emiliana Coyam

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Bryant Mao is the Sommelier of the Year and his pick was a rich red wine – Emiliana Coyam.

The Emiliana Coyam displays intense dark violet-red color with aromas of ripe red and black fruits integrated with notes of spice, earth and a hint of vanilla. Beautifully balanced and full on the palate. Good structure with soft, round tannins. Elegant expressions of fruit delicately interwoven with oak, mineral, and toffee.

It was a good wine, but I’m more of a while wine drinker.

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Overall, it was a great event! The food was flowing, the drinking were flowing, and it was great being able to meet the chefs up close and personal.

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A big thanks to all the people behind the scenes making it happen. Being able to feed 500 people isn’t an easy feat.

Website: http://vanmag.com/best-of-the-city/big-night-2016/

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Taste BC is in it’s 22nd year letting Vancouverites experience BC’s finest wine, beer and spirits accompanied by tasty treats from local BC restaurants and artisans. This year it was located in the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel inside the Crystal Pavilion. It started from 4:30 – 7:30pm, which is great for people who are working in Downtown Vancouver. Since I work right outside the Downtown core, I got there right at 5:30pm. By that time, it was really busy.

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I think there were 40 different wine, spirit and beer booths. Also 6 booths for food from Rodneys, KoKo Monk, Ann Kirsebom, La Mezcaleria, La Baguette and Gone Crackers. The booths with food definitely had long line ups. As there were more drink booths, it wasn’t too bad getting a taste of a particular beverage.

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You can even enter your ballot to help select People’s Choice Award for your favourite food and beverage.

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There definitely wasn’t any shortage of alcohol here. If you went to every single booth and tried every single bottle of alcohol here, you would probably be drunk. Most people have self-control here.

Beer and Cider

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I love beer, so I gravitated towards this section. There were 6 breweries and 2 cider producers.

Red Truck Beer was sampling their Red Truck Ale and Red Truck Lager, which are both delicious. I personally prefer the lager as it is a bit lighter and has a slight citrus finish.

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Dageraad Brewing was sampling their Dageraad Burnabarian, Dageraad Amber and Dageraad Blonde. I never knew Burnaby had breweries! It gets me pretty excited since I live pretty close to the brewery.

I really enjoyed the Blonde and the Burnabarian.

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Howe Sound Brewing had quite a few of their beers for sample – Juniper India Pale Ale, Pilsner Plunge, Wee Beastie Oak Aged Scotch Ale, and the Pothole Filler Imperial Stout.

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R&B Brewing had their East Side Bitter, Raven Cream Ale and the Vancouver Special IPA.

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Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse has their Wold in the Woods, Bittersweet, Pippins, Kings & Spies, and Rumrunner.

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Bridge Brewing Company had the Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat Ale and their Black Rye IPA. I really enjoyed the Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat Ale. Awesome flavours.

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Phillips Brewing always has some pretty stellar beers too. They had their Wave West Coast Pale Ale and the Analogue 78.

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All this beer is a wine glass. SO Classy.

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Food

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The food menu wasn’t as extensive as the booze menu, so there were large lines leading up to these booths.

La Baguette & L’Echalote were serving assorted canapes, which went super quick.

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I grabbed a bunch of Tapenade and different types of bread. I really needed some carbs to balance out all the alcohol.

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La Mezcaleria dished out their Ceviche Callejero, which has fish, tomato, lime, red onion, Serrano, cilantro and chips on the side. This dish was a winner on the People’s Choice Awards for best food.

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Koko Monk Chocolates was giving out samples of their delicious chocolates.

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Chef Ann Kirsebom and Gone Crackers  made a bite sized snack. It had Chef Ann’s Cranberry & Onion Confit with Grand Marnier Liqueur with Comox brie cheese all on top of Gone Crackers.

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Wines

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At any Liberty Wine Merchants event, you know wine is a huge focus. There were so many wine vendors that I couldn’t even count how many were here. If you are a wine lover, you will jump for joy trying all these places out. They really have a good variety of local BC wines.

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Osoyoos Larose showed off their Petales d’Osoyoos ’12 and Le Grand Vin ’12.

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Blue Grouse had their Quill Rose Gamay ’14. Quill Red  ’13 and their Estate Ortega ’14.

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Bench 1775 had their Sauvignon Blanc ’14, Cab Franc/Melbec ’13, Pinot Noir ’13 and Melot ’13.

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Maverick Estate Winery had a slew of wines to try – Origin ’14, Sauvignon Blanc ’14, Pinot Gris ’14, pinot noir ’13, Rubeus ’13.

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All these wines really brought me back to the Okanagan when I went during the Fall to visit many wineries.

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Blasted Church had their Unorthodox Chardonnay ’13, Gewurtztraminer ’14, Big Bang Theory ’14 and Merlot ’13. All good wines and their branding is pretty cute.

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Spirits

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WayWard Distillation House has the Unruly Vodka, Unruly Gin and WayWard Order to try.

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Odd Society Spirits in East Van had a few items to try – Bittersweet Vermouth, East Van Vodka, Wallflower Gin, Creme de Cassis, Aged Vodka, and Mongrel.

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I didn’t spend too much time in this area since I’m so afraid of spirits as they are much stronger than beer or wine. I never really developed a taste for them. I’ll have cocktails but drinking spirits straight is tough.

Awards

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At the end of the event everyone could vote for their favourite wine, beer, spirit, cider and food.

People’s Choice Awards
  • Favourite Wine: (Tie) C.C. Jentsch Cellars Syrah 2013 & Painted Rock Estate Winery Red Icon 2013
  • Favourite Beer: Bridge Brewing Company Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat Ale
  • Favourite Spirit: Fermentorium Distilling Co. Stump Gin
  • Favourite Cider: Sea Cider Bittersweet
  • Favourite Food: La Mezcaleria Ceviche
Judges – Alistair Veen, Chase Macleod, Kyle Gartlan-Close, Rachelle Goudreau & Van Doren Chan awarded the Best of Show award to Synchromesh Four Shadows Riesling 2014 (Wine) and Odd Society Bittersweet Vermouth (Spirit). They tied.

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TasteBC 2016 raised over $10,500 for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Oak Tree Clinic. A great event with a great cause!

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Overall, it was a great event and there was a lot of drink to try. For $50, it’s not a bad price since you really get to try so many different types of drinks. Being at TasteBC was like doing a bunch of tastings in the valley without having to drive anywhere.

Websitewww.Taste-BC.com

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Last week, Science World at TELUS World of Science was lit blue to welcome guests to the Science of Cocktails. I was invited as a media guest for the evening to see all the amazing local bartenders showing off for the crowds. If you missed the event, check out all awesome bartenders and their drinks.

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Science World was transformed into Vancouver’s largest cocktail laboratory. Vancouverites attended to mix, mingle and be merry, for a great cause. This fundraising event, for Science World’s Class Field Trip Program provides kids from underfunded schools free access to Science World.

Through this night alone, they were able to raise $185,000!

Welcome Drink – Science of Gravity

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Once you get inside, you are greeted with a drink called El Ritmo made by Giancarlo Quiroz Jesus from The Diamond. It was a great way to start the night as it has stronger tastes of pineapple and coconut cream. The rum and cynar in it isn’t too strong.

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Different Receptors, Different Perceptions

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Mike Shum from Fairmont Pacific Rim put together a Daiquiri with Bacardi Superior, lime sugar and dextrose.

Science of Flavour Pairing

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Wesley Feist, the sous chef at Showcase Restaurant and Bar put together a Frozen Honey Mousse, Kaffir Lime Gel with a lemon grass crumble on top. I loved how they really put on a show with the liquid nitrogen.

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Although it didn’t have alcohol in it, I love the different textures especially the pop rocks on top.

Cocktails and Centrifuges

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Blood & Sand was the creation of Robyn Gray from Prohibition. It is a combination of Glenmorangie Single malt Whiskey, vermouth, Cherry Heering, clarified orange and citric acid.

Demonstration Stations

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A few booths around Science World would have some neat science experiments. What happens when you put balloon animals in liquid nitrogen?

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Don’t worry, no balloon animals were harmed in the making if this science experiment.

Dry Ice Aromatics

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This was a pretty weird booth where they make you breath in the vapours of Ardbeg Whiskey. You can really feel it burning down your throat without ingesting anything.

Science of Botanical Brewing

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Fentimans Sodas was showcased as another non-alcoholic option. I wished they did something more with the drink like turn it into a cocktail.

Science of Brewing

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Parallel 49 had 3 of their brews to try — Gypsy Tears, Tricycle Grapefruit Radler, and their Craft Lager. They were the only brewery present at the event.

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As a beer lover, I wish there were more beer booths.

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The Tricycle Grapefruit Radler was my favourite. It’s light and refreshing.

Science of Fermentation

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Traditional Collins and Kombucha Collins were demonstrated here.

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Never realized kombucha would be good mixed in a cocktail.

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Dehydration and Changing States of Liquid and Solids

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A fancy drink put together by Alex Black of Vancouver Club is a drink topped with Campari Candy floss. Below it, you can see Aperol, Prosecco and soda. A fun drink to consume.

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Whisky and Chocolate

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Beta 5 chocolates were paired with Glenlivet’s Founder Reserve.

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It was served neat.

Flair Physics

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Dave Simps of the Bartenders Guild did some gravity defying stunts while he mixed a Lynchberg Lemonade for everyone.

Carbonation on the Spot

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Cooper Tardival of Hawksworth created Paloma on the Spot, which has grapefruit syrup, water, line, Hornitos, and CO2.

Alcoholic Air

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Tarquin Melnyk from Bambudda created the Bubble, Airs and Foams drink with Jack Daniels, Lemon Lime, verawhip, and red wine.

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It looks quite impressive and you can see the different layers that make up the drink. At first, it was a bit weird with the addition of the red wine, but once you mix it together, it’s not bad at all.

Railtown Catering

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With all that alcohol, Railtown catering put together an amazing spread of food through out the entire building. The had stations on both floors with sliders, charcuterie, sushi, poutine, dessert. With all the hungry people in the building, they were able to churn out the food very quickly.

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I loved the charcuterie sections. I had a lot of meat and cheese!

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Bartender Showdown at Center Stage

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Besides drinking all night, there were a few demos and cocktail competitions happening on the main stage.

Vancouver’s top bartenders competed to win the evening’s Cocktail Competition, awarded by a panel of industry judges. Guests also voted for their favourite cocktails through their drink passports; the winning bartender will be given The People’s Choice award.

People’s Choice Bartender (tie)

  • Jon Smolensky -“A Match Made in Heaven”
  • Keenan Hood -“Moscow Mule”

Cocktail Competition

  • Mike Shum

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VIP Lounge

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There were 2 tiers of tickets – $145 general admission and $250 for VIP. The difference is that with VIP access, they get early event access to the event, valet parking, access to the Diageo Reserve World Class VIP Lounge, a selection of premium cocktail offerings, passed canapes service, exclusive event programming, VIP photo booth and a special thank you gift at the end of the night. If you hate crowds, then that might be the option for you if you can afford it.

It’s a nice experience not lining up for drinks, drinking from glass cups and ample seats to just relax.

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Overall, it was a very well-organized event. A few booths had long line ups, but you can always go to another booth and return later. To some people it felt like one huge open bar where you can try so many different types of alcohols. They tried educating people with some of the science behind the cocktails, but it a bit hard to make the connection at some booths. Nonetheless, it was a great event to raise funds for Science World’s Class Field Trip Program. An average class field trip to Science World, including transportation to and from the facility, a workshop, an OMNIMAX film and a take-home activity, costs between $900 and $1,100 per class. Since they raised $185,000, that will fund 168 classes to be able to go to Science World.

Websitehttp://scienceworld.ca/cocktails

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Romer’s Burger occasionally offers a special 3-course Brewmaster Dinner to showcase local breweries with food pairings for $25. It’s open to everyone until they sell out of tickets. For the past 3 years, Romer’s has created the Craft Bowl, which pits local breweries against each other to compete for the title of Vancouver’s Most Popular Craft Beer.

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I was invited to attend this event to try the food pairings with the different Red Truck Beers. Look at all the food being prepared.

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Red Truck IPA Organic Beet Salad is made with goat cheese, wild baby arugula, sweet onions, and a IPA mustard vinaigrette. A nice way to start the meal. There were nice big chunks of beets, which were great because I love beets. The salad was paired with the Red Truck Lager.

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Red Truck Lager is one of my favourite beers from them. It’s light and has a citrus finish. I usually tend to gravitate towards lighter beers.

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Red Truck Lager Braised Rib Duo has beef short ribs and Maui pork ribs on top of wild mushroom risotto and topped with some veggies and a Red Truck Lager jus. The short ribs were nice and tender but the pork ribs were a bit tougher.

It was paired with the Red Truck IPA.

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Red Truck IPA has floral, pine, and citrus aromas and flavours. It is a bit more hoppy especially with the aftertaste.

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Maple Bacon Doughnuts came with 4 pieces on a plate. It has maple frosting, fresh thyme, and a Red Truck Ale caramel Sauce. I found that there was too much of the maple frosting that it just overpowered the dish. Can’t go wrong with the bacon. Some of the donuts turned out to be quite oily inside for some reason. It was paired with Red Truck Ale.

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Red Truck Ale has a blend of Belgian malts, plus German and Pacific Northwest hop varieties giving a nice copper-hued ale with a nice aroma.

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Keep an eye open on their Facebook or Twitter to find out when the next one is being held. For $25, it’s a pretty good deal, but you have no idea what the menu will be until you get there. It’s still a great way to support local craft breweries as BC has so many stellar breweries. All the dishes aren’t on their regular menu. I thought they would at least have a burger on the menu to showcase their signature item at the restaurant. Especially when beer and burgers are the best combination. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see what the chefs could come up with to pair with the beers.

Address:
1039 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.romersburgerbar.com/

Romer's Burger Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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An Evening with Johnnie Walker is an opportunity for scotch-lovers or scotch-newbies to host a private, in-home, scotch tasting for up to 15 guests. Your friends can deepen their knowledge of Johnnie Walker, through an in-depth immersion into scotch and its history. Currently, the tastings are only available in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Once a date and time are confirmed by their concierge, ambassadors arrive at your home or office with all the tools necessary to execute a tasting and they guide you through an experience with scotch.

Tastings are completely free, but hosts are asked to provide adequate table space for each guest to stand or sit in front of, such as a dining room table or coffee table. Dee of Gastrofork was kind enough to host a bunch of us at her place.

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The ambassador spends the first part of the evening talking about the history of Johnnie Walker and then we dive into the tasting of their:

  • Red Label
  • Black Label
  • Blue Label

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All three of the whiskies were linked up and ready for you when you begin the tasting.

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A sampling of berries and chocolate are paired with the whiskies, however, hosts are asked to provide food to balance alcohol consumption in the evening. Dee got us some Church’s Chicken, Sushi, and a few other snacks to make sure we don’t get too drunk.

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Johnnie Walker Red Label is their Pioneer Blend, the one that has introduced their brand of whisky to the world.

Highly versatile and with universal appeal, it has a bold, characterful flavour that shines through even when mixed. Johnnie Walker Red Label is now the best-selling Scotch Whisky around the globe.

It retails for about $40 at local BC liquor stores.

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It has a bright brass colour, light smoke, wood and vanilla toffee and spicy flavours. We most dominant flavour when we smelled it was caramel. Its a light style of scotch, so most people end up using the Red Label for mixing drinks rather than sipping on it all night long.

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They paired the Red Label with Strawberries dipped in pepper to really help enhance the flavour. Surprisingly, it was a good combination.

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Johnnie Walker Black Label was next and it acts as the benchmark for all other deluxe blends. It is created using only whiskies aged for a minimum of 12 years from the four corners of Scotland, Johnnie Walker Black Label has a smooth, deep, complex character. Definitely more popular than the Red, but of course a tad more expensive at around $50 a bottle at the local liquor store.

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It was paired with dark chocolate to bring balance out the flavours.

In the Black Label, there are notes of wood smoke and dry spice, hints of barley and cereal with creamy toffee and a distinct herbal note. The finish is quite fruity and long with a note of sultanas and mixed peels.

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Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a blend made from some of Scotland’s rarest and most exceptional whiskies. Only one in every ten thousand casks has the elusive quality, character and flavour to deliver the’ remarkable signature taste of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. People tend to crack this open for big occasions or celebrations.

Each bottle retails for around $280 locally.

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To really enjoy the best from the Blue Label, they suggest it should be served neat, or with a dash of water to open up the flavours a bit more. It tastes like toffee with hints of very wistful smoke.

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It was good to try Johnnie Walker’s Whiskies side by side and I discovered that Whisky isn’t my drink of choice. I still prefer wine or beer.

Thats basically what the tasting experience is like, if you want to host your own with your friends, definitely contact their concierge to set one up.

Website:
https://www.johnniewalker.com/en-ca/mentorship-program/

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Chinese New Year is almost upon us and it’s a great time for families to gather for the annual feast. It is also traditional for families to cleanse the house to sweep away any bad fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. Depending on the family, this can vary. For my family and I, we put a larger emphasis on food and having the family around the dinner table.

One place that we always go to buy groceries for a large feast is T&T as they are the go to grocery store for Asian groceries. Loblaws acquired T&T a few years ago, so their other stores like Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills have begun carrying more ethnic foods and T&T products.

Shopping

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I go to Superstore a lot, so it’s becoming more and more noticeable when products are sold at stores that you wouldn’t normally see them.

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With a week and a bit left, Superstore has really promoted hard to show that they carry more diverse products. I don’t mind because that means I don’t have to run around grocery store to grocery store finding what I need.

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Vita Soy was on sale and I bought one of each pack to stock up my fridge. The best!

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If you can’t find what you need, it’s most likely in the World Foods aisle.

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So many drinks and snacks that just lit my eyes up. All the childhood memories flooding back. I picked up a bottle of Aloe to have in my fridge since my friends love to come over and mix drinks with it.

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Another area that I love are all the Asian sauces. Can’t go wrong with them especially when making marinades for meat or dipping sauces.

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Gotta always have a pack of these dried mangoes.

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If you can’t find it all in the aisle, I found that some stuff is scattered all over the store. Signs everywhere!

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I bought a lot of random stuff on my trip to Superstore.

Chinese New Year Cooking with Stephanie Yuen of Beyond Chopsticks

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Not sure what to make for New Years? I attended a cooking class hosted by Superstore and No Frills where Stephanie showed us how to create 2 dishes for Chinese New Year.

Eating dumplings or wontons is a sign of prosperity. This is because the preparation of it is similar to packaging luck inside the dumpling, which is later eaten. As for the Taro Root Coconut Milk dessert with Tapioca Pearls, not sure about the meaning behind that, but it’s a delicious warm dessert.

[tabs tab1=”Double Happiness Shanghai Wontons ” tab2=”Taro Root Coconut Milk Dessert” ]

[tab id=1]

Makes 40 – 50 wontons

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Ingredients

  • 8 cups water
  • 2 lbs. Shanghai bok choy, separated and rinsed
  • 1 can T&T water chestnuts, drained and diced
  • 4 oz. ground lean pork (or chicken)
  • ½ cup T&T edamame beans, cooked and shelled
  • 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp. corn starch
  • 1 small egg, beaten
  • 1 pkg wonton wrap
  • 2 cups Chinese New Year Cake (already sliced)
  • 4 pc. T&T dried shitake mushroom, rinsed and soaked in 2cups hot water for at least 30 minutes or until softened.
  • 2 cans T&T chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (Optional)
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion (Optional)

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Wontons:

  1. Boil 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan on high heat.
  2. Add bok choy and blanch for 2 minutes.
  3. Drain the bok choy and let it cool down for 15 minutes.
  4. Squeeze excess water out of the bok choy and place onto a kitchen towel to let it dry.
  5. Chop the bok choy finely and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  6. Mix water chestnut, ground pork, edamame beans, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar and corn starch into the bok choy. This is the stuffing for the wontons.
  7. Place one piece of wrap on a dry surface or cutting board.
  8. Spoon 1 tbsp. stuffing in the middle.
  9. Fold wrap half-way into a half circle and then using a small brush, brush a small amount of egg wash around the edge of the half circle and press firmly.
  10. Turn the half circle to overlap ½ inch of the two corners, brush with egg wash and press firmly. Continue until the stuffing is gone.
  11. Remove mushrooms from water, cut off the stems and julienne.
  12. Reserve mushroom water for later.

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Broth:

  1. Combine 2 cups of water, chicken broth, mushroom and mushroom water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it boils, cover and turn the heat down to low and let simmer.

To finish:

  1. Boil ½ pot of water and cook half of the wontons in the boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
  2. Transfer the cooked wonton into a big bowl using a slotted ladle.
  3. Repeat with the remaining wontons as needed*.
  4. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add New Year Cake and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Add cooked wonton and bring to another boil. Turn off heat.
  6. Top with chopped cilantro and green onion.

*Tip: Freeze unused wontons in a sealed plastic bag. Wontons can be stored for up to 2 weeks.

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[/tab]
[tab id=2]

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. mini tapioca
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups skinned taro root, into ½” cubes
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 can Rooster coconut milk (165ml)

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Directions:

  1. Boil water and taro to a boil in a medium saucepan on high heat.
  2. Lower heat to medium and cover. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a blender and blend on high for 20 seconds or until creamy.
  4. Return to saucepan and cook on medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.
  5. Add coconut milk and sugar, bring to a gentle boil.
  6. Add tapioca and mix well.
  7. Stir in brown sugar and cook for another minute or until sugar melts.

Tip: Do not place taro directly on your hand – wear kitchen gloves or use a dry towel when peeling taro

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Fall Into The Market was hosted by Liberty Wine Merchants and supported by Bridges, V&J Florists and Granville Island Toy Company. The event was $29.99 and all proceeds from both ticket sales and silent auction prizes directly support the BC SPCA. My sister and I were invited to the event.

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The event was held on the 2nd floor of Bridges on Granville Island.  It was a beautiful venue overlooking the Granville Street bridge and False Creek.

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Trust me, there was no shortage of wine! There was over 75 world-class wines from the Northwest to try.

Some of the wines represented by their ambassadors and marketing companies:

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Andrew Peller Imports

  • Hahn 2013 Pinot Noir
  • James Mitchell 2012 Cab
  • Coopercane 2012 Zin
  • Conundrum 2013 Blend (White)
  • Emmolo 2013 SB
  • Mersoleil 2013 Chard

Appellation Wine Marketing

  • Stoneboat 2013 Chorus
  • Stoneboat 2013 Pinot Gris
  • Stoneboat 2011 Pinot Noir
  • Stoneboat 2011 Pinotage
  • Stoneboat NV Piano Bruit

Charton Hobbs

  • Gray Monk 2014 Pinot Gris
  • Gray Monk 2012 Cabernet Merlot
  • Gray Monk 2011 Brut Rose

Christopher Stewart Wine and Spirits

  • Spierhead 2014 Riesling
  • Spierhead 2014 Pinot Noir
  • Barrel 27 2012 Rock and a Hard Place Grenache

Foxtrot Vineyard

  • Foxtrot Hendrickson Pinot Noir
  • Foxtrot Hendrickson Chardonnay
  • Wapiti Rose
  • Wapiti Viogner

International Cellars

  • Wente 2013 Chardonnay
  • Hess 2012 Zinfandel
  • Hawks Crest 2008 Cabernet
  • Ironstone Obsession 2013 Symphony

La Frenz Winery

  • La Frenz 2014 Chardonnay
  • La Frenz 2012 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion
  • La Frenz 2013 Pinot Noir
  • La Frenz 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

Liberty Specialty Imports

  • Underwood 2013 Oregon Pinot Noir
  • Klinker Brick Old Vine 2012 Zinfandel

Magnum Consultants Ltd

  • Mandolin 2014 Chardonnay
  • Waterstone 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Bogle 2013 Merlot

Marram Wines

  • Liquidity 2013 Chardonnay
  • Liquidity 2013 Riesling
  • Foppiano 2013 Petite Syrah

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Nichol Vineyards

  • Nichol Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris
  • Nichol Vineyards 2012 Syrah

Orofino Winery

  • Orofino 2013 Hendsbee Vineyard Riesling
  • Orofino 2013 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir
  • Orofino 2013 Scout Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Orofino 2013 Beleza (BDX Blend)

Pacific Wine and Spirits

  • Domaine Drouhin 2013 Cloudline Pinot Gris
  • Domaine Drouhin 2013 Cloudline Pinot Noir

Painted Rock Winery

  • Painted Rock 2013 Red Icon
  • Painted Rock 2013 Syrah
  • Painted Rock 2012 Merlot
  • Painted Rock 2014 Rose

Peacock and Martin

  • Elephant Island Apricot
  • Elephant Island Viogner
  • Hester Creek 2012 Res Merlot
  • Lake Breeze 2012 Riesling
  • Thornhaven 2013 Syrah
  • Noble Ridge 2012 Meritage Reserve
  • Backyard 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

Richard Massey Wines and Spirit

  • Zanatta NV Glenora Fantasia Brut
  • Tugwell Creek Mead 2013 Harvest Melomel
  • Skaha Vineyards 2014 Mystique
  • Todd Creek Cider NV Malahop
  • Synchromesh 2013 Tertre Rouge
  • Anarchist Mountain 2013 Pinot Noir

Rollingdale Winery & Meadow Vista Winery

  • Rollingdale 2015 Marechal Foch
  • Rolilngdale 2014 Unoaked Chardonnay
  • Meadow Vista 2015 Field White
  • Meadow Vista 2015 Bliss

The Wine Syndicate

  • Buehler 2013 Russian River Chardonnay
  • Laughing Stock 2013 Blind Trust Red
  • Laughing Stock 2014 Blind Trust White

Vintage Corks Ltd

  • Tightrope 2014 Pinot Gris
  • Tightrope 2013 Riesling
  • Tightrope 2014 Merlot/Cab Franc/Barbera
  • Tightrope 2014 Syrah

Vintage West

  • Bench 1775 2014 Suavignon Blanc
  • Bench 1775 2014 Glow Rose
  • Bench 1775 2013 Cab Franc/Malbec

[/one_half]

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It’s pretty hard to try ALL the wines, but what I love about these events is that you can try so many kinds without having to buy a full bottle. I’m a pretty novice wine drinker and every time, I find something I like.

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To pair with the wines, there needs to be a bit of food to go with it. Benton Brothers, Dussas Ham and Cheese, and Terra Breads had bites for all guests.

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What better way to go with wine than lots of cheese. The perfect pairing.

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Their aged cheddar was fantastic! I really couldn’t stop eating it.

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Terra Breads had a lot of samples of their artisan breads. Their cranberry pistachio bread is one of my favourites.

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We also found these cute mini quiches that went super fast when they were brought out from the kitchen.

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The food compared to the wine was not as abundant, but most people were here to try the different varieties of wine.

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Bench 1775 Winery is located in Penticton on Naramata Road where an abundance of wineries are located. They had the 2014 BENCH 1775 Sauvignon Blanc, 2014 BENCH 1775 Glow Rosé, and 2013 BENCH 1775 Malbec.

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A lot of people loved talking to the different companies sampling the wine to gain deeper knowledge and appreciation for their wine.

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Nagging DoubtThe Pull is a Merlot-based blend, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. There’s only 200 cases produced and the taste is quite fantastic.

Aged 17 months in new and used French and American oak, this wine was hand punched daily for gentle handling and extraction of flavours. 2012 was a warm growing season that has produced a rich, full bodied wine – we feel this is our best vintage yet for The Pull! The richness of the wine is balanced with a beautiful acidity and has notes of black cherry, plum, vanilla and spice on the nose and palette. It is sophisticated but approachable, and is a great wine to pair with anything grilled or roasted, especially lamb.

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SKAHA Vineyard Mystique is a blend of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay grapes.

Fruit forward and juicy with concentrated notes of apple-pear, Okanagan stone fruits, cantaloupe, pineapple and crisp citrus finish. Enjoy as a stand alone or perfectly paired with seafood, chicken, curried dishes or pasta salads.

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Meadow Vista Honey Wines created a wine for Farm Folk City Folk for 2015. At first I was caught off guard since I didn’t think Farm Folk City Folk would make wine. It’s a limited edition wine and a percentage of each bottle sold goes towards Farm Folk City Folk and they great work they do in our local communities.

The wine is blend of Pinot Gris and BC Honey.

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Painted Rock was sampling a few of their wines too. Ones of the ones we tried was the Syrah,

Layered savoury notes combined with fragrant spice, white pepper and cassis on the nose. Rounded and rich on the palate, with juicy acidity and chalky tannins. More cassis, vanilla and a silkiness that continues with a long finish.

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Gray Monk is my favourite Pinot Gris. It’s very affordable at $15.69 from BC Liquor Stores.

Pale lemon in colour, this wine had an intense aroma of pink grapefruit and pineapple and flavours of citrus fruits and apricots. Lively and piquant, this wine is refreshingly zesty and clean. It is a versatile partner to seafood, pasta with cream sauce, white meats and cheeses such as Parmigiano.

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Overall, it was a great event if you are the type of person who is on the search for new types of wines from the Northwest. I found some familiar wines that I just love and some new ones that surprised us. The downside is that these events are quite popular, so it will be crowded.

Websitehttp://libertywinemerchants.com/pages/wine-tasting-events.php

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