As many of you may have noted, I’ve been trying to do a lot more fashion events and stuff (I may not come back to modeling, but I will definitely show up to some fashion events). I just found out that Canadian fashion wonderboy Mark Fast is bringing his collection Faster to Vancouver on February 4th.
Rihanna, Ciara, Avril Lavigne, Courtney Love, Julia Roitfeld, Nicki Minaj, and many more have been spotted wearing Faster. Now the latest designs of Winnipeg-native designer, Mark Fast, will be showcased in a unique event in which his designs will be made accessible to the public. The event will take place at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver from 10-2pm on Saturday, February 4.
You can check out Jessie J in Faster for her new video Domino:
Mark Fast is a 30 year old Canadian knitwear designer. He grew up outside the city of Winnipeg, in the countryside along a highway next to a forest. This minimal, peaceful lifestyle led him to wonder what life might be like beyond the familiar frontiers of Canada.
I remember a couple of years ago I saw a video of the Candygram.ca website with my friends Jonny Staub and Fred Lee in it, and I thought “maybe I should send a couple of Candygrams myself for Valentine’s Day”. This year, the wonderful campaign that encourages you to send a candygram via the website Candygram.ca has partnered with Yelp, Purdy’s, and Shamin. My friend Tyrell Witherspoon led a flash mob to promote the Candygram, recently (read about it on Homorazzi).
Photo credit: ArtNoose on Flickr
“CandyGrams” are a playful throwback to grade-school love notes, and include a special-edition Valentine’s Day card, two delicious Purdy’s heart-shaped chocolates, a Yelpstick lip balm, Shamin’s perfect-kiss mints and a $15 gift card for Shamin Jewellers or Shamin.ca. Senders can select a friendly, flirty or frisky message from 150 options (filed under Like, Love and Lust) and can include their name, or send it as an anonymous secret admirer. For a cost of only $10, they can be sent anywhere in Canada.
Thanks to the generosity of the campaign sponsors, proceeds from the sale of CandyGrams will go directly to help those living with HIV and AIDS, supporting the amazing charity A Loving Spoonful. You may remember I’ve Blogathoned in the past and raised funds for them too. It’s a charity I’m proud to support. Last year the program raised over $20,000, and this year A Loving Spoonful hopes to top that and raise over $28,000 through the CandyGram campaign.
A Loving Spoonful is the only organization in Metro Vancouver that delivers nutritionally planned and ready-made meals to men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. Each year they deliver over 100,000 meals to those in need, and with very little government funding, they rely on the generosity of community and corporate partners alongside fundraising events or programs such as this campaign.
CandyGrams are on sale now at Candygram.ca, and a limited number of 3500 are available for 2012. For on-time delivery (via Canada Post) by Valentine’s Day orders must be placed by February 6th for Eastern Canada, and February 9th for Western Canada.
About A Loving Spoonful
A Loving Spoonful is a volunteer-driven not-for-profit organization that provides free, nutritious meals as well as nutritional support to people living with HIV or AIDS. On a weekly basis, and for the last 20 years, A Loving Spoonful volunteers deliver frozen meals and snack packs to men, women and children who are primarily homebound and living with HIV/AIDS. Maintaining superior health standards in each and every meal, alongside a minimal cost per plate, A Loving Spoonful provides for those who most need it; supporting their healthy living and healing efforts. A LovingSpoonful offers the priceless peace-of-mind granted by always knowing where one’s next meal is coming from, even if they lack the resources or physical ability to provide for themselves. For more information, please visit A Loving Spoonful’s website.
So, I’ve been to Pourhouse a few times but never wrote about it. Weird, huh? And it’s so close to my office. The first time I came here was for drinks with my good friend Jason Sanders and recently I went there for lunch with my good friend Degan Walters. Degan is, like me, a food writer and thus, when she says something is good, I listen.
We both ordered their special for lunch (sandwich, a side and a beer for $14, which I find is really great value for your money). Neither of us felt like alcohol, so I ordered a soft drink (which was refilled at no charge) and the meatloaf sandwich (which I also ordered without cheese – so sue me). Loved the meatloaf, which was juicy without being overly spiced up. The bun could be a little bit less toasted, but overall, a delicious lunch that then Degan and I had to walk off, because despite the apparent size, it’s actually bigger than you think.
Overall, a nice find in my area for lunch, though I know that many people may like it for drinks. I’ll definitely come back at some point for dinner. More relevant to me was to have the opportunity to catch up with Degan, someone who is a loved friend of mine but we rarely have enough time to hang out!
Disclosure: I paid for both Degan and my lunch on my own dime. As always I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my site.
I can’t imagine a more deserving nomination in the 2012 Oscars (with the exception, of course, of my beloved Meryl Streep) than Demian Bichir, the Mexican-born (now US-citizen) actor who has worked for decades in the US, precisely trying to make a name of himself and (possibly and potentially) have A Better Life (many Mexican actors move to the US to try and further their careers, as Salma Hayek did and following in the steps of other famous Mexican actors in the US like Ricardo Montalban and Anthony Quinn before them).
One of the things that has made me think and ponder for years is the decision that Mexicans make to migrate to the US. It’s clear that it is very challenging and, while I haven’t seen the movie, it looks like A Better Life does make a good job of portraying the challenges that Mexicans face in the US, particularly illegal immigrants. Demian Bichir’s performance has been hailed and praised, so much so that he is the first Mexican male in recent history to be nominated to the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Salma Hayek was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Frida recently).
I’m sure you know who my heart is vying for this Oscars 2012 season! The trailer for A Better Life shown below
I travel quite a lot, as you can see by reading my “Travel” category posts, and whenever I travel, it’s almost a pre-requisite for me to have internet access. Not only for ease of writing in the case of media or familizarization trips, but also to take care of my consulting and academic business. So, whenever I read descriptions of hotel amenities, I almost always overlook the “free wireless access” point. UNTIL… the point, of course, when I *have* to pay for my own wireless access (in some cases, up to $15.99 for 24 hours).
Since I really can’t be without internet access, and I can’t afford to use the data from my iPhone, more often than not, I fork the cash (obviously, rather reluctantly). But the truth is, in the majority of hotels I have stayed at in the past 5 years, wireless is free. Should we assume it’s always free or should it be a requirement for hotels now to provide it for free?
Executive House Hotel in the downtown Victoria core was a total surprise to me in many ways, all of them positive.
My first surprise was how close it was to everything in downtown Victoria: the Inner Harbour, James Bay, Fort, etc. It wasn’t really difficult to walk from there everywhere. And it’s pretty much 1 block away from the Greyhound bus terminal (for those of us insane enough to travel using Pacific Coach Lines for ease of transfer).
My second surprise was how spacious it was, and the good taste and design. I could have easily hosted a dinner party in my room (which perhaps is even a bit bigger than my own apartment in Vancouver).
The second surprise was just how nice the staff and service were. I felt like I was at home, and not only did I feel that way. I noticed that many of the guests felt the same way. As I usually do whenever I travel I talked to several guests. Since I travelled over the Christmas holidays, I wanted to see how they felt about spending their Christmas at Executive House. Everyone I talked felt that they were at the right place (it also helps that the Executive House Hotel is very family and pet-friendly).
Executive House Hotel is a family owned business that has been serving Victoria and her visitors since 1965. As a team, we strive to make sure your experience meets every expectation for service and quality. Your comfort is very important to us, and we have implemented many changes to accommodate this based on guest comments and feedback. Over the last two years we have upgraded our rooms, elevators, exterior windows, bathrooms and kitchens in order to enhance our guests’ experience. We are committed to providing you with a relaxing, enjoyable stay and are prepared to assist you in any way possible to ensure that your visit to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada is a memorable one! We are proud to be a ’3 Key’ Green Key certified property. Our location, just one block from the Inner Harbour, gives you direct access to the best of Victoria’s restaurants, shops, tour companies, museums, theatres and more without the need for transportation. Those wishing to travel further afield, to visit the incredible Butchart Gardens for example, need only ask our helpful Concierge.
As I said, the suite I stayed at was so big that I could have easily hosted a dinner party without detriment to my own relaxation (I could have just closed the door and if there were guests, I would have had no need to interact with them). This helps if you plan a trip with a bunch of friends or with your family. The fully equipped kitchen also helps a lot (and it’s quite sizable!).
And despite the dreary and dismal weather, I had a lovely view.
Many of the amenities that we take for granted everywhere are also present here, with a very nice and elegant touch. Plus there are 3 different bars/lounges/restaurants within Executive House Hotel where you can eat, drink and be merry. I’d definitely come back to the Executive House Hotel, and I’m glad I finally accepted their invitation (it’d been too long!).
Disclosure: 2 nights of my stay at The Executive House Hotel were compliments of the hotel, as they had extended an invite a while ago to come visit. My expenses to travel to and from Vancouver Island and every other expense I incurred on during my trip I paid on my own. I also paid for one extra night at the hotel. I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. The purpose of this blog entry is just to describe my experience at the hotel. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
Our Accent Inn Victoria BC Hotel is the ideal place to stay during your visit to BC’s garden city. The Victoria BC hotel is centrally located to all the city’s major attractions. Two of Victoria’s largest shopping malls are right nearby within easy walking distance. Mayfair mall is just one block away and only three blocks from the Victoria hotel is the new Uptown. A short distance away is the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, home to the Victoria WHL and venue for great concerts. The University of Victoria, the spectacular inner harbour and Victoria’s downtown business district are minutes by car. Check out our fabulous Whale Watching and Butchart Gardens packages. Rent a Kayak or a Bicycle and enjoy another fantastic way to see the city.
I must admit and disclose that I was upgraded to the one bedroom suite, and all I was asked in return was to provide honest feedback, and I’ll have to say – I’m glad that Accent Inns Victoria is moving towards these units. They are so comfortable and spacious! My only complaint is that there is no dedicated chair for the desk area. But other than that, having the mini-bar/fridge in-suite plus the microwave really make the experience of a seasoned traveler quite more comfortable.
Free wireless access available in all rooms & lobby
Ample free parking
Fully air conditioned
Free local phone calls and faxes
Seasonal shuttle service to downtown
Free access to Steve Nash Sports Club
ABC Restaurant (Licensed)
Pet Friendly designated rooms available
Bike Friendly
I want to highlight a few features that really made my stay very comfortable: in-room fresh brewed coffee and tea is definitely something I require. And the fact that I had an ironing board in room also made my “getting ready to go and speak at WordCamp” much easier as I didn’t have to worry about whether I would have wrinkly clothing. The free wireless access available in all rooms & lobby made my creating my presentation much easier. I have to say that as geeks, we usually take solid wireless access for granted. Don’t ever do that. Trust me on that one.
While I did not make use of the complimentary access to the Steve Nash gym facility, located only one block away, trust me, that’s a definite incentive. Plus, in addition to ABC Restaurant, you have Luca’s Cucina about 2 blocks away. So, definitely, next time I’ll have to come back to Accent Inns. Notes for transportation: it’s not right downtown, but it’s a short (15-20 min) bus ride, and definitely on the route for the 72 Express to/from Swartz Bay. Finally, I paid less than $11 in cab ride to get me to/from the hotel into downtown. And I walked the distance between Veneto Lounge and the hotel in about 30-40 minutes.
Disclosure: I was a guest of the Accent Inns hotel as they sponsored my stay because I was a speaker at WordCamp Victoria 2012, thus my stay was complimentary. The front desk was generous enough to upgrade me to one of their future suites. A review was neither expected nor a favorable one even expected. As always, I retain full editorial control of anything I post on my site.
So, unless you have hidden under a rock or have never followed me on Twitter or read my blog, you probably know that I attend hundreds of theatre and dance shows and write reviews. I grew up with artists – my parents were a concert piano player and a soprano coloratura. My brothers play piano at the concert-level (one of my brothers has a degree in Music on top of his PhD in Mechanical Engineering). I am a former competitive dancer and theatre actor. So, I love the arts and I do my darnedest to promote the arts in perhaps the toughest destination of them all, Vancouver, where people drop $450 dollars a ticket for Canucks games yet complain about $35 tickets to dance/theatre shows. Yes, I went there. So sue me.
Photo credit: Bjørn Molstad (bareform) on Flickr
People have asked me whether I think live-tweeting a theatre show is a good idea or not. Lots of people have their own opinions, and I have had good and bad experiences with Vancouver crowds, so I’m just going to narrate two or three of my stories. The first one comes from my recent experience at the Vancouver Opera for West Side Story. We (well, JT) paid for our tickets and we were assigned what I would consider pretty bad seats. Granted, I’m always spoiled because most arts companies invite me to their shows on media tickets and thus I’m assigned great seats. So, experiencing this at the Vancouver Opera was kind of a let down (but that is a whole other story). But my point here was that, my seats were in the balcony and thus I could have easily live-tweeted without bothering anyone (the lights right beside me were intense enough that they would have overpowered my iPhone).
The second story I have comes from a recent show, The Nutcracker (at the Alberta Ballet). Because I have to write my notes about the show, I often seat on isle seats so I can bend over and catch some light and scribble a few thoughts. I have photographic memory, yes, but if I am supposed to write a good, solid review that touches on the technical aspects of the show, I need to write down my notes. I am always hopeful to move down, bend over and write my notes in a way that is not disruptive. But the couple sitting behind me (in their late 60s probably) complained to me that I was moving too much. I tried to explain why I did it, in hopes they’d understand that I wasn’t purposefully trying to disrupt the show. They didn’t, so I did them a favour and moved away. This is a first in 5 years I’ve reviewed arts shows, and I had NEVER had anyone complain about me moving in my seat to take notes about a show, EVER. This experience left a really bad taste in my mouth.
So, while I recognize that Vancouver crowds are extremely heterogeneous, generally I think most people try to NOT disrupt the show. Certainly, I do my very best not to! And I recognize that live-tweeting MIGHT make the actors/performers/attendees feel like we are indeed disrupting. Some theatres are now experimenting with live-tweeting (just Google the proper search terms and you will find oodles of posts about the topic), and I always post a pre-show, intermission and post-show tweet. I don’t do this because I *HAVE* to. I do this to promote the show. I have a large audience and I do whatever I can to push theatre shows and motivate people who follow me to attend them. I *COULD* not tweet from the theatre, but I choose to do so to ensure that people who only follow me and don’t really read my blog can be aware of the caliber of the show I am witnessing.
Back to the discussion – so, should theatres allow live-tweeting of their shows? Well, I am of several minds on this one. First, if the live-tweeting is limited to in-between-scenes, sure why not. If it’s in assigned seats that don’t reflect and that the performers can’t be disrupted, of course. But if in any way it disrupts the show, then it’s an absolute no-no.
Since I’m all about the discussion, have at it on the comments section. Should we or should we not have assigned-seats for live-tweeting in arts shows? I can assure you it happens at live music concerts. I live-tweeted the Chromeo concert, and also I did the same with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD).
Obviously because of my good friend Cassandra Anderton, anything with the name “Cassandra” and “wine” makes me turn my head twice and think of her. Well, recently my good friend Minna Van and I went for dinner to Scoozis Mediterranean Grill, which is also (on the other side of the restaurant) Cassandra’s Wine Room. Located at the very heart of the Downtown Vancouver Financial District, Scoozis is a total gem. Even more amazing, it wasn’t packed at the time we went for dinner (5:45pm or so). It was semi-full both on the side of Scoozis Mediterranean Grill and on the side of Cassandra’s Wine Room there was ample space.
Minna ordered an orange juice and I had a glass of Zinfandel (delicious, I might add). Minna ordered a Minestrone Soup with a Greek Salad side order and I had a Spicy Meatballs Platter, which comes with a lot of salad and tzatziki sauce. Having had all sorts of Greek food, I’ll say that Scoozis ranks high on my list the next time I have to come for dinner downtown. It’s really a hidden gem, and the owner warmed our hearts by welcoming us saying “I am very glad you are here for dinner tonight”. Genuinely interested in their customers.
The Spicy Meatballs Platter ($13.50) worked perfectly I think because I wasn’t terribly hungry, but I probably would have ordered a larger portion size dish had I been really hungry (for example, I saw a delicious salmon dish that looked totally like a dinner plate). My meatballs were very well cooked and the tzatziki was of really good quality. Even though they weren’t super busy, I have to admit that the speed at which they served us was really impressive.
Overall, a very nice gem of a find. I did not realize that a downtown restaurant in the very core of the Financial District would be so nice. And so welcoming to children. Moreover, if you are downtown on a weekend working at your office, they also offer lunch AND brunch. I’ll have to come with Ianiv and Arieanna some day as it’s literally 2-3 blocks from Waterfront Skytrain Station. Scoozis and Cassandra’s Wine Room are great finds for dinner in the downtown core, and great value for money.
Disclosure: Minna paid for both of our dinners on her own dime. We were generously offered a complimentary dessert, but we did not expect this, nor does this influence my review. As always, I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my site.
One of the best things you can do: build community online by creating events offline.
In the past 6 years I’ve been blogging and growing my own online community, I have had a chance to execute some projects on building online communities (I participated, for example, in the design and implementation and growth of the Community Against Preventable Injuries‘ online community alongside the folks of Wasserman and Partners, and trained some of the City of Surrey staff and elected officials on how to build their online community, alongside the folks of Invoke). I also have given keynotes and taught courses on how to use social media to building online communities for other organizations, including WorkSafe BC, several departments within UBC, etc.
And I have also mentored young, up-and-coming folks on how to become better online community managers. Community is something that is inherent to me and to the way I think and approach social media. I use social media in academia, for example, to build robust online communities of research collaborators worldwide. So, to all of you who execute the sometimes not-so-very-well-appreciated role of community manager, I salute you.
Apparently this year is the Year of the Dragon (celebrated on January 24th, 2012) and although I’m not extremely well versed in Chinese culture, I have a lot of friends (and readers) who celebrate Chinese New Year. So, in celebration, may you live long and prosperous, and may this be the best year of your life! Happy Chinese New Year!
In Vancouver, one of the most popular ways of celebrating took place on January 22nd, Gung Haggis Fat Choy. While I didn’t attend, it looked like an amazing event.
Graph credit: Bobbi Newman (Librarian by Day) on Flickr.
Amazingly, someone who never used to be a big believer of cloud computing (you would see me bringing my USB sticks everywhere, or in old, ancient times, 3.5″ floppy disks) is now a full-on convert. For the past 2-3 years I have executed projects in the social media space that have required me to make use of collaborative tools. To this day, I’m still not a fan of wikis (except I do use them in my teaching at UBC).
But the two tools I find myself using for my academic work more and more are Google Docs and Dropbox. Dropbox has saved the day a few times not only for my teaching (I save my lecture slides, graphics and other data on Dropbox), but also my academic research (I collaborate with my students by saving academic journal articles in PDF format and sharing them with my colleagues and students). I also co-write journal article manuscripts by either co-editing online at the same time on Google Documents or saving draft after draft in Dropbox.
I find that more and more, I make use of cloud computing, and while I expected I would use it in my consulting work, it’s the positive impact it’s having on my academic life that has me completely surprised.
So, depending on how you count, I’m approaching my 124,995th or 124,989th tweet. Either way, I’m close enough to 125,000 that I can write the celebratory post right now. Last year, I auctioned my 100,000th tweet for charity to benefit the BC Cancer Foundation. This year I wanted to do the same, but unfortunately, I am a bit too talkative and I am literally at 125,000 and didn’t have the time to do a fundraiser.
So, what have I learned in the 4 years I have been on Twitter and what would be my advice for someone new on Twitter (and for anybody who is already on Twitter and considers him/herself a veteran or a social media guru). Here are 6 tips for newbies and not-so-newbies on Twitter. A few people have asked me “how did you get so many thousands of followers” or “what do you say that makes you so interesting?” or “why should I read your blog” (the two latter, recently told to me by someone to whom I answered “you don’t actually have to follow me on Twitter or read my blog – thousands of people CHOOSE to do so, but YOU don’t have to. It’s not mandatory.”. The reality is, I don’t know why so many people choose to follow me, but I’m glad and grateful that they are, because my online community makes me a lot stronger. I have been able to do a lot of good thanks to my online connections (be it 90 or 9,150). Whatever I do, I try to abide by the following 6 guidelines.
1. Be yourself.
Whatever you use Twitter for, use it to tell YOUR story. Twitter is nothing if a social tool. A medium to connect people through distances and spaces that ages ago were considered impossible to reach. I started using Twitter to connect with my friends, and I am still like that. A few of my own friends seem to dislike the Hummingbird604 persona, but the truth is, the Hummingbird604 and I are one and the same. And I love being who I am. Because online and offline, I’m always myself.
2. Be generous.
Retweet other people’s content. Share tips, views, opinions. Enable others to join the conversation. Be gentle and delicate with those who are just starting. Don’t just broadcast your own content, make sure to share other people’s. For a long time, I didn’t want to label myself as a community builder. I still don’t want to do it, but I can see the power that the size of my audience on Twitter can have. So, I try to always be generous. I try to harness my online power for good. I’m sure you can do the same.
3. Have your own style.
Don’t copy anyone. It’s not a good idea. People are able to spot fakes a mile away. Make sure that whatever you do online, it suits your style and your persona. Don’t think that by copying the way other people tweet, or behave online or offline, it will benefit you. Be distinct. I have my own style, and it saddens me when I see other people trying to copy me. Not because I fear anyone copying me, but because that means they haven’t found their own persona. I can tell you something: Your style will shine through once you find it.
4. Eschew drama.
Social media is an amplifier. It can enable good people to do a lot of good, the same way it can enable bad people to do A LOT of bad. Leave the passive aggressive behind. Make sure that your tweets reflect a positive attitude overall (I know there is a lot of angry people who have made that their brand – snarky is not really my brand – I tend to be snarky but trying to be ironic and funny). I have decided to let go of any online criticism. If I’m criticized, so be it. You can eschew drama too.
5. Be conversational and bidirectional.
Sometimes people ask me why I don’t retweet the content of others, when their own audience sizes are also substantial. I don’t support people who behave unilaterally. If you ask me to retweet something of yours and I have noticed in your stream you don’t do the same, you don’t build community, you can be sure as hell I won’t retweet you either. The conversation goes both ways, make sure to keep it that way. I am super busy all the time and I make the time to answer my @ replies. If I can (and my time is incredibly limited), so can you.
6. Lead by example.
If you want to be a social media superstar, make sure that whatever you do, is consistent and reflects your brand in a positive way overall. Be the first one to tweet at someone who is a newbie. Be the first one to follow someone with just a few followers. Encourage other people to be generous by being generous yourself first. I always try to introduce people who are new to Twitter (particularly my students) and encourage others to follow them because I know that I have a sizable audience and that they listen to me. You can do the same, regardless of your audience size.
I am not sure how long I will be on Twitter or what the next big thing in social media will be, but at least I can tell you – I have had and plan to continue to have a lot of fun on Twitter.
Most of the people I know now have either an iPad or a Playbook or a tablet personal computer of some sort. On my blog, I have reviewed the HP TouchPad (which I own) and I have been given other tablet equipment to review. I have to say, I love tablets. The first question people ask me when they know I have an HP TouchPad is whether I find any use for it. As an academic, the first and foremost use for me is to take notes on the go (albeit slower than normally I would on a laptop) and to read student papers’ and grade them as well as read academic journal articles. Or, as in the example shown below, grade papers while reading Twitter as I go.
A tablet computer, particularly of the size of an iPad or the HP TouchPad is large enough to read without having tired eyes, and small enough that I can carry it on a case and take it everywhere, or even just in my hand (or my jacket). Of course, I have several secure features on it (like a robust encasing!).
My good friend Janni Aragon (also an academic) showcased at the recent WordCamp Victoria 2012 how you can use a tablet (she has an iPad) with a keyboard to live-tweet a conference (she did a marvelous job throughout the conference, but even more so, during my talk on Growing Robust Online Communities with WordPress.
I was really impressed with Janni’s technical savvy and dexterity in maneuvering through the use both of the touch screen of the iPad AND the keyboard. I think this is one of the best uses I have seen for a tablet. I do find my HP TouchPad useful.
On to you, dear readers… do you have a tablet computer and if so, what do you normally use it for?
When I tell my married friends (married with children) that I work 16-18 hours a day, some of them look at me a bit incredulous. How can I possibly be working that much? After all, I’m not married, I don’t have kids to look after, etc. But the reality is, there are house chores to do: Prepare food, pack lunches, clean the apartment, do laundry. The other day I tweeted so happy because I had had the time to actually do laundry. Sometimes, I work from home simply because that’s the only way I can get laundry and other things done. And when I make phone calls, I usually wash dishes on the go. So yeah, I do between 16-18 hours of work. But some of those, do include house chores. I wish there were House Chores Fairies. And yes, I do have a house cleaner but she doesn’t come every day and not even every week!
Caffé Barney is one of those solid, Vancouver institutions that serves reliable, comfy, honest-to-goodness food that doesn’t break your wallet. BUT it surprised me (very pleasantly) when I invited my friends HF and family for brunch along with our common friend ML and they were INCREDIBLY accommodating to HF and IT’s children (4 and 2 if I recall correctly). So, they earned brownie points on my book.
Long story made short? Also, short post because I can’t find the damn website for Caffé Barney. Brunch was fabulous, chorizo scramble on a bagel with potatoes, and I really enjoyed it. The chorizo was quite authentic (I’m not sure if it was Mexican or Spanish, but it did taste spicy just like I prefer it), and the scrambled eggs were fluffy and savoury, without being runny. I would definitely give Caffe Barney a try again.
Considering how little time academics have to eat, let alone eat AND socialize, I feel blessed that my good friend Janni Aragon (Political Science, University of Victoria) had the time to come meet me at The Bengal Lounge at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC, for lunch. We both teach in respective Political Science departments and carry a fairly busy research, community service and teaching agenda.
But we had the chance to meet for lunch and we decided to splurge and go to The Bengal Lounge at The Fairmont Empress. I had stayed at the Empress before, but never made the effort to eat at the Bengal Lounge. So, I’m glad we did. We both ordered the buffet and I can tell you, I have NEVER had THIS MUCH FOOD in my entire life. Even as I was full I kept going back.
The Bengal Lounge : Drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria’s role as the Empress of India, this colonial style lounge is known throughout Victoria for its authentic curry buffet and signature cocktail menu. While new restaurants and lounges appear in Victoria regularly, The Bengal Lounge is a favourite of residents and visitors alike. Overlooking our stately gardens, the richly appointed Bengal Lounge offers not only a delicious curry lunch and dinner buffet but also an impressive international à la carte menu. Cocktail and martini aficionados will appreciate our vast selection of signature drinks.
Oh, and the desserts. Did I tell you about the desserts?
If you are hungry and it’s my fault for showing you just how delicious the Bengal Lounge’s buffet service is, you’re welcome.
Disclosure: I paid for both Janni and my lunches on my own dime and did not receive any special treatment by the Bengal Lounge. As always I retain full editorial control of anything I write on my site.
I had my heart set on trying Tapastree (the former incarnation of now Tavola) and I never had an opportunity to do so. But I have eaten at Nook before (the brother restaurant of Tavola), loved it and Minna had really wanted to try Tavola so we set out to walk (in the cold!) from our office at The Network Hub to Tavola (which is slightly west of Denman and Robson – if you know how much of an urban geography nerd I am, you’ll know that I also love that, like Adesso Bistro, Tavola is technically in the actual urban residential area of the West of Denman side – following the steps of Cardero Bottega which is on Cardero and Nelson).
Tavola is a terrific West End neighbourhood restaurant, serving modern Italian food. Welcoming you is the team who brought you previous local heroes Tapastree and Nook. Tavola continues the tradition of sharing food – family-style, in a warm, contemporary environment at value-conscious prices. The dining room reflects this convivial atmosphere with a 25-seat shared table that is perfect for both groups and casual diners.
The antipasto bar is the place to start as we feature Mozzarella di Bufala, Burrata, artisan proscuitto and salami – sliced to order, along with an constantly changing offering of crostini and salads. Also setting Tavola apart is the commitment to house-made Pastas and sauces – toothsome and hearty. Share some with friends and family along with one of our Big Plates – steak, roast chicken, braised meats and fish, prepared as classic Italian platters.
I loved the concept of a communal table for dinner at Tavola. I’d probably bring my friends here for dinner. For Minna and I it was a great opportunity to just spend time together and sharing a meal as we had not spent any time together since late October.
I started with an arugula salad with pomegranate seeds ($9, in a vinaigrette that had chili flakes – I fell in love with the chef because he adds that extra spicy kick to almost every dish, and it is, for someone like me who love spicy stuff, a glorious experience). I followed with a Spaghetti which anchovies, chilies, garlic and lemon (at $18, probably more inexpensive than many of the local Italian restaurants, at a decent dinner price). The flavour was extraordinary (who doesn’t love anchovies with garlic and chilies and lemon), although the consistency is not of a sauce, but it’s drier (and I like it like that). Almost like a ragout.
While Tavola’s menu is intended to share, both Minna and I had our own dinners and we loved both the size and the flavour. I totally would recommend visiting Tavola if you have the opportunity!
Disclosure: Minna paid for her and my dinner on her own dime. As always, I retain full editorial control of what is published on my site.
So, I finally made it. Finally, after 8 attempts (all of them with JT) to have dinner at Nicli Antica Pizzeria, I made it (with my good friend Minna from The Network Hub, instead of JT – and I feel awful because I promised I’d bring him, but I’ll do that next time – the last time I took him to Incendio because we couldn’t get into Nicli). I had been trying to make it to Nicli Antica Pizzeria for months, ever since it opened. My good friend Derek K. Miller had dinner there last year, before he passed away, and he raved about it. He was such a good writer, I think his review is better than mine will ever be.
I love Nicli because it’s such an elegant pizzeria restaurant (e.g. somewhere where you sit down and eat like a civilized human being), accompanying your pizza with a stiff drink or a glass of wine. This is such a lost art. I remember a couple of years ago, JT took me to Pizza Hut for a sit-down dinner with pizza and we reminisced about how this used to be more frequent yet take-out-pizza seems to have taken over our societal interest (this is also because we are so stressed out and have no time to sit down and eat, so we grab a slice of pizza on the go).
Born in Naples and widely considered to be the best, every Neapolitan pizza we serve is a labor of love. At Nicli Antica Pizzeria our pizzas are made with passion and attentiveness, using only the finest and freshest ingredients in our wood fired oven, made from the stone of Mt. Vesuvius.
I love Nicli’s pizzas. Admittedly, technically mine wasn’t a Neapolitan one, simply because (a) I removed most of the additional cheese they would put on it and (b) because I requested they added olives. So, my pizza (individual size, with very, very thin crust that almost melts in your mouth) was pretty much a Puttanesca sauce on top of thin crust. Delicious nonetheless ($17 for an individual-size pizza, which if you think about the fact that this is higher-scale pizza, doesn’t surprise me).
My pizza had just about the right amount of garlic, and although it had a bit of a burnt out balloon on one side of the pizza I didn’t mind (strangely enough, I loved the flavour of slightly burnt dough, a bit bitter and tart contrasting with the delicious goodness of anchovies and garlic). Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. Minna loved her Prosciutto-covered pizza. It was hard to cut the pizza but I think that’s just normal because the dough almost melts in your mouth. And we were using normal knives. Probably my fault, all in all.
Overall result: I totally loved Nicli Antica Pizzeria and can’t wait for them to launch their Valentine’s Day promotion. Minna and I had to walk off the carbohydrates and despite how cold the weather was, we didn’t mind a bit because we enjoyed our dinner SO MUCH.
Disclosure: I paid for my and Minna’s dinner on my own dime. As always, I retain full editorial control of what is published on my site.
I love the Glowbal Collection of Restaurants and fortunately, they love me back too. I have a long history of mutual collaboration with them. I have served in the front line at their UGM/Glowbal Group Texas BBQ, they have supported several of my giveaways for Father’s Day, etc. and of course, I have had plenty of dinners at their restaurants. Glowbal Grill having a special place in my heart, followed closely by Coast and Society, without forgetting Italian Kitchen, Trattoria Italian Kitchen and Sanafir. And yes, I’ve visited Black + Blue, if you want to know. AND they are partnering with me for Dine Out Vancouver 2012 (have you entered my giveaway, by the way?)
I was part of a group of writers who participated in the Glowbal Group media preview of the Dine Out Vancouver 2012 menu for the Glowbal Collection of Restaurants (you can read the menus directly on this PDF). As I was reviewing my photos, I realized several are blurry or over-exposed and I’m disappointed so I’m only going to write about the dishes whose photos are relatively ok and presentable on my site. The menus are all extremely good (I visited Black+Blue, Glowbal Grill and Sanafir, as I had to miss Society due to a conflicting event).
We began our culinary tour at Black+Blue, where we consumed “Bacon ‘n’ Eggs” – thick cut double smoked bacon, fried duck egg, spicy maple syrup, wild arugula. Interestingly enough, I found it tasty but I wasn’t convinced that this would be a dinner dish. BUT, who can say NO to bacon?
Black+Blue’s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from “bacon ‘n’ eggs” (thick cut double smoked bacon, fried duck egg, spicy maple syrup), or tuna carpaccio to start. Entrée options include: Angus tenderloin; roasted sablefish; or roasted onion tart. Dessert is a classic crème caramel, served with orange-almond biscotti and orange liqueur.
I am much more of a fan of the tuna carpaccio as a starter, and knowing the culinary level of Chef de Cuisine Chef Jason Labahn I am definitely convinced the Angus tenderloin and the roasted sablefish should be delicious.
I skipped Society and met the group at Glowbal Grill (which, I have fully admitted, is one of my absolute favorite restaurants all around). Lucky for me, my photos of the Prawn Cocktails and Grilled Beef Tataki weren’t absolutely horrid. Delicious starters for the $38 three-course Dine Out menu at Glowbal Grill.
glowbal’s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from roasted butternut squash soup, grilled beef tataki or prawn cocktail to start. Entrée options include: Beef tenderloin; seared Alaskan black cod; or wild mushroom gnocchi. Dessert is chocolate crème brûlée with cinnamon and pear compote and almond biscotti.
While I loved the starters, my absolute favorite were both mains, Beef Tenderloin and Seared Alaskan Black Cod. You know I’m a bit annoying when it comes to beef, and prefer it cooked medium-well, but this beef tenderloin was cooked to perfection and very flavourful. The bed of mashed potatoes made it really filling. The Alaskan Black Cod was very nicely done and drenched in a sauce that almost reminded me of Bechamel (though it wasn’t!)
I love that Glowbal Group thought about the vegetarians and offers a vegetarian offer with every Dine Out menu. Finally, I crashed Sanafir for some cocktails/port wine and desserts. Frankly, even though I had no more space, I would have wanted to try the actual menu at Sanafir, more than the desserts. That’s because I rarely have this kind of cuisine. But the desserts we were offered (which included milk, dark, and white chocolate truffles, pistachio macaroons, watermelon jelly, baklava and zelbias) were delicious.
Sanafir’s three-course Dine Out menu is $18. Choose either the pan-seared tandoori prawn, tabouleh salad, yellow coconut curry, with lemon chutney and a papadum crisp, or the fried chickpea and saffron cous cous salad, with mint and tomatoes, to start. Entrée options include: Singapore prawn cashew curry with aged basmati rice; butter chicken with aged basmati rice and papadum; or almond cauliflower korma with papadum. Dessert is cardamom-dusted zelbias, cinnamon crème anglaise and chocolate bark.
Overall, I would definitely recommend to try the Glowbal Group Dine Out Vancouver 2012 menus, from what I tried, they will probably be a full hit, without a doubt. I’ll publish my Dine Out Vancouver 2012 suggestions before tomorrow so you can make your choices.
Disclosure: I was invited to the media preview for the Glowbal Collection of Restaurants, which means that all the food and drinks were compliments of our hosts. I have, however, had dinner at all of their restaurants and always have had a very good experience both with food and service. As always, I retain full editorial control of anything published on my site.
So, you remember Chef Connor Butler, of Connor Butler fame, and a few other restaurants. Well, he’s at the helm of the kitchen at Max’s Burgers. And he’s not being shy about it. Last night, I was invited to the media preview of Max’s Burgers. And I will say, JT will probably approve (and he is such a burger snob). The prices? Unbeatable, for the quality (the burgers start at $8.99). A close competitor maybe the Sunshine Burgers which I reviewed recently in Yaletown.
But what I really liked about this media opening is that, while it was a media event, it gave me the access to the chef, the owner and tasting the food that I would try were I to visit on a normal day. In fact, I’m coming back to Max’s Burgers once it actually is open (this coming Tuesday). Just to note, during the media opening I noticed that it was kind of hard for the folks of Max’s Burgers to have to tell people that they were not open yet and turn them down. There’s THAT kind of excitement for Max’s Burgers to be open and ready to serve delicious burgers to the public.
Max’s Burgers is the brain child of crazy Chef Connor Butler (Connor Butler Restaurant, Pearl on the Rock, C) and Redpath Foods, the team that’s brought you Max’s Deli and Stuart’s Bakery for decades. So, after some beers and some bets, things got real rough. About 1000 days after the Deli @ 8th & Cambie closed, up popped a burger joint with a mission (Attitude).Now, we’re making ‘perfect burgers*’, and serving them and their cousins with refreshing cold bevies and stuff fried in yummy tallow. Rabbit vegetarians are welcome here too though and EVERYBODY will want to get their mitts into our handmade dessert case.
I am not a cheese consumer, so don’t take my word for the poutine, but I totally loved it. I had slider-versions of the Rooster on a Tailgate (you had me at chilpotle mayo), tried a sample of the deliciously-chock-full-of-meat Max’s House Chili and the vegetarian Gargomel’s Stuffed Toadstools. Overall, I wish my tummy could have handled more food, because I could have continued to eat.
The boozy drinks were tasty too, though I’ll add that my Mudslide or whatever that thing was called was out-of-this-world. Milkshake with alcohol? Yes, please! Overall, it was a lot of fun to see several of my food writing friends, many of whom I don’t often see because I am on such a reduced event blogging schedule. Thanks for the invite, Max’s Burgers! I’ll be back!
Some photos of the evening here and on my Flickr account.
Disclosure: I was invited to a media opening, and thus this post doesn’t in and of itself constitute a review. I will be back (as I usually do with restaurants) so I can write and form my own opinion about it!).
There are some gems that come into your life just by sheer luck. I was looking for a place to eat at during my visit to Victoria for WordCamp Victoria 2012. Since I stayed at the Accent Inns near No, Urbanspoon wasn’t helpful and neither was Foursquare. So what I decided was to go for a walk and found Luca’s Cucina and stayed for dinner.
Photo credit: Raul Pacheco on Flickr.
I ordered a Chicken Scaloppine (chicken breast, mushrooms, artichokes, capers, prosciutto, lemon butter, at $17.99 for the dinner-size portion, $14.99 for the lunch-size portion this is the regular price point for medium-to-high-end dinner places). You can read their menu here, which is quite varied. And the funny thing is, I was in Victoria to speak at WordCamp Victoria 2012 and the website for Luca’s Cucina and Taphouse is actually built in WordPress.
I would strongly recommend Luca’s Cucina and Taphouse. Personally, I found the staff incredibly friendly, the food was to-die-for (and yes, I know it was oily but heck, I love Italian food despite the artery-clogging that comes along with it!). You should check it out next time you’re in Victoria. Near Mayfair Mall.
Colourful World
Claude Debussy, Rodney Sharman, Toru Takemitsu
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 8pm
at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, SFU Woodward’s
Presented with SFU Woodward’s and PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.
The truth be told, I am, and will always be, a classical-music lover. I was born to a couple who did classical music all the time (my Mom was a soprano coloratura and my Dad used to play concert-level piano and guitar). My brothers play concert-level piano and I am still involved in competitive dance. So, to me, the Turning Point Ensemble presenting Colourful World seems like a dream come true. And I am so honored that I have 2 sets of tickets to give away for 2 lucky readers to enjoy this wonderful concert along with me.
Prepare yourself for a truly outstanding evening as the Turning Point Ensemble celebrates a century of colour and new expression with a reinvented masterwork of 1912, the exquisite music of Toru Takemitsu and a premiere by one of Canada’s leading composers, Rodney Sharman along with works by Claude Debussy.
Photo credit: Chris Randle. Used with permission.
Colourful World is one night only. Tickets are available online at the Turning Point Ensemble website or at Playhouse Box Office at: 604 873 3311, and introducing a special student price of $10.00.
Rodney Sharman who is well-known to Vancouver audiences is a composer with a distinctive voice, a precise command of orchestration and an ability to conjure a unique sound world from Turning Point Ensemble’s large-size ensemble. The Colourful World program is built around connections to Sharman’s music and this large-scale new commission. This evening will also provide another rare treat with the performance of Toru Takemitsu’s melodic and expressive Archipelago S. for 21 players. With the orchestra dispersed in five different sections (“calling out to each other across the great distance separating them”), the music describes an imaginary archipelago made up of five real islands, each island’s name beginning with an “S” – islands in Stockholm, Seattle, and the Seto Inland Sea of Japan.
For ticket information – Turning Point Ensemble just announced new student rates, $10 per person. Tickets Prices – $38 Adult, $35 Senior Tickets Available at Playhouse Box Office – 604 873 3311 open Mon to Fri 9:30am – 8pm or online at the Turning Point Ensemble website.
To enter my giveaway all you need to tell me is who would you take to the concert with you. In my case, I am taking Ianiv’s Mom, as she is a good friend of mine, and she and all the Schwebers have always welcome me to their family as though I’m one of their own. Other people, I’m sure, would take their friends or partners!
To gain an additional entry, you can post the following on Twitter:
Told @hummingbird604 who I’d bring along 2 enter 2 win tickets 2 Colurful World concert by Turning Point Ensemble http://is.gd/J3D8pH
I will draw 2 winners from all randomized entries on January 26th at 2pm.
Year after year I promote the PuSh International Performing Arts, but I somehow had missed writing about it and it starts tomorrow, January 17th. So I thought I should totally write about it even if it is a bit late.
The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is one of Vancouver’s signature events. Produced over three weeks each January, the PuSh Festival presents groundbreaking work in the live performing arts.
The PuSh Festival expands the horizons of Vancouver artists and audiences with work that is visionary, genre-bending, multi-disciplined, startling and original. The Festival showcases acclaimed international, Canadian and local artists and mixes them together with an alchemy that inspires audiences, rejuvenates artists, stimulates the industry and forges productive relationships around the globe.
I will have a few giveaways that are specific to shows that are inserted within PuSh, but for now, I can just tell you that you should totally check out the lineup of amazing events. PuSh International Performing Arts Festival 2012 takes place from January 17th through to February 4th, 2012.
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