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.
My parents both were smokers. All five of us, their children, are not (one of my brothers took up smoking twice and quite both times, cold-turkey). My Auntie (who died of lung cancer) used to smoke quite heavily. And the truth be told, I cannot stand smoke (second-hand smoking does terrible things to my throat and lungs). I have never dated anyone who smokes and when I have, I have pressured them to quit smoking at least during our time together (and brush their teeth like there’s no tomorrow, and have breath mints at the ready!). I am a firm believer of quitting smoking and even have promoted campaigns like Quitters Unite and Quit Now BC. I know that today is the launch of National Non-Smoking Week in Canada 2012, and I wanted to celebrate it and let you know about it.
National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) has been observed for more than 30 years. It is one of the longest running and most important events in Canada’s ongoing public health education efforts. Established in 1977 by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control (CCTC), its goals are:
to educate Canadians about the dangers of smoking;
to prevent people who do not smoke from beginning to smoke and becoming addicted to tobacco;
to help people quit smoking;
to promote the right of individuals to breathe air unpolluted by tobacco smoke;
to denormalize the tobacco industry, tobacco industry marketing practices, tobacco products, and tobacco use; and
to assist in the attainment of a smoke-free society in Canada.
The theme for National Non-Smoking Week in Canada 2012 is “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”, which I’m sure relates to how hard it is to quit cold turkey. But trust me, having witnessed my parents (who took up yoga and swimming) and my brother (who just did it for the sake of demonstrating it can be done), quitting smoking can actually be done.
Do you or any of your loved ones smoke? And if so, are you doing anything to quit (or to help your loved ones quit?)
It’s been widely publicized that Blue Monday (today, the third Monday of the year) is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. It’s also been argued that it’s a hoax (just by looking at the stupid equation, you can TELL that it’s a total hoax).
Dr. Dean Burnett has written a nice story in the Guardian on how stupid the notion of Blue Monday is (and you can read it here). Now, what I would also like to emphasize is that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is actually real, and a form of depression that should not be made of nor taken lightly (I am an advocate of mental health issues, as many of you may know).
While Blue Monday is a day that in a way reminds people about depression, I would like folks to take it more seriously, and to not make fun neither of depression nor of SAD. Depression affects (depending on who you get your statistics from) between 1 in 20 to 1 in 5 Canadians. And SAD is prevalent too, particularly in regions where you don’t get enough light (thus light therapy is used to treat it). So, hopefully Blue Monday will be also taken as an opportunity to remember that depression is real and that if you or anyone you know need help, there’s a number of services you can access to help you deal with depression.
While I’m not American (American understood as citizen of the United States of America), I have followed US history relatively well, particularly when it comes to human rights. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most famous American civil rights advocates, and Nobel Prize for Peace winner in 1964. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the 3rd Monday of every January, and I just wanted to remember him on this post. Below are a few of his quotations.
Photo credit: PBS News Hour on Flickr.
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
And the one that really touches me profoundly:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
People asked for my slides (and I mentioned I would post a modified version). Here is the expanded version (e.g. the version that includes a few slides that I couldn’t talk about). If you have comments (and/or testimonials, particularly testimonials as people seem to have enjoyed it), please drop them on this post, NOT on SlideShare.
Hat tips to my good friend Monique Sherrett (nee Trottier, in case you, like me still get confused), who shared this on Google Plus. I find the notion of honest logos, both thought-provoking and compelling. And given how picky I am with people to be honest, truthful and direct, these really spoke to me. I’m using some of them on the post with full credit to Viktor Hertz on Flickr, as he has Creative-Commons Licensed them.Check his whole stream. From his writeup on Flickr:
An idea for a series with honest logos, revealing the actual content of the company, what they really should be called. Some are cheap, some might be a bit funny, some will maybe be brilliant. I don’t know.
(now you understand why I don’t do Facebook too often)
I love doing fun giveaways, and knowing how much my nieces love Twilight, I’m particularly excited about this one. Three lucky Hummingbird604 fans win a Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 grand prize
– a Breaking Dawn overnight bag
– a Breaking Dawn passport cover
– a Breaking Dawn Mini Poster
All you need to do to enter my giveaway is to tell me your favorite scene of Twilight: Breaking Dawn in the comments section. For an additional entry you can post the following:
Shared my favorite Twilight: Breaking Dawn scene with @hummingbird604 for a chance to win a Twilight Saga grand prize http://is.gd/R2VNNp
I will draw all 3 winners from all randomized entries on January 19th at 2pm.
I love the Dockside restaurant on Granville Island, and you all knew this. I came here for the first time, I think, when my good friend KG celebrated her birthday, many moons ago (heck, I think I was still doing my MBA!?). And then JT took me here for one of our Valentine’s Day celebrations. And then we came here randomly because we needed to have dinner on Granville Island. And I’ve come here for brunch with LJ before (a good Mexican friend whom, sadly, I have lost all touch with). So, all around, this is the place I come for, in the good and in the bad, particularly when I need a good patio to relax and have good wine and food.
Photo credit: Used as provided by the restaurant.
The Dockside Restaurant offers superbly prepared classic dishes in a setting like no other. Located on the waterfront where Granville Island faces the city, guests can enjoy panoramic views across False Creek to the world-famous cityscape of Yaletown and beyond to the mountains of the North Shore.
The open dining room is relaxed yet refined, wrapped in spectacular floor to ceiling windows, while the lounge offers warm intimate surroundings for evening cocktails. The award-winning patio catches sunlight from morning to late afternoon. Protected on three sides it’s an oasis of calm, disturbed only by the occasional sound of boats making their way along False Creek. Recent renovations have added fireplaces and casual seating areas to this Vancouver destination.
The Dockside Restaurant has also been a partner of mine for years and this year for Dine Out Vancouver 2012 they have also partnered with me to give a lucky reader of mine the opportunity to enjoy dinner for two (drinks, taxes and gratuities excluded) at the Dockside Restaurant. This should be a very fun experience. This is the Dockside menu for Dine Out ($28).
Photo credit: Used as provided by the restaurant.
All you need to do to enter my giveaway (2 entries per person maximum, one via Twitter, one via comment) is to tell me your favorite Granville Island activity. For me, it’s usually having dinner at a Granville Island restaurant, often the Dockside, and then head to the theatre. I also stroll through the Granville Island market.
Photo credit: Used as provided by the restaurant.
For the second and additional entry, you can post the following on Twitter:
Mentioned my favorite activity on Granville Island on @hummingbird604’s blog to enter to #DineOut at @eatDockside http://is.gd/oJ2aO0
I will draw a random winner on January 20th at 2pm, the day that Dine Out Vancouver 2012 starts. Thanks again to the Dockside for always supporting my projects and giveaways! Stay tuned as I have another giveaway coming up with the Dockside. Check out in the mean time the delicious menu of the Dockside for Dine Out Vancouver:
Seared Scallop with smokey corn puree, crispy prosciutto and pea shoots
or
Zucchini Ribbons sauteed with cream, dried tomato, thyme and shaved asiago
ENTREE
Carrot & Caraway Braised Veal Shank with whole wheat gnocchi and brown
butter broccolini
or
Halibut and Jumbo White Prawns with tomato fillet, capers, white wine and crispy
fried dauphinoise potato with grilled asparagus
or
Grilled Vegetable & Goat Cheese Lasagne on yellow tomato oregano coulis with
black olive crostini and shaved parmesan
DESSERT
Filo Wrapped Warm Black Cherry and Marzipan Cheesecake – cinnamon
almonds and spiced white chocolate
or
Caramel Pot au Feu – with 72% Michel Cluizel and crystallized ginger, honey
roasted pears, Madeira stewed figs, orange scented, sea salted short breads
It’s amazing how I have been to so many of the Daniel Hospitality Group restaurants, yet I don’t think I have had an opportunity to write about The Mill Marine Bistro (and let me tell you, I’ve been here for dinner and for drinks. The first time I came here was with my good friend Nathan Tippe, in fact). But I really love their restaurants. And specially, The Mill Marine Bistro.
The Mill Marine Bistro is a European style waterfront bistro and neighbourhood pub with a small, cozy sixty-seat interior, and downtown Vancouver’s largest outdoor patio! Our menu concept is healthy bistro & pub fare; simple comfort food at a great value. No fried foods – all fresh and seasonal ingredients prepared in a healthy manner. We love great music, the outdoors, and a fun and positive attitude! We are environmentally and socially responsible, and this is fundamental to our being. Come play with us and have fun on our patio – downtown Vancouver’s largest outdoor patio! Or relax in our pub – we can’t wait to serve you at The Mill.
This year, The Mill Bistro has generously offered to partner with me during Dine Out Vancouver and thus enabled me to give away a gift certificate for dinner for two (drinks, tax and gratuity excluded) during the period of Dine Out Vancouver 2012 (January 20 – February 5, 2012).
All you need to do to enter my giveaway is to tell me what which seawall in Vancouver is your favorite. As you may (or may not, in fact), a substantial number of the Daniel Group Restaurants are located within mere metres from the seawall. For example, The Mill Marine Bistro itself is in Coal Harbour. The Burrard Bridge Grill (also from the Daniel Group) is underneath the Burrard Bridge, and very close to the Northern False Creek seawall. My favorite seawall is, without a doubt, Coal Harbour (and coincidentally, the one nearest to The Mill Marine Bistro!). Though there might be other seawalls I don’t know about that are more secluded!
To earn an additional entry for a total of two, you can tweet the following:
Shared my favorite seawall in Vancouver http://is.gd/17JRLv to enter to #DineOut with @hummingbird604 and @millbistro
I will draw randomly from all Twitter and comment entries one winner on January 20th at 2pm, which is the day when Dine Out Vancouver starts. Good luck everyone, and thanks again to The Mill Marine Bistro for partnering with me to bring Dine Out Vancouver to more Vancouverites! Check The Mill Marine Bistro’s menu here. During Dine Out Vancouver, it should be a beautiful viewing spot and a great opportunity for dinner. Hopefully you’ll try it soon, whether it is by winning my contest or on your own! Reservations highly recommended.
Every year, I write about Dine Out Vancouver. And every year, I wish I could enable my readers to participate in this fantastic event that aims to promote Vancouver (and some neighbouring cities’) restaurants with a very broad variety of ethnic foods. This year, several restaurants have partnered with me to offer a unique opportunity: a dinner for two (drinks, taxes, and gratuities excluded) during the period that Dine Out Vancouver takes place: January 20 – February 5, 2012. The first one that has generously accepted to partner with me is my long-time and trusted partner, the Glowbal Collection of Restaurants headed by Emad Yacoub and Shannon Bosa-Yacoub.
I have had dinner at Sanafir before, and absolutely loved it. So I was thrilled to accept the generous offer of the Glowbal Group for a gift certificate dinner for 2 for Sanafir during Dine Out Vancouver for one of my lucky readers. All you need to do is tell me which one of the Glowbal Group restaurants you’ve tried (or if you have never tried any, which one you would likely visit this 2012). I’ll fully admit: I’ve been to all of them. ALL OF THEM. And I have a very special place in my heart for Coast AND for Glowbal Grill.
I will draw a winner for the gift certificate for dinner for two at 2pm on Friday January 20th, the day that Dine Out Vancouver opens. Good luck everyone! You can also earn an additional entry by tweeting the following:
Told @hummingbird604 my preferred @Glowbal_Group restaurant http://is.gd/ZLftLB to enter to win dinner for two during #DineOut
More on the Glowbal Group’s Dine Out Vancouver offerings below (as per their notes to me)
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.
COAST’s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from roasted parsnip and bay scallop chowder or crispy fried reid oysters to start. Entrée options include: grilled BC snapper; pan-seared icy water arctic char; or grilled Alberta beef tenderloin. Dessert is lemon bavarois with cranberry ice cream.
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.
Italian Kitchen`s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from truffled celery root zuppa or artisan lettuce with prosciutto and mascarpone croquettes to start. Entrée options include: herbed roasted beef tenderloin; lobster ravioli; or baked rigatoni primavera. Dessert is classic tiramisu with mocha anglaise or lemon and basil brûlée with biscotti.
Trattoria’s three-course Dine Out menu is $18. Choose from arugula, orange and fennel salad or cream of cauliflower soup to start. Entrée options include: roasted pork loin or butternut squash, gorgonzola and spiced walnut risotto. Dessert is classic tiramisu with mocha anglaise.
SOCIETY’s three-course Dine Out menu is $18. Choose from the sweet potato and pulled pork croquette or spinach salad to start. Entrée options include veal piccata or prawn linguini. Dessert is a chocolate smore ‘flambe’ crème brûlée.
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.
It’s been a while since I have had the time to attend a production by Pacific Theatre. That said, they’ve always been extremely solid partners with me and I love their theatre. And I am thrilled to hear that they’re putting together a production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. It’s a profound and challenging piece of theatre, and I wouldn’t expect any less of Pacific Theatre. With Jason Goode directing, and featuring Lori Triolo and Aleks Paunovic, this promises to be an excellent performance.
Playing January 20-February 4 Wednesday – Saturday at 8pm with 2pm matinee on Saturdays at Pacific Theatre, 1440 W 12th Ave. For tickets ($16.50-29.50, HST incl) call 604-731-5518 or buy tickets online.
In a rundown bar in the Bronx, two strangers meet at the end of their ropes. Haunted by the past and trapped in the violence of the present, Danny and Roberta begin the ruthless act of revealing themselves – a brutal exposure that threatens to change everything. Explosively funny and surprisingly tender, a deeply affecting study of alienation and the redemptive power of love.
Who, in Vancouver, has never been to the website Craigslist? I have, dozens of times. That’s where I gave away some of my furniture. The Craigslist website has provided people with a lot of different experiences. It’s a fun site, with an enormous reach and now it has inspired the upcoming performance at The Arts Club: Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata.
YOUR PERSONAL ADS, SET TO MUSIC!
Irregular hats for cats, mounted lobsters, autographed copies of the Bible: this premiere from composer Veda Hille and the CBC’s Bill Richardson explores what humanity has to offer and turns it into sidesplitting musical fare. Who wouldn’t want a broken time machine, for free? Come and take a look at the vagaries and intimacies of the internet!
Bill Richardson and Veda Hille. Photo by Bill Pechet
Presented with the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival
By Bill Richardson and Veda Hille
Director Amiel Gladstone, starring J. Cameron Barnett, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Bree Greig, Veda Hille, Selina Martin, Barry Mirochnick, dramaturg Rachel Ditor, Assistant Director Shane Snow, Stage Manager Allison Spearin.
And who said I only promote Vancouver? Of course not! Even though I don’t make it to White Rock nearly enough, I do have dear friends who live there. And I am SO curious to know about Bite of the Rock, which in a way is kind of like Dine Out Vancouver, but in White Rock. An incredibly nice area that is so often mistaken for *just* being on the way to Blaine, the one municipality you have to drive through to get to Seattle and Bellingham. The festival runs January 16th – February 7th, 2012.
Sunset in White Rock, BC. Photo credit: mybulldog on Flickr.
Residents and visitors are invited to come out and ‘Taste the Flavours’ of White Rock. Bite of the Rock returns for its 6th year showcasing local restaurants and dining experiences. This year includes special waterfront hotel offers and live entertainment at most of the participating restaurants.
The 6th annual restaurant festival presented by the White Rock Business Improvement Association, features three course menus from $15.00, $25.00, $35.00 and $45.00 at eateries located throughout White Rock. This is a fantastic event to encourage to ‘Eat Down the Street’ for White Rock residents and nearby locals to venture from home for an affordable evening out! Diners have the opportunity to sample menus from over 20 White Rock restaurants. From fine dining to to international cuisine to meals for the whole family, there is something for everyone to choose from. Many of the participating restaurants also include Live Entertainment on select evenings.
And impressively, you could make a night of it and stay at the Ocean Promenade Hotel with the Bite of the Rock promotional offer of $99.00! Really nice, I totally would take advantage of this promo.
For a list of participating restaurants, menus and further details please visit In White Rock.
The Belfry Theatre. Photo credit: Jo-Ann Richards. Used with permission.
I always have said that, despite the fact that I have the toughest kind of projects (I promote the arts in British Columbia, and Canada in general, as a main focus of my blog), I always have the most rewarding. And being able to promote great theatre all over British Columbia is fabulous. I just found out that The Belfry Theatre will present the world premiere of Michele Riml’s play, on the edge from January 24 to February 26, 2012. Directed by Riml’s longtime collaborator Andrew McIlroy, on the edge stars Susinn McFarlen. Susinn has starred in Mom’s the Word, Sexy Laundry and A Perfect Ganesh at the Belfry.
on the edge looks at the lives of three women in today’s complicated world, each very different from the others and each caught in a labyrinth created by society’s expectations and their own personal challenges.
The three women – a fashion addict, cheekily overwhelmed by labels, finances and aging; the RCMP officer who uses her rough and tumble sense of humour to function in a hyper-masculine world; and the housewife learning yoga who is trying to find a balance between her inner life and the demands of her needy family life – each bring deep empathy and great humour to the stage.
Creative Team
Playwright Michele Riml
Starring Susinn McFarlen
Director Andrew McIlroy
Set Designer Kevin McAllister
Costume Designer Erin Macklem
Lighting Designer Bryan Kenney
Sound Designer Noah Drew
Stage Manager Kim Charleen Smith
on the edge is generously supported by Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse, The Magnolia Hotel & Spa and KOOL FM.
The Belfry’s Season Sponsors are Thrifty Foods, Times Colonist, Cook’s Day Off, Inn at Laurel Point, CHEK News, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Province of BC, BC Arts Council, CRD Arts Development.
Ticket Information
Tickets for on the edge are $23 to $38 (plus HST). Tickets for High School Students are 50% off and 25% off for University & College Students. Tickets are available at 250-385-6815 or online at https://tickets.belfry.bc.ca.
Performance Schedule (January 24 – February 26, 2012)
Tuesdays – Saturdays at 8 pm
Wednesday Matinees at 1 pm (February 1 & 8)
Thursday Student Matinee at 1 pm (February 16)
Saturday Matinees at 4 pm
Sunday Matinees at 2 pm
While I probably will not have the opportunity to attend on the edge, I should be able to have one of my guest writers in Victoria review it for you. Thanks to the Belfry Theatre for always keeping me in the loop. And hopefully you will be able to check out this great play!
One of the things I am most thankful for is having a packed and exciting schedule. You might wonder “when does Raul have time to relax?”. And the reality is, I do make some time to relax, and exercise, and meet with my friends, and spend time with my loved ones, and work on my research, teaching, etc. I would not have it any other way. I schedule every minute of my life, but if I didn’t, I would NOT have the kind of success I do.
So, I’ll fully confess that sometimes I have the mind of a budgeted graduate student (I am way done with my PhD now, and make way more money than I did when I was a graduate student, but I still have sometimes that mentality of OMG I want to enjoy a good glass of wine, but I don’t want to pay a fortune. Don’t get me wrong: I am sure some of my fellow graduate students spent more on wine than I ever did (I love spending money on books, for example!). So I had the feeling that Naked Grape would provide me with an inexpensive, good (and a bit fluffy) experience. And by fluffy I mean, it wasn’t supposed to be a connoisseur wine for dinner.
I bought a bottle of Pinot Grigio Naked Grape for less than $10 recently (maybe it was in promotion), and I didn’t actually mind it.
This fresh and cheeky grape hides nothing, offering up peach and melon notes on the nose. Crisp and lively describes the confident personality of this grape with refreshing citrus and tropical fruit flavours on the palate. Available in 750ml, 1.5L and 3L cask. Serve with shellfish, salads, chicken, creamy pasta dishes, soft cheeses or on its own.
I invited my neighbour (who like me, spent a substantial amount of time on a budget) over for a glass or two of wine, and I paired it with some chocolate-covered strawberries. While it seems like the opinion on Twitter is that not everybody is impressed, I have to admit I liked the Naked Grape Pinot Grigio. Admittedly, I’m much more of a Gewurztraminer than I am a Pinot Grigio kind of guy. But this one was good enough at least for some wine and dessert.
While I eat out a lot, and I review restaurants quite often, I’m not technically what you could call “from the industry”. That is, I don’t have a background as a chef, or as a server. I have served before, but mostly at charity events (and mostly, I’ve bartended), and thus income derived from this activity has never been an issue for me. I recently did what some people may call “over-tipping”. I tipped about 20% in one case, on top of tax AND an automatic gratuity (I did not realize well until I had already paid), and in the other case, I tipped 20% on top of the total after tax.
Photo credit: citroenverde on Flickr
I took to Twitter to ask how much was I supposed to pay for tip. I’ll fully admit that I have no problem over-tipping, for several reasons. One, when I go out, I already have budgeted what I’m going to spend. Two, many of my own undergraduate students at UBC work or have worked as servers or bartenders to put themselves through school. I figure if I tip them well, hopefully other people will do too and that will help them overall. Three, I think that serving is hard work, and if the service has been fantastic why not reward it?
One thing that struck me was what Sarah McKay said, which I think is often forgotten in the process. Servers pass on some of their tip to the rest of the house. And obviously, that may put them in a fragile position if you tip BEFORE tax.
One of the biggest problems I have is with the fact that HST (while theoretically and empirically a sound tax) has actually had an impact on how much people decide to spend and eat out. Obviously that also impacts people who work in the industry.
So, how much do you tip, and do you tip before or after tax?
From an architectural view point, Biosphère, musée de l’environnement is very pretty, even if my photos don’t really pay justice. I first visited Biosphere (after years, and I can almost say decades) of wanting to visit this past summer when I went to a meeting of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America (one of my academic research meetings of 2011).
Architectural masterpiece and symbol of Expo 67, the Biosphere is a unique and spectacular structure, located at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal. Treat yourself to its interactive exhibitions aimed at increasing understanding of major environmental issues. Participate in its animated activities and special events throughout the year to learn more about day-to-day solutions to protect the environment.
I found Biosphere fascinating, mostly because it felt like a childhood dream realized in my adulthood. More importantly, I found out that this wonderful museum has both permanent and rotating exhibitions.
The Biosphère distinguishes itself by its interactive and educational exhibitions which are aimed at increasing understanding of major environmental issues such as air, water, biodiversity, climate change, sustainable development and more. Visit our permanent and temporary exhibitions to discover new ways to reduce your ecological footprint!
Have you ever had the opportunity to visit Biosphere Montreal? If so, how did you like it?
The one thing I can recommend to you in 2012 is what I promised myself in 2011 (no, not Embracing Change, but to Make Myself the Priority – I know, it gets confusing). Towards the end of 2011 I realized that one of the things I needed was the right equipment, for everything. I kept investing my money in different things, but I rarely paid any attention to equipment and hardware. So, one day, I just decided to renew my full home office equipment, and I started with an ergonomic chair, and continued with the purchase of a Brother DCP-7065DN Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer. Before you ask anything, it’s only black-and-white and it’s laser because that’s what I wanted.
The DCP-7065DN is ideal for any small office or home office. It can fit in any workspace due to its compact, space-saving design. Its two-sided duplex printing helps save paper and money. In addition to its crisp, razor-sharp printing, it can also be used to make a quick copy without the use of a computer. Enjoy the convenience of having a high-quality colour scanner, too. Scan multiple pages using the 35-page auto document feeder or use the document glass for scanning a single document. Plus, with its built-in Ethernet network interface you can easily share the DCP-7065DN with others in your office too.
I have had all-in-one printers before, like the HP PhotoSmart C309. I had way too many problems with that one, and I spent A LOT of money with the color cartridges (admittedly, it was a free gift from Hewlett Packard Canada and thus I shouldn’t complain much, but the reality is, it was much more of a pain in the neck than I expected).
Strangely enough, setting up the Brother DCP-7065DN Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer was incredibly easy to set up (admittedly, it is connected to a brand-new CPU with Windows 7, so that might help – but at any rate, it was super easy). Making photocopies, printing duplex (automatically – say goodbye to trying to figure out how to do double-sided manually!), scanning to PDF, and printing envelopes as well as letters of reference for my undergraduate students (which need to go in letterhead) were all an absolute breeze.
Would I recommend people to buy the Brother DCP-7065DN Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer? Absolutely. In a minute. Not very practical if you don’t have a lot of desk space, but it does everything you need it to, and it’s super intuitive, and fast, and really good for what you need it to do. I am so disappointed I spent so many months/years without a good, solid all-in-one printer. It retails at $199 Canadian.
The features from the Brother website:
· 3-in-1 monochrome laser printer, scanner and copier
· Two-sided duplex printing to save paper and money
· Fast, up to 27 ppm black and white laser printing
· Built-in Ethernet networking to easily share the unit among many users
· High quality flatbed colour scanning
· Compact, fits almost anywhere
· User-friendly software with easy installation
· Interactive help software
· Cost effective, with high-capacity replacement toner cartridges
· Machine-lifetime toll-free technical support
I think this was one of my best purchases in recent history!
Disclosure: I bought this printer on my own dime. Brother Canada does not even know that I have reviewed the printer. I just wanted to share my experience with a top-of-the-line printer. I should also disclose that Staples had it at a discounted rate $99.
