The Bean by Lauren Mote
Lauren Mote is a Bartender at The Refinery in Vancouver. After Lauren challenged some of her industry friends to name an ingredient or two which would make a great cocktail that she could create using the 2 ingredients as a…
Category: Stories
Feature Articles covering all topics, interviews etc
Halloween Treats
What better way to celebrate the holiday than to pick up a treat for yourself or more treats for your friends or for your friends kids or for your kids. Here are some treats that caught my eye to help…
Celebrate Los Muertos at Zocalo
One of the most joyful and popular holidays in Mexico is ‘Dia de Muertos’ (Day of the Dead). The fiesta, which traces its roots back to the indigenous Aztec and Maya cultures, was originally celebrated in August. After the Spanish…
Behind The Scenes at Pourhouse
Bartender and Co-Proprietor Jay Jones takes me behind the bar and into the kitchen on a tour of their Gastown restaurant. My ‘Behind The Scenes” tour began a month before opening over an Espresso with Jay at Smartmouth Café in…
West Coast Chocolate Festival
I attended the opening night of this chocolate festival’s events which was the ‘Salon du Chocolat’. The event featured a sampling of chocolate, wines, beers, scotches, liqueurs, and teas. Some of the notable vendors included: Xoxolat www.xoxolat.com Rubens Chocolates www.rubenschocolate.ca…
Interview with Kyle Straw
Caffe Artigiano | Vancouver I had a talk recently with Kyle Straw who is one of the top Baristas in Vancouver, he won the Western Canadian Barista Championship in August 2009, I asked him to create some latte art and…
Richard’s Favourite Dishes
My friends have been asking what my favorite dishes are at these restaurants, rather than repeating this information to each person who asks, I have put together a list which is subject to change as I find more great dishes…
Vancouver International Wine Festival 2010, Get Ready
New Zealand and Argentina the theme at largest wine festival to date The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival will mark its 32nd year with a celebration of the wines of Argentina and New Zealand and a global focus on rosé….
The BEST Espresso Macchiato
There are many cafes in the city, some have great drip coffee, ambience and great baristas, however, this list is about which café has the best and consistently the best Espresso Macchiato (Espresso with a minimal amount of steamed milk…
The BEST Taco List
Tacos have been gaining quite a following in Vancouver. I have been eating tacos at many of the Mexican restaurants in the city and here is my list of the Best Tacos in Vancouver. #1 goes to La Taqueria 322…
For dinner, something different with the help of Indishpensable
I recently embarked on a challenge of sorts and tried a relatively new service, at least a service I was unfamiliar with in Vancouver dining. It is more about eating out at home than eating out in a restaurant. Indishpensable…
The BEST Challah List
There are many bakeries in the city that bake this Jewish bread. Challah is often eaten on Friday night to celebrate the Sabbath as well as for other Jewish holidays. You may want to get some Challah from one of…
The BEST Falafel List
There are many falafel places in the city, some are great and others are just ok. I have to admit that I have not been to every place that serves Falafel in the city, from the ones that I have…
Long Table Series at the Irish Heather
The Long Table Dinner series was created by Sean Heather the owner of the Irish Heather, Sean had what has turned out to be a truly great idea. This idea has turned into one of the most successful dinner events…
Hungarian Winemakers Visit Vancouver
I had the great pleasure of being invited to lunch at Joe Fortes to dine and meet with Robert Koczuba (Winemaker at Torley) and ILona Kallay (Export Director at Torley) along with their importers to learn about their HUNGARIA Grande…
Interview with Jay Jones
Pourhouse | Vancouver Had an inspiring talk recently with Jay Jones who is one of the top bartenders in Vancouver and one of the founding partners of the new public house/restaurant Pourhouse in Gastown. What drew you to restaurants and…
Behind the Scenes with Thierry Busset
In Part Two of my interview with Thierry Busset we go Behind the Scenes with him into his kitchen where he creates all the desserts for CinCin. I spent an afternoon with him recently and watched him make his Coffee…
Interview with Colin Turner
CinCin | Vancouver I understand you won 2nd place in Canada’s first ever Beer Mixology Competition held at The Refinery on August 17, 2009. Yes, what a fantastic competition! I had such a great time, and really enjoyed the opportunity…
Chocolatiers in the City
Our region boasts a number of chocolatiers who make some fine chocolates. Here are some of my favourites in and around Vancouver. Chocolaterie De La Nouvelle France 198 East 21st Avenue Vancouver Tel: 604-566-1065 Web: www.chocolaterienouvellefrance.ca Neighborhood: Main Street Favourites:…
Interview with Thierry Busset
Thierry Busset | Vancouver Vancouver is home to some of the best pastry chefs in the world, many have worked for the top chefs and restaurants around the world as well as around the city. Star Pastry Chefs is a…
Bartender: Colin Turner
Colin Turner is the Bartender at CinCin on Robson in downtown Vancouver. On August 17th he competed in the Whistler Brewing Mixologist Competition held at The Refinery. His featured drink was called “The Hybrid”. Ingredients: 2 oz Beniamino Moscato Grappa…
Bartender: Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson is the Bartender at Pivo/Lux in downtown Vancouver. On August 17th he competed in the Whistler Brewing Mixologist Competition held at The Refinery. His featured drink was called “Black Tuskan”. Ingredients: 1 oz Kaluha liquer 1 oz Van…