Plenty of news from C Restaurant, an update on what’s been happening at Ocean 6 Seventeen, a special lunch at Aurora Bistro, the Top Table restaurants celebrate multiple wins at the VMA’s, the Listel Hotel gets a little greener…
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF FOOD SERVICE PROFESSIONALS HONOUR ROBERT CLARK AS NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR
Vancouver, BC… Robert Clark, Executive Chef of C Restaurant, NU Restaurant & Lounge and Raincity Grill, will be honoured as “Newsmaker of the Year” on April 17 at a reception hosted by Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News and the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals. Clark is the first individual to receive this prestigious award and is recognized not only for his culinary achievements and excellence, but also his leadership and dedication to sustainability.
Says Steven Isherwood, publisher of Restaurant News across Canada, “We thought Robert was an inspired choice, not only from his culinary achievements, but his leadership on sustainability as well. He was an easy choice, and also only the first time for an individual”.
The Newsmaker of the Year Award is presented annually at BC Leadership Night, sponsored by the Vancouver Branch of the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals. The criteria are decided upon by a panel of both association executives and the editorial team at Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News. Previous winners have included: Boston Pizza, Keg Restaurants, White Spot, and BC Ferries.
Robert Clark has embraced a responsibility to inspire change within the industry he has devoted his life to. He is a firm believer that, as a chef, he must be cognisant of the food choices he makes. To that end, Clark has been recognized as a Canadian leader, with accolades from BC Salmon Marketing Council 2002 Supporter of Innovation Awards, Monterey Bay Aquarium as a Canadian Seafood Ambassador in 2006, The British Columbia Restaurant & Foodservices Association 2006, and Vancouver Magazine Chef of the Year for 2006. Clark continues to dedicate his energy and curiosity to seeking out local ingredients that are the best in quality and sustainable in supply.
www.crestaurant.com, www.raincitygrill.com, www.whatisnu.com.
Media Contact:
Alexander Ink Public Relations
(t): 604-331-0907
(e) info@alexanderink.com
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AN UPDATE ON OCEAN 6 SEVENTEEN
Maureen Fleming, owner and managing partner of Ocean 6Seventeen in False Creek and So.Cial at Le Magasin in Gastown is pleased to share with you an update on Ocean 6Seventeen:
Ocean 6Seventeen now open for lunch
So.cial butcher shops famous deli sandwiches now available at Ocean 617
New takeaway “window” – Cappuccino’s, fish & chips, sandwiches…
New lunch, brunch and dinner menu
Fish and Chips – Fresh Halibut has arrived!
Desert Hills Winemakers Dinner, Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Introducing Ocean 6Seveteen Executive Chef Cory Hamm
Spring has arrived on the South Shore of False Creek and with it comes a great new spot to stop for lunch! With the seawall now open again around False Creek, Ocean 6Seventeen is a great stop along the walk from Granville Island, the Olympic Village site or for locals in the whimsically named neighbourhood of Leg n’boot Square and Stamps Landing.
In a bow to the enormous success of the So.Cial custom deli sandwich, Chef Cory Hamm had brought all those same ingredients over to Ocean 617 – Choose to eat in or take out roast beef, turkey, honey ham and smoked salmon, all served with roast vegetables, house made mayo, Dijon mustard, onions, tomato & cheese on “Social’s” fresh daily baked focaccia loaf. Also on the lunch menu, Queen Charlotte Halibut and Spring Salmon Fish and Chips. Halibut 1 piece $8, 2 pieces $12, 3 pieces $18. Spring Salmon 1 piece $6, 2 pieces $10, 3 pieces $16 all served with fresh (not frozen) house cut fries, malt vinegar and remoulade sauce.
Ocean 6Seveteen has had a very talented young chef at the helm this past year. Cory Hamm worked under the tutelage of Chef Sean Cousins and has now produced his first solo menu. Fresh, casual fine dining is the style; Market and seasonally driven is the focus, and approachable and value is the price point.
Sometimes we like to get just a little bit fancy and how nice to be able to attend a winemaker’s dinner you can walk to and even wear jeans to! Chef Cory Hamm has written a scrumptious 7 course wine dinner menu featuring lamb T-bone and artesian cheeses. Join Desert Hills owner Randy Toor and Ocean 617 owner Maureen Fleming for a great night of excellent food and wonderful wines. April 16th – $77 per person ($95.00 including taxes and gratuity) 6:30 reception, 7 pm dinner -reservations only.
A very welcome stop as well as a neighbourhood destination, Ocean 6Seventeen at 617 Stamps Landing – An unpretentious, pretty little waterfront bistro where the air on the waterfront patio is ocean fresh, the view of the city skyline just across the water unequaled and the cuisine worth coming back for time and time again.
Ocean 6 Seventeen
617 Stamps Landing
False Creek South
Vancouver, BC
604.879.6178
www.ocean617.com
Open 7 days a week
Lunch Monday to Friday from 11:30 am
Weekend Brunch from11:00 am
Dinner nightly from 5 pm
Social at Le Magasin
332 Water Street
Gastown, Vancouver, BC
604.669.4488
www.socialatlemagasin.com
Lunch Monday to Friday from 11:30 am
Weekend Brunch from 11:00 am
Dinner nightly from 5 pm
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A TAILORED LUNCH
Vancouver, BC – Aurora Bistro and LARK Fashion Salon have joined hands in making Friday lunch fun and fashionable with “Tailored Lunch Fridays”. Running every Friday until August 30, 2008, Main Street fashionistas will enjoy an effortless, seamless lunch and shopping experience in an hour.
Begin at LARK and shop amongst the incredible local and international labels that favour modern simplicity with artful twists. As you make your lunch selections from a tailored menu designed by celebrated Chef Jeff Van Geest, the fashion fanatics at LARK will shower you with effortless styling and expert fashion advice.
After you have worked up an appetite with your favourite carb burning exercise (shopping of course), simply stroll across Main Street to Aurora Bistro where lunch will be served upon minutes of arrival. As you savour the last bite of your Polderside Duck Confit Sandwhich with Farmhouse Camembert Cheese, your new Nudie Jeans from Sweden and local Paper Bird Top will arrive. Packaged and hand delivered by the lovelies at LARK, things just get sweeter with a LARK dark chocolate bar included in your shopping bag.
Not a minute will be wasted! Lunch hour is tres fashionable, fun and delicious!
Tailored Lunch Fridays will run every Friday until August 30th, 2008 from 11am – 2:30pm. A Tailored lunch includes a starter, a main, a complimentary amuse bouche from Aurora Bistro and a dark chocolate bar from LARK for only $20.00. Please call Aurora Bistro at 604-873-9944 to make a reservation.
Lark Fashion Salon is located at 2315 Main Street, Vancouver BC. For more information please call 604-879-5275 or visit www.lark8thave.com. Aurora Bistro is located at 2420 Main Street, Vancouver BC. For more information call 604-873-9944 or visit:
A Tailored Lunch
$20 – includes an amuse bouche while you shop at LARK, two courses at Aurora Bistro,
followed by a sweet treat courtesy of LARK.
Choose one starter and either one sandwich or entrée
Starters
Soup of the day, seasonal and fresh
Hanna Brook Farm Greens with grilled apples in sherry hazelnut vinaigrette
add confit of duck or smoked sablefish -6- or poached egg -3-
Mains
Sandwiches served with pomme frites
Arugula Hazelnut Pesto, white bean purée & goat cheese on baguette
Polderside Farm Duck Confit, onion jam with Farmhouse Camembert on walnut onion bread
Olive Oil Poached Albacore Tuna Melt with aged cheddar & pickled sea asparagus on ciabatta
Salt Spring Island Mussels in white wine with leeks, Oyama chorizo & organic tomato preserve served with grilled baguette or pomme frites
Media Contact:
Tiffany Soper
(604) 783-0013
tiffanysoper@shaw.ca
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TOP TABLE TOASTS 14 PRESTIGIOUS ACCOLADES
West, Araxi, Blue Water Cafe, and CinCin sweep annual Restaurant Awards
Vancouver, BC – at the 19th Annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards held Monday at the Sheraton Wall Centre, a panel of 19 expert judges concurred to present West, Araxi, Blue Water Cafe, and CinCin with a combined total of 14 coveted industry awards before an audience of British Columbia’s leading restaurateurs, chefs and service professionals.
West
· Restaurant of the Year, Gold
· Best Service, Gold
· Bartender of the Year, David Wolowidnyk
· Best Last Course, Honourable Mention
· Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Platinum
For the fourth consecutive year, West was awarded the most hotly contended title of Vancouver’s Restaurant of the Year, an honour that recognizes the restaurant at the peak of a city emerging as a world-class dining destination.
With Executive Chef Warren Geraghty now commanding the kitchen, “West (Gold) under Brian Hopkins, gets highest praise: ‘So smoothly executed,’ one judge remarked, ‘you don’t even know how they did it until you realize you’re not walking out of the restaurant – you’re floating’.” (Vancouver magazine)
On the heels of winning Grey Goose’s national cocktail competition, Bar Manager David Wolowidnyk was declared Bartender of the Year. “It’s not just that his knowledge of booze is encyclopedic,” writes judge Andrew Morrison. “His palate borders on the extra-sensory; his sixth sense for what his guests are looking for, extraordinary.”
Continuing to evolve in the pursuit of excellence, Hopkins and his team also emerged the clear leader again this year for Best Service, while Pastry Chef Rhonda Viani received an honourable mention for Best Last Course.
Araxi
· Best Whistler, Gold
· Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Gold
For an unprecedented nine consecutive years, Araxi cemented its standing as Whistler’s culinary cornerstone with a Gold for Best Whistler.
“For Araxi to once again earn this distinction, reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering superior products and experiences to our guests,” says Restaurant Director Steve Edwards.
According to Vancouver magazine: “This enduring room seems to get better every year. Chef James Walt takes his pick of ingredients from the nearby Pemberton Valley and crafts them into lush, textured dishes full of flavours,” continuing on to praise the wine list for featuring “an impressive array of local and imported bottles,” as well as “seamless” service.
Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
· Best Seafood, Gold
· Restaurant of the Year, Bronze
· Best Formal Japanese, Silver
· Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Platinum
With a Silver place finish each year since opening its doors in 2001, Blue Water Cafe was elevated to Gold for Best Seafood, a nod to “Frank Pabst’s expert, understated way with wild and sustainable species, and faultless sushi from Yoshihiro Tabo.” (Vancouver magazine)
Receiving Silver for Best Formal Japanese, judges remarked “The Raw Bar at Blue Water Cafe (Silver) consistently cranks out some of the best sushi and sashimi anywhere…thanks to disciplined and exert knife skills, top-notch sourcing, and informed service.” (Vancouver magazine)
Heralded by Vancouver magazine for using “a delicate touch to make sustainable seafood sing”, Executive Chef Frank Pabst was also recently voted ‘Chef of the Year’ from Critics in the 11th annual Georgia Straight Golden Plate Awards.
CinCin
· Best Last Course, Gold
· Best Formal Italian, Honourable Mention
· Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Gold
A legend in his native France and the man whom Gordon Ramsay proclaimed as the “best pastry chef in London”, Vancouver has also taken note of CinCin’s Chef Patissier Thierry Busset with Gold for Best Last Course.
Having just returned from Paris where concepts were sealed and specialized equipment purchased, Busset’s plans are well underway for his world-class pastry and handcrafted chocolate shop with TopTable. With an anticipated opening of this Winter, further details and location will be released in the coming months, while “The city waits with bated breath for his upcoming pastry shop.” (Vancouver magazine)
Attributing the collaborative strength between Executive Chef Francois Gagnon and Restaurant Director Ricardo Ferreira, CinCin also received an honourable mention for Best Formal Italian.
Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival – Wine List Awards
Also announced during the ceremony, were The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival Wine List Awards, with Blue Water Cafe and West taking top honours in the newly-introduced Platinum category, as one of only three restaurants overall who “raised the bar a level higher”. CinCin and Araxi were among a small, distinguished group adorned with the Gold designation.
Credit was awarded for presentation, harmony with the menu, and varied representation of styles, varietals and vintage depth. Each restaurant’s in house wine program, staff knowledge, storage facility and glassware were also adjudicated.
West, Granville Rise
Executive Chef, Warren Geraghty
Restaurant Director, Brian Hopkins
www.westrestaurant.com
Araxi, Whistler
Executive Chef, James Walt
Restaurant Director, Steve Edwards
www.araxi.com
Blue Water Cafe, Yaletown
Executive Chef, Frank Pabst
Restaurant Director, Stephan Cachard
www.bluewatercafe.net
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THE LISTEL HOTEL AND O’DOULS RESTAURANT AND BAR GO GREENER YET
ROBSON STREET: The Listel Hotel is the first hotel in Vancouver to install a cutting-edge renewable energy system. The hotel is reducing its carbon footprint — and annual energy expenses — by installing solar panels and a highly efficient heat recovery system.
The hotel’s partner on the project, B.C.-based renewable energy leader Swiss Solar Tech, has a slogan “The sun hasn’t raised its rates in four billion years.”
The Listel is now tapping into the sun’s abundant and easily-accessible alternative energy via solar thermal collectors to lower their heating costs and, most importantly, their carbon footprint. The hotel expects to reduce its carbon gas emissions by 170 tons annually.
Technical details. The Listel’s customized system employs equipment typically used as a ground-source heat pump. Such pumps exploit the steady underground temperature to provide seasonal heating and cooling. The Listel’s system however does not have an underground loop of liquid-filled tubing for geothermal exchange. Instead, the heat pump is connected to twenty solar collectors and a heat recovery system as well as a 20 ton air-to-water heat pump.
According to Roger Huber, owner of Swiss Solar Tech, “There is incredible potential for heat recovery, particularly when combined with the solar panels.”
Huber explains that the waste heat is collected from the cooling system (the air-conditioning chiller) to use as pre-heat for the domestic hot water and as heating support for the building. “This enables the existing gas-fired boiler to run less, since the heat pump has a much better co-efficiency rate than a gas boiler.”
A computer-controlled system from Care System of Vernon BC, combined with a gas-fired boiler, provides heating and cooling of water and air for the 129 room hotel. The solar heat from solar panels on the hotel’s roof is primarily used to pre-heat the domestic hot water. Solar-heated water is stored in a tank with a capacity of 4,500 litres.
The savings. The estimated pay-back time (amortization period) is less than six years, based on an estimated five per cent annual price increase on natural gas rates. A federal grant from the ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat Initiative reduced the cost of the solar part by 25 per cent.
Swiss Solar Tech is a BC-based company that creates cost-effective renewable energy and heat recovery solutions by designing and installing highly efficient heating and cooling systems for commercial buildings. They combine solar thermal with ground-source heat pumps and heat recovery systems.
The Listel Hotel is known as “Vancouver’s most art-full hotel*” and one of the city’s most well-appointed boutique hotels. Its other green initiatives include a comprehensive recycling program, composting, various water, energy reduction and air quality programs, a towel and sheet reuse program, bulk amenities, and a strong commitment to organic and local food and wine.
The Hotel Association of Canada awarded The Listel the highest eco-rating of any Vancouver hotel – 4 Green Keys. The hotel’s restaurant and bar – O’Doul’s – is an active member of both the Green Table Network and the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.
MEDIA CONTACT:
For additional information and images, please contact
Lise Magee, Director of Public Relations
1300 Robson Street (@ Jervis)
Vancouver, BC V6E 1C5
thelistelhotel.com
direct. 604.690.1852 email. lise@thelistelhotel.com
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