The 13th Annual Fetzer Great Beginnings Wine & Appetizer Challenge took place at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel last Wednesday with 10 entries being judged by a panel of food and wine writers, myself included.

The restaurants competing for bragging rights and a $1000 grand prize this year were: Bearfoot Bistro, Elixr, Goldfish Pacific Kitchen, Hotel Grand Pacific, Joe Fortes, Pourhouse, Prestons, The Teahouse, Terminal City Club, and Tigh Na Mara.

The wine pairing selection was the Fetzer Gewürztraminer, a soft, sweet and fresh white wine with lots of crisp apple and stone fruit characteristics.

Below are some of my tasting notes from the judges table.

While I did enjoy many of creative elements and contrasting flavours of Elixr’s dish, the aji pepper was just too much heat on the palate and stuck around far too long, even after a suck on the melting mint ice and a sip of wine my mouth was still smoldering.

Elixir ~ Qualicum Bay Scallop “Ceviche” Aji-Amarillo Dressing, Mint Julep Ice

The Hotel Grand Pacific’s rabbit sausage and sweet onion tart was beautifully presented and showed great promise, but fell short when it crumbled onto the plate upon first cut, making it rather difficult to eat.

Hotel Grand Pacific ~ Rabbit Sausage with Sweet Onion Tart

Next was the Crab Louie. Chef Irving’s take on the classic and hearty west coast salad got top marks for creativity and execution and had me playfully exploring my plate. What was missing for me was some contrasting texture to liven it up some of the cooler elements.

Pourhouse ~ Crab Louie

The pork belly was a welcome departure from the seafood, but was unfortunately a bit dry and the skin very crispy, making for some very loud chewing.

Prestons ~ Confit of Sunhaven Farms Pork Belly, Pickled Rhubarb, Shaved Watermelon Radish Orange Foam

The Teahouse went classic surf and turf. However, the dish was strangely plated in a rather small bowl, making it a bit crowded and hard to eat. Nonetheless, it was delicious, but lost marks on presentation.

Teahouse Restaurant ~ Qualicum Bay scallop and crispy pork belly, smoke pea puree, micro shoots

The slow braised pork belly was unbelievably tender, moist and very tasty, unfortunately it overpowered the delicate crab and the wine. Regardless, I quite happily ate the whole thing.

Terminal City Club ~ Slow Braised Pork Belly, Sunchoke Puree, Espelette oil

One of the most simple and prettiest of the dishes, but also the most confounding. I love salmon and I love curry, but they just don’t belong in my mouth together. Ever.

Tigh Na Mara ~ Ginger and chile cured Salmon with Curry Chick Pea Cake

Third place…

Absolutely loved this dish. Bacon wrapped king crab? You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me. Great textures, big bold flavours, lots of colour. Wine? What wine? I could only taste sweet, smokey, delicious bacon.

Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House ~ King Crab Tempura

Second place…

This was the first dish we tasted and I was at first confused by the presentation but eventually drawn in to all the subtle little things going on like some weird medical examiner’s art show. The flavours were a brilliant balance of savoury and sweet, the many textures happily playing together, which also paired perfectly with the fruit notes of the wine.

Bearfoot Bistro ~ Hamachi Tartar & Tuna “Tim Bits”

And the winner…

One of the most perfectly executed pieces of fish I have ever had the pleasure of eating. An example of confident restraint. This dish was graceful and nuanced in all the right ways. Five minutes was not enough time to enjoy this plate of awesome. Well done!

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen ~ Pan Seared Wild Salmon, Tea Smoked Japanese Scallop sashimi, Smoked Salmon custard with hints of ginger marinated Asian pear Coconut Reduction

~ PK

The Vancouver Craft Beer Week organizing committee is proud to announce the first ever BC Beer Awards by Brewery Creek. On Monday, March 22nd, an expert judging panel will review over 150 beers from all across British Columbia at an undisclosed location.

The only blind judged beer competition in British Columbia, the BC Beer Awards judging panel boasts such beer experts as:

• Don Tse – A BJCP Certified beer judge, freelance beer writer and consultant, Don has been writing professionally about beer for seven years. His articles have appeared in beer publications such as All About Beer, Ale Street News and Beers of the World.
• Abram Goldman-Armstrong – A beer writer in Portland, Oregon, Abram has been a BJCP National Rank Judge since the age of 21, judging at competitions such as the Great American Beer Festival, the Okanagan Fest-of-Ales, and Portland’s Spring Beer and Wine Fest. He co-organizes the North American Organic Brewers Festival, the world’s largest organic beer festival.
• Megan Flynn – The publisher of Beer Northwest, a quarterly magazine covering beer, food, and lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest, Megan travels North America in search of the best beer and beer personalities, continuing to develop her pallet into one of the most diverse on the continent.
• James Nevison – Columnist for The Province newspaper, where his “Wine Guy” column appears weekly each Thursday. He is the co-author of five bestselling wine books, the latest is Had a Glass: Top 100 Wines for 2010 under $20, $25, and $30. Recently James was named a “Top 40 Foodie Under 40” by Western Living magazine.

Winners will be announced at the BC Beer Awards by Brewery Creek award show on Friday, May 14th, one of Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s signature events.

For further information on VCBW:
Email
VancouverCraftBeerWeek.com
Twitter
Facebook

Last Monday, Vancouver’s top bartending talent convened yet again for a battle. This time, Inniskillin Okanagan Riesling Icewine was the feature ingredient and the stakes included a trip for two to Niagara featuring tours of Inniskillin and other local wineries.

The Diamond in Gastown, normally closed on Mondays, was filled with media, members of the bar and restaurant industry, and a few curious onlookers who gathered for the event. The room buzzed with guests swirling and sipping Inniskillin wines while contestants took turns shaking, stirring, and muddling their creations behind the bar. In the end, it was The Diamond’s own Geoff Robinson who edged out the competition followed very closely behind by Shaun Layton of George.

Geoff Robinson’s first place cocktail:

Elena’s Bach
• 30 ml Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• 15 ml Inniskillin Okanagan Riesling Icewine
• 20 ml Amaro Montenegro (Italian bitters)
• Stir ingredients and top with sparkling wine

Shaun Layton’s second place cocktail:

The Confit Crusta
• 45 ml duck confit infused cognac
• 10 ml Inniskillin Okanagan Riesling Icewine
• 10 ml Maraska Maraschino Liqueur
• 20 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes Fireball cardamom tincture
• Rim outside of glass with icewine/duck confit sugar
• Add ingredients to a mixing glass, fill with ice and shake vigorously

~ Danielle Rabkin

An unlikely venue for a cocktail competition, the Hospitality Expo at the Vancouver Convention Centre, played host to the Sortilège Cup presented by NONS Drinks on November 23rd and 24th. Broken down into two days, one each for women and men, the competition was a showing of the city’s finest. With Sortilège, a blend of Canadian whisky and maple syrup hailing from Montreal, as the feature ingredient, each contender brought their best game to the table.

I had the honor of judging the women’s competition and believe me, the contestants brought it. Their creativity and innovative concoctions wowed and impressed across the board.  In fact, it was such an impressive showing that 50% of the women scored higher than the top scoring male competitor from the day before. Scoring was based on appearance, aroma, taste, technique, originality, and overall impression. Seasoned vets Lauren Mote of The Refinery and Wendy McGuiness of Chambar took second and third place, respectively, with innovative cocktails far outside the box.

^ Lauren Mote at work creating her “Feu de Camp”(French for Campfire) butternut squash puree, Sortilège, Jack Daniels, madiera, lemon, house bitters, mead honey wine, maple syrup. And on the side “Campfire Side”: rosemary and Fleur de Sel potatochips smoked “en tasse” with smoldering juniper, cardamom, long pepper, cinnamon, and citrus peel.^ Wendy McGuiness’s “Île d’Orléans” (French for Orleans Island which is outside of downtown Quebec City): Sortilège, moscato grappa, Wiser’s Canadian Whisky, muddled thyme, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh pear nectar, egg white, a dusting of crushed Sortilège candy, and candied thyme.
Other contenders that did not go unnoticed include cocktail competition rookies Alicia Grunert from Maenam and Marlo Panucci of Market by Jean Georges at the Shangri-La Hotel. As first time contenders they presented intriguing and creative libations.
In the end, it was Danielle Tatarin who swept first place with “Geisha’s Milk Punch”. Tatarin’s creation was crafted with exotic ingredients found in Chinatown, the neighborhood of her future domain, The Keefer Bar. Tatarin delivered with exotic, and never before heard of, ingredients such as milk fruit, lu han guo, and cherimoya honey syrup. The result was a cocktail exhibiting intriguing aromas, complex yet smooth flavors, and a divine finish which she presented with true finesse and expertise.
First place winners, Danielle Tatarin and Simon Kaulback of Boneta (from the men’s competition) will be visiting Montreal in 2010 for a visit to the Sortilège plant. ~ Danielle Rabkin

Sortilège: Specialty listing +44316 $29.99 (375mL)

Geisha’s Milk Punch by Danielle Tatarin
• 1 ½ oz Sortilège
• ½ oz apple brandy
• 1 oz milk fruit juice
• ½ oz cherimoya honey syrup
• dash lu han guo
• grated nutmeg
• stirred, not shaken, with ice.

Bartenders are fiercely proud of what they do. It’s not a job, or a career, and much more than a craft – it is a way of life for those lucky enough to do it. Drinking brought us to what we do for a living, and it persists in maintaining our enthusiasm for it.

(All images by: Jackie Connelly Photography)

Bartending, at its highest form, represents a keeper’s emotion for the drink and all it embodies. Book smarts and experience count for much, but the craft of cocktailing is a product of spirit infatuation – an extension of true affection for the bottle; all its truths, promises and lies.

The Craft of Cointreau was designed around the love of Bartending. In creating this event, the mandate for skilled crafting was clear; but how do you judge love? The perception of essential intangibles would decide the victor. To the winner went respect (and a week of drinking in France). The criteria: creative use of Cointreau, competence in technique, and plain and simple devotion to the craft.

The BartendersDanielle Tatarin pursues greatness, and finds it. Behind the Bar at DB Bistro (and soon The Keefer Bar), she delivers the charm and style of the Golden Era of Cocktails

Mike Parks makes what he likes. At the Cascade Room, he builds sound drinks with brazen character – in old fashioned style with hand crafted bitters.Christina Kuypers of Voya has a way with words. She talked her way into our hearts and livers, with bold ingredients and eclectic flavours. Trevor Kallies is unassuming. At Granville Room, he builds some of the best drinks in town with understated integrity – showing bold innovation, and the satisfying kick you hope for.

Bobbi Kay of Boneta fought through nerves to bring grace, a killer smile and humble skills to the Bar. Her Hepburn-influenced “Audrey” is a stunner.

Giovanni Giardino has a big mouth, and some pretty interesting and funny stuff comes out of it. At Campagnolo, he not-so-quietly blends imagination with intoxication. His “Cointrol” is a vibrant suggestion of fresh possibilities.

Colin MacDougall of Blue Water Café is a devoted student of the craft – showing through strong technique and obvious study; evident in his “The Horse You Rode in On”Lauren Mote of The Refinery is huge geek, and we love her dearly. The consummate foodie Bartender – her culinary Cocktails insist upon us and we are grateful. 3rd place honours were given for her complex creation.^ 3rd place, “The Side Loire” by Lauren Mote.Justin Tisdale brings a quiet cool to Market at the Shangri-La; his “Cointreau Esplendido” is a bold candidate for the perfect (long) cigar Cocktail, and good enough for 2nd place.^ 2nd place, “Cointreau Esplendido” by Justin Tisdale.If you want to see what pure love of Bartending looks like, go see Geoff Robinson at The Diamond. In his first ever competition, not only did he win the whole thing, but reminded us all of the importance of doing things with respect and humility.^ 1st place, The “Auld Alliance” is a striking Cocktail in so many ways, but Geoff truly won the judges over with seemingly effortless swagger, seamless construction and obvious sincerity.
The future of Bartending in Vancouver is bright. Cheers to all of us.

~ Jay Jones

On November 3, Granville Island Brewing and the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts held their first annual “Winter Ales and Fare” cooking competition on Granville Island. Four teams, consisting of one culinary and one pastry student, worked together to each create an entrée and a dessert using GIB’s Lions Winter Ale.

“We’re excited to be partnering with our neighbour, Granville Island Brewing, for this great competition promoting their seasonal beer.  As a culinary school offering a part-time beer course, we recognize the importance of not only pairing wines with dishes, but everyone’s favourite barley juice as well,” says PICA Executive Chef Julian Bond.”

Competitors had $20 and 45 minutes to gather core ingredients from Granville Island Public Market; one more hour for cooking, preparation, and mise en place; and 15 minutes to bring all the necessary elements to the GIB Tap Room for final presentation to the judges. Judging the competition was Bond, GIB brewmaster, Vern Lambourne, Chester Carey, Canada’s first Certified Cicerone, and Barry MacDonald from The Team 1040.

“Our Lions Winter Ale is definitely the local’s favourite winter beer, and I’m excited that we have this opportunity to showcase the versatility of the beer as a unique ingredient, ” said Vern Lambourne. “All of our competing teams crafted mouthwatering entrees and desserts that can be enjoyed throughout the winter season.”

^– Winter Ales and Fare cooking competition winners, Felix Maristany and Jazmin Villarreal with GIB’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Walter Cosman, and PICA’s Julian Bond.

In a close competition, the winning entries were:

^– Lions Winter Ale Beer & Dessert Risotto Crumble by Jazmin Villarreal.

^– Granville Island Winter Ale Gumbo by Felix Maristany.

Jazmin and Felix will have their Lions Winter Ale creations featured on the PICA restaurant menu and in the bakeshop. Each winning team member received a prize pack of GIB goodies for their efforts. For recipes of the gumbo and risotto crumble, see the Love Good Beer blog.

~ RG

Two Chefs and a Table announce October wine drinker dinner; Caffè Artigiano Barista Kyle Straw Wins Seventh Annual Canadian Barista Championships; Cru now open for lunch; Naughty or Nice at Opus Bar.

Two Chefs and a Table Announces October Wine Drinker DinnerFood of the Wild West and Selections from the Fess Parker Winery

It’s fitting that in Halloween season, the Two Chefs and a Table October 28th Wine Drinker Dinner is going to be wearing a costume, specifically, buckskins and a coonskin hat. That’s because this five-course dinner being is going to focus on selections from Fess Parker Winery—Parker played frontier legends Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone during the 50s and 60s.

Along with being an iconic actor, Fess Parker is the proprietor of a 700-acre family winery in the old cowboy country of Santa Barbara. We’re proud to feature his wines for this event, carefully selected with help from local wine expert Michael Godin of Pacific Wine & Spirits.

The vintages from this award-winning California Winery will be combined with a menu that uses some of the classic game, meat and fish of the time and era of Daniel Boone. Along with catfish corn cakes, roasted Squab and Buffalo stew, the meal will also include inventive sides based on traditional frontier ingredients. We won’t be serving them on tin plates, though.

On October 28th, Two Chefs and a Table will serve five exceptional courses of Wild West food, the buckskin and the whiskey flask is up to you. The cost per person is $65 (excluding tax & tip) and reservations are recommended. To reserve your table or for more restaurant information, visit www.twochefsandatable.com or email info@twochefsandatable.com.

Fess Parker Wine Drinker Dinner Menu

First Course:
Catfish Corn Cakes: Fresh catfish, chilies, cornmeal, wild salad, tomatilla vinaigrette
Wine: Fess Parker Viognier 2007

Second Course:
Roasted Squab w/chestnut stuffing, wild mushroom, demi-glace
Wine: Fess Parker Pinot Noir 2005

Third Course:
Buffalo stew’n’biscuits: Long braised buffalo, pearl onions, carrots, & house made rosemary biscuit
Wine: Fess Parker Zinfandel 2005

Main Course:
Cowboy Tenderloin steak: Classic coffee, pepper, thyme and rosemary rub, cold smoked and grilled, seasonal root cellar vegetables
Wine: Lot 81 Frontier Red

Dessert:
Upside down Apple honey cake: Cast iron baked with a fresh mint cream

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Caffè Artigiano Stirs up a Storm

Barista Kyle Straw Wins Seventh Annual Canadian Barista Championships

Vancouver, BC…Caffè Artigiano’s Kyle Straw won the seventh annual Canadian Barista Championships held in Vancouver on October 15th, 2009 at the at the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show. Kyle is the General Manager of Caffè Artigiano’s Hornby Street location, who will go on to represent Canada at the next World Barista Championship in London in 2010. Kyle carries on the legacy of his Caffè Artigiano patriots who have won every Canadian title since the competition began in 2003. Sammy Piccolo is a four time Canadian Barista Champion, and an unprecedented four-time World Barista Finalist.

After 18 months of rigorous practice and extensive training, Kyle delivered a polished routine and represented Vancouver with confidence and great passion. “I was lucky to have amazing support with my training from Vince Piccolo, Todd Pollock, Sammy Piccolo and Willie Mounzer”. Says Kyle. “It was a great team effort that got me here, and to win first place by 41 points is an incredible feeling.”

Each competitor must prepare and serve 12 separate espresso beverages: 4 espresso, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 “signature” drinks of their own creation, and present them to a distinguished panel of judges. Competitors have only fifteen minutes to prepare all twelve drinks and are judged on station cleanliness, taste, beverage presentation, technical skills and overall judges impression. The panel especially loved Kyle’s signature drink, which drew inspiration from a Black Forest cake. Made with a winning combination of espresso from the Koke Cooperative in Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Madagascar; black cherry foam; whipped cream; and an espresso infused chocolate, Kyle’s signature drink wowed the judges with its great balance of flavours and elegant presentation.

About Caffè Artigiano
Caffè Artigiano opened in Vancouver, BC in December 1999 with the vision of an Italian-style coffee house and bistro that offered superior coffee, excellent food and a lively yet comfortable atmosphere. Today, Caffè Artigiano continues to shine as North America’s premiere coffee house. Taking great pride in the training and skills of its professional baristas, Artigiano is proud to be the home of several champion baristas who ensure that each cup of coffee served is poured to perfection. For more information please visit:

www.caffeartigiano.com

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CRU Now Open for Lunch

Vancouverites with a passion for good food will be pleased to hear that starting Tuesday, October 13 2009, CRU Restaurant will be open for lunch from 11:30am to 2:00pm Monday to Friday.

CRU will doubtless quickly become a mid-day hot spot, as it offers the winning combination of outstanding cuisine in a refined, yet relaxed atmosphere and a central location.  It’s the ideal place to get together with friends, or to meet with business colleagues.

CRU’s lunch menu offers some of its favourite award-winning small plates along with new lunch dishes and variations of some dinner menu items.  Drop by for the Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio, Mushroom Truffle Risotto or Crispy Duck Confit with warm bacon dressing, which is on Vancouver Magazine’s “Best Things to Eat and Drink in Vancouver” list.  And don’t forget that CRU’s convenient by-the-glass wine menu is second to none!

CRU Restaurant
1459 West Broadway, Vancouver
Reservations are available by phone at 604-677-4111 or online at www.cru.ca.

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What: Come and Celebrate Halloween

OPUS Bar is hosting a naughty or nice Halloween party featuring by DJ Todd Lapp and special naughty or nice cocktails. Dress up to impress, the lucky guest with the best costume will win a Bed & Breakfast Package at the Opus Hotel (includes one night’s accommodation in a Deluxe Room, breakfast for two, and late check out). OPUS Bar will be transformed with a chic heaven and hell décor, tickets include one complimentary beverage.

When: Saturday, October 31st, 2009, 9pm – Late

Where: OPUS Bar – 350 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC

How: Tickets are $20 in advance, or $30 at the door. Pick up tickets at Elixir Bistro, or contact Jessica Dunn at jdunn@opushotel.com or 604.694.2137.

Give 15 bartenders a mixed case of beer each and what do you get? Some amazing creativity. As a judge in Canada’s first beer cocktail competition, sponsored by Whistler Brewing Company and hosted at The Refinery, I was privileged to be able to sample each entry—a challenge not only to decide the best one but also to maintain sober judgement.

The cocktails ran the gamut from the simplicity of a modified Black Russian to more complex formulations where ale, for example, was made into gelatinous pearls. Many built upon the affinity of citrus with wheat ale, employing Whistler Weissbier as their cocktail base. In the end, Shaun Layton of George Ultra Lounge won with his version of a Ramos Gin Fizz which he called the Apres Fizz. Here are some highlights from the event…

^ Solomon Siegel of Solomon’s in Victoria landed the unenviable task of going first. His Lavendar Haze began by adding hop smoke to the shaker glass.

^ A crowd of bartenders and their supporters watch intently as each entrant prepares the equivalent of two cocktails to serve to the five judges.

^ From The Refinery, Kris Jensen’s Taco Bell: chili-infused reposado tequila, lime juice, charred oak syrup, egg white, Whistler Black Tusk Ale, and chipotle powder-dark chocolate garnish.

^ Sarah from Diva at The Met makes her Mile High, served with a raspberry powder-raw sugar-pink peppercorn rim.

^ Bubble Beer from R.TL’s Kyle Lane: Tanqueray gin, green tea syrup, lemon juice, Fee Brothers Orange Bitters, Whistler Weissbier, Whistler Black Tusk Ale pearls.

^ CinCin’s Colin Turner muddles peeled oranges for his Whistler beer cocktail, The Hybrid, which was topped with beer foam discharged from a whipping cream canister.

^ A selection of hors d’oeuvres from The Refinery’s Executive Chef, Michael Carter, served to the judges in mid-competition.

^ Damon Hanly from Pivo makes fresh-squeezed orange juice. Hanly surprised everyone when, running out of time, he tossed two shakers into the audience without warning, which were promptly caught, shaken, and returned in the allotted time.

^ From Danielle Tatarin of DB Bistro, the Mountain Julep: cherry-infused Maker’s Mark bourbon, Moroccan mint syrup, Maraschino cherry jus, Whistler Honey Lager.

^ Josh Pape (The Diamond) strains his Two Beers, One Cup into five glasses.

^ Whistler Brewing Company President, Bruce Dean, announces the winner of the Whistler Brewing Cocktail Challenge.

^ And the winner is… Shaun Layton celebrates his victory with a Whistler Export Lager. And here’s the recipe for his winning Whistler beer cocktail:

Apres Fizz
by Shaun Layton, George Ultra Lounge

60 ml Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey
15 ml lemon juice
15 ml lime juice
40 ml Whistler Black Tusk Ale syrup
1 dash orange flower water
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
2 dashes Jerry Thomas Bitters
60 ml cream
1 egg white
60 ml Whistler Honey Lager
10 ml Amer Picon

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker except Honey Lager and Amer Picon. Shake for a couple minutes, like a Ramos Gin Fizz. Strain into a pilsner glass and top with Whistler Honey Lager. Drizzle Amer Picon over top.

Vancouver’s next cocktail challenge is the 1st annual Victoria Gin Cocktail Competition, starting at 2:00pm this Wednesday, September 2, at Boneta.

~ RG

If all the food and wine from The Dirty Apron Cooking School open house and VinoCamp CheeseCamp 09 wasn’t enough this weekend, I needed to eat more. Jeesh. However, on Sunday morning I headed to the Chefs To The Field event at Terra Nova Schoolyard Society in Richmond.

With my camera buried deep in my jacket and the rain pouring down like it was November, a small handful of other dedicated foodies and myself sampled foods from local restaurants and wandered the Schoolyard gardens. Some didn’t stick around for very long as the rain continued to drench us all for a good hour and a half, but the food certainly made up for it.

^ Crave – Halibut gravlox, lobster and dungeness crab vinaigrette, crisp prosciutto. Exec Chef Wayne Martin

^ Circa Restaurant & Lounge – beet salad fresh & pickled with goat cheese, celery, apple and arugalo; preserve of lemon and argan oil vinaigrette.

^ Blue Canoe Restaurant – BC smoked albacore tuna taco with stuffed cucumber and cilantro pest

There was a fabulous fresh and pickled beet salad from Chef Ségué Lepage at Circa (who, while I was talking to, was interrupted by a woman to tell him the only problem with his beet salad was that there wasn’t enough of it); a melt-in-your-mouth Aggasiz Farmhouse Cheddar with local hazelnut shortbread from Culinary Capers; and Blue Canoe Restaurant served up BC smoked albacore tuna tacos with stuffed cucumber and cilantro pesto that were so fresh and delicious I went back for seconds.

Once one forced themselves to stop eating for a moment, (and my ‘one’ I mean me) I was very interested to check out what was going on with the student Green Cuisine competition; this was the first year students have been invited to compete. Both students and the pro Chefs were to compete with only that which is provided by the organizers in the competition pantry, what is available in the gardens, and of course, the secret ingredient. For the students this was fish ~ but not nicely filleted ready-to-cook pieces of fish; they were given the entire thing, guts and all. Jack Lin, apprentice at Goldfish Pacific Kitchen took the crown, with Chris Sinclair (VCC) in second place, and Jamie Huynh (VCC) in third.

Bruno G. Marti, President of the CCFC gave a heartwarming speech before announcing Jack as the winner, about giving emerging Chef’s opportunities to grow and try new things in an encouraging environment. What aren’t more industries this supportive?!

After just a bit more eating, and with raincoats were being replaced with sunglasses, it was on to the main event.

The pro chefs literally ran into the gardens and harvested what they needed to cook with, alongside their secret ingredients: agar agar and goat cheese.

Competing restaurants included Blue Canoe Restaurant,  Beyond Restaurant & Lounge, Cibo Trattoria,  Diva at the Met, Fairmont Airport, Mosaic at The Hyatt, Papi’s Restaurant, Raincity Grill, Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center, Tapenade, and Wild Rice,  with Chef Javier Alarco (Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center) winning the competition. Cibo came in second and Dino Renaerts and Jeff Van Geest (Diva at the Met) came in third. ~ JK

Canada’s first beer cocktail competition will be held at The Refinery on August 17, featuring beer from Whistler Brewing. Come see what our local bartenders have concocted as successors to the Black Velvet, Irish Car Bomb, and Ogre Juice.

Contestants must devise a cocktail using either Whistler Black Tusk Ale, Classic Pale Ale, Honey Lager, Premium Export Lager, or Weissbier. They will then have to create it live, behind the bar at The Refinery, using their own ingredients and the supplied beer.

Judging the competition will be Bruce Dean (President, Whistler Brewing), Chester Cary (Canada’s first Certified Cicerone), Joanne Sasvari (The Vancouver Sun), Andrew Morrison (Scout Magazine), and yours truly.

The winning bartender will receive a TaylorMade golf bag; a case of Whistler beer; and a day of golf, dinner, and drinks for two at Pemberton’s Big Sky Golf & Country Club, voted Best Course in BC by the Vancouver Sun Golf Guide 2009.

After the competition, General Manager, Lauren Mote, and her team will be serving a special Whistler Brewing Company beer cocktail list, along with paired canapés from Chef Michael Carter.

Whistler Brewing Cocktail Challenge
Monday, August 17 @ 3:00pm
The Refinery
1115 Granville Street, Vancouver

~ RG

(Photo by: Laura)

The winery group, formerly known as the “South Okanagan Winery Association” is looking for a new name.  Apparently the “SOWA” title was not inclusive enough for all the wineries involved in the region.  So, back to the boardroom they went and after a few meetings they came up with “OODWCA” (Oliver, Osoyoos Desert Wine Country Association).  OODWCA?  E’gad, that’s the worst name ever! It sounds like a rare Australian rodent.

So, I challenge the Urban Diner braintrust to help these kind wine-making folks get a real name.  One with some panache to help market their excellent wine.  And to sweeten the deal, they are offering a kick-ass prize to the winner:

Be the person to submit the winning new name of the association and you and a guest will be treated like royalty at the upcoming Banée. If you have not heard of Banée, it is Oliver’s secret wine festival which takes place in the Spring each year; in 2009 it’s on April 17 and 18.

For more details and to submit your entry, click here. Good luck. ~PK

(Photo by: Michael Schratter)

This past Monday, Miss Lauren Mote, the talented bar manager of Chow, mixed an elegant array of cocktails using old school techniques and fresh ingredients to help her win Grand Marnier’s regional cocktail competition dubbed “The Next Classic“.  She will join three other Canadian mixologists from Montreal and Toronto for the International competition in Vail, Colorado during the first week in April where they will compete with 90+ other bartenders for the world title and quite possibly a sweet “brand ambassador” gig with Grand Marnier.  Congrats to Lauren and good luck! ~ PK

Cobre’s Challenge to Gastown Restaurants:

On Wednesday, December 17th, Cobre will donate 100 percent of its net food revenues to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Cobre has challenged all of the other Gastown restaurants to join in to support the Food Bank by holding their own fundraisers anytime before Christmas.

Participating Restaurants:
Two Chefs and a Table – December 15
Revel – December 16
Cobre – December 17

Other restaurant dates to be confirmed. Contact restaurants directly to make your reservations!

If anyone is interested in getting involved, please contact:

Julia Watt
604-790-4484
julia@galaevents.ca
www.galaevents.ca

*EDITORS NOTE: I hope other restaurants pick up on this most excellent idea and it spreads like wildfire across the city.

(photo by: Michael Schratter)

Last Wednesday night, some of British Columbia’s elite chefs, wineries, athletes, diners and industry professionals, gathered at the crowded Westin Bayshore Hotel in Coal Harbour for one of the most prestigious culinary competitions in Canada, The Gold Medal Plates.

It is a celebration of Canadian excellence in food, wine and athletic achievement, and since its debut in 2003, the Gold Medal Plates has helped raise funds for Canada’s high performance Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Thus far, the culmination of Gold Medal Plates participants and supporters over the past 5 years has raised close to $2 million dollars, and this year alone, over $700,000 has been contributed to Team Canada, and their endeavours at the upcoming Winter Games (Vancouver 2010) and Summer Games (London 2012).

The premise of the competition: each chef is given a station, and an Olympian assistant.   Together, with their culinary brigade, each chef prepares a dish to wow the crowd and the judges. The conclusion? Gold, silver and bronze medals, paired with the ultimate bragging rights. Judges on hand to grade the dishes at the event included Sid and Joan Cross, both respected food and wine writers, Andrew Morrison of the West Ender newspaper, John Bishop of Bishop’s Restaurant, Chef Melissa Craig of Bearfoot Bistro and winner of the 2007 Gold Medal Plates National Culinary Competition, and Chef Pino Posteraro of Cioppino’s, winner of the 2007 Gold Medal Plates Vancouver competition.

Here are the winners from the BC Gold Medal Plates competition:

GOLD: Frank Pabst | Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar

^ Chef Frank Pabst of Blue Water Café in Yaletown, attracts guests with his interpretation of scallop and sea urchin mousse. The mousse itself is luxurious in texture, simply presented on a bed of leek and seaweed salad, with a cucumber vichyssoise. Chef Pabst paired his dish with Sumac Ridge Pinnacle Sparkling Wine. “… I thought using the sweetness of the scallop would compliment the flavour of the sea urchin in the mousse,” says Chef Pabst a few hours later on stage while delivering his gold medal speech. What was generally an acquired taste, the sea urchin gains some unfamiliar credit through Chef Pabst’s creation.

SILVER: Hidekazu Tojo | Tojo’s Restaurant

^Chef Hidekazu Tojo of Tojo’s Restaurant on West Broadway, takes the silver medal with his paper pouch of smoked sablefish, shelled mussel and lobster, served with a pickled vegetable salad. Chef Tojo paired his dish with 2007 Mission Hill Riesling.

BRONZE: Andrey Durbach | Parkside, Pied à Terre, La Buca

^ Chef Andrey Durbach of Parkside, Pied à Terre, La Buca, wins bronze with his game bird pot au feu, with wild mushrooms, a duck confit and chestnut farce, wrapped in cabbage, truffle boudin blanc, and a quail and pheasant torchon. This breathtaking soup was paired with Stag’s Hallow “Simply Noir”, a perfect blend of both Gamay and Pinot Noir grapes.

^ Chef Jeremy Bastien of Boneta Restaurant in Gastown creates a bison short rib tortellini, set on a beurre noisette. Chef Bastien was the only competitor to pair his dish with BC beer. He chose Red Devil, an aromatic and well balanced ale by the R&B Brewing Company.

^ Chef Ned Bell of the Cabana Grille in Kelowna wows his patrons with a hardy and satisfying autumn favourite: a palate cleanser of beef consummé, with anise and cinnamon, warms up the body, just as the pork tortière with caramelized apples, and prosciutto starts this “comfort food” trend that we will see at other stations throughout the evening. Chef Bell chose to showcase his flavours with an Apple Icewine from the Raven Ridge Winery.

^ On his home turf, Chef Kevin Doucette of the Westin Bayshore, looked quite comfortable while he explained his dish, where molecular gastronomy meets bright flavours – Salmon with cedar beads (made from concentrated cedar water and gelatin), miso sauce, a lime-basil “air”, mushroom jelly, and an effervescent avocado lime dust. Chef Doucette paired his dish with the NK’MIP Pinot Noir, a difficult pairing for such an intricate dish.

^ The next station should have belonged to Chef Jeff Van Geest of Aurora Bistro on Main St, but due to an undisclosed emergency, Chef Van Geest would miss the event. We wish him all the best.

^ From a distance, we see Chef JC Poirier of Chow Restaurant. His brigade, decked out in black t-shirts housing the line “oui chef” on the back, prepare a sweet onion soup, with housemade cotecchino sausage, soft boiled quail egg, gruyère cheese, reduced sherry vinegar and 5 spice, served with a wedge of gruyère grilled cheese on the side. Again we see the appearance of “comfort food”. Chef Poirier chose to pair his soup with 2005 Kettle Valley Adra Station Chardonnay.

^ The only competitor from Vancouver Island, Chef Edward Tuson of the Sooke Harbour House, located south-west of Victoria, created a gorgeous soup, another competition favourite. Chef Tuson used pine mushrooms for his broth, and topped it with a fat dollop of parsnip foam (blending whipping cream and parsnip) – it floated almost like a dumpling. To that, Chef Tuson added cured Berkshire pork (prosciutto-style) from his own herd of Island pigs; he finished the dish with a geoduck clam salad, and an onion oil. Chef Tuson paired his warm bowl with 2007 Peller Estates Pinot Gris.

^Chef Robert Belcham of Fuel Restaurant in Kitsilano, may have been one of the most exciting dishes. With Chef Belcham, one can always been prepared for juicy, succulent, high quality meats – and that’s what the masses received. A braised shin of beef, wrapped in beef tongue, served a top mashed potatoes. To finish the dish, a celeriac “coleslaw” set on a rye cracker. Chef Belcham paired his rich, comfy dish with 2004 Osoyoos LaRose “Le Grand Vin”, a merlot dominated bottle, with additions of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and small amounts of petit verdot.

^ Chef Quang Dang of C Restaurant in False Creek, pays homage to the sunshine season, and local product, including a palate cleanser of rhubarb jelly, with citrus powder, followed by four components: a fresh chestnut soup, topped with a local quince foam; crispy Sloping Hills pork lardon with macerated grapes, and a grape reduction; seared pork belly, with peach pearls; and a smoked ham hock terrine with local cherry preserves. Chef Dang paired his dish with the supple and buttery Poplar Grove Chardonnay.

^ Chef Koji Zenimaru of Kingyo Izakaya, in the city’s West End, arouses the eyes and taste-buds with this fresh compilation of flavours. A thin layer of daikon, covers the outer-edges of a tea light, illuminating the plate as we savour Chef Zenimaru’s seafood tartare, prepared with green tobiko, honey soy reduction, miso powder and lotus root chips. His dish was paired with unfiltered Granville Island Sake.

And finally, the awards ceremony. All the chefs anxiously await to hear the results in what looked to be a line up of crossed arms in white chef coats at the back of the room. As Chef Daniel Boulud took the mic, he announces the winners, and one by one the veteran chefs take their spots on the podium. As if it were the labour-of-love for these three chefs, their hard work pays off with each of them spending over 20 years in the industry. Congratulations once again to Chef Frank Pabst (Gold) Chef Hidekazu Tojo (Silver) and Chef Andrey Durbach (Bronze).

As the kitchen teams break down their stations, they all pause, as if to simultaneously “clink” their glassware on a job well done. We wish Chef Frank Pabst good luck as he continues on his quest for the National Culinary Championship, where he and his team will endure 2 days of events. First, Chef will participate in a Mystery Wine Pairing event, followed by a “Black Box” competition at the Banff Springs Hotel, in February 2009. Chef Pabst will be joined by 5 other Canadian winners, including Chef Patrick Lin of Senses Restaurant in Toronto, Chef Denise Cornellier of Denise Cornellier Traiteur in Montreal, Chef Charles Part of Restaurant Les Fougères in Ottawa, and the winners from Edmonton and Calgary (still waiting for competition results).

Photos and story by:

Lauren Mote | Urban Diner

Tomorrow the Western Canadian leg of the 2008 Gold Medal Plates Olympic fund-raising competition begins here in Vancouver @ the Westin Bayshore, followed by Edmonton on November 6th and Calgary on November 20.

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