From the press release:

The Refinery, known for having one of the most innovative cocktail programs in Canada, is now proud to launch a six month interactive and educational competition called “The Cocktail Kitchen Series”. Due to launch on July 8th 2010, “The Cocktail Kitchen Series” aims to promote niche craft cocktail development, through the expertise of Vancouver’s best veteran and up and coming bartenders who have demonstrated creativity and leadership in their craft. Only the true ambassadors to cocktail culture need to read further.

Here is the premise of the program:
Each month, a bartender is paired with a different spirit, and a different country – this will be repeated 4 times a month with a different bartender each Thursday. Guests are invited to come down and experience the interactive teachings of the featured bartender, who will attempt to effectively pair the featured country’s menu, with a set of three cocktails using the featured base spirit. Plus, there’s another spin: the bartenders will shop at The Refinery – it is mandatory that each cocktail include a Refinery house bitters. One week prior their Cocktail Kitchen, the bartender will be able to score 1 oz x 3 types of bitters/vermouths/tinctures available at the Refinery for cocktail testing. The Refinery’s Bitters Program inventory currently sits at 19 types.

Concept & Rules:
With at least one week’s notice, the featured bartender will learn of the menu and spirit to use. The cocktails should showcase the ultimate talent the bartender possesses, and as we all know, each bartender has a different style and niche. Their cocktails will be graded by each guest that participates, up to 30 people. The results are tallied at the end of the month, and the winning bartender will receive an additional money prize, and a chance to compete again the following month. At the end of the 6 month period, the bartender with the most wins gets a trip. Simple as that. This is the longest running competition this city’s ever seen!

Cost:
$30 per guest (Includes tax and gratuity) 28 seats available each week. 7-9 pm each Thursday. Tickets are available through the Refinery by calling 604-687-8001

SCHEDULE:
* July 2010 – Region: CENTRAL AMERICA
* August 2010 – FRANCE * September 2010 – Region: SOUTH EAST ASIA
*October 2010 – ITALY *November 2010 – THE WEST INDIES
*December 2010 – INDIA *January 2011 – Region: EASTERN EUROPE
*January – June 2011 – Countries and Spirits to be determined

JULY BARTENDERS:
July 08, Week 1: LAUREN MOTE (The Refinery)
July 15, Week 2:  COLIN MACDOUGALL (Blue Water Cafe, The Pourhouse)
July 22, Week 3: DAVID BAIN (West Restaurant)
July 29, Week 4: BEN DE CHAMPLAIN (The Refinery, West Restaurant)

In the last year, we have had over 40 articles written about The Refinery and our specialties, above and beyond plain old business listings. We urge you to check out website under “Press” to see for yourself how representing your bar/ restaurant with the Cocktail Kitchen Series at The Refinery is best for business. Each week we will have 2 different media personalities in attendance, as well as a film crew and photographer. The press releases we write are reaching more than the low-hanging fruit of Scout Magazine and Urban Diner for local restaurant industry news. We also do radio segments, TV spots, and reach a broad range of national and international publications, not to mention the persuasive and domineering food and beverage blog industry here and across the globe. As a bartender, this is an excellent avenue to raise your profile in the municipal and national community.

Additionally, if you are a bartender reading this, and wondering how you can get involved, please email Lauren Mote at mote@therefineryvancouver.com. Subject should read: “Cocktail Kitchen Series Bartender” – copy and paste the following into the body of the message, and fill out the questionnaire – we are booking in advance up until January 2011.

Full Name:
Which Bar(s)/Restaurant(s) are you representing?
How long have you been in the Industry?
Please include a short 250-400 word bio about yourself:
What’s your bartending style?
Do you have a preference of which country and spirit you’d like to be paired up with in a perfect world?
Please include a picture of yourself!

(Photo by: Tracey Gessner)

The hallmark of contemporary spirit distillation in the United States is arguably the most delicious – American Whiskey. Its history has not been extremely well documented, but nonetheless a significant timeline, coinciding with a rich American history, tells a long tale of whiskey’s evolution from a “xxx” marked moonshine bottle in “Spaghetti Westerns” to its resurgence as one of the modern palate pleasures.

American Whiskey is separated into a bunch of different categories, but they all have one thing in common – raw materials, like rye, corn, barley and wheat – smoked ahead of time before the “cooking stage” and that’s why that familiar sweet, rich, heavy nose and palate showcase some big differences from its Scottish and Irish relatives.

TENNESSEE WHISKEY
You are more then likely familiar with Jack Daniel’s, amongst a select group of spirits that are commonly requested by name rather then spirit type. It screams a certain popularity and following for its comforting flavour and aroma, and that’s due in part to its unique method of production. Jack Daniel’s, along with George Dickel Distillery, are the only two active distilleries in Tennessee today. Since their inception in the late 1860’s, their characteristics have been extremely similar to bourbon whiskey, but there’s a delicious twist – the character achieved in Tennessee style whiskeys comes from the unique maple charcoal filtering.

Located in southern Tennessee, both the Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel’s distilleries have access to local cave spring and limestone waters, extremely high quality grains, and nice hot weather which aids the maturation of a spirit – this alone showcases the anticipated quality of the whiskeys produced. However, as we’re always aware, the method of production is just as important.

Let’s go – the grains are cooked with water, and gently stirred in the mash tun, in this case the grains are mostly maize (corn), malted rye and barley, plus, a touch of the previous cycles’ mash is added. Sour mash is not a type of whiskey, as some have previously thought. It’s a method of introducing a live yeast culture to start fermentation, which is taken from a previous wash. This method is most popular in Tennessee and bourbon whiskeys. After being washed a second time, the mash will sit for 3-4 days in large wash backs (huge mash tubs – can be either stainless steel or wood). After the sugars in the mash have fermented for a few days, it’s run through a single column still, sometimes known as a “beer still”, followed by a turn in the copper pot still. The double distilled spirit now goes through its charcoal filtering. Locally sourced sugar maple trees are cut into 4 ft x 1 ft staves, and after being neatly stacked, they are lit on fire, and smolder in the open air. Once the fire reaches a roaring red glow, it’s hosed down. Tour groups can often watch “the burning ceremony”, however they happen more often at the Jack Daniel’s distillery, due to the sheer volume of production. The crumbly black remains of the sugar maple are ground and packed into “charcoal”. Now, the difference between Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel’s filtration method – “Jack” drips through the charcoal from perforated copper pipes, and comes right out at the bottom – it almost leaves a subtly sweet “smoke” on the whiskey, whereas “George” will fill up to the top of the tank, and be released slowly, leaving an abrupt charcoal flavour.

Lastly, the spirit by law must be stored in a new American Oak barrel (sometimes known as “white oak”). The barrel will also be charred on the inside to release the sweetness in the wood, creating what’s known as the “red layer”. This adds those wonderful caramel, coconut, vanilla, and spicy notes to the spirit, and its level of character strength varies depending on how long it sits in the barrel, plus the size of the barrel. Tennessee style whiskeys have fantastic aging ability, so if you can manage to get your hands on an aged single barrel spirit, share wisely. Regardless of how you enjoy your Tennessee whiskey, whether a small amount in a tasting glass, shots at the bar, or used as a base spirit in classic and contemporary cocktails, it’s still interesting to examine them against the other variations in American whiskey – the differences just jump out from the glass.

BOURBON WHISKEY
Bourbon whiskey has been produced since the late 1700s, and gone through its own ups and downs in the American marketplace. The very pulse of the great American distilleries have had some really hard times. Between World Wars, The Great Depression, and Prohibition, distilleries have opened, closed, changed sites, and ultimately – as most bourbon whiskey connoisseurs would agree – this liquid gold is finally getting another chance to shape the way we drink spirits moving forward.

Likely the perceived favourite of all the American Whiskey types, bourbon whiskey makes its mark throughout several distilleries lined up all over its proverbial “mecca” located in northern Kentucky. Similarly to the production of Tennessee whiskey, bourbon will undergo the same method of production, with a high temperature cook on raw material with clean, fresh water, and the addition of the sour mash. Following some quiet time in the wash backs, fermentation takes place, converting the sugars in the corn dominated mass to alcohol. After stints in column and pot still, the alcohol is cooled. Legally bourbon whiskey cannot be distilled to a higher proof then 160 (80% alcohol by volume). After a simple filtration, the spirit will move to barrel. It should be noted that bourbon whiskey can only be made in the United States, and can only legally be made wherever distilling spirits is permissible, while adhering to some strict guidelines. Additionally, bourbon whiskey must be made in the United States, and must be made from at least 51% maize (corn) however most bourbons will show at least a 70% maize dominane, plus charred American oak aging (using new barrels), and specific labeling requirements. If the maturity is showcased on the bottle, it must be distinctly labeled so; the youngest spirit in the blend should be displayed, and thus, if a bourbon is aged for less then 4 years, it must be clearly labeled on the bottle.

Like we see in France with its regulatory system, Appellation d’origine contrôlée or “AOC”, there’s also a system in place in the United States used to regulate the quality of the distillates produced; eventually it becomes just a matter of personal taste and preference to decide between the particular bourbons that win your heart. The tasting note in general for bourbon whiskey is such that the corn dominancy makes the spirit heavier. The richness in the spirit makes for a long lasting finish on the palate, round, full body and mouth-feel, plus a perceived sweetness from the American oak. The barrels, once they’re charred, release an unprecidented amount of sweetness from the wood, capturing sweet and soft spices that enhance considerably if the spirit is strictly matured for long periods of time. As well, the hint of nuttiness that I have found in Pappy Van Winkle 20 year striaght Kentucky bourbon is likely attributed to its length in barrel, plus its oxidative character which has occurred from oxygen leaching through the wood in a welcomed way. This adds yet another layer to its already complex character.

When studying any other spirits, or wines, whiskeys are no different – although the way we taste them differs slightly, its beauty allows us to stay interested in its history, its production, and its future as it rapidly shapes the contemporary cocktail culture.

In the interest of epxlaining a boubon tasting note, the rich, smokey, sweet bourbon whiskey produced in Frankfort at the Buffalo Trace distillery will hardly compare to the fruity, smooth, clean bourbon produced at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto – not because one’s better then the other, but more so the styles vary from each distillery, percentage of grains used, water quality, aging, storage, and method of production. Plus, it’s different strokes for different folks – I prefer a certain type of bourbon in my sours, over what I prefer straight up with a beer.

~ Lauren Mote

The city was awash in nationalism as long repressed flag waving urges exploded and poured onto the streets of Vancouver like some giant billion dollar champagne beer bottle spraying out thousands of rabid superfans yesterday; the symbolic final battle (a.k.a. Greatest NHL script ever imagined) against our fellow continental bully brothers in a dramatic game of ice hockey swiftly sabrered off the lid of our bottled up conservative nature and unleashed terrific pandemonium, thus revealing ourselves in full patriotic bloom as a nation proud, strong and free, and quite capable of consuming more beer in 17 days than any other winter loving people. Wow, what a party that was. Go Canadian Iceholes, eh! ~  PK

EDITOR’S NOTE: A HUGE thank you to all the service people and volunteers who manned the front lines of this most epic party, including all the police from around the country who kept us safe during this most memorable experience.

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

(Image courtesey of Degan Beley)

We ended one festival to start another. After Victoria’s Art of the Cocktail was successfully put to bed the previous weekend in Victoria, Cornucopia, Whistler’s celebration of wine and food, was just stepping on the stage in the snowy coastal mountains 100 km in the other direction.

(Image courtesey of Degan Beley)

For us industry folk who are regularly flooded with invitations to attend quarterly IVSA wine exhibitions and private portfolio tastings, finding the time for another booze festival was a tough call, but with snow billowing down, I high tailed it on the much improved Sea to Sky highway to arrive at the pre-Olympic buzzing resort community ready to imbibe. Standing in the centre of town with tickets to some of the best events in my hot hands, I jumped in head first.(Image courtesey of Degan Beley)

Let’s talk trade tasting: The Crush Gala, spread over two days, is Cornucopia’s flagship wine tasting event with over 75 wineries participating. Crush is always a successful crowding of the best and worse dressed of the festival, a phenomenal place to watch and partake in drunken humour and a wicked party to boot. But more importantly, it is a rather gigantic showcase of fantastic wineries from here and abroad with a few local spirit favourites like the Pemberton Distillery, makers of Schramm, a high-quality artisan vodka, found nestled in between. For those looking to expand and explore the range of their palates or just annihilate them, this was the place to do it.(Image courtesey of Degan Beley)

Friday: Casino Royale
Ever since the Bearfoot Bistro’s owner Andre Saint Jacques threw the last of the legendary Masquerave parties in 2006, after nearly a decade of over the top decadence that mashed together endless Champagne, haute cuisine, costumes, nude body painted models, naughty dancers, and an “anything goes” attitude, Casino Royale at Ric’s Grill has been deemed the new “after party”.For the third year in a row, Ric’s Grill hosted their high energy “Las Vegas” type evening to satisfy the many devilish alter egos craving the sexy carnival atmosphere that disappeared with the loss of  Masquerave. Casino Royale really does look like it came right out of a Bond flick – gentlemen in their finest attire, whether done-up in a tux or dapper three piece suit, and the ladies dressed-to-impress – tall heels, showgirl makeup, sultry dresses. The card tables were filled with glowing pink faces, as wine bottles were poured out by the dozen until the wee hours of the morning, the party continued.

Saturday: Bubbles and Oceans
At the conclusion of Saturday evening’s Crush Gala trade tasting, the doors swung open to my favourite venue, Araxi, for their long-standing and always sold-out Bubbles and Oceans soiree. Red carpets lined the cobblestone leading up to the entrance as the winter snow was swept away by a light gusting wind.

Just then I thought I could not consume another drop of wine, but I managed to convince my tired over-worked liver that Champagne and other bubbly bevies were actually held and processed in a different part of my body… seasoned professionals like me don’t stop until we’re lured out by security, don’t you know?^ Araxi GM, Steve Edwards, strikes a pose with the House Wine gals, Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard.
(Image courtesy of Michael Schratter)

The spread was immaculate -  wine reps Risha Gorkoff (Select Wines) and Paul Jordan (Stile Wines) seduced me with a more than generous 4 oz pour – I guzzled; I repeated. The bubbling beauties from Catalunya cleansed my tortured palate for the first hour. (Image courtesy of Michael Schratter)

After being escorted away from the dessert towers I eyeballed for most of the night, Brook Cairns (Whistler Brewing) and I enjoyed some much needed R&R with hand rolled sushi and Lanson Black Label, followed by Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard (House Wine) entertaining me with stories of their most recent travels to New Zealand.

The bubbles were free-flowing like a beautiful golden river I’d happily float down any day of the year. And just as I returned to indulge in the seductive dessert tower, with those delicious little macaroons within reach, I’m grabbed by someone else and dragged back to my sixth, or was it seventh, flute of bubbly. A wonderful party at one Canada’s best restaurants and kudos to Top Table publicist Shelley McArthur for pulling it all off while simultaneously launching three cookbooks!

All in all, Cornucopia, is still a great party, educational and interesting, even for us jaded booze professionals and well worth the journey to Whistler for the weekend.

And that was just another weekend in the life of a beverage and lifestyle aficionado. Upon my quick return to Vancouver, a new series of alcohol-related events were just gearing up – the frantic start of another long Christmas season for the seasoned alcoholist. Cheers!

~ Lauren Mote

When I was invited to taste the Mission Hill portfolio, I couldn’t help but think about the bargain bin at the local liquor store. What else exists between their innocuous stock wines and Oculus? The Shangri-La hosted a complete tasting that effectively changed my perception of this long standing vineyard and winery in the Okanagan.

Okay, here we go!

All of the Mission Hill whites showed wonderful characteristics, and as the food lover that I am, I couldn’t help but daydream about the tasty pairings the wines invoked, even though the centre table in the Conway Room was completely overflowing with the usual wine tasting accompaniments – cheese, bread, fruit and more cheese.

The Whites:

Five Vineyards Pinot Grigio 2008 – unoaked, crisp and bone dry. Its tasting note of tropical fruit made me instantly salivate for a ceviche or tartare… LDB Retail $15.99

Reserve Riesling 2007 – quite a big bouquet on this guy; peaches, big citrus rind. On the palate, it’s not exactly like licking a limestone rock formation, but there’s definitely a pleasant minerality to go along with the stone fruits, medium + acidity, medium body and moderate finish. DB Bistro’s “choucroute” was what I really wanted with this wine, but alas I had a nice sharp hard cheese instead. LDB Retail $18.99

Select Lot Collection Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2006 – ideally I would’ve love this wine to be a touch colder, but its character shone through nonetheless. The nose and palate were quite similar, and quite pronounced – tropical fruit notes, but more emphasis erupted in tangerine, honey, and lime. The body was slightly heavier then I was expecting, what a nice treat! Although I am a sucker for the Sumac Ridge Black Sage blend of the same grapes, I really enjoyed the Mission Hill, although the price is a bit higher. LDB Retail $26.99

Select Lot Collection Chardonnay 2006 – lovely. So this wine combines those fresh characteristics we come to expect from a well made Okanagan Chardonnay – the american and french oak treatment lends some toasty vanilla, spice and rich butteriness, without overpowering the youthful fruit character, and a pronounced body. Similar to the Perpetua I tried directly afterwards, the “sur lie” method gives that rich yeasty character, boosting the body and flavour profile. Damn, this is a tasty wine. LDB Retail $26.99

Legacy Series “Perpetua” Chardonnay 2007 – “My abosute favourite of all the BC Chardonnays….” pipes in Judith Lane, and as you’ll find out now, I couldn’t agree more. I’d like to slap a enthusiastic thumbs up next to this one. A blend of three chardonnay clones, this wine is the pinnacle of white wine production at Mission Hill; orange blossoms, citrus and ripe pears on the nose, meet a brilliant french oak, “sur lie” and slightly oxidative character – nuts, and mineral – both on the nose and palate . It’s refreshing to know that this wine has gone through a thoughtful barrel fermentation that doesn’t completely kill the wine’s fresh youthful vitality. Only 150 cases available, in 6 packs. This wine hit retail on October 15. LDB Retail $35.99
The Reds:

Five Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007 – beautiful ruby colour, smooth tannins and bright, juicy red cherries. This is the perfect everyday Pinot Noir for those that cannot get through the day without a wee splash. LDB Retail $16.99

Reserve Pinot Noir 2007 – with a smooth palate and tannins, this wine displays the textbook pinot noir tasting note with it’s warm spices, like cloves, and cinnamon, plus that tantalizing sour cherry, ripe plums, earthy mushroom and bell pepper. LDB Retail $21.99Reserve Shiraz 2007 – deep purple (the colour not the band), super rich and earthy; this “in your face” black fruit, and wintery sweet-spice profile gives us a huge aroma, fantastically round tannins, with a hint of fresh green leaves. LDB $21.99 Retail

Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 – dark fruit, black currants, robust dark chocolate; great value for a well made BC Cab. Unfortunately it’s unavailable as of yet in the marketplace for retail sales.
MH Select Lot Collection Syrah 2006 – a nice step up from the Reserve Shiraz – bigger fruit, mouth-watering acidity, rich colour, and hot alcohol. Plums, deep toast, chocolate and berries – I’m in love. This wine can age a little, but it’ll be a great glass now. LDB $36.99 Retail

Select Lot Collection Merlot 2005 – again, the quality in the Select Lot Collection (SLC) wines are outstanding. This Merlot mimicks the tasting note I always seek in a sophisticated merlot – dark fruits, spicy oak, vanilla, dried herbs, full body, round tannins, long finish, medium acidity – just really, really pleasant. LDB $34.99 Retail

Legacy Series “Quatrain” 2006 – the name comes from “quatrain” meaning a four lined poem or stanza, so this wine is simply a blend of four grapes, syrah dominated, with an equally large portion of merlot, and minor additions of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. This is the second vintage of this wine, the grapes having been hand selected from the best blocks in Mission Hill’s estates in Oliver and Osoyoos. Of course, this juicy red will age beautifully for a while, but sampling its potential now was a treat. Black cherries, black currants – just dark and super ripe in general. Mouth drying tannins and high acidity suggest its need for time, but that’s ok. We can wait. LDB $45.00 RetailLegacy Series “Compendium” 2006 -  this is one of the hallmarks of the care and craftsmanship taken during Mission Hill’s viticulture and wine-making process – like the “Quatrain”, the grapes are hand selected, and hand sorted from the best blocks in Oliver and Osoyoos. Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot create this “Compendium” or collection. French oak fermenters, extended maceration, separate maturation, 100% French oak barrels for 13 months. It’s rich, it’s an excellent example of Bordeaux-style, but it needs a little time. LDB $40.00 Retail“Oculus” 2006 – the harvest for these grapes has just come to an end – specially designated vineyard areas are set aside specifically for this big wine, which possesses an equally enormous reputation. This is the Mission Hill signature Bordeaux-inspired blend – merlot dominates, cabernet sauvignon in the supporting role, with additions of cabernet franc and petit verdot. The grapes go through a “gravity filled” french oak fermentation, followed by separate maturation in French oak barrels for almost 15 months. Black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, warm spices, blackberries and dark plums, Super rich. Super complex. Super duper. You’ll have to give her time though… naturally. Specialty stores always carry this wine, so need not to worry. However this is a signature big BC red, and most fine restaurants will carry it, especially an earlier vintage that’s a little bit more “ready to drink” then the current vintage release. LDB $70.00 Retail If you fancy a magnum, they’ve got those too – ready at the LDB for $175.00 in its own wooden sarcophagus.The end of the tasting tour landed me with the Reserve Riesling Icewine 2008; luscious, rich, tart, high acid, citrus, orange blossoms, and an appreciated hint of nuttiness. This comes with a high price tag, but it’s gosh darn delicious. I may have sat with half a pound of blue cheese in the corner with this wine…. Mark Anthony reps wouldn’t stop staring at me, but I suspect they understood my actions… LDB $59.99 Retail

We came, we saw, we conquered… Mission Hill.

~ Lauren Mote

For more information on Mission Hill wines, please visit www.missionhillwinery.com or  contact the Mark Anthony Group Inc. in Vancouver at 604.263.9994.

As you walked in through the front doors, the hostess would greet you, find your reservation, and in the background you couldn’t help but notice the bar in full swing, making the finest classic and contemporary cocktails. The sound of the espresso grinder, great music, and of course, a faint sound of the infamous cowbell dinging from the basement kitchen. Food runners pop up from the back stairs, with plates of gorgeous food, artistically presented, and the flavour was off the charts. This was Chow. One of the tastiest secrets on South Granville. Sadly, with bouts of heartache, Chow closed its doors in May 2009, and in the last 4 months, everyone had seemed to move on. For Chef/Owner Jean-Christophe Poirier (JC) in particular, this was a tough loss – although he had much support from his girlfriend, the community, and his many peers, losing your restaurant, something you’re so passionate about, is just as hard to get over as a hideous break-up. Little did we know that the restaurant closure would take this talented chef beyond Vancouver’s hungry clutches and we had T minus 16 weeks until blast off. This is the story of a “Chef’s Last Supper” – a series of trips, dinners and goodbyes had at the knife of a talented young chef, and his passionate entourage.

In early August, I organized a trip to the Okanagan Valley – this trip was for the staff at Chow. Something truly epic to remember British Columbia for. Sharon & Lawrence Herder, owners of Herder Winery in Keremeos graciously offered their home to us for 4 days – the condition? JC would be cooking each night, but I wouldn’t tell him until we got there! Another talented cook, Dominic Auben (entre-metier at Chow) joined us with his girlfriend Melissa (also a cook), from Penticton, where they moved just after Chow closed. It helped of course that the Herder kitchen was completely pimped out!  Must’ve been built by a chef. In-counter steamer, deep fryer, grills, you name it. So, here we were, 10 people cooking and dining together each night.Day 1 – we arrived at the winery pretty late in the day, it was around 8:30 pm. The shining lights of the Herder house on the little rocky perch illuminated rows of Pinot Gris and Merlot vines on either side of the long gravel driveway. In the front, Nadia and JC made a poor attempt to hide the remnants of our highway lunch – hotdogs from Dairy Queen, corn-nuts and empty cans of Lucky Lager. Journey was blasting as we pulled up. I was content in the backseat of the roofless jeep with my blond wind-blown afro to baby-sit the shink-wrapped organic chicken for a few minutes more. Our host, Sharon, greeted us at the door with glasses of the Herder Pinot Gris – a fantastic start to our stay. Lawrence, husband and talented winemaker, showed us around the “compound” – we each had our own bedroom, plus a guest house, a little golf course out back, and a pool.JC promptly started dinner. Roasted organic chicken, with smashed vegetable and buttermilk potatoes, grilled asparagus and mushrooms, and an heirloom tomato salad, with poached Okanagan peaches, and basil. Lawrence happily brought out the good stuff – we sampled through a variety the Herder Pinot Gris and Chardonnay vintages – and I have to say, their wines are absolutely exquisite. Here’s a quick background on Lawrence Herder, just in case you weren’t entirely sure just how good his wines were – he’s been responsible for many winemaking projects, specifically first vinatges of BC’s Orofino (Merlot; Cab Franc/Merlot; Pinot Noir), Seven Stones (Meritage) and Stoneboat (in varied capacities) plus consulting for Robin Ridge. The way Lawrence talks about his wines is intoxicating; he is so humble, but blends a little bit of California attitude. We tried a few vintages of the Herder Josephine (a Merlot dominated blend), the popular Merlot and the rather rare Cabernet Franc. We finished off the meal with a round of Old Fashioned cocktails, followed by a poorly choreographed 80’s dance party in the Herder tasting room, which naturally doubled as a cathedral-ceilinged dance floor.

Day 2 – The late night dance party, followed by the late night swim led to a harsh mishandling of an Alberta Rye bottle and countless bottles of Herder wine – poor Kris event lost a tooth over it. Needless to say, it was a late morning rise the following day. In our finest attire, we traipsed past the tasting room where Sharon was already giving bottle samples. Should we be embarrassed? “Good morning children!” Sharon yelps from the tasting room. I guess she was delighted to have us! We all congregated in the kitchen to learn JC had been up for hours, and there was a fresh frittata on the stove for us to chomp on. “No big deal…” JC begins, “… just has fresh goat cheese, eggs, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, basil, tomatoes, with brioche and coffee,…” Ya, you’re right – no big deal, half of us didn’t even know our names, let alone how to make breakfast. I was prepared to make my own “continental breakfast”, shaking profusely while slicing into my supermarket constructed blueberry muffin, “…slow and steady wins the race, just move your hand outta the way…”.

Before Dominic arrived, we had to search out a butcher shop. We needed meat, and lots of it. Being that I was the only one in the group that had a blackberry, I promptly found signal with my arm stuck straight up into the sky. We found a listing for Grimm’s Sausage Co. in Penticton. “… Hello? Do you carry anything other than sausages?”  I was not exactly in the right frame of mind to call anyone; JC was laughing hysterically in the background. The lady, clearly dumbfound by my question replies “uhh ya, we’re a BUTCHER SHOP”. We left JC in charge of the actual dinner requirements, and the rest of us were buying 10 ft ropes of sausage, and charcuterie, stuffing our faces between the parked cars. After a quick visit to a cheap ‘n cheerful farmer’s market, it was back to the house. Lawrence had been up since 5:00 am, he was super tired… but he was still dancing with us at 2:00 am the night before. He’s definitely hardcore. He was outside moving barrels around, and siphoning barrel samples, with a highly concentrated demeanor.JC, Dominic, and Melissa started dinner. The rest of us tried to be productive, but you know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen…. I think I peeled carrots, Nadia peeled onions, Kris had a staring-contest with the pork tongue (it was a stalemate), and Craig just told stories about his use of interesting words and vocabulary that no one else seems to understand, “you’re pedantic, and I was like, no you’re pedantic”. Day 2 dinner was incredible. It was hard to top the chickens from the previous night, but they did. This was Dominic’s birthday dinner too! Rack of pork, with super crispy skin – it was like candy, with a fricassée of apricots, pearl onions, and prosciutto; pork tongue with a spring onion “salsa verde”; and ratatouille-style gratin with zucchini, heirloom tomato, eggplant, onion and red peppers. The wines presented were equally as incredible as the night before.Dominic’s birthday dessert? Melissa made fantastic use of the deep fryer, with homemade “churros” (Spanish-style doughnuts) with beautiful flecks of vanilla, a cinnamon and raw sugar dusting, plus a gorgeous pool of dark chocolate to dip. I was busy in the kitchen at this point with Kris, making a locally inspired cocktail for Dominic’s birthday. Fresh watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe met the blender, with tons of salt. The fragrant liquid was pushed through cheesecloth, and shaken with gin, egg white, lemon juice, sugar, and topped with fresh black pepper. It was mighty tasty.

As per the usual, there was a Michael Jackson dance party, followed by more whisky, more wine, and more “swimming” – unfortunately my camera got soaked, and ultimately busted, so most of the evidence went down with the ship. Around this time, 3:00 am, Lawrence and Sharon had sent themselves to bed, and we were left having heart-to-heart conversations in the pool, and in various parts of the house, while listening to Enigma’s “Pure Emotions”, in bathing suits and full face goggles. Like a trail of bread crumbs to find your way back home, there were water puddles throughout the house.

Day 3 – Everyone was up late. This was the morning that we DID have to make our own continental “muffin” breakfast. Whoever was in charge of making coffee made a royal mess – Ethical Bean liquids pouring right over the top of the carafe all over the stone counters, and floor. As the boys finished up their golf game out back, Nadia and I cleaned the kitchen, and got ready for our wine tours, obviously starting at Ground Zero – Herder Winery. In the basement of their gorgeous house, the Herder’s had built an incredibly state-of-the-art contemporary winery. Huge steel fermentation tanks especially built for the Herder’s and sent over from Scandinavia; Medium Toasted Oak Casks line the next room over on floor to ceiling racks, holding barrels ranging from various forests in France, including Limosin, and an accidental Russian Oak Cask that Lawrence decided to use anyway; and a little lab where Lawrence performs the more scientific vinification procedures, like phenolic ripeness, yeast cultivation, and determining alcohol levels. In this room, there was a little cubby holding Lawrence’s favourite wines – it was nothing fancy, a simple little cellar where everything was still in boxes. Lawrence gave us such an intense tour – it was at least 3 hours. After dozens of barrel samples, he introduced us to his beautifully shiny crusher/de-stemmer, sitting politely in the driveway.

We made our way to Naramata and managed to squeeze in a visit with Stephen at Poplar Grove, where an intense tour was had, similar to Herder’s. We were able to try barrel samples of some amazing stuff -  single origin + single vintage Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc before each went into its respective blends, like the “Legacy”. For whites, the Pinot Gris and the Chardonnay were delicious, as usual. Poplar Grove’s secondary label, Monster Vineyards, had launched a new product “the bag in a box” – fitting 4 bottles of wine in a $60 bag/box. We graciously accepted a deliciously crispy white wine blend from Stephen… I’ll tell you what happened to that box later on.

Back to Penticton. Back to Grimm’s Sausage. Back to the farmer’s market. Back to the long ropes of sausage. With a quick stop at a peach stand, 1lb for $1 – wow – I bought 6lbs just for The Refinery.Day 3 dinner – an enormous rib-eye, seared and roasted to medium rare with Montreal Steak Spice, roasted bone marrow, with parsley and fleur de sel, escargots with red wine braised onions, carrots, cauliflower, and garlic, with olive oil tossed spaetzle – it was official, I was going to die the food was so rich. “I love stuff like this. I will take the richness, and many helpings of it anyday…” Lawrence announces, as he’s well onto his third portion of bone-marrow-spread-on-ribeye sandwich. Our dessert of sugar poached peaches, with vanilla ice cream and raspberries – simple, but awesome. Like clockwork, the anticipated dance party, and late night/early morning swim – with the Monster Vineyards “bag in a box”, which was used as the gun as we reenacted parts of Scarface, holding up a store at gun point, drinking the wine, and spraying some in the eyes of the uncooperative sales associate. The funniest thing about the pool, was that it was small, and had a “continuous swim machine” built in, and it was always on full blast – we were constantly fighting the current.The following day, we waved goodbye to the place we called home for 4 days, and to our “pseudo parents” Sharon and Lawrence, whose hospitality was gracious, generous, and hilariously wonderful. We stopped at the little diner in Keremeos called “K Cafe”. They had green eggs and ham on the menu, described as “Doctor Zeus’ favourite” – I’m pretty sure that Doctor Zeus could be a medically talented Greek god, with no recollection of Doctor Seuss’ favourite breakfast buffet. Judging by the look of the place inside and out, it seemed appropriate to only order deep fried items, although the likelihood of its grease traps and oil being cleaned or changed in the last 3 years was doubtful. “… what’s your soup du jour?” says Nadia “… are you insane? No one who wants to live through the next 4-6 hours orders soup here!” I belted. All of us order the exact same thing, fried eggs, with fried meat, fried bread, and fries. We left our server a 40% tip; “I’m totally going to buy a new pair of shoes for work!” she chimes with her less then hygienic smile. We glance down in unison just in time to see our server’s ripped and dirty shoes, filthy toes hanging out, it was like the “Flintstones”.

Once we returned to Vancouver, and over the next 2 weeks, there would be a fare-thee-well party at Chef Jeremie Bastien’s house – a good friend of JC’s, and talented Executive Chef of Gastown’s Boneta Restaurant. After some 30 of JC and Nadia’s closest friends and family wolfed down homemade sausages, foie gras parfait, steak tartare and roasted leg of lamb (among countless other items), we stayed until the wee hours of the morning, doing Old Fashioned cocktail demonstrations. We were in teams: JC and myself, and then Jeremie and Steve da Cruz.

The finale to the Chef’s last supper was had at Maenam, where JC’s good friend, Chef Angus An would tantalize Nadia, JC and myself, with a tasting menu from his unreleased fall lineup. Pork tendon soup, Thai red curry duck, clam salad, fried oysters, and Thai fermented sausage. The food was amazing, and we were spoiled, again!

The night before the pair would embark on their new adventure, near Santiago, Chile, there were many a “Je t’aime” said.

To have this opportunity, as a chef, to live seaside, in new surroundings, near Argentina’s prized Mendoza and Chile’s wine regions, with nothing expect Spanish language books, your girlfriend, a backpack, a guitar, and culinary skill, the sky’s the limit. Although Vancouver – the food passionate city – will miss him as a mentor, a chef, and a friend, who could really blame him for leaving? Erase the sadness of Chow’s closed doors, with an adventure that opens doors.

Close to month later, I’m still full. Godspeed you, Chef. ~ Lauren Mote

“We’ve gone from 300 to 700 seats on Alberni this week!” exclaims Patrick Austin, the Glowbal Group’s director of operations. After this Wednesday’s media/VIP party, and Thursday’s concierge party, the Glowbal Group will open its highly anticipated new Coast Restaurant to the public and add another  downtown location to their culinary collection, with the original Coast location in Yaletown being reborn as another, yet to be named restaurant from the group in the following year.

Fortunately, Urban Diner and yours truly were able to organize a behind the scenes shoot and interview just before the doors are to swing open.  The very gracious Kye Melchert, Beverage Manager of Coast, took us on a guided tour of the brand new restaurant and shared much enthusiastic commentary.

Concept: With its unique and sexy style, the new Coast Restaurant will offer hi-quality seafood (fresh oysters, shellfish and fish) while giving guests an extraordinary room to get comfortable in. Divided into two parts, Coast and O-Lounge has been designed to satisfy all that the downtown diner desires, with a strong emphasis on attracting business from the neighboring hotels.

The restaurant is staffed by both seasoned professionals and an array of attractive newbie go-getters in front and back of the house, who consequently have been training 8 hours a day, for 2 weeks straight with training consultant Darren Brown (F&B Manager of Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas).

Key Players:
Beverage Manager | Kye Melchert
Executive Chef | Josh Wolfe
Maitre D’ | Wayne Carson
Assistant General Manager | Mike Thomson
General Manager | Jan-Erik Wichman

Food: “Seafood, seafood, seafood!” says Chef Josh Wolfe when asked about the concept. Chef Wolfe is offering a monumental raw seafood program, using both local and exotic delicacies.

(Image of Chef Josh Wolfe courtesy of Glowbal Group)

A sample of his smoked fish chowder with sablefish, ling cod, and sockeye salmon was a welcomed treat, and delicious.

In Chef Wolfe’s raw bar, fresh oysters are shucked to order by the champ, Isaac Martin del Campo. On the long hot line, the Forno® oven sits at 500F bubbling up the most incredible homemade pizzas, in addition to a killer fish ‘n chips, superb clams, and mussels. For those who loved the chef’s table at the old Coast, don’t fret – the new Coast has an exclusive 6-8 seat kitchen bar past the hot line. “The focus on constant guest engagement from the kitchen makes food more exciting. Live cooking with interaction,” says Chef Wolfe with a huge smile.

Beverage: Draft beers are finally available at Coast – this will be the first time draft has been offered within their restaurants. The wine program showcases a 200 bottle list, including a whopping 100 wines under $100. This wine list is heavily focused on BC wines. Both Coast and the new O-Lounge share a list of classic cocktails, but most of the contemporaries offered are directly paired to the raw seafood bar located on the opposite side of the centre bar.

Design/Layout: The award winning Box Interior Design, the creative firm behind the Glowbal Group’s Kitsilano restaurant, Trattoria Italian Kitchen, were again chosen to breathe life into the new Coast. Neutral woods meet turquoise paints, shiny pearl accents, glass top tables, and crisp white linen – the theme of this design is no secret – it screams seaside elegance in every facet.

Passing through the middle of their 26 seat street-side patio through the front door, the giant O shaped bar/raw bar clearly becomes the focal point for the restaurant – it seats 25 around its circumference. Beyond the bar, the “Lido Deck”, stretches back along the length of the hot line – this area is mainly reserved for walk in traffic. The first landing on the left, the “Aqua Room” – seats about 20-25; second floor, the “Crow’s Nest” – a deuce that sits delightfully against the glass pane overlooking the raw bar below is completely solo; the “Observation Deck” covers the majority of the upstairs – including a 16 seat oval banquet table in the centre. The “Captain’s Quarters” is a unique private dining room, seating up to 36 guests, with various table arrangements, and an additional centre partition if dividing the room in two is required.

Downstairs on the main level, O-Lounge is a little different. Gold leaf plated steel tables sit amongst coral and orange lounge furniture. A couple of steps to the left, guests can enjoy the dim lights, upbeat tunes, and signature cocktails in the “standing room only” area, with pink stained glass fixtures and reinforcements – that oddly enough look a lot like octopus – keeping with the theme? Coast guests are unaffected by the O-Lounge banter once those dividing doors close after dark…

Congratulations to Emad and the entire Glowbal team. I look forward to visiting in the next week! ~ LM

All images, except noted by: Rick Green

Coast Restaurant
1054 Alberni Street | Vancouver
Tel: 604.685.5010

Hours of Operation:
weekdays from 11am to midnight
weekends from 4pm to midnight.

View pictures of the exclusive opening party: HERE

Lauren Mote, the new GM and talented mixologist of The Refinery on Granville Street invited a few special guests to sample her new cocktail creations using her house-made bitters.

^ The evening’s tasting started with The Refinery’s Mixer Board of charcuterie, cheeses, and accompaniments. Delicious. Next, the cocktails arrived…

^ Wimbledon Five Quid

• 1 ounce Pimms 
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce of rhubarb bitters
• topped with mint, soda and sprite

A light and tasty play on one of the famous staple drinks at Wimbledon, the Pimm’s Cup. 

^ Cucumber Mojito (a.k.a. A Very Dangerous Drink)*

• 1.5 ounce of white rum
• 1/2 ounce cucumber bitters
• 3/4 ounce lime juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• muddled mint & cucumber
• topped with soda

*This is a very light and refreshing summer cocktail with virtually no taste of the 2 ounces of alcohol. Beware and drink these with great care or you just might end up naked streaking down Granville Street yelling gibberish at passing jailbait and inevitably the fuzz who I assume won’t be too happy to see you.

^ Flower Sour

• 1 ounce rye whiskey
• 1/2 ounce floral bitters
• 3/4 lemon juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• egg white

A light and delicate variation on a whiskey sour with a nice floral finish.

^ Charred Bourban Sour

• 2 ounce Maker’s Mark bourban
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce charred American oak & caramelized coconut syrup
• 1/2 ounce house bitters
• egg white

with a Molecular Charred Bourban Sour

• 1 block Maker’s Mark infused meringue – smoked in the convection oven for 3 hours with american oak
• 1 Maker’s Mark gelee
• 1 housemade bitters ribbon
• 1 piece charred american oak/coconut brittle
• heavy dose of lemon powder (with citric acid)

This is the drink that won Lauren the recent Maker’s Mark cocktail competition at Boneta, and deservedly so. It is a sweet, complex, and balanced cocktail with lots of depth, with subtle notes of vanilla, citrus, caramelization, and a lingering coconut finish. And to taste it all over again in solid-state form as a meringue with textures of smoked brittle and lemon powder? Pure genius.

Thanks to Lauren and The Refinery staff for the great evening! And thank you to Mark Prince for his photo assistance. ~ PK

As a continuation of my cocktail adventures in Toronto a few weeks ago, I met up with a friend, and one of the talented mixologists that I had met on the Grand Marnier trip to Vail. His name is Frankie Solarik, and he is the co-owner of BarChef – located in the old Opal Jazz Bar just west of Queen and Augusta. What Frankie does here is something that most Canadians have never seen before.

The term BarChef itself intrigues, but also gives some obvious hints to the philosphy held at this bar. Classic and housemade ingredients meet science and experimentation, and the entire process is entertaining and delicious. As a trained chef in the kitchen creates dishes using a unique balance of flavour, weight and acidity, the same is true of the barchef.

Here are just a few cocktails found on their 5 page list:

Recession: an ode to a classic style with a BarChef twist Four Seven Two… bourbon, housemade cola bitters, fresh lime, mint syrup

Sweet Vanilla Grapefruit… (2008 Ontario Champion “Arbiter of Cool National Competition”) fresh red grapefruit, muddled sage, vanilla simple syrup, vodka grapefruit, vanilla-sage sugar rim

Sour Sake Sour… nigori sake, cardamom cumin syrup, fresh lime, egg white, apricot bitters, coconut rum, thai basil sugar rim

Savoury Dirty BarChef… (in the good way ;) muddled rosemary, gin, brine, olive and rosemary puree, olive-bread crumb-madlon salt rim

Molecular Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan… (our take on an all time classic) vanilla and hickory smoked crown royal extra rare, fresh lemon, housemade cherry vanilla bitters, hickory smoked syrup, vanilla cognac

I was fortunate enough to be in Toronto for BarChef’s Absinthe night – L’Heure Verte. Including the use of Hill’s Absinthe, Frankie has made his own take on an absinthe infusion using neutral grain spirit, with prominent flavours of wormwood, cinnamon and coriander seed. This spirit infusion is 152 Proof (76%abv)  and serious. After having a absinthe listed cocktail called Louvre (absinthe, advocaat, grand marnier, fresh orange, cracked black pepper), Frankie thought it was time for a straight up shot of the homemade stuff… from what I remember it was a great night, and I left a nice tip!

The really cool thing about BarChef is that there’s always room for a freestyle – for $20 a guest can slide into a cocktail personally constructed for them; it even went a little further the following night, where buds from my bouquet of lillies made it into a couple of cocktails. Welcomed hallucinations and the fireworks show are just two of the exciting effects of getting carried away on the menu – personally, the cocktails were so delicious and skillfully made, I wanted to keep going, but I really thought it important to remember this experience sharply.

Next time you’re in Toronto, visit Frankie at BarChef – he will blow your mind. ~ LM

Urban Diner contributor Lauren Mote makes an appearance on CBC’s Living Vancouver with whiskey connoisseur, Andrew Starritt of Cask Strength to do a segment on “Women and Whiskey” at the Shebeen in Gastown.

Strangely the show is about exploring Commercial Drive “block by block”.  When did the Shebeen move to the Drive?  Score!

Watch the show here.

(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

Vancouverites never had it so good. Between the eclectic dining scene and all the new specialty food shops popping up all over the city, it is easier than ever to find unique, quality food products for entertaining folks with discerning palates. This week’s culinary safari has us hunting for cheese…

Over the years, I have spent countless waking and dreaming hours devoted to the study and love of cheese and we are very fortunate to have several individuals in the city that share that same passion and obsession.

First stop. I made my way up to the Benton Brothers Fine Cheese shop in Kerrisdale. Andrew and Jonah Benton, the boys behind the cheese, are reformed academics; mechanical engineers that traded in their textbooks for the trade secrets of small artisanal cheese-makers both local and abroad.  Their focus is on specialty European cheeses, like Cantal Fermier, one of the oldest cheeses in France. Being made from succulent raw cow’s milk, this cheese is the base for the Benton Brothers’ signature home-cooked cheese-filled meal – Aligot (pretty much the most intense mashed potatoes with cheese, garlic and sometimes bacon).

The Brothers also have a wide range of sheep, goat and cow’s milk cheeses, along with locally made confitures, like Lemon Tomato Brio, from Vancouver’s Chef Taryn Wa of “Savoury Chef”, dry-cured Spanish Serrano ham, venison sausages from Oyama meats on Granville Island, and the coarse, chunky “country pâtés” from Quebec City. Besides the home catering with their brilliant “butcher block” food presentations, Benton Brothers is also the cheese supplier for the new Steveston restaurant Gudrun, but no word yet on when those doors will swing open. Until then, both Andrew and Johan continue to drive their cheese education, passion and business and frequently entertain at home with their favourite wedges with friends and family.

Next, I made my way down to Les Amis du Fromage, owned by mother and daughter team Alice and Allison Spurrell. I am excited to learn more about their new wine and cheese joint called Au Petit Chavignol, “… a 40 seat restaurant opening in 2009, next to the Astoria Hotel on East Hastings,” according to manager, Robert Young.

Today, there is a steadily growing list of clients that Les Amis has been supplying. From restaurants, executive clubs and private functions, Les Amis specializes in anything that the “the Vancouver eating public is ready for,” says Robert. “Finally Vancouver has left the cans of ‘Kraft’ parmesan behind; they’re starting to buy the real thing…we have a demand for different cheeses now. People love to try new things; new tourism has helped out too,” he continues.  With a special fridge dedicated to BC cheese, Natural Pastures’ Comox double-cream Camembert, Poplar Grove’s mild Naramata Bench Blue, and that beautiful organic goat cheese from Goat’s Pride in Abbottsford often make it to the register in large quantities.

The newest cheese shop to open, just shy of 6 months old, is Mt. Pleasant Cheese on Cambie St. Owner, Peter Davidson, originally wanted to open a specialty Italian wine shop, but after much research decided that a cheese shop would be a much better choice. Cambie was beginning to come back to life after the 2 years of disruptive construction of Vancouver’s Canada Line. Without a stitch of marketing, the Mt. Pleasant community has welcomed and supported this Canadian-only dairy showroom. Cheeses Riopelle and L’Hercule de Charlevoix (both from Quebec) join a British Columbian favourite, Alpine Gold (Farmhouse at Agassiz), in the display case seducing customers one by one.

Peter’s dedication to Canadian cheese and education sees him hosting and participating in some upcoming events designed to get the locals involved: Wine on the Mountain, sponsored by a number of businesses including Mt. Pleasant Cheese, Whole Foods and Stile Wines; Cheese 101: a free educational event on November 8, hosted by Mt. Pleasant Cheese and Pacific Northwest Cheese Project owner Tami Parr at Pied-à-Terre Bistro – 2 seminars, 1pm & 3pm. For the future, Peter hopes to join up with a local Chef to design a line of “semi-prepared” foods like fondue mix, for customers to easily recreate at home.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of this is, it’s that there is no lack of great food products in this city.  When it comes to fine cheese, whether local or imported, our cheese shops are doing most of the hard work for us, so we can just simply eat and enjoy.

Benton Brothers Fine Cheese 

2104 W 41st Ave. | Vancouver
(604) 261-5813

Les Amis du Fromage
1752 West 2nd Avenue | Vancouver
(604) 732-4218

Les Amis du Fromage
#518 Park Royal South | West Vancouver
604-925-4218

Mt. Pleasant Cheese
3432 Cambie Street | Vancouver
(604) 875-6363

Story and photos by: Lauren Mote | Urban Diner