Last week, I was invited to take part in the Comox Valley’s inaugural Farm Cycle Tour, a self-guided, pedal-powered jaunt through one of the most picturesque farming valley’s in all of British Columbia, affording me a chance to visit with some of the region’s local producers and to sample their wares.

With over one hundred and ninety cyclists taking part in this year’s event, organized in partnership by the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition, the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association, the Comox Valley Farmers’ Institute and Discover Comox Valley, the cycle tour has proven to be a great success with lots of potential for future growth and increased tourism.

There are nearly 450 working farms in the Comox Valley that contribute over $30 million dollars to the local economy in everything from poultry, cattle and dairy to greenhouse and field crops. The New Comox Valley Economic Development Strategy has identified food and beverage processing as the community’s number one priority for economic growth, with a total of over 40,000 hectares of agricultural land available in the Comox Valley, only 1/3 of the available land is currently in production.

Here is a rundown of some of the farms I visited on my journey:

First stop on the tour was Outback Nursery, a family owned farm that grows most of their plants on site. They specialize in grafted Japanese Maples and conifers and a vast selection of ornamental trees and shrubs, grasses, ferns, perennials, fruit trees and berry plants. Open 10:00am to 5:00pm daily.

^ Outback Nursery (Willems Family)
6016 Headquarters Road | Courtenay
Tel: 250-703-0723
outback.nursery@gmail.com

Just down the road is DeeKayTee Ranch, which produces natural grass fed beef, pork, chicken, turkey and eggs, as well as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, jams & jellies, pies, bread, honey, local crafts and local in-season veggies. D.K.T. farm market is open year-round on Saturday from 9am-1pm. There is a log cabin and bunkhouse for on-site accommodation and farm vacations.

^ DeeKayTee Ranch
(Dan and Maggie Thran)
6301 Headquarters Rd | Courtenay
Phone: 250-337-5553
info@logcabinandbunkhouse.bc.ca
www.logcabinandbunkhouse.bc.ca

Our third stop brought us to Good Earth Farms for a lesson in strawberry farming and seed collecting.  Some of the seeds they had available for purchase: Asparagus, Raspberries, Apples, Cherries, Rhubarb, Arugula, Spinach, Carrots, Jerusalem Artichoke, Broccoli, Beans, Peas, Squash, Pumpkins, Tomatillo, Broad Beans, Garlic, Tomatoes, Gardeners Healing Salve.

Good Earth Farms
(Simon and Heather Toole)
7376 Island Highway | Black Creek
Tel: 250-337-2261
goodearth@uniserve.com
www.goodearthfarms.ca

Next stop, Coastal Black, an estate fruit winery and meadery. They grow all of their own fruit used in the wines and are also a large honey producer, which is used in the production of their mead. On site activities: a self-guided tour of 120 acres of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries and bee hives. Honey sampling and Wine tasting are offered at the main building.

^ Coastal Black Estate Winery
2186 Endall Road | Black Creek
Tel: 250.337.8325
info@coastalblack.ca
www.coastalblack.ca

A short 15 minute pedal away, Jane and Dave Aberle grow high quality organic blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries at Berry Best Farm. They also grow a large variety of veggies from arugula to zucchini. Their farm stand is open daily 10 am to 5 pm from June to September. You can also find them at the Saturday and Wednesday Farmer’s Market.

^ Berry Best Farm
(Jane and Dave Aberle)
Tel: 250-338-0234
2156 Coleman Road | Courtenay

The final stop of the tour is Freedom Farm, a family run farm offering a variety of organic in-season vegetables, a large selection of herbs and vegetable starts, hothouse tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers that are all grown in carefully tended soil by the Woroniak family (originally from Saskatchewan). You can meet them at the Farmer’s Market on either Wednesday or Saturday or visit their farm store, open 7 days a week from 10am to 6pm.

Freedom Farm
(Tammy, Curtis, Lindsay Ray, Calvin and Deanna Woroniak)
2099 Coleman Road | Courtenay
Tel: 250-898-8413
woroniak@telus.net

After a full day of touring, I had built up an serious appetite. It was fitting that I had dinner reservations at Locals, where Chef Ronald St. Pierre’s entire menu features products from the surrounding valley farms, bringing my culinary journey full circle and right onto the plate. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the day.

Locals
364  8th Street | Courtenay
Tel: 250-338-6493
chef@localscomoxvalley.com
www.localscomoxvalley.com

RECOMMENDED LODGING:

Holiday Inn Express & Suites
2200 Cliffe Avenue | Courtenay
Toll Free: 1-800-465-4329 (HOLIDAY)
www.hiexpress.com/courtenayse

The newest hotel in Courtenay, complete with an indoor pool, hot tub and waterslide. Rates from $110. Includes free wireless and buffet breakfast.

MORE RECOMMENDED DINING:

Atlas Café
250 6th Street | Courtenay
Tel: 250-890-9200
www.atlascafe.ca

Where the locals like to eat. Check the daily specials.

Open 8:30am to 9:30pm Monday through Thursday
8:30am to 10pm Friday and Saturday
8:30am to 9pm Sunday
Breakfast is served until 2pm Saturday and Sunday

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Terry Dekker of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition, Kate Rogers of Tartan Group, Jennifer Evans of Comox Valley Economic Development, BC Ferries Vacations

Disclosure: http://cmp.ly/2/XmmTs0 media invite and support for preview and promotion

~ PK

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In the mad dash up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler, Squamish is typically bypassed. However, it offers much in the way of outdoor activities and has equal draw to Whistler in terms of craft beer offerings. What you don’t get is the expense associated with a world class resort town. So if you are looking for a quiet, craft beer-worthy getaway to the great outdoors that is kind to the pocketbook, you’ll find it a 45-minute drive north of Vancouver.

Guest room at Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Company.

Conveniently, Howe Sound Brewing has its own 20-room inn with a pub, full-service restaurant, banquet and meeting facilities. So for the craft beer enthusiast, there is no better place in town for room and board. Even if you aren’t a beer geek, you will appreciate the quality of the food, Northwest ambiance, and relaxed atmosphere. They do serve wine, if you insist on not trying to find a beer you like.

A taster rack is always a good way to start off a brewpub visit.

If you’re here for the beer, then Howe Sound’s pub is the place to be. It offers a changing selection of at least eight beers, four of which are served from hand pumps and a minimum of one seasonal. I always like to get a sample rack on my first visit to determine where a brewer’s strength lies – no brewer makes all styles equally well. For places I have already been to, it helps to get reacquainted and then order a pint of what strikes your fancy. To get the true flavour of an ale, be sure to let it warm to the correct serving temperature.

Peace Country lamb burger with hand cut fries.

While it would be a stretch to say Howe Sound’s food is gourmet in the true sense of the word, their emphasis on local and seasonal products, and making everything but the ketchup and mustard in-house, means eating a burger is much more than a pedestrian experience. The menu is well-designed to offer something for everyone. Vegetarians will be happy to know they won’t have to subsist on fries and iceberg lettuce-heavy salad. You’ll also want to come with enough of an appetite to have dessert, even if just to share. Noteworthy are tiramisu made with oatmeal stout (Beeramisu) and beer ice cream.

Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Company's Firebread Restaurant.

Prefer a quiet meal or something family-friendly? The Firebread Restaurant offers that with seven of Howe Sound’s regular beers on draft and a shorter menu, sharing some dishes from the pub. Wood Stone oven pizzas with a Rail Ale crust are a popular item. And if you’re staying overnight, you’ll want to come here for brunch. Be sure to try their spent grain toast and house made preserves that burst with flavour.

The Squamish Spit is a favourite spot for wind and kite surfers because of consistent summer winds.

Oh, and if all this isn’t reason enough for you to convince others to join you in Squamish, there are activities and attractions, like hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, kite & wind surfing, white water rafting, bird watching, and the West Coast Railway Heritage Park.

Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company
37801 Cleveland Ave., Squamish
Tel: 1-800-919-ALES
hsibrew@howesound.com
www.howesound.com
Twitter: @howesoundbeer

~ RG

If you love beer, trips always seem to involve a beer bar, brewpub, brewery, or beer festival. Depending on your degree of obsession, the trip may completely revolve around beer or, at the very least, the destinations are chosen with good drinking in mind. Fortunately, the location of any of these establishments is not dependent, like a winery, on a location’s climate.

Crannóg Ales farmhouse brewery, Sorrento.

Culinary travel in BC is a developing segment in our tourism industry that is growing with the increasing appreciation for local food and drink. However, like fine dining, craft beer is under-represented. I will attempt to address that oversight through a series of posts featuring destinations or itineraries that will appeal to the craft beer curious and enthusiast.

Bart & Tracey Larson, owner/operators of Mt. Begbie Brewing Co., Revelstoke.

Frank Zappa said, “You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.” As craft beer is catching on in the province, that also seems to be true for places having a brewery. With new ones opening up in places like Tofino, Oliver, and Powell River, the good news is that there is a growing number of destinations that Lower Mainland residents can visit without having to bring their own supply.

~ RG

When I lived in Hong Kong, there was always a festive atmosphere at Christmas in the commercial districts and hotels, but this was more for the benefit of expats and tourists than the majority of residents. For Chinese, the fifteen days beginning with the first day of the first month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar and ending with the first full moon of the New Year, are the most important time of the year.

All of Hong Kong bustled with preparations to ensure a propitious start to the New Year. Homes and businesses were cleaned from top to bottom to sweep away any bad luck. Walls, doors, windows, and eaves were decorated with New Year pictures, nianhua woodblock prints, decorative knots, paper cuts, red oval lanterns, door couplets, and idioms written in calligraphy on red paper. Markets and supermarkets were fully stocked with auspicious foods, like fish, oysters, oranges, and pomelos or prepared foods, such as nian gao sticky rice cakes and togetherness trays (chyuhn hap). Special New Year flower markets, like the big one in Victoria Park, sold chrysanthemums, kumquat trees, narcissus, peach blossoms, and peonies, popular for their symbolism.

Ho See Fat Choy, Fisherman's Terrace, Aberdeen Centre

Chinese New Year is a traditional time for families to get together. A sumptuous reunion dinner is held on New Year’s Eve, normally at the home of the most senior member of the family. Special foods are served, chosen for their homonymic suggestions of luck and prosperity or being metaphors for longevity and togetherness. A common dish is ho see fat choy – dried oysters (ho see) with black hair seaweed (fat choy) – which sounds similar to “wealth and good business.” Whole ingredients are typically used, as cutting runs the risk of severing the entire family’s good fortune. There will also be an even number of dishes to endow the family with double happiness.

The importance of Chinese families reuniting at this time of the year cannot be understated. In fact, today, it probably represents the largest human migration in history. Millions of people clog China’s transportation system. Thousands fly to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. It is high season and you will pay a premium to witness this festival in Asia. Fortunately, having a large Chinese community in Vancouver, you can experience Chinese New Year without having to leave the city. Historically, the traditions practiced here are Cantonese. However, with more recent immigrants coming from other parts of China and the Chinese diaspora, you will find intriguing differences.

Chinese New Year sweets, Kwong Leung Hing, Aberdeen Centre

The Year of the Rabbit begins on February 3. Some of the festivities to mark the spring festival in the Lower Mainland are:

Jan. 28 – Feb. 3
2011 Chinese New Year Flower & Gift Fair
Aberdeen Centre, Ground Floor
Sun.-Wed. 11:00am – 7:00pm, Thur.-Sat. 11:00am – 9:00pm, Feb. 2 11:00am – 12:00am

Feb. 2/3
Countdown Night to the Year of the Rabbit
Aberdeen Centre, Central Atrium
9:00pm – 12:15am

Feb. 5 & 6
Kicking Off CNY Weekend Festivities
Aberdeen Centre, Central Atrium
1:30pm – 4:15pm

Feb. 6
Re Nao: A “Hot & Noisy” Affair
Dr. Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Garden
10:00am – 4:00pm

Golden Dragon and Lion Dance
Aberdeen Centre, Outdoor Courtyard
11:00am

Chinese New Year Parade
Chinatown Millennium Gate
12:00pm – 2:00pm

2011 Year Of Rabbit Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival
Chinese Cultural Centre, Outdoor Courtyard
2:00pm – 4:00pm

~ RG

Local food writer and media personality, Melody Fury, who in my estimation has the coolest name ever, has just unleashed her latest delicious project, a culinary walking-tour for visitors to explore Vancouver’s favorite food destinations in style called Vancouver Food Tour.

With the energetic and knowledgeable Melody as their personal guide, guests will experience Vancouver’s splendor in an intimate and authentic way.

The first tours begin on May 26, 2010 and are now accepting reservations.

• Hit the town on the Full Day Culinary Tour! Enjoy farm-to-table artisanal products, market delights, regional wines and sake, award-winning restaurants and more.

• Gain an insider’s perspective of one of Vancouver’s most historical neighborhoods on the Gastown Tasting Tour. Explore Canada’s cocktail capitol and discover some of the city’s hidden restaurant gems.

For more information, visit: www.vancouverfoodtour.com

The plane lands with barely a bump and we glide into picturesque Ganges harbour, courtesy of Salt Spring Air. It is a warm Spring day and I am genuinely excited to be away from my desk and back on the beer trail. I am here on the invitation of Salt Spring Island Ales, a tiny cottage brewery that has been quietly making some rather delicious award-winning ales for well over a decade.

Salt Spring is the largest of the Gulf Islands at roughly 180 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 10,500 people. Located between Vancouver Island and the Mainland in the Strait of Georgia, neighbouring the islands of Galiano, Pender, Saturna, Maine and Prevost, Salt Spring Island is known for its many talented artists, crafts-people, spas and strong agricultural community to name a few. Salt Spring is also a haven for creativity, and that’s a very good thing when it comes to beer.

The bustling central hub of the island is Ganges, a small town on the eastern side of the island brimming with bookstores, galleries, coffee shops, and eateries. I am staying at the Salt Spring Inn, a well-appointed guest house where we I am treated to a fresh lunch and a beer tasting in the restaurant with Becky Julseth, co-owner of the brewery along with her husband, Neil Cooke-Dallin.

Earlier in the day, we dropped in on brewmaster Murray Hunter at work where he gave me a tour of his modest facilities.  He currently produces about 550 hectolitres of beer a year (100 litres = 1 hectolitre). To put that into proper perspective, consider that Molson was producing 6,500 hectolitres of beer every single day during the 2010 Olympics!

^ Barley malts – a key ingredient in the production of beer, ranging in colour from light to a dark, each contributing to the brew its own distinct colour and flavour profile.

Salt Spring Island Ales currently produces 5 main beers: a golden ale, a pale ale, a porter, an English-style IPA, and an altbier known as ‘Whaletail’. They also produces some notable and distinct seasonals with the Heatherdale and Fireside ales.

^ Murray stirs the heated mash where the enzymes present in the barley malt convert starch from the grains into sugar.

^ After the mashing , a sweet liquid called wort is produced.

^ A careful measure of dry hops (in compressed pellet form) from the Pacific Northwest is eventually added to the brew kettle as a bittering agent and flavour and aroma enhancer for what is to become a batch of Saltspring’s Golden Ale.

Recently, the brewery owners along with some local supporters and friends planted 100 new hop rhizomes in an organic field at Grandview Farm on Salt Spring Island in a further effort by the brewery to support their local island community and to also produce their own seasonal harvest of hops.

Once a thriving industry in the province, hops are a climbing vine in the nettle family and a very close relative to one of BC’s most well-known cash crop: marijuana.

If you are interested in learning more about this boutique brewery and trying some of their tasty creations, the owners have made the trek from the island for Vancouver Craft Beer Week.

Salt Spring Ales’ Meet and Greet
Red Card Sports Bar‎
900 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604 689 4460
Start Time: 3:00pm – 5:00 pm

Entry is free but limited to 100 people. Come early!

~ PK

Every year around the time when the darkness begins to plunge deepest into our days and the falling rain from woolly grey skies seems inexhaustible and permanent, I always feel this strange almost atmospheric wave of anxiety move in.

When it inexorably does extend its unnerving and lethargic-inducing reach, I instinctively know it’s time to escape from the clockwork grind of the city’s masses to a more natural setting for an overdue re-tooling by the elements, it is storm season after all.

This year, the 13th annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival in Tofino was my siren call to the coast.

First stop was the beautiful and well-appointed Long Beach Lodge, just outside of Tofino. Surrounded by towering cedar, fir and spruce trees with the constant and rhythmic pounding of surf in the distance, we made ourselves very cozy in one of their spacious 2 bedroom rainforest cottages, complete with gas fireplace, soaker tub and high-speed internet, three of the four pillars of post-modern civilization, the fourth being quality food and drink, which I will be getting to shortly.The main lodge building, comfortably perched on the edge of Cox Bay beside Pacific Rim National Park had a Great Room with a large fireplace beside the common dining area, all of which opened toward awe-inspiring views of the mighty Pacific Ocean. Epic on all counts.My first event of the festival, the “Oysters and Bubbles White Party” at Long Beach Lodge, had long-standing and respected Blue Mountain Vineyards supplying the bubbles, a perfect match for Victor McLaggan’s exquisite array of fresh oysters from Cortes Island (see Outlandish Shellfish Guild).When most of the evening’s guests kept coming back for more and more bubbles they needed to start opening bottles fast, so out came the sabre, off came their heads, and the wine flowed at a generous pace, sending the party to a higher level of excitement.The next slightly hazy morning, I gratefully discovered that a warm crackling fireplace, hot black coffee and an unobstructed view of the ocean would become my new all-time favourite hang-over antidote. Or certainly remembered with great fondness as one of my life’s more civilized and contradictory decadent moments of inebriated comfort.

After an afternoon trip into town to purchase some rubber boots and a  delicious lunch of smoked wild fish chowder and fish tacos at Sobo, we made our way to the legendary Wickininnish Inn on Chesterman Beach.Honestly, The Wick was not overtly impressive at first look, considering all the accolades and gushing tales of this Relais and Chateau property that had filled my head prior to arriving for the first time, I was strangely expecting something more gaudy and pretentious, more Vegas-like and over-bearing, but I was quietly relieved and joyful at how simple, understated and elegant the property really was and how calm and genuinely sincere the staff were. The true beauty of The Wick was to be found in all the immaculate and subtle details of the property and in the histories they held. From the now deceased master carver Henry’ Nolla’s hand-adzed cedar post and beams of the building’s structure to the many stunning works of art exhibited throughout the space, the custom-designed atmospheric soundtrack of the restaurant, and not to forget the countless invigorating ocean views framed in every window, there are incredible narratives of the region to be explored of both natural history and culture that all weaved together within its walls.At this year’s festival, The Wick held their annual reception in the Driftwood Lounge with the effervescent Brent Petkau affectionately know as “The Oysterman“. His enthusiastic nature kept the party in high spirits and he even managed to coax one of the lovely guests into shucking behind the bar with him.While Brent and his assistant kept the raw oysters flowing, Chef John Waller and some of his kitchen team used more oysters to create plate after plate of fresh and delicious morsels.^ My favourite dish of the evening was the smoked salmon wrapped Pacific oyster atop a herb infused dollop of creme fraiche on a slightly crisped pancake. It paired beautifully with Vancouver Island Brewery’s rich, full-bodied limited release, Herminator Ice Bock, as well as the Okanagan’s Cedar Creek pinot noir and pinot gris.The next morning was another generous infusion of inspired beauty. Located on a rocky bluff, the Pointe Restaurant offered unparalleled wrap around views of the Pacific’s white capped waves roaring onto Chesterman Beach; and it was here where all the elements seemingly come together like a great symphony, invoking visions of the past with tastes of the present and thoughts of what the future would bring to this ageless place at the edge of the continent.Needless to say, this was one of the most enjoyable breakfasts I have ever had. And really, if the food didn’t deliver, the let down would have been monumental when one considers all the energy and synergy that a unique place like this demands. While this was the most expensive eggs benedict (with Canadian back bacon and white cheddar) I have ever paid for, I would have happily layed out twice as much for this experience as it elevated itself beyond the level of contented dining and into the realm of cherished memory.So, with a happy belly and new rubber boots on my feet, I was driven into town to catch a charter boat from the good people at Remote Passages to visit a working oyster farm in Lemmens Inlet where retired school-teacher, Roland Arnet, has made his living growing and harvesting Pacific oysters for over 17 years.He gave us a brief history of the Pacific Oyster (a.k.a. Japanese Oyster) which was introduced to BC around 1912 and explained how they grew well in the cool waters of our Pacific coast. Roland demonstrated the “line-method” he used to farm these tasty mollusks and furthered explained that the oysters need a temperature of above 20° celsius to reproduce, so the spawning process was done manually in a warm tub of water, which also meant that the species remained under control from unchecked growth.The line-method (also a technique imported from Japan) drops two 15 feet nylon ropes off the sides of a floating barrel and at intervals of approximately 1.5 feet a half shell containing numerous spat (baby oysters) is attached. Over a period of 2 years, these half shells will grow into large clusters of oysters ready for harvest.Interestingly, there were many sea gulls resting on the barrels, which Roland explained were helpful as the birds fed on the mussels that tend to latch on to the barrels.The one predator the farmers do have to compete with is the starfish, which latches on to the clusters to feed on the juvenile oysters. Every year the lines must be raised and the starfish removed by hand.

Roland further explained that the oysters he grows are sent to a factory where they are hand shucked and the meat removed with the farmer being paid by the kilogram. At current rates he makes $18 per kilogram of oyster meat. Now, that’s a lot of oysters!

After the 2nd hour on the remote floating farm in the cold wind and rain, everyone, while more learned and certainly more appreciative of one of BC’s most sustainable seafood industries and the hardy people who operate them, were eager to return to shore for a nice hot beverage and perhaps a few more oysters, it was the Oyster Festival after all and it was a time to celebrate.

~ PK

Special thanks to Jane Ince and Charles McDiarmid of The Wikininnish Inn, Perry Schmunk of Long Beach Lodge, Tourism Tofino, Kate Rogers of the Tartan Group, BC Ferries, and Lynda Kaye for their wonderful assistance making this trip possible.

]]> http://urbandiner.ca/2009/12/08/local-travel-escape-to-tofino-edition/feed/ 0 http://urbandiner.ca/2009/09/30/chefs-last-supper/ http://urbandiner.ca/2009/09/30/chefs-last-supper/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:57:04 +0000 paulkamon http://urbandiner.ca/?p=8259

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

(Read “A Visit to the Comox Valley Pt 1“)

What would it take to get me to pack up my family and travel 5 solid hours by boat and van to a fairly remote town overrun by wealthy Albertans and military personnel? Good food. And beer.

When I told people that I was headed to the Comox Valley for a visit and asked for dining recommendations, Locals in Downtown Courtenay, was an overwhelming favourite. This lovely restaurant, Chef Ronald St. Pierre’s first, is an elegant and sincere expression of what fresh and honest food is all about. The name says it all. As their menu states, the whole concept revolves around local food from the “heart of the island”. The walls are adorned with framed photographs of the local producers who supply the restaurant daily, making a visual and viseral reconnect with the food on the plate.All the dishes we sampled that day were simply prepared, extraordinarily fresh, and an absolute joy to eat. This place is a definite must for anyone visiting Courtenay and wanting to experience the bounty of the region.^ Trio of Cheeseburger $14 ~ Courtenay Hereford Farms trio of beef burgers served with Qualicum Cheesework Raclette chees, Blue Claire cheese and Okanagan pure goat cheese.^ Quackery Duck Salad $14 ~ warm slow cooked duck leg confit served on mesclun greens with roasted cashews and grapes, baked goat cheese croutini and local wild berry dressing with a glass of Beaufort Vineyard’s 2007 Merlot, $9.^ Chef Ronald St. Pierre working in his kitchen.Next up, a visit to Natural Pastures Cheese Company to pick up some fine wedges and wheels for our travels.  I was keen to try some of the famous Mozzarella di Bufala made from water buffalo milk from Fairburn Farm in Duncan, but we were told that it quickly sells out and none was available. So we settled for some of the award-winning Comox Brie. Poor us.^ The Comox Brie won the World Championship Gold Medal, in the 27th biennial Contest (WCC) in 2008, a first for Western Canada. Serious kick ass cheese.On our last day in the valley, we visited Brambles Market, one of Canada’s first grocery stores to offer 100% locally grown and produced products, from fruits and vegetables to meat, fish, baked goods, condiments and spices. The store, owned and operated by long-time Courtenay residents, Jim and Angeline Street, the market offers a unique and rewarding shopping experience. For example, the corn above was delivered moments before I took this picture and was still warm from the morning sun. And for anyone who knows and loves corn, the fresher the better. Sweetest corn ever!Most of the goods in Brambles are drawn from many of the 440+ farms in the Comox region, directly supporting the regional economy. And what I found especially remarkable was that much of their product was not only of a better quality, being delivered farm direct, but also being sold at a better price than the larger Thrifty’s grocery store up the street.^ There is even a friendly butcher on site for custom cuts of meat. Pork shoulder anyone?Needing to re-fuel, we made our way to the Atlas Cafe for our next meal. Very popular with the locals, the place reminds me a bit of the Waazubee Cafe on Commercial Drive with their funky decor and eclectic menu. When we arrived, it was quite lively and packed for the lunch rush.Luckily, we had a reservation and we were seated after only a short wait, by-passing the forming line at the door. Considering all the hustle and buzz, I was impressed with how the staff kept everything flowing at a good clip and I was especially glad to see some local craft beer on tap. My first taste of the delicious Red House Ale got me primed and excited for our next and final stop: Surgenor’s Brewery.Nestled amongst the trees, tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood, lies Comox’s first brewery. The brainchild and namesake of Bob Surgenor, a former commercial electrical contractor, the brewery currently produces two very accesible yet full-flavoured beers: Red House Ale (an Irish red ale), and Steam Donkey Lager (named after the steam powered engine widely used in logging operations in the region during the late 1800’s). The beers, a runaway success since their introduction into the market less than 6 months ago, have been making their way onto many draft beer lists all over Vancouver Island (and on tap at the Alibi Room!) and can also be found in bottles at select BC Liquor outlets and private liquor stores.

Surgenor’s is the first BC brewery to use  aluminum bottles. This technology, a hybrid between a bottle and a can, has a few distinct advantages over the traditional glass bottles. It is lightweight and it doesn’t break, which saves money on fuel costs and prevents breakage during bottling and transport. As it is opaque, it also prevents the dreaded “skunking”, a foul taste that emerges when beer is exposed to light (ding dong, hello Corona, what’s that smell?).

And that my friends, was my first taste of Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley. In a few words, brilliant, vibrant and inspiring. And if it wasn’t for all those rich Albertans who have already bought up most of the place with their piles of oil money, driving real estate prices into the ionosphere, I might have been packing up my family for a move already. Oh well, it still is a nice place to visit. ~ PK

For anyone driving to Vancouver Island during the summer months, navigating the inevitable BC Ferries gauntlet of vacationing tourista RV’s, transport trucks and wave after wave of passenger cars, can be a litmus test of planning and patience, especially with kids in tow. If I had a dollar for every time that I have pulled up to the ticket booth and was told I had a 1-2 sailing wait and instantly wished I had been savvy enough to make a reservation (a mere $15 additional cost), I would have enough money to buy this. Really, how busy can it be on a Monday morning? Well, how busy is Les Faux Bourgeois on a Friday night?

Pretty damn busy. But all things considered, we are spoiled rotten here in the land of milk and honey. Consider this: BC Ferries is the largest passenger ferry service in North America and the 2nd largest ferry service in the entire world and with the extensive terminal upgrades at Horseshoe Bay and the addition of 3 brand new Winter Olympic branded Super Class C vessels (the largest double-ended ferries in the world), the experience has never been better. One just has to go south and ride one of Washington State’s aging ferries to realize this. So until the fixed link idea ever becomes a financially and environmentally viable option, I consider riding the ferry a integral blue-chip BC experience that is the envy of most of the world.This trip, set up by the Comox Valley Economic Development group, had us staying at Smith Lake Farm, a beautiful family estate on a 90+ acre parcel of land in Merville at the northern end of the Comox Valley, 20 minutes north of downtown Courtenay. The farm, recently purchased by a young couple happily displaced from the constant hustle of the big city were working hard to get the land back into shape for planting. While we were there, we watched them laying down a new drainage system for the main field and had interesting discussions about the viability of growing beer hops, once a thriving industy in BC.

The 2 bedroom guest lodging, complete with full kitchen, sits above a large woodworking shop that overlooks a small and picturesque lake stocked with trout and populated by many frogs.^ Here is Roxy the dog having a staring contest with one of the many amphibians hanging out amongst the lilly pads. ^ Smith Lake Farm is home to an array of animals, including a half dozen Highland cattle which are grown and raised for meat.Without a doubt, the best reason for staying on a farm is the food. And not just the eating and preparing of it, but the learning and reconnecting back with the many skills and hard work that goes into its production. An education that, after reading Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, has in my mind become more important than ever.^ Fresh eggs, still warm from the nest were had each morning along with a selection of ripe fruits, vegetables, and herbs pulled directly from the garden.After a long day of travel, we settled in for a nice home cooked meal and were content to allow ourselves to slowly align with the very comfortable rural rhythm that had me imagining what it would be like to actually live and work on a farm. I smiled at the thought and the sky rewarded us with one of most brilliant sunsets I have seen in a very long time.

Next up: A Visit to the Comox Valley Pt 2 ~ Local Eating and Drinking

Last week, myself and a few others were invited by the North Shore Tourism Association for a day of fun exploring some of the adventure  and dining options being offered by local businesses on the other side of the inlet.

We started early in the morning, meeting at Deep Cove Outdoors for a cup of coffee and a few of the infamous sugar bombs from Honey Donuts before we made our way down to the shore to pick up our kayaks for a morning paddle in the sound.

After a quick orientation and safety lesson, we were on the water coasting past curious seals.  It was a calm and warm day, perfect paddling weather for a bunch of city nubes freshly extracted from their internet connections.

Deep Cove Outdoors owns and operates the kayak centre located at the base of the marina and offers hourly, daily and multi-day rentals of ocean kayaks, canoes and surf skis at very reasonable prices.

Next, we were to lunch at The Observatory, the fine dining room atop Grouse Mountain that has one of the most incredible views of the entire Lower Mainland and the surrounding waters. I will be the first to admit that I was a little skeptical coming into this meal. Too often restaurants with fabulous views tend to lean too heavily on their visual blessings and quickly loose the focus of putting consistent value and quality on the plate. I am happy to report that this is not the case here. Chef Dino L. Gazzola (formerly of The Teahouse and Bridges) and the rest of his crew delivered one of my most memorable meals of the year, certainly the best lunch I have had in a very long time. The locally sourced and quality ingredients were cooked to perfection and the wine pairings from their very deep cellar by sommelier Brent Fraser were bang on.

^ Hecate Strait Halibut, fiddleheads, morel mushrooms, popcorn and beat sprouts with a glass of 2005 Blue Mountain Reserve Chardonnay.

^ Polderside Duck Breast, BC micro green salad, Puy lentils, sour cherry duck jus with a glass of 2007 Road 13 Jackpot Pinot Noir.

^ Summer Berry & Champagne Consommé, crème fraîche sorbet, almond cake, mint pearls.

Luckily we had a few minutes to walk off that incredible meal, the cultural highlight being the holy trinity of Canadian sports immortalized in wood.

The final activity of our North Shore Fun Day was a 2 hour guided tour of the legendary Grouse Mountain Ziplines.

Last year they ran over 12,000 people through with just 3 lines. This year with 2 new lines being added, they look to zip a new record of thrill seekers through their amazing circuit.

Reaching speeds of up to 80 km per hour, we flew across canyons and over creeks while gathered crowds of touristas snapped pictures of our butts while we screamed past. Awesome.

A big thank you to the North Shore Tourism Association, Deep Cove Outdoors, and Grouse Mountain for the great day! ~ PK

NOTE to visiting tourists: To encourage visitors to stay on the North Shore, Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association will pay for the taxi ride from the airport to any of Vancouver’s North Shore hotels. Guests booking a North Vancouver hotel, between now and July 15th, will be reimbursed (up to $50) for their taxi fare to the hotel. To qualify for the free taxi ride, visitors must book in advance for a minimum two-night stay in a North Vancouver hotel during the month of July. After the guests have stayed two nights Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association will place a credit on the hotel room account, reimbursing the guest for their one-way fare to the hotel. Guests will simply be asked to hand in their taxi cab receipt when checking in to their hotel.

One of the best and perhaps most under appreciated tools in the local tourist’s travel playbook is the de Havilland Beaver (a.k.a. DHC- 2), an extraordinarily versatile and rugged aircraft built right here in Canada from 1948-1967. Recently, I had the opportunity to fly in one with Saltspring Air on a recent visit to the idyllic Painted Boat Resort and Spa at Madeira Park on the Sunshine Coast.

We boarded the plane right at the base of Lift Bar and Grill behind the Westin Bayshore Hotel. After a quick and scenic 20 minute flight up the coast, we were at the resort, fresh and ready to play.

One look up and I knew I was in a sweet spot as bald eagles soared on the thermals overhead.

First, we took a tour of the accommodations. The luxury 2 bedroom villas come complete with full gourmet kitchens and gas barbecues on oversized decks and range from 1152-1668 square feet in size and can be rented or purchased as 1/4 ownership vacation properties.

The one year old resort is well-run by Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, who also own and or manage 4 other vacation properties in western Canada with 2 in Alberta (Deer Lodge on Lake Louise  and Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff) and 2 more in BC (Emerald Lake Lodge in Field and Bulmer’s Pointe on Kooteney Lake).

The Painted Boat Resort amenities include: a deep water marina with moorage, a restaurant, a swimming pool, a full-service luxury spa with a water-fall hot tub, a conference room, wi-fi access, and kayak rentals. Other activities in the area include, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, guided kayak or slow boat tours, and visits to local artist studios and galleries.

After a lovely wine-paired lunch, a short and relaxing guided paddle around the protected cove and a quick dip in the hot-tub, we were once again airborne headed back to the hustle of Vancouver somewhat refreshed from the short trip, albeit silently wishing to have had more time to spend tucked away in such lovely natural seclusion. ~ PK

Painted Boat Resort
12849 Lagoon Road
Madeira Park, BC, Canada
Phone: 604-883-2456
Toll free: 866-902-3955
Email: admin@paintedboat.com
paintedboat.com 

Saltspring Air
Grace Point Square
3102-115 Fulford Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island BC
Toll free: 1-877-537-9880
Email: general@saltspringair.com
saltspringair.com

Value Added Super Bonus Content: Harrison Ford talking about his Beaver, here.