Mission Hill Portfolio Tasting

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.

Filed under: libations, wine , lauren mote, mission hill winery, shangrai-la hotel, Urban Diner

The Ultimate Breakfast Experiment.

By Jessica Grajczyk

The premise:

1. Breakfast is my favourite meal.

2.  Nuba is my favourite restaurant in Vancouver.  I’m sure everyone is sick of my Nuba leg humping.

3.  I haven’t eaten eggs in over a month due to a vegan experiment.

4.  I am not familiar with traditional Lebanese breakfast.

5.  I’ve just spent the better part of my morning traipsing through torrential rain and waiting for notoriously inconsistent east Van public transit to try Nuba’s new breakfast menu.

The event:

We walk into the familiar, warm and welcoming underground lair of magicians of Lebanese cuisine, also known as Nuba, at the corner of Cambie and Hastings.  I peruse the lengthy menu but, due to some earlier online lurking, I’ve already decided that I will try the tomato egg casserole – poached eggs in a garlic and cumin tomato sauce, baked in a terracotta pot ($10).  And I’m going to throw in an order of their unparalleled hummus ($2 – amazing!).  I normally prefer savoury breakfasts and I’m fully prepared for the strong flavours that will surely ensue.

After an unfortunate encounter with soy milk chunks in her drip coffee (not necessarily meaning bad soy milk, just that the soy milk stars are not aligning), my breakfast date gets a replacement soy latte at no extra charge.  We happily sip our wake-up drinks between sips of Nuba’s signature cucumber water – so refreshing!

Our food arrives and our table becomes a Tetris game of plates.  My casserole, with its side of roasted potatoes and tomatoes on a separate plate, a small dish of tahini, a bowl of hummus, a bowl of pita, my date’s plate of ful medames (fava beans, red peppers, lemon and parsley – $9), plus all our drinks (refer to photo).

The preliminary verdict:

It breaks my heart to say that neither I, nor my date (who eats at Nuba at least three times a week), are particularly impressed by our breakfasts.  The hummus is ALWAYS good, and of course the potatoes are little crispy/salty triangles of yum, but my casserole has a whipped porridgey texture and the ‘poached’ eggs on top of it are done extremely easy.   After a few stirs it resembles more of a runny, garlicky, tomatoey, cuminy soup than a casserole.  I don’t think it’s a good idea to ever eat raw eggs, especially if you are reintroducing eggs into your diet after a month long hiatus.  My date notes that her ful medames are a bit too heavy on the citrus for her liking while musing that “maybe this is what Lebanese breakfast is supposed to be like and we’re just not used to it”.  She vows to stick with the tried and tested mjadra in the future (a green lentil and rice dish offered at all times).

The concluding verdict:

We will return to try some of the other options such as the egg breakfast pita (with mjadra, caramelized onions, avocado, tomatoes, organic greens and pickle – $7.50) and probably steer clear of the casseroles and ful medames.  Next time I’m going to bring a carnivore so I can witness how the Lebanese Champion goes down (fried eggs with zataar crusted Fraser Valley sirloin steak with fresh labneh and pita – $12.50).  Other options include lamb sausage, labneh (strained yogurt) and fruit.  They also serve a wide selection of fresh pressed fruit and vegetable juices and traditional Turkish coffee.  Our server informed us that Veganmania usually delivers a selection of fresh vegan baked goods, which wasn’t the case this morning to our dismay.

We head back out in the rain with our bellies bursting and the contentment of a large breakfast at great value, even though the flavours and textures were not our cup of tea.

Nuba Breakfast Mon-Fri 8am to 11am, Sat 9am – 1pm

207B West Hastings at Cambie

604.688.1655

Filed under: Featured Contributor, breakfast, reviews , breakfast, gastown, Jessica Grajczyk, nuba restaurant

Glass Act

by Lauren Mote

Original story can be found in The Publican Magazine www.ablebc.ca/publican/download/fall_2009/06glassact.pdf

Which chalice should you choose?

This is another one of those restaurant industry gospels, glassware. The current trend promotes that each beer, wine or cocktail should be served in an appropriately shaped glass – but is there definable truth to this trend? Beverage connoisseurs of all kinds firmly stand behind their belief that the shape and size of a glass does matter.

Glassware dates as far back as 1500 BC, and the Egyptians are credited with this monumental discovery which has since evolved over the last 3500 years. How does glassware go from a glob of goo to that gorgeous stemware? Liquid receptacles like the “beer glass” are made from “bottle glass” – a blend of sand, soda and limestone, none of which are going extinct anytime soon, so don’t fret when that $7 glass shatters, you can always replace it (it just becomes costly after the tenth time). The mixture is heated in a furnace, followed by glass blowing, shaping and cooling. Sounds easy, but glasses are hand made, one by one, without machines – I suppose this helps us to appreciate those expensive pieces on the top shelf of our dusty dining-room hutch. But how does each glass type differ from one another? What’s the point of producing hundreds of different shapes, types and sizes?

Flip to the back of a Belgian trappist beer bottle, there’s valuable information listed apart from the ingredients, and the 5¢ recycling jackpot – there is usually a picture of a glass – more than just a suggestion, it’s really beer consumption instructions. For those that believe this is hog-wash, I urge you to experiment. Chester Carey, Canada’s only Certified Cicerone – the equivalent of a Master Sommelier in the beer world – lends some great advice. Carey explains that most of what we taste in a beer comes directly from the aroma, centrally found in its foamy head. Although perfect beer pours often occur, beers still have different levels of carbonation and proteins, which affects the head on your beer once settled inside the glass. Ideal glassware, Carey explains, should be ultra-cleaned, dried, polished, and most importantly the top should be tapered back to keep the head in place for as long as possible. Beers that have a higher alcohol by volume should be poured in small amounts to maintain the head does not dissipate. Carey concludes that each beer style must therefore have its own glass shape it’s best suited to, and that he much prefers the correct glass than a frosty glass – in the end, like tasting wines, aromas and tasting notes are best detected when the liquids are slightly warmer.

Of course, we are not suggesting that every bar owner in Vancouver race out to grab a case of each beer glass, we’re just providing the awareness that the basic glass shape does matter. What does this mean for the hospitality industry/consumer? Another fact – the more education one has, the more likely an industry worker is to persuade a guest to try something outside-the-box – a different style of beer, or a different region (this includes the rep selling the beer products with accompanying glassware in the first place). The best example I recall is a popular Belgian beer called Duvel. In 1960, the official Duvel glass hit the market. Its unique tapered-tulip shape made it ideal to house the beer’s super foamy head for an extended period of time – this made each sip equally as flavourful and aromatic as the previous one. Use Carey’s advice as a guideline and try your own experiments based on the recommendations of other connoisseurs and brewmasters. In the end, it’s still personal preference.

If proper glassware principles apply to the beer world so vividly, we can only imagine how intense the world of wine is. Likely the most popular household name in crystal stemware is Riedel, whether we have the money to splurge on their unique lines of glassware or not. I use them as the primary example for wine receptacles because they have taken this different glass for a different wine to an entirely new level. The caption on their website says it all, “for the last 50 years Riedel has been the leader in grape specific, wine friendly glassware”. Why is this so important? Just as Carey described the aromas in beer are showcased through its foamy head, there is something quite similar about wine. For those who have never taken an instructional “how-to” on wine tasting, you really wouldn’t know how important the glassware issue is. You’re in luck, because all we really require are 2-4 different glasses just for wine, rather then stocking your cupboards with numerous 4 packs of over 22 glass types from Riedel’s Sommelier Series, from Champagne flutes to Burgundy balloons to Whisky tumblers. An aromatic wine, like a pinot noir or a white Burgundy gets a wider glass – when you swirl the contents, the fragrance opens up in the wine, and each sip becomes a sensory adventure. A tighter wine, like a cabernet sauvignon or a syrah gets a thinner glass – rounder at the bottom, and slightly tapered at the top – when the contents are swirled, the aromas are released to your nose, while trapped in the glass for prolonged periods of time. I should make mention that most white wines are served in shorter, thinner glasses to prevent a rapid transfer of heat from the sippers hand to the wine, but very few white wines are meant to be consumed at 12℃. Companies like Riedel have capitalized on catering to the senses, and we applaud them, but for the modern bar owner, having a couple of versatile glass selections is a good idea, but it is unnecessary to carry an entire line of products if your restaurant or bar concept isn’t indicative of an intense wine program.

The exciting thing about today’s technology is that tempered glasses are available for high volume bar concepts. Tempered glass uses slightly different compounds to create the glassware itself, followed by heating up and quickly cooling down the glassware while its being manufactured. This can happen up to 5 times per glass. Basically, the heating/cooling allows the glass to create multi-layers resulting in a higher resistance to breakage, scratches and discoloration over time. Although they are only slightly cheaper in price to crystal, Arcoroc based out of France is an admirable choice for durable long lasting tempered glassware – they just look a little “thick” compared to crystal.

Lastly, the phenomenon that has taken the modern world by storm – the elusive cocktail. Although cocktails have been created and constructed for over 100 years, a different kind of glassware line seems to have been created specifically for different types of cocktails – blending, shaken, stirred and built. Now we as bar and restaurant owners/managers are faced with another question – how far are we willing to go with our beverage program. An alcohol forward establishment, who’s sole generation of income relies on the sale of alcoholic beverages, may be able to justify an entire fleet of glasses to satisfy every facet of their cocktail program. Individual prices can also be adjusted to reflect the cost of the glass used, labour involved in ultra-cleaning and polishing, and finally proper storage. These days, cocktail bars all over Vancouver are stocking their shelves a little differently – but how does one know what glassware to stock? Do we choose crystal or tempered? This is undoubtedly a choice made based on finances, concept, and demographic. There is a necessity to stock the back bar with old fashioned glasses (short, chubby glasses, usually between 6 – 16 oz, depending on whether it’s the single or the double version), collins glasses (tall 10 – 14 oz glasses), highball glasses (taller and thinner than the old fashioned, holding 8 – 12 oz), martini/cocktail glasses, and shot glasses. However these are all a matter of preference. I have effectively visited and worked in bars that have 2 types of glasses, large and small – and it works.

As our city becomes more and more cultured within beverage preference and expectation, it is our job as bar and restaurant representatives to give the public something distinctive. Perhaps your establishment is resourceful enough to carry 5-6 different glasses that have proven versatile within the day-to-day operations of the business, but as I said before the selection of glassware made, from beer to wine to cocktail are completely indicative to the type of concept you wish to present.

Filed under: glassware , chester carey, glassware, lauren mote, publican magazine

A Night with Theo Chocolate

Artisan chocolate meets wine, beer, cocktails and canapes

Mark your calendars: Thursday, November 20th will be the chocolate event of the year. Joe Whinney, CEO and founder of Theo Chocolate, will make a rare appearance in Vancouver for this special event.

Theo Chocolate is a fair-trade, certified organic bean-to-bar chocolate producer in Seattle. They were one of the first to create organic chocolate that didn’t taste like dirt. In fact, it tasted amazing. The company’s values, philosophy and transparency is matched only by the passion of the people who work there.

The night will feature Theo Chocolate in some surprising ways: as savoury canapes (prepared by Refinery Chef Michael Carter), in cocktails, and paired with artisan wine and beer. Joe Whinney will talk about the company that he founded, and entertain us with stories about the trials and tribulations of being an artisan chocolate maker.

This unique event will feature canapes from The Refinery, the mixology stylings of Lauren Mote, fine wines selected from the Farmstead Wines collection, and the opportunity to taste some amazing chocolate. And that’s not all. There’s more stuff coming down the pipe, so stay tuned.

Date: Friday, November 20th, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: The Refinery, 1115 Granville Street, Vancouver
Tickets: $50.00 | Buy tickets

UPDATE: Tickets are on sale now! Get your tickets soon, these suckers are going fast.

Please do not call the Refinery for information – leave a comment here instead, and I’ll get back to you shortly.

Filed under: events , chef michael carter, chocolate, cocktails, eagranie yuh, elysian coffee, farmstead wines, joe whinney, lauren mote, the refinery, well tempered chocolatier

DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER

An Evening of Sustainable Food, Wine and Fashion Design

Celebrate earth-friendly lifestyle options at An Evening of Sustainable Food, Wine and Fashion Design November 19th at Terminal City Club. Hosted by The Beat 94.5 FM’s Kid Carson and Nira Arora, with special guest Lindsay Coulter, the David Suzuki Foundation’s Queen of Green.

TICKETS ARE $75 AT THE TERMINAL CITY CLUB CONCIERGE 604.488.8643

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION

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FABULOUS Food and Drinks:

Sample sustainable food and drink options from local Vancouver restaurants including Terminal City Club, The Refinery, Doi Chaang, and more.

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LIVE Entertainment:

Performances by Devon & Kevin, Briana Stewart and the Madman’s Gospel, Brazilian Samba dancer Andrea Monteiro, One World Drum Company, Karen Flamenco, and a fashion show featuring local earth-friendly designs from Vancouver Fashion Week.

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Silent AUCTION:

Bid on amazing silent auction items donated by:

Saul Good Gift Co. – A sustainable corporate gift and green gift basket business in Vancouver, BC. http://www.itsaulgood.com

Dream Designs – Vancouver’s premier destination for your natural lifestyle. http://www.dreamdesigns.ca

Ecocessories – Accessories to sustain your style. http://www.ecocessories.ca

Eco-Shed – Bowen’s deep green getaway. http://www.eco-shed.ca

Solart Glass Studio – Traditional, original hand-blown glass. http://www.solmaya.com

Fortune Sound Club – Vancouver’s only venue built for sound and sustainability. http://www.fortunesound.com

Nat’s Nursery – LiveRoof Licensed Grower. http://www.natsnursery.com

Science World – Igniting minds for 20 years. http://www.scienceworld.ca

Schramm Vodka – Ultra-premium organic potato vodka from the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia. http://www.pembertondistillery.ca

Mills Basics – Offering Environmentally Preferred Products for your office. http://www.mills.ca

Zip Car – The world’s largest car sharing service. http://www.zipcar.ca

Cactus Club Café – Ocean Wise and Green Table restaurants. http://www.cactusclubcafe.com

Garlands Florist – Vancouver’s destination for modern, contemporary, European floral design. http://www.garlandsflorists.com

Petals and Leaves Garden Centre and Fresh Farm Produce in the Okanagan Valley – Pesticide and chemical free homegrown food and beautiful plants. http://www.petalsandleaves.ca

Kevin Hume Designs – Bespoke jewelery made from responsibly sourced gold. http://www.kevinhumedesigns.com

Ilu Selu – organic skin care and cosmetics. http://www.iluselu.ca

eeko Couriers – A better world, One delivery at a time. http://www.eekocouriers.com

Sid Dickens – hand-crafted, collectible pieces of art. http://www.siddickens.com/en

Original artwork made from recycled material by local artists Jorden and David Doody.

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SPECIAL Thanks:

Terminal City Club http://www.tcclub.com

The Refinery http://www.therefineryvancouver.com

Karen Flamenco http://www.karenflamenco.com

Vancouver Fashion Week http://www.vanfashionweek.com

Milestone Events http://www.milestoneevents.ca

Showmax Events http://www.showmaxevents.com

Sustainability Television http://www.sustainabilitytelevision.com

Filed under: events , david suzuki, doi chang, jason mackay, terminal city club, the refinery

ART OF THE COCKTAIL – VICTORIA FILM FESTIVAL

The Best of the Pacific Northwest Bartending Challenge will test the knowledge and skill of mixologists all over the left coast. The competition will be held in 3 rounds: Written Test, Blind Tasting and Mix Off, and is designed to build a comprehensive picture of the knowledge, skill and creativity of each competitor.

The tension will be palpable as competitors progress through each round building to an entertaining Mix Off for a panel of celebrity judges including Kevin Brauch from The Thirsty Traveler, Joanne Sasvari, Brian Van Flandern and Bridget Albert. Final cocktails will be judged on balance of flavour, marriage of ingredients and overall appeal.

Prizes include a special guest appearance on The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess featuring the winning cocktail. Competition begins on November 7^th and runs throughout the festival. Deadline for entry is October 30^th, 2009. For full contest details please visit www.artofthecocktail.ca

The Art of the Cocktail is a fundraiser for the Victoria Film Festival and opens the door to a world of elegant spirits: great classics, fresh trends, the established players, niche bitters and the artisan, small, regional distillers.

For further information please contact:

Timothy Trebilcock

Communications Coordinator

Communications@VictoriaFilmFestival.com

Victoria Film Festival

1215 Blanshard St,

Victoria, BC Canada

V8W 3J4

Phone: 250.389.0444   Fax: 250.389.0406

January 29 to February 7, 2010

www.VictoriaFilmFestival.com

www.artofthecocktail.com

Filed under: events , art of the cocktail, cocktail competition, mixology, victoria film festival

The Chef’s Last Supper

Original story can be viewed at www.urbandiner.ca

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

Filed under: stories, travel , chow restaurant, claude tremblay, craig stanghetta, dominic auben, herder winery, jc poirier, jeremie bastien, kris jensen, lauren mote, nadia johnson, steve da cruz

La Brasserie – Franco-German Fantastic.

by George Froehlich

Great bistro.

The food is hearty, wholesome and packs a mean flavour.

Prices are reasonable.

La Brasserie in Vancouver’s West End is in the “must eat there” category.

The food at La Brasserie gears towards the Alsace region of France, an area adjoining Germany.

We started off with an Alsatian onion tart. In one word – wow.

It was large morsel of out of this world, caramelized onions and flaky pastry, topped off with dollop of crème fraîche.

Steak tartare, this classic dish of raw, hand diced steak, was nicely seasoned, the Dijon mustard, a hearty but subtle counterpoint to the creamy texture of the dish.

The suckling pig was everything it should have been.

The outside brimmed with crackling, crispy and delicious, the inside, a chunk of tender pork, done perfectly.

Housemade sauerkraut, not the usual vinegar laden kind, was flavoursome, aided ably by the pork fat.

The schupfnudel, potato gnocchi, thick and crisp on the outside and tender and rich and creamy on the inside, gave the whole dish that rustic, down-to-earth flavour and taste.

Julia Child once said there is nothing better in the world than a perfectly roasted chicken.

Well, the chefs at La Brasserie, obviously have taken her advice to heart.

Half a free-range rotisserie chicken was all it should have been, moist and so tender and it tasted like chicken not the rubberized tasteless version so often served in restaurants heavily doused with sauces to give it flavor.

The home made french fries and a tiny bit of caramelized garlic jus resulted in a chicken that would have had Julia saying, “très bien”.

Dessert was a divine chocolate trio. Rich, decadent, the earthy taste of great chocolate evident everywhere.

La Brasserie, a real gem.

No wonder it is a favourite with Vancouver’s restaurant trade.

http://www.labrasserievancouver.com

George Froehlich has more than 35 years media experience abroad and in Canada. He is an avid cook, art collector and world-wide traveler. New York still is his favourite city. For more than two years he has been producing the Savvy Insider, a funky, eclectic newsletter that’s all Metro Vancouver and what makes it one of the great cities of the world. Check out his site, and stay bookmarked to Poivre Media for weekly “edible” anecdotes from George.

Filed under: Featured Contributor, food, restaurants, reviews , george froehlich, savvy insider, west end

King’s Chinese Cuisine

by George Froehlich

The food is excellent and prices are super reasonable. – King’s Chinese Cuisine at 4488 Main Street, at the corner of 29th. Avenue, in Vancouver.

You cannot miss it with its bright red and orange outside paint job.

You can have a great lunch or dinner consisting of seven dishes for a mere $28.75 (before taxes and tips).

First up were four delicious deep-fried stuffed dumplings.

Light and airy and most important of all not greasy.

Filled with little morsels of minced pork and assorted vegetables they were excellent little starters to whet the appetite.

Spicy chicken wings also proved to be a savvy choice.

Coated with a semi-sweet sauce with a kick to it they were moist and succulent.

The deep-fried squid with rock salt and pepper was a knockout.

Lots and lots of little flecks of garlic and small slices of jalapeno peppers were everywhere and the squid was tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.

The steamed supreme prawn dumplings consisted of four large tender succulent pieces.

The steamed spareribs in black bean sauce were a knockout. The sauce that surrounded the tiny pieces of spareribs was to die for – rich and hearty, full of flavour.

An order of mini sticky rice consisted of two large chunks of rice each wrapped in its own lotus leaf.

The rice is the best sticky rice we’ve ever had. Moist and filled with mushrooms and bits of pork.

Six pork pot stickers complete the meal. They are okay but nothing special.

Be prepared to wait, especially on the weekends when there are major lineups.

Visa or cash is accepted but there are no reservations.

(604) 874-3525

George Froehlich has more than 35 years media experience abroad and in Canada. He is an avid cook, art collector and world-wide traveler. New York still is his favourite city. For more than two years he has been producing the Savvy Insider, a funky, eclectic newsletter that’s all Metro Vancouver and what makes it one of the great cities of the world. Check out his site, and stay bookmarked to Poivre Media for weekly “edible” anecdotes from George.

Filed under: culinary world, food, restaurants, reviews

Bon’s off Broadway – Enough HP Sauce to drown Steven Seagal.

By Jessica Grajczyk

I had low expectations of Bon’s off Broadway’s breakfast, having heard the legends of the $2.95 all day breakfast special, which is great if economics are more important to you than extravagances such as nutrients or flavour.  I suppose you sometimes just don’t give a damn and need to shovel some good ol’ greasy food in your belly.  I probably would have been a Bon’s regular in my university days, but since then, I’ve become a bit more mindful with my sustenance.  That all being said, Bon’s turned out to be charming in its own way.

Things got off to a great start when we walked inside the restaurant to find U2 ‘With or Without You’ playing on the jukebox.  The glowing neon beer signs above the bar provided the spotlight as we closed our eyes and broke into our best air Bonos while waiting for our table.  We noticed that other patrons and some of the staff were also stirring with memories of broken hearts over broken yolks.

After our silent yet passionate karaoke, we looked around the restaurant and realized that the ‘off Broadway’ part of its name must have implied a connection to the acting profession.  Movie posters featuring Steven Seagal, teen pop sensation JoJo, and B-list darlings from every decade were plastered everywhere.  Many had been vandalized with stickers and writing, much like the rest of the walls.  Reading wall writings of patrons past always gives a heartwarming glimpse into a restaurant’s history, especially the scribbles professing love equations and love for the establishment itself.

My breakfast companion and I admired the walls as we sat at a big, roomy booth (always my preferred breakfast seating scenario).  Our waitress brought over our eye-openers in classic white ceramic coffee cups that looked as though they’d replaced the ball in a road hockey game at some point in their lives.   I could almost feel the refreshment radiating from the portrait of fruit juices on the juice dispenser at the self-serve beverage refill station – a quirky touch and probably a godsend for the lone waitress doing her best to tackle the Thursday morning brunch rush.  Yes, there is a wait for a table on Thursday mornings at Bon’s – a testament to its popularity, especially among construction crews.

A quick perusal of the menu begged some important questions.  Free range eggs? No.  Multigrain bagels? No. Avocado? No.  Brown sugar?  No.  By this point in our barrage the waitress looked like she wanted to drag us into the middle of Nanaimo Street by our yuppie necks.  I decided to just give in and order a mushroom and cheese omelet with potatoes and toast, which was a couple bucks over the special. My companion opted to go a la carte and ordered a bagel and cream cheese with a side of potatoes.  When our orders arrived, she was pleasantly surprised that they had managed to find a multigrain bagel.  I was slightly miffed at the processed cheese in my omelet.  There’s nothing in the natural food world that can quite match the sensation of a salty coating of melted taffy-like stickiness on the roof of your mouth.  I would have preferred some real cheddar, but the taste of this cheese was somewhat nostalgic for me as I recalled the grilled Kraft Singles sandwiches of my childhood.  I was also sad to learn that among the giant bottles of condiments at each table, there was no hot sauce.   Enough HP and ketchup to drown Steven Seagal, but no hot sauce.

After shoveling our breakfasts into our respective mouths as best we could, we downed our DIY coffee refills and picked up the bill, which had been promptly delivered with our meals.  Gotta love the efficiency of a high turnover restaurant that makes no bones about getting you out of there as soon as the last potato drops into your gullet.  We may have missed the point of Bon’s since we didn’t order the breakfast special and actually ended up paying about $15 altogether for our breakfasts and coffees.  If I’m going to pay that much I might as well go to a place where they serve my preferred breakfast items.  Cheap breakfast fail.  The atmosphere, however, may have been worth the price.

Bon’s off Broadway

2451 Nanaimo Street

East Vancouver

604.253.7242

Filed under: Featured Contributor, breakfast, culinary world, reviews