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| VANCOUVER VIGNETTES |
september 11-15 2012 |
FALL 2011 |
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By Maggie and Larry Burr—Vancouver
Vancouver Island is the largest island in the Pacific. It is 450 km (280 mi) long, but only 100 km (62 mi) wide and lies parallel to the BC Mainland separated by a narrow strait.
To get there from Vancouver you will take the 90-minute BC Ferries cruise across the Salish Sea (Georgia Strait), through our Gulf Islands to Victoria, on the way transiting exciting Active Pass. Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. It is a little bit of Olde England, quaint and charming—a walk-around city. You can visit our Parliament buildings, our renowned Provincial Museum with its First Nations displays, and Beacon Hill Park where you look across to the mountains of the US Olympic Peninsula. You will want to have a classic English Tea in the Empress Hotel and visit the world renowned Butchart Gardens which are beautiful by day and spectacular by night.
Leaving Victoria you will take the Island Highway north a short distance to the Cowichan Valley, the Slow Food capital of Canada, which boasts at least seven wineries, several artisanal farms, a cidery and Fairburn Farm, the home of Canada’s only water buffalo herd where they make their own buffalo mozzarella. The Slow Food Chapter is famous for sponsoring the inclusion of our Heritage Red Fife Wheat into the Ark of Taste, the first nomination in Canada. Red Fife wheat was able to thrive in the harsh climate of Eastern Canada, thus allowing our early settlers to survive, and making Canada “The Granary of the World.” It was superseded by more early ripening varieties, but has recently been revived and is now part of a move among farmers to ‘brand’ their Red Fife to allow the wheat to express the local ‘terroir,’ just as the wine industry identifies regional variation. While in the Valley you will want to stop at Chemainus to tour the display of historical murals and have some delicious local ice cream.
Further north you will turn toward the west and drive among majestic 400 to 800-year-old cedar trees in Cathedral Grove, through the mill town of Port Alberni, onto a winding two-lane road through Coast Range mountain scenery to the very end of the road on the west coast of Vancouver Island. There you will find yourself in a magical world, on the edge of the continent, in the small fishing villages of Ucluelet and Tofino, where the Pacific surf rolls in and there is nothing between you and Japan.
Far from sleepy little towns, both have several fine restaurants and resorts, plus a strong First Nations presence. Tofino has become known as the surfing capital of Canada and hosts the International Cold Water Surfing competition each year on nearby Chesterman Beach, where you can find elegant accommodation at the Wickaninnish Inn, a Relais et Châteaux hotel. The large Pacific Rim National Park encompasses the windswept sands of Long Beach, and has many beautiful walking trails through the rain forest. Back on the relatively calm east side of the Island you might make a stop at Campbell River and drop a line into the world famous Tyee pool to try your luck catching a massive wild Pacific salmon. In this short tour we have mentioned a few of the highlights, but if you want to stay longer, there is much more for you to explore on scenic Vancouver Island.
http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/VancouverIsland.htm
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SUMMER 2011 |
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By Maggie and Larry Burr—Vancouver
Visiting Okanagan Valley...As kids growing up in Vancouver, we eagerly looked forward to spending a couple of idyllic summer weeks in the Okanagan Valley. It is a magical, an almost-desert valley of hot sun, beautiful lakes and sandy beaches, a five-hour drivefrom the city, where the tanned inhabitants always looked much more beautiful than we pasty-faced people from the rainwashed coast. Sometimes we would make a little money picking cherries, apples or peaches in the lush orchards surrounding the lakes. Little did we know then that this was the ideal climate for growing premium wine grapes! Since the 1980s many of the fruit orchards have been reduced in size andreplanted with high-yield dwarf trees, allowing room for extensive vineyard plantings supplying grapes to almost 100 wineries ranging from boutique to multi-national.
The narrow Okanagan Valley is 140 km (87 miles) long with a chain of interconnecting lakes. Geology informs the terroir. At the south end, the hot Oliver-Osoyoos area is deep glacial sand; syrah, malbec and Bordeaux grapes do best here (look for wineries Burrowing Owl and Road 13).
The Naramata-Penticton-Okanagan Falls area is loamy glacial silt; the pinot family, chardonnay, Viognier and other Rhônes thrive (Blue Mountain, La Frenz, Van Westen). Central Okanagan (Kelowna area) is a mixture of sand, gravel and silt; due to micro-climates and old lava many varietals can grow here (Quails Gate, Cedar Creek). The Northern section is gravelly,and produces superb cool-climate white wines(Gray Monk, Arrowleaf).
The wines produced today in the Okanagan Valley are of superior quality and have become internationally acclaimed, often so soughtafter that you can only get them directly from the wineries. Production can be miniscule, with some wineries making as few as 1000 cases a year. This low production of high quality wine creates cult followings and wines that are virtually impossible to obtain. For example, the total production of 3300 cases of Black Hills’ sumptuous Nota Bene recently sold out in 47 minutes. Many wineries subscribe to the Vintner’s Quality Assurance (VQA) program which ensures that grapes are locally grown and must pass testing for quality and taste.
Space does not permit us to mention more than these few of the many wonderful wineries in the Okanagan, or the wineries in the adjoining Similkameen Valley. You will have to experience them for yourself. Some wineries have pleasant lodgings and excellent restaurants. And while you are there don’t miss the fabulous architectural masterpiece, Mission Hill Estate Winery in Kelowna.
http://okanagan.com/maps/wine_map.htm
www.kettlevalleyrail.org
http://winecountrybc.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/podcast-29
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SPRING 2011 |
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By Maggie and Larry Burr—Vancouver
Canadian immigration policy fosters multiculturalism and encourages immigrants to retain culture and cuisine from their home countries. Many have opened restaurants to offer home food to their fellow expats, and we Vancouverites get to experience authentic tastes from around the world without ever having to leave the city. Some 56 different cuisines have been identified. We could go to Italy for coffee and a Parma breakfast panino at Caffè Artigiano, to Indonesia for a delicious luncheon Rijsttafel at Spice Islands, then to England for traditional afternoon tea at Secret Garden. Dinner could take us to Morocco for a Lamb Tajine at Chambar and then it's on to Paris for late-night cheesie snacks and melt-in-your-mouth, justout-of-the-oven chocolate biscuits at Au Petit Chavignol. Ethnic restaurants such as Sun Sui Wah (China), Tojo (Japan) and Vij's (India), consistently rank in the top echelon of Vancouver restaurants, alongside the more traditional choices, West (West Coast cuisine) and Blue Water Café (fresh seafood).
Mark Schatzker in Condé Nast Traveller writes that Vancouver is "home to the best Chinese food in the world. Period." Each year Metro Vancouver hosts the Chinese Restaurant Awards, uniquely judged on individual dishes rather than the traditional criteria of food, service and décor. Twenty-five "Gold Signature Dish Awards" are presented, as well as awards for "Best Chinese Chef" and for "Wine and Spirit Service."
Interestingly, ethnic flavours and techniques have been taken up by mainstream West Coast chefs, creating our "culinary crossroads." You can hardly go into any restaurant without finding a dish flavoured with sesame, peanut, nori, curry, or some other exotic ingredient. West Coast cuisine has evolved as a gentle fusion of classic European cuisines with these ethnic elements.
The dominant theme in contemporary Vancouver cooking is the use of fresh, local, organic food, carefully prepared. There is an emphasis on the use of sustainable seafood—the OceanWise program—as exemplified by Robert Clark at the superb seafood restaurant C, as well as more than a nod towards BC couple Alisa Smith and J.G. MacKinnon's "The 100 Mile Diet" at Raincity Grill.
On your visit, you will be delighted with the huge diversity of ambience, styles, and flavours ranging from humble Sha Lin, where they make your noodles in front of your eyes, to Pan Asian flavours elegantly refined at Oru in your convention hotel, the Fairmont Pacific Rim.
But what about the wine to go with all this wonderful food? In future vignettes we will take you on a tour of BC and introduce you to some of our excellent award-winning wineries. Be prepared to sit
back and enjoy!
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WINTER 2010 |
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By Maggie and Larry Burr—Vancouver
In the fall of 2005, enthralled foodies in BC were glued to their TV sets watching as Vancouver’s own Rob Feenie bested Masaharu Morimoto to become an Iron Chef. But Rob did not just pop out of a void. Several other young chefs were doing well in international competitions, such as Michael Noble and Andrew Springett and our team competitors were also placing near the top in Bocuse D’Or and the Culinary Olympics. Not only were these fine chefs a product of our good cooking schools, but they had been mentored and inspired by such people as Michel Jacob, who arrived from Alsace in the 1980s to open Le Crocodile and who sets a consistently high bar for French cuisine; John Bishop, a Welshman, who came through Umberto Menghi’s kitchen to create the gold standard for elegant organic, local food at his hospitable restaurant, Bishops; and Vancouver–born, European trained, David Hawksworth who repeatedly propelled West to “Best Restaurant in Vancouver” and will soon open his highly anticipated Hawksworth in the Georgia Hotel.
Many of these third generation chefs have gone on to open their own restaurants and still many more are Executive Chefs for Vancouver’s finest hotels and restaurants, but some have been snapped up by the smart business men and restauranteurs who founded our bourgeoning casual fine-dining industry. Already with very good reputations, these franchised establishments, such as Cactus Club and Earls have enhanced their own images, as well as their menus, by hiring accomplished, innovative young chefs as Food Concept Architects, including Feenie and Noble.
In the last few years International chefs have realized that Vancouver is a culinary paradise and have begun to establish restaurants here. Daniel Boulud set up the db Bistro Moderne next to his star room, Lumiere, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened trendy Market in the Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver’s tallest, most elegant building.
As a disclaimer we would like to say that the chefs and the restaurants we mention in our articles are meant to be examples, to give you an idea of the depth and breadth of the dining experience in Vancouver and are not by any means the only wonderful eating establishments we enjoy.
In coming issues we intend to explore the ethnic influence on our eating habits–Dim Sum anyone?
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| FALL 2010 |
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By Maggie and Larry Burr—Vancouver
Until the 1970's, Vancouver's dining scene was undistinguished. We had a few fine dining restaurants–think anniversaries, big dates–mostly French or German, as well as places to go for Mother's Day or to take Grandma when she came to visit–mostly English–inspired. Wine was a rarity; a few restaurants offered a very small wine selection by the bottle, but hard liquor was the order of the day. For fun, the younger crowd would go to Chinatown for chow mein and chop suey. We would pile into one of the huge, unlicensed Chinese restaurants where the waiters turned a blind eye to your bottle under the table, and order a "set-up"–an empty glass and mixer of choice (remember rye and ginger or rum and coke). When the police raided the restaurant everyone could disavow any knowledge of how that bottle got there.
Then, three remarkable European restaurateurs came to Vancouver, and all of a sudden eating out became exciting and fun. Host-extraordinaire Erwin Doebeli from Switzerland opened The William Tell, and introduced us to exotic dishes such as Fondue and Raclette, also offering what were to us unusual wines–Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Chasselas. In 1973 young Umberto Menghi came to town. Umberto's Italian restaurants were (and still are) hugely popular. His menus were imaginative, his flavorful food always well-prepared, his staff highly-trained, and he, too, offered wine not formerly available, Italian of course, and even some Californians.
Bruno Marti was the third chef to arrive. Bruno's contribution to Vancouver's excellence cannot be overstated. Besides cooking for 35 years at his wonderful rural restaurant La Belle Auberge, he himself has won many competitions and also guided young chefs to medals; he is best known as the leading force of the Culinary Olympics.
These men, with their high standards of food, ambience and service, created a tantalizing buzz of excitement around eating out, and attracted a large group of adventurous diners who dine out regularly and expect the highest quality in their restaurant experience. They encouraged, mentored and inspired a whole generation of young chefs, waiters and sommeliers who became "the second wave."
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| SUMMER 2010 |
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By Maggie and Larry Burr—Vancouver
Vancouver sits like a jewel, tucked serenely onto a narrow strip of shoreline in southwest British Columbia between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains. Everywhere you look you see another gorgeous vista.
During the 2010 Olympics Vancouver experienced its warmest February ever, with unseasonably warm temperatures ranging from 8–12 C (46 –53 F). Meanwhile, less than one hour away on the North Shore, across the Lion's Gate Bridge and up Cypress Moun tain, Olympians were competing in winter snow events.
Vancouver is located in a temperate rain forest 32 kilometers (20 miles) north of the US/Canada border. It is protected from the Arctic winds by mountains to the north and northeast, and buffered from Pacific storms by Vancouver Island on the west. The city is calm oasis where rhododendrons bloom alongside palms and cherry trees line the streets. Flowing eastward from the city is the fertile Fraser River Valley where, today, artisanal farms are flourishing.
Of course, all this lush greenery and beauty comes with a price tag, and we pay for it with days of grey skies and drizzle. Yes, it does rain here, but when the sun comes out all is for given. Doors are flung open, patio chairs are righted and Vancouverites emerge to rejoice in the fresh outdoors. We might take the afternoon off to go cycling, or have a picnic on the beach, go for a sail perhaps, or play tennis or golf. Or we may choose to enjoy one of our public gardens or our beloved Stanley Park. We may take our children for a day at Playland, or find ourselves playing the horses. Everyone finds a reason to get outside. As well, many residents have their own gardens to tend, because away from the high rises of the downtown core, Vancouver is a city of trees and gardens.
Close by are the mountains: Grouse Mountain, Seymour Mountain, Cypress Mountain, for skiing, hiking, berry picking, walking the Capilano Suspension Bridge or 'doing' the infamous Grouse Grind.
However, not all of Vancouver life takes place outdoors. We have a varied and vibrant cultural life as well, which of course, includes wine and food. In the next Vancouver Vignettes, watch for an exposé of our famed cosmopolitan restaurant scene.
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| SPRING 2010 |
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By Dave Felton—Pasadena
Chairman, BGA Festivals and Events Committee
By the time you read this, I hope you will have watched the Vancouver Winter Olympics and enjoyed the vignettes aired on the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia, and its environs.
I frequently regale friends about the festivals organized by The International Wine & Food Society for its members. One of the perquisites of our membership is to be able to join like-minded counterparts
from around the globe for the excitement of travel and the opportunity to share a table topped with the best foods and wines from a fabulous destination. A year ago, many fortunate members returned from South Africa, having savored all that was provided them from the 2009 IW&FS International Festival. The history, the geography, the literature of a place all lend themselves to the romance of meeting
new friends and sharing special meals. Cape Town 2009 did just that. Vancouver 2012 provides another such opportunity.
Planning for the 2012 festival is in its early days. But the Board of Governors of the Americas, the IW&FS regional administration responsible for organizing the event, already has put much time into
its planning, having examined a dozen destinations before selecting Vancouver.
Vancouver is one of the great melting pots of North America with large contingents from Europe, Asia and the Southern Hemisphere. The cuisine matches its citizenry. Condé Nast recently anointed Vancouver as the best place in the world (outside The Middle Kingdom) for Chinese cuisine. World-famous chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud have arrived, joining famous local chefs like Vikran Vij, whose Indian restaurant (Vij's) has people waiting in line every day.
Wines from the Okanagan Valley, only a few hours distant, have joined Niagara in pulling Canadian wines up to world-class levels. Immediately south of Vancouver, the U.S. wine regions of Walla Walla, the Columbia Valley and the Willamette Valley are producing soughtafter vinous gems.
The city, surrounded by water and mountains, is gorgeous. Wait until you visit the Public Market on Granville Island, with its vendors of everything fresh and delicious. Then there's gritty Gastown
near the water, Yaletown and its hip boutiques, the fragrances of Stanley Park and the Sun Yat-Sen Garden.
In its coming issues, WFF will publish "Vancouver Vignettes" to alert you to what is eminently special about this grand city. When we open registration next year to the 2012 Festival, approximately
150 "delegates" from around the world will gain the opportunity to participate in the next IW&FS International Festival. I hope you'll be among the revelers who travel with us to Vancouver.
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