Dine Out Vancouver: A Plethora of Perfect Pies

Farm to Table Personified

Over the last few years Dine Out Vancouver has blossomed into a full blown culinary festival, with a wealth of special events. That’s not to say the original intent isn’t still paramount. Just check out dineoutvancouver.com for bargains a plenty. However, it pays to remember that ‘value’ doesn’t necessarily to equate to ‘cheap.’ If you spend time cruising the $45 tier you’ll find it’s filled with just as many tasty temptations as the lower tiers.

Thursday night saw the launch of Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2020. The 18th edition yields no less than 318 participating restaurant outlets. We can talk about what’s hot on the three course menu side a little later (Ancora, for sure, would be one, and venerable Hotel Vancouver’s Notch 8 is also there.) However, increasingly the emphasis is on special events that celebrate the region’s ever growing culinary culture.

Coming up on January 18th (at Sweetery Café and Dessert) is Farm in the City: BC Farm to Table. Judging by Thursday’s preview it promises to be as billed: ‘a collaboration of BC local farmers, growers, artisans, artistes and businesses”—all very much with a local bent.

I found myself sitting between brewer Sean O’ Reilly (Strange Fellows Brewing) and artisan woodworker Eric Riley (Vancity Live Edge charcuterie boards) and across from Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry co-owner Joe Falk. They were just a few of the producers and artisans assembled for this long table, family style preview, wrangled by the effervescent Regina Lee.

Gaia Kitchen’s Regina Lee

The owner chef of on-line pie purveyor Gaia Kitchen, Lee’s pies took centre stage—and rightly so. From salmon en croûte, and steak stout mushroom (perfect with Strange Fellows Blackmail Stout) to Duck Cherry Goat Cheese, her butter double crust pies are superb.

Salmon en croûte on polished walnut platter by Vancity Live Edge

Fillings feature ingredients from Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry, Organic Ocean, Aurora View Farms, Johnston’s pork and Forstbauer Farm.

The pies are served family style, on beautifully crafted platters and live edge planks with exquisite condiment bowls and spoons fashioned from salvaged wood by Vancity Live Edge, Axewood, and Galpon serving bowls.

Steak & stout mushroom pie and bone marrow

Oh, and yes, and to finish, there’s superlative Smashed Berry Pavolova (berries from Driediger Farms).

Driediger Farms Smashed Berry Pavlova

There are still seats left for the January 18th second seating, with live entertainment by country singer Todd Richard. Book soon, as tix are going fast.

Cherry wood spoon by Axewood

About the Author: Tim Pawsey

Tim has been covering the food and wine revolution for about 20 kilos. Count 15 kg alone thanks to the blossoming cuisine and wine culture of British Columbia, Canada. Tim’s hallmark is seeking out and recommending value wines from BC and around the world that offer quality at every level. He also scopes out noteworthy restaurants that live up to their promises—and often over deliver. Readers depend on the Hired Belly for his “Belly’s Best” and “Belly’s Budget Best” picks to help them find the right wine for the occasion. For several decades Tim wrote columns in the Vancouver Courier and North Shore News. He contributes to several other publications, including BCLS Taste magazine, Quench, Vitis and many others. Tim is a frequent judge for wine competitions and was a founding judge of The BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Wine. He is frequently invited to judge at The BC Wine Awards, and others. Tim has traveled to taste in many of the world’s leading wine regions, most recently in Burgundy, Argentina and Chile.