Cloud 9 is (or was) the City of Vancouver’s loftiest restaurant. On September 30th it will close forever. And the giant turntable in the sky, which since 1973 has brought pleasure to so many, will stop revolving. We dropped by Cloud 9 the other night, to be whisked skyward for one last time. It was [...]
The Great New Zealand Wine Tiki Tour comes to town on May 5th—which is the perfect time of year —with a wealth of styles and tastes from around NZ
Malbec World Day (April 17th.) is again fast approaching—yet one more reminder of the value to be found from the South American producer. While it’s true Argentina has built its reputation on Malbec, what might surprise you is that the grape’s popularity is relatively recent. In fact, we can probably, in part, thank Michel Rolland [...]
Grapes being harvested in Oliver, BC. (courtesy BCWI) Fancy yourself a wine geek? How about this? This week I went to one of the more unusual tastings in which I've participated. The idea was to bring the excitement of the harvest right to Vancouver—for those of us city slickers who aren’t able to make [...]
I’m a bit of a history buff, especially where buildings, food and art intersect. That thought crossed my mind when I looked out of our window from Victoria’s Hotel Grand Pacific to see the stunningly refurbished and restored Steamship Terminal. The majestic, Francis Rattenbury designed structure dates from 1924, when it was built to serve as [...]
Dine Out Vancouver: It's about food and wine UPDATED, Jan 16, 2014. The Trouble with Dine Out Lists... Is that you're guaranteed to miss not only a few worthy restos but likely many. So be it. However, here, in random order (i.e. as I think about them or hear about them from reliable sources), is [...]
Books to Cooks - Marmite and a whole lot more! Here I am again at Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks. I can't help it. I'm a creature of habit. Besides, I can only take so much of the chain store crowds. And I'm not about to line Amazon's pockets so they can drop next year's [...]
Ayden Kitchen & Bar boasts a talented team led by Dale MacKay This hard-hitting, exposé of a blog is mainly about Vancouver and BC’s scene but occasionally addresses topics “beyond”—in this case Saskatoon. But there’s still a very definite Vancouver connection. One of Canada’s brightest culinary stars, Chef Dale MacKay officially pulled the [...]
L'Arc de Triomphe looms large, at the west end of Les Champs-Elysées When I spend time in France, occasionally, some profound emotion takes hold, often when I’m least expecting it. When I was growing up in England, “The War” came up regularly, if fleetingly, especially when my parents’ friends came to visit. [...]
In the Footsteps ... the night before The Night They Invented Champagne! A slightly younger Tim & Heather toast the next 100 days on the roof of Hotel Vancouver - Jack Wong photo Hard to believe, but exactly 20 years ago today, on September 1, 1993, my wife, Heather, and I embarked on “In [...]
