Inside Vancouver

Top 5 Guided Food Tours of Vancouver

by Remy Scalza in Food & Drink on May 9, 2012

Photo credit: どこでもいっしょ | Flickr

As Vancouver’s restaurant scene has taken off in recent years, so has the phenomenon known as culinary touring. The idea is simple: In company of an intrepid guide, eat your way through city streets – feasting on local favourites and skipping the tourist traps.

These days, there are culinary tours exploring everything from Gastown’s hippest restaurants and pubs to Vancouver’s growing street food scene and the bounty of Granville Island Market. Prices might seem a bit steep at first glance, but keep in mind tours often include food (and alcohol, in some cases), plus guide and behind-the-scenes access to kitchens, chefs and wine cellars.

World’s Best Street Eats Tour: This five-course street food tour offers a crash course in Vancouver’s best food carts, from the fusion favourite Japadog to Kaboom Box, perhaps the world’s only salmon-smoking food truck. Meet the chefs, tour the carts and stuff your face. $49 from Vancouver Foodie Tours

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Top 5 Guided Food Tours of Vancouver

First ever Vancouver International Tequila Expo, May 12

by Taraneh in Food & Drink on May 7, 2012

Poor tequila. It’s so misunderstood. Although often associated with Spring Break shots and brain-curdling hangovers, tequila is meant to be sipped and savored. Forget the salt and lime method Doug taught Kate in The Cutting Edge. It’s time to discover tequila’s sophisticated tasting notes.

The inaugural Vancouver International Tequila Expo (VITE) May 12, at Vancouver Convention Centre is a one-stop reeducation centre featuring over 60 different tequilas from Mexico’s finest artisan producers.

VITE kicks off with seminars on the agave spirit’s history, cultural significance and production. It ends with a bang-up Grand Tasting Hall where premium tequilas will be served with a Mexican-inspired menu.

Find out more about the VITE line-up after the jump. Continue reading:
First ever Vancouver International Tequila Expo, May 12

Tea for Mother’s Day 2012 – Special Afternoon Teas for Mother’s Day 2012 Vancouver

by Dana Lynch in Food & Drink on May 2, 2012

Afternoon Tea at the Castle at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Photo: MB Digital / Air Canada enRoute

Mother’s Day Brunch is a great way to treat Mom to a meal on Mother’s Day (May 13), but it may not be suited to all moms. I’m a mom, and, if your mother is anything like me, the one thing I’d love for Mother’s Day is to sleep in.

Luckily, there’s a wonderful alternative to Mother’s Day Brunch that lets Mom sleep in and still provides delicious food and a chance to celebrate: Afternoon Tea for Mother’s Day. This year, Vancouver has several special Mother’s Day Teas to choose from, from High Tea at MOV to a jazz-lovers tea to tea-plus-massage-and-a-mini makeover at Whole Foods (yeah, even Whole Foods is getting in on the Mother’s Day action this year).

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Tea for Mother’s Day 2012 – Special Afternoon Teas for Mother’s Day 2012 Vancouver

Rooftop Patio on Hotel Georgia Opens for the Summer

by Remy Scalza in Food & Drink on May 2, 2012

Photo credit: Rosewood Hotel Georgia

It may not feel like summer quite yet. But summer patio season in Vancouver is already heating up.

Among the newest contenders for the city’s coveted best patio title is a little-known lounge on the fourth floor of downtown’s restored 1927 Hotel Georgia: Reflections.

Reflections opened for the first time last summer and largely flew under the radar of die-hard patio fans. That’s a shame because it has to be among the most sexiest spots to grab a drink anywhere in Vancouver, indoors or out. But the good news is it just reopened for another season of al fresco cocktails and great people-watching.

But it’s not easy to find (and I think that’s half the fun). Wander into the venerable lobby of the Hotel Georgia – all hardwood wainscoting and crystal chandeliers – and you won’t see a sign for Reflections anywhere. Discretely ask the concierge, and he’ll point you to an elevator secreted away in the back of the hotel.

Take that to the fourth floor and prepare for a bit of a surprise. Continue reading:
Rooftop Patio on Hotel Georgia Opens for the Summer

Top Spots for Mother’s Day Brunch 2012 in Vancouver

by Dana Lynch in Food & Drink on April 30, 2012

Cafe Pacific's Mother's Day Brunch. Photo: Pan Pacific Vancouver Blog

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13, and a gourmet Mother’s Day Brunch is a time-honoured way to kick off the day’s celebrations. There are lots of options for Mother’s Day Brunch in Vancouver, but each of my top five picks has something special to offer Mom on her big day, from exceptional cuisine to five-star views to a unique mountain-cabin setting. Just don’t wait to make plans: Many of these brunches sell out fast!

5 Top Spots for Mother’s Day Brunch 2012 Vancouver – May 13, 2012

1. 2012 Mother’s Day Brunch at Cafe Pacifica at the Pan Pacific Vancouver
One of the Vancouver’s top spots for holiday brunches, Cafe Pacifica’s 2012 Mother’s Day Brunch has sold out for the last six years in a row (so make your reservations early). The lavish buffet includes Black Angus beef carpaccio, pheasant and pistachio terrine, chilled BC oysters, Kadai chicken curry, and maple-cured sablefish with yuzu-infused butter sauce, plus a Kids Buffet for younger, pickier eaters. Cost: $79 for adults, $71 for seniors, $39.50 for children ages 6-12; free for kids 5 and under.

Continue reading:
Top Spots for Mother’s Day Brunch 2012 in Vancouver

Top 5 Guided Food Tours of Vancouver

First ever Vancouver International Tequila Expo, May 12

Tea for Mother’s Day 2012 – Special Afternoon Teas for Mother’s Day 2012 Vancouver

Rooftop Patio on Hotel Georgia Opens for the Summer

Top Spots for Mother’s Day Brunch 2012 in Vancouver

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