Food and Drink

Sample delicious snacks, sip yummy drinks from local establishments to beloved brand names around the world. All sorts of tasty treats can be found here, so bring your eyes and stomach. Bon appétit!

EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival returns for 2013

Frederick Linsmeyer • April 7, 2013 • Food and Drink, Local
Carnitas taco with cilantro and lime

Carnitas taco at EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival 2012.

The EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival is just around the corner for their 11th year. Returning to BC Place Stadium, the edible event brings restaurants, bakers, growers, distributors, and artisans from not only the Lower Mainland but around BC, Canada and the world.

Of course, the Food Network Celebrity Stage is back with a number of familiar faces: Spice Goddess Bal Arneson, pastry chef Anna Olson from Bake with Anna Olson, Montreal-based chef Chuck Hughes from Chuck’s Week Off, and Rob Feenie — winner of Iron Chef: America and Food Concept Architect for Cactus Club Restaurants. If you didn’t see them last year, they’ll be here this time.

Those looking for gluten-free options can now enjoy EAT! Vancouver as there will be vendors on hand to demo products and solutions for those who suffer from allergies.

EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival will drive your tastebuds wild for three days this coming May: Friday, May 24th from 2:00 pm PDT until 9:00 pm PDT; Saturday, May 25th – 10:00 am PDT until 9:00 pm PDT and Sunday, May 26th – 10:00 am PDT until 5:00 pm PDT. Tickets purchased online will receive a $2.00 discount than those bought at the door.

If you’ve never been to EAT! Vancouver before, read up on my previous articles to learn more.

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EXP Restaurant + Bar review

Frederick Linsmeyer • March 23, 2013 • Food and Drink
EXP Restaurant + Bar

Various liquors at EXP Restaurant + Bar

Vancouver’s gaming scene just got a new level to explore; so grab some power-ups and top up your stamina at EXP Restaurant + Bar. On the edge of the downtown core and a few steps up from the corner Hamilton Street and West Pender Street (309 West Pender Street, to be exact), EXP is a unique establishment to chow down on digitally-themed grub and knock back a couple of drinks with your 2P (or 3P, 4P and so on). Read the rest of this article…

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Fraser Valley Food Show 2012

Frederick Linsmeyer • September 18, 2012 • Food and Drink

It was a delicious weekend at Abbotsford’s Tradex where the Fraser Valley Food Show brought everything food and drink related together under one roof.

Everything from sausage making to cheese tasting to handmade pastries gathered under the roof of Abbotsford’s Tradex for the Fraser Valley Food Show. The valley is home to a variety of farms, food producers and restaurants each with their own unique and delicious take on favourite flavours and cooking methods.

With half of the Tradex set aside for the event, it was still pretty packed. Booths lined the hall; the south end had the Great Canadian Sausage Making Competition with a demonstration stage while the north end served up the Bite of the Valley, Master Chef stage and the Wine, Beer and Spirits Tasting Pavilion.

Making our way through the venue proved quite challenging with the throngs of foodies and wide selection of mouthwatering morsels. The process was to make it through was simple: stop, sample, learn and repeat. I believe our group checked out most of the booths this time.

Milsean had staked out a corner location, offering their bit sized portions of their addictive demerara butter crunch. Even Tim Hortons was offering their latest creations: two styles of paninis  - one grilled cheese, the other chipotle turkey (maybe include a little more chipotle). There was neon green seaweed salad from Japan. Delicately crafted macarons. Jams, jellies and dried fruits from local orchards. Cured meats and savoury sausages. Creamy fudge in a rainbow of flavours. An array of oils and vinegars with bread chunks for dipping. I’m sure I missed half of the treats I tasted.

The Bite of the Valley section had a limited selection of restaurants, no more than five. While no two restaurants were the same, it couldn’t have hurt to add another two stalls for more to everyone to try. I did sample some plates from Frankie’s Italian Kitchen and An Indian Affair Restaurant. Yummy!

Onto the drinks! The Wine, Beer and Spirits Tasting Pavilion was overflowing with people and delicious libations. Local wines, aged rum, Japanese sake and even scotch (all I have to say is that it’s an acquired taste). With so much to sip, I could see how easy it was to over indulge yourself.

I’ve never been to the Tradex before, but the price was right – tickets were $2 off if purchased online or $9 at the door. My first visit to Fraser Valley Food Show made for an appetizing afternoon taking part of the community’s fare.

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The Fraser Valley Food Show

Frederick Linsmeyer • September 5, 2012 • Food and Drink, Local

The fertile Fraser Valley is home to farms that grow everything from juicy blueberries to succulent sweet corn, but that’s not all. The Fraser Valley Food Show takes all that is edible from the valley and brings it under one roof for a weekend of wining, dining, and cooking.

This year, experience the Great Canadian Sausage Making Competition where teams ranging from amateurs to corporate and professionals vie to make the best sausage. Churning out different types of wurst is a laborious task but with savoury results. Judges will get to sample the end product to determine the recipient of a $500 award. Other events include the Master Chef Competition where 16 chefs from around the province will cook off against the 2011 champion, Romeo Oloresisimo. Plus, there’s also the Food Network Celebrity Stage where big names in the industry like Reiko MacKenzie, Bal Arneson, William Tse, Chris Remington, Romeo Oloresisimo, and Patrick Dore will perform demonstrations and seminars using their skills.

Of course, you’ll want to save some room for Bite of the Valley. Here, local eateries will be serving up portions of their menus for your taste buds. And what better way to wash down those delicious dishes with a sampling of local and international wines, beers and spirits. Be sure to bring your appetite!

The Fraser Valley Food Show spans a three day weekend – Friday, September 14th through 16th, 2012 at the Tradex in Abbotsford. Tickets can be purchased online at a discount – $2 off the door price.

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Jarritos

Frederick Linsmeyer • July 2, 2012 • Food and Drink
Grapefruit Jarritos

Grapefruit Jarritos

I had never heard of Jarritos before until I sampled a cup last year at MexicoFest. After that first sip, I knew I was hooked. There’s something about Jarritos that has my tastebuds dancing.

A Mexican invention, Jarritos is Spanish for “little jars”, which explains the jugs on the label. First bottled south of the border in 1950, Jarritos has since flowed northwards into the United States and Canada.

Unlike most other carbonated beverages, Jarritos uses actual cane sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup for a more natural taste. Even better – the drink comes in a variety of flavours. Jarritos is made with mostly fruit-based ingredients: grapefruit, guava, fruit punch, tamarind, lime, mandarin, strawberry, pineapple, hibiscus, and Mexican cola.

I’m partial to the grapefruit, tamarind and Mexican cola flavours. Grapefruit is sweet, yet tangy. Tamarind has a distinct sweet but savoury taste to it. As for the Mexican cola flavour, it’s a little stronger than other cola-based brands. It took me a while to get used to the aroma, but it’s become one of my favourites.

I found that a few stores in Vancouver carry Jarritos, but their selection of flavours varies based on location. Bottles are available at South China Seas Trading Company, Fresh is Best Salsa and Company, and Cilantro and Jalapeno.

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The secret behind food in advertising

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 22, 2012 • Food and Drink, In Pictures

Most of us probably have a common question running through our brain when we go out for fast food – “why does my food look different than what’s advertised?” Well, McDonald’s Canada received that same question from a customer through their Our Food. Your Questions. web site.

Rather than responding in plain text, McDonald’s Director of Marketing, Hope Bagozzi, took a camera crew out to a restaurant and a photo studio to explain. There’s a bit of photographic trickery in making a simple hamburger look appetizing.

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EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival 2012

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 2, 2012 • Food and Drink, Local

Looking for a delicious way to spend a couple hours this weekend? EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival easily provides the city’s largest buffet in a sense — endless samples offered from local restaurants, vendors, producers, growers and importers. Previously held in the Vancouver Convention Centre, EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival moved to the recently renovated BC Place Stadium in a venue change. With the sun peeking through the new retractable roof — which was closed of course — foodies perused a massive selection of tasty treats from sweet-and-tangy imported Balsamic vinegar to hefty chunks of local salmon and more. Read the rest of this article…

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EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival 2011

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 11, 2011 • Food and Drink, Local

Belts beware! EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival returned for another delicious weekend with hearty samples and cooking ideas. Situated in the west building of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the food fair showcases the best of local restaurants, suppliers, and demonstrations with celebrity chefs!

In an updated layout from last year, many of the booths offered bite-sized samples of cheeses, meats, and dairy products in a tasty trail towards the restaurant stalls and dining tables. There didn’t seem to be any new faces this time as the same places from last year lined the end of the massive room. Of course, they didn’t disappoint with savoury sliders, tantalizing tacos, bubbling drinks, and rich pastry squares. These tapas-style dishes were available only for purchase with special tickets at select booths. Booths could be found throughout the event, with 10 tickets for $5 or 20 for $10.

I checked out the beer and wine tasting area and sampled some beer from Vancouver Island, which was brewed with local honey. Very light and refreshing. For a two ticket deposit, staff would give you a glass to sample various drinks — jugs of water and buckets were available to wash out the glasses so flavours didn’t mingle. While I was meandering through, there was a cocktail seminar going on with different drinks being sampled.

Of course, there isn’t just food for humans at EAT! Vancouver. Pet lovers can pick up some treats for their faithful companions from a wide selection of all-natural snacks, toys and care products.

While the festival did pick up as the day went on, there was much more space in between booths and tables. Last year the event was really crowded and it was hard to walk through, but the organizers had picked up on the feedback and made it a little more accessible. I love the venue because it’s easy to get to and just so nice.

EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival runs for one more day, so be sure to go in with an empty stomach. Visit the web site for exact times and to purchase tickets (there’s a discount if you buy them online!)

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EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival returns

Frederick Linsmeyer • March 10, 2011 • Food and Drink, Local
EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival Rob Feenie

Rob Feenie demonstrates how to handle red beets at last year

Foodies, get your taste buds ready! The EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival returns for 2011 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The west coast’s best restaurants, kitchens, retailers, growers and brewers will be back showcasing their creations and wares.

Hopefully, the crowding issue that plagued last year’s festival will be addressed this time. Make sure you bring your appetite and a few friends along for a delicious day out.

EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival runs from Friday, June 10th until Sunday, June 12th, 2011 in the west building of the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Visit the festival web site for hours and a list of all the participating exhibitors. No word on who the celebrity chefs will be this time around.

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EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival

Frederick Linsmeyer • May 29, 2010 • Food and Drink, Local
EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival crowds

Crowds inside the festival

Foodies, bring your appetites! The eighth annual EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival is going on for three days this weekend at the new Vancouver Convention Centre, just west of Canada Place. Celebrity chefs, local restaurateurs and food producers are showcasing their skills and creations for everyone to try.

Right when you walk in, your senses are overtaken with many wonderful flavours enticing you to taste. Most of the food was available tapas style with small, easy bites, while others overflowed the plates making an almost modest meal. However, the samples were not entirely free, seeing as you had to purchase tickets (separate from the price of admission) for each sample. Tickets are only available at a booth near the entrance, with 10 tickets for $5 or 20 for $10.

There is a wide selection of cuisines to choose from: Korean, Mexican, South Asian, Chinese, Peruvian, Italian, fusion, and local, just to name a few. For vegetarians, there are many non-meat dishes, soups and alternatives available. Some booths had free samples of cheeses, breads, local honey and fruits which was all fresh and tasty.

EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival Rob Feenie

Rob Feenie demonstrates how to handle red beets

Of course, aside from the snacking, there were plenty of interactive demonstrations focusing on food preparation and unique utensils. Chef Rob Feenie was up on stage preparing red beets for a seafood dish and providing tips on how to handle the vegetable. Other booths catered to personal health and wellbeing along with pet food and nutrition.

The only downside is that the room gets crowded pretty quickly and if you’re carrying a plate, it’s easy to drop the contents or have them spill on someone else. That and there weren’t too many garbage cans around, and the ones that were available, you had to artfully stack your plate or cutlery on top of the teetering pile.

The festival runs for one more day, this Sunday, so go early and make sure your stomach is empty. Remember, buy your tickets online to save $3 off the full price for admission. EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival is definitely worth attending.

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