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Vancouver Foodster Best Taco Challenge is at hand

Taco Tuesdays take on new meaning this month as the Vancouver Foodster Best Taco Challenge gets under way, today May 3rd until May 27th.

Chefs near and far around the region have been challenged to create a taco that best exemplifies their restaurant. Vancouver Foodster has given the chefs free reign on their creations to make whatever their imagination dreams up; complicated or simple, traditional or uniquely non-traditional, vegetarian or meat-filled.

The public is invited to try out any or all of the Taco Challenge dishes then vote for their favourite creation at vancouverfoodster.com/taco-challenge

In addition to the public vote, a panel of media judges, of which I’m proud and excited to be one, will be tasting the Best Taco Challenge entries to choose the Judges Choice Winner.

Follow me @jminter on Twitter and Instagram to see the Taco Challenge creations landing on my plate and those of the other Media Judges too

James Chung : Founder & Editor of hellovancity.com
Twitter: HelloVancity
Instagram: hellovancity

Teresa Ly :  Foodie
Instagram: teelythefoodie

Get out and get your tacos and be sure to vote for your favourites!
The participating restaurants and dish details on the Vancouver Foodster Best Taco Challenge are;

La Cantina Tacos, 722 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Las Tortas, 3353 Cambie Street, Vancouver

Maizal, 2815 Main Street, Vancouver

Patron Tacos & Cantina, 265 Robson Street, Vancouver 

Hugo’s Churros, 7899 Templeton Station Road, Richmond 

Hugo’s Mexican Kitchen, 19151 Fraser Highway, Surrey 

Hopcott Meats, 18385 Old Dewdney Trunk Road, Pitt Meadows

Hugo’s Mexican Food, 7101 Vedder Rd, Chilliwack

Ready, set, Tacos! See you out there

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22nd Annual Where to Dine Awards Announced

Earlier this week, Where Vancouver Magazine presented their 22nd annual Where to Dine Awards at D/6 Bar and Lounge in the Douglas Hotel.

Attendees mixed and mingled with the finalist over delicious bites from the Parq Vancouver restaurants; D6, Honey Salt, BC Kitchen, 1886, Mrkt East and The Victor. Then as man-about-town Fred Lee hosted the ceremony, Where magazine presented the 2018 restaurants selected where to dine in Vancouver and Whistler.  Where readers were asked to select 22 of the 29 awards with the remaining selected by the magazines critics and editors.

The Where To Dine Awards went to;

READERS’ CHOICE – VANCOUVER

Vikram Vij received the first award of the afternoon

Indian: Vij’s Restaurant
Chinese: Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie
Japanese: Miku Restaurant
Asian: Chi Modern Vietnamese Kitchen
Latin: Cuchillo
Italian: Savio Volpe
Patio: Cactus Club Cafe
Pub Fare: The Irish Heather
Beer Experience: Parallel 49 Brewing
Seafood: Blue Water Cafe
Food Cart: Japadog
West Coast: Coast
French: Le Crocodile
Steak: Gotham Steakhouse & Bar
European: Bauhaus
Brunch: Twisted Fork Bistro
Fine Dining: Hawksworth Restaurant
Dessert: Thierry
Hotel Dining: Notch8 Restaurant & Bar at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

READERS’ CHOICE – WHISTLER

Casual Dining: Caramba! Restaurante
Après-Ski: Dusty’s Bar & BBQ
Fine Dining: Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar

CRITICS’ CHOICE

Fanny Bay Oyster Bar received the Sustainable Seafood Award, presented with BC Seafood Alliance, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre went to  for best exemplifying the practices of sourcing, serving and promoting sustainable species outlined under the Ocean Wise Program.

Five Sails Restaurant received the Silver Service Award, presented by members of Les Clefs d’Or BC, for consistently delivering the ultimate guest experience: an exceptional combination of food, service and hospitality.

Frank Pabst of Blue Water Cage received the Leadership Award for his impact on Vancouver’s dining scene.

Mary Mackay of Terra Breads received The Les Dames d’Escoffier Trailblazer Award recognizing her long-time commitment to excellence.

Where Vancouver food editor Tim Pawsey presented The Salmon House on the Hill with the Editor’s Choice award.  Botanist as Vancouver’s Best New Restaurant,  and Hunter Gather as Whistler’s Best New Restaurant.

To check out more details on all the winners of the Where To Dine 2018 list, pick up a copy of the May edition of Where Vancouver Magazine.

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Canada Women’s Sevens Single Tickets On Sale Now

This week single-day tickets for HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens, May 12-13, 2018, went on sale. The two-day tournament is hosted at the home of Canadian Rugby at Westhills Stadium in Langford BC, and will feature twelve of the world’s top women’s rugby sevens teams on Canadian soil. 

General Admission tickets are $30.00, with a reduced-price point of $25.00 for groups of 10 or more, and $35.00 for select Reserved seating.  In its fourth year the HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens will also offer a unique promotion in honour of Mother’s Day on the tournament’s Sunday, May 13th. Fans can buy three GA tickets and get a fourth ticket for free with the promo code MOMPLUS3, the perfect way for the family to celebrate Mom and cheer on our Rugby Canada Women. With Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, and USA coming to Westhills, fans are sure to witness some of the finest rugby.

“Year over year, the HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens in Langford proves to be a great weekend for die-hard rugby enthusiasts, families of all ages, and the community at large that supports our players and our programs year-round,” said Allen Vansen, Rugby Canada CEO. “Once again, we look forward to welcoming the world’s best women’s sevens teams to Langford, and we strongly encourage the public to come out and be a part of this world-class weekend.”

The HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens is the fourth stop on the five-stop Women’s Sevens Series, which wraps in Paris on June 10. After three competitions, the Canadian Women’s Sevens team sits in fifth in the standings, hoping a successful showing in Langford will return the team to their usual Top Three ranking. Last year, in Langford, Canadian Women placed second, in an electric match against New Zealand who scored late to seal their victory. This year, Canadian women will be seeking their first tournament title on home soil to push them up the rankings.

Tickets for HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens can be purchased through canadasevens.com or by calling the Ticket Rocket Box Office: 1-855-842-7575 – hours 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

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Get Your Tickets For Tasting Plate Kitsilano, May 9th

Vancouver Foodster brings you another chance to explore one of Vancouver’s flavourful neighbourhoods with Tasting Plates Kitsilano coming up on May 9, 2018.

The West Side neighbourhood is home to a vast array of restaurant styles, tastes and menus.  As with all Tasting Plates events, chefs from the area restaurants and eateries will share a tasting plate or cup that they think exemplifies their kitchen with the hungry tasting platers. Gather your friends and fellow foodies to roam along West Broadway and learn about the establishments from the proprietors and chefs.  Tasting Plates begins at the to be announced check-in location where patrons can register and collect their Tasting Plates maps to guide you on your journey around the ‘hood.

Tasting Plates Kitsilano is expected to include stops at;

Sencha Tea Lounge, 3468 W Broadway

Olympia Pizza, 3205 W Broadway

Be Fresh Market, 2951 W Broadway

Bon Macaron, 2823 W Broadway

Look for more Tasting Plates spots closer to May 9th. Then get your walking shoes and stretchy pants, and get ready to explore Kitsilano.

Early Bird Tickets for Tasting Plates Kitsilano are on sale at Eventbrite before May 4th.

 

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5th Annual Capture Photography Festival captures April

This week, the 5th Annual Capture Photography Festival opens another month-long celebration of photography and lens-based art forms.  Until April 30th, a hundred-plus free and ticketed exhibits cover the city like the spring blossoms, bringing colour, and sometimes black & white, images to public spaces and galleries.

Capture Photography Festival is devoted to exhibiting challenging and thought-provoking photography from local and international artists.  Since 2013, the not-for-profit Festival nurtures emerging artists and engages the public with tours, films, talks, events and exhibitions at dozens of galleries and community spaces throughout Greater Vancouver as part of the Festival’s Selected and Open Exhibition Programs.

Festival Opening

Some of the public installations have been popping up at Transit stations already, but the official kick-off, takes place this Thursday, April 5th with the festival launch and Featured Exhibition, The Blue Hour, opening at Contemporary Art Gallery, 555 Nelson Street.  In addition to the Metro Vancouver based installations, Capture Photography Festival also reaches throughout BC with three television features on Knowledge Network; Jeff Wall: In Order to Make a Picture, and The Salt of the Earth on Tuesday April 3rd, and Annie Leibowitz: Life Through a Lens on April 5th.

I Was a Teenage Skateboarder in the 90s

Capture Photography Festival runs throughout the month of April 2018, for the full calendar of events visit capturephotofest.com

 

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5 Egg-celent Easter Events for 2018

The Easter Long Weekend is upon us, spring should be here and after a long winter people are anxious to get outside for some Easter fun.

Here’s a few family friendly fun events to get you and yours out hunting Easter Eggs and visiting the Easter Bunny.

VanDusen Great A-Maze-Ing Easter Egg Hunt
From Friday to Sunday, kids can take part in an outdoor Easter Egg hunt at the beautiful VanDusen Botanical Gardens.

Stanley Park Train Easter Fair
From Thursday to Monday, take a ride with the Easter Bunny on the iconic miniature train and look for his buck-toothed friends as you ride through the Stanley Park woods.

 

Vancouver Aquarium Easter Scavenger Hunt
Throughout the weekend, take a self-guided tour through the Aquarium looking for the inhabitants and their eggs & Easter treats.

Big Easter Run 2018
Saturday, hop around Jericho Beach Park on the Big Easter Run,  join in a 5k, 10k (adults) or 1k (kids) supporting Canuck Place.

 

 

Brunch Buffet
After you’ve burned off all those calories and energy running around the park or hunting Eggs, you’ll need something to eat. Check out some of the great Easter Brunch Buffets around the City at; Notch 8, Boulevard, Oceans 999, Yew seafood + bar and plenty more.

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Made On Salt Spring comes to Vancouver

For many visitors to Salt Spring Island, the Saturday Market is a favourite destination on the Gulf Island. However, it’s not always simple to get away to check out the market and island but this weekend there’s good news, as Made On Salt Spring comes to Heritage Hall in Vancouver.

Made on Salt Spring, a curated indoor market, visits Vancouver tomorrow March 23 until Sunday March 25, featuring the products of dozens of makers, creators and designers bringing a piece of the “Rock” with them.

Made on Salt Spring provides a unique opportunity to meet a talented community of inspirational creators the week before the Saturday Market opens, for the season, on the Island.  “We’re very excited to bring Made on Salt Spring to the city to showcase the best of the Island to a mainland audience,” says Made on Salt Spring organizer and artisan Álvaro Sánchez. “We live in a close-knit, supportive community and this is an opportunity for Vancouverites to enjoy the charm of Salt Spring’s rural ambience at a relaxed indoor market where there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”

Here’s your chance to discover the wares of woodworkers, designers, jewellers, weavers, and artisans.

Some of the featured Salt Spring artisans include:

·      Wheel-thrown, hand-painted functional stoneware from B’s Pottery
·      Original oil paintings, limited edition prints and cards by Stefanie Denz
·      Salt Spring Wild Cider from local wild apples;
·      Traditionally fermented vinegars from Salt Spring Island Artisan Vinegar
·      Organic baby clothes & kids’ tees from Boogaloo Bubbywear
·      Hand-crafted all-natural soaps and shampoos from The Bubble and Squeak Soapery
·      Handcrafted, small batch vodka and gin from Salt Spring Shine Craft Distillery 

plus many more unique Made On Salt Spring fine finds.

Made On Salt Spring runs March 23 to March 25 at Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street.
Doors Open:
4pm – 9pm Friday, March 23
10am – 6pm Saturday, March 24
11am – 5pm Sunday, March 25

Admission is $5 for adults, and free for kids under 12 years. The first 25 people through the door each day will take home goodie bags filled with samples and coupons from island vendors, with 10 additional bags up for grabs throughout the day.