Browsing “Local Business”

ORU! The amazing restaurant in the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel revamped it entire menu (and restaurant) and invited myself and some other Vancouver bloggers to check it out.
We first stopped in the Skybar lounge to sample from that menu, then took a tour of the restaurant and kitchens, then sat down to an amazing feast! Check it all out after the jump!
…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

DINNER WITH… pairs interesting Vancouverites with top notch restaurants. We want to showcase the minds and menus of some of our favourite people and establishments. We’ll pick their brains, while they devour their dinner, and hopefully YOU will come away inspired, enlightened and hungry…

And we’re back! And it’s a…

DINNER WITH… BRICE FERRE!

Brice is another one of VIA’s talented photographers – shooting for our LOVE is a Four Letter Word series, as well as some of the Vancouver’s Most Awesome posts. And funny enough he and his wonderful lady were subjects in the LOVE series, (which I photographed) so this was not our first meeting!

Brice and I have been trying to have this dinner at West in our shared neighbourhood (South Granville) for a LONG time, and it finally happened. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Everything from the staff to the food was perfect…and in fact we spent FIVE HOURS there. Bliss…

I’m always afraid I’ll fill up on bread, but these warm housemade buns were too amazing to pass up.

West’s Cocktail Menu is …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

The 23rd Annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards were held on Monday, and once again, they didn’t disappoint! Between the food, the drink, the who’s-who of the restaurant industry and the awards…it was an amazing afternoon.

You can check out some of the shots below and see all the winners here (spoiler: Hawksworth cleaned up!)

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

V.I.A.’s Home Grown features only the most awesome companies in Vancouver. From tiny, single-person operations to the big players, we profile our favourite businesses and interview their owners and operators.

Brodie Established 1986 brodiebikes.com

Brodie Bicycles is a Vancouver-based bike company who are all about making their customers smile and seeing them enjoy the bikes they’ve created. What makes them particularly awesome is something which many people don’t realize: they’re a small business which does everything with only 5 full-time staff and a few part-time sales reps. Much smaller than other local Canadian brands they work as a small team, all pitching in. Whether at the bottom of the totem pole or the top, they’re all equal and they are certainly pumping out some great product.

We asked Brodie’s president, Roger Yip, a few questions about his business in Vancouver.

If Brodie is known for one things amongst its customers, what would it be? Our dealers would know us for our relationships we’ve built with them over the years.  In a normal situation you would have an account rep, but as a small tight-knit group our dealers are comfortable dealing with anyone that picks up the phone or services them: We all usually know what’s going on with each others work. Having these close relationships, going beyond our call of duty isn’t usually out of the ordinary whether it’s for our dealers or end-consumers. Producing different styles of bicycles, we’re not really known for “one certain” thing with the people riding our bikes. That being said, we’re known for certain iconic items we’ve produced over the years including the sloping top-tube mountain bike, hand-built cross country frames, box tube mountain bikes and lifestyle bicycles… *sloping top tube: Paul Brodie was one of the first innovators of the classic “sloping top tube” allowing for more clearance on aggressive style riding. *hand-built frames: The original hand-built steel XC frames (Expresso/Sovereign) are still lusted over by many riders *box tube: We were one of the first ones to come out with an aggressive aluminum hard-tail with box tubing, the Holeshot *lifestyle bikes: Today, our best selling bicycles include commuters, cruisers and touring bikes as well as niche products which include things like the Shimano internal gear systems: Nexus and Alfine What’s your favourite place to ride your bike in the city? Vancouver offers such a variety of riding that it’s impossible to pick a favorite place or type of riding.  On an any given day depending on your mood, you can ride the North Shore Mountains, take a Stanely Park seawall cruise or stretch your legs out for a long ride around UBC: None better than the other.

Aside from Brodie, what’s your favourite Vancouver business and why?
We’ve always loved 1-800-GOT-JUNK not just because we have some friends over there, but because of their story. Starting out as a one-man operation, Brian Scudamore was able to build an empire out of nothing. Home grown out of Vancouver as well, they’re success and practices are something we truly admire.

What keeps you here? Like what’s the best thing about Vancouver?
Vancouver has a unique community and lifestyle feel to it and on a sunny, beautiful day you understand what’s to love about being here.  Where else can you be out on the ocean, hike, bike, and snowboard all in one day?

brodiebikes.com

It’s back! Obscura Day 2012 is upon us!

What is Obscura Day you ask? It is an international celebration of unusual places. It is a day of expeditions, back room tours, & exploring hidden wonders in your own hometown.
It takes place in cities and towns all over the world, including here in Vancouver.

Last year there were several events including tours of the Vancouver Police Museum (showing off the city’s former morgue!) and this year on April 28th Vancouver’s Chinese Gardens are opening their doors and showing off the grotto beneath Ting Mountain!

“Caves have traditionally been thought of as transportational dwelling places of immortal or otherworldly beings. For the first time ever, on Obscura Day, join us for an hour-long guided tour to explore the stories and mythologies that enforce the mysterious call of the grotto.”

Sure to be beautiful and exciting, I’ll be there and you can too…grab tickets to one of the four sessions QUICK as they’re selling out fast.

It’s baaaaack!
55+ Breweries, 70+ Venues, 9 Days of Beer!… Vancouver Craft Beer Week is back for another round.
Remember last year? Well, if you attended, maybe it’s more like a hops-induced-fog…but to jog your memory you can see the One, Two, Three, posts I made last year about this amazing week in Vancouver.

VCBW brings together the best in BC (and international) brewing and some amazing venues/restaurants, not to mention food, together across Vancouver, and this year I’m beyond excited to see MUSIC added into the mix. (The VIAindie side of me had a flutter of happiness when spotting local indie bands within the events).

The schedule is out, and the tickets are starting to go fast (some events are ALREADY sold out)…
Hopefully you’ll see me at some of them camera in one hand and beer in the other.

If you’re into VCBW I’m sure you remember last year’s video (kinda hard not to)…here is this year’s:

Brewers = Rockstars. Terry David Mulligan = Amazing.

You can also follow VCBW on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

SCENE AND HEARD showcases the independent music scene here in Vancouver. We post weekly guest playlists comprised of Vancouver artists, “Last Week In Music” covers concerts in the city and “Last Week in Vogue Productions” highlights some of the shows and events produced by some of our favourite people in town…

“Last Month In Vogue Productions” is back! Once a month I’m going to let you know about the awesome things that are coming up and highlight the shows that happened in the past month! Vogue Productions isn’t (just) about the theatre (although we’ll have many shots from shows there!), they put on shows all around Vancouver with some of our favourite artists, as you’ll see in the listings below! This month coming up is INSANE and packed with amazing talent. So take note…

The photos this post are from the Straight No Chaser show at the Vogue on March 15th. A ten-man a cappella group, kind of like seeing a talented boy band live doing covers of famous songs from Buddy Holly to The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The crowd LOVED it.

COMING SOON from VOGUE PRODUCTIONS:  April 4th, Rococode CD Release for Guns, Sex & Glory at the Electric Owl! The Barr Brothers are at St James Hall on the 10th, TWO shows to choose from on the 12th (or be like me and go to both!) Jeremy Fisher at St James Hall, and The Wooden Sky w/ Sunparlour Players at the Biltmore! April 21st you can catch Shane Koyczan & The Short Story Long at the Vogue…and on April 30th The Jezabels w/ Benjamin Francis Leftwich are at the Longhorn Saloon. Cut to May and the return of Said The Whale, and Chains of Love, at the Vogue on the 3rd. Finally June 14th Patrick Watson will be at the Vogue, and if it’s anything like the last time I saw him there, you DO NOT want to miss this!!! And lastly, and just recently announced: Hey Ocean! is having their CD Release show for their album “IS” on June 16th at the Vogue. Keep an eye on Last Week In Music for up to date listings and we’ll see you next month!

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

With photos and video by Destin Haynes

The Dante’s Inferno. The Sugar High. The Cock Block.

One of the best parts of inventing a cocktail is coming up with the name.

That’s what we learned at Metropolitan Bartending School’s bar chef course, which teaches the secrets behind blending the best of the kitchen and the bar.

A stuffed moose head greets visitors to the Metropolitan Bartending School.

Led by Vancouver bartender extraordinaire Micah Dew, bartenders-in-training and casual drinkers alike are led through a three-and-a-half hour crash course on concocting delicious cocktails by stirring, shaking, blending and muddling fruits, vegetables and herbs with spirits.

Bar chef students are provided with a variety of fresh ingredients to use in the creation of cocktails.

Here’s what we came up with (try at your own risk):

The Southern Bell

Ingredients

Peach
Red pepper
Jim Beam whiskey
Ginger ale

Garnish

Red pepper strip and rolled-up peach skin

Directions

Muddle peach and red pepper (a.k.a. Bell pepper. Get it?) in shaker glass. Add whiskey. Shake with ice and strain into glass. Fill with ginger ale. Garnish with strip of red pepper and rolled-up skin of peach.

The Harry Nilsson

Ingredients

Granny smith apple
Lime
Pineapple
Bacardi white rum
Coconut milk
Cinnamon

Garnish

Wedge of granny smith apple

Directions

Muddle apple, lime and pineapple in shaker glass. Add rum. Shake with ice and strain into glass. Fill with coconut milk (“She put the coconut in the lime…” Close enough). Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Sprinkle cinnamon on apple wedge. Use as garnish.

We concocted the spicy Southern Bell (left) and the tropics-inspired Harry Nilsson.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>