September 2016 - West Coast Food

Wineries September 27, 2016

Pairing History and Fruit Wines at the Fort Wine Co.

By Kathy Mak When it comes to fruit wines, it seems those made from grapes get most of the love. But in the Fraser Valley, wines made from fruit beyond grapes, especially berries, are thriving and rising in popularity. There are nearly as many non-grape fruit wineries as there are grape-based fruit wineries, and it’s easy to see why when there’s a plethora of berry farms in the region. The first berry farm in the Fraser Valley to produce grape-free table and dessert wines was the Fort Wine Co., which started as a cranberry farm. In 2001, their winery opened on the farm and today is one of a dozen wineries, and growing, in the valley dedicated to making berry-driven wines. They are also the only fruit winery in the Fort Langley area. The wine maker, Toby Bowman, takes the lead in producing 10 different fruit wine varieties (5 table…

Farms September 26, 2016

For the Sake of Saké: Local, Artisanal and Sustainable Rice Wine

By Joanne Sasvari If you think sake is a boiling hot beverage that tastes like turpentine, well, you clearly haven’t tasted Masa Shiroki’s handcrafted sakes. Since 2007, when he became Canada’s first producer of premium craft sake, he’s been making rice wines that taste delicately of citrus, apple, pineapple and brioche, with notes of spice and touches of herbaceousness. Not a hint of turpentine anywhere. A couple years after he started producing his Osake brand, Shiroki started growing his own rice in the Fraser Valley, making his rice wine a truly local and sustainable product. Now he’s heading up Vancouver’s first (and, he hopes, annual) Sake Fest. On Sept. 29, 2016, when 21 producers will gather at the Imperial in Chinatown, where they will pour some 100 different types of sake. Kampai! “It’s been a long time coming,” Shiroki says. Sake is a fermented beverage made from rice, water and…

Festivals & Events September 23, 2016

A Historic Paddleboat Dinner Tour on the Fraser River

By Kristi Alexandra It’s one of New Westminster’s most iconic landmarks — the catch is it isn’t always on land. Returning gourmands will be all aboard the Paddlewheeler, the 100-passenger, authentic replica of a sternwheeler that would have worked the mighty Fraser in British Columbia in the mid-19th century and beyond. Part-epicurean and part-history, the dinner cruise, held October 1st, 2016, is a highlight for the second-annual Feast on the Fraser event put on by Tourism New Westminster. Kicking off on Sept. 23, the 10-day Feast on the Fraser festival features locally-inspired menus from participating Royal City restaurants — not the least of which includes the back-by-popular-demand dinner cruise. “While New Westminster is already well known as a food destination in the Lower Mainland, this is a great way to showcase the city’s diverse restaurants – and flavours of the Fraser Valley – in a tasty and creative way,” says…

Festivals & Events September 22, 2016

From Farm to Table and Back Again at Feast of Fields in The Fraser Valley

By Ashley Lockyer Take a gourmet stroll off the beaten path, spend the afternoon with top chefs, and leave filled with stories of food and the people that bring it to life. Local culinary celebrations don’t get bigger than the annual Feast of Fields festival, held this year at Laurica Farm and Fraser Common Farm in Langley. Once you wander through the gates (and past some goats and pigs), British Columbia’s food and beverage artisans await to offer a complete taste of the region. Guests meander between tents and sample dishes that highlight local produce, prepared by more than 50 restaurants, farmers, and beverage crafters. Live music, orchards, and the open sky provide ambiance. Whether you’re into craft beers, ciders, or wines, or are looking for a chance to experience the province’s culinary creativity this “wandering gourmet harvest festival” includes items you won’t find on restaurant menus. And, it’s not…

Family Friendly September 20, 2016

Corn Mazes and Autumn Family Adventure in the Fraser Valley

Photos by Michele Mateus Words by Alexis Baran Goodbye summer heat, hello crisp morning air, vibrant sunsets, giant sweaters, hot apple ciders, and pumpkin spiced everything. Leave the long city shadows for a day and to head where the waning sun lights up expansive golden corn fields. Many of the kind farmers in the Fraser Valley will let you and your family run gleefully through their crop labyrinths – and they also have hot drinks (or cold craft beer depending on where you go), giant trampolines, and many things to climb, drive, and ride. If you are so inclined, they’ll even let you and/or your kids shoot produce out of cannons (yes, there are pumpkin cannons). (A full list of Fraser Valley corn mazes after the photo essay.) Maan Farms Open: August – October Activities: Daytime corn maze, flashlight corn maze (select October dates), haunted corn maze (select October dates),…

Festivals & Events September 19, 2016

Feast on the Fraser River in New Westminster

by Catherine Dunwoody New Westminster’s culinary scene is getting more impressive by the day, and the Feast on the Fraser 10-day festival showcases the bounty of great food grown and produced along the mighty Fraser River. With a different signature event each day, and The Fraser Valley a proud sponsor, Feast on the Fraser ensures that New Westminster local businesses have sourced at least one ingredient from Langley, Abbotsford, or Chilliwack farmers and providers. Kicking off on September 23rd in the River Market, $45 will give you a sampling of tastes for the next 9 days with eateries like Wild Rice Bistro, El Santo, Longtail Kitchen, MATCH Eatery, Tre Galli involved, and your choice of beer or wine from Steel & Oak or Pacific Breeze Winery. Noshing, sipping and live entertainment – think of it as a mini Feast on the Fraser under one roof. If you have time to…

Farms September 13, 2016

A Trip to Milner Valley Cheese in Langley: Proof That Farming Evolves

By Nikki Hillman Every Sunday, when I was younger, my family would take the car for a drive. There was usually a rough idea of where we were going to explore; sometimes it was a new neighborhood with half-finished homes for us to wander through or sometimes it was just a drive through the farm areas of Maple Ridge, Langley or Abbotsford. Now that my children are old enough to be on their own, we’ve also started to take Sunday drives but I like to have a destination, and for this trip I chose Milner Valley Cheese. I’d read about them online and I was intrigued by the idea of goat’s milk gelato. I was also surprised to find out that while goat’s milk contains lactose it doesn’t contain a certain type of protein found in cow’s milk. This protein can be what lactose intolerant people are allergic to and…

Shops & Markets September 7, 2016

Gorge Your Global Palate at New Westminster’s River Market

By Kristi Alexandra The River Market is thriving with multicultural cuisines, and really is a bon marché of sorts. From Hainanese poultry to European sweet treats, the River Market is a hot bed of gastronomic discovery, so you can live the life of a travelling gourmand without the pricey plane ticket. Bon appetite… or should we say bon voyage? Italian Aa a country built on its reputation for personal pleasure, it’s no secret Italians pride themselves on their indulgences. Those “indulgences” include fine cheeses, cured meats and, of course, gelato. Grab a made-to-order Italian sandwich at the La Grotta Del Formaggio’s deli counter inside Donald’s Market, along with some plum olives, and enjoy it as a picnic at the adjacent Pier Park. A scoop of Tre Galli Gelato’s homemade lemon gelato in a waffle cone will transport your tastebuds to Florence. Thai Fitting that traditional Thai coastal cuisine should be…

Farms September 6, 2016

A Sweet Experience at The Honeybee Centre in Surrey

By Lenée Son Located in the agricultural centre of Surrey, 20 minutes from the USA border, the Honeybee Centre is buzzing with things to do and eat. As a commercial honey farm, the Centre produces their own natural honey which you can taste and purchase at their Country Store. They also have a Visitor Centre, where you can learn about the amazing world of the honeybee through a tour or beekeeping course. Their latest creation, Fry’s Corner Beestro, offers a divine dining experience in a modern greenhouse dining room. Whether you are a honey connoisseur, a beekeeping aficionado, or you are looking for an educational activity to bond over with your little ones, The Honeybee Centre has something for you. Fry’s Corner Beestro Indulge in a decadent honey inspired menu at the Honeybee Centre’s Fry’s Corner Beestro, a revamped modern greenhouse turned bistro. A favourite on their seasonal menu is…

Festivals & Events September 2, 2016

Save your Breath for the 2016 Chilliwack Garlic Festival

By Anna Black This year’s Chilliwack Garlic Festival, now in its sixth year, is being dubbed by organizers as being “bigger, smellier, and more rockn’ than ever!” Featuring local vendors, food trucks (such as GQ, Bannock Wagon, Teriyaki Boys, Lenny’s Lemonade), music, events, a beer and wine garden, kids zone, and of course garlic, the festival takes place September 17th and 18th at Fantasy Farms in Chilliwack. Featured performers at this year’s festival include Steve “Elvis Elite” Elliott, Cambree Lovesy, Magpie, The Outdoor Poets, The Dusty Aces, Lb4Lb, and more. There will be a busking and main stages. New to the Chilliwack Garlic Festival this year is the addition of two Fantasy Farms chili cook-offs in support of Chilliwack Community Services’ Christmas sharing program. Open to both amateur and professional chili cooks, the first event is sanctioned by The Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI), a non-profit that raises money for local charities by promoting American red chili. Cooks…