January 2018 - West Coast Food

Craft Beer January 31, 2018

Embrace the Winter Taps in New Westminster and Richmond

By Kristi Alexandra Winter’s far from over, but the Christmas rush has many of our local craft breweries drying up their stores of limited release selections. If you’ve got a hankering to bring back the holiday season with a few sips of the suds just north of the Fraser, here’s where you can still pour some pints in New Westminster and Richmond. Steel and Oak 1319 3rd Ave, New Westminster This Third Street brewery is still going strong with its limited release, Windrose. This four-grain porter will bring you back to Christmas morning by the fire with the rich taste of chocolate, caramel and toffee fit for overindulging. Sadly, you won’t find it on tap but there are still a few cases of the Zusammen Cardamom Fig Stout floating around Metro Vancouver liquor store shelves. This spicy beverage was brewed by the women of Steel and Oak along with Head…

Festivals & Events January 29, 2018

Unsung Heroes Festival Dares You to Eat Barnacles and Jellyfish in Vancouver

The Blue Water Café in Vancouver makes it easy to brag about your culinary audacity this February with the Unsung Heroes Festival.

Craft Beer January 24, 2018

Winter Beers in Vancouver are Still Pouring Strong

By Kristi Alexandra Though the holidays have passed, winter doesn’t officially end until well into March, and nor do the city’s seasonal brews. While it may be too late for that craft beer advent calendar, the seasonal suds are still flowing with these Vancouver-based beers. We suggest you run, don’t walk, to find the following beers in the city before they stop flowing (and most definitely, don’t drive after). Postmark Brewing 55 Dunlevy Ave. Winter Warmer Bring it in for a classic, with touches so subtle you could drink this all-year-long. Dark, rich malts find themselves in a warming ale with refreshingly minimal spices. Parallel 49 1950 Triumph St. Broken Resolution Cherry Baltic Porter Finally, a winter beer that looks beyond December 25th. For when you give up on sober January, grab a hold of Parallel 49’s twist on the classic English Porter. Chocolate, plum, and a bright tart, cherry…

Where to Eat January 23, 2018

New Richmond Restaurants to Try in 2018

By VisitRichmondBC.com The arrival of 2018 heralds the chance to start afresh and to seek out new dining adventures in Metro Vancouver. Richmond, as an exciting nexus of so many different culinary traditions, is constantly evolving as a dining destination. In the last six months, many new restaurants have launched, adding their menus to the breadth of options available in the city. Here are five establishments to kick-start your 2018 dining adventures. I Love Fish 132-4200 No. 3 Road In the last few years, a host of different hot pot restaurants have emerged in Richmond, offering their take on this delicious and interactive dining experience. I Love Fish one of the most recent entrants that specializes in (you guessed it) fish hot pot, Chongqing style. The room is a colourful space with a graffitied pop art aesthetic and servers are helpful and attentive. When you arrive, you’ll be presented with…

Craft Beer January 17, 2018

Wintery Seasonal Craft Beer in Surrey and Coquitlam

By Brittany Tiplady Beer can be romanticized in so many ways but the great Charles Bukowski nailed it: “stay with the beer,” he penned “beer is continuous blood. A continuous lover.” The holidays have come and gone, but Metro Vancouver’s mild winter weather is here to stay, at least for a few months. Curl up with these seasonal winter brews found in Surrey, White Rock and Coquitlam. Russell Brewing Company 13018 80 Ave, Surrey Winter Stout, 6.5% The name says it all. Available now in 650ml at private liquor stores, Russell Brewing’s Winter Stout is chock-full of chocolate and black malts and roasted barley. Black Death Porter, 6.5% Buckle up for this one! The Black Death Porter, part of Russell Brewing’s Brewmaster Seasonal Series, is a heavy porter brewed with Canadian and Scottish malted barley. Find it on tap or on the shelves at private liquor stores but buyer beware:…

Family Friendly January 16, 2018

Board Games are On the Menu at Pizzeria Ludica in Vancouver and New Westminster

By Kristi Alexandra Imagine taking your two favourite pastimes and making them into a business. That’s what Pizzeria Ludica owner Daryl Boone decided to do. He and his wife opened up their first restaurant on Vancouver’s Keefer Street four years ago, combining the two things they loved to do together most: share a meal and play board games. “The idea is that people can come and order food, and after they’ve eaten they can stay up to two hours to play board games,” Boone tells WestCoastFood. “I’ve been in the board game hobby for 10-plus years with my wife, and we’ve been looking for a small business to do together for a long time,” he says, “we thought we’d really like it if there were more restaurants out there that had more board games.” So they decided to do it themselves, adding some of their own personal collection to the…

Festivals & Events January 11, 2018

Try These Richmond Restaurants During the Dine Out Vancouver Festival

By VisitRichmondBC.com Dine Out Vancouver has started its 16th season, and we’ve compiled every single participating restaurant in Richmond – there are 18 in total, and we’ve even included what you should eat at each of them. $20 Menu The Flying Beaver Bar & Grill Watch float planes land and take off at this unique bar & grill located on the north arm of the Fraser River, as you enjoy your Dine Out meal here! Offering both a dinner and lunch menu (both $20 each), we’d pick the clam chowder, the hoisin ginger sockeye salmon and a chocolate brownie to warm ourselves up during the cold days. Monkey 9 Brewpub Richmond’s newest brewpub joins the Dine Out Vancouver with a menu developed by Chef Kevin Connaghan. The newly renovated, open concept kitchen with a woodstone pizza oven basically tells diners that they can’t miss the pizza. Start with the…

Festivals & Events January 9, 2018

Visit Street Food City – Vancouver’s Winter Food Truck Festival

By Alexis Baran It’s mid-January in Vancouver, and we are ready to stop letting the possibility of a little more winter rain dictate our plans at this point – we are ready to be outside. Street Food City, a part of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival is right on time, with a meeting of over 20 food trucks downtown all in one spot. Grab your coat, have your umbrella in hand, and follow the scent of melting cheeses, searing meats, grilling vegetables and wafts of spices to the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza. You can get hot and gooey with not one but two grilled cheese trucks (with vegan cheese and gluten-free options) or have a heap of mac & cheese that goes from a classic style to topped with broccoli or banana peppers or even (and you’ve got to try this one) roasted seaweed and teriyaki. If you’re into more…

Craft Beer January 9, 2018

Wintery Seasonal Craft Beer on Vancouver’s North Shore

By Brittany Tiplady Vancouver’s North Shore winters may be chilly and long, but there is always beer- and Kinky Friedman said it best: “Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.” We know the holidays are long over (thank goodness!) but if seasonal beers are your jam, you’re in luck! There’s still a bevy of winter-themed brews stocked by beloved craft breweries on Vancouver’s North Shore to keep yourself warm for the winter months to come. Green Leaf Brewing 123 Carrie Cates Court, Lonsdale Quay Market, North Vancouver LoLo Stout 5.5% Named after Green Leaf’s Lower Lonsdale neighborhood, LoLo is a dark and hearty stout that boasts rich and delicious chocolate and coffee flavours. Perfect for the endless North Shore winters. Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers 2270 Dollarton Hwy #170, North Vancouver Dog Mountain Extra Stout, 7.5% (Cans only) Deep Cove Brewers lovingly describes the Dog Mountain…

Shops & Markets January 5, 2018

Artisanal Olive Oils on Canada’s West Coast

By Brittany Tiplady We have Europe to thank for the invention of olive oil and balsamic tasting bars. Now, olive oil specialty shops are popping up around Metro Vancouver and making quite the impression on curious foodies. Artisanal olive oil shops don’t just have bottles of beautiful oils (and most also have a large selection of vinegars) on display, olive oil tastings bars present an interactive and educational experience. Customers can peruse the lineup of fustis, special stainless-steel jars that store olive oil and balsamics, and learn about the flavours, origins, and make of each oil and vinegar. Tasting olive oils offers a sensory experience for the consumer, bringing the flavour profile we usually read on a label right to your palate. “Smaller boutique shops get people talking about traceability when it comes to olive oil. Shops like ours educate customers on who you are supporting, and the freshness of…

Cafés January 3, 2018

Water Shed Arts Café Nurtures Body, Mind and Spirit in Langley

By Brittany Tiplady Just off of the Trans-Canada highway, nestled into the heart of Langley, is a little cafe with a big vision. The space is simple and humble: white accents and lofty ceilings with exquisite art adorning the walls. On a Friday afternoon The Water Shed Arts Cafe is buzzing with customers, “it’s a busy day!” I note to Jenn Cornish, chef owner and operator. “Oh, this is nothing!” she says. “It gets really busy here.” The Water Shed Arts cafe may seem like a typical suburban haunt to the untrained eye, but that’s far from the truth. Cornish has created a safe haven; The Water Shed mandate is “to set the table for humanity where everyone is loved, welcomed, nourished and celebrated,” and that’s exactly what she does. The menu is generous, chock-full of locally sourced ingredients and hearty whole foods that cater to all tastes and dietary…