Vancouver Magazine, JanFeb2017 by Canada Wide Media

The Wine Issue: Best Buys, Okanagan Gems, Smart Investments & More CITY INFORMER: WHAT MAKES THE VANCOUVER SPECIAL SO SPECIAL? LU X E WATCH E S W E LOV E // YOU R N E W FAV E SK I H I L L S // T H E R E V I E W: T WO R I V E R S M E AT S // SNOW BUSI N E S S

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They’re young. They’re bright. They know their wine. Meet the next generation of sommeliers who are changing the face of Vancouver’s drinking scene.

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These new-wave somms are popping corks and taking the wine world by storm.

COME OUT A N D P L AY

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FE ATURE

The Wine Issue

COVER PHOTO: EVA AN KHERA J. MAKEUP: MEL ANIE NEUFELD; WINE: EVA AN KHERA J

We’re raising a glass to the best bottles, the hottest sommeliers and the top wine trends in the city right now.

City

11 Reasons to Love Vancouver We’re obsessed with farmers’ markets. 12 In Brief Rick Cluff, snow removal and more.

Taste

Play

17 The Dish The Kokomo meal that bowled us over.

14 Snapshot Freezing our buns off at the Polar Bear Swim.

Pairs best with j Little Farm Pied de Cuve Chardonnay 2016 // $31 // This wine is made by our long-time wine awards judge (and frequent contributor) Rhys Pender, and it encapsulates everything we try to do at VanMag: it’s focused, expertly crafted and sticks with you a while after consumption.

18 Reviews Two Rivers moves from butchery to the restaurant business.

43 The Destination Where to hit the slopes this season.

52 Hot Take The coziest winter gear.

20 Taste Test We track down the best bao buns in town. 22 Moveable Feast Denman Street’s top eateries, old and new.

48 Personal Space At home with the founders of Tacofino.

54 The Accessory Luxe timepieces.

56 About Last Night Fred Lee’s social snaps.

58 City Informer Our intrepid reporter uncovers what makes Vancouver Specials so special.

VA N M A G . C O M J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

highs

General Manager | Publisher Dee Dhaliwal Editorial Director Anicka Quin Art Director Paul Roelofs Executive Editor Stacey McLachlan Food Editor Neal McLennan Associate Art Director Natalie Gagnon Associate Editor Julia Dilworth Assistant Art Director Jenny Reed Staff Writer Kaitlyn Funk Videographer Mark Philps Contributing Editors Frances Bula, Amanda Ross Editorial Interns Jessie Blair, Alicia Neptune, Vincent Plana Editorial Email mail@vanmag.com Account Managers Judy Johnson, Theresa Tran

Come get some.

Sales Coordinator Karina Platon Online Coordinator Theresa Tran Production Manager Lee Tidsbury Advertising Designer Swin Nung Chai Event Coordinator Kaitlyn Lush Marketing Assistant Rachel Cheng Sales Email t.tran@vanmag.com

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VANCOUVER MAGAZINE is published 10 times a year by 9778748 Canada Inc. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s written permission. Not responsible for unsolicited editorial material. Privacy Policy: On occasion, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened organizations whose product or service might interest you. If you prefer that we not share your name and address (postal and/or email), you can easily remove your name from our mailing lists by reaching us at any of the listed contact points. You can review our complete Privacy Policy at Vanmag.com. Indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Ltd. and also in the Canadian Periodical Index. International standard serial no. ISSN 0380-9552. Canadian publications mail product sales agreement #40068973. Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing G.P. (LGM Graphics), 737 Moray St., Winnipeg, MB R3J 3S9. All reproduction requests must be made to: COPIBEC (paper reproductions) 800-717-2022, or CEDROM-SNi (electronic reproductions) 800-563-5665. Distributed by Coast to Coast Ltd.

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Daily stories that connect you to the best of our city. Fresh, exclusive insight that resonates locally. Plus the Vancouver Restaurant Guide, with 1,000+ authoritative reviews that you’ve come to expect from your city magazine—as gorgeous on your phone as it is on desktop. But that’s just the beginning. See more at VanMag.com— your playbook for our playground.

ED NOTE

Sometimes it’s about choosing the right resolution.

IN ANTICIPATION OF 2018, I went over my New Year’s resolutions for the previous year to see how successful I’d been. Turns out, my 2017 resolutions weren’t so sticky: pack an earthquake kit (I bought the water), practise the guitar (learned one Crowded House song; quit), tap dance (mmmm, maybe one class?) and meditate (not so much as an “om”). Clearly my motivation for each of these resolutions isn’t as high as it should be. (Except for the earthquake thing. I should unquestionably make it more than a casual resolution to finally get that damn kit together.) So this year I’m setting the bar—no pun intended—much lower, and my motivation much higher, by focusing on improving my wine knowledge. My (ugh) gluten intolerance means beer is pretty much off the table these days, and a couple of weeks in France this past summer certainly amped up my interest in all things wine (rosé, rosé, rosé). And given that there is a wine expert in this office who sits a mere few feet away from me, my excuses are nil. And so my resolution begins with this issue. Our food editor (and aforementioned wine expert), Neal McLennan, has gathered up over 60 bottle recommendations for our annual Wine Issue—including both the wine feature itself (page 24), and a pairing for every article in the magazine. For example: for a bottle to toast Rick Cluff on his departure from the CBC (page 12), he recommends the sparkling Summerhill Cipes Brut. He talks with Kieran Fanning from Farmer’s Apprentice about the natural-wine fad (starting with the question, “What the hell is natural wine?”). He’s recruited the top wine experts in the city—Barb and Iain Philip, Lisa Haley, Jason Yamasaki—to share their favourites. And writer Kurtis Kolt gets behind the scenes at a weekly tasting with sommeliers from the top restaurants in town, learning how the best in the biz get even better (“Young Guns,” page 24). Basically, my education starts here—and so does yours. And now I’ll start my wine commitment by raising a cheers to all of you for a great 2018. May your resolutions prove to be both bettering and to have the same stick-to-itiveness that I hope my own will show throughout the year to come.

Coming Up Next Issue How to Spend It Whether you’ve experienced a recent real estate windfall or are embracing your old-money status, we’ve got a few suggestions for your next spending spree with our curated list of ways to indulge, invest, give back —or buy yourself more time to enjoy life.

B.C.’s Best Bubbles Every fridge should stock a bottle of sparkling for that moment you need to celebrate something special—or even when you don’t—so we’re queueing up our Taste Test panel to determine the best in B.C.

Introducing... About Last Night Fans of CBC’s The Early Edition will no doubt recognize joyful human being Fred Lee, who joins us as a columnist to document social events across the city with his monthly “About Last Night…” feature (page 56).

Anicka Quin EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

ANICK A . QUIN @VANMAG . COM

@ ANIQUA

VA N M A G . C O M J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

e PAIRS BEST WITH I asked Neal what the greatest bottle of wine he’s ever had was, and he instantly replied, “Drouhin Chambertin-Clos de Beze 1985.” Sadly, you can’t buy it here, but the 2015 Clos de Beze from Faiveley is available for, gulp, $425 so I guess I’ll go with that.—A.Q.

PORTRAIT: EVA AN KHERA J; ST YLING BY LUISA RINO, MAKEUP BY MEL ANIE NEUFELD; CLOTHING COURTESY HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM

Raising a Glass

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City

Reason #83

RANDY ELLIOT T

RE ASONS TO LOVE VANCOUVER

Hastings Park Market A chill in the air won’t stop Vancouverites from hitting the market.

Because we’re still crowding farmers’ markets, even in the dead of winter.

WE HAVE A sneaking suspicion that Vancouverites might have a bottomless appetite for kale. How else do you explain the proliferation of winter farmers’ markets—there’s Nat Bailey on Saturdays and Hastings Park on Sundays—that hawk the hearty green come sleet, come rain, come snow? Once a gathering of hard-core year-round farmers and 100-mile foodies, these November-to-April weekend events now bring together dozens of cheesemongers, seasonally savvy growers, breadsmiths (is that right?) and those with an insatiable hunger for all things local. Baby, it may be cold outside, but to a Vancouver foodie, farmers’ markets are always hot, hot, hot.

VA N M A G . C O M J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

City

IN BRIEF

THE E XPERT

Rick Cluff

The outgoing host of CBC’s Early Edition on 20 years of early mornings, talking with Mr. Rogers and life after journalism. BY

Matt O’Grady

You’re often associated with being “the sports guy” who became “the morning guy.” But you didn’t really want to go into sports, did you?

My dream job was to be a parliamentary correspondent. I loved politics. But sports was down a guy when I arrived, and before you knew it, I had a two-year assignment— travelling the world on the CBC’s dime. A two-year assignment became a 20-year commitment. Q: The career turning point was your last Olympics, 1996 in Atlanta, when you were called into action to cover the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. A: We got a phone call, around midnight, that there had been an attack—we need you right now. So, with no sleep, we drove from our motel to where the bombing had occurred. Because they’d clamped down on security, television reporters had been pushed aside; us radio guys, with our small tape recorders, could sneak through. I remember opening my mic and having one piece of paper with the facts on it—no intro. We were on the air for over two hours. When we came back, that’s when one of the vice presidents at CBC said to me, “It’s time for you to do a show.” Q: In 20 years at Early Edition, you’ve done more than 50,000 interviews. What was the most affecting one?

A: Mr. Rogers. In my early days at CBC, Ernie Coombs—Mr. Dressup—became a friend. When my producer came to me in 2001, on the day Ernie died, and asked, “Who do you want to talk to?” I said Fred Rogers. When Fred had started in kids’ television in Pittsburgh, Mr. Dressup was his puppeteer and artist. Anyway, we found Fred on Nantucket Island. It was one of those surreal moments, where I’m interviewing Mr. Rogers about Mr. Dressup’s death—and Fred, who had heard from my producer that we were friends, is consoling me on the air. Q: Your father—a producer who worked for CFRB in Toronto—told you “don’t work for the CBC,” yet it’s clear the public broadcaster has been good to you. A: I talked to Peter Mansbridge about this recently. The opportunities we’ve had—we really did work during the golden age of broadcasting. I walked across Checkpoint Charlie, I stood in the DMZ in Korea, I was behind the Iron

We really did work during the golden age of broadcasting.” Curtain in the 1970s. It really has been a remarkable career. Q: Unlike Mansbridge, you also didn’t drag it out for a year. A: On his last show, he said, “I hate long goodbyes.” I texted him: “You told us the fifth of September that you were going to retire on July 1 the next year!” I looked statistically at it: there were 144,000 babies conceived and born during that time. Q: You had quadruple bypass surgery this past June, which played into your decision to retire. What’s next? Are you going to start hawking investment opportunities, like Bill Good? A: No. I’ll do something else, but I don’t know what. The first thing I’m going to do is nothing. I just want to sleep in.

PAIRS BEST WITH i Summerhill Cipes Brut //

VA N M A G . C O M J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

$29 // An elegant sparkler that has all the class of Champagne with a homegrown pedigree— perfect for the no-B.S. style of Rick.

THE BRE AK DOWN

412%

more warnings and tickets were sent out last year to people who wouldn’t clear their sidewalks. To avoid joining their ranks this year, shovel up by 10 a.m.

VENTURE

No More Slip-andSlide City?

A budgeted

$1.62 million

Last year’s “once-in-30years” 69-centimetre snowfall iced us in, shut us down and made us a punchline across the Great White North. Will city and citizens do a better job if and when the cold stuff hits again?

(plus $4.3 million for equipment and infrastructure) will help keep 1,809 lanekilometres of main roads moving. Side streets are still on their own, though.

Babes in Workland A family-friendly co-working space is coming to a neighbourhood near you. While resentful drivers steamed on Twitter over freshly plowed, seemingly empty bike lanes, roughly 1,300 bike commuters still crossed the Burrard Bridge every day, even in the snowy depths of January.

Snow tire sales were up

80–90%

at just one Kingsway tire shop last winter—with luck, that should mean slightly fewer thrills and spills next time the slush hits the fan.

15,000

tonnes of salt was dumped on Vancouver streets last winter—474% more than average. Now, the city is more than doubling its storage capacity for salt and brine.

THE TICKE T

Booker T. Jones

The Deets Date: February 2, 2017 Venue: Kay Meek Centre, kaymeek.com Price: $50

No matter where intention or fate may have taken him, Booker T. Jones was likely destined to become a giant in the annals of popular music. The musician, songwriter and producer—now 73 years old—had learned to play keyboards, bass and various wind instruments before entering high school; before graduating, he had been drafted into recording sessions with fellow Memphis legends Carla and Rufus Thomas. His talent was simply too huge to be denied. In 1962, he debuted his instrumental quartet, Booker T. & the M.G.s (one of the first racially integrated groups), whose hit “Green Onions” played a key role in defining what eventually became known as Southern soul. Now a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, Jones rolls on tirelessly, his influence still bearing out in the likes of the Dap-Kings and the Roots. He and his band return to Vancouver for the first time in almost two years. —Michael White

THE CITY IS short 17,000 childcare spaces, but Madeleine Shaw will tell you this problem runs deeper than daycares. “This isn’t just 17,000 children without care, it’s 17,000 adults who aren’t working to their full potential,” says the Vancouver-based cofounder of Lunapads, who has a daughter of her own. Shaw and her business partner often brought their little ones into the office and welcomed employees to do the same, but the struggle she saw among her peers working elsewhere led her to wonder: what are other creatives doing when faced with a similar situation? Enter Nestworks. Though coworking spaces have been popping up in major cities over the last few years, the millennial-focused offices aren’t really designed for the working parent. Shaw’s Nestworks aims to fill a gap in the market with a makerspace, R&D lab and licensed child-care facility all in one—which may be housed in a defunct elementary school. Similar projects exist elsewhere (Juggle Hub in Berlin, Third Door in London), setting a precedent of success as Nestworks’ board of directors recruits allies, researches user needs and scouts locations for this family-friendly co-working space set to open in roughly two years. “How are you supposed to socially innovate if you can’t even find a place to put your kids?” says Shaw. —Maia Odegaard

VA N M A G . C O M J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

City

SNAPSHOT

Taking the Plunge

There is an unspoken agreement around town that you’re not truly a Vancouverite until you’ve dunked your full body—and yes, your head as well—in the icy waters of English Bay on New Year’s Day. From polar virgins to cold-as-ice pros, more than 1,500 people officially registered to participate in last year’s festivities, and as chants of “We are cold, we are numb, we are really, really dumb” grew louder among the crowd, we were there to capture every freezing frame. as told to photos by

Jenni Baynham Evaan Kheraj

1. Tom Hollett has been a lifeguard in Vancouver for more than 50 years, so he’s seen more than a few Polar Bear Swims in his day. “It can be quite dangerous, because with so many people running in one spot, you have to be careful no one gets stampeded in the shallow water,” says Hollett. “Sometimes people’s bodies even seize up and we have to send the boat out to get them.” 2. “This is my 27th year doing the swim,” laughs Paul Gallant (centre). “My tip is to get a little mooshed the night before—it takes the edge off.” 3. Miriam Soet was the only female member of the Polar Bear Veterans Club present at last year’s swim, and she’s earned her spot, with 20 badges to

her name. “I know now to bring warm clothes to change into straight after you get out of the water,” shares Soet. “That’s key to stopping the shivering.” 4. “It’s my first time, but it’s his fourth,” says Pritisha Kumar (left). “It’s a weird thing to do, but we came down just to refresh before the new year kicks in.” 5. “I built this Dalek costume from over a hundred recycled coffee bags,” explains Dave Dicarlo. “Why? Because it’s fun to have a little fun.” 6. “I’ve worn this same outfit since 1985,” explains Jim Baxter.“ But my daughter, Rebecca, has only been coming with me for the past four years. One year, I stayed in the water for 45 minutes, which was tough, but it’s

VA N M A G . C O M J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

3 4

the wind when you stand up that really gets you—that’s when it gets bad.” 7. “My first Polar Bear Swim started as a drunken bet 35 years ago, and I haven’t missed a year since,” says Terry Saik. “And yes, I won the bet. This year does feel like a particularly cold one, though, and I should know!”

8. The founder of the Polar Bear Veterans Club (you need more than 20 official badges to join the gang), Brent Hammond (centre, dressed in blue) has come prepared with a changing tent and a cake for those adorned with enough silverware to meet the requirements. “I lived in Victoria for eight years and still caught the ferry over every year to make the swim,” says Hammond. “During the big Y2K scare I stayed up until 2 a.m. backing up my servers and still managed to catch the morning ferry over in time for the dip.”

PAIRS BEST WITH j Quails Gate Botrytis // $29 Truthfully? Icewine is a pain to make and pricey to buy, but this li’l bottle delivers equally ethereal sweetness without the high viscosity.

+ Presents

REBELS & ICONS

Earls and Vancouver magazine present a rowdy night of brown bag, blind wine tasting chaperoned by David Stansfield, Sommelier for Earls Restaurants and co-host of the legendary Sunday School at Vancouver Urban Winery.

JOIN US ON FEBRUARY 13TH AT THE LOFT AT EARLS IN YALETOWN FOR A SPECIAL PRE-VALENTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WINE PARTY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: VANMAG.COM/EARLS Tickets on sale January 15 th 2018. Limited tickets available.

U N B I A S E D R E V I E WS / B AO T I M E / D E N M A N S T R E E T

VA N M AG .C O M/ TA S T E

Taste THE DISH

PHOTO: CLINTON HUSSE Y; ST YLING: L AWREN MONETA

BOWLED OVER A NEW YEAR means a new opportunity to lie to yourself about all the good habits you’re definitely going to start. But new plant-based eatery Kokomo offers better incentive to actually follow through than the changing of a calendar page ever could. The Tropicana-cool Chinatown room serves up nutritionally dense vegan fare—like this Coastal Macro bowl, which layers roasted squash, ginger-pickled cabbage, edamame hummus and marinated tempeh onto brown rice and smothers the whole thing with punchy Thai ginger dressing. (Of course, if you decide to indulge in a bowl of frozen cocowhip after you’ve eaten your veggies, we won’t judge.) 611 Gore Ave., heykokomo.ca

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Taste

REVIEWS

WHERE’S THE BEEF? The industry’s go-to butcher gets into the service game. Alexandra Gill

ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE might have trouble locating the Shop, which is hidden among transport trucks and warehouses in a North Shore industrial park, the meat is impossible to miss. It’s right there in your face opposite the front door, hanging on hooks inside a glass-walled dry-aging room—a hulking array of fat-marbled flanks ranging from bright ruby red and still slightly moist to withered and mouldy with purplish-brown crusts. The raw sides take pride of place because, while technically a restaurant (and a very good one at that) with casual counter service, communal seating and an open wood-fired grill, the Shop is first and foremost a traditional working butchery. Consider it a whole-animal hybrid where you can buy your steak and eat it too. Opened in October, the gleaming subway-tiled and wood-trimmed meatery is owned by Two Rivers Specialty Meats, a 10-year-old processor and purveyor of top-quality beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey and game, all humanely raised and ethically treated (without hormones, antibiotics, chemical-feed additives, yada, yada) on small farms in local pastures. If the Two Rivers name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it splashed across menus in the best restaurants around town.

VA N M A G . C O M J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Head Butcher Pasqual Stufano

It’s a beast of a rig, spitting fire and smoke... Until now, the meat was sold only wholesale and not directly accessible to the public. Believe me, I’ve tried several times to get my hands on their delectable rabbit. Alas, I still can’t. Today’s two fresh Fraser Valley bunnies sold out long before noon, along with 10 quail. Head butcher Pasqual Stufano apologizes profusely. He didn’t think there would be such great demand for the rarities. “How about some of these lovely dryaged duck breasts?” he offers. Or perhaps a giant pork-and-veal meatball wrapped in lacy caul fat? Surprisingly young and exceptionally keen, Stufano is one of the

friendliest butchers you will ever encounter. He takes us through the meat display. A vast selection of beef (much of it aged 45 to 60 days, and all hand-tooled according to muscle type) is reasonably priced: dry-aged boneless rib-eye, for example, costs $6.45 per 100 grams, or about $23 for a 12-ounce steak. He then walks us over to the deli counter (so much tempting charcuterie) and even offers to ring up our lunch. We can shop before eating and store our purchases in the walk-in cooler. Pay now or later. Just want to eat? No problem! He goes through the same rigamarole with every customer, and we’re all pleasantly

PAIRS BEST WITH i Black Hills Syrah 2015 // $40 A smoky bacon-fat-y wallop of a wine that actually sort of tastes like a butcher—in a good way.

ADAM BL ASBERG

THE DEETS

The Shop: Two Rivers Specialty Meats 180 Donaghy Ave., North Vancouver 604-990-5288 Tues. to Sat. 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. tworiversmeats.ca

Dry-aged cheeseburger

baffled. The restaurant staff is equally accommodating. With so many points of service, the whole multifunctional operation could easily descend into chaos. Whoever did the training should be saluted because wow, the experience is astonishingly smooth. On the other side of the room, we order lunch, take our number (pierced into a desiccated bone) and mosey on over to bar stools beside the grill. It’s a beast of a rig, spitting fire and smoke from burning and smouldering birch that has been barn-dried in Pemberton for 730 days. By the time our drinks are delivered (Left Field cider and Hester Creek pinot gris on tap), we are salivating into our complimentary tallow-cooked popcorn. The dry-aged cheeseburgers ($13) look so damn good and taste even better. The gently charred patties are built from a freshly ground, whole-shoulder blend of Cache Creek

beef. They’re cooked medium-pink in the centre, but that’s just the start. Almost every element on this masterpiece gets licked by fire—a thick slice of cheddar is melted thoroughly overtop, while house-smoked bacon, tomatoes and brioche buns are toasted on the griddle. Add a smear of stocky aioli, a tangy layer of breadand-butter zucchini pickles and a $5 side of lightly crisped, liberally salted fries (infused with mouthcoating beefy goodness from boiling tallow) and you’re in burger heaven. Deeply flavoured but not too gamey, juicy yet not a slobbery mess, rich and at the same time fresh—this is a seriously strong contender for the best burger in town. Signature steak tartare ($9) is a generous portion of hand-ground petite tender, which might be even more succulent if it were hand-diced instead. Still, mixed with caper

vinaigrette and sharp mustard, and topped with a grating of cured egg yolk (as rich and salty as parmesan), it’s a very tasty dish. Beet slaw with jalapeno dressing is a little too oily and slick. But come on, can you really expect great vegetables from a butcher shop? Well, the rotisserie cauliflower, with its meaty, golden-edged florets draped in spicy green chermoula, is a standout, perhaps because it’s given the slowroasted chicken treatment. For dessert, there are tallow-fried beignets sprinkled with Tiny Tom sugar, and maple-bourbon sundaes if you hit the right day. The specials board always offers meat pie, sausage and steak features, while the kids’ menu includes a smaller burger, all-beef hot dog and lovely charred chicken drumsticks. But where’s the rabbit, or the offal? Two Rivers is a whole-animal butchery that has a huge stash of obscure meats and off-cuts at its disposal. The Shop offers a unique opportunity to broaden diners’ horizons and give us more edible education about the rarities we could actually buy and cook at home. Why not serve roasted pork trotters and tripe casseroles or just plain elk, boar and bison? On the other hand, maybe I should just shut up right now, because that would only make my beloved bunnies even harder to source.

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Taste

T H E TA S T E T E S T

TAKE A BAO

BEST IN SHOW

The Arbor’s vegan steamed buns are small but flavourful. “Oh shit, that’s delicious!” said Stansfield upon taking his first bite. Our other judges agreed, praising the balance of sweet and spicy elements: barbecue jackfruit, cilantro sauce, cucumber “quickles” and shiitake mushrooms. $10 (3 pcs), 3941 Main St., thearborrestaurant.ca

Celeb chef David Chang may have brought bao to the masses, but Vancouver has been putting its own spin on the Taiwanese sandwich ever since. Here’s what happened when we asked two local foodies and one avid VanMag reader to find the city’s best. BY

Kaitlyn Funk

PHOTO AND STYLING BY

The Arbor

Tracey Kusiewicz

HONOUR ABLE MENTION

Heritage Asian Eatery

This was the top choice for Chow, who said he “would go back over and over” to get a taste of Heritage’s pork belly bao. The kimchi daikon mash, “gravy-esque” hoisin sauce and crisp fried onions (“These are almost like super-rad Hickory Sticks”) impressed our other judges, too—it just missed nabbing the number-one spot. $7, 1108 W Pender St., eatheritage.ca

Gyoza Bar

Our taste testers all agreed that part of the attraction of a steamed bun is its “weird doughiness,” but they didn’t mind this bao’s fried exterior. They also liked its resemblance to a pulled pork sandwich; finished with pickled jalapeno, cucumber and butter lettuce, “it’s like if Memphis Blues did a bao,” said one. $6.50, 622 W Pender St., gyozabar.ca

3 Quarters Full

Filled with pork belly, fresh cilantro and crushed peanuts, the bao from this Taiwanese café in the West End was the “most traditional” offering of the day: “It definitely seems no-frills,” said one. Its flavour profile was just a little too sweet for our judges, though. $6.95, 1P5–1789 Comox St., facebook.com/3quartersfullcafe

Bao Down

The judges liked each individual component (ahi tuna, guacamole, pea shoots, bacon, wasabi aioli) in this YVR bao, but they all agreed it was “all over the place” and too experimental: “We’re really stretching the definition here,” said Levang. $7, multiple locations, baodown.net

Follow @vanmag_com and

look for the #VMTasteTest hashtag for your chance to be a judge

Meet the Judges

Alain Chow is the operations manager behind two of the city’s hottest rooms, Bao Bei and Kissa Tanto (named Best Chinatown and Best Pan-Asian, respectively, at our 2017 Restaurant Awards). David Stansfield, a consulting sommelier and wine educator (his latest gig has him sourcing vino for Earls), suggests the winning bao be paired with a “natural beaujolais—something super high-end.” Susan Levang is a business consultant—and our Twitter contest winner! She’s also got a fresh perspective on the city’s food scene, thanks to her role as general manager at Commissary Connect.

PAIRS BEST WITH e

Sperling Old Vines Riesling 2013 // $32 The off-dry style and laser acidity will be a match for any bao, anywhere, anytime.

Vancouver's new standard in refined dining, located in the heart of historic Gastown

_________________ Diner's Discovery List The World's 50 Best Restaurants, 2017

_________________ 1 West Cordova Street Vancouver, BC V6B 2J2 604 974 1147 bauhaus-restaurant.com

BauhausJANFEBHP_gvs.indd 1

2017-12-05 1:52 PM

For BC, By BC Shop at your local butcher shop and support British Columbia farms TRADITIONAL BUTCHERY | DRY AGED BEEF | WOOD FIRED GRILL | CHARCUTERIE Untitled-5 1

180 Donagy Ave North Vancouver. w w w. Two Ri ve r s Me a t s . c o m

2017-12-06 3:22 PM

Taste

M OV E A B L E F E A S T

BEACHFRONT PROPERTY

The West End is changing rapidly, but Denman Street—at least when it comes to food—is as reliable a destination as always. BY

Michael White Christin Gilbert

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

Kingyo Bayside Lounge

LIKE MANY NEIGHBOURHOODS in Vancouver, the West End is in the midst of a contentious transition. For decades a wondrously democratic community where the well heeled and working class alike could live a short walk from Stanley Park and numerous beaches, an onslaught of development, rent hikes and renovictions is now smudging its social makeup. (The five blocks of Davie Street between Bute and Bidwell alone are expecting four new towers in the coming years.) Fortunately, Denman Street—its busiest and most commercial artery—is still a reflection of the West End’s (relatively) affordable, come-as-you-are history, especially in terms of eating.

NEW ARRIVALS

Denman has welcomed an uncommonly large number of eateries in the past two years—and some have departed with just-as-dizzying speed. Arguably most worthy of your attention is 1 Peaked Pies (975 Denman St., peaked pies.com). Originating in Whistler, it offers ferociously addictive Australian-style meat pies that come either unadorned or “peaked” with mashed potato, mushy peas and/or gravy. (If steak or chicken is too conventional, try the kangaroo-stuffed Hopper pie. No, seriously.) Also settling in well is the enigmatically named 2 3 Quarters Full (1789 Comox St., facebook .com/3quartersfullcafe), a spartan but comforting pan-Asian café installed in a corner of the otherwise down-at-the-heels Denman Place Mall; the affable counter staff are

C IL

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fifth year as popular as ever. The price-toportion ratio here makes it decidedly upscale, but for good reason: the three-dozenplus small plates are consistently stellar, as is the Spanish wine list. Also holding their own against a capricious dining public are 6 Buckstop (833 Denman St., buckstop.ca), where gleefully unhealthy Southern barbecue and $4 shots of Wild Turkey enliven the weary after-work set, and 7 Damso Modern Korean (867 Denman St., facebook .com/damso.cuisine), where the outsized flavours of “Holy Sh*t!! Super Spicy” noodles and DFC (Damso fried chicken) are inversely proportional to the diminutive room.

Pasture to Plate Buckstop

España

happy to recommend a sweet or savoury hand-held (see page 20) to complement your milk tea or 49th Parallel coffee drink. Across the street, the convoluted signage at 3 Pasture to Plate (1061 Denman St., pasturetoplate.ca) touts “people, animals, healthy soils” as well as “grill, broths and deli.” Which is to say, a certified-organic butcher that also offers a compact menu of mostly beef-based sandwiches. Everything is impeccably sourced, but whether a significant number of passersby want a $16 chili or an $18 burger (albeit a half-pound one topped with cracklings and Emmenthal) will be decided in time. What they do seem willing to pay

10 Peaked Pies

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Damso Modern Korean PE

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Cacao 70 Eatery

Kintaro

3 Quarters Full

INSTITUTIONS

is $9.95 for a cup of highfalutin hot chocolate at the Quebec-spawned 4 Cacao 70 Eatery (1047 Denman St., cacao70.com). Its brunches see crowds flouting nutritional sense to order the likes of apple-and-bacon waffles or chocolate-banana “pizza.” (You can also get an omelette or bacon and eggs, but even these come with fruit and a mini-chocolate fondue.)

OLD(-ISH) RELIABLES

It seemed a foolish leap when chef Neil Taylor departed his awardwinning tenure at Yaletown’s Cibo Trattoria to open a tapas bar in one of Denman’s most cursed storefronts. Yet 5 España (1118 Denman St., espanarestaurant.ca) has entered its

It seems unfathomable that there was a time when 8 Kintaro (788 Denman St., 604-682-7568) was downtown’s only serious destination for authentic ramen. Competition has exploded, but its out-the-door queues remain. As is the case at 9 Kingyo (871 Denman St., kingyo-izakaya.ca) —now part of a mini-empire extending to Toronto and Seattle, the original article has been showered with medals at our Restaurant Awards every year since 2006. Its meticulous Japanese-style bar food and fruit-forward cocktails never lose their charm. Afterward, have a nightcap at the 10 Bayside Lounge in the Best Western Sands Hotel (1755 Davie St., baysidelounge .ca) and take in its legendary panoramic view of English Bay. If this impervious circa1970s time capsule ever shutters, the West End as we’ve known it will truly be over.

PAIRS BEST WITH j JoieFarm Plein de Vie Brut

// $19 // Sitting at English Bay, bottle opener in hand, and you spent only $19 on this amazing bottle. We do live in the greatest city in the world!

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YOUNG The servers, managers and wine nerds whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be uncorking your vino in the coming years have knowledge to spare but little time for pretention. by

Kurtis Kolt |

photographs by

Evaan Kheraj

T IM E FO R WIN E

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TIME FOR WINE

Previous Pages This cast of wineloving characters is organized by L'Abattoir's Kristi Linneboe (bottom left) who gathers the half dozen or so wines to blind taste. They're usually either of a certain varietal or region, with the goal of gleaning some traits or information.

The Ringleader Kristi Linneboe ran the wine program at Maenam before moving to L’Abattoir, where she works with VanMag’s reigning Sommelier of the Year, Lisa Haley (see page 32). Linneboe is the chief organizer of these tastings.

the Year) while continuing her wine education. She’s here at L’Abattoir (on a day off, no less) setting up a weekly tasting group she runs. The group is populated by a fluctuating dozen to 16 local restaurant and wine trade, many of them also chasing their WSET diplomas or advanced certification by the U.S.-based Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS). These aren’t the bold-name sommeliers or wine directors who get all the press in town—some are servers, a few are assistant managers, and some are sommeliers e’re tasting Northern Italian hoping to eventually get to those top gigs. But wines today, and with so many indigenous they’re all wine nerds hell-bent on honing their grape varieties, there’s likely to be a lot of palates to a fine edge. humble pie, too.” The set-up is similar each week, with The warning is coming from 31-year-old Linneboe pre-organizing a half dozen-odd Kristi Linneboe, a manager/sommelier at wines under a certain varietal or regional L’Abattoir, who’s assembled the challenging bottles. Linneboe began serving at chef Angus category with a local retailer, who will then brown-bag the wines, labelling them An’s Maenam restaurant in Kitsilano, and numerically. In other words, though she’s at with a clear enthusiasm and solid knack for all the helm of this group, she does the tasting things food, beverage and service, she quickly just as blind as her colleagues do. Tasting wines moved up Maenam’s ranks while taking U.K.based Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) blind, particularly among one’s professional courses at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts peers, is a good way to keep the palate sharp and become a better taster. It can also be in her spare time. Her ascent to becoming one tremendously humbling. of our local industry’s best was quite rapid, As she sets up glassware and pours wine for but, while she had a good gig, she felt there was more learning and growing to do. In the spring the group, her fellow morning imbibers arrive. of 2016, she headed to L’Abattoir to work under Most of them are more bright-eyed and bushyLisa Haley (this magazine’s 2017 Sommelier of tailed than one would expect industry players would be early on a Monday morning. They take their seats with smatterings of chatter, each one in front of six filled glasses. An egg timer is set for 30 minutes, allowing five minutes to

The Wine Architect Ian Wharton took architectural studies at Carleton University before hearing the siren call of a life in wine. His tip-top resumé includes stints at Campagnolo, Coast, Hawksworth, and now Blue Water Cafe.

The Retailer Jiaying (Tifa) Wang is the cellar master at Legacy Liquor Store, specializing in premium wine and sake. While attending culinary school to enhance her kitchen skills, she took a sudden turn down the wine road and hasn’t looked back since.

The Gentleman Peter Van de Reep is the beverage director at Campagnolo on Main and Campagnolo Upstairs. After studying geology at UBC and toiling away in Vancouver’s coffee scene, he’s now set his sights on the world of wine and spirits.

Here’s $100— What 3 Bottles Would You Buy?

flavour profile and finish. As they speak, the others look at their notes, some nodding in agreement, some looking mildly perplexed. I think I spot occasional eyes darting around, trying to catch glances at others, that seem to imply sharp disagreement. And then, the humble pie is served. This is the moment when the speaker, in a room full of colleagues, takes a stab at the wine and region in question and is sometimes—or often—proven incorrect when the wrapping is pulled off the bottle. In one case today, a 2016 arneis was pitched as a 2015 vermentino. While the difference could be barely discernible for most palates, there is blushing and shattered confidence. When this kind of thing happens, there is no chuckling or eye-rolling by others. It’s seemingly taken in stride by all, and they move to the next one. No drama that I note, but there’d be no benefit in being the guy or gal publicly calling someone out for a perceived obvious error. “Do I beat myself up when I make a wrong call? Yeah, I’m sure we all do in one way or another,” I’m told later by Kelcie Jones, 26, a sommelier at Chambar. “But I learn from it because I can see where I went off course. And when someone else nails a wine, it inspires me, and it pushes me further.”

The Transplant Studying English literature at the University of Toronto and getting hands-on experience in French vineyards has made Kelcie Jones well equipped to wax on about wine in her role as a sommelier at Crosstown’s buzzy Chambar.

Michaela Morris Wine columnist, The Westender

Little Farm Riesling Mulberry Tree Vineyard 2015, Cawston, B.C., $27 Want to show off B.C. wine? Go riesling and go Little Farm’s searingly dry, mineral-driven, zesty citrus head-turner.

Quinta da Murta, Brut Nature Bucelas DOC 2013, Portugal, $27 Bubble is top priority for me, and the Quinta da Murta is one of the most unique sparklers on our shelves. Briny, bracing, dry and tangy, it is a seamless match with oysters.

BOT TLES ILLUSTRATION: ADRIEN COQUET

assess each wine, and, aside from the noises of swirling, sipping and spitting, there is suddenly a half hour of absolute silence. All are writing or typing extensive notes, and I’m at once taken aback and impressed by the lack of chatter, expressiveness or even glances toward one another. They are all In. The. Zone. One of the faithful is Peter Van de Reep, 31, who acts as both bar manager and wine director for both Campagnolo and Campagnolo Upstairs on Main Street. While he is now CMS certified, he was self-taught when he joined this group, something that happened while getting a degree in geology and honing skills in the coffee trade. Being selftaught made him lack confidence back in those earlier days when he was beginning to get into wine and the industry in general. “Really, attending anything where there would be trade I always felt too green to engage, but then sommeliers like Bryant Mao [Hawksworth Restaurant] and Jason Yamasaki [Joey Restaurant Group] were so welcoming and encouraging, introducing me not just to other somms and agents but to wines I hadn’t experienced before.” The buzzer goes off and the group begins to talk through the wines. One person will rattle off his or her tasting notes, going through the wine’s characteristics, ticking the boxes of appearance, aroma, acidity, sweetness,

Produttori del Barbaresco DOCG 2013, Italy, $43 Nebbiolo is one of the greatest red grape varieties, and this barbaresco demonstrates its haunting, hungerinducing and ageworthy character beautifully while being simply the best fine-wine deal out there.

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Here’s $100— What 3 Bottles Would You Buy?

Barb Philip

MW, Category Director, BCLDB

Les Crêtes Torrette Valle d’Aosta 2016, Italy, $32 A juicy, fresh and alpine red that is, as yet, undiscovered here in B.C.

Domaine PironLameloise Chénas 2014, France, $30 Minerality balanced by ripe cherry fruit and blackberry tea notes—too delicious not to try.

Fillaboa Finca Monte Alto Rías Baixas Albariño 2014, Spain, $38 Time in bottle and lees aging gives extra depth to this peach-scented maritime white.

Like Van de Reep, she was also initially intimidated when joining Vancouver’s wine industry upon arriving here two years ago, even though she had plenty of experience working in Toronto restaurants and had even done a stint toiling in Provençal vineyards. “But everyone was so welcoming and supportive,” she told me. “I mean, I’d barely met Kristi and she was so insistent I join this group and be a part of their community.” As everyone goes through the wines, I look over, noticing that Jiaying (Tifa) Wang, 25, hasn’t said a word, even though she is obviously very engaged, tasting and taking notes diligently. She’s the cellar master at Legacy Liquor Store and takes care of their premium wine category, so she obviously knows her stuff. When I reach her by phone a few days later and bring this up, she laughs. “Oh, when I moved here from China in 2011, I hadn’t even had alcohol! It was only while taking culinary courses here in Vancouver and it was recommended that we take WSET wine courses to learn about wine and food pairing that I began to appreciate it.” She spoke to an earlier incarnation of this tasting group that was led by Jesse Walters at Main Street’s Burdock and Co., where he is sommelier. (He simply got too busy for the weekly hosting and the group shifted to L’Abattoir; apologies to those hoping there’d be some industry drama here.) “Of course I was afraid of saying something improper when I started with the group, but I tasted as much as possible, and I learned plenty. In fact, I’m not even intimidated to blind-taste and speak in front of everyone these days, but I feel I learn most when I’m listening to others rather than speaking, so that’s what I do most of the time.” These points were all echoed by Ian Wharton, 42, a veteran server at Blue Water Cafe and a group habitué. “I’ve realized I’m not afraid to be wrong in this tasting group, because everyone supports each other. In fact, I almost learn more, because I see where I took a wrong turn in the tasting process, and I think that’s what makes me a better taster.” The tasting wraps up and members of the group begin to go about their respective days. All in all, it was a good morning—some right guesses, plenty of wrong ones, but all delivered with passion. It’s that kind of passion that will guide the next generation of sommeliers in this town, who’ll be smart, humble and noteperfect in helping you select your next bottle in the years to come.

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TIME FOR WINE

PA S S P O R T C O N T R O L

The World in the Okanagan These three Okanagan vintners bring the value by experimenting with grapes that aren’t often seen in these parts.

Vine Innovation The rolling hills of Stag’s Hollow winery are home to some of the most experimental grapegrowing in the Okanagan. Along with fellow varietal pioneers Moon Curser and Terravista, they’re pushing the envelope of winemaking in British Columbia.

Terravista Albariño 2016, $25

The bracing albariño grape is the calling card for Spain’s Galicia region, but by the time those bottles reach here they often push past $30. But for $25, former Black Hills proprietor Senka Tennant makes an albariño at her tiny Terravista winery that, for your money, is even better—citrusy, herbaceous and kissed by some nonexistent ocean.

Stag’s Hollow Grenache 2016, $26

Grenache is one of the world’s most widely planted grapes, but it’s in France’s Rhône region where it reaches its pinnacle as the base for many a Châteauneuf-duPape. But even an entry-level CnP will set you back north of $50. Okanagan Falls’ Stag’s Hollow makes a rare local grenache that is likewise on the elegant scale, with nice peppery notes and a jolt of raspberries— and it’s $26.

Moon Curser Arneis 2016, $22.50

Even in its native Piedmont, the white grape arneis is not overly common, but when we see it here we get an ethereal take on almonds and melon—like the $36 version from famed producer Vietti. This local version from Moon Curser is a little fresher and lighter— both on the palate and on the pocketbook at $22.50. And you won’t find another arneis in the Valley.

TIME FOR WINE

SOMMELIER Q&A

The Skeptic’s Guide to Natural Wine Natural wine nerd Kieran Fanning is here to rock your (drinking) world.

Whether he likes it or not, sommelier Kieran Fanning (Farmer’s Apprentice, Grapes and Soda) is the de facto poster child for natural wines in this town. For starters, he’s young, he’s cool and, while he has a stellar resumé (apprenticing under sommelier Jason Yamasaki at Chambar before taking over as head sommelier), he has little time for many of the outdated conventions of the wine world. As a somm who’s converting drinkers one glass at a time, we figured he’d be well positioned to explain wine’s biggest trend. Q: Once and for all, what the hell is “natural wine”? A: Please don’t ask me that. I could easily anger one of the 11 different groups of wine people who have their own definitions of the term. Q: Dang. Okay, how about “What do most people mean when they say that a wine is natural?” A: Much safer. Most people who call a wine natural are talking about a wine with two ingredients: naturally fermented organic or biodynamic grape juice, and maybe a bit of added sulphites. Q: We’re not children— isn’t all wine fermented grape juice? A: Yes, technically all wine is fermented grape juice—however, during the

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

Amanda Skuse

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20th century, a whooole bunch of things were allowed into wine without having to be listed on the label. Things like soy flour, citric acid, gelatin and granular cork. Organic wines can still have many of these additives, as they need only be made from organically grown grapes.

but I won’t get into that here. (But it is odd.)

are made by young firstgeneration winemakers who have started by trying to make wine in the most unforgiving way. Rejecting additives and adjustments requires doing everything perfectly just to avoid making vinegar or something that smells like a horse with fresh nail polish. Wine needs to smell and taste like the grape or grapes from which it’s made (called “showing typicity”) and the place in which it’s grown to be considered a “great” wine. When a wine can do this naturally, I would argue that the wine is more honest and that the earth is better for it.

Q: So are natural wines better than regular wines? A: Here’s where the debate gets heated. Many of the previous (not to say old . . . ) generation of winemakers, sommeliers and wine writers will write off most natural wines as worse Q: Wait, sulphites are those horrible things that than conventional wines give me a headache, right? for being “faulty.” This stems from the fact that A: Oh, man. Facts: about wines are often exposed one percent of people to “faults”—traditional suffer from sulphite winemakers manage them sensitivity, dried fruit usually contains from 200 with chemical adjustment, additional sulphur use to 5,000 parts per million or other manipulations. (ppm) of sulphites, and your average wine contains Natural winemakers have around 150. Also, sulphites to learn how to avoid them Q: Then how do I altogether, so knowing are a natural by-product know what to buy if which wineries to buy of fermentation. Sulphur it’s such a gamble? from is paramount. These has been a documented days, a lot of natural wines A: See below, friend. part of winemaking since 1487 and is helpful in preserving the wine during transportation. Wines classified as natural do A troika to induct you into the world of natural wines. generally contain fewer sulphites, though (fewer Duemani Cifra Mathieu and Camille Little Farm Mulberry than 70 ppm for whites Cabernet Franc Lapierre Morgon Creek Vineyard and 50 ppm for reds). Costa Toscana 2013, 2016, France, $40 Chardonnay 2016,

Kieran’s Picks

Okanagan, $35

Q: I’ve heard the word “biodynamic” thrown around a lot. How does it differ from organics? A: I like to call biodynamics “organics plus witchcraft.” Biodynamics are based on lectures by some Austrian dude named Rudolf (an odd cat to be sure) in the 1920s on how to make your farm or vineyard a self-contained and biodiverse ecosystem. There’s also some stuff about the celestial bodies and burying horns full of manure on the solstices,

Italy, $40

Here’s $100— What 3 Bottles Would You Buy?

Iain Philip Senior Wine Instructor, Art Institute of Vancouver

Paltrinieri Piria Lambrusco di Sorbara 2016, Italy, $22 This pale red dry, fizzy wine is the world’s best match with a charcuterie plate.

Clos Floridène Blanc 2014, Graves, Bordeaux, France, $50 Those who believe Bordeaux is only for red are missing out on some of the most exciting wines of the region.

Freixenet Cordon Negro N.V. Brut Cava Magnum, Spain, $26 Delicious, toasty, traditional-method sparkling wine, and it’s a magnum!

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TIME FOR WINE Here’s $100— What 3 Bottles Would You Buy?

Lisa Haley

Restaurant Director, L’Abattoir (and VanMag’s Sommelier of the Year for 2017)

Foradori Dolomiti Teroldego 2014, Italy, $34 Off-the-beatenpath wine from the world’s best teroldego producer. (How many are there?) For cabernet lovers who want to branch out.

Domaine Vacheron Sancerre 2015, France, $43 Here’s my budget buster. Serious Sancerre from one of the region’s great producers. Sauvignon blanc at its best.

Hidalgo Manzanilla La Gitana, Spain, $25.50 This puts us over budget by $2.50, but you can open the bottle and take the week to finish it. Saline, nutty and fresh. A perfect aperitif or after dinner with some salty cheese.

BOT TLE SPOTLIGHT

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 2012 Meet the bottle that is at the nexus of value, pedigree and outright deliciousness.

Quantity Often prestige wines (especially those with sexy high point scores), if they arrive here at all, arrive in tiny quantities. There are 500 cases of this wine available and it’s in 45 stores.

Brunello Brunello has to be made from 100-percent sangiovese grosso (a clone considered more elegant than sangiovese picollo, which is more common in Chianti).

DOCG This is the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, a list of 74 wines recognized as having geographical significance. Every bottle has a numbered government seal across it to prevent manipulation.

Location Brunello is in southern Tuscany (its famous neighour, Chianti, is from the northern part of Tuscany).

Scores While we don’t care about scores (right? right?), this wine received a score of 96 points from Wine Spectator (which named it #11 on their famed Top 100 of 2017), besting many more expensive labels (and it also got 94 points from Wine Enthusiast).

Cost This bottle retails for $57 at the BCLDB, which makes it one of the cheapest brunellos in B.C. The regular price at U.S. mega-retailer BevMo is $75 U.S. (or $96 Canadian), meaning it’s a rare deal in B.C.

Vintage Oddly, 2012 is the current release of this wine. By law, Brunello has to be aged at least two years in oak and four months in bottle before it can be sold. This producer goes further with a four-year aging program.

Sorry, did you say $109 for a bottle of Argentinian chardonnay? The maker of some very high-end Okanagan Chardonnay recently gathered a group together to blind taste their wines interspersed with examples of the great chardonnays of the world: Chablis, Puligny-Montrachet. And it was all respectful nodding and whispering until wine #6: “This wine is f***ing insane!” said one taster, and the entire room descended into geeky chatter. When the bags were removed, it was this single-vineyard high-altitude Chardonnay from Catena, arguably Argentina’s greatest producer, and its price tag: well north of $100. What did it taste like: herbaceaous, spearmint gum, chalk, lime, verbena (and I’m not even sure what verbena is)? Most importantly it tastes like nothing else. I’ll admit it—it takes some confidence to drop a C-note and change on an Argentinian white, but think of it this way: if you’re spending that much on a bottle of wine, don’t you want it to be the one that boldly stands out from the crowd? Catena Zapata White Stones 2014, $109

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TIME FOR WINE

DEAL HUNTER

Where the Buys Are in B.C. Here’s $100— What 3 Bottles Would You Buy?

We go over categories—and specific bottles—at the BCLDB to see where we’re actually getting the best deal and which areas to avoid. ARGENTINA

David Paterson

Winemaker, Tantalus Vineyards

Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2014, New Zealand, $40 This wine is one of my favourite newworld chardonnays. It’s great to see it in B.C.

AFRANCE

C+

Mouton Rothschild 2010 BCLDB $1600, wine.com $900 (U.S.)

I TA LY

A OREGON

Domaine Drouhin 2014 BCLDB $46, wine .com $42 (U.S.)

Soumah Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013, Yarra Valley, Australia, $28 Extremely goodvalue pinot noir from a top producer in the Yarra Valley that shows terroir in spades.

CALIFORNIA

DAU S T R A L I A

Pewsey Vale Contours Vineyard Riesling 2010, Eden Valley, Australia, $38 This is one of my favourite singlevineyard riesling sites in the world and it always overdelivers. It ages really well, and I have a vertical of this wine back to 2003.

A-

Avalon Napa County Cabernet 2014 BCLDB $34, wine .com $16 (U.S.)

Cecchi Chianti 2015 BCLDB $14, wine.com $13 (U.S.)

Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills 2014 BCLDB $38, wine.com $38 (U.S.)

Beringer Knights Valley 2014 BCLDB $46, wine.com $30 (U.S.)

Mollydooker Two Left Feet BCLDB $31, wine.com $28 (U.S.)

Miraval Rosé BCLDB $29, wine.com $22 (U.S.)

La Chablisiénne La Pierrelee BCLDB $32, wine.com $20 (U.S.)

Pietradolce Etna Rosso 2015 BCLDB $26.50, wine.com $20 (U.S.)

Tignanello 2013 BCLDB $93, wine.com $100 (U.S.)

(Stay away from the pinot gris)

Cuma Torrontes BCLDB $11.80, wine .com $14 (U.S.)

Finca Las Primos Malbec BCLDB $14, wine.com $12 (U.S.)

Catena Alta Malbec BCLDB $55, wine.com $50 (U.S.)

Bleasdale Mulberry Tree Cabernet BCLDB $15, wine.com $19 (U.S.)

Duck Pond 2015 BCLDB $29, wine.com $20 (U.S.)

Cannonball Chardonnay BCLDB $28, wine.com $15 (U.S.)

Yalumba Y Series Viognier BCLDB $17, wine.com $12 (U.S.)

Wine Hack #7: Buy the Best of a Lesser Region Savvy wine buying is in some ways the opposite of real estate: with real property, you want the worst house on the best street, but if you dip your toe into the lowest-price wine in a pricey area like Bordeaux, prepare to be disappointed. Instead, the key is to find an area with great fundamentals—old vines, a long history of winemaking—that hasn’t been discovered yet, and then go to the top of the market for their best bottles. In Burgundy, this strategy might cost you $5,000 a bottle, but on the southern coast of Sicily you can spend $40 and be a baller. Case in point; the $38 Feudo Maccari Saia 2013, a wine made of the often-humble Nero d’Avola grape, which delivers a wallop of red and black fruits, some mint and some savoury notes in an opulent package that will see you through the coldest winter day.

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AWARD-WINNING BC VQA WINES IN AN EXCEPTIONAL LOCAL SETTING 3033 - 232nd Street, Langley, BC | 604.539.9463 Tasting Room & Wine Shop opens 11am-5pm daily

VAN MAG half Untitled-3 1 page 04122017.indd 1

2017-12-06 2017-12-05 11:20 2:05 PM AM

OLD WORLD ELEGANCE... NEW WORLD EDGE! Look for our wines at your favourite wine shop or restaurant. Buy from our OnLine store: closdusoleil.ca Visit our tasting room: 2568 Upper Bench Rd, Keremeos, BC By appointment until we open again on Friday, March 16, 2018 250-499-2831 | @Closdusoleil

Signature 2013

TIME FOR WINE

B E H I N D T H E C U R TA I N

Here’s $100— What 3 Bottles Would You Buy?

Jason Yamasaki

Touched by Grapeness It’s easy to forget that the glass of wine you’re smashing back with lunch was planted, tended to, harvested, fermented, bottled, represented, sold, cellared and poured by numerous hands. Treve Ring follows one local wine from ground to glass.

Group Sommelier, JOEY Restaurant Group

Grower: Bob Hancock

Ferrari Metodo Classico Brut, Trento, Italy, $30 A ringer for glorious and textural Champagne at a third of the price.

Leitz Dragonstone Riesling, Rheingau, Germany, $19 A zesty and quenching off-dry sensation from one of the best of Germany.

Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône Valley, France, $50 Some of the most soul-touching and elegant syrah made on the planet. Mythical dimensions of spice and brightness.

Vintner: Alan Dickinson

Third-generation grower Bob Hancock is a lifelong Naramata farmer, having grown up adjacent to the vineyard in his family’s farmhouse. In 2011 he converted the 3.5 acre sloping, south-facing, gravelly clay-andcalcium carbonate site on the far northern tip of the Naramata Bench from apple orchards to self-rooted 21B Riesling vines. He knows every inch of his sustainable, chemical-free property, having lived and walked it for seven decades.

This self-taught winemaker must have riesling in his blood. Since his first vintage in 2010, Alan has worked with numerous ferments within each vineyard, isolating the ones that, to him, best signify the site. For this wine he did two picks and six different ferments. Cropped low and fermented with native yeasts, this wine spent up to five months on the lees in stainless, with no inputs other than a small part of sulphur post-ferment.

Sommelier: Sean Nelson

Agent: Rich Massey

In his four years as sommelier at Vij’s Restaurant, Sean Nelson has enjoyed the challenge of schooling guests on pairing wine with the exotic flavours and spices of Indian cuisine. Many of his wine selections are local, and with this wine he suggests a match of “pork tenderloin in ginger and cayenne cream curry, allowing the acidity of the wine to slice right through the cream while layers of sweet and spice play off each other.”

In Your Glass:

The Syncromesh Bob Hancock Riesling 2016 is off-dry and confidently so, with a swell of juicy, quenching acidity to counter the residual sugar. Ripe pear, white peach, honeysuckle, honeycomb vibrant lime pulp lift a bed of lees. There’s an alluring, savoury brown butter in the base, right up to a spicy ginger ale on the finish. Lush in the mouth but slight in alcohol, with all this intensity impressively packed into a 10-percent alcohol frame. This is drinking beautifully now but will continue to age effortlessly. $26 at the winery.

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After having worked for other commercial-scale wine agencies, Rich Massey founded Massey Wines in 2011 to focus on local smallfarm, family-owned wineries. He started by representing Vancouver Island wines in Vancouver at a time when few wines made it off the Wine Islands. His wine portfolio is now complemented by mead, cider and spirits, and he’s known as a tireless advocate of authentic products and their producers—like Alan.

VanMag Presents

Rebels vs. Icons

If all this wine talk has you thirsty, do we have an event for you. Join us on February 13 at the Loft at Earls Yaletown as Earls sommelier David Stansfield takes 50 lucky participants on the path to discover whether your tastes skew more traditional or more radical. Tickets are a mere $50 (and include a $10 Earls gift certificate). Go to vanmag.com/earls for tickets.

S IP L IK E A PRO

Saturday Night! Feb 24, 2018

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Fine Dining To Food Trucks. 17 Days of Culinary Adventure. January 19 to February 4, 2018

Offering an inspired menu of dishes from 4 culinary regions of China: Canton, Szechuan, Hunan, and Shanghai.

A premier social destination pre and post events, serving innovative interpretations of classic bar “comfort” foods.

1886 CHINESE FINE DINING

BC KITCHEN

Ancora’s mission is to embrace the harmony of Peruvian and Japanese cultures while incorporating the bounty of the West Coast. The cuisine’s manifesto hinges on sustainable seafood, locally sourced and international ingredients, while also drawing inspiration from our Pacific Northwestern surroundings.

Celebrating the Pacific Northwest – Enjoy classic West Coast cuisine in a picturesque beach-side setting. Our menu features only the freshest and highestquality ingredients carefully curated from trusted local suppliers and meticulously prepared to exacting culinary standards. We are a proud partner of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.

3rd floor, 39 Smithe Street Parq Vancouver 778.370.8500 parqvancouver.com/restaurants

2nd floor, 39 Smithe Street Parq Vancouver 778.370.8300 parqvancouver.com/restaurants

photo by Bill Milne

ANCORA WATERFRONT DINING AND PATIO 1600 Howe Street 604.681.1164 ancoradining.com

Nestled in Vancouver’s only Relais and Châteaux property, Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge complements the luxurious Wedgewood Hotel & Spa’s reputation for excellence. Its Executive Chef offers a truly gourmet experience in warm and romantic surroundings with live entertainment. Dine out Package includes accommodation, welcome gift, valet parking, and threecourse dinner from $338 sgl or dbl occupancy excluding taxes.

BACCHUS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

845 Hornby Street | 604.608.5319 wedgewoodhotel.com/restaurantlounge/

BEACH BAY CAFÉ AND PATIO 1193 Denman Street 604.685.7337 beachbaycafe.com

Reflected in its sumptuous menu offerings, C|Prime uses the finest cuts of local meats, seafood, vegetables and cheeses paired with innovative, rich sauces and salts unlike anything Vancouver diners have tasted in the city. A New York Italian steakhouse in the heart of downtown Vancouver invites guests to savour otherworldly flavours without leaving home.

C | PRIME

1015 Burrard Street 604.684.3474 cprime.ca

The Prawn Spaghettini (shown here) is one of many Chef Feenie signature creations on Cactus Club Cafe’s threecourse Dine Out. Cactus’ addictive flavours, award-winning service and stunning restaurant design guarantee an unparalleled dining experience. Visit any of the 12 participating locations across the Lower Mainland: Coal Harbour, Yaletown, Bentall, English Bay, Robson, Ash, West Broadway (Granville), North Burnaby, Metrotown, Byrne Road, Park Royal and North Vancouver.

Serving chef-driven, farm-to-table cuisine with an emphasis on locally & regionally sourced ingredients that highlight the bounty of British Columbia.

HONEY SALT

1st floor, 39 Smithe Street Parq Vancouver 778.370.8200 parqvancouver.com/restaurants

CACTUS CLUB CAFE cactusclubcafe.com

Cibo Trattoria serves up authentic Italian cuisine prepared in a traditional manner with ethically sourced, seasonal and local ingredients and showcases rustic elegance on each plate. Our ‘fromscratch’ approach in the kitchen works with Mother Nature and embraces the ‘Slow Food’ philosophy founded by Italian writer Carlo Petrini to showcase a simple, rustic elegance in each dish.

CIBO TRATTORIA

900 Seymour Street 604.602.9570 cibotrattoria.com

Dine Out Vancouver is a great time of year for all of us that are proud to call this city home. A chance to get out with friends and family and shake off those winter blues. No matter the weather outside, we at “the grill” assure friendly staff, hearty food, and a great place to hang your hat. Come on in and try some of our most popular items, at a truly reasonable price.

HURRICANE GRILL

1137 Marinaside Crescent 604.488.0555 hurricanegrill.ca

Fishworks is alive with bustling energy, an environment which is both warm and welcoming with vaulted ceilings and careful attention to detail. Chef Shallaw has made it a priority to bring fresh seafood from our unique and celebrated West Coast featuring timeless classics as well as contemporary, modern cuisine.

Vanishing glass walls reveal spectacular views of the water and Stanley park as you dine off the signature West Coast plates. Other features include an upper deck patio and outdoor fireplaces.

FISHWORKS CANOE OYSTER BAR

LIFT BAR GRILL VIEW

91 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver 778.340.3449 fishworks.ca

Open for lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends.

333 Menchions Mews 604.689.5438 liftbarandgrill.com

Restaurants. Events. Hotels. 17 Days. January 19 to February 4, 2018 dineoutvancouver.com

Located in vibrant East Vancouver, Scandilicious boasts a warm, rustic atmosphere. You’ll find great food and coffee at Vancouver’s one and only Scandinavian style eatery. Featuring Scandinavian Smorrebrod on a waffle. Breakfast, lunch or baked goods, made in house and fresh daily. During Dine Out we’ll be featuring Norwegian specialties & meals that put us on the map! So waffle on down to East Van and get your VIKING ON!

SCANDILICIOUS 25 Victoria Drive 604.877.2277 scandilicious.com

Vancouver’s Premier Cocktail Lounge, where every minute is an experience, focused on serving the highest quality ingredients from local farms. Immerse your senses and indulge in experiential cocktails such as the Scentless Apprentice. Join us for Dine Out and excite your tastebuds with our Chef curated three-course menu for $30 per person.

THE TRUMP CHAMPAGNE LOUNGE 1161 West Georgia Street 604.979.8885 trumphotels.com\vancouver

A contemporary and seasonally inspired menu highlighting a wide array of speciality steaks and Pacific Northwest seafood.

THE VICTOR

6th floor, 39 Smithe Street Parq Vancouver 778.370.8600 parqvancouver.com/restaurants

™Trademark of Tourism Vancouver, The Metro Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau.

FROM FINE DINING TO FOOD TRUCKS, DON’T MISS 17 DAYS OF CULINARY EVENTS!

W H E R E TO S K I / CA S A D E TAC O F I N O / H OT WATC H E S

VA N M AG .C O M/G O

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IMAGE CREDIT COURTESY TOURISMFERNIE.COM

Back to Ski School Master off-piste with a First Tracks class at Fernie Alpine Resort.

TR AVEL

OFFBEAT, ON-MOUNTAIN

They may not be the first three ski spots you think of, but with mountain resorts on their doorstep, these small-yet-sophisticated towns are sweet backdrops for bluebird days with fresh tracks and serious aprÃ¨s. BY

Barb Sligl

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T H E D E S T I N AT I O N

SMITHERS THE UNDERDOG

FERNIE THE CLASSIC A historic mountain town founded in 1898 and built on mining, Fernie has turn-of-the-century charm infused with a modern sensibility (hello, kombucha and sashimi), all wrapped in the tight embrace of the Rockies. Towering high above the main street is the Headwall, a snowy swath of a rock face. Just below, between multiple ridges, are the five steep-and-deep bowls of Fernie Alpine Resort. Reign over it all by skiing (if you dare) from the top-of-this-world 2,000-plus-metre Polar Peak.

Hudson Bay Mountain

OFF - PISTE

The Hankin-Evelyn Backcountry Recreation Area is a 3,770-hectare mountain mecca just an hour away, for those willing to earn their turns. That means no snowmobiles, no lifts: skin up, ski down. Trek up to the 1,700-metre Ridge Trail, where a sweet warming hut sits just below alpine bowls and chutes, then let ’er rip down one of 13 cut runs.

OFF - PISTE

Wild rice with spinach, goat cheese and hazelnuts at the Two Sisters Café

APRÈS-SK I

Ski out from Hudson Bay Mountain into town (a 1,151-metre descent from peak to street), where you’ll find the tasting room of Smithers Brewing Company (opening this spring, complete with bike and ski racks outside) and the Alpenhorn Bistro and Bar. Sip on Seven Sisters Stout, courtesy of Sherwood Mountain Brewery in the neighbouring town of Terrace (another powderhound’s Valhalla, two hours away).

A warming hut at the top of Hudson Bay Mountain

REFUEL

Stick around the Alpenhorn for some Swiss onion soup, Bavarian beer brats or, as you might expect, wiener schnitzel—hearty European fare tempered with West Coast kale salad and tuna poke. And get your millennial-friendly avocado and smoothie quotient filled at Two Sisters Café, amid Scandi-chic lambskin throws.

Learn to navigate those tree runs between bowls and hone your shreddin’ skills in First Tracks’ Steep and Deep camp (with stellar instructor Johnny Krasny). Nearby, there’s also the swish base of Island Lake Lodge’s cat-skiing operation (with a standby/day-ski list). APRÈS-SK I

The first must-stop is right at the bottom of the ski hill: the Griz. The name stems from a legend about a mountain man and embodies his rough-and-tumble spirit (a local is crowned honorary Griz each year). Stay awhile and after a few Lone Wolf IPAs by Fernie Brewing Co. you might join in the naked table slide: a late-night tradition in which people slip ’n’ slide down the lacquered surface of a 25-foot-long communal table made from a single felled tree—in the buff.

WARMING HUT: BARB SLIGL; HANKIN-EVELYN: BARB SLIGL; FERNIE ALPINE RESORT SKI LIF TS: HENRY GEORGI

Smithers is part European mountain village (“Alpine Al” and his alpenhorn loom large on Main Street as town talisman) and part northern hipster outpost. It has new craft breweries, a young mayor (who bikes and skis like everyone else), a diverse artistic community (including Grammy-winning singer Alex Cuba) and a growing contingent of expats from southern ski towns who’ve discovered the untouched drypowder terrain of the Babine and Telkwa ranges (overheard: “Whistler is for wimps”). Here, skiing Hudson Bay Mountain is the backyard milk run.

RECHARGE

Stay in town at the Stork Nest Inn, run in part by Brian Hall, who also happens to know everything about skiing the Smithers area. He’s a local legend, the visionary behind the pristine playground of Hankin-Evelyn, and happy to share stories over the inn’s renowned breakfast . . . and maybe a few tips on those powder stashes.

Hankin-Evelyn Backcountry

VITAL STATS

ELEVATION: 1,676 metres VERTICAL DROP: 533 metres RUNS: 36 (25% easy, 55% intermediate, 20% advanced) LONGEST RUN: 8 kilometres ( f inishing with Trail to Town) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 6.35 metres TERRAIN: 118 hectares POPULATION: 5,351

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A fresh squad of mountain shredders hits the Fernie slopes

Fernie Alpine Resort

HUDSON BAY MOUNTAIN: ANDREW STRAIN; T WO SISTERS: ROSE MATIS;

Smithers / Hudson Bay Mountain (since 1969)

Discover Profound Wisdom & Divine Beauty

“Awe-inspiring sensation!” —ABC

SHEN YUN’S unique artistic vision expands theatrical experience into a multi-dimensional, inspiring journey through one of humanity’s greatest treasures—the five millennia of traditional Chinese culture.

5,000 Years of Civilization Reborn

Featuring one of the world’s oldest art forms—classical Chinese dance— along with patented scenographical effects and all-original orchestral works, Shen Yun opens a portal to a civilization of profound wisdom and divine beauty.

“5,000 years of Chinese music and dance in one night.” —The New York Times

“A dazzling show. The production values are grand.” —The Globe and Mail

“Exquisitely orchestrated choreography; the show is a non-stop banquet.” —Ontario Arts Review

“Simply astounding to watch and a pleasure to the ear.” —Opera Online

“Simply gorgeous stage magic! A MUST-SEE!” —Broadway World

Sold Out Last Season. Secure Best Seats Now!

QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE | MARCH 23–25 ALL-NEW PROGRAM FROM NEW YORK WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

ShenYun.com/Van 1-888-974-3698

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T H E D E S T I N AT I O N

REVELSTOKE NEW-ISH PLAYER It’s said that people come to Revy for the skiing and stay for the community—the “real Stoke” (home to both a microbrewery and distillery). While it’s long been a heli-ski go-to in the Columbia Mountains, lift-accessed skiing opened just 10 years ago, making Revelstoke Mountain Resort the only ski resort in the world to offer lift, heli-, cat- and backcountry skiing from one village base. It also has the longest vertical in North America (1,713 metres; you’ll have to go to the Alps to top that). Consider yourself stoked. Fernie

Besides four bowls to explore—South, North, Powder Assault, Greely—as well as boot-packing into some serious “slackcountry” (best tackled with an in-the-know guide; sign up for Inside Tracks), Revy now offers single-day cat-skiing with Great Northern Snowcat Skiing. And that means you could possibly do more than one mountain range in a weekend: from the Monashees to the Selkirks.

REFUEL

In the town’s heritage buildings, within blocks of each other, are the Valley Social (for a flat white or kombucha), the Brickhouse (for a post-slide Buck Naked burger) and the Loaf (for woodfired pizza), but there’s also sushi in these mountains. Line up with locals for Yamagoya’s coast-worthy sashimi and famous Fernie roll.

Revelstoke’s Snowcat Skiing APRÈS-SK I

You don’t have to go far… Mackenzie Common Tavern at the base offers a “shot ski” or signature Ugly Sweater cocktail to get started, but continue farther down the mountain into town for the Village Idiot. A retro-ski-bedecked pub, it’s a local haunt in which to get acquainted with the High Country Kölsch—a pale light-hop beer by local Mt. Begbie Brewing Co.

RECHARGE

Stay at the base of Fernie Alpine Resort at the all-in-one Lizard Creek Lodge, where you can gear up, ski in/out and partake in another round of après at the Cirque Restaurant and Ice Bar. Or settle in at the log-cabin-luxe Island Lake Lodge, nestled in another valley with its own all-in-one set-up—from spa to cat-ski.

REFUEL

Tk Tk

Long-time local fave Chubby Funsters has cute-and-casual cocktails and dishes that range from Who Braised Roger Rabbit to Angry Vegan salad. But the recently opened Quartermaster Eatery, in the Explorers Society Hotel, has bistro-style provisions like cheeseand-charcuterie boards (with a house-made vegetarian sausage option!) and steak frites.

VITAL STATS

Fernie / Fernie Alpine Resort (since 1963) ELEVATION: 2,149 metres VERTICAL DROP: 1,082 metres RUNS: 142 (30% easy,

40% intermediate, 30% advanced) LONGEST RUN: 5 kilometres (Falling Star) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 11 metres

Chubby Funsters

TERRAIN: 1,013 hectares

RECHARGE

The Sutton Place Hotel may be the easy choice at the ski base, but Revy has a new batch of happening hotels, like the boutique Explorers Society, with its cabin-chic revamp of a 1911 tobacco and pool shop in the historic town centre. Start with in-room Stumptown French press and end with a nightcap in the Boiler Room (yes, there’s an actual 100-year-old boiler).

POPULATION: 5,249

VITAL STATS

Revy / Revelstoke Mountain Resort (since 2007) Explorers Society Hotel

ELEVATION: 2,225 metres VERTICAL DROP: 1,713 metres RUNS: 69 (7% easy, 45.5% intermediate,

47.5% advanced) LONGEST RUN: 15.2 kilometres

(the Last Spike) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 14 metres TERRAIN: 1,263 hectares POPULATION: 6,719

Island Lake Lodge

Valley Social Coffee 46

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The author at Lizard Creek’s Ice Bar

FERNIE MOUNTAINS: ISL AND L AKE LODGE/McPHEE; CAT-SKIING: AGATHE BERNARD; ISL AND L AKE LODGE: MAT T KUHN; CHUBBY FUNSTERS AND LIZARD CREEK LODGE ICE BAR: BARB SLIGL

OFF - PISTE

Revelstoke’s North Bowl

Whistler’s crazy new 130-metre suspension bridge (from Peak Chair to West Ridge) is delayed until spring, but that doesn’t mean the Greatest Resort in the World doesn’t have a lot to get excited about… like eating.

WHISTLER E AT S

THE CHANGE - UP

Toptable Group (West, CinCin, Blue Water Cafe) is reimagining Umberto’s classic Il Caminetto, with Araxi’s legendary James Walt taking the reins (and handing over Araxi to West’s Quang Dang). Opening date is early 2018.

REVELSTOKE NORTH BOWL: IAN HOUGHTON; IL CAMINET TO: LEIL A K WOK; STEEPS: ABBY COOPER

HAUT LUNCHEON

Want to stay onmountain? David Hawksworth will be hosting a series of luxe lunch pop-ups at Steeps (January 13, February 10, March 10), where for $63 you can imagine you’re in Gstaad but with more Arc’teryx and fewer barons. FRESH STAR T

For those who would prefer to skip the bustle of the village altogether, Nita Lake Lodge’s Aura has just overhauled itself, with new decor courtesy of Scott and Scott architects and a new menu.

i PAIRS BEST WITH Culmina Unicus 2016 // $27 Because if you’re into elevation, you’ll dig this high-altitude grüner veltliner, which schusses down your throat with electric elegance.

BE A VANCOUVER VIP Sign up for our newsletter and our contests at VanMag.com to snag exclusive party invites, win prizes and receive special offers from our local partners. Visit VanMag.com—your playbook for our playground.

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P E R S O N A L S PAC E

Beach Days “Most mornings Jason will put the kids on the bike and go and do a surf check while I’m making breakfast,” says Robinsong. “And when it’s snowing we’ll go make ‘snow sand men.’”

Kitchen Confidential “I think we’re looking forward to some real grown-up cupboards,” says Kaeli Robinsong (pictured with husband Jason Sussman and daughter Leni, inset left). Their reno-in-progress will see the well-used “funky and eclectic” kitchen overhauled next to give it a more clean, modern look. Bring the Indoors Out “Our shower (top right) has a big door that opens onto our deck and we have a moon soaker tub right outside (inset, right), which is a pretty awesome feature,” says Robinsong. Family Ties Kaeli’s dad, Lee Robinsong, has been painting realistic circular artworks since the ’70s and the couple found this one, Swallows— depicting her as a child with her parents on their native Cortes Island—that he had sold years before in the U.S. Now it hangs in their addition, where it mirrors their porthole window (opposite, left and right).

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i PAIRS BEST WITH Moon Curser Dolcetto // $23.39 Tofino is out there and so is this Osoyoos winery that’s the most experimental around. To wit: this note-perfect take on the Northern Italian grape dolcetto.

THE HOUSE THAT TACOFINO BUILT They came, they saw and they conquered Vancouver, but their Tofino home has always been the locus of their West Coast cool. by

Julia Dilworth |

photographs by

Lillie Louise Major

Before the VancouVer truck, the HastingsSunrise bricks-and-mortar restaurant or the Gastown taco bar, the two heads of the Tacofino empire were renting in Tofino’s Vinyl Village—a spot within eyeshot of their first venture. “When we first moved to Tofino, we spent all our money on our food truck,” laughs Kaeli Robinsong. Her husband and business partner, Jason Sussman, would fit in surf sessions before or after work. The small-town-ness and community of Tofino were a big draw for both, so they bought a dark and “dungeony” old welding shop in the woods, right across the street from the beach. And over time, the pair slowly turned its 500-ish square feet into the 1,600-square-foot “hippie West Coast” family home for four they live in today. A big L-shaped addition with a porthole, skylights and extra bedrooms brought in much needed space and light. “Two of

the main support posts in our house are full tree trunks,” says Robinsong. Cedars taken down to make room for their home were put back by post-and-beam specialist Ian Garrard in almost the same spot. A favourite space in the beachy retreat is the open-to-the-forest bathroom, with punchy green dandelion tile that they imported from Vietnam for their Gastown restaurant (she ordered extra for their home before they started renovating). Also sourced from their Tacofinos: scraps of rug made into pillows, white table numbers now used as bookends, and even a Bocci light fixture that Sussman rescued during the construction of their Hastings location. “It was a funny-shaped one that was literally in the dumpster out back. It was like, ‘How is there a Bocci light in the dumpster?’” laughs Robinsong of their Omer Arbel nightlight. “There are little bits of Tacofino everywhere.”

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HOME DECOR Vintage Moroccan rug, 7e7 “Pieces like this add a really unique element with incredible depth and texture to a modern interior.”

DESIGNER PICKS Sophie Burke shares a few of the Vancouversourced design pieces she’s currently coveting. by

Stacey McLachlan Ariana Gillrie

photos by

InterIor desIgner Sophie Burke may have started her career in London, but after working her magic in Vancouver for 13 years, she’s no stranger to catering to West Coast tastes. “Vancouver designers are influenced heavily by our natural environment,” says Burke. “We tend to use less colour and more natural, grey tones in our designs.” But Burke knows that with the right pieces, the earthy vibe can be anything but boring—and, luckily, the city’s got plenty of cool design shops from which to source them.

Gubi Gräshoppa lamp, Bombast “The height of the shade is perfect. It sits beautifully by an armchair with the light hitting the right spot.”

CH25 chair, Inform Interiors “My all-time favourite chair from my alltime favourite furniture brand. It has a perfect sculptural simplicity.”

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Mud Australia ceramics, Provide “The dishes have a very minimalist, clean look to them but retain a handcrafted quality with a matte finish.”

From paint colour to furniture, landscaping to functionality, your space is all about you. Do the homework to make your home work at the BC Home + Garden Show, returning February 21-25, 2018 at BC Place Stadium. Don’t miss special celebrity speakers and must-see features, plus more than 425 trusted brands to choose from.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE & SAVE COURTESY OF

.com

PRODUCED BY

Home and Garden Events

@VanHomeShows #BCHGS18

Sarah Keenleyside & Brian McCourt Co-Hosts of HGTV Canada’s Backyard Builds

BCHOMEANDGARDENSHOW.COM

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T H E H O T TA K E

Amanda Ross

i Our favourite Seattle heritage

brand knows enough to come to Canada to knit their authentic, 100-percent wool handmade Fair Isle scarf and toque. Scarf, $200; toque, $165, filson.com

GET COZY

n Keep warm and weather the storm with Hollow Tree’s Backpacker series Tofino Storm coconut wax candle. Each ceramic pot is hand-poured in Whistler with scents—like bergamot and lily of the valley—distilled in France. $42, hollowtree.ca

Beat the cold-weather blues with this lineup of snuggle-worthy, warmth-inducing winter gear.

j The elegant

M. Patmos x Club Monaco cropped jumper features cashmere constructed from a Japanese loom that uses one continuous thread to create thoroughly modern classics. $625, clubmonaco.ca

k What we like to call a

duvet-in-a-jacket, Moncler’s Akebia coat in deep purple puts hibernation in high gear with its bold pop of colour. $1,525, holtrenfrew.com

m The Revenant meets Anna

Wintour in Nordstrom’s At Home Cuddle Up faux-fur sleeping bag in shades like New Natural Tipped. $279, nordstrom.ca

NOW OPEN

Bailey Nelson

202 Carrall St., baileynelson.com What: Australia’s hipster eyeglass emporium Bailey Nelson opens its third Vancouver location in Gastown. Why we’re excited: Made with the same Mazzucchelli acetate as most pricey designer specs, the frames are suitably cool without the attendant markup.

PAIRS BEST WITH i Vanessa Vineyards Right Bank 2014 // $40

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A perfect velvety luxe companion with layers of lush, ripe red fruit and some serious ageability.

KĀ’ANAPALI BEACH & RESORT ASSOCIATION

Come Pa’ani! (Come Play With Us)

Maui is known for its food scene, along with the Kā’anapali Beach Resort being “where the world comes to play”. Guests were able to enjoy hands on açaí bowl stations and poke dishes tailored from Chefs from The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, and The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas.

Chef Ikaika, Jim Gordon, Executive Director of K ’anapali Beach Resort Association Shelley Kekuna, Leeta Liepens, Chef Chris Lederer

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A guest browses through Ka’anapali’s magazine and our custom board games

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Guests assemble their own açaí bowl inside PICA’s state of the art kitchens

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Traditional ahi poke prepared by Chef Ikaika Manaku from The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas

Vancouver magazine food editor Neal McLennan, Shelley Kekuna, Trish Friesen

Chef Chris Lederer from Sheraton Maui’s Kanaka Style Poutine

Guests enjoy lager and IPA from Maui Brewing Co. Melanie Booth of CTV celebrates winning a trip to Maui

Alessandro Rancan of UVA Wine and Cocktail Bar shakes a custom cocktail “Joyride” using Malfy Gin

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with Kā’anapali Association

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T H E AC C E S S O R Y

ABOUT TIME

Embroidery, bold colour, bling! Elevated timepieces that make a statement.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Dior VIII Montaigne Pink Opaline ($10,750) with diamond-set dial, holtrenfrew.com. 2. H. Moser and Cie. XL Venturer, limited edition (50 watches worldwide) with 18K white gold ($31,500), palladiocanada.com. 3. Olivia Burton Floral 3D Bee Square Dial with rose gold mesh ($134), thebay.com. 4. Chopard Happy Sport 30mm Automatic ($159,590) in 18K white gold and diamonds, globalwatchco.com. 5. Gucci Le Marché Des Merveilles Tiger stainless steel and striped nylon strap watch ($980), holtrenfrew.com. 6. Hublot Big Bang One Click King Gold White Full Pavé ($70,900) with diamonds and a rubber strap, hublot.com. 7. Rolex Cellini Dual Time in black with white gold case ($22,200), globalwatchco.com; palladiocanada.com. 8. Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days Oro Rosso with blue alligator strap and ivory dial ($27,600), panerai.com.

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PAIRS BEST WITH i Time Winery Viognier 2016 // $23 // An aptly named rich offering of lush tropical notes—baked pineapple, roasted coconut—from legend Harry McWatters.

VANCOUVER’S WHISKY FESTIVAL Over the past 20 years, the world of whisky that was, is no longer. The dark, mahogany-walled, back-room studies that played host to the “old boys club” is now open to everyone. In January of 2018, the whisky connoisseurs of Vancouver and abroad, both men and women, come together to sip these special golden drams and learn about what makes each of them so special.

GRAND WHISKY HALL January 22nd, 2018

TIME 6:00PM - 10:00PM

LOCATION Rocky Mountaineer Station 1755 Cottrell Street, Vancouver B.C.

ATTIRE Cocktail Attire

TICKETS $115 General Admission $165 VIP SOLD OUT

W H I SK YCL A S S I Q U E . C O M P R E S E N TI N G S P O N S O R

S U P P ORT I NG SP O NSOR S

C HA R I TA B LE PA RTN E R

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ABOUT L AST NIGHT

Night of a Thousand Stars

Past Present Future

Patrons came out in spades to preserve Chinatown and support the future of surgery. BY Fred Lee @FredAboutTown

Leadership Award recipients Maggie and Ben Yeung

Telus’s David Beck, Jill Schnarr and Kenn Hamlin

UBC VGH Foundation CEO Barbara Grantham and health-care visionary Darlene Poole

Society darlings Melita Segal and Arya Eshghi

VGH doctors Mark Fitzgerald and Celine Bergeron

The Event Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation’s Night of a Thousand Stars, presented by Telus, is an opportunity to raise a glass to visionaries and health-care professionals working to improve the health and wellbeing of British Columbians. The gala-do was Vanhattan’s biggest party of 2017. The Cause The 22nd staging saw more than 900 business, community and health-care leaders convene at the Vancouver Convention Centre to raise over $5.95 million—a record-breaking haul—to support cancer care and innovation, bringing the next generation of surgical robotics to VGH. The Champion Philanthropist Darlene Poole led the way, sparkplugging the extraordinary night with a $1.97 million gift to realize the technical upgrade needed by VGH. Poole and her late husband, Jack, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer, were instrumental in bringing the first robot, named Jack, to the city.

Former VJ Monika Deol and her husband, Avtar Bains from Colliers

The Party Fast becoming a leading date on the social circuit, the Chinatown Foundation Gala packed 750 guests into the Hotel Vancouver ballroom for its sophomore running of an event created to help preserve the district’s cultural heritage. The Ringleader Carol Lee, daughter of developer and philanthropist Bob Lee, is the force behind Chinatown’s revitalization. In addition to purchasing key buildings and businesses in the historic part of town, the UBC and Harvard grad created the Chinatown Foundation to revitalize the once-bustling area. The Players Lee, the CEO of Linacare, enlisted powerhouses Carole Taylor and Leslie Diamond to lead the charge, and Wallace Chung, Jacqui Cohen, Sam Feldman, Robert Ho, Paul Lee, Phil Lind, Brandt Louie, Joy MacPhail and Paul Wong to support the cause. The red-hot night raised $1 million.

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Singer Ty Waters headlined Carol Lee’s Chinatown Gala

Former B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor and Pacific Blue Cross CEO Jan Grude

Talent agent Sam Feldman and his daughter Aiya

Artist Paul Wong and Joy MacPhail

ILLUSTRATION: NIMA GHOL AMI

Chinatown Gala

The Vancouver e-newsletter brings you all the must-know intel about the city to your inbox four times a week, including: • Top restaurant recommendations • Thought-provoking long-reads • Awesome local events • Beauty and fashion tips • Real estate picks PLUS getaway guides, inspiring profiles, store openings, fantastic contests and everything else you might expect from the editors of Vancouver magazine.

RESTAURANT GUIDE

CIT Y INFORMER

What Makes the Vancouver Special So Special? BY

Stacey McLachlan Byron Eggenschwiler

ILLUSTRATION BY

WITH THE ABUNDANCE of new starchitect-designed skyscrapers jostling for space like so many damp B-Line passengers, it might be easy to forget our city’s true architectural legacy: the humble, stuccoencrusted Vancouver Special. Though the original designer’s name has been lost to history, the home is so simplistic that one assumes it was a secondgrader who sketched out a rectangle with a half-assed roof and called it a day. But this rectangle with a half-assed roof must have spoken to people: from 1965 to 1985, over 10,000 homes were built with those same Vancouver Special plans. For comparison’s sake, during that same time period, the number of people who built the home I designed, “Modern-MeetsRococo-Castle-withWaterslide,” was zero. Was it because I never “drew

This rectangle with a half-assed roof must have spoken to people. up blueprints” or because I wasn’t technically “born yet”? We may never know. Some Vancouver Specials went up in just three weeks—faster than it took me to stop procrastinating and finish this article. These twostorey bad boys maximized square footage on the lot (with room for plenty of extended family) and were built with cost-effective materials—excellent news for new immigrants,

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working-class folks and stucco fans everywhere. Plans were only $65 back then; today, accounting for inflation, that would be the equivalent of two trips to the Whole Foods salad bar. Because they grew so familiar with the design, city hall was soon able to fast-track Vancouver Special projects. Soon, South and East Van were sprinkled with cookiecutter dream homes— until, like most things

in life, white people had to ruin all the fun. The west-side elite preferred trendy British architecture with big fancy gardens and saw this new housing as low-class. Neighbours complained to city hall, and in 1986 zoning laws were changed to put an end to the Spesh—because in Vancouver, NIMBYism never goes out of style. Got a question for City Informer? stacey.mclachlan@vanmag.com

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T I ME LE SS D E SI GN • WO RLD C LA SS V IE WS • E LEG A NT H O ME S

AT PACI F I C AND HO R NBY IN DOWNTOWN VA NCO U V E R

NOW SELLING

VISIT THE SHOWROOM TODAY | 1050 HOMER STREET IN YALETOWN Open 12-5pm daily or by appointment (closed Friday) | 604.670.3432 | GrosvenorPacific.com Rendering is an artist’s interpretation only and may not be accurate. E&OE.