Our Foodies of the Year!
WLSTYLE // TITLE
Meet Today’s Top Tastemakers
WESTERN LIVING // JULY/AUG 2016
PM 40068973
Hot Summer, Cool Design A Gorgeous Calgary Home Where the Walls Are Optional
Exclusive! Torafuku’s Most-Requested Recipe
How can you create a perfect dish every time?
Chef Mark McEwan’s Rack of Lamb with Roasted Heirloom Carrots See the full recipe at JennAir.ca/McEwan.
1. Be close, personal friends with Chef Mark McEwan
2. The Jenn-Air Culinary Centre ®
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Introducing the new, Wi-Fi-connected Jenn-Air wall oven featuring the Culinary Centre: an interactive system with a full-colour LCD display that adjusts cooking time and temperature automatically. Beautiful roast lamb can be as simple as choosing the Crown Lamb Roast option from the menu, then selecting your pan and how you’d like it done. The Culinary Centre will make sure your dish is perfectly prepared, every time.
LUXURY REDEFINED
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Built to handle whatever the familia can throw at it. We’re for kitchens that have a little extra zest. From durable doors to capable countertops, IKEA kitchens have everything it takes to take it all on. Customize yours to fit your space, your budget, and even your cooking style. And whether you’re cooking solo or cooking with everyone, it will stand up to whatever noodles you can throw at it. Serve up your very own at IKEA.ca/kitchens
Italian Design at its Finest
Sandy’s Furniture has been a proud retailer of Natuzzi’s Italian made products for more than 25 years. We invite you to visit our Natuzzi Italia store inside Sandy’s on United Boulevard, where you will enjoy our one of a kind shopping experience surrounded by the largest selection of Natuzzi Italia products in Canada.
1335 United Boulevard, Coquitlam • 604.670.3087 www.sandyasfurniture.ca/SUMMER-SALE/WESTERN
Sandy’s Furniture Family Owned and Operated Since 1976
ASTRA The lightness of the superimposed opal and etched glass layers combines perfectly with the structure to create a prestigious asymmetrical lamp.
The DOLLY armchair offers comfort and style with its slender metal feet, wide seat cushions and well padded armrests.
SVEVO is a table distinctly inspired by Scandinavian design, with a mix of prestige materials it has a sophisticated and refined look.
MUSEO has a decorative design and is made from natural material.
DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER YALETOWN ELEVATED ABOVE THE PARK. SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS.
8X ON THE PARK offers a rare opportunity to live with an expansive park just outside your door. From this peaceful parkside setting you’re just steps from the best of the city: destination dining, nightlife, cafes, shopping and cultural venues. With a SkyFitness Centre, SkyLounge, 24/7 concierge at your service, all homes complete with air-conditioning, and the finest features and finishes, 8X will change how you view downtown living.
VISIT OUR PRESENTATION CENTRE AT 1149 HAMILTON ST NOW OPEN DAILY 12 - 6PM 604 801 6861
8xonthepark.com
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HOMER STREET PRESENTATION CENTRE 1149 HAMILTON ST HAMILTON STREET
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*THIS IS NOT AN OFFERING FOR SALE. ANY SUCH OFFERING CAN ONLY BE MADE WITH A DISCLOSURE STATEMENT. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. ARTIST’S RENDERINGS AND MAPS ARE REPRESENTATIONS ONLY AND MAY NOT BE ACCURATE. E.&O.E.
EMERY BARNES PARK
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VANCOUVER WELCOMES THE NEW
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exclusively at For more beautiful finds for your smaller spaces
1420 Fell Avenue at Marine Drive North Vancouver | 604.988.7328 gingerjarfurniture.com
1400 Marine Drive North Vancouver | 604.988.2789 omgitssmall.com
Child’s Play This spare room acts as both playroom and craft area but keeps a clean and modern look thanks to ample built-in storage. See the rest of this smartly designed home starting on page 38.
J U LY/AU G U S T 2 016
Cover and this page: Martin Tessler
B R I T I S H C O LU M B I A // V O LU M E 4 6 // N U M B E R 6
INSIDE OUT 38 // Fortune Smiles
One fateful dinner leads a design-minded Calgary couple to the modernist architect (and the bright and airy home with no space wasted) they’d been searching for.
44 // Home & Away
A charming seaside family home in Victoria (complete with a gorgeous pool, of course) brings traditional beach-house style to indoor-outdoor living.
48 // Light Show
Designer David Nicolay reimagines a cramped vintage space as an open-concept dream home that lets the sun shine in from every angle. westernliving.ca / j u ly / a u g u s t
2 0 1 6 1 1
WL // CONTENTS
STYLE 25 // Ones to Watch
55
Autonomous Furniture Collective practises farm-to-table furniture.
26 // Shopping
A chic and angular planter, colourful seating options and more hot picks for summer.
28 // Openings
Sweet sheets in Vancouver, artisanal wares in Calgary and jewellery with a local edge.
30 // Trending
Brass is back, and we’re loving the vintagechic look for furniture and accessories alike.
32 // Wallcoverings We Love Walls get poetic with whisper-soft shades and flights of fancy.
FOOD 55 // 2016 Foodies of the Year
Welcome to our annual celebration of the chefs, sommeliers, producers, designers, owners, activists and bartenders that make the West the best place to be a food lover.
71
118 26
TRAVEL 71 // Have Dog, Will Travel
Road-tripping on Vancouver Island, kicking it on B.C.’s best beach and seeing the Rockies old-school: we’re sharing our favourite ways to spend summer right here in the West.
Alessi’s Paolo Cravedi travels to New Orleans twice a year—here’s why.
80
PLUS 81 // Sources
Get the looks you see in these pages.
82 // Trade Secrets
Kyla Bidgood shares her trick for rocking a custom kitchen look on a budget.
1 2 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
Torafuku: Evaan Kheraj; Sooke Potholes: Kyle Pearce
80 // My Neighbourhood
WESTERN LIVING editorial
Photos by Beck Media
editor-in-chief Anicka Quin art director Paul Roelofs food & travel editor Neal McLennan senior editor Stacey McLachlan assistant art director Jenny Reed staff writer Julia Dilworth contributing editors Amanda Ross, Nicole Sjรถstedt, Barb Sligl, Jim Sutherland, Julie Van Rosendaal city editors Karen Ashbee (Calgary) Jyllian Park (Edmonton) Rosemary Poole (Victoria) editorial interns Ames Bourdeau, Giordano Rizutti art intern Megan Patrick email mail@westernliving.ca
westernliving.ca online editor Stacey McLachlan online coordinator Kaitlyn Gendemann production manager Lee Tidsbury designer Swin Nung Chai marketing & events manager Dale McCarthy events coordinator Laura Lilley marketing assistant Kaitlyn Lush administrative assistant Kaitlyn Gendemann tel 604-877-7732 fax 604-877-4848 customer service/subscriptions web westernliving.ca tel 855-626-4200
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Elevate Your Bathroom with Duravit A timeless design concept responds to an overcrowded world. The desire for neatness reflects a puristic lifestyle, which is perfectly interpreted with Duravit’s new ME by Starck Wall-Mounted Toilet. Achieve a modern yet timeless look to your bathroom. Taking up a minimal amount of space, the elegant and clean design will elevate your bathroom’s status.
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THE ART OF FINE LIVING
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WL // EDITOR’S NOTE
ANICK A QUIN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANICK A.QUIN@WESTERNLIVING.CA 1 8 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
Q& A This month we asked our contributors, what was the most memorable meal you had in the past year?
J n G st “T‍ה‏Re g pâ€? 68 The Mission in Scottsdale. Lunch on pozole, tableside guacamole and torta Cubano, a braised pork belly sandwich. So good I had to go back a month later and have it again.
v  rÂ?r “T‍ה‏IÂ? Âtsâ€? 64 The luxuriously casual dining that defines the Okanagan is joyously and authentically shared at JoieFarm’s Picnique, where wood-fired pizzas made with beautiful ingredients are served to your picnic blanket by some of my favourite folks in this valley.
Behind the Scenes Ever the social media queen, stylist Nicole SjĂśstedt (@nicolesjostedt) snaps a sneak peek of this month’s ever-so-sparkly Trending feature (“Back in Brass,â€? page 30) as photographer Kyoko Fierro lines up the next shot.
VISIT
FOLLOW US ON
Anicka Quin portrait: Carlo Ricci; styling by Luisa Rino, makeup by Melanie Neufeld; clothing courtesy Holt Renfrew. Photographed in a home designed by Kelly Deck Design.
FOR THE LOVE OF GREAT FOOD
I spent last weekend in Calgary, where I managed to pack in a pretty excellent range of food-related experiences. At the second annual Dinner by Design Calgary, about a dozen local designers created fantastic “rooms� within the cafeteria at the Alberta College of Art and Design, transforming the space and transporting all of us to other worlds within each set of walls: Amanda Hamilton’s Moroccan-style souk, complete with rich spices and fresh-baked Middle Eastern treats, or Sarah Ward’s Pee-wee Herman-influenced ’80s extravaganza of a dining room. Another evening I spent with an old friend at the lovely Notable restaurant in Bowness, where we caught up over smoked chicken wings and a charcuterie platter stacked with house-cured meats and cheese (I’m still thinking about those bread-and-butter pickles). And not to be downplayed, there was one gorgeous sunny evening spent dining on hot dogs and cotton candy at the Family Fun Day at my seven-yearold nephew’s school. I mention the latter not because any of the 10 winners of our ninth annual Foodies of the Year (page 55) are working in the hot-dogsand-cotton-candy game, but as an example of how broad (and still joyful) our food experiences can be, and how important the trendsetters we’ve highlighted here can be in shaping our cultural experiences. From the Vancouverite who has taken lunchtime takeout from dull to revelatory, to the 81-year-old Calgarian who created the bible of Ismaili cooking, to a designer whose creative restaurant interiors changed the Vancouver landscape for the better, the people we’ve highlighted here build the space that we all need and love—the room for sharing inventive and inspiring food as the kickoff to a great night out. Of course, there are many more people in your own communities doing what these folks are—just take a look at the incredible 40 that made our shortlist at westernliving.ca. Did we miss anyone? I’d love to hear from you— and to visit their restaurant, kitchen, winery, brewery or simply great foodie space for yet another amazing weekend.
Experience the Northern European Design at the comfort of your home
www.INspirationFurniture.ca MON-WED & FRI 10 - 7 | THURS 10 - 9 | SAT 10 - 6 | SUN 11 - 6
1275 WEST 6th AVE. VANCOUVER, B.C. V6H 1A6 T: 604 730 1275 FREE COVERED PARKING AVAILABLE
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LETTERS, ETC.
Tweet, message, ’gram or email (mail@westernliving.ca)— we love to hear from our readers!
VISIT US Want more Western Living? Fresh stories daily on the new
WESTERNLIVING.CA
@Western_Living @ToolShedBeer: Thanks for the great beers, beer education and craft industry support! @DTOFSRUD
Great list! Fresh Ideas Start Here has amazing seafood. Had some at my wedding and my guests went crazy for it! JOSETTE JT
Some fab feedback on our quality list of Foodie finalists:
@GARTHEBROWN
Shout out to @topsoileatlocal and @HoyneBeer, nominated for @Western_Living 2016 Foodie of the Year! #yyjeats
Would love for this fine young chef (Blake Flan, PD3, Canmore) to be honoured as one of your finest. MICHELE ETZERZA
SHINING STAR A revamp in silvers, whites and greys from Kalu Interiors brought this ’90s Vancouver home into present day. Very well executed! TRACY CLARK
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This is the perfect couch!
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Beautiful!
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ONLINE THIS MONTH Find the July/August issue’s web exclusives at westernliving.ca. SHOPPING
RECIPE
DESIGN CRUSH
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Farm-to-Table Furniture
Autonomous Furniture Collective co-founders Kirk Van Ludwig and Jodie Webb are Ones to Watch (page 25)— check out the work that got them noticed.
2 0 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
Make This Halloumi Salad
Chef Tim Evans shares the Cascade Room’s halloumi cheese salad recipe, featuring fresh blackberries and toasted almonds on a bed of wild arugula.
We Love This Art Deco Makeover Interior designer Alykhan Velji works with Calgary’s Barre Belle to transform a bank into a gorgeous ballet-inspired fitness studio.
YOUTUBE.COM/ WESTERNLIVINGCA
Tool Shed Brewing: @dtofsrud; Shining Star: Julie Row Photography; Design Crush: Brian Buchsdruecker
@WineGuyMike55 @ChefNeilMcCue @TeresaSpinelli @Western_Living: Good company to be with, that’s for sure!
WL FOODIES OF THE YEAR
SEE OUR KITCHENS ON
Beauty on th
We start with superior ra beauty and natural grain sanded smooth and finis
Beauty on the inside. And out. We start with superior raw materials and end with the delicate touch of hand-finishing to reveal the wood’s beauty and natural grain characteristics. And on the inside, our solid wood dovetail drawer boxes are sanded smooth and finished with a crystal clear coat - no sharp edges, unfinished surfaces, or unsanded joints.
Modern, contemporary designs and quality European craftsmanship. Merit Kitchens—an experience for life. Canadian-made, German-engineered.
Modern, contemporary d Canadian Made. Germa
Toll Free: 1-800-663-2992 merit-kitchens.com
Burritt Bros._Western Living_July August 2016.pdf 1 6/8/2016 5:19:58 PM
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S H O P P I N G // T R E N D S // P E O P L E // S PA C E S // O P E N I N G S // I N T E L
ONES TO WATCH
Rooted in B.C.
Jodie Webb and Kirk Van Ludwig, Autonomous Furniture Collective, Victoria Think of Autonomous as the farm-to-table of...well, tables. The woods they use for their rustic-modern pieces are rooted in B.C. and selected with a sense of place in mind—and designers and co-founders Jodie Webb and Kirk Van Ludwig keep much of their inspiration local, too. Memories of Stanley Park and the ’70s modernism movement in Vancouver make appearances in their work, via concrete wood and hot-rolled steel (just look at the CB1 table, which mixes clean-lined acrylic and natural Western maple with modern angles). “Our customers are looking for a piece of West Coast lifestyle,” says Van Ludwig. —Ames Bourdeau
All Together Now Webb and Van Ludwig look right at home among their designs: the Kai dining table and bench, and Klee side table.
westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T
2016 25
WLSTYLE // SHOPPING
A a’s Pi Ora by Alessi
$135, available at Inform Interiors informshop.com There’s something satisfying about a piece that fits just so—and designer Giulio Iacchetti’s new “corner clocks” for design powerhouse Alessi take the tidy home office up a notch. Ora In (which tucks into a corner) and Ora Out (which wraps around one) don’t sacrifice precious wall space that could otherwise be displaying great art, though their simple, striking design certainly makes them beautiful. Available in white or (my favourite) orange, the Ora line makes time management a more pleasant task. Want one of your own? Head to our Contests page at westernliving.ca to win!
Win
this clock!
Angle Management
The angular, multi-tiered Vondom Faz planter ($1,248) provides an edgy contrast against lush greenery (and if you can’t keep a shrub alive, it’s just as pretty without). Ginger Jar, Vancouver, ginger jarfurniture.com
Against the Grain
Though it’s a simple rectangular form, the dynamic mix of grains on the top of Gus Modern’s Tobias coffee table ($750) adds a subtle layer of warmth and interest. Chester Fields, Victoria, chester -fields.com; Fullhouse Modern, Vancouver, fullhousemodern.com
For more of Anicka’s picks, visit westernliving.ca
Colour Story
Arper’s classic Catifa 46 chair (from $360) has a fresh new look for summer, in a new palette of pastels and brights that pairs beautifully with equally colourful leg options. Livingspace, Vancouver, livingspace.com
NOTEWORTHY New in stores across the West
Black and White and Chic All Over
House Doctor’s textured vases (from $60) blend two hot trends—tactile finishes and bold patterns—in an even hotter black-and-white palette. Fullhouse Modern, Vancouver, fullhousemodern.com
Night Light
The sleek Alf Italia Tivoli bed (from $1,500) integrates a built-in, softly glowing backlight between two layers of grey oak headboard: perfect for when you want to finish just one more chapter while your partner gets some shut-eye. Inspiration Furniture, Vancouver, inspirationfurniture.ca
2 6 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
LIVE YOUR . Y R O T S E F I L E U TR EVERY DAY. SIP, HIKE, GLIDE, SWIM, FLOAT, RACE, PADDLE, BALANCE, AND SAIL . . . ALL FROM THE CONVENIENCE OF YOUR FRONT DOOR AT MCKINLEY BEACH. No other Okanagan Community Offers as extensive a list of activities and amenities all in one place. A place where the natural landscape plays host to hiking trails, climbing, beach, and water life, all within a 14 minute drive to the offerings of Kelowna’s city centre. A place where memories are not the exception, but the rule - every day.
LAKEVIEW LOTS
Starting at $224,000 MCKINLEY BEACH SHOWHOME
SHAYLER ROAD MAIN ENTRANCE
McKinleyBeach.ca | 250-980-5555 This is not an offering for sale. Such an offering can only be made with a disclosure statement. E. & O.E.
WLSTYLE // SHOPPING
Simply Sophisticated A minimalist design by Jens Fager belies the innovation behind the Muuto Grain lamp ($215)—the pendant light is made from bamboo fibres and polypropylene. Espace D, Vancouver, espacedonline.com
OPENINGS Hot new rooms we love
VANCOUVER Bedface The Vancouver-based online bedding brand keeps things highquality but simple: mix and match 24 colours (that go far beyond your hotel whites, with vibrant hues like electric pink and alarmclock orange on the menu) of 100-percent cotton pillowcases, duvet covers and sheets to create the bedding set of your dreams. bedface.ca
Pillow Talk
O N E - Q U E S T I O N I N T E R V I E W WITH LYNNFIELD MITCHELL Brand Director, Bedface
Though Alessi is often known for its clever or intricate designs (we’re looking at you, Anna G. corkscrew), the pretty, muted Tonale dishware collection (from $20) shows that the Italian design company can do simplicity with just as much skill. Gabriel Ross, Victoria, grshop .com; Vancouver Special, Vancouver, vanspecial.com
Get Connected
The Jetsons wish they had it so good. The ultra-futuristic JennAir Connected wall oven (from $4,850) has its own app to preheat, turn off or check cooking status from afar. Trail Appliances, across the West, trailappliances.com
If you were redesigning your bedroom, where would you start? We spend a third of our lives in our bedroom, so why not make it a space that’s comfortable but also aesthetically beautiful? The bed is the focal point: start there when you’re redesigning, and work outward. We’re seeing a movement in certain markets like Vancouver and San Francisco toward crazy, colourful bedding. They’re tired of white and grey and navy, and they’re buying mint duvet covers and all-nighter citron sheets.
MORE NEW ROOMS
CALGARY Guildhall Inglewood’s newest decor shop stocks established brands (think Iittala, Menu and Normann Copenhagen) alongside up-and-coming designers from across the world. guildhallhome.com
2 8 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
EDMONTON Milliwatts Lighting Marnie Watts’s handmade tabletop light fixtures turn traditional materials (brass, gold, copper) into angular, sculptural conversation pieces that truly light up a room. milliwattslighting.com
EDMONTON So Pretty Cara Cotter Shop for a signature piece from a mix of delicate, layerable bangles and necklaces in the Edmonton designer’s new 124 Street boutique, a space as pretty and gracefully designed as the jewellery itself. soprettycaracotter.com
VICTORIA Chocolats Favoris The Québecois chocolatier will open its first West Coast shop right by the Inner Harbour, stocking beautiful truffles in decadent flavours like dulce de leche and crispy cherry. chocolatsfavoris.com
Bedface: Mike Savage
What a Dish
The Northwest Collection Designed by Alano Edzerza
VANCOUVER | NORTH VANCOUVER | SURREY | COQUITLAM | LANGLEY | KELOWNA WWW.JORDANS.CA
WLSTYLE // TRENDING
4
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PRODUCED BY
Ni Sjös dt
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BACK IN BRASS 1 Roll Out Mirrored brass bar cart on wheels ($420) by L’Atelier Home. latelierhome.com
3 The Cut Up Rosewood-and-brass cutting board (from $89) by Roost. nineteenten.ca
5 Good as Gold Scholten and Baijings gold lines stemware ($70 per set of 2) by Hay. espacedonline.com
7 The Cool Down Champagne cooler ($317) by Skultuna 1607. informshop.com
2 Brass Beauty Kubus bowl in brass ($290) by Lassen. espacedonline.com
4 Cheers to That Curvo cocktail pitcher ($102) by Roost. nineteenten.ca
6 Floor Show Milk-and-gold Y rug ($9,600) by Yerra Rugs. salari.com
8 Tropical Vibes Pineapple tumbler ($55) by the Pineapple Co. latelierhome.com
3 0 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
Kyoko Fierro
Add a little brass to a modern space, and you’ve got an instant hit of warmth and vintage glamour.
SPONSORED REPORT
I
nfluenced by the popular midcentury modern movement, recent design trends include mixing soft gold metals with other warm metals such as Champagne, Antique Brass, Polished or Natural Brass to create wonderfully stunning lighting styles. Illuminate more than just your mind…Drop by and see for yourself Featuring stunning cut and polished faceted crystals, this 4 light pendant from the Casilda Collection is a decorating coup for the updated traditional lifestyle that inspired it. The crystals dazzle alongside the Sterling Gold finish while the Silver Beige fabric shades and satin etched diffusers complete the look. This simple, elegant 5 light chandelier from the Grace collection features sweeping arms and hand carved optical crystal accents in a beautifully on-trend Sterling Gold finish
This 1 light pendant from the updated traditional Savanna collection is inspired by classic Williamsburg design, featuring smooth, curved arms in a Sterling Gold finish with Antique Mercury glass accents.
This timeless and sophisticated 6 light chandelier from the Birkdale collection features hand-strung wrapped beads and a beautiful Sterling Gold finish that will bring warmth to any room.
Created by the Western Living advertising department in partnership with Norburn Lighting
4600 East Hastings Street, Burnaby, B.C. 604.299.0666 | norburnlightingandbath.com
WLSTYLE // WALLCOVERINGS WE LOVE
BY BARB SLIGL
WRITING ON THE WALL
Buzz Worthy
Walls get poetic with whisper-soft shades and flights of fancy that are both serene and enchanting.
Taken from silk fabric found in Josephine Bonaparte’s bedchamber, the pattern of Farrow and Ball’s Bumble Bee wallpaper ($230 per roll) is especially playful in new colour combos of Peignoir and Shadow White or Cromarty and Yeabridge Green. farrow-ball.com
Wax and Wane
Graphic yet luminous, this mega-scaled moon-motif mural (self-adhesive vinyl or wallpaper) by Vancouver-based Anewall ($269) sets any interior aglow. anewall.com
White Out Real Love
Double Fantasy (starts at $15 per square foot) is statement wallpaper inspired by Yoko Ono and the iconic black-and-white photograph of her and John Lennon kissing. Dreamy indeed. rollout.ca
Benjamin Moore’s 2016 Colour of the Year is Simply White—a nuanced base on which to build a layer of light. benjaminmoore.com
DESIGNER’S PICK
A o
Pretty Pale
Sico’s spring and summer lineup of paints is all about buttercup-tinged whites and this dusty rose called Venice Skyline (from $45 a gallon), a powdery pastel that’s oh-so-soft and soothing. sico.ca 3 2 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
“For me, wall colour or material will first be about how it accentuates a geometry or can highlight a particular space. Once that architectural move has been established, my first instinct is always to add tile. This adds colour, texture, artistry and depth to a space. By far, my favourite tile at the moment is Heath tile. I’m enamoured of the new specked texture!� MARIANNE AMODIO IS PRINCIPAL OF VANCOUVER’S MA A STUDIO AND WINNER OF WESTERN LIVING’S 2015 DESIGNERS OF THE YEAR ARTHUR ERICKSON MEMORIAL AWARD FOR AN EMERGING ARCHITECT. Heath Ceramics, Layered Glaze tile ($51 per square foot). heathceramics.com
Marianne Amodio: Janis Nicolay
IN LOVE WITH TEXTURE
Jim’s testing the waters He does the work. You get the benefits. As FortisBC’s innovative technologies manager, Jim tests new energy-saving technologies that one day may help our customers. The success of his water heater pilot led to our ENERGY STAR® Water Heater Program. So you can upgrade your water heater and get a rebate — plus save energy costs for years to come. That’s energy at work. fortisbc.com/watersavings
FortisBC uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. (16-121.7 05/2016)
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URBAN ESCAPE
An Australian couple based in Tokyo and Hong Kong wanted a BoConcept look for their new Whistler home—but didn’t quite know where to start.
1. “Michelle and Andrew were familiar with BoConcept, but they wanted help putting things together,” explains Vancouver BoConcept Stylist Ronald Gutierrez, who led the entire design for their stunning mountain property. Ronald got started by visiting the Whistler site and getting to know the couple’s intentions for their new place. “It’s important to understand the homeowners’ lifestyle, the purpose of the property and their individual needs,” he says. With a strong sense of what these clients were after—a big city escape surrounded by nature—Ronald began to plan the interior
décor using BoConcept’s 3D Home Creator software. “It gave them a clear idea of how the space would come together, even from a different time zone.” He narrowed down their original vision to a neutral palette that’s equipped to stand the test of time. “We began with the main furniture and gradually added accessories and smaller details to complete a customized concept and add touches of colour.” The end result is what Ronald describes as a contemporary aesthetic that was entirely coordinated by the BoConcept team. “Everything went very smoothly,” he says. “It really came to life.”
Created by the Western Living advertising department in partnership with BoConcept Vancouver
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1. Extendable matte white table complements the bright hardwood floor giving it a crisper look in both kitchen and dining areas.
4. Mezzo king-size bed frame invites you to rest and relax as though on vacation—you just might want to hang the “do not disturb” sign.
2. Neutral tones for sofa upholstery and coffee table finish makes an eclectic choice of accessories easier to combine.
5. Bookcase with TV unit is a perfect wall feature solution mixed in with a few pops of colour.
3. Adelaide outdoor set in white brings an optimistic feel to an open space.
BoConcept Vancouver | 1275 W 6th Ave. l Vancouver l 604.730.8111 Learn more on boconcept-vancouver.ca
SPONSORED REPORT Read on for a few of Ronald's favourite pieces from the Whistler URBAN ESCAPE home.
Adelaide chair for indoor and outdoor use, available in different colours, various bases and seats. As shown, grey/Eucalyptus (0125). H34/18½xW23¾xD22¾”
Milano table with supplementary tabletop, available in different sizes and colours. As shown, matte white lacquered/oak. H29½xW39½xL72¼/91” (Shown in photo #1)
(Shown in photo #1 & 3)
Osaka corner sofa, tufted seat, available in fabrics, leathers and different sizes. As shown, grey Matera fabric 2283/espresso oak. H31½xW124¼xD95¾” (Shown in photo #2)
Lugano sideboard, available in different colours and sizes. As shown, walnut vaneer/oak legs. H36¾xW60½xD19” (Shown in photo #1)
Mezzo bed, available in fabrics and leathers, with storage option. As shown, light grey Salto leather 0967. Available in Queen and King. (Shown in photo #4)
It’s more than great design It’s a concept BoConcept Vancouver | 1275 W 6th Ave. l Vancouver l 604.730.8111 Learn more on boconcept-vancouver.ca
HOMES I N T E R I O R S // A R C H I T E C T U R E // D E S I G N // L I V I N G
Romancing the Stone
Martin Tessler
The stone on the face of this outdoor fireplace—designed by architect Rachael Gray—might surprise you: it’s actually rundle rock. Locally mined in the Rockies, it’s typically left with a natural edge—but here, cut straight on all six sides, it’s become a totally modern material. Framed by vintage chairs discovered in Palm Springs and reupholstered in Calgary, this hot fireplace makes for a very cool hangout. Story, page 38.
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WL HOMES // calgary
Grand Opening With its poured-resin floor, the main living space—the family room, paired with the kitchen off to the right of this image—is both beautiful and, in the warmer months, when the walls open up, offers a seamless transition from indoors to out.
See more of this gorgeous home at westernliving.ca
FORTUNE SMILES One fateful dinner leads a Calgary couple to the architect, and the home, of their dreams. by JACQUIE MOORE // photographs by MARTIN TESSLER // styling by DAVID KEELER
westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 3 9
In and Out Two 20-foot glass walls open on either side of the family room, leading to the outdoor living space (opposite, top). Homeowner Tracy LucaHuger hung the mirrors on the back fence, which architect Rachael Gray “just loves. They look like portholes through the fence,” says Tracy. She and husband Alfred Huger hang out in their bold and
beautiful kitchen with their daughter Milana, (opposite, bottom). The glass wall by the stairs features the work of photographer Amanda Weil (left). Because the home has essentially three front yards facing the street, it had to be set back more than is typical. To compensate, Gray cantilevered the upper floor to create more square footage (bottom).
T
he origin story of this southwest Calgary home— the serendipitous result of being in the right powder room at the right time—is reminiscent of a Hollywood romance. Ten years ago, on a dog walk along Calgary’s Riverdale Avenue, Alfred Huger and Tracy Luca-Huger were stopped in their tracks by an under-construction house. “It was so striking—very architectural, clean lines, strong dimension and details,” says Tracy, whose head was turned despite the fact they were already building their own home in nearby Mount Royal. “We were so impressed with what we saw, we vowed to find out who the architect was if we built again.” One year went by with occasional, wistful thought given to the house they’d admired. One evening at the Fleur de Sel brasserie, however, Tracy spotted a business card tacked to a bulletin board in the washroom. “I immediately recognized the house on the card—it was that house.” She asked the restaurant owner if he knew the architect who’d put the card up. “He told me she was his friend who lived in New York,” she says, “but that this was her favourite restaurant in Calgary.” As it turned out, the architect, Rachael Gray, had connections to Calgary and had built more than one house in the city she had lived in back in junior-high school. While the couple hadn’t been planning to rebuild at that point, when a corner lot they loved became available on a Parkhill street, they nabbed it. “What’s unique about the location,” says Gray, “is that it’s on a cul-de-sac on a ridge with no houses in front of it, and it has both westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 4 1
Great Heights The formal living room is on the side of the home that faces downtown, so Gray included double-storey glass windows to capture the view— the same reason she included a balcony off the master bedroom (right and below). The library was at the request of homeowner
Alfred Huger, who collects antique books (opposite, top). “This was our modern interpretation of what a wood-panelled library looks like,” says Gray. In the master bedroom, the headboard is lacquered, while the walls have a natural hide wallcovering (opposite, bottom).
a wide-open view of downtown and a south-facing backyard. It was everything they wanted.” Already confident that Gray could deliver, the couple offered only a few pieces of major guidance for the design of their home: to make it modern, flat-roofed and a model of indoor-outdoor living, and for it to contain a library. Gray’s intention, meanwhile, was to give the family a house that— unlike their Mount Royal split-level, which contained too many unused spaces—would be wholly useful and completely lived in. Indeed, there isn’t a wasted line or furnishing in the home, right down to the well-loved window seat in the spare room, which doubles as a playroom. Interestingly, on first entrance, the Luca-Huger home—with its strikingly high ceilings and vast, open plan—feels formal, almost museumlike. That feeling, however, quickly becomes a warm invitation: the kitchen, which opens into the family room and connects the backyard via two 20-foot-long glass accordion walls, is clearly the heart of the home. Little wonder Tracy’s sister opted to hold her wedding reception—a lighthearted cocktail party for nearly a hundred people—in the space. For Gray, the kitchen posed a particularly welcome challenge. “New York kitchens tend to be much smaller and are often not used at all,” she says. “But this kitchen is the anchor of the less formal rear of the house, and the couple are avid cooks who entertain often. Alfred has even started making his own charcuterie.” Everything the couple needs for cooking is stored in an oversized pantry behind lacquered doors and, hidden on either side of the range, two tiny cabinets are configured so that each appliance remains plugged in and in position to use. The flooring throughout the main level adds to the seamlessness of transition from indoor to outdoor living. It’s poured resin—a choice that, the homeowners admit, was both finicky and expensive (they had to pour it twice to get it right), but durable and in harmony with the poured concrete outside, making it ideally suited to the personality of the house and its breezy, often barefoot occupants. The life-sized birch trees, featured on a transparent divider that sections off the staircase in the middle of the room, were another visually stunning way to fulfill the couple’s desire to bring the outdoors in. As much as the Luca-Hugers value the airy spaciousness of their main floor (the upper level comprises four bedrooms, a laundry room and two small, frequently occupied north-facing terraces), the couple and their young daughter are regularly drawn into the home’s relatively private library, separated from the living room by an oversized pocket door. “We love this room,” says Tracy. “It’s warm and intimate and a great place to play board games together.” To be sure, family game night in the library doesn’t have the dramatic payoff of a typical Hollywood ending, but it’s a happy conclusion for the Luca-Hugers’ nearly unrequited romance with their dream home. 4 2 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
SEE SOURCES
WL HOMES // VICTORIA
HOME & AWAY 4 4 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
WL HOMES
Summer Session Homeowner Sue hangs out in the pool with her children, Nicole and Jamie (opposite). The design of the home takes its inspiration from Hamptonsstyle Eastern Seaboard
architecture. In the living room, a custom sofa and chairs in cool neutrals refl ect a curvaceous design that mirrors the curving window they’re positioned in front of (this page).
by ROSEMARY POOLE // photographs by JO-ANN RICHARDS
A seaside family home brings traditional style to indoor-outdoor living. See more of this seaside home at westernliving.ca
westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T
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I
t all began with a window. In 2007, Sue and Stephen had purchased a waterfront lot in the Victoria suburb of Oak Bay and were in the early stages of planning their dream house when Sue recalled a window she had seen in a West Vancouver home. It was curved and ran the length of the wall, wrapping around the corners of the house and dramatically extending the vista like the bridge of a ship. Sue says it was an inspiration for their future home: a gleaming portal to the outdoors, framed by the traditional architecture they had developed an appreciation for while living in the U.S. Working with Rus Collins and Lorin Turner of Zebra Group, a local custom home builder and interior design firm, the couple embarked on a two-year building process. Much of the planning revolved around the site itself, says Collins, which set the parameters of the project. A steep slope from the street to the shoreline of Gonzales Bay allowed for two storeys up and, after a successful application for a variance to the residential zoning, a full basement walkout below, creating space for guests, a wine cellar and a bathroom convenient to the pool area. Naturally, each level of the nearly 4,500-square-foot house capitalizes on sweeping views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains in northwestern Washington state beyond. The
4 6 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
Seaside Serenity The design offers timeless elegance, as seen in the striking staircase (top left), and the charming exterior (bottom left) stained in a shade that references driftwood. The floor-toceiling window in the
living room was, in many respects, the inspiration for the design. Classic Emeco Navy stools line the bar in the elegant kitchen (opposite); the master bed and bath offer quiet respite (opposite, top and bottom right).
uninterrupted coastal scenery—towering, weather-beaten coniferous trees, rocky outcroppings and blue-grey water—feels suited to a weekend retreat, though it’s a mere five-minute drive to downtown Victoria. For Sue, a dentist, and Stephen, an orthopaedic surgeon, and their children Nicole, 13, and Jamie, 9, the property is an oasis of calm in their busy lives. “We make it our vacation at home every day,” says Sue. “We love the escape it gives us.” A pair of chaise longues in the easternmost corner of the backyard is the perfect vantage point from which to take in summer sunsets that stretch into the night; the charcoal granite tiles used throughout the terrace retain just the right amount of solar heat. “In other areas, or parts of the southern U.S., the tiles would get too hot to walk on,” says Stephen, “but here, they’re the perfect temperature.” For the exterior, Collins took his cues from the architecture of the Eastern Seaboard, incorporating a steeply pitched roofline, white panelling, limestone masonry and shingle siding that was stained— after many rounds of testing—a custom Benjamin Moore colour intended to reference that of driftwood. Over time, it will continue to weather and add to the house’s character. Says Collins: “They wanted the house to look timeless.” Many of the materials and finishes used outside were carefully
incorporated into the interiors: the garage doors and the front entrance introduce the rich cherrywood tone used in the engineered hardwood flooring throughout the house; the panelling detail repeats in the main-floor columns and newel posts of the winding staircase and open landing; the limestone reappears in the two-way fireplace that separates the open living room from the dining room. It was all part of a meticulous plan to make the house and the grounds read as one continuous space—albeit one that balances a traditional aesthetic with coastal, family-friendly living. For the interior design, once again, the nautically influenced livingroom window set a course. Lorin Turner, who oversaw that phase of the project, repeated the window’s curved shape in a custom sofa designed by Victoria-based Kory Larsen Design Furniture. She also added a coffered ceiling to keep the space formal and to delineate it from the rest of the mostly open main floor. In the kitchen, the balancing act continued. Many family meals happen in a rush around the island, so Emeco Navy stools were chosen for their comfort and durability. The stools’ metallic finish was carried up to the ceiling in a trio of mercury-glass pendants by Jamie Young Co. in California, which Sue had seen in a magazine and purchased before the house was built. A run of classic three-by-six subway tiles See SourceS
and face-frame cabinetry with furniture-style kickplates continues to the dining room, where it meets a built-in mirror-backed cabinet designed to look like a china hutch. The couple purchased the dining table many years ago at an antiques fair outside of Chicago; its inset end leaves extend, allowing 10 people to dine comfortably. Overhead, an S-shaped Schonbek chandelier strung with Swarovski crystals keeps the views unobstructed but the formality in place. Upstairs, each of the three bedrooms has its own ensuite and is tailored to its occupants. For Nicole’s bathroom, Turner chose Pratt and Lambert’s bright turquoise Chanteuse for the wall colour, a departure from the rest of the house’s calm palette of warm whites, greys and browns. In the master bathroom, his-and-hers sinks were separated, creating a makeup area for her and creating views from both his sink and the corner soaker tub. Stephen’s schedule often means early rises, so in a clever bit of space planning, their suite flows clockwise from the bedroom to the bathroom to the dressing room and out to the hallway. Now, nearly five years after completion, Collins says the house remains one of his most popular, a sign, perhaps, that everyone involved bridged the gap between city house and summer escape. “We love coming home at the end of the day,” says Sue, adding, “There’s nothing I would change.” westernliving.ca / j u ly / a u g u s t
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WL HOMES // VANCOUVER
Inside Out A wading pool in the entrance courtyard brings some California cool to this Vancouver home. The accordion-style glass wall folds away to connect this outdoor space with the open-concept living room inside.
LIGHT SHOW
Designer David Nicolay reimagines a cramped vintage space as an open-concept dream home that lets the sun shine in. by MICHAEL HARRIS // photographs by JANIS NICOLAY // styling by NICOLE SJĂ–STEDT
Check out more photos of this stunning, modern home at westernliving.ca
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H
Bright Ideas Designer David Nicolay used smart design to let the light flow through the home: a slatted dividing wall (below) separates the stairwell from the kitchen without blocking the sunlight. Oversized sunroofs installed above a rugged walnut table (right) keep the whole space bright,
e wanted a home shot through with daylight. And what the owner had was a space full of unnecessary divisions and dark rooms. But there were great bones—this 2,300-squarefoot residence is a 1965 vintage Erickson Massey Architects design in Vancouver’s posh Point Grey neighbourhood. When David Nicolay of Evoke International Design came on the scene, he saw how severely limited the original floor plan was—the worst culprits being a walledin kitchen and a staircase that chopped the space in half, blocking arriving guests from the tremendous ocean views. “So we opened the place up, front to back,” says Nicolay, a 2008 winner of WL’s Designers of the Year. “This guy was just starved for light.” Today, stepping past the privacy hedge, we walk across a California-style entrance courtyard, complete with wading pool, toward a wall of glass that folds back, accordion-style, to reveal an entirely open interior. On the home’s opposite wall, a second system of glass slides away so that the whole floor becomes a kind of funnel for light
5 0 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
and the dining room is flanked by folding glass doors (right) to open the whole home right up. Lush greenery is peppered throughout the home— including a shelf of herbs and succulents in matching terracotta pots (opposite, bottom right)— another element that blurs the line between indoors and out.
Subtle tricks of design draw us forward and through to the show-stopping view. “We were lucky with this home,” says designer David Nicolay. “We got to do all the fine details we wanted.”
Making a Splash Facing the ocean, there’s plenty of privacy for the homeowners, even with a curtain-free bedroom (bottom left). They can soak up the views from the infinity Jacuzzi on the bedroom patio (left), but the egg-shaped tub that sits centre stage in the master ensuite (bottom right) also has easy access to waterfront vistas.
and air, designed to capitalize on the enormous and unobstructed view of English Bay beyond. For good measure, a pair of 16-foot skylights have been installed above, and, eschewing the need for pot lights, they are outlined with continuous strips of LED to provide a singular glow at night. A cocktail at the new kitchen might draw visitors out of the courtyard’s pool. Indeed, the entire front half of the main floor is designed to entertain, with a five-stool bar made of impressive black marble and vintage Brno chairs lining the front-and-centre dining table. Appliances by Gaggenau and Miele are tucked discreetly away in a floor-toceiling bank of black walnut cabinetry that anchors the galley-style kitchen. That millwork, done in book-matched veneers so that the grain creates a repeating cathedral effect, extends all the way into the living area, where a plush Flexform sectional of smoke grey seems to insist that guests stay a while and enjoy the view. Just as the kitchen cabinets flow into living-room walls, the concrete work that edges the kitchen floor’s basalt tiles turns a corner and becomes the hearth of the living room’s fireplace. Such subtle tricks of design draw us forward and through to the show-stopping view. “We were lucky with this home,” says Nicolay. “We got to do all the fine details we wanted.” 5 2 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
The staircase that once divided this house—and cut most of it off from the view—has been smartly shifted to the far corner and set behind a screen of walnut beams. Down those stairs, the master suite partly echoes the main floor: it’s a single open space, though the bath area is occasionally closed off by a sliding wall with more walnut veneer. When extended, that wall cleverly fits into a thin opening in a cantilevered cabinet that runs across both bathroom and bedroom, tying the two spaces together as surely as the millwork does upstairs. The bathroom itself matches most spas for luxury, thanks to a steam bath enclosure that’s equipped with two rainfall showers, body sprays and a bench. (More trims of specially designed LED lighting turn the shower into a kind of aquatic lantern in the evening.) Finally, much was made of a petite backyard patio, an extension of the bedroom through one more sliding wall of window. Around the perimeter, concrete planters were conceived and stocked by Considered Design (in good company with Nicolay—they’re also past winners of WL’s Designers of the Year). And a thoughtful sequence of millwork includes a two-step rise toward a Jacuzzi with an infinity edge and a horseshoe-shaped bench surrounding a firepit. An ideal spot to end the night while downtown twinkles across the bay. SEE SOURCES
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2016
FOODIES of the
YEAR Local Hero Chef Chris Whittaker works wonders with foraged greens and local bison. See recipe on page 56.
WELCOME TO OUR ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THE CHEFS, SOMMELIERS, PRODUCERS, DESIGNERS, OWNERS, ACTIVISTS AND BARTENDERS THAT MAKE THE WEST THE BEST PLACE TO BE A FOOD LOVER. For the list of the 40 finalists for our 2016 Foodies of the Year, go to westernliving.ca
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F O R AG E R E C I P E
Foraged Greens Quiche with Bison Bresaola Pastry dough for a 9-inch pan ½ cup chopped weeds (dandelion, wood sorrel, nettles, bittercress, wild watercress or whatever is available) 16 slices bison bresaola, sliced very thin 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese ⅓ cup minced onion 4 eggs 2 cups whipping cream ¾ tsp salt ¼ tsp sugar ⅛ tsp Tabasco
Blanch weeds for 30 seconds, then plunge into ice water and wring out in a dry dishtowel. Sprinkle cheese, blanched greens and onion into a pastry-lined pie pan. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs slightly, then beat in whipping cream, salt, sugar and Tabasco.
Chef, Forage, Timber, Vancouver
Pour egg mixture into pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 450°F, then reduce heat to 300°F and bake an additional 30 minutes. Quiche is done when a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean.
The Quiet Champion
Everybody’s a green crusader these days, every new kitchen farm-to-table to the core. And while it’s admirable that you reclaimed the floors in your new Main Street hot spot from the old gymnasium in Powell River, and while you actually drove out to Merritt to meet an actual cattle rancher, we want to tell you the story of Chris Whittaker. Who, instead of travelling around Europe doing stages in boldname restaurants, rolled up his sleeves and got to working long hours in the oftenanonymous world of hotel restaurants. 5 6 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
And who, eight years ago, took control of another hotel restaurant—the generically named O’Doul’s Restaurant and Bar at the Listel Hotel—and, by sheer determination, turned it into Forage and the newly opened Timber—the West’s twin paragons of sustainability. All of which would be merely admirable if the low-key Whittaker weren’t churning out some of the city’s most imaginative dishes. The fact that he does both hammers home the point that there’s no excuse for not being green in 2016. —Neal McLennan
It’s important to let quiche stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Top with bresaola and additional wild greens to finish. Serves 4.
Q&A What's your guilty food pleasure? I sometimes crave really bad cereal… think Froot Loops.
Evaan Kheraj
Heat oven to 450°F.
CHRIS WHITTAKER
DAVID NICOLAY
David Nicolay: Evaan Kheraj; beer: Eydís Einarsdóttir
The Designer
Designer and Brewery Owner, Vancouver
Back in 2006, Vancouver magazine touted designer David Nicolay and his firm, Evoke International, as bringing a much-needed sea change to the then-bleak Granville Street strip in the city. They’d just designed Sanafir for a client—a Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant lush with rich fabrics, lanterns and, most memorably, dining beds on the upper floor. “There’s so much good design happening now, but it wasn’t there 15 years ago,”
says Nicolay. “Restaurants were nice, but they were safe.” Over the last decade and a half, Nicolay’s firm has played a leading role in drawing the masses to some of the most talked-about rooms in the city. From the farm-to-table-inspired, white and bright Heirloom restaurant to the warm and woodsy Irish Heather, Evoke's designs have created transporting moments for guests when they walk through the doors. And Nicolay’s team has entered the game, too: with their Cascade Company, they’ve created buzzy boîtes that they both design and run themselves. The spots include the
modern pub Cascade Room and, most recently, Main Street Brewing Company, a soaring century-old former factory, remarkably low-key, but perfectly suited to its intention: drinking beer. So can a thoughtful design make or break a place? Nicolay is characteristically modest. “I used to think it was a third food, a third service and a third design that made for success,” he says, “but I don’t think that anymore. Design gets people there, but it doesn’t keep them—it’s the old standards of food and service that bring them back.” —Anicka Quin westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T
2016 57
WLFOOD // 2016 FOODIES OF THE YEAR
WITH RYAN SPONG
What’s your guilty food pleasure? Babybel.
What cookbook do you use more than any other? Francis Mallman's On Fire. For my 40th birthday, my wife fabricated a "chapa" for fire-cooking at our farm in the Nicola Valley. Cooking with fire connects people around two ancient and mesmerizing things, which is great for families. This year we're planting lavender—to make lavender honey for mead—so I've been reading The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm.
One restaurant dish/meal that you’ll remember on your deathbed? Ray Choi's short-rib blackjack quesadilla. In 2009 we waited for an hour for the Kogi Truck in downtown L.A. and then ate it on the hood of a parked car. It sparked a conversation on whether it was better than the Tacofino fish taco that basically led me to partner with Jay and Kaeli (from Tacofino) as soon as I got back to Canada. Jury is still out, but it changed the course of things for me…
What’s the most underrated food pairing? Food-wise: basil and watermelon. We ran watermelon-basil freshies off the trucks (drink-wise: I add vodka for summer cocktails). Also, my current go-to salad is halving a watermelon, carving it out and mixing with basil and feta.
5 8 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
RYAN SPONG
The Disrupter CEO, Food.ee, Vancouver
Steamed pork belly buns from Bao Down, sausages and homemade pretzels from Bestie, Japanese tapas from Guu—though it sounds like what food-crawl dreams are made of, it’s actually just the menu for your next office lunch-and-learn. And you’ve got Ryan Spong to thank for it. As CEO of Food.ee, Spong and his team aggregate lunch options from Vancouver hot spots both mobile and not—think Meat and Bread, Torafuku (see page 60) and Vij’s Railway Express— so teams can order up a mid-meeting meal with some culinary cred instead of the usual tired catering fare standard. (“Oh good, a veggie wrap!” said no one ever.) Thirsty? Add a six-pack from microbrewer 33 Acres. It’s a premise that benefits hungry groups and restaurants alike—purveyors can turn slow hours into profitable ones by prepping these advance orders, and poor saps stuck in lunch-option-barren wastelands (ahem, South Granville) have access to a world of delicious eats with just a few clicks. Win-win. It’s not Spong’s only foray into the food world: in 2010, the entrepreneur invested and partnered in a little business named Tacofino and helped it grow from a humble beachside truck in Tofino to a critically and commercially beloved multi-locale West-Coast-Mexican mecca—a fourth bricks-and-mortar restaurant opens in Vancouver’s Yaletown this summer. Though both Spong and Food.ee were born and bred in Vancouver, the concept has already proven to have broader appeal. It’s expanded across Canada (Toronto) and beyond (Austin, Philly, Atlanta), giving us hope that Spong will keep us well fed, wherever in the world we’re having a meeting. —Stacey McLachlan
John Sinal
Q&A
WLFOOD // 2016 FOODIES OF THE YEAR
Q&A
WITH CLEMENT CHAN
What’s the most overrated food trend? Macarons.
What’s the most underrated food pairing? Anchovies/lemons/buttermilk.
What’s always in your fridge? Sriracha.
STEVE KUAN & CLEMENT CHAN
The Postmodernists In food, as in music, comedy is rarely a positive. Show us a singing chef and we’ll show you someone who’s bad at both. So when Steve Kuan and Clement Chan came on the scene in 2012 with their Le Tigre food truck, wearing funny framed glasses and shouting orders and cracking jokes with glee, we were suspect. For about five minutes. . .or until we had our first bite of Kick-Ass Rice—a mélange of sake, Thai chilies, butter and dashi that seemed to be the one dish that summed up what a food cart should be. But four wheels is one thing and a fullblown restaurant is quite another—so the arrival of Torafuku was viewed with some healthy skepticism. . .for about five minutes. It’s Vancouver’s first postmodern restaurant—pared down, ridiculously affordable, with a light and airy vibe that emanates from a kitchen where everyone seems to be having a blast with dishes like Rye So Messy chicken wings and Miso Fantastic clams. —N.M. 6 0 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
Evaan Kheraj
Chefs/Owners, Torafuku, Vancouver
TO R A FU KU R E C I P E
Lucky Tiger Ramen 2 cans coconut milk 3 tbsp miso paste 2 litres water 1-2 lbs of clams 11-12 oz of ramen noodles (or any type of noodles you prefer) 4 oz bean sprouts 5 eggs (optional) 2 corn on the cob (shucked) 2 tsp honey In a large pot, pour in coconut milk, honey and water, then bring to a simmer. Whisk in miso paste until it’s dissolved. Then reduce for 10-15 minutes, depending on how thick you would like the broth to be.
Jon and Melissa Perkins: Lillie Louise Major
Add clams and shucked corn, and simmer for about 2-3 minutes or until the clams open. Then set aside. In another large pot, add about 4 litres of water and wait until it comes to a rapid boil. Add bean sprouts and blanch for 15 seconds. Remove and place aside. In the same pot, cook ramen for about 2-4 minutes. Remove the ramen and place evenly in your serving bowls. Then place bean sprouts on top. If you want the egg, place the eggs in boiling water for at least 4-12 minutes depending on what doneness you prefer (for example, 4 minutes for soft and 12 minutes for well-done). Peel and cut in half. Add the soup with the clams and corn to your ramen and bean sprouts. Place the egg on top. It’s ready to serve. Enjoy!
MELISSA PERKINS & JON PERKINS
The Interpreters
Owners, Picnic, Picnic Too, Dak Rotisserie, Victoria
Put 2015 in the win column for Victoria restaurateurs Melissa and Jon Perkins. First came the expansion and redesign of their café, Picnic Too (the sequel to Picnic, their first venture); then in October came Dak, a breakfast and lunch spot devoted to Korean rotisserie—an idea inspired by their years teaching English in Busan, South Korea. “We wanted to bring the flavours of traditional Korean marinades to the rotisserie concept,” says Melissa, who develops the menus for each of their establishments. Jon oversees the business side and provides an affable front-of-house presence. There was a time one might have referred to their fare as “fusion,” the late-’80s trend that forced together ingredients from disparate cultures (see: wasabi mashed potatoes), but for the Perkinses, it’s simply good food gleaned from their life experiences and extensive travel to places like Mongolia, Southeast Asia and Mexico, among many others. “I might take the idea of a peanut satay and work that into a sandwich,” says Melissa. “I won’t take a full Thai recipe, that’s not my specialty, but I’ll take the concept and add flavours and a bread complement that I think would work well.” Local suppliers feature prominently, too: the all-important chicken is sourced from Farmhouse Chicken in the Cowichan Valley Choux Choux Charcuterie next door provides the beer-braised brats; 2% Jazz Coffee supplies the beans. “Fusion” isn’t dead. It has evolved. —Rosemary Poole
Serves 5.
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WLFOOD // 2016 FOODIES OF THE YEAR
Q&A
WITH JESSE McCLEERY
What cookbook do you use more than any other? Not sure I'd say I use it more than any other, but definitely read it front to back more than any other. The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller—when it was first printed back
in the day, I read it over and over. It's ingrained in my head.
What's your guilty food pleasure? Grilled cheese with lots of raw onion.
What’s the most overrated food trend? This whole taking pictures of avocados on toast. Love the two things, but do we really need to take so many photos? And how many avocados is North
America consuming in one day?
What’s the most underrated food pairing? Beer and food in general. Love wine, love beer more.
You can choose one restaurant and one dining companion anywhere in the world— who and where? Fäviken with Nick Cave (sorry, Leanne).
JESSE McCLEERY & LEANNE LALONDE
The True Believers
Owners, Pilgrimme, Galiano Island
Shelora Sheldon
Forest to table, shore to plate, foraging chef Jesse McCleery and his partner, Leanne Lalonde, are dedicated to doing things as they once were done. So isn’t it funny how a throwback to simpler times, when people ate exactly what the seasonal land provided, sans contemporary shortcuts, has landed them on the cutting edge of today’s local, sustainable harvesting trend? A chef who trolls the beaches for sea lettuce, sea asparagus and bull kelp to serve up on that evening’s menu—what might be the best ingredient-forward meal you’ll have all year—is the kind of foodie folklore that travels fast in these parts. More impressive still when you consider the remote location: their weather-aged, cabin-style restaurant in the woods is on the sparsely inhabited (1,000 and change) Galiano Island, and yet people are happy to brave the downtown traffic and the ferry and the wilderness just to see what Pilgrimme is doing differently than anyone else. —Julia Dilworth
6 2 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
EXPERIENCE HYPOTHESIS The critically-acclaimed Bordeaux-style blend from Culmina Family Estate Winery. NOW AVAILABLE AT SELECT BC LIQUOR SIGNATURE STORES.
93 POINTS 2012 HYPOTHESIS ~ Rick van Sickle
Purchasing raw land in 2007 and joined by their daughter Sara in 2012, Don and Elaine Triggs began developing their new South Okanagan estate, naming it ‘Culmina’. Translating to the ‘peak’ or ‘apex’ in Latin, they chose the name to reflect not only their lifetime of efforts in the wine industry, but also their desire to coax the highest possible quality grapes from their incredible Golden Mile Bench terroir.
SIGN-UP ONLINE TO BECOME A MEMBER TO RECEIVE COMPLIMENTARY 12-PACK SHIPPING WITH PROMO CODE: FOODIES 4790 Wild Rose Street, Oliver BC 250.498.0789 info@culmina.ca culmina.ca
ROSS HACKWORTH & MATT SHERLOCK
The Idealists
Owners/Winemakers, Lock & Worth, Okanagan
Tarynn Liv Parker/The Field Guide
Here’s the thing about natural wine— it’s a terrible idea from a business perspective. There’s a reason most vintners use commercial yeast, wine stabilizers, sulphur, Mega Purple and a slew of other additives—they’re all tried and tested hedges against the fact that fermenting something is by definition a risky endeavour. It’s nature and, when left unchecked, nature does whatever the hell it wants to. So when these two—using the sobriquet Lock & Worth—make their wine with as little intervention as possible in order to best express the character of wine from a single plot of land, they’re taking a chance that it will all work out. There are no fancy labels, very reasonable prices and the seeds of a coming wine revolution in every bottle. Not actual seeds, mind you. —N.M.
6 4 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
TE RE S A S PI N E LLI R E C I P E
La Ribollita (Twice-Boiled Soup) Italy doesn’t get winters as savage as ours, but this hearty soup is a classic warmer and it celebrates the year’s olive oil, which is usually pressed in early November. Called “twice-boiled,” this soup, like most others, improves by being left for a day and then re-boiled. The texture should be wet but not a broth. My mamma always serves it with lots of oil and traditional crusty country bread.
TERESA SPINELLI
The Ambassador
Teresa Spinelli: Daniel Wood; black garlic: Clinton Hussey
Co-owner, Italian Centres, Edmonton and Calgary
I thought something might be up when my mother, Scottish-born and Scottish married, decided that we needed panettone for Christmas. I knew something was up when we turned into the Italian Centre on Edmonton’s south side and discovered that finding the Ark of the Covenant would have been easier than finding parking. “You should see the West End store,” my mom said. “It’s really busy.” Frank Spinelli— patron saint of every Northern Albertan who ever wanted to make their own wine, find proper tomatoes for their sugo or eat a decent cannoli—may have started the Italian Centre in 1959, but it’s his daughter, Teresa, who has taken the idea of bringing a little slice of the old country to the Prairies and run with it. Three bustling stores in Edmonton and now one in Calgary—all of them transporting the customer back to the homeland, if only for a few minutes. Our guess is the padre would be proud. —N.M.
Q&A You can choose one restaurant and one dining companion anywhere in the world—who and where? Grotta Palazzese in Puglia, Italy. Never been; only seen pictures. With my husband Mike.
What’s always in your pantry?
1 cup dried cannellini beans 1 large onion 4 carrots 4 celery sticks 4 leeks 1 cup cavolo nero (black cabbage) 8 fresh tomatoes 4 tbsp olive oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 dried chili (peperoncino), crumbled Handful fresh herbs, chopped Sea salt and fresh-ground pepper To serve: Country-style bread New-season extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Pasta, Italian plum tomatoes, olive oil, pickled vegetables.
Soak cannellini beans overnight.
One meal that you’ll remember on your deathbed?
Thinly slice onion, and chop carrots, celery, leeks and cavolo nero. Set aside. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water, then drain, skin, quarter and set aside. Sweat onion in a large casserole in half the oil.
I will always remember and treasure Sunday mornings growing up. Italian music on the radio, my mom dancing with the broom and the smell of tomato sauce cooking on the stove.
What ingredient are you most inspired by right now? Black garlic.
Add veggies and tomatoes and mix. Add half the garlic and chili. Cook for 10 minutes. Add beans and stir. Cover with water. Simmer, covered, for 1.5 to 2 hours, until soft. Remove a third of the soup mixture and mash/liquidize to a purée. Return to casserole. In a separate pan, warm remaining oil and sauté remaining garlic and herbs until lightly browned. Add herbs to casserole and leave for 24 hours. To serve, warm the soup through, uncovered. Place a slice of country bread in each bowl, ladle the ribollita over and pour a very generous amount of extravirgin olive oil overtop, with salt and pepper and parsley to taste. Serves 20.
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WLFOOD // 2016 FOODIES OF THE YEAR
N O O RB A N U N I M J I R E C I P E
Double Ginger Chai Log Ginger cookies, candied ginger and chai masala complement each other in this light and easy-to-prepare dessert. Tip: This needs at least 8 hours in the fridge prior to serving to give the cream a chance to soften the cookies. 2 cups whipping cream 2 tbsp icing sugar 1 tsp chai masala* 1 package (150 g) thin ginger cookies ½ cup finely diced candied ginger, divided equally 6 to 8 pieces whole candied ginger Beat whipping cream and add icing sugar and chai masala just as soft peaks are beginning to form. Continue beating until thick. Reserve ⅔ of the whipped mixture for later use. Line a baking tray with plastic wrap.
Q&A
Cookbook Author, Calgary
The most invaluable gadget is...?
The Reluctant Icon With roots in Kenya and India, 80-something cookbook author Noorbanu Nimji has been feeding her own family for 60 years and teaching cooking to youth in her community since the 1970s. After moving to Calgary, she began compiling her East African-Indian recipes for U of C students who asked her to teach them how to cook in her home kitchen after class. In 1986 she decided to self-publish her first cookbook, A Spicy Touch, which quickly became a staple on kitchen shelves in Canada and around the world. She has since self-published three more cookbooks in the A Spicy Touch series, which have collectively sold well over a quarter-million copies. Her latest, co-authored by Calgary Food Tours’ Karen Anderson, has been in the works for nine years—when the remaining copies of her first three books, stored in Mrs. Nimji’s Roxboro basement, were ruined in the 2013 flood, the pair were prompted to finish what she calls a treasury of her life’s work. It recently won a silver medal for best cookbook in the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards in Chicago. —Julie Van Rosendaal 6 6 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
My masala daba spice box. All Indian cooks have a "daba" with their most commonly used spices. Mine holds the 10 I use the most, and it's so practical. I get one thing out of the cupboard instead of 10.
One meal that you’ll remember on your deathbed? One of my most cherished food memories is going to Mombasa in Kenya with my family, watching the fishermen come to shore with their catch, and then eating that beautiful, freshly caught fish at the little restaurants near the beach.
Every kitchen needs a...? Mini-chopper food processor. I love these time-saving devices. When I was young, I spent hours with a mortar and pestle.
What's your guilty food pleasure? I have a sweet tooth for sure, but I love potatoes in any way, shape or form —boiled, baked, fried, chips, hickory sticks—you name it.
Wrap plastic around finished log, then wrap again in tinfoil. Refrigerate (along with the reserved whipped cream) overnight or for at least 8 hours. Place log on a serving dish, removing foil and wrap just before serving. Spread reserved whipped cream to coat the log and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup of candied ginger. Cut in diagonal slices—so that each piece has multiple layers of cookies and cream showing—and decorate with a piece of whole ginger. *For Noorbanu's recipe, visit westernliving.ca
Noorbanu: Jager and Kokemor; chai log: Pauli-Ann Carriere. Recipe: excerpted from A Spicy Touch: Family Favourites from Noorbanu Nimji’s Kitchen by Noorbanu Nimji and Karen Anderson
NOORBANU NIMJI
Add half of the diced ginger to ⅓ of the whippedcream mixture. Coat 1 side of each cookie with the mixture, then stack them together to form a log on the plastic wrap.
Join us for a tour and complimentary lunch or dinner The teams at Tapestry at Wesbrook Village and Tapestry at Arbutus Walk would be delighted to welcome you personally for tours of our vibrant seniors communities. Call Tapestry at Arbutus Walk at 604.736.1640 or Tapestry at Wesbrook Village at 604.225.5000 to book your tour today.
www.DiscoverTapestry.com
Tapestry at Wesbrook Village 3338 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC 604.225.5000 Tapestry at Arbutus Walk 2799 Yew Street, Vancouver BC 604.736.1640
CONCERT Properties / LeisureCare Canada - Duo Half Page - Pastry Chef Western Living Magazine Trim: 9” X 5.291” Bleed: 9.25” X 5.54”- Half Page - Full Colour Process Revised: June 6, 2016, 2016 - Material Deadline: June 6th, 2016 - Publication Date: June 24th, 2016 Attn: Gabriella Sepulveda gabriella.sepulveda@westernliving.ca - Contact: Christina Heemsekrk (christina@theideapartner.com)
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FINALLY OPEN IN VANCOUVER High Performance Japanese Kitchen Knives
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE WESTERN LIVING FOODIES OF THE YEAR AWARDS 845 East Hastings • 604-215-1033 • knifewear.com • @knifewearYVR
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WLFOOD // 2016 Foodies oF the year
Neil McCue
The Returning Champ Chef/Owner, Whitehall Lane, Calgary
6 8 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
Q&A
with Neil McCue
The all-time greatest kitchen hack is?
in right now? I love seasonal vegetables, so for summer—sea asparagus.
Throw fat on everything.
One restaurant dish that you’ll remember on your deathbed?
Most overrated food trend?
Smoked ice cream on a berry purée from Etxebarri in Spain.
Cheese. Any kind.
Foam on food.
What ingredient are you most inspired by/interested
What's your guilty food pleasure?
What’s your go-to breakfast? Soft-boiled egg and sausages, of course.
What’s always in your fridge? Cheese. Seriously.
Jager & Kokemor
The affable, Yorkshire-born Neil McCue first made his mark on Calgary a decade ago as head chef at the city’s iconic Catch before expanding his skills in Toronto and England (where he garnered a Michelin star at Curlew Restaurant). But when it came time to open his own restaurant, returning to Calgary was his first choice. Now, at Whitehall, he’s redefined modern British cuisine with dishes like roast lamb loin draped in a caper scrag chutney, mackerel torched and confitted, a kedgeree of smoked sablefish and crispy quail egg, and pork drippings mixed with butter for his house-baked bread. It’s what he calls “honest food that is seriously comfortable”; it’s what we call the finest British cuisine in the West. —John Gilchrist
EXTRAORDINARY BY NATURE
Photos: Paul Bride & TaraOGradyPhoto.com
Located between Vancouver and Whistler along the Sea to Sky Highway, the 10 minute gondola ride provides sweeping views of Howe Sound, the Coastal Mountains and pristine forests. Once at the top, enjoy a thrilling suspension bridge, local cuisine in the Summit Eatery and year-round adventures.
FOR DETAILS AND TO SAVE ON LIFT TICKETS, VISIT SEATOSKYGONDOLA.COM.
TRAVEL Born to Be Mild
A trip into the Interior is just the cure for Masa Takei’s big-city blues. Leaning into a long, sweeping curve just west of Kamloops, a deep rumble reverberating through my chest, I had my first epiphany: I sort of got the whole Harley thing. I’d ridden motorcycles since I was a teenager but never considered myself a Harley kind of guy. Now, mid-pack in a group of riders, accelerating a Road King uphill in sixth gear, I was grinning like we’d just gotten away with robbing a train. Hills of semi-arid grassland and sagebrush undulated past. By the time we got off our bikes at the rodeo in Ashcroft, I was even swaggering a little, creaking around in my borrowed leathers, tipping an imaginary hat at the truly tough bronco riders and small-town beauty queens. A few hours into the trip and a few hundred kilometres from home, and it felt like another world.
Jeff Topham
Where is Masa going? To see how this road trip ends, head to westernliving.ca for the story’s conclusion!
Easy Riders Members of writer Masa Takei’s temporary motorcycle gang take in the view just north of Kamloops, B.C.
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WLTRAVEL // vancouver island
Glad Tidings The pride of Parksville is the giant expanse of sand that is Rathtrevor Beach. When the tide is in, it has some of the warmest water north of San Fran. When it’s out, it offers the ultimate playground for mutts and kids alike.
HAVE DOG, WILL TRAVEL
A husband, a wife and two small children hit the open road with their new puppy in tow. What could go wrong? by BRUCE GRIERSON
PENNY!
First Step: Sooke As the Mazda eases through the highway curves near Cassidy, B.C.— not 10 minutes into the trip—a curdly tang fills the air. “Oh gross—Penny just barfed!” Madeline hollers from the back seat. “Lila’s cleaning it up! She’s the one who fed her cheese!” Penny is our one-year-old golden retriever, and she’s the reason we’re on this kind of family holiday—rural, car-based, close to home— rather than the more exotic kind involving air travel, big cities, high culture and people dressed in expensive black slacks. Dogs are, of course, awesome, as I don’t need to tell you dog people. But a puppy can disrupt a little family in the following way: you can’t leave her alone—not in the car, not on the ferry, not outside a store. She barks, you see. So, just when you thought the “hot-bunking sailors” stage of married life was over, here it is again. “Kind of like having a toddler,” a friend suggests. “Except toddlers grow up.” Now, you can leave your dog at a kennel come vacation time (don’t try this with a toddler). But the cheapest option, and certainly the only no-tears option, is to just bring her along.
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We’d planned a circle route around the lower half of Vancouver Island—down the east coast, around the horn, back up the west coast and across the interior—but forest fires had closed that final cutthrough. So our journey would more closely resemble a smile that we traced and traced again. Front-loading the indulgence, we booked the first night at the exquisite Sooke Harbour House—a destination more befitting honeymooners, foodies and mindfulness-meditators than a roustabout family with a big sheddy mutt. You’d normally have to sneak a dog into such a place. But they love dogs at SHH. “We often prefer dogs to kids, actually,” one of the housekeepers told me, sotto voce, as we brought our bags from the car. Penny must have missed the Cesar Millan episode where the dog waits in the hallway while the owners spread their scent throughout the hotel room: she trots right in. Waiting for her is her own little doggie bed, plus a welcome basket with ample towels and treats. Outside the French doors, the grounds beckon. The two and a half acres of lovingly tended gardens are locavore heaven. “Eat what you can see” is the mantra here. Penny seems to understand this a little too well; we keep a close eye on her, lest she take a chomp out of one of the driftwood sculptures. 7 4 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
And Then: The Best Damn Swimming Hole The Sooke Potholes are a series of pools carved into rock by the cascading waters of the Sooke River. They’re one of the great swimming holes in B.C. But to a dog, they must seem even more magical: like a great big toilet you can drink out of. A bike trail called the Galloping Goose takes you right there from Victoria, following the gentle grade of the freight-rail line it used to be. All in all, a perfect way for a family with a dog to spend a summer day. Once you get on the Goose, you’re golden. It’s finding the Goose in the first place that’s the trick. On rented bicycles, we white-knuckle it along the skinny shoulder of the highway as five-axle traffic blasts past. I’m trying to steer with one hand and wrangle Penny on a leash with the other. You see people gaily do this in TV commercials for life insurance, but running shotgun is actually a skill the dog has to learn. Penny either wants to pull me into cars, or she wants to stop and sniff. Whenever we leave the highway and try to thread our way through the suburbs, we keep hitting dead ends. It’s not clear where the heck we are. “Did you know that commercial jets are off course 90 percent of the time?” I offer, buoyantly. “The whole trip is about making
Previous spread: Richard Greenwood. Garden; Herb Neufeld; Biking: Bruce Grierson; Sooke potholes: Province of BC
A Doggie Dream The legendary Sooke Harbour House (left and top) gladly welcomes discerning dogs and their wellbehaved owners—like the author and his family (above, right). Nearby, the Sooke Potholes (right) make the perfect cooldown spot for man and beast alike.
Travel shorT old-school rockies
Botanical Beach: Tim Whitehead; Mussels: Tyler Batty; Bow Lake: Boris Kasimov
Wild West If you head just north of Port Renfrew, you’ll hit Botanical Beach. It’s famous for its abundant sea life on view at low tide, a salt water diorama completely missed by the author—who misread the tides and arrived when the water was high.
corrections!” Silence. The girls are wondering about the chain of command on this vacation. Even the dog is getting fed up. But the Potholes, when we find them, are as lovely as promised—the water bracing and ferric—and Mad and Lila wade in to their chests. Penny decides the water’s too cold and stays on shore. It’s trendy to talk about domestic dogs as if they were wolves—wired to hunt and roam and jockey for position in the pack. But there isn’t a lot of wolf in Penny. Evolutionarily, she’s probably closer to a kitchen appliance. She knows where her dinner’s coming from: a big bag, not her own predatory instincts. This makes things easier in wilderness areas. We don’t really have to worry about her hare-ing off somewhere in search of sustenance. Eventually she grows bored, picks up one of Lila’s shoes and drops it in the river.
Enter the Big Wild Luxury digs receding in the rear-view mirror, we complete the lazy drive north, through the Sooke Hills, arriving at dusk to pitch our tent at China Beach. Dogs are permitted here in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park—as they are, albeit leashed, in all B.C. parks. This makes camping an easy
The story goes like this. It’s the 1950s, and a new RCMP officer stationed to the Lake Louise detachment pulls over some old codger on the Banff-Jasper highway. He’s packing an actual six-shooter—a serious no-no in a national park—but just as the officer is thinking of slapping the cuffs on, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a yellowed piece of paper: it’s a permit handsigned by Wilfred Laurier, allowing one Jimmy Simpson to carry firearms in Banff National Park. I have no idea if it’s true, but I think of it every time I stop
at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, the quintessential log cabin hotel built by Simpson that’s just as much of the history of the Rockies as the Chateau Lake Louise or the Banff Springs. Simpson was one of the Park’s legendary outfitters and he could have chosen almost any place to build, but he chose Bow Lake, neon blue dashed with glacial silt and freezing cold, even in the heat of August. The still-rustic lodge is the sort of place that will cook the trout you’ve pulled from a nearby stream, even though I’m sure there’s some regulation against it. But they probably have another yellowed permit for it. —Neal McLennan
choice if you’re travelling with ein Hund. (Camping, when you think about it, is actually more suitable for dogs than for humans: sleeping on the ground in close quarters in a portable den works for them. It’s not like they purchased, at great expense, an actual house, with heat and running water, that’s sitting vacant back home.) The girls take turns blowing into the air mattress while Penny cases the joint. Her nose twitches. A curious expression comes over her face—a cross between surprise and admiration. You guys must be more important than I thought, it says. They gave you the best site in the campground— right next to the outhouse. The big attraction in these parts lies a short drive north of here, near Port Renfrew. And Botanical Beach is indeed high-grade West Coast wild. We hike the loop trail, an easy four kilometres. We didn’t get the tides right, so much of the rich canvas of intertidal life is underwater. But the trees are amazing—not because they’re so big, but because, weirdly, they aren’t. The ancient Sitka spruce are bonsai-tiny. “In a protected area,” an interpretative sign explains, “many of these trees would be 50 metres high.” But because they’re so exposed to the punishing weather, they don’t grow. The hardship stunts them. I half expect the girls to pick up on this. We too are a bit undersized for our age, they will claim, because of the hardship you and Mom inflict on us. Lift the restrictions on TV and candy and watch us bloom. westernliving.ca / j u ly / a u g u s t
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I still remember my first overview of Alberta’s Writing-on-Stone Park: an extraordinary jumble of eroded sandstone hoodoos sloping down to willows and a winding river below the skyline curves of the Sweetgrass Hills. The setting was so beautiful, so otherworldly, I couldn’t wait to explore. And the more I discovered, the more I loved the place and its 10,000 years of history. In the days of the buffalo, this landscape was considered sacred. First Nations people came here for vision quests and recorded their dreams and the events of their
lives on the sandstone cliffs. Park rangers now lead interpretive walks into the protected area where most of the “writings” can be found, and also, for later history, to the old North West Mounted Police outpost across the river. The park provides most amenities: camping (including luxurious “Comfort Camping”), a visitor centre and programs, hiking, a sandy beach, a warm river and wildlife galore. For my kids it was always pure adventure, but they learned much (without even knowing it) of earth’s geology, history, prehistory and nature— and perhaps something about the magic of special places. —Liz Bryan
Enter the Big Smoke Penny is starting to smell. In that smell are traces of the trip thus far— top notes of beach goo, the Rottie she wrestled at Whiffen Spit, whatever she rolled in on that farm in Metchosin. The car, meanwhile, is starting to smell like Penny. But there’s a place in Sooke called Suds and Pups that solves both issues. We first take care of the Mazda with a pressure hose and then usher a dubious Penny around the corner and give her the business. I can’t say she’s happy about it, but she does take a certain satisfaction from shaking herself dry on us. She has to be presentable, we tell her, for the next stop on the itinerary: a trip to the city. Not long ago, a team of researchers produced “smellscapes” of a number of European capitals. You can use them to plot walking tours tailored to your olfactory wishes—like Lonely Planet guides, if they were written and published by dogs. Nobody has mapped Victoria yet, but I’ll bet it’ll turn out to smell like salt, tea bags, fish and chips, and marine diesel. Whatever’s going on down here, Penny seems to be thinking as we find a parking spot and disgorge into the tourist hordes on Government Street, she’s all in. A sax-playing busker stops her in her tracks. Some sort of mating 7 6 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
call, is this? (Actually, yes: it’s John Coltrane.) The lunch-hour crowd eddies around us. Which raises another issue. We can’t bring Penny into a restaurant: it’s against the Canadian health code. (Even a restaurant in Duncan called the Dog House does not actually welcome dogs, we discovered, after they marched us all right back outside again.) But we can’t leave her in the hot car. At Pagliacci’s, here in Victoria, the sympathetic staff pushes two patio tables together on the sidewalk and the waiters serve us out there, in the midday sun. Penny takes mostly silent refuge underneath while we eat. And then, for her, the day takes a really great turn. In Chinatown, she follows her nose down Dragon Alley and pulls us right into a tiny shop. The owner, Clayton Ealey, shakes his head. “No, no,” he says. “No dogs in here?” I say, preparing to leave. “No leashes,” Ealey says. Penny’s eyes brighten. What is this place? No less than a bakery. . . for dogs. In a display case up front sit rows of jewel-like treats, many of them at dog-nose height. There’s no glass. Penny stares at them from six inches away. It’s a cosmic test of character. “Usually, they won’t shoplift till your back is turned,” Ealey says. There are blueberry and
Writing-on-Stone Park: Rod Brazier; bakery (top); Bruce Grierson; Chinatown: Kelly Constabaria
Travel shorT Time memorial
Penny in Heaven If you’re a dog like Penny (above), you could do a lot worse than Victoria for a little R and R. You’ve got the lush lawns of the Empress (left) to roll around on, and you have neighbourhoods like Chinatown (below), which, in addition to hip restaurants for your owners, also features a bakery operated just for canines. A dog’s breakfast indeed.
Travel shorT nowhere, Man
Parksville beach: Ryan Clare; Tulameen: Heather Joan
Glass Factory The placid waters of Parksville are meant for strolling.
salmon cookies wrapped in beef jerky, “meaty muffins” with cheddar and honey and apple. “That’s peanut butter and honey with yogurt icing,” Clayton says of the cupcake I’m appraising. “More people than dogs eat that one.” I scarf it down when his back is turned. He swings around. “Oh, you actually ate it?” he asks, looking horrified. “Just kidding.” Dog humour: the best. Penny is starting to get used to sauntering right into stores, Parisienne-style. Could be a rude shock for her to wake from this dream and return home to North Van, where she’s expected to know her place.
Wally World Penny prefers to rise around 5 a.m., like Donald Trump. This becomes an issue in a fully subscribed campground—such as this quiet one at Englishman River Falls, near Parksville, where we’re spending the final night of our journey. She climbs over four sleeping bags and whines to go out. She then sits sentry in front of the tent in the pre-dawn. I can’t leave her out there alone. But it’s too early to start breakfast. There’s nothing to be done but curl up in a blanket beside her. A light rain falls on the both of
Tulameen has one store (the Trading Post), which happens to be the gas station and a restaurant (also called the Trading Post). Inside, you can stock up on beer, buy a floatie shaped like a dolphin and grab an ice-cream cone before you head out. You know: just like the fur traders who founded this small B.C. town did. But the real action is down by the lake. You can’t miss it—just walk straight down one road through town until you hit the water. Kids are out on the floating dock, clambering over each other to pile onto one side and tip it over, while parents set up camp on the sandy beach, flanked by colourful coolers and lazily debating over whether to take the boat out today.
The brave (or the slightly tipsy) take turns jumping off the trestle bridge into the water below. Only 500 people live in this tiny town year-round, but the numbers swell in the summer as West Coasters make the pilgrimage to the A-frame cabins and little log houses that have been in their families for generations. There are no wineries or surf spots here and no hidden-gem restaurants (no offense, Trading Post), but here’s why we drive the four hours from Vancouver to be in the middle of nowhere: it just feels like summer here. You step out of the car, and time turns into a beautiful haze. A morning at the beach bleeds into later afternoon, before simple back-porch dinners turn into late nights under the stars. —Stacey McLachlan
us for a couple of hours. “So this is our last day, girls,” I put it to Madeline and Lila at the picnic table as they chow down on camp cereal. “Now you’re in a position to know: which is better—holidaying with the dog or without her?” Madeline ponders this. “Well, you can go more places without a dog,” she says, marshalling 11-year-old logic. “But a dog makes it all more. . .enthusiastic.” There remains one last piece of business. Penny can smell, through the cracked back window, the tidal musk of the best beach on the whole east coast of Vancouver Island. But as we pile out of the car at Rathtrevor and make a beeline for the surf, a sign catches us up. No pets allowed. Seriously? There is a saying within the canine resistance: “A good dog must not obey the law too well.” Soon Penny is out there rolling in the kelp. The kids are doing that game where you strand yourself on little islands created by the incoming tide. Bliss. Then Madeline points. Two uniformed figures in the distance, screeching to a stop in their Club Car. And now the park rangers walking briskly toward us over the sand flats. You know what? It was so worth it, whatever it is we’re in for. westernliving.ca / j u ly / a u g u s t
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SPONSORED REPORT
CAPILANO GROUP TAKES
Complimentary guided tours through the West Coast rainforest
The park’s Treetops Adventure
ADVENTURE ON THE BRAIN
Canyon Lights
When Nancy Stibbard purchased Capilano Suspension Bridge from her father in 1983, it was a huge risk. “She had no business background and interest rates were high,” says Capilano Group Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sue Kaffka. “But she had a vision to create amazing guest experiences.” A social worker by trade, Stibbard put her psychology background to good use. “She interviewed guests and held focus groups to find out what they wanted,” explains Kaffka. Guest feedback inspired the park’s Treetops Adventure and Cliffwalk additions. “Fifteen years ago guests were saying that once they crossed the suspension bridge, there wasn’t really anything to do on the other side,” shares Kaffka. Treetops Adventure features seven cleverly engineered, zero-impact suspension bridges with attachments that are designed to expand as the trees grow, giving guests much more to explore across the river without harming the rainforest.
AWARD-WINNING EXPERIENCE
Capilano Suspension Bridge
The masterful concept earned Capilano Suspension Bridge Park an “Innovator of the Year” title from the National Tourism Excellence Awards in 2004, and it isn’t the only expansion that has received recent accolades. “Guests wanted more unspoiled views of the Capilano River,” says Kaffka. The result, after four years of careful planning, was Cliffwalk: a minimally anchored walkway along the edge of a cliff face. Cliffwalk has received a long list of awards from engineers, environmentalists and others for its unique low-impact design. The park also added Canyon Lights 10 years ago, a hugely successful holiday lights display that draws crowds of all ages. Kaffka says that with all of these new features, Capilano Suspension Bridge has really become a year-round attraction for locals and visitors alike. “We offer a B.C. membership program that gives guests an annual pass for the cost of one day’s admission,” says Kaffka. “Between the Kids’ Rainforest Explorer Program, the new Raptors’ Ridge Birds of Prey exhibit, and Canyon Lights, locals have plenty of reason for return visits.”
Created by the Western Living advertising department in partnership with Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
SPONSORED REPORT
TOURISM TO NEW HEIGHTS
Cliffwalk at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
BEYOND THE NORTH SHORE
Stibbard’s terrain continues to grow beyond the North Shore. “Retail has always been a particular strength of Nancy’s,” explains Kaffka. “She expanded with gift shops in Victoria and Banff which eventually led her to the hospitality industry.” Her first venture was a boutique lodge at Moraine Lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. “This lodge is the only accommodation on what is really the most stunning lake in the Rockies,” says Kaffka. A second Rocky Mountain property, Cathedral Mountain Lodge, is based at an old mining camp in Field, B.C. It includes 31 quintessential Rocky Mountain cabins on the edge of the Kicking Horse River. “Nancy definitely has an eye for the diamonds in the rough,” says Kaffka.
STANLEY PARK, BUT BETTER
Stibbard, who was inducted into Canada’s Tourism Hall of Fame in 2007, has most recently set her sights on Vancouver’s greatest gem, Stanley Park, with acquisitions of the Prospect Point and Stanley Park Pavilion operations. “We’ve beautifully renovated the Pavilion and Prospect Point will be the next project,” says Kaffka. “It needs love, but we will return it to its former glory.” Capilano Group’s tourism reign may seem complete, but there’s no end in sight for the ambitious Vancouver company. “There will be a next; there’s always a next,” admits Kaffka. “And it will be another amazing and mindful project.” 3735 Capilano Road, North Vancouver, capbridge.com
Cathedral Mountain Lodge, Field, British Columbia
Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta
WLTRAVEL // MY NEIGHBOURHOOD
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Grab lunch from any of the 16 different vendors, or shop for gourmet goodies.
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BAYOU BLISS
Though Alessi’s Paolo Cravedi was born in Italy and is based in New York, New Orleans is his real happy place. Paolo Cravedi has a full schedule as managing director for Alessi USA (and as one of our esteemed Designers of the Year judges for 2016), but it’s no surprise that someone in charge of such a whimsical brand sees the value in breaking up work with some well-deserved play. It’s why Cravedi travels to New Orleans twice a year to soak up the art and culture—and get his fill of crawfish, of course. “So many influences have melted into the culture here: African, Native American, Spanish, French, English,” says Cravedi. “It’s an American city, but you have the feeling of not being in America at all.” 8 0 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
4 1 Rent a bike and explore Audubon Park and its beautiful oak trees. It’s hard to believe it was once a plantation. 2 You’ve got to try the boiled crawfish at the fairground during Jazz Fest. It is rare to find good food at a music festival, but, of course, New Orleans is an exception to the rule. Boiled crawfish are not only delicious but also a great way to socialize—expect to get your hands red! 3 St. Roch Market, an old seafood market from the late 1800s, has been converted into a food hall with great bites, wines, cocktails, beers, freshpressed juice and coffee. 4 I love grabbing a coffee at Press Street Station Café because it supports the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, one of the most important institutions in New Orleans (and anywhere else). 5 The Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art is the perfect place to think, relax and read a book surrounded by beautiful art, away from the madding crowd.
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Crawfish: Dave McLaughlin; Press Street Station: Elizabeth McMillan; Sculpture Garden: Morgan Paul
Pack a picnic and settle in for some serious people watching.
The café skews seriously local, with produce from the on-site garden and live performances by NOCAA students.
WL // sources Livingspace, Vancouver, livingspace.com. Page 43 Library Knoll red chairs, Knoll table, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, grshop.com; Livingspace, Vancouver, living space.com. Roll and Hill Anges Chandelier, Lightform, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, lightform.ca.
For complete retailer listings, please visit the manufacturer’s website.
Back in Brass
Page 30 Mirrored brass bar cart on wheels, Pineapple cocktail tumbler, L'Atelier Home, Vancouver, latelierhome.com. Kubus bowl in brass, Scholten and Baijings gold lines stemware, Chintz and Co, Victoria, chintz.com; Espace D, Vancouver, espace donline.com. Roost rosewood and brass cutting board, Roost Curvo cocktail pitcher, Chintz and Co, Victoria, chintz.com; Nineteen Ten, Vancouver, nineteenten.ca. Champagne cooler, Inform Interiors, Vancouver, informshop.com. Milk and gold metallic Y rug, Salari, Vancouver, salari.com.
Pages 44-47 Designer, Zebra Group, Victoria, zebragroup.ca. Page 45 Living Room Grey sofa and white chairs, custom by KL Design Furniture, Victoria, kldesignfurniture.ca. Page 47 Kitchen Jamie Young hanging light, Jamie Young Lighting, jamieyoung .com. Bedroom Page 47 Lights, Restoration Hardware, across the West, restorationhardware.com. Bedframe, Crate and Barrel, Vancouver, crateand barrel.com.
Writing on the Wall
Light Show
Page 32 Sico Venice Skyline, Rona, across the West, rona.ca. Benjamin Moore Simply White, Pacific Paint and Wallpaper, Victoria, pacificpaint.benmoore paints.com; Coast Decorating Centre, Vancouver, coastpaint.com. Behr Mauve Melody paint, Home Depot, across the West, homedepot.ca. Double Fantasy wallpaper, Rollout, online, rollout.ca. Moon selfadhesive wallpaper, Anewall, online, anewall.com. Farrow and Ball Bumblebee wallpaper, Bespoke Design, Victoria, bespokedesign.ca; Perry and Co., Vancouver, perryandco.ca. Layered Glaze tile, Heath Ceramics, online, heathceramics.com.
Fortune Smiles
Pages 38-43 Architect, Rachel Gray, Gray Partnership, New York, graypartnership.com. Pages 38 & 39 Living Room Bensen white sofa, Inform Interiors, Vancouver, informshop.com. Page 40 Kitchen Knoll short white chairs, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, grshop .com; Livingspace, Vancouver, livingspace.com; Kit, Calgary, kitinteriorobjects.com. Table, Uniquities Architectural Antiques and Salvage, Calgary, uniquities.ca. Page 42 Other Living Room Artwork, Carl White, Calgary, carlwhiteart.com. Moooi black sofa, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, grshop.com;
Home & Away
Pages 48-52 Designer, David Nicolay, Evoke International Design, Vancouver, evokeid.ca. Pages 48 & 49 Front patio Beach bag, triangle beach towels, Simons Maison, Vancouver, simons.ca. Towels, Andrea printed pillow, Pottery Barn, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, potterybarn.com. Striped linen throw towel, metal lanterns, West Elm, Vancouver, westelm .com. Page 50 Kitchen Ebonized oak bowl, Provide, Vancouver, providehome.com. G&T Design tea towel, Delish General Store, Vancouver, delishgeneralstore .com. Soap dispenser, Simons Maison, Vancouver and Edmonton, simons.ca. Page 51 Dining room/living room Gold wall lights and white light over table, custom by Good Animal, Vancouver, good-animal.com. Sofa, Ital Interiors, Vancouver, italinteriors.ca. Page 52 Bedroom/Bathroom Giacomo hand and shower towels, Provide, Vancouver, providehome.com. White resin soap dispenser and toothbrush holder, Simons Maison, Vancouver, simons.ca.
Trade Secrets
Page 82 Designer, Kyla Bidgood, Bidgood and Co., Victoria and Vancouver, bidgood.co. Cabinetry, Strong Construction Group, Victoria, strongconstruction.co.
DIARY
Food cart: Lindsay Elliott
Victoria Taste: Victoria's Festival of Food and Wine July 14 to 17 Opening night pairs more than 100 B.C. wines with local cuisine; the week to follow includes interactive tasting seminars, bubbly brunches and a good ol’ seafood boil. victoriataste.com
1/3 Non Bleed Refreshingly local, farm fresh buttermilk fried chicken waffles.
The coolest events from across the West.
VancouVEr Food Cart Fest Sundays The city’s best mobile restos gather in False Creek each weekend for a one-stop source for snacks from purveyors like Yolks, Vij’s Railway Express and Tacofino. foodcartfest.com
So local, we're pretty sure it's done the Grouse Grind.
Edmonton Symphony Under the Sky August 26 to 28 Soak up some culture in the great outdoors as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra accompanies summer sunsets with classical favourites, Hollwood scores and global compositions. edmontonsymphony.com
COAST COAL HARBOUR HOTEL 1177 West Pender – 604.673.2173 prestonsrestaurant.ca/vancouver #prlvancouver
WL // TRADE SECRETS
DESIGNED BY
T‍ ה‏L k
ONE-OF-A-KIND KITCHEN Get custom appeal without breaking the bank.
8 2 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 / westernliving.ca
“It’s all about the finishes,� says Victoria designer Kyla Bidgood. Rather than invest in pricey custom cabinetry sizes or high-end appliances for this builder kitchen, Bidgood mixed-and-matched white inset doors with a white-oak cabinet frame for a contrasting look that’s totally unique—and budget-friendly. She brought in more white via the countertop, which is actually porcelain, not quartz. “We wanted the space to feel tailored,� says Bidgood. “And that comes down to a simple pattern that’s carried through consistently.�
Sarah MacNeill
Ky Bid
Your Kitchen’s Best Kept Secret
German Engineering. Seamless Design. Better Food Preservation.
Euro-Line Appliances Inc. 871 Cranberry Court Oakville, ON L6L 6J7
liebherr-appliances.com
Euro-Line Appliances West Inc. 2912 West 4th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6K 1R2
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