DTES food tour
With all the debates about gentrification, Vancouvers Downtown East Side seems to be caught in an identity struggle: can it be all things to all people? Off The Beaten Track, a food tour company, says Yes! Five per cent of ticket sales for its DTES tour will be donated to H.A.V.E Café to support the cafés efforts to provide foodservice job training to those who experience barriers to employment. The two-hour tour starts at H.A.V.E Café and continues on to the Vancouver Urban Winery, Railtown Café, Big Lous Butcher Shop and Cadeaux Bakery. The $55 tickets includes all the food and beverage samples plus the benefits of being able to share the tour guides knowledge of the neighbourhood. OffTheBeatenTrackTours.ca
Caviar starts with a C
As Vancouver foodies await the opening of The Fish Counter, Robert Clarks new seafood store on Main Street, his former employer is welcoming a new chef de cuisine. Olivier Kuhler trained under Clarks successor, Lee Humphries, at C restaurant and will continue both chefs commitment to Ocean Wise, which promotes sustainable fisheries. For his début, Kuhler has created a $125 seven-course caviar tasting menu featuring caviar from Northern Divine Caviar. Samplings include bouillaisse with smoked salmon and horseradish ice cream, lobster dumplings, kusshi oyster velouté and Queen Charlotte halibut. Its available throughout August but you must let the restaurant know in advance. Call 604-681-1164 or visit CRestaurant.com.
We all scream
To celebrate National Ice Cream Month and who wouldnt want to? Whole Foods Market is hosting an Ice Cream Social at all of its Vancouver locations on July 27. From 2 to 5pm, you can indulge in free samples of frozen treats, including a vegan selection. And if you by a So Delicious or Three Twins Organic frozen treat, Whole Foods will donate $1 to the Non-GMO Project.
Vegans have their day
All summer long, part of Granville Street will be closed off to cars and turned into a pedestrian-friendly celebration area every weekend. On July 27, its vegans turn to reign over Granville from Dunsmuir to Smithe. From 10am to 6pm, there will be vegan food vendors, carnival games and presentations by animal protection groups. For a list of participating vendors go to VegFestVancouver.com.
Free South African wine tasting
On August 2, the BC Liquor Store at 39th and Cambie will be launching a month-long celebration of South African wines with a free wine tasting. From 2:30 to 6pm you can sample some of the wines while nibbling on traditional South African fare prepared by chef Ann Kirseborn. Other BC Liquor Stores will be offering similar free tastings throughout the month. As part of the celebration, Wines of South Africa is offereing a draw for a weekend for two at Watermark Beach Resort in Osyoyoos.
Tapped In
A few weeks ago, our City Cellar columnist Kurtis Kolt wrote about the phenomenal success of Under Cover, a blind wine tasting event organized by the Shooting Stars Foundation. Now Shooting Stars is teaming up with Vancouver Craft Beer Week to give craft beer lovers the chance to test their palate at a blind taste testing at Performance Works on Granville Island. Tapped In lets you go beyond the label. For $35 (or $300 for groups of 10 friends) you get to sample the beers plus enjoy appetitizes from Pings Wings Wandering Wok. Two pieces of ID are required and you must, of course, be older than 19. To buy tickets please go to ShootingStarsFoundation.org.
