Vancouver's best-kept restaurant secrets

Directly from the Opus Bar Press Release:

Sunday March 7, 2010. 5pm - 10pm

OPUS Bar, 350 Davie Street, Vancouver B.C.

Feel like a celebrity as you walk the Red Carpet, wave to adoring paparazzi and step into the ultimate viewing party! Dress to impress and experience all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood while sipping Oscartini’s, nibbling feature Oscar O-bite platters for $25 and mingling with Vancouver’s glamorous while watching the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

Don’t miss your chance to win a Bed & Breakfast package for two at OPUS Hotel Vancouver, for the person with the most correct Oscar ballot predictions.

3 course Oscar Dinner available in Elixir Bistro for $30 with optional wine pairings for $20.

RSVP to Jessica Dunn JDunn@opushotel.com

Directly from the Bastille Cafe & Bar Press Release:

EXPECT A NEW BUZZ FROM BALLARD’S BASTILLE THIS APRIL
BASTILLE’S ROOFTOP GARDEN TO BECOME A HIVE OF ACTIVITY WITH PARTNER BALLARD BEE COMPANY

Bastille Cafe & Bar is happy to announce a partnership with Corky Luster’s Ballard Bee Company www.ballardbeecompany.com and the addition of 4 beehives to be installed on Bastille’s unique rooftop garden in late March or early April. Chef Shannon Galusha will integrate both extracted and comb honey from these western honeybees into the menu at Bastille starting this summer following collection in May and June from blackberry blooms.  Chef Galusha is considering all the ways to use this sweet amber bounty, from honeyed vinegar, combs to accompany the cheese program, savory dishes and desserts.

Western honeybees are dormant from October to March, but since the weather has been warmer this year in Seattle, there is some collection happening now from crocuses, pussy willows and heather pollen. Once collection begins in earnest, Bastille’s bees will produce two major honey flows from Big Leaf maple and the aforementioned blackberry.

Directly from the Donnelly Hospitality Press Release:

On Thursday March 4 The Donnelly Fund and Smirnoff present the SMIRNOFF EXPERIENCE HOUSE PARTY with rap dudes Clipse performing live and a DJ set by the Crystal Method. It all takes place at the Rocky Mountaineer Station (which will be decked out to look like an actual house - there’s be a mini ramp, live art installation, massive soundstage…the production alone is nuts). With opening performances by the Good News, Humans and DJ sets by Mat the Alien, Matty C and Trevor Risk, this will be the post-Olympics, locals-only show that you need. Tickets are only $15 in advance available HERE . Proceeds benefit the BC Children’s Hospital through our own charitable organization, the Donnelly Fund. This party is going to be huge.

HOUSE PARTY - MARCH 4  featuring:

THE CLIPSE (Live) www.myspace.com/clipse
THE CRYSTAL METHOD (DJ set) www.myspace.com/thecrystalmethod
MAT THE ALIEN (Video Set) www.myspace.com/matthealien

plus local bands:

THE GOOD NEWS www.myspace.com/weareallgoodnews
THE HUMANS www.myspace.com/dashumans

HOUSE PARTY: The Clipse, Crystal Method

DJ SPIDER - FEBRUARY 24

Spider is back to rock Pop Opera with Vancity’s finest Marvel + Seko along for the ride. Spider always comes correct with a massive set complete with rock solid turntablism and upfront programming.

Whether you’re rocking out to his set at an LA hotspot or listening to one of his mixtapes, the unique style of DJ Spider is apparent. Though his roots stem from a deep love for hip-hop, Spider has cultivated his sound to include an eclectic mix of cuts that transgress nearly every genre of music. No matter what kind of crowd, he is guaranteed to rock the party playing hip hop, soul, funk, reggae, electro, house, bmore, pop, rock and more.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Pop Opera - 686 West Hastings Street

DJ Spider Feb 24

LIL JON - THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25

One of the true godfathers of Crunk, Lil Jon and Da East Side Boyz have been tearin upn da club for well over a decade. The massive Yeah with Usher is easily one of the biggest club bangers in Hip Hop history, but only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Lil jons appearances on massive urban records  Get Buck In Here, Salt Shaker, Snap Yo Fingaz to name a few. Recent collabs with Pitbull, LMFAO and DJ Class have also firmly cemented Lil Jon in the emerging club electro scene and made him a mainstay in the VIP booths in Las Vegas, Hollywood and Miami. Join us Feb 25th for a huge night with one of the biggest in the game.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Pop Opera - 686 West Hastings Street

LIL JON Feb 25

I HEART FRIDAY - EVERY FRIDAY

Featuring Vancouver’s top resident Djs with rotating special guests setting the Friday night vibe with hip hop, RnB and dance music for Vancouver heads to get down.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Pop Opera - 686 West Hastings Street

Pop Opera Fridays

LA DISCOTHEQUE - EVERY SATURDAY

Saturdays - Jon C and JP host LA DISCOTHEQUE, Gastown’s #1 dance party.  Each week resident DJs Trevor Risk, Group Hug, Ethnic Friends, Shitz Popinov and the Slow DJs take you there with the most upfront house electro and disco tunes to keep you moving til dawn.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
The Modern - 7 Alexander Street

La Discotheque

DJ ELEVEN - FEBRUARY 28

After all the medals are won there’s only one thing to do - have the biggest party the city has ever seen!  Join us after the Olympic Closing Ceremonies as we celebrate one more time!

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
The Modern - 7 Alexander Street

2010 Closing Party w DJ Eleven and The Good Life

DJ SPIDER + DJ ONO - FEBRUARY 25

The Select Series touches down at Bar None for a special 2010 International Edition featuring Asia’s #1 DJ Ono from Thailand.  Known for rocking clubs from Bangkok to Beijing and back, expect a night full of international flavour as the games are kicked into high gear!  Not only that but we have one of our faves back for another round: LA’s party rocker extraordinaire DJ Spider.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Bar None - 1222 Hamilton Street

DJ SPIDER + DJ ONO (Asias #1 DJ) Feb 25

CITYLIFE - EVERY FRIDAY

Bar None presents City Life Fridays - DJs Marvel and Zak Santiago start your weekend off right with 80s, 90s and contemporary dance classics at Yaletown’s #1 nightlife destination.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Bar None - 1222 Hamilton Street

City Life Fridays

ELEMENT SUNDAYS - FEBRUARY 28

After all the medals are won there’s only one thing to do - have the biggest party the city has ever seen!  Join us after the Olympic Closing Ceremonies as we celebrate one more time!  Early bird tickets just $40

8:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Bar None - 1222 Hamilton Street

Bar None Sundays Closing Night Feb 28

THE BLEND - EVERY WEDNESDAY

Each and every Wednesday, with residents DJ Supafly (The Beat 94.5) and BZ Black - Vancouver’s most banging mid-week club night featuring the best party-rock, hip-hop and dance anthems - check it!  Up on the patio The Boyscouts mix old school hip hop, funk and classic party jams on 4 turntables.

8:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Republic - 958 Granville St

The Blend

THE GRADUATE - EVERY THURSDAY

Thursdays at Republic just got academic! Join DJs C-Stylez, Hoopsta, Jial-14 and guests spinning Top 40 party rocking mash-ups at the best student night in town. Do the math - $4 Hiballs and $4 shots plus Grade A music equals the best excuse to skip Friday class ever!

8:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Republic - 958 Granville St

The Graduate

OLYMPICS CLOSING PARTY - FEBRUARY 28

After all the medals are won there’s only one thing to do - have the biggest party the city has ever seen! Join us after the Olympic Closing Ceremonies as we celebrate one more time!

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Republic - 958 Granville St

GK Media Inc is pleased to present a new feature recipe:

Lemon Tea Loaf from the the Lighthearted at Home Cookbook by Anne Lindsay
To download all of the recipes please use the recipe iPod guide or go to the Recipes page.

Directly from the Hamilton Street Grill Press Release:

Please join us for Sunday Services at the Hamilton Street Grill!

On random Sundays, we offer a family-style carving meal accompanied by a glass of one of R + B Brewing’s fine products in our private dining room. There’s a limit of 28 people, so book early. We’ll be sharing a table, so this offer is limited to friendly people only.

Menu for Sunday March 7th: Slow-roast whole prime rib of Certified Angus Beef, carved tableside by a trained professional, with loads of roast garlic mashed potatoes, just enough vegetables so that you can tell your mother you had your vegetables today, and a rather decent gravy. The beer will be R + B’s excellent Bohemian Lager. Dinner is at 7:30 pm

The absurdly low price for this dinner is just $18. per person.

For reservations please call us at 604-331-1511

Directly from the CRU Restaurant Press Release:

CRU Celebrates Success of Okanagan’s Painted Rock With Winemaker’s Dinner

On Sunday, March 7 2010, Vancouver’s CRU Restaurant will present an intimate winemaker’s dinner featuring BC’s Painted Rock winery.  The four-course dinner will give guests a chance to discover why Painted Rock rose above tough competition to be named Best New Winery at this year’s Okanagan Fall Wine Festival.

Located on the eastern shore of Skaha Lake, Painted Rock is named for ancient pictographs (rock drawings) made by native Canadians on the property.  Everything else about the winery, however, is brand new:  the vines were planted in 2005 and 2006, the winery buildings just completed this autumn, and it’s furnished with the state-of-the art winemaking equipment and uses only 100% new oak barrels.

The dinner at CRU will give Vancouverites a chance to see what all the buzz is about.  Painted Rock’s proprietor, John Skinner, will host the event, sharing his passion for wine and his insight into what makes his wines so special.

The Painted Rock wines will be paired with a four-course dinner that will show them to their best advantage.

Painted Rock Winemaker’s Dinner

Sunday, March 7 2010 6:30 pm

$85 per person (exclusive of taxes and gratuity)

Directly from the Granville Island Press Release:

WHEN SKIING IMITATES ART

K2 Sports Commissions Joel Berman Glass Studios to Create World’s Largest Glass Skis

Sixteen-foot All-Glass Skis to Display During Vancouver Winter Festivities

Vancouver, BC (February 22, 2010): Snow skiing will be bigger than life as billions of TV viewers around the globe watch the world’s best athletes compete in Vancouver this month. To celebrate the occasion, K2 Sports, the world’s leading manufacturer of snow skis and snowboards, commissioned globally-renowned architectural glass artist Joel Berman to create the world’s largest pair of all-glass skis.

The 16-foot-tall skis, designed with K2’s signature blue, white and red color scheme, were recently installed on the exterior of Berman’s studio on Granville Island, a popular dining and shopping district on the fringe of downtown Vancouver that will be an entertainment epicentre during the city-wide celebration, February 12-28.

According to Anthony De Rocco, K2’s Executive Vice President, K2 Sports and Joel Berman Glass studios collaborated on this project in order to provide a vibrant sports-themed art installation on Granville Island, the heart of Vancouver’s dynamic arts community.

“Since Joel Berman Glass Studios is located in such a highly visible and popular area of Vancouver, we realized that we had a unique opportunity to honor the athletes and celebrate the festivities with a sports-themed art installation that had never before been achieved,” said Saleem Khattak, Senior Designer for Joel Berman Glass Studios. “And K2 Sports was the perfect partner for this project.”

In addition to being a one-of-a-kind piece of art, the process of building the skis was a feat in itself involving new glass-on-glass color printing processes on fused colored glass.

Following the Vancouver events, the skis will be transferred to Seattle to adorn K2’s 300,000-square-foot headquarter facilities that the company moved into from its original home on Vashon Island, Washington, in 2007.

The following is a list of Pacific Northwest food and wine events that are currently on or upcoming:

Dine Around Victoria: February 18th to March 7th, 2010

Dine Around Seattle:  March 1st to March 30th, 2010

Dining out for Life Vancouver: Thursday March 25th, 2010

Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival:  April 19th to April 25th, 2010

Dine Out Vancouver: April 26th to May 6th, 2010

Eat! Vancouver Food and Cooking Festival: May 28th to 30th, 2010

Directly from The Listel Hotel Press Release:

West Coast Scapes @ Vancouver’s “most art-full hotel”

The Listel Hotel exhibits work of local legend Cory Creed and iconic Canadian artist Yehouda Chaki

ROBSON STREET: Local legend Cori Creed and iconic Canadian artist Yehouda Chaki have joined forces to create the West Coast Scapes exhibit at Buschlen Mowatt @ The Listel Hotel gallery. The collection will showcase until March 31, 2010 and features the lush, colourful scenes and expressive landscapes – veritable emotive testaments - that these two powerful artists are both known for.

Cori Creed. Known for her bold, immersive landscape work, Cori Creed has unveiled six (6) of her latest paintings in this exhibit and says, “Our local coast provides a magnificent vehicle for exploring the surface and colour of paint on canvas. The tangles and textures of fall and winter branch work, the cold granite bearing raw and figurative arbutus trees, the fleeting and varied moods of the climate and skies. I am striving to create a place and a mood and an appreciation for what we have out our back door, but also to make the viewer aware of the surface and the medium.” Creed has drawn inspiration from Peter Doig, Gordon Smith and Joichi Hoshi whose work shares an evident joy in mastery of their mediums.

Yehouda Chaki. In 2008 Chaki was commissioned to capture on canvas the vivid beauty and rugged landscapes of the remote Toba River Valley, north of Powell River, BC. On display at the Listel are 16 of these stunning canvasses.

With a career that has included over 85 one man shows and over 300 group exhibitions, Chaki’s work has garnered a devoted following, and niche in contemporary Canadian art. His work is in the permanent collections of over seventy-five museums and corporations including The Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Musée D’art Contemporain de Montreal, Fort Lauderdale Museum in Florida, Eretz Israel Museum in Israel, Musée de Toulon in France, and the Museo de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Buschlen Mowatt Gallery. Buschlen Mowatt Gallery is a prestigious showcase featuring modern and contemporary masters of international significance. Recent exhibitions include: Colour Field installation of major works by Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski, Kenneth Noland, Larry Poons and Frank Stella; Louise Nevelson Retrospective; Javier Marin and Ricardo Mazal - Latin American Visions. Upcoming exhibitions will include sculpture by Cecilia Miguez and Sorel Etrog Paintings and Sculpture from the 1960’s.

The Listel Hotel. The Listel Hotel has long been known as Vancouver’s “most art-full hotel” and “a cultural tourist’s dream” and for its strong ties and creative partnerships with some of the city’s most dynamic cultural organizations such as the Buschlen Mowatt Gallery. In 2008 the Hotel created a new gallery space - Buschlen Mowatt @ The Listel Hotel - where the works of painter Bernard Cathelin, photographers Dina Goldstein and Pieter Hugo and sculptors John Henry and Betty Gold have all been recently exhibited.

Aqua Riva is serving an all day Olympic Menu from Feb 8th to 28th, 2010.

White Spot:  Take Out Special $9.99 one piece West Coast Halibut and Chips.

Posh Restaurant:  7 days of love starts Feb 19th and goes to May 31st, 2010.

Bistro 101 has a 2010 February Dining Promotion:  2 course luncheon for $20.10.

Lobster Fest 2010 is on at all Boathouse Restaurant Locations. $35.99 for a three course lobster dinner.

CRU Restaurant: Painted Rock Winery Dinner: Sunday, March 7, 2010. $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Horizons Restaurant: has a Steak and Lobster Tail February Celebration Promotion.

The Salmon House: has a Uniquely BC 3 Course February Menu for $54 with uniquely Bc wine pairings $79.

Directly from the YWCA Press Release:

THE WORLD IS COMING TO OUR DOOR – OUR FREE SPORT-THEMED ART EXHIBIT

Vancouver, B.C. — A renowned local artist and the YWCA Hotel in downtown Vancouver have teamed up to stage a free art exhibit of sports-themed pictures — as well as official images the artist created for the 1988 Olympics in Calgary – and many of the paintings are available for sale. Ken Wesman is showing many of his exciting images of winter sports like hockey and skiing and is donating half of the proceeds from the exhibit to YWCA community programs and services. “I have in one way or another always been involved with the Y,” he says. “The YWCA has so much to offer and now it’s time for me to give back with my sport art. Called “We Rock,” the exhibit runs from February 6 to 28, 2010, at the YWCA Hotel, 733 Beatty Street. This will be Wesman’s second fundraising art exhibit in support of the YWCA. The first, held in December 2005, was inspired by the World Junior Hockey Championships.

WESMAN also has a long history with the Olympic Games – he was asked to create seven official images for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, and produced images later that year for the Olympic Summer Games in Seoul. Each resulted in exhibit sellouts, and four of these images are now in both Olympic Halls of Fame: Olympics ’88 Volunteers, Calgary Magic, Seoul Magic, and Opening Ceremonies.

YWCA Hotel is a 155-room property located in downtown Vancouver. Steps away from BC Place Stadium and the downtown core, the YWCA Hotel is in the hub of the city. Equipped with various amenities and services, the hotel offers great accommodation for any type of traveller. Revenue generated from the hotel supports YWCA Vancouver’s programs and services that benefit women and their families

Directly from the Chambar Press Release:

CHAMBAR SALUTES CANADIAN MEDALISTS WITH DINNER & DRINKS ON THE HOUSE
Award Winning Cuisine for Award Winning Athletes

Vancouver, BC, February 17, 2010 – Beatty Street’s hot spot, Chambar Restaurant, will congratulate Canadian 2010 Olympic Winter Game medalists with a celebratory dinner for them and a guest on the house. Owners Nico and Karri Schuermans want to recognize the accomplishments of Canadian podium-bound athletes by offering them an evening to indulge in Chambar’s award-winning menus, service, atmosphere, and perhaps a little civilized debauchery.

Chambar’s close proximity to BC Place and Canada Hockey Place has made it a mecca of Olympic activity and popular gathering place for fans, athletes and celebrities alike to enjoy pre and post event sustenance, and to catch game highlights on the big screen in the restaurant’s lounge and rear dining room.

Chambar invites you to leave your day at the door for an unpretentious fling with fine dining. Housed in a refurbished brick and beam heritage building, the restaurant’s cuisine is a unique blend of Belgian and North African influences with a commitment to seasonal, organic and local ingredients. Chambar is located at 562 Beatty Street in the Crosstown District. Dinner is served nightly from 5:30pm - midnight and the bar will remain open until 2:00am during the Games. For reservations phone 604-879-7119 or visit: www.chambar.com.

Offer valid until March 1, 2010. Reservations recommended; medal required.

GK Media Inc is pleased to present a new feature recipe:

Vegetable Borscht from the the Lighthearted at Home Cookbook by Anne Lindsay
To download all of the recipes please use the recipe iPod guide or go to the Recipes page.

Directly from the Pop Opera Press Release:

JERMAINE DUPRI - FEBRUARY 23

Pop Opera is proud to welcome urban music legend JERMAINE DUPRI during the 2010 games. A multiple Grammy award winner, JD is one of the major players involved in creating the modern musical landscape thru his work with countless hip hop rnb and soul acts from the 80s thru to the present.  Expect a classic selection from one of the originators of the game.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Pop Opera - 686 West Hastings Street

LIL JON - THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25

One of the true godfathers of Crunk, Lil Jon and Da East Side Boyz have been tearin upn da club for well over a decade. The massive Yeah with Usher is easily one of the biggest club bangers in Hip Hop history, but only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Lil jons appearances on massive urban records  Get Buck In Here, Salt Shaker, Snap Yo Fingaz to name a few. Recent collabs with Pitbull, LMFAO and DJ Class have also firmly cemented Lil Jon in the emerging club electro scene and made him a mainstay in the VIP booths in Las Vegas, Hollywood and Miami. Join us Feb 25th for a huge night with one of the biggest in the game.

9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Pop Opera - 686 West Hastings Street

Directly from the George Ultra Lounge Press Release:

Vancouver’s George Ultra Lounge Goes for Gold……And Silver…And Bronze…with 2010 Mixlympics

Top International Bartenders compete @ the 2010 George Mixlympic Games

Sponsored by Martin Miller’s Gin & Arc’teryx

Sunday, February 21 – Doors open at 12:00 pm
George Ultra Lounge, 1137 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

VANCOUVER, BC (February 17, 2010) — Everybody has medal fever this month in Vancouver and the international bartenders visiting George Ultra Lounge are no exception!  George bartender Shaun Layton has invited some of the best cocktail creators in the world to mix it up at George Ultra Lounge during the Olympics.  With so much bartending talent in one place, it just made sense to turn it into a competition.

The 2010 George Mixlympic Games will see ten intensely competitive bartenders - 6 international, 4 Canadian - compete head-to-head in a black box style event.  These masters of mixology will be vying for the top prize - $500 cash provided by Martin Miller’s Gin, but there will be medals too.  Gold, silver and bronze, just like the athletes competing in Vancouver and Whistler. Judges will be smartly outfitted with stylish Arc’teryx jackets.

The event is free and open to the public.  Doors open at 12:00 pm but it might be best to get in line a little bit earlier.  The Games begin at 12:30 pm.

The international contestants are:

Joe Stokoe – Bar Manager for all three All Star Lanes, London, UK

Abdul Kpekawa – Bartender, All Star Lanes, London, UK

David Grieg – Bartender, All Star Lanes, London, UK

Ola Carlson – Bartender, Box 101, Stockholm, Sweden

Nicolos de Soto, Bartender, Experimental Cocktail Club & Curio Parlour, Paris, France

Charles Tan – Bartender, China Club, Paris, France.

Representing Canada will be:

Mark Brand - Owner, Boneta and The Diamond, Vancouver

David Wolwidnyk - Bar Manager, West, Vancouver

Jay Jones – Owner, The Pourhouse, Vancouver

Darryl Macdonald – Bartender, Port, Toronto

The extremely talented judges who will have the enviable job of tasting the cocktails and choosing the best are:

Rebecca Bollwitt – Vancouver Blogger, Miss 604

Jay Garnett – President, Whitefish Group

Shaun Layton – Bar Manager, George Ultra Lounge

Andrew Morrison – Editor, Scout Magazine

Neal Mclennan – Editor, Western Living Magazine

George Oliphant - Host, NBC LX-TV

Joanne Sasvari – Freelance Journalist and Mixology Expert