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Hot Dates: Happy Halloween

Halloween charms from Thomas Sabo

October 31
Celebrate Oct. 31—grown-up style—with autumn-inspired charms from Thomas Sabo. Sure, you’re no longer getting decked out in your ghoulish best, trick-or-treating from house to house, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop celebrating All Hallows’ Eve altogether. Pop by Thomas Sabo’s new Oakridge Centre store to choose charms of your own, or model your bracelet or necklace after the acorn and pumpkin combo shown above. Other options for ringing in this scary holiday: pints of pumpkin ale and creepy, festive decorations at HomeSense.—Jennifer Patterson

More information:

Thomas Sabo, Oakridge Centre, 650 West 41st Ave. 604-263-7226.

www.thomassabo.com

Homesense, 493 Robson St. 604-683-4406.

www.homesense.ca

Hot Dining: The Great Pumpkin

Photo by David Hills/istockphoto.com

Vancouver brewers celebrate Halloween early with a bevy of pumpkin ales. Taste the best of the season at Steamworks Brewing Co., Granville Island Brewing Taproom and Central City Brewing Co. in Surrey. Or try them all by the flight at St. Augustine’s Pub on Commercial Drive, which also boasts no less than 40 beers on tap.—Tim Pawsey (more…)

Hot Dining: Canadian Cuisine, Eh!

Edible Canada photo by KK Law

Head to Granville Island to discover Edible Canada, a sleek bistro, wine bar and retail store that celebrates all things comestible and Canuckish. Nibble on crispy, bronzed, Fraser Valley duck fat fries; slurp richly flavoured West Coast seafood bisque; or savour BC birch syrup and kasu-roasted sablefish, all from a menu that includes plenty of vegetarian and gluten- and dairy-free options. Refreshments range from hard-to-find Okanagan and Vancouver Island wines to “eastern” beers such as Steam Whistle and Propeller, for homesick Torontonians and Haligonians.—Tim Pawsey

More information:

EDIBLE CANADA AT THE MARKET Full-service bistro celebrates the best in BC and Canadian cuisine, with fresh ingredients and artful presentation. Take-away window, patio and demo kitchen. Also a retail space with artisanal foods and unique kitchen wares. Sign up for a culinary tour. $$. B/L/D (daily).

1689 Johnston St. 604-682-6675. www.ediblecanada.com

Across Canada: 10 Great Craft Beer Destinations

By Red Hunt

A coast to coast beer journey, visiting the best brewpubs and beer bars in Canada. In recent years the Canadian craft beer scene has seen an explosion of new micro-breweries, meaning you can find local suds anywhere from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland. Here are ten of our favourite spots to grab a pint of craft beer.

: Situated in a historic stone building in St. John’s is the Yellow Belly Brewery (288 Water Street, www.yellowbellybrewery.com). This five story building is a pub, brewery and dining destination offering succulent seafood and steak dishes, along with a selection of their own craft beers. Try the Wexford Wheat or Fightin Irish, which both pay tribute to the Irish immigrant heritage of Newfoundland. (Photo by jessica @ flickr

: Brewers of handcrafted ales, the Gahan Brewhouse (126 Sydney Street, www.gahan.ca) offers tours of P.E.I.’s only brewery. After the tour, grab some classic pub grub or local Prince Edward Island mussels and enjoy a few quiet pints in charming Old Charlottetown. Photo by ActiveSteve

: Our Nova Scotia nod of approval goes to the Rare Bird Pub in Guysborough (80 Main Street, www.rarebirdpub.com) for its unique Chedabucto Bay Brewing Company beers and picture-perfect setting. Home to the oldest commercial brewery in Atlantic Canada you can walk, drive or sail to this pub, which has its own marina. We suggest you grab a seat on the summer patio and order a Guysburger with a Hummingbird Ale.

: With a selection of ten regular beers and 16 seasonal beers ranging from a classic lager to a blueberry ale, the Pump House Brewpub (5 Orange Lane, www.restaurant.pumphousebrewery.ca) has won more than 20 brewing awards over the years, including Canadian Brewery of the Year. The Scottish Ale is our favourite, but we can’t blame you if you want to sample them all. Photo by Ben-I Photography

: The province of Quebec reigns supreme when it comes to the sheer number of micro-breweries and craft beers being produced in Canada. For a taste of the Quebec beer scene seek out Dieu du Ciel. This brewpub (29 Laurier West, www.dieuduciel.com) is renowned for pushing the envelope of flavours and ingredients in their beers and their aptly named Aphrodisiaque beer is hard to resist. Photo by Danielle Scott

: A cozy bar with a nice patio during summer, Bar Volo (587 Yonge Street, www.barvolo.com) has developed a world-class reputation for beer lovers in recent years. With their own ‘nano-brewery’ in their kitchen, and a daily changing tap list, this fame comes as no surprise. Ontario craft brewers like Mill Street, Beau’s and Great Lakes are all heavily represented, as are some rare gems from the US and Europe. Stop by on a Monday and enjoy $5 pints – a deal hard to beat in Toronto.

: Half Pints is the brewery in Manitoba and the Luxalune Gastropub is one of the best places to seek out their beers, as well as other local brews from Fort Garry Brewing. At Luxalune (734 Osborne Street South, www.luxalune.com) there are more than 150, mainly Canadian, beers available to choose from. With a daily happy hour special, their extensive and impressive Tapas menu is perfectly suited for sampling a range of different Manitoba beers.

: Beer Cuisine in Regina? Indeed! A casual dining destination, BeerBros (1801 Scarth Street, www.beerbros.ca) offers local beers from Paddock Wood and Great Western Breweries, as well as a long list of beers from across Canada. This gem of a beer bar infuses their cuisine with the flavours of beer and their menu comes complete with suggested beer pairings. We recommend a pint of Great Western Pilsner.

: Located in the heart of beautiful Banff, Alberta the Banff Avenue Brewing Company (110 Banff Avenue, www.banffavebrewingco.ca) has a welcoming family-friendly pub atmosphere. Their beers are all made with premium hops and malts, as well as glacier water from the Rocky Mountains. Their Head Smashed IPA beer is a tribute to the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump UNESCO site in Alberta.

: On the edge of Gastown is a modern tavern called The Alibi Room (157 Alexander Street, www.alibi.ca), offering a selection of 50 beers on tap, including many local BC beers and cask ales. Head downstairs and be greeted by a blackboard wall of beer or take advantage of their locally sourced menu and dine in their main floor restaurant. Photo by world of jan

Hot Dining: For beer lovers

Rock Bottom Brewery

Rock Bottom Brewery on Spring Garden Road: Distinctive ales brewed on site, creative menu of matching dishes.
The Maxwell’s Plum on Grafton Street: 60 different beers on tap, live sports on the big screen.
Henry House on Barrington Street: Imported ales and local specialties like the distinctive Peculiar Ale.
Hart & Thistle in the Historic Properties: Craft brews produced on site, large waterfront patio.
Durty Nelly’s on Argyle and Sackville streets: Irish-style pub, Irish brews and pub food are the specialties.

Interview With DobbernationLoves’ Andrew John Virtue Dobson

Dobson at a noodle house in Tokyo, Japan.

Andrew John Virtue Dobson started his blog DobbernationLoves (on Twitter: @dobbernation) after his first solo backpacking trip through Europe. The Toronto-based blogger’s day job is at Planeterra Foundation, the charitable arm of Gap Adventures, the Canadian-based travel company that hosts tours around the globe. The blog’s title is a clever play on Dobber (a nickname) and Nation (which he sees as “an authoritative stance on what I was doing and where I was going”). Dobson describes DobbernationLoves as a “lifestyle blog with an encyclopedia’s worth of information on travel, Toronto-based restaurants, cheese, wine and beer. I post consistently throughout the week all of the things I love, whether it be covering a fashion or arts based event, or some recipe I came up with over the weekend. I share whatever makes me smile.”

(more…)

Pop a Cold One at Halifax Seaport BeerFest

With nearly 200 varieites on offer, this annual festival is heaven for beer lovers

By Trevor J. Adams

Taps Magazine picked Halifax’s as Canada’s “favourite beerfest” and it’s not hard to see why. Running from August 5 to 6, the Halifax Seaport BeerFest on Marginal Road features some 200 beers and ciders from around the world.

Now in its fifth year, the festival has been growing steadily and is now a beloved rite of summer for the city’s committed tipplers. “For the past two years, evening sessions have sold out,” says festival co-chair Bruce Mansour. Organizers are expecting 5,000 attendees
this year.

This year’s highlights include an expanded Quebec pavilion, Baxter Brewing (Maine), King Brewery (Ontario) and Canada’s newest brewer, Spearhead Brewing from Toronto. In addition to the ample array of ales, vendors will sell beer-inspired food on-site. Forget about the stereotypical hot-dog-on-a-barbecue vendors, though. Some of the city’s most popular restaurants will be serving up sample-sized creations. They include Saege Bistro, Fid Resto and Brussels Restaurant & Brasserie.

Once again this year, organizers are offering a Ladies VIP Brew Tour with Mirella Amato. For a $10 surcharge, women can skip the line-ups and enjoy a 30-minute talk, sampling and food pairing.

The weekend kicks-off on August 4 with a one-of-a-kind beer dinner at Brussels Restaurant & Brasserie. Troy Burtch of Taps Magazine hosts. The meal features four courses paired with five festival beers, each introduced by a brewery representative. New this year is the Beer Brunch at The Maxwell’s Plum on August 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. It’s a chance for attendees to meet some of the brewers in town for the festival.

BeerFest Survival Guide
With dozens of vendors, hundreds of beers and thousands of dedicated drinkers, BeerFest can overwhelm newbies. Organizers have provided these survival tips to help you get the most out of the experience (without doing yourself permanent harm).

• Pace yourself. It’s not a race and there’s plenty of beer to go around.
• Protect yourself. The event is predominantly outdoors. Check the weather and bring rain gear or sun block as needed.
• Carry cash. The beer is included in the ticket price but the food isn’t. After a
couple hours, you’ll want food. Trust me.
• Eat before you go. Trying 200 different beers on an empty stomach will end badly.
• Do a quick circuit and pick out some must-try highlights before you start
drinking with gusto. You probably won’t get to try everything, so be strategic.
• Drink water. If you’ve had beer before, this one is self-explanatory.

The Details
Tickets are available at some Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation stores and online. The cost is $40 per session or $45 at the door. Sessions run Friday night 7:00 p.m. to 9:30pm, Saturday afternoon 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday night 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets sell quickly, so it might be wise to buy in advance. Follow the link for more information.

Hot Dates: Long Table Series

Photo courtesy The Irish Heather

Ongoing
Love thy neighbour. Well, you may not when you first sit down at The Irish Heather’s 12-m- (19-ft-) long communal table, but chances are good after rubbing elbows while conversing over a plate of homestyle food. Owner Sean Heather’s clever Long Table Series (pictured) runs every Sunday through Wednesday with a changing menu. The deal? Enjoy an entree, side and beer for just $16. Options on the summer menu include lamb burgers and pork ribs. And don’t worry, Mom: this is one time when it’s okay to talk to a stranger.—Kristina Urquhart

Vancouver Life: Cambie Street

Spend an afternoon exploring the sights and smells of Cambie Street between 17th and 19th avenues, a hotspot for great eats and the latest trends

By Carli Vierke

Cheese from Benton Brothers

The Local Gourmet
It’s foodies’ choice on Cambie. With both local and global fare, the restaurants, cafes and artisan shops offer a mix of flavours. Whether it’s gooey BC cheeses from the family-owned Benton Brothers or homemade tiramisu from Kreation cake shop, everything you need for the perfect epicurean feast is here. Feel like treating yourself without lifting a finger? Enjoy steak frites at the friendly French bistro Pied-à-Terre, or grab a slow-roasted pulled-pork sub to go at Las Tortas Gourmet Mexican Sandwiches.

Eye for Design
Suit up for a stylish stroll at Shop Cocoon, a boutique that features the latest trends in clothing, jewellery and handmade toiletries (think goodies such as hand-milled pomegranate soap), all crafted by local designers. For fashionable inspiration in the home and beyond, check out Walrus, a minimalist shop known for its fun, stylish lifestyle goods such as Scandinavian-designed lanterns or locally designed hot-pink rubber shoes. The space doubles as an art gallery and transforms one night a month into a packed cultural hub where Vancouver artists have their exceptional work showcased.

Ceramic birds from Shop Cocoon

Drink Up
No matter what type of buzz you’re looking for, you’re in good hands. At Beans coffee shop, grab a soy latte while getting cozy on one of the vintage couches or armchairs. For the beer connoisseur, Biercraft Bistro serves dozens of Belgian, imported and local beers. Develop your taste buds with a pint of the creamy Augustijn Blonde alongside a pound of fresh local mussels in a beer, cilantro and lime-butter broth. If you’re seeking libations to go, the Liquor Barn has a good selection of wine, beers and spirits from all over the world. Cheers.

Hot Dining: Perfect Pints

The long bar at New Oxford Public House. Photo by KK Law

Downtown’s most pubbish newcomer is the stylin’ New Oxford Public House, a red-brick, wood-and-mirror-trimmed watering hole whose line-up of taps (Phillips, Driftwood, Granville Island and more) is matched by good bites and affordable lunch specials. Pack in to the town’s longest bar for the likes of chilli squid, Thai-spiced mussels, hefty half-pound bacon ’n’ cheese burgers, fish ’n’ chips or parsley-truffle fries, all washed down with a pint of Guinness—under pictures of Maggie Thatcher and Tony Blair.—Tim Pawsey