Bud Kanke
By Tim Pawsey
The restaurant biz can be precarious at the best of times. But few have enjoyed as much success as Vancouver’s Bud Kanke, who this year retired after conceiving, co-designing and nurturing no less than 11 restaurants over 41 years. A chartered accountant by trade originally, the ever-sanguine Kanke considers that, along the way, eight were successful.
Salt cellar at Black + Blue. Photo by KK Law
Glowing in the middle of Black + Blue, inside a glass-encased meat locker, sits a wall of Himalayan rock salt lit up by LED strips. This bold example of salt architecture is used to age all of the meat served in the stylish steakhouse. It’s enough to set a carnivore’s mouth a-watering.—Sheri Radford
Chef Mark McEwan with his newest crop of Top Chef Canada contestants
Through May
The knives? Sharpened. The pantry? Stocked. The competition? Fierce. Top Chef Canada is back in the kitchen for round two of the hit Food Network Canada show. Head judge Chef Mark McEwan has 16 new hopefuls all vying for the title of Top Chef, not to mention the $100,000 prize. Four contestants from BC are in the running, but—spoiler alert!—they don’t all make the final cut. Tune in Mondays, or watch online at www.foodnetwork.ca.—Jennifer Patterson
The Dirty Apron Cooking School
Through May
Kitchen newbies, confident gourmands and ready-to-go pros enjoy picking up new tips and tricks, not to mention stuffing themselves with tasty morsels, at downtown’s cool Dirty Apron Cooking School. Add a few West Coast recipes to your repertoire and try your hand at preparing the best of the Pacific Ocean (May 4, 5, 7, 16, 30, 31). Take a trip around the world and learn to cook Italian at the Mamma Mia classes (May 1, 9, 15, 19, 24, 28), or feel like a Parisian in French class (May 2, 10, 14). And don’t forget your mom! She’ll love the just-for-her courses (May 12, 13).—Jennifer Patterson
Grand Electric's pulled pork tacos (photo by Gizelle Lau)
Assemble the mariachi bands! Cinco de Mayo is almost here, and though Toronto is two borders away from the big celebrations, you can still get festive with muy delicioso Mexican cuisine at these 5 restaurants. (more…)
By Tim Pawsey
Blessed with a happy marriage of abundant year-round fresh ingredients, a diaspora of ethnic influences and limitless culinary talent, Vancouver is hailed as a foodie’s paradise by critics and casual diners alike. A broad offering, from corner cafes to craft brew–fuelled pubs to edgy, contemporary regional rooms, means this city is never short of choice. The only challenge might be deciding where to go and what to order. Where’s well-travelled readers weigh in with their taste-filled finds in the 16th annual Where to Dine awards. (more…)
Smoked salmon pizza (front), chicken saltimbocca with roasted beet salad (left) and asparagus risotto (top right), at Zefferelli's Spaghetti Joint. Photo by KK Law
Robson Street offers no shortage of high haunts. For solid pasta, pizza and other country-style Italian fare, head to Zefferelli’s Spaghetti Joint (pictured). Earls serves casual fare and offers a lively bar scene, while polished CinCin yields a busy open kitchen and wood-fired specialties in a warm Tuscan setting. —Tim Pawsey
Local foodie Stephanie Yuen's new cookbook
April 28
Meet local foodie Stephanie Yuen and sample tasty treats from her new cookbook, East Meets West: Traditional and Contemporary Asian Dishes from Acclaimed Vancouver Restaurants (Douglas & McIntyre, $29.95), in a free event at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks.—Sheri Radford
Bitter Tasting Room. Photo by KK Law
It’s all about the beer at Bitter Tasting Room. This beautifully restored 1909 Gastown ale emporium offers only the best craft brews on tap and by the bottle, from BC and beyond. Purists hoist freshly poured pints of Driftwood Fat Tug IPA, R&B Milk Stout and Unibroue’s heavy Maudite, while a suitably matched gastropub menu tempts with cassoulet, Scotch eggs and artisan links by master sausage maker Drews Driessen. BC wines are also offered for the less hop-headed.—Tim Pawsey
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