btvancouver

Just returned from vacation with my husband in New York City. Hubby and I are not big adventurers and we plan our trips based on where we want to stay, and where we want to eat. Our latest trip was no exception – many indulgences including dinner at:

Per Se : expensive yes (ridiculously so), worth it, um…probably once to say you went…met the expectation – absolutely. What I WOULD do next time, and this is a great option that is wayyy more affordable – sit in the “salon” you can still eat less than the normal 9 courses and experience the same ambiance.

at Per Se

LUPA - Mario Batali’s spot, casual Italian, super busy (one woman was told it would be an hour and a half wait and was like “ok!” ) reasonably priced and delicious! For dessert, the  Marscapone with Spicy Dates were amazing.

Joel Robuchon L\’Atelier- located in the Four Seasons, Brad and I went there before hopping on the red eye back home. We sat at the counter and enjoyed watching our food being prepared with such care and looking so beautiful I had to include some pics – highly recommend!

Spaghetti with Morels, Asparagas and a soft Poached Egg

View from the Counter!

Heirloom Tomato w/pasta - Amazing Work of Art!

Quality Meats - if you didn’t know it was a top restaurant, you’d walk by it - from the outside you’d think it was a deli that was closing for good – but upon entering, you know you are in for a special experience -go hungry -portions are huge and no question, you need to LOVE meat.

Just a few spots we experienced!

Until we Eat Again

Dawn

Imagine swimming for 10 hours straight. Battling 25- knot winds, five foot swells and sea sickness. It’s how Jim Gould, Matt Smith, Jim Cambon spent their Saturday. The trio saying Saturday night, It was the hardest and most challenging thing they had ever done.

They are potentially the future leaders of tomorrow. And when they get together each summer at UBC to put together their action plan, it seems that nothing is impossible.

Imagine the worst thing that could happen in any situation, happening. Yup – Murphy’s Law!

According to the Murphy\’s Law Website, Murphy’s Law (”If anything can go wrong, it will”) was born at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949 at North Base.

It was named after Capt. Edward A. Murphy, an engineer working on Air Force Project MX981, (a project) designed to see how much sudden deceleration a person can stand in a crash.

One day, after finding that a transducer was wired wrong, he cursed the technician responsible and said, “If there is any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it.”

The contractor’s project manager kept a list of “laws” and added this one, which he called Murphy’s Law.

Well, I had my own little incident on Friday when we took friends from Edmonton of ours to dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel Restaurant Market .

We had just finished dinner, enjoying the last of our red wine and the server was bringing dessert and a cheese plate. Former sever that I am, I decided to “help out” by moving some dishes that were in the way. You have to know what happened next..RED WINE SPILL!  This wasn’t all over the table, it wasn’t on me…nope! The only person it hit was my pal Randall MacDonald. Bad enough, yes…but to go one step further, he was wearing a light blazer and light pants…

Brad and I with Randall (on my left) and Darcy- Pre-Spill Smiles

I was tempted to put some white wine on the spill since that apparently acts a s a neutralizer and stain remover for red wine- but I decided I had done enough damage!

Thankfully, Randall chalked it up to “accidents happen” – but what IS the etiquette? Well, I apologized profusely and sent a note asking that he inform us should the stain not come out with dry cleaning. What else could I do? On the plus side (if there is one) it happened towards the end of the evening…but there was another complication, if my reaction/ solution was not appropriate, Randall would know…he is also a party planner and etiquette expert…argh!

Not sure if Randall and Darcy have any other tips or products at their store Call The Kettle Black (3 locations in Vancouver)…but lesson learned, white wine only for me!

 Until we eat again (sans red wine!)

Dawn

Hi All,

Recently I had a chance to chat with Drew Snider aboard the newest SeaBus “The Burrard Pacific Breeze”. What a great day for a sail, I was also able to get to the bottom of a rumour about the Golden Ears Bridge tolls….Have a look….

Perhaps I should start calling my blog ‘Web Guy’s Picks of the Month’ with the rate I’m posting at.

The good thing is I’ve got GOLD for you. The bad thing is, there was so much to choose from that I encourage you to leave my blog right now, go to BT Bites and scroll through the videos, because I missed a lot of great stuff.

Let’s get started:

Who doesn’t remember, or love, the Hulkster, Hulk Hogan. Riaz caught up with him and had a few words.

Let’s talk sex. If you’re having it, are you happy with it? Well here are 5 tips to make it even better.

Speaking of sex. Kyle Donaldson was the lucky guy who got to host this SPCA segment with two amorous male dogs. VERY FUNNY!

Last week was PRIDE. Gay or not. It’s was time to celebrate our differences and our similarities. We had a guest panel on the show that was not only very informative, but funny as heck.

I’ve never seen it, but I hear the show Walking With Dinosaurs is amazing. We had a baby T-Rex on BT. And if the show is anything like this, I’ll pay a lot of money to see it.

Last, but not least is a little tune dedicated to all the dad’s, sung by Great Big Sea’s Sean McCann. Unfortunately I missed his performance at the Railway Club, but I was really impressed with this one.

Hope you enjoyed these. Have a great rest of your week.

Web Guy

Had a great time the other morning in Yaletown as the Opus was preparing for their 8th Annual Street Party- Arabian Nights! They even gave us some Foodie Freebies, including a Bed and Breakfast valued at over $500 for 1 lucky BT Viewer!!

Enjoy the segments with  Chef Felix and Crystal Moon (cocktail recipe at bottom of post)…theme – Morocco!

 Hendrick’s Gin Feature Cocktail:

 Marrakesh Express


3 cardamom pods


1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s
Gin

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice


1/2 oz simple syrup


1 oz apple juice


First crush cardamom pods in base of mixing glass, then combine all ingredients and shake well. Serve up in a martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber wheel!

Until we eat again,

Dawn

So…we all know I love food, and I could casually call myself a “Foodie” but let’s face it, I am a babe in the woods compared to some of the “Foodies” out there. I am speaking about  the Bloggers, the Chefs, and the Sommolier’s in training who continue to educate and excite all off us when it comes to the Lower Mainlands top restaurants!

So at this time, I dedicate today’s blog to Richard Wolak, or Vanfoodster who recently celebrated his 1 Year Anniversary at  Canvas (and incorporated a cover charge that benefitted the Greater Vancouver Food Bank ).

Thor, Richard and I

Here is a montage of raw footage and well wishes taken at the party!

Until we eat again,

Dawn

It is a sport that most people think is for the older generation. Lawn bowling.
But there is a new movement afoot and it’s benefiting everyone who sees the sport as something more.

Anything can happen when it comes to live television. And this morning was a shining example on Breakfast Television. We did our usual spot with the Vancouver SPCA. And showcased two dogs in need of a loving home. But, there was plenty of lovin’ going on — at the exact moment we decided to go on the air.

Have a look for yourself.
K
PS – OF COURSE, this happened during one of MY segments! Just my luck!