Vancouver Magazine hosted their annual Restaurant Awards earlier this week, recognizing top chefs and top eateries across the city and beyond. Now in its 26th year, the awards had 17 judges who ranked winners in 50 categories. The results are all posted online and here are just a few of the distinguished recipients:
Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards 2015
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Ask For Luigi (305 Alexander St, Vancouver)
CHEF OF THE YEAR
Vikram Vij
BARTENDER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Mote
PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR
Thomas Haas
SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
Bryant Mao, at Hawksworth
GREEN AWARD
Ned Bell, Yew at Four Seasons
BEST PRODUCER
Vancouver Island Salt Co.
INGREDIENT OF THE YEAR
Octopus
UPSCALE DINING
Hawksworth (801 W Georgia St, Vancouver)
CASUAL DINING
Ask For Luigi (305 Alexander St, Vancouver)
BEST CHINESE UPSCALE
Dynasty Seafood (777 W Broadway #108, Vancouver)
BEST CHINESE CASUAL
Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie (163 Keefer St, Vancouver)
DIM SUM Chef Tony Seafood (101-4600 Number 3 Road, Richmond)
STEAK HOUSE Hy’s Encore (637 Hornby St, Vancouver)
PIZZERIA Nicli Antica Pizzeria (62 E Cordova St, Vancouver)
BEST OF THE AMERICAS Tacofino Commissary (2327 E Hastings St, Vancouver)
BEST OF DOWNTOWN Cactus Club Cafe Coal Harbour (1085 Canada Place, Vancouver)
BEST OF THE WEST END Kingyo (871 Denman St, Vancouver)
BEST OF YALETOWN Homer St. Café and Bar (898 Homer St, Vancouver)
BEST OF GASTOWN &CHINATOWN Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie (163 Keefer St, Vancouver)
CASUAL CHAIN Cactus Club Cafe
FOOD CART Tacofino
SEAFOOD Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar (1095 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
COFFEEHOUSE Revolver Coffee (325 Cambie St, Vancouver)
Congratulations to all of the winners and honourable mentions! They are the reason that Vancouver has such a vibrant and diverse dining scene. View all of these results and many more online and follow Vancouver Magazine on Facebook for more information.
Call it a wish list, bucket list, or a “I must camp there again” list but I’ve been eyeing the BC Provincial Parks website lately and my urge to unroll my sleeping bag and toast s’mores by a campfire has been rising. When I was young we used to go on a week-long camping trip every single summer and by the time I was 10 I could name more BC Parks campgrounds than I could streets in Downtown Vancouver.
With the reservation system up and running for the summer, and the evergreens calling, I have put together a list of 10 BC Parks to Visit For Camping Season:
Helmcken Falls at Wells Grey Provincial Park. Photo credit:
et_al_ on Flickr
The farthest from Vancouver, I had to include Wells Grey even though I haven’t been there in 20 years. With 540,000 hectares in the Cariboo Mountains it has volcanoes, waterfalls, mineral springs and glaciers. It has something to offer every outdoor interest: lush alpine meadows, excellent birding and wildlife viewing opportunities; hiking for every ability, ranging from a few minutes on a level trail to many days with a map and compass; boating, canoeing and kayaking.
The park was expanded by 684 hectares in 2008 to include more of the alpine headwaters of the western side of the Sockeye Creek watershed. The park protects important habitat for a variety of wildlife, including spotted owls, mountain goats, black bears and grizzly bears. Old growth forests, subalpine and alpine environments, large and small lakes all contribute to the park’s diversity.
A favourite family park along the Sea to Sky, Alice Lake is surrounded by towering mountains, dense forests and grassy areas. There are four fresh water lakes that dominate the landscape and make swimming and fishing very enjoyable pastimes. The trail around Alice Lake is a popular one for an evening stroll and for the more adventurous there is the Four Lakes Trail.
Located 20 kilometres south of Cranbrook off Highway 3/95, Moyie Lake Park day-use area, boat launch and 111 site campground provides the only public access to the deep blue mountain waters of Moyie Lake. This vacation friendly park features 1300 metres of developed sandy beach backed by a large grassy area. Swimming, wind surfing, sailing, boating, wildlife and bird viewing along with an adventure playground and hot showers are on site.
Located on the waterfront midway between Courtenay and Campbell River, a broad sandy beach on the ocean is the main attraction at Miracle Beach, which also features spacious private campsites, group camping facilities, a playground for the kids, hot showers, a large picnic area overlooking the water and a series of lovely trails winding through lush forest. At low tide, the beach features rich tide pools, perfect for observing a variety of marine life.
China Beach Campground is a part of Juan de Fuca Provincial Park and the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, which follows 47 kilometres of wilderness stretching along the western shoreline of the southern Island. The China Beach campground is just off Highway 14 and features amazing beaches and day use areas a short 1km hike away.
We talk a lot about sunsets on the west coast but in Parksville on Vancouver Island, particularly at Rathtrevor Beach, you’ll wake up to spectacular sunrises. The park features majestic old growth trees and an inviting, wide sandy beach with campsites nestled amongst mature Douglas fir trees. At low tide the ocean recedes almost a kilometre, providing an ideal place for visitors of all ages to play in the sand and explore the shoreline. When the tide rolls in over the sun-baked sand, the warmed water is unbeatable for swimming and salt water fun.
Porpoise Bay Provincial Park on the Sunshine Coast offers many opportunities for coastal fun and is a favourite family park. This park is characterized by second-growth forest, open grassy areas and sandy beaches, and is an excellent base camp for paddlers exploring the Sechelt Inlet.
A very popular destination, the park operates at capacity from early July to Labour Day (early September). Situated on the old delta of Scotch Creek, it has one kilometre of sandy, pebble beach, and includes the whole of Copper Island. The park also offers a large grassy play area, an adventure playground, a large boat launch, and a self-guiding nature trail. Supplies, groceries, and many recreational opportunities including bumper boats, mini-golf driving range, go-carts, para-sailing, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, boat and jet-ski rentals are offered by near-by businesses.
Lush forests with large, old trees create a quiet setting for the campground at Mermaid Cove. At low tide, the rocky shoreline often has tidal pools with starfish, sea urchins, small fish and crabs. Scuba diving provides a close-up look at the abundant marine life and a 3-metre bronze mermaid statue. From the shore, orcas and sea lions can sometimes be seen.
If you’re looking to stay close to home, here are the closest BC Parks available for camping, within a 90 minute drive of Vancouver: Sasquatch Park; Golden Ears; Cultus Lake; Rolley Lake; Porteau Cove; Alice Lake.
You can read about more camping locations (from all parks services) in this post, and click here to find out about camping in north west Washington State.
The Fort Langley Community Hall might not be located in Vancouver, but with its countless television and film appearances, and being a popular venue for events and gatherings throughout all seasons, it’s today’s (Greater) Vancouver Icons photo feature:
Located at 9167 Glover Road, the Fort Langley Community Hall has been used in shows like Once Upon at Time, Bates Motel, Fringe, Supernatural, Riverdale, motion pictures, TV movies, and commercials.
It was designed by architect Archibald Campbell Hope and built in 1931. The Fort Langley Community Improvement Society was founded by the Fort Langley Women’s Institute in 1924, in order to build the community hall.
The hall is maintained by a volunteer Board of Directors and is used as an event space, wedding venue, and for the Fort Langley Library. Inside its elegant ballroom is party space, complete with a stage and a horse hair sprung wooden ballroom floor hosted its inaugural ball in March of 1931.
Other Vancouver Icons posts: Christ Church Cathedral, Waterfront Station, Pacific Central Station, Randall Building Mural, East Van Cross, Robert Burns Statue in Stanley Park, Vancouver Maritime Museum, Flack Block, The Drop, Prospect Point Lighthouse, Engagement, Ovaltine Cafe, The English Bay Slide, Freezing Water #7, Cleveland Dam, Heritage Hall, School of Theology Building at UBC, Gate to the Northwest Passage, St Paul’s Hospital, Capilano Lake, Stawamus Chief, Nine O’Clock Gun, Malkin Bowl, Search, Vancouver Rowing Club, Echoes, Point Atkinson Lighthouse, English Bay Inukshuk, Hollow Tree, Hotel Europe, Lions Gate Bridge Lions, LightShed, Granville Bridge, 217.5 Arc x 13′, Canoe Bridge, Vancouver Block, Bloedel Conservatory, Centennial Rocket, Canada Place, Old Courthouse/Vancouver Art Gallery, Dominion Building, Science World, Gastown Steam Clock, SFU Burnaby, Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.
Presented by Honda:
Honda Happiness Contest
The Honda Happiness social media contest is running now through to Sunday, May 10, 2015. Honda wants to take you to your happy place in BC, so they’re inviting you to tell everyone about it on Twitter for a chance to win $1,000 to get you there.
- Post on Twitter account about your happy place in BC
- Include #HondaHappiness in the post
- Follow @HondaCanada on Twitter
Here is a sample tweet that you can complete and post:
“_____________ is my Happy Place in BC because ____________ #HondaHappiness”
My Happy Place
I think I’ve literally used the words “Happy Place” every single time I have described Salt Spring Island ever since John and I first visited together in 2008 and fell head over heels in love with this beautiful gulf island.
We’ve spent summer and winter weekends there ever since, at Hastings House, during the Glowtini or Chefs Across the Water event, or exploring Ruckle Park.
The island has peaceful pastures and lush, mossy forests, as well as mountain peaks, beaches, markets, farms, and the friendliest (and most creative) people you’ll meet. We’ll spend an entire day going for a hike, visiting the market, stopping by the craft brewery, then relaxing in front of the fireplace in our hillside room above the harbour, where light from the sunset dances around twisted arbutus trees. Salt Spring Island is definitely our happy place in BC, what’s yours?
Happiness comes with a Honda!
Where’s your happy place in BC? The local mountains? The big hockey game with your family? Or your yoga studio at sunrise? Tell us about yours on Twitter and share a photo if you like! You’ll be entered for a chance to WIN $1,000 towards your happy place. Just make sure you include #hondahappiness and follow @hondacanada. Contest runs April 17 – May 10, 2015. For full contest details visit: http://my-honda.ca/happiness.
