The following post was written exclusively for Miss604.com by Hedwig Schipperheijn.
Kicking off tomorrow, October 15th and running until the 31st, Taste of Yaletown and its 22 participating restaurants will be tantalizing palates and inviting you to try something new. Last night I got to sample some of the lovely three-course dinners ranging from $25 to $45.
R.TL in Yaletown – Photo credit: Geoff604 on Flickr
Elixir
Our appetizer menu was served at Elixir at the Opus Hotel and presented by Chef Don Letendre. Nothing short of making the taste buds sing, the warm smoked ham hock salad with potato, parsley and sherry vinaigrette was perfectly paired with Spatlese Riesling. [Menu details]
R.TL
Next, I made my way to R.TL (Regional Tasting Lounge) for the main course. I’ve walked past this restaurant many times, but never went in, so this was the perfect opportunity. We were greeted by general Manager Alain Conuel to an intimate and classy atmosphere. Cooked exquisitely, the pan-seared red snapper with ras-al-hanout rub and Israeli couscous tabouleh is something you definitely want to experience. [Menu details]
Earls
Last but not least, Earls had us taste Dr.’s Orders, a martini that blends the good (Acai) with the bad (blueberry vodka) into a must-have. Accompany this by a Toblerone brownie with a warm, soft melted chocolate middle and vanilla ice cream on top, and you have a winner! [Menu details]
Have a look at the full list of participating restaurants offering special three-course tasting menus during Taste of Yaletown, now in its 5th year, and see if you can resist!
You can read more from Hedwig Schipperheijn at Hedwig.ca. Hedwig is a photographer, filmmaker and writer. She captures stories and releases them back into the wild. Light is her muse and the wonderful energy of her surroundings is her inspiration. Hedwig currently makes Vancouver, BC, the home-base for all her adventures.
This is an amazing and breathtaking part of our Province which I would love to visit some day. Right now, this series is as close as you can get to learning more about this special historic place and at $0 this series is definitely worth exploring.
The second event in this lecture series entitled “Icons of the Pacific” takes place October 26th and there are two time slots, 5:30pm – 7:00pm (currently taking reservations) and 7:00pm – 9:00pm (full). This session will look into the history and journey of whales throughout Gwaii Haanas and why protecting these habitats benefits us all.
To attend, contact lectureseries[at]vanaqua.org or phone (604) 659-3432 to book your seat.
November’s session “Changing Seascape” will take place on the 16th and the series wraps up December 7th with “Healthy Oceans, Healthy People”.
Tourism Vancouver’s blog, Inside Vancouver is currently hosting a video contest called Inside Your Vancouver.
To enter, they want you to shoot and upload a 1-2 minute video profiling your favourite places, things or activities in the city. Prizes include tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games closing ceremonies, men’s hockey, and freestyle skiing.
So far there are only two entries so far which means John Biehler and Alexandre Klinke (both with amazing videos) could be showered in prizes.
You have until December 1st to enter your video so that’s plenty of time to come up with something and include it in the running. Finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges and then voting will be opened up to the public.
Spoiler alert: The following post mentions the winner of the sixth season of Hell’s Kitchen
This afternoon we rented a car and drove the lovely Sea to Sky Highway in order to attend the Hell’s Kitchen finale screening party at Araxi in Whistler.
Araxi this summer
John and I had the pleasure of dining at Araxi this summer and have been waiting for our chance to make it back. Thanks to the hard working team at Top Table, we got an invitation for tonight’s one-of-a-kind event and I was even able to give away two tickets on my site to a lucky contest winner.
Party goers entered the restaurant flanked by spotlights and each had a chance to get their photo with the four finalists on the red carpet before entering.
Once inside, the menu of light canapes were delicious as expected and served to a standing-room only crowd (which almost formed a hungry mosh pit each time delectable new items were brought out). The entire restaurant was transformed with big screen TVs in every corner so everyone could catch the episode while the final four Kevin, Dave, Tenille, and Ariel) mingled with excited guests.
It was a two-hour season finale for the reality cooking series but time passed quickly between stops at the oyster bar and the wine table. I had the chance to chat very briefly with the final two contestants, Kevin and Dave, before the the winner was announced by Chef Gordon Ramsey on the 48″ LCD screen behind me.
Dave Levey, who had been working most of the season with a broken wrist, was named the winner and Araxi roared with excitement. Cameras flocked to his location and Executive Chef James Walt (Dave’s new boss) officially welcomed him to the team… with a crab.
John did a fantastic job of capturing many moments this evening and also following me around so I could chat with the contestants who were all so charming. I was also able to see Chef Walt again as he was joined by Chef Levey.
They were all pretty busy but at the end of the night we at least got to tell Dave to check out Vancouver and recommend the surfer from San Diego take up snowboarding this winter, which I’m certain was already on his list anyway. We’re looking forward to coming on back this winter to see how Dave’s made an impact on the place as I’m curious to see how it could possibly get even better.
Movies for Mommies is an afternoon out with babies in tow that allow mothers to socialize and also catch the latest Hollywood blockbusters in a comfortable environment.
Quick FAQ: Movies for Mommies is certainly open to Daddies and if you’d like to bring a friend with you, that’s not a problem. It’s aimed at parents with babies but they won’t turn you away if you bring your toddler along. Keep in mind however, that most movies been shown are for adults.
They’re gearing up for some screenings in the near future including The Hangover this week on October 14th and Where the Wild Things Are October 28th. For the screening on the 28th the usual Halloween discount of $1 will apply for any mom whose baby is in costume.
Screening time for all films will be 12:30pm (doors open at 12:00pm) and admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and free for infants.
Tourism Vancouver’s blog, Inside Vancouver is currently hosting 
After seven years in Vancouver the nation-wide program,