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Taste of East Van – An Outdoor Long Table Dinner July 21st

4 Jul

LongTableDinner.pngThe Italian Cultural Centre is hosting a delicious outdoor long table dinner on Thursday, July 21st called The Taste of East Van. This evening is a collaboration with Slow Food Vancouver and will showcase local, organic and sustainable produce and cuisine. You will also have an opportunity to learn more about local growers and producers. The evening runs from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Tickets are $45 and are available online or by calling the Italian Cultural Centre between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at 604.430.3337.

Photo Credit: Italian Cultural Centre

 

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The Uncommon Café Hosts Oriental Inspiration, Brioche Making & Ice Cream Making

25 May

UncommonCafeOrientalInspirationOur friends at The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, have a few fun cooking classes coming up. The classes are led by  Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple.   Valentine was born and raised in France and is a chef that has worked in hotels in Paris, Singapore, New Orleans and Toronto.  She now works with The Uncommon Café, a commissary and café located just across the street from Oppenheimer Park. This great spot now has a lot of great company with Ed’s Daily, The Heatley and The MacKenzie Room just minutes away. We’ve set out below their upcoming classes which we expect will be delicious and fun.

Cooking Class & Dinner: Oriental Inspiration – June 1st 6-9 pm

This is a demonstration cooking class after which dinner will be served to all the class participants.  Some of the delish dishes you will learn to make include Lebanese Tabbouleh, Chicken Lemon Tagine, Coconut Mousse and Mango Coulis. The cost of this class is $75 per person, but if you book in advance (by May 27th), cost is $65. You can book your spot online via Eventbrite.

Cooking Class: Brioche Making – June 15th 6-9 pm

In this class, Valentine will teach you how to make Brioche. Once you have the basic dough mastered, she will teach you how to make a Basic Brioche Loaf, Braided Brioche, Brioche Cinnamon Rolls and Brioche BBQ Pork Buns. What I love best about their classes, you get to enjoy a class of wine while brushing up on your kitchen skills.  The cost of this class is $65 per person, but again if you book one week in advance, the cost is $55.  You can book your spot online via Eventbrite.

Ice Cream Without A Machine – June 22nd 6-9 pm

Yes, you can make ice cream without an ice cream maker. Having said that, you will need a blender whether a standing blender, food processor or immersion blender AND a mixer (such as Kitchen-Aid or hand mixer). Valentine will teach you how to make some great ice cream and other frozen desserts including Lemon & Raspberry Semifreddo, Strawberry Frozen Yogurt, Vanilla Ice Cream Base and One Endless Possibility Ice Cream.  To get you into the mood for your class, you will be greeted with a Margarita Granita served upon your arrival. How sweet is that?  We love the way they do classes!  The cost of this class is $65 per person, and again if you book on week in advance, the cost is $55. Visit Eventbrite to book your spot.UncommonCafeFrozenDesserts

As you can see, signing up early guarantees you a spot at a reduced rate.  If you haven’t already checked out their classes, we encourage to pop down and give them a try.

 

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Documentary ‘Slow Food Story’ At The Rio Theatre June 6th With Wine Tasting

24 May

slow-food-story-225x300June is Italian Heritage Month and that means in true Italian form, you can expect a colourful celebration of this heritage from food to art to film and everything in between. All things Italian will be showcased on June 12th at Italian Day on Commercial Drive.  There is a great event happening the week before as part of Italian Heritage Month. On June 6th, The Rio Theatre will be presenting Stefano Sardo’s acclaimed documentary Slow Food Story which is based on the best-selling book and, of course, the cultural movement of the same name that then followed. The Slow Food movement has now grown roots in more than 150 countries and includes cheese-makers, vintners and artisanal food makers. On June 6th prior to the movie, there will be a VIP Wine Tasting from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  You can purchase tickets for this portion and the film for $30 in advance or $35 at the door.  If you wish to see the film only, you can purchase tickets in advance for $13 or $15 at the door.   To purchase your advance tickets, visit Rio Theatre online.

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Garagiste North – The Small Guys Wine Festival April 17th At The Wise Hall

30 Mar

GrapesWine lovers listen up! There’s a great little wine festival coming to the Wise Hall on April 17th called Garagiste North (pronounced gar-ah-jeest).   The garagiste originates from a group of winemakers in the Bordeaux region of France, that started producing “vins de garage” or “garage wine”.  Let’s be clear, these are NOT home-made wines, though some of the wineries may in fact use their kitchen tables as offices.  They are renegade small-lot winemakers who may sometimes work in their garage, but refused to follow industry laws and protocol.  Synonyms: Rebels, pioneers, renegades who are driven by their passion.   In 2014, two women started this wine festival to feature small wine producers, by definition those that make less than 2,000 cases per year. There will be 25 hard to find artisan winemakers on hand along with Peruvian food by Chicha Restaurant and music by the Chicken Like Birds. The event runs from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm for the general public with an industry only event prior to that. Tickets are $49.00 and available via Eventbrite.  Pssst and in case you hadn’t heard the London Financial Times named this festival one of the top five new festivals in the world.  To which we say, see you there!  Cheers.

Photo Credit: Vladislav Zhuk

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The Uncommon Café Hosts More Delish Cooking Classes This March

8 Mar

ProvinceInspiredMenuThe Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, is hosting more delicious cooking classes to help you sharpen those culinary skills.   Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple will again be leading the upcoming classes.  Valentine was born and raised in France and is a chef that has worked in hotels in Paris, Singapore, New Orleans and Toronto.  She now works with The Uncommon Café, a commissary and café, located just across the street from Oppenheimer Park.  The Uncommon Café and Valentine have recently started offering a series of cooking classes  and the next ones lined up sound pretty delish. They include:

Cooking Class & Dinner: Provence Inspired Menu (March 16)

The items you will learn to make and have the pleasure of enjoying that evening include:

“Croustillants de Chèvre”: crispy triangle pastries filled with goat cheese.

“Bouillabaisse” The best fish and shellfish stew you can have.

“Poire Pochée” Poached pears in a seasonal spiced syrup.

Note this class was added after the same class scheduled for March 9th sold out. Cooking class and dinner is $70 and tickets are available via Eventbrite. Early booking gets your $10 off.

Kitchen Skills Series – Don’t Fear The Fish (March 23)

The items you will learn to make and have the pleasure of making and enjoying include:

Mussels in White Wine and Cream Sauce

Herb-Crusted Salmon

Pan Fried Cod with Sauce Beurre Blanc

The aim of this class is to demystify the fear of cooking fish. As it is easy to overcook, Valentine will teach you what you need to know.  Classes do start out with a glass of wine and we are told they won’t let you leave without offering you something sweet to finish your night off with.  Note, this class is a demonstration Don'tFearFishclass and although not full portions, they promise that you won’t leave hungry. Again, the cost of this cooking class is $70 with $10 off for those that register early.  Registration is available via Eventbrite.  Bon appetit!

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The Uncommon Café Hosts Two New Cooking Classes

19 Jan

KitchenSkills#1UncommonThe Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, is hosting some fun new cooking classes to help you ‘sharpen’ your culinary skills.   Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple will be leading the two upcoming classes.  Valentine was born and raised in France and is a chef that has worked in hotels in Paris, Singapore, New Orleans and Toronto.  She now works with The Uncommon Café, a commissary and café, located just across the street from Oppenheimer Park.  The Uncommon Café and Valentine have partnered to offer a series of cooking class once per month. The first one they have lined up is Wednesday, January 27th Kitchen Skills Series #1. Their first class is intended to help novice cooks get some basics in the kitchen. With the cold winter weather, their first class in this series will introduce you to making “Stocks, Soups and Stews”.  The cost of this class is $60, but get $10 off if you book early. You can register at Eventbrite.

On February 10th, you and your partner are invited to learn how to prepare a romantic dinner. This will be a demonstration cooking class.  You will be served the entire dinner prepared that evening by candle light which will be paired with wine. The cost of this class is $70. Again, to register visit Eventbrite. If you register in advance save $10 per person.   Bon Appetit!  UPDATE: February 10th class is SOLD OUT. A second class has been added February 13th and for those that book early, you can save 20% by using the code SAVE20. ValentineUncommonTartine

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Havana Restaurant Partners With The Cultch

15 Jan

Havana2Havana Restaurant is an amazing delicious spot located at 1212 Commercial Drive. There is a bit of Old Havana in Cuba at this eclectic spot.  Havana is also a great supporter of local arts whether it’s their own theatre in the back or the area next to the theatre showcasing local art. Whether you come for lunch, brunch or dinner, the place is always hopping and we might add has amazing food and drinks. Added bonus is the outdoor patio which is packed a good portion of the year.  Now there is one more reason to stop at Havana for a bite. They have just announced a great partnership with The Cultch.  Havana is offering 15% off your food purchases on any evening you attend a performance at The Cultch. If you didn’t already know, Havana is located just a short walk from The Cultch. So really it’s a perfect spot to stop before or after the show.   As we regularly attend events at The Cultch, you can bet you will be finding us here before a show. Just remember, you will need to show your ticket.

HavanaAppie HavanaDrink

Photo Credit: Havana Restaurant

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Italian Grappa Tasting Italian Cultural Centre February 11th

11 Jan

GrappaYou are invited to an Italian Grappa Tasting at the Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, on February 11th.   Grappa is a uniquely Italian alcoholic beverage that is made from discarded grape seeds, stalks and steams that are the by-product of the winemaking process. It has been called Italy’s ‘elixir’ and has been around for many generations. It was popular in Italy and mainly produced there, but is now being made by distilleries in various parts of the world including just south of Vancouver in Oregon.  On the evening of February 11th, Carmen d’Onofrio of Stile Brands will take you through a tasting of 7 Italian grappas. Having had the pleasure of taste tasting grappas in Italy, we expect this to be a very delicious experience.  Tickets for this event are $45 and can be purchased by contacting the Italian Cultural Centre at 604.430.3337 or online.  The event runs from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Trattoria Hall.

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Dine Out Vancouver 2016 Happens January 15 – 31

6 Jan

DOVF_Logo_StampDine Out Vancouver, Canada’s largest restaurant festival gets under way January 15th with a record breaking 288 restaurants participating this year. This year, restaurants will be offering 3 prix-fixe menus, $20, $30 or $40. There are also a number of special events as part of Dine Out and the caliber of them improves every year.  This year, we see The Acorn Restaurant and Odd Society Spirits have partnered to offer A Distiller’s Dinner on January 24th for $99.  The gang at Off the Eaten Track is offering ‘How It’s Made: A Brewery, Distillery & Winery Tour’.  They will take you on a tour of  Odd Society Spirits, Vancouver Urban Winery and the Big Rock Urban Eatery. You will, of course, have the opportunity to sip on award-winning craft vodka, gin, three BC wines, and two local ales. This tour also includes a bite to eat at the Big Rock Urban Eatery all for $70. Tours run January 17, 21, 24, 28 and 31.  Lastly, our friends at Vancouver Brewery Tours have a Craft Beer & Food Pairing Tour on January 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 for $79 as well as a Craft Beer & Sweets Pairing Tour on January 21 and 28th for $75.   If you wish to participate in any of the events during Dine Out, we recommend purchasing tickets promptly, many sell out quickly some already have.  If you have a particular restaurant or event you really want to try, make your reservation.  Many fill up quickly and reservations start today. We’ve set out some of the East Van restaurants participating below.  For a full rundown of all the participating restaurants and events, visit Dine Out Vancouver.

Arriva Restaurant
Cafe Kathmandu
Campagnolo Restaurant
Campagnolo Roma
Cannibal Café, The – Commercial Drive
Carthage Café
Chicha Restaurant
Cuchillo
East is East Chai Lounge – Main Street
Falconetti’s Eastside Grill
Federico’s Supper Club
The Libra Room
Lombardo’s
Merchants Oyster Bar
Nonna’s Table
Poor Italian Ristorante
Romer’s Burger Bar
Torafuku
The Reef – Commercial Drive

VBTDineOutTour2016

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Christmas Market At The Italian Cultural Centre November 20

18 Nov

ItalianNightMarketXmasThe Italian Cultural Centre invites you to their first Christmas Market on Friday, November 20th. They have a great line up of vendors for this market. Some you will recognize from their outdoor markets this summer like Bob Ali that makes the most amazing hummus and Orazio’s Olive Oil.  There will be lots of new vendors on hand for those that wish to make a start on their Christmas shopping such as Umbrella Bird Jewellery, Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Birch & Balsam, Thirsty Wale Elixirs, Albert’s Jams, The Little Art Room, Odd Society Spirits and Marc Simpson Wines. For those that get a little hungry while shopping, there will be a few food trucks on hand including Reel Mac & Cheese Food Truck, Cannoli King Food Truck and Cheeses Crust Food Truck.  The Italian Cultural Centre is located at 3075 Slocan Street (at Grandview Highway). The Christmas Market will run from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm  We expect this will be another great market. See you there!

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