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HOT NEW SHOP FIREFLY FINE WINES & ALES BY CASSANDRA ANDERTON If you’re content to wander aimlessly into the government liquor store and grab a six-pack of any old brew, or select your wine according to whichever one has the cutest animal on the bottle, that’s up to you. But I’m going to suggest you change your evil ways and expand your horizons. And how? All it takes is a journey to Firefl y Fine Wines and Ales at Cambie and 12th Avenue. Firefl y opened in April and it’s much more than an ordinary wine shop. First of all, have you ever heard of a wine shop with valet parking? This one has it. Second, the service here is top-notch. The store consultants guide you through your shopping experience with genuine care. And third, there’s a logical classifi cation of both the wines and the ales. Manager John Hunt has smartly divided the store into sections according to wine style. There’s bubbly (sparkling), aromatic (perfumed), crisp (refreshing), plumb (full-bodied whites), subtle (dainty reds), spicy (fl avoursome reds), black teeth (dark, fullbodied reds), suave (velvety reds), classic (traditional wines) and sweet (dessert wines). The same goes for the ales in the walk-in cooler (another bonus!). Here they’ve got light, crisp, fruity, sweet, bitter roasted, bitter hoppy, caramel, citrus, nutty, complex and classic. There’s even a great selection of singles. Hunt has also placed the high-priced wines on the top shelves, and the lower-priced wines near the bottom, and indicates which white wines you can fi nd in the cooler. Now why hasn’t someone thought of this before? You’ll also fi nd accessories, gift cards, chocolate, fair trade coffee and fi ne cigars. A one-stop gift shop. ‘A WINE SHOP WITH VALET PARKING, AND THE STORE CONSULTANTS GUIDE YOU THROUGH YOUR SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH GENUINE CARE’ NEWS+NOTES FROM THE INDUSTRY In Waterfront Station at the old CP Railway terminal, we’ll soon have the Transcontinental. This restaurant is huge! 8,500 square feet with 307 seats. It’s brought to us by Eli Gershkovitch of nearby Steamworks Brew Pub. Look forward to an oyster bar and a classic cocktail list. On the North Shore we’ve got another opening soon project at #13 Lonsdale. The District will open in early July and is billed as a Belgian-style brasserie that uses seasonal, local products. Speaking of Belgian brasseries, Chambar is taking over the space next door to open a separate establishment. No news yet on concept. West Van is going Italian with two new restaurants. The Beachside at 1362 Marine Drive is now the Westside Restaurant and now owned by chef Gianni Picchi and his son Roberto. And Magia E. Bevi is also serving classic Italian a little further west at 2222 Marine Drive. The Loden Hotel at 1139 Melville Street in Coal Harbour has chose Edel Forristal to manage the property and will call its fl ashy new restaurant Voya. Chef Marc-Andre Choquette (from Lumiere) is onboard for this project. Opening late summer. Despite the slow down in business caused by the Canada Line construction on Cambie, there will soon be two new restaurants in that hood. Dadeo’s Cajun and Creole Diner and Bar is moving into the old Tomato Café space (the new Tomato is open at 2486 Baywater) and the folks from Parkside and La Buca will open in the old Don Don Noodle spot at 3369 Cambie. They’re calling it Pied-a-Terre and opening in August. In Yaletown there’s another new place under construction beside Brix at 1144 Homer Street. Glenn Cormier will call this lounge and eatery Plan B Conveniently, if you do want to expand your wine knowledge, you can stop in for the Friday and Saturday tastings from 4-7 pm and 2-6 pm respectively. The store is also working with neighbouring Figmint restaurant to pair up food with wine, so you may just get some free samples of Chef Lee Humphries divine appetizers. In July you can sample wines from D’Asolo in the Okanagan Valley (July 6), Pacifi c Western Beer (July 13), Tiger Beer (July 20) and Torre de Sale wines (July 27). What to start with? Hunt has three current top picks for you: 2005 D’Asolo Pinot Grigio $21.60 – a wonderfully refreshing wine great for summer sipping. 2005 Miguel Torres Santa Digna $17.80 – a dainty rose with just a hint of sweetness. 2005 Petaringa Undercover Shiraz $34.00 - a full bodied wine for those bbq days. Pay Firefl y a visit and you’ll never go back to your old brews and cute labels. Guaranteed. Firefl y Fine Wines and Ales, 2857 Cambie St. Open 7 days a week, 9 am to 11 pm 604.875.3325 www.fi refl yfi newinesandales.com and will open near summer’s end. Locavores rejoice! We will have another farmer’s market in Kits at the Kits Community Centre at 2960 Larch Street. It starts July 15th and runs each Sunday from 10-2 pm until October 14. Over 30 vendors have committed. More chocolate has arrived with the opening of Monde Chocolat at Burrard and 8th Avenue. Vancouver waist lines are expanding. Kits Gastropod at 4th and Cypress is now open for lunch and it’s neighbour, Fuel is now open seven instead of fi ve days a week. Now which one to choose? Mad About Food gourmet gift basket shop has moved into 1632 West 3rd Avenue. Now you can easily go in and choose the items for the basket yourself. There’s also a chance to sample treats. www.madaboutfood.net ON THE FOODIE CALENDAR PHOTO: JOHN SHERLOCK STUDIO July 9: Literacy and Beyond – Peter Mansbridge uncorks B.C.’s fi nest with Rick Clugg and Larry Campbell at Beyond Restaurant, 1015 Burrard St., 6 pm www2.literacy.bc.ca/literacy_and_beyond.htm July 12: Champagne and Caviar Extravaganza – Libery Wine Merchants at the Vancouver Rowing Club, 7:30 pm www.libertywinemerchants.com July 17: Ravenswood Zin Fling – California Wine Fair fundraiser for the Arts Club at The Gramercy Grill, 2685 Arbutus www.artsclub.com July 28 & 29: Caribbean Days in Vancouver – Boat cruise, food festival, dining and dancing www.caribbeandays.ca DRINK & DINE INFAMOUS ■ July, 2007 /13
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