IF02 - Raj

INDUSTRY NEWS
+ NOTES
BY CASSANDRA ANDERTON
• Just around the corner, Vancouver will have a
number of new Italian restaurants to frequent.
Trattoria Italian Kitchen on Fourth Avenue near
Burrard is another project from the Glowbal
Restaurant Group (Glowbal, Coast, Sanafir
and Italian Kitchen). It’s slated for the beginning
of June. In the Moda Hotel, another Italian
fine dining spot called Cibo (Italian for food)
is a month or two away. And two ex-Parkside
and La Buca chefs, Lucais Syme and Adam
Pegg, have taken over a spot on Broadway at
Alma and are constructing La Quercia (Italian
for a type of oak tree). Viva Italia!
• Main Street is now home to a new Asian
fusion restaurant, Ping (2702 Main), and will
soon be home to another outlet of the soup
and stew place Burgoo (at 15th).
• South China Seas, the wonderful spice and
exotic-ingredient outlet on Granville Island,
now has a presence on Commercial Drive.
Look for it at 1904 Grant Street. You might
even find parking nearby.
• Rare restaurant shut for renovations last
month and has still not reopened. Fortunately
for chef Colleen McClean, she didn’t have to
wait long for other offers. McClean’s decided
to join Sean Heather’s team and oversee the
menus of the Irish Heather, Shebeen and Salt
Tasting Room.
• Don’t miss the summer farmers’ markets,
now in full swing. Check them out on Saturdays
at Trout Lake and in the West End, on
Sundays in Kits and Wednesday afternoons at
Riley Park. www.eatlocal.org for details.
• It’s now your chance to try local spot prawns
through June at C, Raincity and NU. Each
restaurant features a special menu. Stop in
at Figmint for a spot prawn brunch menu on
June 14 and 15 at Cambie and 12th.
• Boneta at 1 West Cordova is now open for
lunch and has launched a new patio. C Restaurant
is also open for lunch and has the seaside
patio in full swing – two afternoons, totally
different atmospheres.
• Connor Butler at Granville and 6th Avenue
has an amazing $35 tasting menu through the
month of June. Portions are large and the wine
pairings can be had for a meagre $15 more.
• From June 5 to 15, Hamilton Street Grill in
Yaletown has its eight-ounce Angus sirloin
steak on for $11 to celebrate 11 years in business.
Comes with garlic spuds and fresh veg.
A great way to celebrate Father’s Day?
Coming Events:
June 10: Hamilton Street Grill and Peller Estates
Winemaker’s Dinner – 604.331.1511
June 13-14: Wines of Argentina and food
from Baru Latino Restaurant, at the BC Liquor
Store at 39th and Cambie
www.mattersoftaste.com/en
June 22: Aurora Bistro and R&B Brewing
BBQ dinner – local food and local beer
www.aurorabistro.ca
Until June 28: Dine and Unwind at Whistler
– multi-course menus starting at just $20 per
person.
www.whistler.com/dine
Wine Diva
Everything’s coming
up rosés BY DAENNA VAN MULLIGEN
There is no denying the return of the rosé.
Every decent wine list in town offers
at least one, and every wine store seems to
feature a luminous array of bottles in amber,
salmon, cranberry and watermelon colours.
Pink lovers rejoice – there’s no longer a need
to hide your guilty pleasure. Come out of the
closet (you can’t appreciate those mouth-watering
hues in the dark anyway). These wines
are not “blush” and they are not “white Zinfandel.”
They are crisp, often dry wines made
from a diverse selection of grapes from a variety
of regions around the world. They are
the perfect summer wine and perfect partner
for whatever dish you desire: salads, seafood,
spicy dishes, white meat or antipasti. And I assure
you, there’s no end to this trend in sight.
So you may as well jump on the bandwagon
and find out what all the fuss is about.
Chateau de la Galiniere, Côtes de Provence,
France – Rosé is classic to the south of France,
where it’s consumed en masse at every bistro
and café. Made from Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet
and Mourvedre, this lovely pale-pink
wine smells of strawberries, spice and rose
petals with a hint of candy floss. It’s juicy, refreshing
and brimming with bright red fruits
and crisp citrus; perfect for summer sipping!
$16.99 – BC Liquor Stores
Marques de Caceres, Rioja Spain – Made
from Tempranillo and Garnacha, it’s rubyred
with clay undertones and shows appealing
aromas of ground berries, orange peel,
fragrant flowers, earth, spice and hints of
vanillin oak. It is just off-dry with flavours of
berry, leather, savoury herbs and cedar with
fine dusty tannins on the finish. Pair with
grilled veg tossed with savoury herbs, turkey
and chicken or light pasta dishes.
$14.99 BC Liquor Stores
La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rosé,
France – Another favourite rosé from the
south of France that comes topped in a picnic-friendly
screw-cap. Typically made from
Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault, it’s bright
cranberry in colour and brimming with aromas
of fresh red berries and red cherry. It has
secondary notes of mineral, juicy citrus and
shavings of orange zest. Clean, crisp berry flavours,
citrus and savoury-earthy undertones
shine through on the palate, with more citrus
zest on the finish.
$13.99 – BC Liquor Stores
La Vieux Pin ‘Vaila,’ Okanagan BC – Although
it may be harder to find (look for it
in premium private wine stores and in restaurants)
this 100-per-cent Pinot Noir rosé is
worth looking for. The Vaila is a pretty cransalmon
hue and displays aromas of cranberries,
minerals and crisp grapefruit. It’s off-dry
with bright acidity and intense, lively flavours
of strawberry, citrus and tart red fruit.
$25 – Private stores and at the winery
Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial Champagne,
France – Makes the statement: Go big
or go home. This beautiful cranberry-ambercoloured
bubbly is decadent and utterly irresistible.
Tiny beads of bubbles carry dazzling
aromas of strawberry, currants and red cherry,
purple flowers and minerals. In the mouth it
is generous, creamy and bright, brimming
with red fruit and citrus-peel flavours. On its
own or paired with hors d’oeuvres, however
you want it, just make the investment.
$74.96 – BC Liquor Stores
Amano Primitivo, 2005, Puglia Italy – Super-easy
drinking and fresh, this sibling to
Zinfandel is oozing blueberry, raspberry and
blackberry-liqueur aromas with sweet spices
and tobacco notes. It’s supple and spiced with
soft tannins on the finish. A great barbecue
wine.
$19.99 – BC Liquor Stores
Arigolas S’elegas Nuragus di Cagliari,
2005, Sardinia Italy – Another indigenous
varietal, this lush wine oozes pineapple,
mango and crème caramel with spice undertones.
Ripe fruit returns on the palate with
exotic flowers, honey and deft oak flavours on
the finish. Nice paired with soft or smoked
cheeses.
$19.99 – BC Liquor Stores
www.winediva.ca
Drink & Dine
These wines are not
‘blush’ and they are not
‘white Zinfandel.’ They
are crisp, often dry wines
made from a diverse
selection of grapes.
Infamous June 2008 • IF09