I am proud to introduce Robyn, the newest addition to Jackie Connelly Photography! Coming from UBC she is keen, enthusiastic and I only hope I can inspire and teach her what she’s craving to learn. Beginning in January Robyn will be giving me a hand with some hefty sales & marketing tasks over the coming months, all of which I’m excited to be sharing here soon.

Quick intro before her foodie responses:

“I am working with JCP as a marketing intern this year, and I have a fascination with food & lifestyle photography - I cannot wait to learn more from Jackie in the coming months! I am currently taking my final courses for an English Literature Honours degree at UBC, where I am also teaching English writing, taking a course on food & travel writing and doing some freelance photography. I write about lifestyle & inspiration on a lifestyle & inspiration blog and will be a weekly guest writer for a yoga lifestyle blog. I am in the process of designing a website with my photography portfolio and hope to complete it soon. Last year, my husband and I lived and traveled in Europe for twelve months and are eager to return for more travel quite soon!”

Is there a certain food or dish that reminds you of home? My mom’s perfect chocolate chip cookies.

What is the ideal Robyn meal? I adore crab cakes.

Are you a ‘cook at home’ or ‘find the newest hotspot in town’ type person? Both. My husband and I love to cook together and it’s one of our favourite ways to spend time together. Our little kitchen is the most loved room in our apartment. We also love to experience the tastes of the city - whether casual Asian food in take-out boxes, the perfect latte from an eclectic little cafe or an elegant many-course meal at one of the finest restaurants - we love it.

What are you having for dinner tonight? A meal inspired by a documentary on casual Vietnamese food: rice noodles and white fish cooked in tumeric and coconut milk, then topped with fresh dill, spring onions, bean sprouts, red chili, peanuts, lime, fish sauce and tamari, eaten with chopsticks.

Is there one food that gives you the heebie jeebies? Lentils - the texture!

Last week I was sent an email from the 100-Mile Diet Society, with a link to a video (scroll down to view) that I think is one of the sweetest, most effective and creative pieces of promotion I’ve seen in a while. Of course I tweeted it, and saw others picked it up and did the same…one of the many reasons I love the power of social media. The fact that I love this video so much, combined with the fact that it speaks to an issue I support, I wanted to get to know the 100-Mile Diet Society and who the people are behind it a little bit better, and I thought my readers might too.

On that note, I am honoured to introduce Shirlene Cote of the 100-Mile Diet Society. A professed lover of food, Shirlene admits she thinks about food all the time, so having the opportunity to do work that revolves around food is pretty ideal for her.  She also loves working with youth, and is currently working on an education program that brings the two together; food serves as an engaging, not to mention delicious, lens for exploring current issues relating to health, the environment, economy and society. Well said!

Is there a certain food or dish that reminds you of home?
It’s pretty simple, but I love strawberries and my mother would always serve them up with whipped cream on my birthday.

What is the ideal Shirlene meal?
Hmm, I think this is the most difficult question.  I’ve never been good at choosing favorites.  However, I think I’ll take the easy way out by saying breakfast.  I love breakfast!  Eggs, jams, fresh fruit and blueberry pancakes.  If it’s the weekend and late morning, I don’t see why I can’t justify having it all, especially if I skip lunch.

What are you having for dinner tonight?
Tonight I had spaghetti squash from Delta splattered with some sauce made from tomatoes, oregano and garlic I grew and canned in the summer.  I also joined this awesome Grain CSA last year and received some lovely hard spring wheat that grew in Agassiz, from which I made some garlic bread.  Happens that it was mostly 100-Mile tonight (although I used some Italian parmesan, I could have used another local hard cheese).

Is there one food that gives you the heebie jeebies?
I started to include some of the sustainable seafoods into my diet about a year ago, but there are still some that I have not been able to acquire a taste for.  Recently I discovered that Black Cod, aka Sablefish, was one of them.  It’s something about the texture.  Different strokes for different folks though- my partner loves it!

How would someone start on their own 100 Mile Diet? Where would they go for info to make food choices and plan meals, especially now that we’re getting into Winter and the bounty of Spring harvest is almost over?
This is probably not the best time to try out the 100-Mile Diet, but making a 100-Mile meal could be a nice way to start- the holidays are a great time for this.  For what’s in season, check out www.getlocalbc.org.

If you’re feeling inspired to go local all the way with a 100-Mile Challenge, late spring might be the best time of year and if you’re really eager, start planning now. Learn about what foods are in season throughout the year, join a recipe exchange online, start your own community kitchen and/or get your family on board for extra support.  Its pretty fun once you get into it and you definitely learn a lot about yourself, your community and the food system currently in place, not to mention how innovative you can be.

There are lots of resources out there to help you get on your way.  The food network has created an awesome database for recipes and locating food close to home.
Check out our website for more tips, links and resources.  Also, check out our newest website if you’re interested in learning more about what makes this region such a fascinating place to eat.

~~~

* And if you haven’t seen the video I mentioned up top, take a few minutes to watch it here, I promise it won’t disappoint!

Home is Where the Food is from The Juki Museum on Vimeo.

Chewing The Fat Foodie Interviews are back!

Read on to meet Justin Faubert, owner of LWF Food Service Consulting (landwaterfork). Justin has been working here in Vancouver as a chef for the past 12 years and currently offers catering/personal chefs services, as well as consulting focusing on local products and companies with an emphasis on the sustainability of our food system. He is just finishing a contract working privately as a chef for a family at their summer home on one of the Gulf Islands (very cool!) and when he’s not working with our food system, he spends his time raising two young children; his son, 4, and daughter, 2.

Is there a certain food or dish that reminds you of growing up?

Growing up living very close to my paternal grandparents, I would spend a lot of time at their house. My grandmother grew up on a farm and raising 5 children after the war, she knew how to make food (and a dollar) last. Eating according to the seasons was just the way we ate. It was the cheapest, most practical way of having meals. I can’t say there is a certain food that reminds me of growing up, but there are a few that take me back: fresh strawberries in the field, green beans and rhubarb out of the backyard garden, fresh lettuce with a buttermilk dressing, chicken & sliders, coconut cream pie, pumpkin cookies in the fall. Just a few of the many that come to mind.

What is the ideal Justin meal?

Kind of a tricky question to answer. I think the ideal meal is usually one that satisfies whatever craving you may have at the time. It could be in a high end restaurant or a “mom & pop” off the highway. There are a few meals that stand out for me. On the fine dining side, I’ve had flawless food and dining experiences at Gary Danko’s in San Francisco and 2941Restaurant just outside Washington, DC. On the simpler side, a few years ago I was part of a group of chefs and media from Vancouver and Vancouver Island visiting a supplier’s farm north of Quadra Island. On the boat back, we were having a few snacks  and I was standing beside James Barber, who was making himself a sandwich (it was more like a slice of ham folded into a slice of bread, maybe a touch of mustard). As he finished, he turned and offered the sandwich to me. How can you say no to that! James Barber making your lunch. That was a great ham sandwich and not because of the quality of the ingredients.

My ideal meal though, if I had to choose one, would have to be BBQ. If I’m down in the southern US, I always try to find the best place around. Ribs, brisket, chicken, catfish, beans, slaw, cornbread, all washed down with a cold beer. That satifies my soul.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

Dinners at home tend to be fairly simple. With kids around, it’s always best to get dinner ready in a hurry and to do something that doesn’t need your constant attention. Tonight it’s dry rubbed chicken thighs on the grill, UBC Farm yellow beans, some local potatoes and maybe a tomato from the garden. For dessert, we’ll eat a few handfuls of plums from the trees in the yard. Easy!

Is there a food that gives you the heebie jeebies?

I wouldn’t call myself an adventurous eater, but I don’t mind trying different foods. Things I tend not to like are flavours or textures that are too excessive: too salty, too sweet, too spicy, to slimy.

How and why did you start a food blog?

I started a blog for selfish reasons I guess. I wanted to practice my food writing earlier this year after attending the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and thought starting a blog would be an easy way for me to get my food thoughts out there for others to see. It’s also a great way to let others know what I’m doing (professionally), catalogue and share recipes that I think are worthwhile and to give people an insight into some food happenings and events that I feel are important. For the most part, the food and the events have local ties, but sometimes I’ll post something that I think will have an impact on our food system, even if it is from somewhere else in the world. I’d love for “landwaterfork” to be a meeting place for others to share their views concerning our food system, (so please feel free to leave a comment or question!) and how it can become more sustainable and accessible to everyone.

Everyone, meet Shannon of Bakergirl Creations. Shannon, meet everyone!

Shannon is the latest interviewee of my Chewing The Fat foodie interview series, not only because she’s a food blogger (about sweet, sugary, delicious baking) but also because she will be doing some guest blogging here, and I wanted to introduce her first. So all you sweet-tooth people (and those who are truly terrified of baking), get ready for some recipes and ideas on this culinary art from the lovely Shannon in the coming weeks.

Tell us about yourself. My name is Shannon Sterling.  I work for The University of British Columbia as a Student Development Officer.  My role has me supporting and working with students who are engaged in their academic and co-curricular communities.  My work really focuses on leadership development and training as well as transition programming and support for new university students.  When I get home, I am a self-professed foodie.  I love to read recipes, surf blogs, garden and dream up random creations that take their inspiration from many places and people.  Add to the mix a love of reading and a new indulgence of golf and I’m pretty busy – not that I’m complaining!

Is there a certain food or dish that reminds you of home?
There are lots!  My mom was an avid cook and baker.  Some of my first memories are of me sitting on the counter watching her make batches and batches of whatever it was that struck her fancy.  If it came to a meal I would say my mom’s slow baked spareribs might top the list.  They were the “go to” meal when we had company.  It was also something we always did together, so there are great memories there.  They were sweet, savory and full of garlicky goodness.  They don’t make it onto our table very often because they aren’t the healthiest of proteins, but every once in a while a great treat.  If it was baked goods, hands down it would be my mom’s carrot cake.  Super moist.  Raisins, nuts, carrots and cream cheese icing to die for.  It is the one recipe she says is a “family secret” not be shared…

What is the ideal Shannon meal?
That’s a very difficult question.  It totally depends.  Are we going for ease?  Comfort? Indulgence?  If I’m cooking, and this is my ideal meal, it would have to start with a nice big cool class (or two) of Pinot Grigot or Pinot Gris.  I love puttering around the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand.  It feels so civilized.  The meal itself, I suppose would have to include a big fresh salad with homemade dressing, probably a spinach, feta and apple salad with bacon vinaigrette… seriously so good.  Mushroom risotto with lots of ooeey gooey cheese is something I make often and with ease, not to mention it is filling and has all those tasty meaty mushrooms in it.  The protein would have to be campfire cooked steak.  Whenever we go camping we only cook over the campfire (provided there are no campfire bans!) and the steaks are always amazing, there is just nothing like that on a gas grill in my humble opinion.  Finally, what meal would be complete without a dessert?  And pie is my favourite to make and to eat.  Pies of any variety are sweet and yet savory with the perfect flaky buttery crust. Fresh blueberries are on the brain right now, so I might say a blueberry pie, ala mode of course!

What are you having for dinner (or dessert) tonight?
Dinner tonight has to be easy and relatively heat free because we are amidst a heat wave right now.  I think it will be a chicken and Soba Noodle chili lime salad.  We have company
coming so I want it to be easy and stress free.  More time chatting, less time in the hot kitchen.  Dessert is going to be homemade chocolate ice cream with blackberries on top.

Is there one food that gives you the heebie jeebies?
As a kid I was pretty adventurous and willing to eat just about anything.   I love to try new foods and to incorporate them into my home cooking.  The only thing that I can remember actively turning down was chicken feet!  There is just something about the look if it that makes my skin crawl, sorry to those good friends who swear they are so good, I just can’t go there!    Though I am apparently really missing out, so maybe one day I will take the plunge and try my first chicken foot…maybe!

What do you say to people who don’t like baking because it’s too ‘by the book’?
I would say, no you don’t!  I am a self-professed poor recipe follower.  I read recipe books like novels.  I never tire of them, they inspire.  Yes, baking is more of a science, measuring  is certainly important to the makeup and chemistry of the piece.  However, you can modify and personalize as you become comfortable.  Everyone has to start somewhere.  Think about elementary school, you didn’t just freehand your alphabet the first time did you?  No, you probably traced a whole bunch of your ABC’s.  Baking is like that, the recipes are dotted lines or your training wheels and then once you get the hang of it you can start personalizing and making it your own.

What are you plans as guest blogger here?
I want to share my love and passion for food and for the process of creating memorable meals.  I also love connecting stories to recipes.  I hope that I hear from readers or other fellow bloggers what it is they are making, why they love it and what inspires them to create and experiment in the kitchen.

I would like you all to meet Naz Ilcin, my trusted, fearless, hard-working assistant.  And my dog loves her too, which is a nice perk. I like to think of Naz as my ‘mini-me’; we’ve both broken our elbows doing stupid things (me-tripping in the snow; her-slipping on hardwood floor), we both have food sensitivities (me-dairy, wheat; her-spicy foods), and we both love to shoot food.

A bit about Naz:
At work I try to be professional, attentive and as hard working as I can be. When I first start working with a photographer I like to study their every move, I learn their likes and dislikes, how they work and especially, what they expect of me. I believe it’s important to know these things about each other to really make the partnership work. Outside of work I’m a pretty silly person, I like to spend lots of time with friends, go out for dinner or a movie, or just hang out at a pub and shoot some pool.

Is there a certain food or dish that reminds you of home?
Crepes. When I go back home to Turkey to visit family, my cousins and I would get up early and make crepes for the whole family, we would eat it with feta cheese and my grandmother’s home made strawberry or sour cherry jam.

What is the ideal Naz meal?
A big bowl of spaghetti with light tomato sauce, few herbs and diced tomato. Spaghetti is my comfort food!

What are you having for dinner tonight?
Chicken cooked in honey garlic sauce with a side of pasta.

Is there one food that you can’t stand to eat?
Other than shrimp/prawns and fish I’m not a very big fan of seafood, mussels being my least favorite.

Do you have a preference: dining out or eating in?
I really like to cook, so most of the time I prefer eating in.

There is this very cool thing happening in Vancouver. It involves food,  meeting new people, and getting out of your recurring routine. This very cool thing is called Social Bites, and Annika Reinhardt is the creative genius behind it. Oh, and not to mention the event planner, sponsorship coordinator, publicist, marketing manager, web designer, call center - basically she does it all and she’s awesome at it.

The premise behind Social Bites? Hobby chefs prepare their favourite savoury dish in their own kitchen. Each hobby chef welcomes four dinner guests in two “sittings”. The hobby chef spends about one hour with the first four guests, eating and mingling. Goodbyes are said and the next four guests are welcomed. Another exciting hour is spent with new friends before everyone heads off to the Social Bites Hot Spot location. Then the guests judge the dishes they ate, feedback is polled at the end of the evening, and the Social Bites Hobby Chef Award is presented to the hobby chef winner. Fun!

About Annika:
I love to entertain and cook. I hardly ever follow a recipe which maybe explains why baking is not my forté. I love sharing my food experiences with others because I find it inspiring. Having a great meal with great people is what I call “a perfect night out”. Since I eat a lot, I have to work out a lot, or at least I try to. I love running along the seawall, I snowboard, bike and recently started yoga.

Is there a certain food or dish that reminds you of home?
I was born and raised in Germany, about 2 ½ hours southwest of Berlin in a small village (+/- 700 people) called Reinsdorf. My mom is a great cook and the first dish she makes when I get home is Schnitzel. Very German, I know.

What is the ideal Annika meal?
I love to entertain; hence any meal that involves more people than just me is perfect. I actually like using a Raclette grill for dinner parties. It’s almost like a table BBQ with small pans used for melting Raclette cheese. I believe the French invented it, even though the Swiss will argue it was their idea. It’s great if you have 6-8 guests. The best part about it - it’s not that much work for the host as everything is cooked at the table and everyone can create their own meal.

Do you have a favourite spot for dining out?
I love Vijs. I am a total sucker for Indian food and I really like Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala who own the restaurant. Vikram actually speaks German as he studied hotel management in Austria. My new favourite dish at Vijs is the cricket bread with roasted crickets on the side.

Is there one food that gives you the heebie jeebies?
Fish used to give me the heebie jeebies. I had a fish phobia for the longest time. I could not look at fish, swim with fish and certainly did not eat fish. My mom said that when I was 4 years old I already requested that my food was made in a different pan than the one she used to fry fish in. I got over my phobia about 2 years ago on a trip to Belize. First time I really snorkeled with fish and we even caught a barracuda. The locals breaded our catch and grilled it, simple but absolutely delicious. Since then, I have tried all kinds of white fish, mussels, prawns, shrimp etc. I still can’t do Salmon or Sushi but I am hopeful that I’ll eventually get there.

Knowing you and the idea behind Social Bites, what is you advice to others who may be hosting an upcoming dinner party?
I have three tips. They might be obvious but sometimes we forget about them:

1. Know who is coming for dinner. Don’t serve fish if one of your friends has a fish phobia (I am speaking from experience here!).
2. Make your dinner party entertaining. A chat around the dinner table is great but try to spice it up a bit with some fun food trivia questions, a foodie gift, or a quick educational “food speech”. Your guests will appreciate it and new dinner conversations are guaranteed to come out of it.
3. Always say thank you. Call or send an email to your friends after your dinner party and thank them for coming. Often dinner guests bring drinks or dishes to a dinner party and there is nothing better for them than hearing their contributions were appreciated.

** Annika is always looking for hobby chefs ready to cook up a storm at one of her Social Bites Dinner Excursions around town. If you love food and want to show off your cooking skills, please send a note to annika@socialbites.ca for more information!

If you like reading about holiday ham, first hand accounts of cooking in a Vancouver restaurant kitchen, and current events with a smidgen of restaurant chit chat - all of which are accompanied by telling photographs - you will enjoy Owen Lightly’s blog Butter On The Endive. You’ll be able to catch him in action as well as some fabulous cheese, wine and home made terrine at the soon-to-open Au Petite Chavignol, second establishment from owners of Les Amis du Fromage. Owen kindly agreed to be interviewed here for our Chewing The Fat series, for which I definitely owe him a beer.

Jackie Connelly: Is there a certain dish that reminds you of home?
Owen Lightly: To me home is all about seafood. I grew up on a small Gulf Island and my dad always had a prawn trap soaking, or was out on the water trying to land a big salmon. One of the simplest and best dishes we would make was a spot prawn stir-fry. Take one hot wok, a little garlic, throw in a big pile of prawns (head and all), salt, pepper, stir, stir, stir and finish with lemon juice. Pour out onto a table lined with newspaper and dig in – no cutlery allowed.

JC: What is your ideal meal?
OL: Well, besides the dish in the preceding question, nothing satisfies me like a plate of the classic Italian pasta Bucatini all’Amatriciana. Check out my recipe for it on Butter On The Endive.

JC: What are you having for dinner tonight?
OL: I just returned from a five day eating spree in San Francisco, and I feel pretty grotesque (you can’t live on restaurant food alone), so I wanted to keep it simple tonight: roast loin of pork with roasted root vegetables and a sauce made with beer, apples and grainy mustard.

JC: Is there one food that gives you the heebie-jeebies?
OL: Well, besides all the processed garbage in the world, there aren’t a whole lot of things that I can’t stomach. I believe most ingredients have potential, it’s just how you handle them. Oh, I got it, cooked cucumbers. Those are nasty.

JC: Being a food blogger, I can imagine you have spent some time browsing the blogosphere. Can you recommend a few of your favourite food blogs for readers to check out?
OL: I really enjoy Mark Bittman’s blog on the New York Times website, as well as food writer Michael Ruhlman’s. I just found a new local one called Crust In The Kitchen. It is by a young cook named Christie, who has worked at Feenie’s, Chow and Gastropod. She has a really honest take on kitchen life, which makes for good reading.
* In hindsight, another question I should have asked Owen: Where did the name ‘Butter On The Endive’ come from? But maybe that’s being too cheeky.

I still think it’s pretty awesome that through various social media and technology we can meet people that are literally on the other other side of the world that have similar likes and opinions. I know, this is nothing new and people have been doing it for a long time, but c’mon, you must admit it’s pretty nifty. Well I do, especially when you make the effort to get to know someone through their blog for example, and the effort is actually returned.

My most recent introduction of this kind came through blogs (both hers and mine) and through Twitter. I think it’s pretty textbook ’social media 101′ on how to let others know your blog exists: find another blog you like, comment on it (so that blog owner now knows your blog exists, and hopefully comments back) or write a post that includes a link to their blog (and some form of flattery doesn’t hurt). Voila, now you’ve connected with another blogger. And now, I have the pleasure of extending her introduction to my readers…

To start, a little bit about Christie:
I own an online media agency with my husband called Morning Copy. We specialize in copy writing, design, email marketing and SEO. I’m a bossy boots Project Manager
I write my food blog Fig & Cherry for fun although I’d love to work with food full time one day (writing, recipe development, styling). I also have this crazy dream of opening up a children’s cooking school! I’m a bit of an over-achiever and multitasking gives me an adrenaline rush.

How did the food you grew up eating at home inform your cooking/food choices today?
Being an Australian with Lebanese and Hungarian heritages I had access to a lot of different types of food as a child. One of my earliest memories is eating peas straight from the pod and picking cherry tomatoes still warm from the sun. Fresh and seasonal produce now plays a large part in my inspiration for cooking.

What is the ideal Christie meal?
I’m very concerned with nutrition so I try to balance every meal with fresh vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Although that all goes out the window if I can get my hands on a large selection of cheese. I love cheese.

Is there one thing you can’t live without in your kitchen?
Sharp knives, loved ones and a glass of wine! I love putting on a show in the kitchen so I’m in my element with an audience. (Guilty secret: sometimes I pretend I’m being filmed for a cooking show and talk to the ‘camera’).

Is there one food that gives you the heebie jeebies?
The more foreign, the better, actually. On my honeymoon in Thailand I was determined to find a bagful of deep-fried insects to munch on in Bangkok. I checked every street stall and was very disappointed when I couldn’t find any. I’d love to try puffer fish for the thrill and eat the worm from a tequila bottle. Maybe one day.

What’s the most memorable meal you’ve ever had?
Steak in Toulouse, south of France, 2006. It had the most incredible complex flavour and tender texture. It was served perfectly rare and could easily be cut with a butter knife. I have never had a better steak. The other memorable thing was that all of our French friends smoked cigarettes between each course. I can’t understand how they tasted the next dish! It was very amusing.

As a food blogger, do you find social media and food a stimulating combination?
Absolutely! I love the instantaneous feedback and being able to interact with people who are as passionate about cooking and eating as I am.

Ever wonder who pre-measures the ingredients and pre-cooks the dishes you see on tv cooking shows? Well now you get to meet one of them - Darlene Tanaka. Not only is she great at making a stage kitchen look like a real one, full of food that has been magically prepared, she also styles food for commercials, and works with cookbook authors on their press rounds.

Are there certain foods that remind you of home?
I grew up in Steveston and my family had a huge vegetable garden. My mom always had lots of fresh vegetable from the garden and froze lots for the winter. My father was a fisherman so we always had fresh seafood especially salmon. I love fresh seafood.

How did the food you grew up eating at home inform your cooking/food choices today?
I try to buy local produce when in season and encourage eating lots of fruits and vegetable to my family. I have never planted a vegetable garden at my own house but am planning one for next year. My mother still has a large vegetable garden, she grows vegetables for all of us.

Is there one thing you can’t live without in your kitchen?
Not really one thing I can’t live without can always find an alternative. However, having sharp knives does make cooking and preparing food alot easier.

What are you having for dinner tonight?
A friend is coming over for dinner with her 2 kids and we are having BBQ hamburgers. My most recent memorable meal was when we were in Bamfield visiting our friends Chris, Jan and Ben. We had seafood feast, fresh salmon, halibut, prawns and crab. The best part was that all the seafood was caught when we were out fishing.

This particular foodie interview is actually a foodie-bevvie combo, of a wonderful client of mine John Hunt, Manager of Firefly Fine Wines and Ales.  He is a self-proclaimed wine, beer and food geek, who loves to cook and entertain, play hockey, golf, curling, and holds music as a passion. I had the pleasure of photographing his store interior, and only at that point was introduced first-hand to the incredible variety of product they have available.

If you haven’t strolled by, read on to for a ‘free wine tasting’ invitation. Yes that’s right, free…wine…mmmm. And trust me, John as your host combined with an Enomatic Wine Tasting Machine it’s well worth it.

Enjoy!

© 2008 Firefly Fine Wines and Ales

Is there a certain food or dish or drink that reminds you of home?

If it is a food- Raisin Pie!….does anyone even know that this exists? It’s a prairie thing having grown up in Saskatchewan…just try and order this in a restaurant….most of the younger generation have never heard of it.

What is the ideal ‘John beverage’ ?

Tough question for me…in our business we get exposed to a ton of products and there is a lot to like. I suppose what started it all was Oregon Pinot Noir a lot of years ago…I long for one of the old style Pinots that they used to make…you could taste the dirt the vines were grown in right inside the glass.

What do you recommend for someone looking to try something new that can be found at Firefly?

The Enomatic Wine Tasting Machine…only the Italians can do it this good and with great style. We always have 8 bottles going in the machine….”try before you buy” is our motto with the machine….you must come by and taste (it’s free by the way)….just seeing the machine blows most people away.

Without naming any names and being possibly one of the most up-to-date people in the city on what new beers & wines are out there, what words do you have to describe the beverage menus in the majority of Vancouver restaurants at the moment?

In the upper to mid end restaurants excellent….lots of attention to pairing and trying to create products that work with the menu…beyond that those offering food should consult a sommelier….the time spent doing that will pay big dividends and it’s not about high priced products…it’s about choosing products that really work with the menu and being creative in choosing….don’t be afraid of “Spec” products…after that get the government out of the way so the customer can choose what he wants from around the world….we’re tired of being told what to choose by people who know nothing about customer service.