After my first visit to the launch of the GRAIN Tasting Bar I knew a lunch would definitely in order to get a better taste of the menu. For this visit I joined Richard Wolak for lunch and we took in a variety of dishes that were not served at the media event we attended.

How better to start a meal than with a charcuterie and cheese board. This board was the Three & Three for $18 option. Meat wise we had a Pamplona Chorizo, Okanagan Red Wine Prosciutto and a Truffle Salami. Cheese wise the selections we were served were the Natural Pasture Brie, Salt Spring Island Montana and the Salt Spring Island Blue Juliette. The charcuterie boards are also served with some delicious condiments including house-made apple mostarda, truffle honey, spiced nuts and fresh bread.

First up we shared a couple of salads. One of the classics with a BC flavor is the Crab Louie Salad featuring Dungeness crab. This was the 1st time for myself having this salad and I was a very happy camper. Featuring simple but great ingredients this salad is a perfect light lunch that will leave you satisfied.

Next up was one of my favorite dishes of the afternoon, a Seared Tuna Salad featuring BC Albacore tuna, heirloom tomatoes and a mouth-watering cucumber vinaigrette. The tuna for this was cooked perfectly with nice seasoning, the vinaigrette on top added a real bright flavor. The arugula was peppery but combined with the bright, clean dressing I got a real mouth-watering feeling literally.

We’ve heard great things about the pizza at GRAIN so we put a good dent in the pizza section. This is the classic Margherita Pizza with fresh tomato on top.  When you bite into a GRAIN pizza it’s all about the crust at first, it’s nice and crisp which holds up well with the toppings.  This pizza had all the classic flavors you expect but the fresh tomato on top with the basil made this stand out for me.

This was one of Richards favorites, using the Pamplona Chorizo that was also on the meat and cheese board along with some delicious goat cheese this was a pleasure to eat and would be great with some beer.  What I loved about this pizza is how it shows off 2 great ingredients, if you like goat cheese this is a must order.

Lastly we have the BBQ Chicken Pizza.  This is a pizza that is huge on the West Coast and GRAIN has to have one of the best I’ve had in a longtime.  They use a smokey BBQ sauce that isn’t overly sweet and has a nice balance of tang with a touch of heat.  They pile the pizza with nice sized pieces of diced chicken along with finishing the hot pizza with chunks of cool avocado.  Out of everything I’ve had so far at GRAIN this pizza is the stand out item if you’re looking for a filling lunch that would go with some great beer.

Overall the entire meal was delicious from GRAIN and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a delicious lunch or relaxing place to grab some drinks and watch the game.  GRAIN is going to be taking part in the Vancouver Foodster Best Pizza Challenge so stay tuned for me to sample they’re offering.

When it come to Indian food Palki Restaurant has been serving up some of the best Indian in North Vancouver for 14 years now.  Bhupinder and Balwant Mroke have a long past of bringing Indian cuisine to parts of BC that traditionally were void of this delicious food but where he really has shined is with Palki.  For this dinner I was joined by a few other food writers including Rickard Wolak and Stephanie Yuen.

I’ve visited the East Vancouver location before but this was the first time coming to the original North Vancouver location.  With the restaurant being just off Lonsdale it’s really easy to get to if taking transit but if driving parking might be tricky in the area.  The dining room is good for all sizes of groups with a good selection of table, booth and banquette seating and the room gets very intimate with beautiful lamps and candlelight when the sun goes down.

For our dinner we were served a selection of great wines and cocktails including The Palki pictured above made with fresh mint, ginger simple syrup, pineapple coconut water, lychee and white rum.  The wine list is diverse and is currently being updated with some amazing BC wines, some pictured above.

We started off with some Samosas with 2 different fillings, beef and vegetarian.  The samosas were served with the traditional mint and cilantro chutney along with a tamarind chutney.  One thing about both of the samosas that I loved was the pastry, it was nice and thin.  Filling wise I liked the taste of the meat and the spicing was nice but it was slightly on the dry side, the vegetarian option was nice with more of the spice coming through.

Next up we had some Pakora’s but instead of the onion ones I’ve had before these were Prawn and Chicken.  The spicing on both of the pakora’s was just right with a good amount of heat.  The prawns used were nice and plump, the batter was crisp and they weren’t over cooked.  My favorite was the chicken variety though, the meat was nice and juicy and they used nice sized pieces of chicken.  When paired with the Rose the heat was much more noticeable but the wine totally complimented them.

To go with our mains and a must order item in my opinion was a selection of freshly made naan bread.  Starting on the left is the Garlic and Basil Naan, next is the Onion and Basil Naan and finally the Kasmiri Naan.  The Kasmiri naan was stuffed with chopped dried fruit along with nuts so it was slightly on the sweet side and traditionally eaten near or at the end of the meal.  The other naan’s I’ve had before and were equally delicious here, I would recommend them along with the spinach and paneer variety to anyone.

To start things out with some of the classic vegetarian dishes we had the Gobi Aloo.  With a mix of cauliflower, potatoes cooked with fresh coriander, ginger and tomatoes this is a filling and flavorful dish just on its own.  The cauliflower and potatoes were cooked thoroughly without being mush and the spicing was nice but I would have liked the sauce to me a bit thinner.

Next up was Saag Paneer.  This dish is one of my favorites and I was surprised to learn they also put broccoli in it to add another depth of flavor.  The paneer is made in-house and the take the extra step of condensing their own milk for the cheese, it has a firm texture but is smooth and buttery in mouth feel.  Overall I loved this and went back for 2nd’s and 3rd’s.

Now moving onto some seafood we had Prawn Goan Curry made with coconut and coriander along with ginger.  I can appreciate this dish for the flavors and ingredients but my personal taste in curry’s is richer and more meat based protein wise.

One of my favorite dishes of the night is a Canadian staple, Butter Chicken.  Palki’s butter chicken isn’t as heavy as it is traditionally made and has a nice tomato tang to it, the meat was still moist and tender.  Sauce wise with places that make lighter butter chicken you run into either a sauce that is too tangy or sweet, this butter chicken was none of those and is a must try item.

The Lamb Rogan Josh was the most flavorful curry’s of the night.  With a good punch of heat this curry is packed with the flavor of the lamb and the sauce is great to sop up with the naan and enjoy with a nice glass of red.

From the Tandoor we had the Chicken Hariyali Kebob.  I’ve enjoyed this dish at the Soho Road Food Cart before and really liked it so seeing a sizzling platter of this come out put a smile on my face!  The boneless chicken is marinated with yoghurt, fresh cilantro and mint which gives it that beautiful green hue.  The chicken for this was moist and tender with big flavor from the marinade.

For dessert we were served Rice Pudding along with Gulab Jamun.  The rice pudding was scented with cardamom which I think I’m going to start adding to mine when I make it at home-it was delicious.  The rice pudding wasn’t overly sweet and I could have easily eaten a whole bowl.  The gulab jamun traditionally isn’t one of my favorites due to it being overly sweet but Palki gets props for balancing the warm, sweet syrup with a nice blend of spices.

Overall I enjoyed my feast at Palki and would recommend it to anyone looking for a solid Indian meal.  All throughout the night people who live near by were coming in for take out and the diners that were eating in all looked like they enjoyed themselves-it was smiles all around.  If you’re looking a great deal at lunch Palki offers lunch buffet Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30pm for just $10.95.

**Disclosure-I was invited by the owners for dinner and the meal was on them, my experience and opinion are completely my own.**

Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver executive chef, Ned Bell will celebrate his 40th birthday this month by putting the rubber to the road for a cause he believes in.

On June 12 – the morning of his birthday – Bell will set off on a 900-kilometre bicycle trip across Vancouver Island with the goal of increasing awareness about the sustainability of our food system. A longtime supporter of local farmers, fishermen, artisans and food producers of all kinds, Bell’s focus has recently become more tightly honed on making food choices that help improve the health of our oceans, lakes and rivers. Among the organizations that he’s been lending his time and talent to the Vancouver Aquarium’s  Ocean Wise program, Sea Choice, National Sustainable Seafood Day and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).

It’s working. In what he calls a “life highlight,” Bell recently worked with a dedicated team to draw a crowd of more than 500 people to the May 3 celebration that supported the creation of a National Sustainable Seafood Day. Dr. David Suzuki participated as the event’s keynote speaker, along with Barton Seaver, the director of the Sustainable Food Program at Harvard’s School of Public Health and National Geographic fellow.

Dr. John Nightingale, president and CEO of the Vancouver Aquarium has singled out Bell as an individual making a positive difference against the grave threat of overfishing. Dr. Nightingale noted that Bell’s “spirited efforts in helping us conserve our oceans is leading change in the culinary landscape, one dish at a time.”

Bell’s ride also marks the culmination of two years of work on his personal health and wellness, an effort that has included many kilometres logged road biking and running marathons. The start of a new decade in his life has the well-known chef thinking bigger, broader and bolder than ever before. “It’s amazing to see what can be accomplished if you are really committed to change for the better,” says the fit and focused chef. “I am honoured and humbled by the immense support that I’ve been given for this ride, in particular from the sponsors, supporters and my family.”

Sponsors for Bell’s ride include Mountain Equipment Co-op, Gran Fondo Canada, Mercedes-Benz Canada, Ocean Wise, Sea Choice, The EDGE Food Energy Company, VEGA and Velofix.

Follow Ned Bell’s #chefsforoceans journey on Facebook and Twitter!

Journey Highlights:

For my beverage of choice I had the Steamworks Saison which is a wheat beer with hop notes and a yeasty finish.  While it was nice to try this I wouldn’t order it again because of its bitterness.  If you’re a fan of IPA’s and wheat beers this would be right up your alley.

We started with an order of the Potstickers.  We both love dumplings so how can you go wrong with Chinese style dumplings filled with pork and a side sesame soy sriracha dipping sauce.  Flavor wise these were delicious and the dumpling skin was beautifully crisp on one side and steamed nicely on the other.  The filling was ground finely and they put a generous amount in but I found it could have used a hit of ginger.  One thing that I thought could use a little work was the dipping sauce, the sriracha lacked all those delicious spice notes you would expect and the soy was the predominant flavor.

Melissa had the Thai Beef Salad for $16.99.  This big salad was a combination of medium rare sirloin, avocado, tomatoes, mangoes, sui choy, basil, mint, cilantro, capellini noodles then dressed with a spicy Thai dressing.  The salad is something that I would totally order in the summer and all the ingredients looked really fresh.  Overall Melissa enjoyed this but she did say her meat was on the tough side.

My choice was something I’ve never had here before and it sounded great on the menu-the Sourdough Turkey Sandwich for $13.99 with a poutine upgrade for my side.  The sandwich was filled with a nice amount of juicy turkey breast, bourbon bacon jam, lettuce, tomato, dijon-mayo all on cranberry sourdough bread.  The poutine was delicious, fries were cooked nicely and the gravy was seasoned just right along with good cheese curds.

The ingredients in my sandwich were really good but the bread and the cooking preparation were a complete fail as you can see with the burnt bread.  If the kitchen just toasted this it would have been great but because they gridded it the sugars in the fruit bread burnt along with the cranberries.

At the end of the day I had some issues with my food and I think choosing the lobster mac and cheese for my main would have been a better choice.  Rogue still is a solid choice for drinks and bar eats IMO so if you’re in the Gastown area and looking for something that isn’t a tourist trap hit them up!

Last year I was lucky enough to attend the pop up dinner for a Food Network Canada idol of mine Bob Blumer and his new show World’s Weirdest Restaurants and the event is back for another year!  To check out my experience last year please click here.

From the press release:

Give your taste buds a wild and wacky adventure at the exclusive World’s Weirdest Pop-Up restaurant created by gastronaught and Food Network Canada host Bob Blumer.  In Celebration of the all-new season of “World’s Weirdest Restaurants” premiering June 17 at 9pm EST/6pm PST on Food Network Canada, Bob will serve up some of the craziest dishes he’s experienced at the World’s Weirdest Pop-Up at Vancouver’s Electric Owl on Monday June 3rd.

Come and experience unique dishes and outlandish dining concepts created by Bob Blumer and executive Chef Jeremy Teahan.  Bob will take diners through each unusual course, and provide several sneak-peeks into some of the bizarre locations he visited in season two.

Tickets for this exclusive event are $40 (taxes included), which includes a delicious four-course meal inspired by Bob’s favourite restaurants in Thailand, Ukraine, France, and Germany.  The dinner is available with 2 seating times-6pm and 8:30pm so please buy tickets early to ensure you get the seating you want.  You can purchase tickets by clicking here.

Some information about World’s Weirdest Restaurants:

“World’s Weirdest Restaurants” season two is back to serve a second helping of the planet’s most extraordinary eateries, crazy characters, and curious cuisines. Gastronaut Bob Blumer experiences all this and more as he returns to host this crowd-pleasing series in which each episode showcases four of the world’s most jaw-dropping, show-stopping, taste-topping restaurants.  A Paperny Entertainment production, “World’s Weirdest Restaurants” season two airs Mondays at 9 and 9:30 p.m. ET/6 and 6:30 p.m. PT on Food Network Canada beginning June 17, 2013.

The event last year was a blast and is something I would recommend to any Food Network fan, I’ll be at both seating’s of this years dinner taking pictures for so if you want to be photographed please feel free to wave me down.

Over the weekend I attended the 11th annual EAT! Vancouver Food and Cooking Festival at BC Place. Overall 1st impressions are that the floor has a better layout than last year and the Bites section of restaurants is greatly improved this year with some solid selections.

The Wine, Beer and Spirits section was back this year and it was slightly larger. In my 1st trip to EAT! Vancouver I spent most of my tickets here but this year I just took a browse, vendor wise things were pretty typical but it was great to see local brewer Parallel 49 with a selection of 4 beers available including my favorite the Seed Spitter.

I wandered through the vendor section of the show and stopped by the Danone Oikos booth or huge truck. This is a product I but on a regular basis so it was nice to see what they were offering-some new Oikos flavors along with your choice of topping. My choice was the coconut Greek style yoghurt with cranberry topping, also pictured are Key Lime with coconut and a fig topped yoghurt-I ran into Sherman and a friend of his. The topping chose wasn’t the right choice for me and I added to much so the tartness kinda overwhelmed things, the yoghurt itself was really good without the coconut flavor being to sweet.

Elsewhere on the show floor the honey booth was popular and Cabana Lemonade gets points for using natural flavors and packing a tasty punch. Rounding out the other things that appealed to me were cookies-gluten free chocolate chip that had me going back for another piece along with a booth featuring hand decorated cookies in all kinds of cool designs, keep an eye out for this new trend.

Urbanfare was one of the new grocery vendors at the festival this year. Offering a meat counter, produce stand, preserved goods and baked items for sale it was one of the more popular places to visit. Something that they were sampling was some delicious chocolate covered almond butter crunch from FraserValleyGourmet.com. It was available in milk or dark chocolate covered, I went with milk and the amount of chocolate to butter crunch was perfect.

The International Cooking Stage was busy throughout the day offering different demonstrations, Chef Victor Bongo and the Super Chef’s were putting on segments all weekend making pasta and crepe’s for the crowd.

Another popular place at EAT! Vancouver after it’s introduction last year was the PICA Chef Cooking Classes. Running $25/session the classes filled up mostly before the festival even started and they ranged in skill level from knife skills to plated desserts and everything in between.

This year I made sure to take one of the cheese seminars offered by The Dairy Farmers of Canada. I find this featured area one of EAT! Vancouver’s most popular with sessions being first come first served they fill up fast but if you like cheese it’s a must visit. Cheese expert Reg Hendrickson from Dairy Farmers of Canada takes the class through soft, semi-soft and firm cheese and explains their characteristics in a fun and entertaining way.

We were served 7 different types of cheese staring with the Tre Stelle Mascarpone with honey and a dried cranberry, Boursin Cranberry and Pepper, P’tit Connaisseur Triple Creme Brie, Boerenkass from Natural Pasture in Courtney BC, an Extra Old Cheddar from Bothwell Cheese, Cows Inc. Applewood Smoked Cheddar and finally a Damafro Inc. Roasted Onion Raclette.

The Food Network Celebrity Cooking Stage was extremely popular with a great line up of Food Network Canada stars Chuck Hughes, Anna Olsen and Bal Arneson as well as Rob Feenie, Top Chef Canada Contestant and fellow Cactus Club Cafe alumni Matt Stowe.  All of the sessions were packed with fans and I loved how each of the stars took time after their sessions to greet fans, sign books and autographs as well as take pictures.

In the BC Chef’s competition area the owner of Chez Christophe put on a show for the crowd by assembling a beautiful chocolate show piece made using Cocoa Barry chocolate.

This year the Bites of Vancouver area this year I was pleasantly surprised to see some new vendors and also some familiar faces that served up some of the best bites I had last year at the festival.  Ebo served up a killer Lamb Slider that was juicy and delicious along with the signature handmade Roti and Chicken Satay Skewer with curry sauce that was just as good as I remember from last year.

One of the new vendors this year was Tacofino serving up a Chilled Avocado Soup with Asian Pear, Radish and a Kimchi Spice Cremma along with a Beef Tartare Taco.  The lovely Erin McGann had the taco while I devoured the soup, the taco was so so I was told while the soup was OUT OF THIS WORLD!  With the creaminess of the avocado combined with a tang in the soup from some kind of vinegar then the punch from the kimchi spiced cremma and crunch from the Asian pear this was a pleasure to eat.

The crew over at Establishment Lounge were serving up my other favorite bite from last year-African Peanut along with a Lamb Slider, the soup was as good as ever but the slider had too much olive in it which overwhelmed the whole bite.

Sherman went off to get some treats while I was eating and returned with another new vendors bite-Dunn’s Famous Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich.  I’ve eaten at Dunn’s before and really like their medium smoked meat sandwich and I was happy to see that they were offering lean, medium and fatty meat choices.  This bite was alright but a top piece of bread was not included for some reason.

Chilli from the Gramercy Grill was up next for me.  The chilli was nice and meaty with a good amount of seasoning, the chilli was more meat than beans which I like and it was a very generous portion.

Jamaican Pattywich ordered by Erin from the Jamaican Pizza Jerk.  While it looked delicious the final verdict was just alright with too much lettuce.

With the show being back in BC Place now for the 2nd year is a welcome thing for the amount of people who turn out for EAT! Vancouver and also it’s allowing for more elaborate vendor booths and stage space for great speakers and demonstrations.  I really liked the selection of vendors this year and the Bites area didn’t disappoint one thing I could do without next year are vendors that are not offering a food or beverage product-chiropractors, iPhone speaker systems and massage devices really do take away from the continuity of the festival.

Really good Chinese has been a lacking thing in Vancouver’s West End, we have one or two places that I would recommend to friends but now things have finally changed.  About a month ago Dinesty opened a location at the end of Robson Street and it immediately went on my Gotta Eat Their list.

The service was speedy and my order was taken quickly.  Tea was poured right away and soon after my dipping sauce for my dumplings was dropped off.  The location is busy and people were constantly coming in to eat or grabbing take out, it’s great to see the area embrace Dinesty.

First up in the dumpling category is a Chicken XLB.  The dumplings were beautiful to look at and were folded with delicate care and while they gave a good portion numbers wise they could have been slightly larger in size.  The flavor was delicious with the soup being not overly salty with a nice ginger hit and the meat was tender still.  The dumpling skin was thin but still had some elasticity to it and the soup stock to dumpling ratio was just right.

Next up is the classic Shrimp and Pork Sui Mai dumplings.  At first I wasn’t sure if these were also soup dumplings but they weren’t.  The shrimp filling was plump with a nice bite to it and the pork was just below that, again the pork was just right.  The meat was seasoned nicely with ginger again but I did prefer them dipped in the sauce to add even more of that ginger punch.

Lastly I ordered up some Stir Fried Rice Cake with Vegetables and Chicken.  This is a new favorite of mine I’ve had at a couple of places during my Chinese Bites dinners.  The rice cake is nice and chewy and when mixed with the crunchy vegetables and meat it’s a must try dish in my eyes.  Sauce wise this was thick and slightly on the too sweet side but the garlic and soy flavors were well-balanced and made up for the sweetness.

Overall I really enjoyed my meal at Dinesty and I can’t wait to bring friends for a huge dumpling chow down!  Price wise all 3 dishes came in at $23 and change after taxes which my wallet loved!

Chef Dale MacKay – Saskatoon native and Canada’s original Top Chef Canada Winner, today announces the late summer 2013 opening of Ayden Kitchen & Bar in downtown Saskatoon. Situated in the beautiful, three-story brick McLean heritage building located at 265 3rd Avenue South, the ‘modern Canadian comfort food’ restaurant and bar space promises a large dining room and bar, a private dining/party room, fair-weather patio, huge catering kitchen, and an adjoining new-old-fashioned fresh market. The market, adjoining the restaurant but with its own storefront, will focus on house-made charcuterie, custom butchery, fresh cheeses and gourmet pantry items for take-away. The partially open kitchen will keep Chef in-view and in-touch with his guests.

Chef Dale MacKay is best known for his precision execution and presentation of technical French cuisine, however the Ayden Kitchen & Bar menu will be decidedly un-fancy.  “After 18 years away, I am so happy to be back home where I belong.  I bring my son Ayden with me, and everything I’ve learned travelling the world and cooking alongside great Chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Daniel Boulud,” says Chef MacKay.

“I am very proud of my prairie roots, and prouder still to introduce my hometown, family and friends to a fresh and modern take on everyday Canadian comfort foods,” says MacKay. “My vision for Ayden Restaurant & bar – both front and back of house – is a culinary reflection of how I see Saskatchewan today – built on rock-solid, dependable, hard-working Canadian prairie stock but with an, exciting, dynamic, contemporary vibe. Generous, relaxed, approachable, affordable, authentic.  We will be all that and more.”
Canadians came to know Chef Dale MacKay and his charming young son Ayden during MacKay’s run-up to winning Food Network Canada’s ‘Top Chef Canada’, season one.  Chef MacKay has always maintained that he entered the contest to prove to Ayden that, if you want something badly enough and you work hard, you can make your dreams come true.   Opening Ayden Kitchen & Bar, named after his son, is indeed a dream come true for Chef MacKay.  “I considered many other restaurant names, and many more were recommended to me, but Ayden is the centre of my world, so it makes sense that the restaurant I’ve finally come home to be named after my guy.”

The lunch, dinner, bar and catering menus are still in development but will offer a stable of extraordinary modern comforts.  Several Top Chef Canada challenge-winning dishes will take pride of place on menus, and watch for Canadian bread-basket influences on Chef’s signature and award-winning dishes. Chef MacKay insists on sourcing locally whenever possible and creating daily features based on seasonal goodness from surrounding farms and markets.  Substantial Craft Beer and Wine programs and a Bourbon Bar – all centred around food pairings and seasonal specials – will set Ayden’s apart from other food and beverage programs in the city.

The space, designed by Calgary interior designer Connie Young of ce de ce inc., will be honest and grounded.  In Young’s words, “inspired by history and seasoned with innovation”.  Seasoned elements like barn wood, weathered iron, worn leather, stamped tin, butcher block and milk glass, juxtaposed with stainless steel, ceramic and halogen. “Young is known for sense of place interiors that invite an emotional reaction,” says MacKay.  “I cook for the same reasons – to make people happy and create wonderful memories.  I think that Connie and I make a good team.”

The pair is starting from a good place in the historic building on 3rd Avenue South. The address has a friendly soul and a storied past. Built in 1912 by an ambitious young farmer from Iowa named O.M. Helgerson, the McLean building is currently home to Kevin and Melanie Boldt’s Souleio Foods.  The couple, who introduced Saskatoon to the farm-to-fork concept will be closing Souleio on May 25, 2013, and re-directing all of their focus and energy on their beloved Pine View Farms.  “I really respect what the Boldt’s are doing at Pine View, raising all-natural, free-range poultry and livestock, and I look forward to a long and successful preferred purveyor/chef relationship,” concludes MacKay.

Chef Dale MacKay brings with him to Saskatoon, some tenured colleagues; Christopher Cho as General Manager, Shaylah Lukas as Assistant Manager, Chef Nathan Guggenheimer as Executive Chef, and Jesse Zuber as Head Chef.  All stellar restaurant talent, with world-class culinary resumes.

The new Ayden Kitchen & Bar website is currently under construction. In the interim, please visit the www.aydenkitchenandbar.com web page to sign up for restaurant news and event invites, or follow Chef’s progress on Twitter.

Recently I attended the opening of the GRAIN Tasting Bar in the Hyatt Vancouver.  GRAIN is a place right up my alley, serving up awesome craft beers along with inventive cocktails your sure to find something that will satisfy your thirst.

The space has been completely remodeled and the result is a beautiful, spacious interior with lots of natural wood touches and a set of unique folding windows that open completely bringing the feel of a patio with the sound of the people walking down Burrard Street.

The menu features delicious cheeses from Little Quallicum Cheese works and Oyama Sausage as well as seafood from Skuna Bay Salmon as well as Albion Fisheries.  All of the meats and cheeses were absolutely delicious, I enjoy both Oyama and Little Quallicum Cheese Works a lot and would recommend them to anyone.

Executive Chef Thomas Heinrich and Food and Beverage Manager Michael Halloran really have put some great food options as well as tasty drinks. Some of the signature drinks I tried were the Bangkok Mule made with Crown Royal whiskey, yuzu juice, ginger purée and simple syrup, the Ginger Pear Martini made with Okanagan Sprits pear brandy, Domaine Canton ginger liqueur and fresh pear, the Vanilla Sky made with Canadian Club Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, egg whites and vanilla extract.

GRAIN is a space that I would suggest to anybody looking for a few drinks and some good food without it being to heavy.  Stay tuned to my blog for a full review coming very soon.

Something that I love but generally don’t make at home is risotto, it really is a labor of love and if I did make it I wouldn’t have any leftovers!  When I was contacted by a local family owned business named Moccia & Urbani who have a product I was instantly interested in trying-RisottoBalls.  Moccia & Urbani are known for their handmade gluten-free salami’s and sausages, they supply some of the best restaurants in the city like YEW at the For Seasons Hotel Vancouver.

Using high quality ingredients like Carnaroli risotto rice, mozzarella cheese and containing no trans fat or MSG these are wholesome and something you can be proud to serve to your family and friends.  Only taking 17 minutes in a 425 degree oven RisottoBalls are east to cook up and the only thing you have to think of is if you need a dipping sauce or just enjoy them straight up.  RisottoBalls come in 5 different flavors:

• Mozzerella Cheese
• Italian Sausage
• Porcini Mushroom
• Tomato and Sausage Ragu Sauce
• Primavera Vegetables

All of the flavors were delicious but for me the stand outs were the Porcini Mushroom and the Tomato and Sausage Ragu variety’s.  After having homemade risotto balls before I can say that these are just as good, the rice is creamy and not overly starchy and the cheese is ooey and gooey-you know you have a hit when you take a bite and the cheese stretches a foot!

Each box contains 9 RisottoBalls and I’ve seen them at PriceSmart Foods for $7.99/box, they are also available at other stores nationwide but I suggest contacting Moccia & Urbani directly for locations by clicking here.  The great guy’s behind RisottoBalls have let me select 3 lucky readers here in Canada to have a selection of RisottoBalls sent to them so please let me know what your favorite flavor’s you would like to try, the contest will run from today May 20th, 2013 till NOON PST May 27th, 2013 and remember the contest is open to households in Canada ONLY and ONE entry per person.

**Disclosure-Moccia & Urbani sent me my RisottoBalls for review purposes, all opinions are my own but I did love them and think you will to!**