Vancouver Magazine Announces Winners of 21st Annual Restaurant Awards

More than 700 of the city’s chefs, sommeliers and food critics gathered yesterday at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel for the 21st Annual Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards. The gala brought them together to celebrate excellence in B.C.’s culinary industry.

“Between the Olympics and the recession, it’s been a whirlwind year in the food and beverage industry,” said Vancouver magazine editor-in-chief, Gary Stephen Ross. “Yesterday’s event offered everybody a well-deserved break and an opportunity to socialize, have fun, and reflect on their successes.”

Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar took top honours, being named Restaurant of the Year and winning Gold in the Best Seafood category. It was also a finalist in Best Service, Best Regional and Best Formal Japanese (Raw Bar at Blue Water). And Blue Water’s chef, Frank Pabst, was recognized as Chef of the Year, having played an integral role on Vancouver’s culinary scene since 1993. Originally from Germany, Pabst worked at Lumière and Pastis before joining Blue Water in 2003.

Sinclair Philip was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, while his Sooke Harbour House won Best Vancouver Island. Since opening their restaurant and inn 31 years ago, he and his wife Fréderique have been internationally lauded for their pioneering use of fresh, local ingredients, many from their own garden.

In a year that saw a variety of exciting new openings, Campagnolo won the title of Best New Restaurant. Thai hotspot Maenam took Silver, while Jean-Georges’s Market won Bronze as well as nabbing Design of the Year.

Perennial favourites Vij’s, Le Crocodile and Tojo’s won as Best Indian, Best Formal French and Best Formal Japanese. CinCin and Araxi reclaimed their titles of Best Last Course and Best Whistler. Uva Wine Bar took Gold as Best Bar/Lounge.

For a list of the full results, please click here.

Sandhill's Howard Soon in Vancouver

Sandhill's Master Winemaker, Howard Soon, was in Vancouver to celebrate being selected as Winery of the Year in Wine Access magazine's Canadian Wine Awards.

Sandhill is the first winery to win Best White, Best Red, and Winery of the Year in the same year.

Howard visited Lynn and Steve at Global Morning News to talk about the awards.

Then he stopped by Urban Rush to tell Mike and Fiona about what you can tell about wine from the soil it's grown in.

Then, the day was capped off with a celebration of Sandhill & Howard at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Spring Begins With a Boink

Vancouver, BC; March 19, 2009 – Spring Advertising + Design is celebrating the first day of the season with its second annual Boink Day, a pogo-a-thon to raise funds for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. From 7am – 7pm on Friday, March 20 on the Georgia Street Side of the Vancouver Art Gallery, the advertising firm and its clients will donate ten cents to the Food Bank for every pogo bounce performed by a member of the public.

“With Boink Day we’re trying to give the first day of Spring its due.” says Rob Schlyecher

Partner and Creative Director of Spring Advertising + Design. “We’re going outside and getting on pogo sticks to celebrate the end of a long cold wet winter and raise money for the Food Bank.”

In addition to raising funds through boinking, the public can also make a cash or non-perishable food donation. For every $1 donated, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank can purchase $3 of nutritious fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs.

Last year, out of the $3,000 cash raised, the Food Bank was able to purchase $9,000 worth of food. This year, Spring aims to break that total, while pogo-ers will aim to beat last year’s record of 2,500 consecutive boinks.

Visit Boink Day on Facebook.