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Archive for the ‘Hang-Out with Friends’ Category

My girlfriends and I went to Glass House Estate Winery for their High Vin Sunday Brunch simply because it sounds like a lot of fun. For $65 per person, you are treated to a buffet brunch, a glass of bubbly and a flight of five 1oz wine. We stumbled upon it, and really, we couldn’t resist. The four of us usually go out for afternoon tea, and we all like wine, so this naturally fits our MO to give it a try.

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This year’s Valetine’s and Galetine’s Day may be behind us, but we don’t stop celebrating love. Bring your gals, pals and valentine to this pop-up bar at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. It’s called “Blush” and it’s only open Tuesdays to Saturdays until February 29. It’s a collaboration between Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and Saintly Wine. It’s pink and so cute, and you can order fun, romance-themed cocktails like Passion Potion and Love Letter, or mini bottles of Saintly sparkling brut and rosé. They also have nibbles and desserts like Gochujang Chicken Tenders, Fresh Oysters, Tuna Tataki, Charcuterie and Cheesecakes.

I’m quite in awe of how Fairmont Vancouver is transforming this space on the lower level for different pop-ups. First, it was Kringle’s for Christmas, and now Blush for Valetine’s Day. Make sure to look for the pink photo booth at the entrance. Will you check it out?

Disclosure: I was invited to a media preview event.

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Over a five-day winecation in the Okanagan (yes, we have an “official” name for our wine vacation) with our friends B&K, we visited a number of wineries, eateries and attractions in the area. One of which was TIME Winery & Kitchen in Penticton. Back in 2018, we had a tour of the winery prior to its opening, having the opportunity to speak with the late Harry McWatters and his vision for the urban winery. Fast forward to 2022, TIME has changed hands to Ron and Shelley Mayert, with the McWatters sisters continuing to manage the operation. B&K are wine club members there, and there are perks such as a discount on food and complimentary wine tasting. We ended up spending 3 hours at TIME, starting with a lunch.

Food & Wine

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Life has been busy so I didn’t really look into Dine Out Vancouver until there were only 2 weeks left. There were a few interesting, attractive menus but many came from restaurants that I’ve been before. Since I don’t dine out very much these days, I wanted to use the opportunity to try some place new. Then I spotted a good deal at Social on Commercial Drive. Social has only been open for a few months, back in October 2020 in midst of the second wave of COVID.

Social offers a 3-course menu for only $25, and it’s available for lunch or dinner. Sure, you don’t get to choose your appetizer or dessert, but there are 4 options for entrees, including trout and 8oz sirloin baseball steak. I thought that’s really good value for your money. On their regular menu, the trout would be $28 and sirloin baseball steak costs $36. I decided to take Mama Lam there for lunch.

Food

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Cuban inspired restaurant in Vancouver? You don’t see many of them around, but there’s one right in Mount Pleasant. Tocador opened just last year and it’s all about the cocktail menu and share plates. I actually had the pleasure to interview one of its co-owners, Guy, a few years ago. This time, I was invited to sample the menu at Tocador.

Cocktails

First of all, let’s talk about its cocktail menu. It’s two pages long! One page is full of the classics, such as Negroni, Mojito, Hot Buttered Rum, Manhattan and Mai Tai. The other, is a list of original cocktails created by the team at Tocador. The two owners both started out as a bartender so it only makes sense that they pay a lot of attention to the cocktail menu. They infuse a lot of their liquors so you would see something like mango butter infused rum, red bell pepper infused mezcal and paprika infused tequila.

The Escocesa, for example, uses beet infused Dewars scotch.

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