Barely after catching its collective breath from the Olympics, Take One, Olympics Take Two, the Paralympics, are upon the city of Vancouver and its residents. Lucky for all the people traveling here to participate or observe, the world's food and restaurant critics seem to have agreed on one thing...that Vancouver is second to none when it comes to dining out in Olympic cities. High, low, North, south, Local, ethnic, Fast or slow, Vancouver has the food that you crave right now.
We won't, however, even attempt to say it better than NY Times food critic, Sam Sifton, did at the beginning of the games. We just urge you to click on over>>>
“The most ravenous visitors to this marvelous, temperate city will begin their culinary touring almost from the moment they land at Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island in suburban Richmond, where a vast Asian enclave is growing.” The complete article can be found at http://nytimes.com/2010/02/03/dining/03note.html?ref=dining.
Comox Valley on Vancouver Island is not only the where the locavore community was born in B.C. but also where much of the region's best shellfish comes from. If you are lucky enough to be in Vancouver during the shellfish season, look for the Pacific Kiss oyster, B.C.'s renowned shellfish that has a sustainably farmed stamp of approval. Pacific Kiss affiliate partners are providing 12 different kinds of shellfish to be served side-by-side. Participating restaurants are Monk McQueen's Restaurant and Patio and Joe Fortes Seafood and Chophouse.
British Columbia boasts some of the richest shores found throughout the world. There are over 1,000 oyster farmers caringly growing dozens of varieties of world-class oysters along those shores. Eating oysters in B.C. is eating locally sourced, sustainably cultivated food. In fact, when you choose to eat oysters in B.C. you are supporting a small farmer and a rural community.
The Pacific Kiss platter is offering a tasting of oysters, their full flavors offered side-by-side, giving a rare culinary experience to savor and compare the subtle differences in Beach oysters, to deep-water-cultured oysters to those oysters grown by the K'omox First Nations to the tray-cultured beach hardened oyster. Each of the twelve varieties come from a different coastal region of B.C. The Pacific Kiss stamp of approval authenticates that the oyster has been grown in a sustainable and environmentally sound way by a registered B.C. Shellfish Association member. Pacific Kiss respects and adheres to both the Sea Kiss and OceanWise programs.
