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Sadly, this year’s Whistler Cornucopia has come to an end. It’s now time to sober up, get back to your regular eating schedule, and reflect back on all the stellar moments from the last five days.

Now I have to admit, my  memory is a little foggy after five days of wine, wine, bubbles, and then more wine. However, I was able to conjure up a favourite moment from each event I attended.

Whistler Cocktail Competition Hosted by Alta Bistro

Favourite Moment: I was lucky enough to be a judge for this competition. It doesn’t get more ‘favourite’ than tasting eight different cocktails from Whistler’s best bartenders. The winning drink, “Potato Revival” from Scot at Alta Bistro was definitely a highlight. Ask for it next time you dine at Alta Bistro.

“The Muddle” also at Alta Bistro

Favourite Moment: Dining with strangers. We were seated at a table of eight, and all with people we’ve never met before. I love meeting new people and there were a few couples visiting from Vancouver, specifically to experience this Cornucopia dinner. Such a memorable dinner, both due to the company and the food!

Best of VINOS

Favourite Moment: The After Party. Most people had a pretty good buzz going on from “House Party” earlier that evening (which I sadly missed out on), so everyone definitely in the mood to party after the short films had finished. We were mesmerized by Go-Go Dancers and all conversations seemed to revolve around them.

Eau de Vie – A Spirited Affair

Favourite Moment: Seeing the transformation of the Fifty-Two 80 from a hotel lounge to an insane night club. Also, the Patron margaritas were out of this world crazy delicious.

High Rollers

Favourite Moment: Gambling with fake money is actually really exciting. You still feel the rush from ‘putting it all on the line’, but you’re still in a good mood if & when you loose (I still lost everything playing Black Jack). Also, seeing my friend Kourtney dressed as a giant peacock was also quite memorable.

What Did Chardonnay Ever Do to You? 

Favourite Moment: Actually learning something about wine. These seminars are really fun and I will definitely be attending more of them next year. Tasting The Mission Hill Perpetua was definitely a high light for me.

CRUSH

Favourite Moment: Seeing familiar faces. Heather Odendaal from Constellation Brands, pours at almost every Cornucopia event (this girl was everywhere). She’s definitely the best wine rep I know and you seek her out at the next wine tasting you attend. She was pouring some “See Yah Later Ranch” at CRUSH and it was definitely one of the most popular booths in the building. http://www.sylranch.com/

Bubbles & Oceans at Araxi

Favourite Moment: Ummmm…..definitely the endless glasses of bubbles. We drank sparkling wine for four straight hours (enough said). At one point, I was even helping pour some bubbles (don’t tell anyone). Also, the desserts, like the salted toffee, were crazy delicious.

Bubble-icious

Favourite Moment: Bubble-icious was definitely the best ‘hair of the dog’ that Cornucopia had to offer. We tasted bubbles along side an amazing couple from Vancouver, who were extremely knowledgable on food and wine (he was a chef and she was an event planner).  The Segura Viudas Brut Rose was a favourite of our table.

Night Market

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the Cornucopia “Night Market” due to some car accidents and road closures on the highway (if you haven’t gotten your snow tires yet, what are you waiting for!?!).

I’d love to hear your favourite moments from Night Market and all other events you attended during this year’s Cornucopia. Comment below with your favourite moments and let us know what your most looking forward to attending at next year’s Cornucopia Whistler 2013!

Cheers everyone!

This year marks the 16^th Anniversary of Cornucopia Whistler, and personally my sixth year in attendance (time flies when you’re downing vino).  So by now, you’d think we would all know what to expect when it comes to the Cornucopia Festival. However, this year, it’s out with the old and in with the new. Parties of Cornucopia past, such as Casino Royale & Masquarave, are no more, and events of Cornucopia future, Eau de Vie, High Rollers, & Night Market, are the new players in town.  So, I’ve decided to give our Whistler Is Awesome readers the low down on the “must dos” of this year’s festival and break it down into my top two events for each day of Cornucopia Whistler.

November 7^th – It All Starts With Cocktails

This year, Cornucopia Whistler kicks off with a cocktail competition at the Whistler Conference Centre, hosted by one of my favourite restaurants, Alta Bistro. This event is free to attend and I’m lucky enough to be one of the judges for this year’s competition. I fully plan on being the Simon Cowell of cocktail judging (though to be honest, after a few drinks I’ll probably be closer to being the Paula Abdule of cocktail judging).

Follow up on your afternoon of cocktail sampling with the official dinner party for the event. Alta Bistro’s “The Muddle” is a five course dinner for $50 and you’ll get a chance to mix & mingle with some of the top bartending personalities from Whistler and Vancouver.   Read more

When you think of Whistler, the first thing that comes to mind is usually the skiing and the snowboarding. Then, after the skiing and the snowboarding at Whistler Blackcomb, you might find yourself thinking about indulging in the apres scene. After apres-ing the afternoon away, your mind might turn to other entertainment, perhaps live music. Because our ‘mountain culture minds’ work in this logical sequence of events, Whistler subsequently has a pretty eclectic live music scene.

One of my favourite musicians is a Vancouver based singer / songwriter, Colin Bullock. Colin has been playing in Whistler for almost as long as I’ve been ‘playing’ in Whistler. The difference is Colin’s playing instruments and I’m playing drinking games .

I was able to ask Colin a few questions about what live music events he has coming up in Vancouver & Whistler.

WIA: Colin, I detect an accent. Where are you originally from? 
CB: Evans Head, NSW, Australia.

WIA: What made you choose to move to Vancouver and pursue a career in music? 
CB: I had many friends visit Canada and return with enthralling stories of their travels. At the time I left home I was ready for a change and I wanted to take my music and share it with people across the world. This desire coupled with the fact that the Read more

Attention Whistler, mark your calendars because this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Unlike a birthday or an anniversary, Mother’s Day is a holiday you can’t forget…it’s unforgivable. After all, the woman gave you life, and if you don’t take this one day of the year to truly thank her for all she’s done for you, she might just take it back!

If you’re like me, you’ve moved away from your hometown to live in Whistler; “living the dream” means you have to live away from your mom and the rest of your family. But there are many people who are lucky enough to have a mother in Whistler, be a mother in Whistler, or have a mother-figure living in Whistler. For all those people, here are my top suggestions for the ‘Happiest Mother’s Day in Whistler’.

Firstly, Mother’s Day generally marks the arrival of spring weather. So why not start off Mother’s Day with an early morning tee time at one of Whistler many golf courses? I know golf is typically thought of as an activity for Dad, but every time my mom visits in the summer, she loves hitting the Whistler fairways. Both the Nicklaus Norther Golf Course and Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Course are scheduled to open this weekend. Rates start as low as $79 and both courses offer some of the most scenic views Whistler has to offer. Read more

Like many, I work Monday to Friday, nine to five, in an office environment. While I do love my job, in some ways, I am working for the weekends.

I look forward to Fridays, because it means I can let loose with my friends (I can get cray with the best of them), sleep in on Saturday, maybe even take an afternoon nap (now that shit cray), and finally get time to shred down Whistler Blackcomb (and by that I mean Blackcomb).

l to r - Head Chef Nick and Tom

Well, now I have something else to look forward to on the weekends. One of my favourite Whistler restaurants has begun serving lunch on Fridays and Saturdays. And if there’s one thing I like more than sleeping in, it’s stuffing my face with crazy delicious food.

Alta Bistro was recently named “Whistler’s Best New Restaurant” by Pique Newsmagazine and now co-owners Ed Dangerfield and Eric Griffith are waking up early and opening their doors at 11am to serve us some lunch. They want to bring a bit of European flare to your lunch hour, with a relaxed atmosphere, a simple and healthy menu, and an emphasis on locally farmed ingredients. They’re offering a new twist on the ‘power lunch’, giving people like me a chance to get out of office, loosen the tie, and enjoy a sophisticated lunch with friends, colleagues, or clients.

I wanted to try everything on the ‘chalk board menu’, but opted for the angus flat iron steak with smoked beets, arugula, and endive. As you may remember from my previous restaurant reviews on Whistler Is Awesome, I’m a sucker for some smoked beets (why are they so crazy delicious?)! This dish was actually beautiful, check out the food porn pic. My lunch has never looked so good (literally).

My lovely lunch date, made a classic choice, and enjoyed the soup of the day (Pear & Celeriac) paired with a local mackerel on toast, some red pickled onions, duck fat hollandaise, green onions, and black tuscan kale. By this point, you all know I am a very serious food critic. But, I’m not ashamed to admit, I had to ask what a mackerel was. Luckily, the Alta Bistro boys are always happy to educate the inner food critic in all of us. They love sharing their inspiration for the menu and how they find the local ingredients for their dishes. Don’t be afraid to ask them about the food next time you visit the restaurant. P.S. Mackerel is a fish.

Alta Bisto is also known around town for their amazing cocktails and wine list. And don’t worry, cocktails and wine are definitely encouraged during your Alta Bistro nooner. But, for those of us who can’t indulge in a “Mad Men” style liquid lunch, I highly recommend trying one of their non-alcoholic cocktails. We tasted the ‘Cross Pollination’, which includes fresh citrus, honey, pressed apple and egg whites, shaken and served with some maple sugar. Feast your eyes on our cocktail porn pic to get a better idea of what I’m talking about…it’s sexy.

Needless to say, I’ll definitely be back at Alta Bistro for lunch again and again. There is not one thing on the menu my taste buds aren’t sexually attracted to. If I had my way, it would become my Friday lunch tradition.  So if anyone needs a lunch date this weekend, you know who to call!

Name: Meadow  ( She was born on Pemberton ‘Meadows’ Road)

Breed: Golden Retriever – Border Collie Cross …….can be a bit confusing…do I herd it or do I retrieve it?

Stomping Ground: Meadow lives in Pemberton and loves playing with all the neighbours, Jingle Bells, Hugo, Goldberg, Chelsea, Abbie, Lenni and Dora.

Best thing about being a Whistler dog: She loves the wintertime as she still can do all of her other favourite things  ….playing Frisbee…..chasing any kind of ball…hide and seek………..not to mention digging the snow and making doggie snow angels. In the summer she is very busy as there are a few pesky squirrels that like to play in her trees or on her fence in the backyard and despite her requests for them to stop ( done via constant barking) they continue…..she also likes to help in the garden and is a great digger…..not always in the right spot unfortunately …….she also likes to swim and one mile lake is her favourite doggy beach Meadow’s other most favourite thing is to going out with her  friends James and Lori from It’s a Dogs Life.  She gets to join many of her other four-legged friends as they head out on off leash adventures  out and about in Pemberton.

We’ve officially wrapped on the 11th Annual Whistler Film Festival.

After five days of screenings and over 80 films shown, this year’s festival seemed better than ever. I know you all read my previous WIA post on all the ‘must sees’ of this year’s festival (I’ll quiz you later). So now that I’ve actually seen everything I recommended, I thought it was only fair for me to write up a retrospect of the entire festival.

I think what I enjoy most about watching movies at a film festival is, most of the time, you’ve never seen a preview for the film you’re about to see and therefore have no idea what to expect. In fact, “Prepare For The Unexpected”, was the theme of this year’s festival, which suddenly makes sense now. I previously thought this saying only applied to the reality show ‘Big Brother’.

As it turns out, the best place to ‘prepare for the unexpected’ was Millennium Place.

Very serious film critic.

Most of the movies I saw at this year’s festival were shown at Millennium Place and the 250 capacity theatre was sold out for almost every viewing. I even got turned away from one of the short film showing ‘Shortwork 3′ because Millennium Place was at capacity (apparently they didn’t know who I was. I mean, I’m obviously a very serious film critic). As great as Millennium Place was, some advice for next year Whistler Film Festival – please serve popcorn at Millennium Place.The biggest travesty of the festival, was the lack of popcorn at this venue. It was just cruel.

Now sadly, I wasn’t able to break my record from last year’s festival, where I was able to watch 11 films. But, the nine movies I did see this year, were far and away better films than most of what I saw at last year’s festival.

A lot of people asked me, “Tyler, now that you’re a very serious film critic, I’m curious to know, what were your top three films from this year’s festival?” To that I say, “Thank you friend. Clearly, I am a very serious film critic. So here you are, in no particular order.”

1.) Young Adult – It opened the festival and it opened my heart. It’s also opening in a theatre near you this month.

2.) Foreverland – A realistic look at what it’s like to live your life with cystic fibrosis. Plus, the entire cast of this film makes you think, “Where have I seen that actor before?”

3.) The Odds – A dark and twisted look at teenage gambling. The lead actor reminds us of a young Tom Cruise and the Director promised us this movie will be opening in Vancouver movie theatres soon, so check it out when it does.

Michelle Leroux and Tyler Mills

And finally, an honourable mention has to go to the one film at this year’s Whistler Film Festival that managed to bring a tear to this very serious film critic’s eye. And that would be Switchback Entertainment’s “Freedom Chair”.

Freedom Chair was shown at the closing gala of the festival and definitely out shone the main feature of the evening. It tells the story of skier and coach, Josh Dueck, who suffers a paralyzing ski accident at the age of 23. Josh manages to make the most out of a terrible situation and eventually finds his freedom in the sport of sit-skiing. Josh takes his passion for his sport all the way to the 2010 Vancouver/Whistler Paralympic Winter Games, where he manages to win a silver medal for Canada. Josh’s story is truly inspiring and if you weren’t at the closing gala Sunday night, you should definitely check out this short film. Like right now, I’ve posted the short version of it below.

Well, that basically sums up my experience of the 2011 Whistler Film Festival. I now have another lanyard to hang on my door.

I laughed, I cried, I even managed to make drunken conversation with Adrian Grenier at The Bearfoot Bistro.

This year’s festival had a bit of everything and I hope to do it all over again next year. See you at the movies Whistler!

Attention all film buffs, this week, Whistler goes Hollywood, as we welcome the 11th Annual Whistler Film Festival from November 30 – December 4th.

I know I say this this every time a festival rolls into town, but this really is one of my favourite times of the year. I decided to include a picture of my ‘film fest craziness’, in case you don’t believe me. Last year, I managed to see eleven movies during the film festival and I hope to break my record this year.

The theme of this year’s Whistler Film Festival is ‘Prepare For The Unexpected’.

OK…I have no idea what that means. If I recall Julie Chen correctly, I think it’s also the theme of the reality show, Big Brother?

But, if I look back at last year’s festival, I did manage to chat up Directors, wine with Stroumboulopoulos, and party with production companies, none of which I expected to happen, so I guess the theme rings true. However, if you’re a control freak like me, you might want some idea of what you can expect at this year’s festival. So I’ve outlined my “must sees” of the 2011 Whistler Film Festival.

Take One

There’s no better place to start, then opening night. This year’s festival is kicking off with the Opening Gala featuring “Young Adult” at the Whistler Conference Centre on Wednesday November 30. About a thousand people will pack the conference centre to see famed Canadian Director, Jason Reitman’s (Up In The Air), latest dark comedy, starring Charlize Theron. Theron plays a divorcee, returning to her home town in an attempt to reclaim the love of her happily married highschool sweetheart (played by Patrick Wilson). The film is written by Diablo Cody (Juno) and even has John Malkovich (his talent scares me) as an Executive Producer. I will pretty much see anything John Malkovich is attached to, and so should you.

Take Two

388 Arletta Avenue will be making its Western Canada Premiere at Village 8 Cinema on Thursday December 1 at 9:15pm. This film is about a upscale married couple who lead a very comfortable life, until they start to realize they are being watched 24 hours a day by someone from their past. This film actually stars Devon Sawa. Remember him from such classic films as, “Little Giants” and “Wild America?” Ahhh yeah you do, and now you can see him totally creep you out in 388 Arletta Avenue.

Take Three

My next pick is “The Odds“. I’ve actually never heard of this movie or anyone that stars in it, but the story of the film really intrigued me. The main character, Desson Orr, is a gambler, a card shark, and a ladies man, all at the ripe old age of 17. When his best friend turns up dead from an apparent suicide, Desson searches to uncover the truth about what happened to his former friend. I know it’s a bit of a gamble, but after reading the plot lines of all the films in this year’s festival, “The Odds” really stuck out in my mind and I’m definitely going to give it a chance. It plays on Friday December 2 at 6:30pm at Village 8 Cinema.

Take Four

“Foreverland” makes its world premiere at Millennium Place on Saturday December 3 at 4pm. This film is about a mentally ill loner, who is tasked with transporting his friend’s ashes down the Pacific Coast Highway, to a legendary healing shrine in Mexico. Now, I know I basically just summed up the entire movie into a single sentence (I’m a very professional film critic, can’t you tell?!), but the real reason I want to see this movie, is because it co-stars Juliette Lewis. I love Juliette Lewis, in a sick ‘Natural Born Killers’ type way. To me, she can do no wrong, and that’s why we should all go see this movie.

Take Five

One of my favourite directors of all time, David Cronenberg (Crash & Eastern Promises are my favourites of his), is premiering “A Dangerous Method” at the Whistler Conference Centre on Saturday December 3 at 9:15pm. The all-star cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, & Keira Knightley, and the movie tells the story of famed psychiatrists Carl Jung & Sigmund Freud. As a former psychology major, I’m definitely intrigued by the subject mother…I mean matter (Freudian slip…sorry I couldn’t resist). With David Cronenberg directing, it’s sure to be a twisted, sexy, and disturbing take on psychoanalysis and is a film I don’t want to miss.

Take Six

“Take This Waltz“ is directed by another famed Canadian, Sarah Polley, and stars Michelle Williams & Seth Rogan. The story takes place during a hot Toronto summer and explores themes of adultery, love, sex, and relationships. I’ll see any movie that has to do with sex and includes an entire cast of people actors from some of my favourite childhood television shows; Road to Avonlea (Polley), Dawson’s Creek (Williams), and Freaks & Geeks (Rogan). “Take This Walz” plays Sunday December 4 at 4pm in Millennium Place.

Last Take

My favourite part of the Whistler Film Festival, is always the Closing Gala, because all the Whistler locals turn out to watch a feature length film that’s based on mountain culture. This year’s closing movie is “Warren Miller’s…Like There’s No Tomorrow” and is preceded by a viewing of “Freedom Chair” by Whistler’s own Mike Douglas & Switchback Entertainment. The closing gala is always a sold out event, so be sure to buy your tickets early and stick around after the movie, for the closing party (after watching all these watching movies for four days, you’ll want a few drinks).

As always, the Whistler Film Festival is a great way to kick off the winter season in Whistler and is sure to be a party you don’t want to miss. Obviously, there are many more movies showing at this year’s festival, then the seven I’ve highlighted above. I’ll be tallying up the number of films I see this year. You all should do the same and let me know if you’re more film fest crazy than I am! See you at the movies.

Last night marked the much anticipated return of The Bearfoot Bistro’s “Masquerave.” After a five-year hiatus from Cornucopia Whistler, there were huge expectations for the return of THE party of the weekend. The Bearfoot Bistro transformed their underground parkade into an exclusive night club. Guests were treated to Cirque du Soleil performers, contortionists, and an array of international performers. White draping and all white VIP lounges lent an angelic air to the space devoted to celebrating sin. Dress code was body paint and masks. For some reason, everything seems more hedonistic and erotic when you’re wearing a mask (and clothing was definitely optional).

Like any good party, the “who’s who” were in attendance. Everyone came out to Masquerave, from Olympic athletes to politicians, famous chefs to local socialites. There were even rumours of celebrity appearances, from Ashely Simpson to Lil Wayne, (though I don’t think either were actually at the event), the point is, the party was major.  Everyone in attendance could party with a clean conscious, as a portion of the proceeds from Masquerave went to support ONE DROP, a charity that fights poverty by supporting access to clean water in third world countries. But, to sum it all up, I think the random guy in the men’s bathroom said it best, when he shouted, “When can I buy my ticket for next year?” I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know I’ll be back too.

The author, as Dead Mau5

Matt & Jules

With Cornucopia, Whistler’s Celebration Of Wine And Food, set to return to Whistler with it’s lavish itinerary of culinary delights November 10-13, 2011, Whistler Is Awesome’s contributors are dishing on their Cornucopia Game Plans. Each itinerary is tailored for a specific budget but you are welcome to pick and choose from the bounty of options to create your perfect platter of Cornucopia events.

By now, you’ve all read part one of my ‘Flush Perspective On Cornucopia’. But, Cornucopia Whistler is so major, it takes two posts to encapsulate the awesomeness. From reading my last post, you should already be well on your way to experiencing the finer things within the first two days of Cornucopia. However, we still have two more days to go. And they are the flushest of them all.

Day 3: Saturday November 12^th

Previously, I mentioned flush people don’t make appearances at day time events. But, if there’s one excuse to wake up early, it’s to indulge in fine wine (and by early, I mean 2:00pm). And if you’re looking to show face at a daytime event this Cornucopia weekend, I would suggest checking out the “Jet Setting Shiraz” tastings by houseofwine.ca. The life of a jet setter can be hard, but for only $45 CAD you can sit back and relax by tasting thirteen different wines from around the world (2:00pm – 3:30pm at the Whistler Conference Centre).

Now that you’re not only flush, but also a jet setter, you should be feeling pretty good about yourself (or maybe it’s all the wine you’ve been drinking in the afternoon that’s giving you that feeling).  Either way, it’s now time for the main events.  Saturday night is when you pull out all the stops. You’ve trained for two days on living flush. It’s time to show off your skills at the flushest parties in all the land, Araxi’s “Bubbles & Oceans” and Bearfoot Bistro’s “Masquerave”.

First up is “Bubbles & Oceans” at Araxi.  It combines two of my favourite things, champagne and sea food (crazy delicious). This party is being promoted all over Vancouver, so it’s sure to be healthy mix of city foodsters and Whistler socials. I could socialize at Araxi all night, sipping on bubbles and sucking back oysters, but this year, there’s more parties than ever on Saturday evening. I’m choosing to make “Bubbles & Oceans” the opening act in my night of flush performances. Tickets are $155 CAD and the event runs from 9pm – 2am.

This year, the closing number has got to be Bearfoot Bistro’s Masquerave. This party has taken a five year hiatus, and is probably the only Cornucopia party I have yet to experience, which is probably why it’s the party I’m most excited to attend. For the past five years I’ve been living in Whistler, I’ve been hearing stories of Masqueraves past. So it’s got a lot to live up to. I’m not quite sure what to expect, but I’ve been told there’s a lot of nudity, so obviously it’s going to be a major (flush people love anything erotic). Masquerave promises six chefs from BC, six chefs from Quebec (crazy délicieux), free flowing Dom, international DJs, light shows, and burlesque-style entertainment (hella yeah). This party runs until 4am and you can party rock flushly, knowing Bearfoot Bistro is donating a large sum of the profits to ONE DROP. which is a charity that supports access to water in third world countries.

So by now, you know I love all things flush and this party is the flushest of them all. Tickets are $295 CAD and the party is almost sold out.

Day 4: Sunday November 13th

Ok, let’s face it, by the time Sunday rolls around, you’re going to be exhausted. If you’re not, you weren’t partying flush enough. Sunday is the day of rest, and it’s named that way for a reason. However, if you are going to make an appearance somewhere, I would recommend the Viking Stage Series presentation entitled “Sharing Life, Love, & Local Foods by FoodLovers and Pemberton Distilleries“. Basically, I’ll take any excuse to drink Schramm Vodka and Schramm Gin. After all, it’s always good to support local businesses. Tickets are only $25 CAD, so get them while you still can.

Well, now you have a little preview of my upcoming Cornucopia Weekend. In the final two days of Cornucopia Whistler Weekend, you could expect to drop $520 bucks, which brings our weekend total to $990 CAD! We managed to keep it flush for just under $1,000 dollars, but I promise you, the four day experience is priceless.

I hope to see you all there in your flushest attire and I can’t wait to party the weekend away with all of you. Cheers!

Mike Crane photo, courtesy of Watermark Communications Inc.