Browsing “Food”

With the sun coming out and vanquishing the snow from the valley, and next week’s Green Talk all about growing your own food in Whistler, now is as good a time as ever to look into the history of agriculture in Whistler. Last fall we featured a post providing a bit of an overview of the topic, so this week we’ll take a more focused look at Whistler’s most well-known farm, Tapley’s Farm. Yes, that Tapley’s Farm: the quiet residential neighbourhood which also holds the distinction of being the Whistler Valley’s first attempt at employee-designated housing.

While Alex and Myrtle Philip are widely recognized as the founders of the the community of Alta Lake (even though they were not the first settlers), fewer people are aware that Myrtle’s family, the Tapley’s were here from the beginning as well.

Myrtle's brother Phil Tapley, looking every bit the farmer that he was, July 1967.

When construction began on the Philip’s Rainbow Lodge in 1913, they were assisted by Myrtle father Sewell, and her sisters Jean and Margaret, and her brother’s Frank and Phil. Once Rainbow Lodge was completed, Sewell moved in with Alex & Myrtle, Phil returned to his home in Squamish, and Jean and Margaret moved further afield, though they returned often for visits.  Read more

There are those events that make you just feel lucky to be alive and livin’ in Whistler! In celebration of our hometown vino guru, Araxi pulled out the red carpet for Samantha Rahn who was just named Sommelier of the Year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival.

A virtual who’s who of Whistler swarmed the newly appointed Queen with toasts of fine champagne and delectable canapés in hand. Not only is it rare to see this award presented to someone outside of Vancouver’s hub of prestigious restaurants but it seemed all too ideal to cheers this power house of a lady on International Woman’s Day. The inside scoop is that this is the second time I have been honoured to see Samantha crowned as she took the title of Snow Queen back in her formative years in Banff. You have wonder what is next – the world!?

But in a tiny epicentre like Whistler, there is always another event waiting and this time was no different. I was off to the See Ya Later Ranch Winemaker’s dinner at La Bocca.

After quickly meeting the See Ya Later Ranch winemaker himself, Mason Spink, excitement to take our places at La Bocca’s Winemaker dinner was running high. Each course was exquisitely presented and service was friendly and informative. Great care was given to ensure the SYL Ranch’s nectar balanced the dish it escorted to the table. My favourite was the vegetarian spin Chef graciously gave his smoked beef carpaccio for me – a delicately sliced smoked beet topped with arugula. Its’ Pinot Noir partner hit it out of the ball park in my opinion though. As all good things come to an end, this high caliber Whistler evening wrapped up with a perfectly pleasurable pear galette and and sumptuous helping of La Bocca’s house-made honey thyme gelato-it left me craving summer ice cream dates which I may now have to pair with SYL Ranch’s Huney Late Harvest regularly.

Whistler serves up sweet experiences more regularly than most thanks to all the talented folks that make up our community’s virtual menu. A toast to that is well deserved!

There are few pieces of heaven on earth and even fewer serving extraordinary vino. Yet, tucked away looking over Okanagan Falls, you can find one such place. See Ya Later Ranch is picture perfect from its cascading view of emerald green vineyards to the lake lying below, a slice of heaven on earth but a good trek from Whistler.

Much closer to home is La Bocca’s Winemaker Dinner happening this Friday March 8^th and featuring See Ya Later Ranch’s delectable offering paired with a four course culinary exploration. Their buttery Chardonnay kicks things off with a cauliflower and Brie velouté. The second plate showcases smoked beef carpaccio with the vineyard’s elegant Pinot noir. The third course calls for a short interlude as its Elk Osso Bucco with Puy lentils and red blend ironically takes me back to the moment I fell in love with the Okanagan and its grapes.

My husband and I had gone to scavenge the area and its’ wine for our wedding site and paired libation. On a cold and rainy evening we tucked in to a bottle of See Ya Later Ranch’s Rover and envisioned our following day and how it would lead to the stunning vista of SYL Ranch. Naturally beautiful is the scene, which ironically could be the only description applicable for the final course of Friday’s Dinner. A pear galette with housemade honey thyme gelato and hunny harvest Riesling is guaranteed to whisk you in to the exquisite valley oasis south of Penticton, without demanding the travel expense. The $55 price tag attached to Friday is a steal as a quick escape care of See Ya Later Ranch and La Bocca.

For tickets and event details please follow this link.

My weekends oddly resemble my weekdays lately. I wake at the same horridly early hour to enjoy my oatmeal and venture in to my gym. I spend an hour of quality time with Breakfast Television from Monday to Friday and feel a small aspect of excitement for swapping it for the two handsome twins of Property Brothers on my weekend. Pathetic I know.

The other weekend victory is my time relaxing in a coffee shop before picking up groceries. Dressed in my swanky Lululemon attire I tuck away in a fav locale – note to self, in January short shorts do not blend in. After rave reviews and a product-test excursion to its original Pemberton digs, I felt it time to give Mt. Currie Coffee’s new address in Marketplace. The location is ideal for access in comparison to many of our other options, and it may just be their fresh perspective, but the baristas sure seem Pemberton -friendly. The same crowd seems to seek them out as well, with early morning sledders grabbing roast beef wraps for the road, and sweet treats for the mountain. Survival food that boasts not only fresh berries, but vegan, and gluten free ingredients takes on a new level of health. Their daily soup creation paired with a fresh panini seems like a great coercion for a return visit later in the day.

Now we all know space is something of a challenge to find in Whistler but I would say the use of every nook here is fun and modern. Oh, and the main attraction, the coffee, is regarded as the best in town by many who have sampled the new bean. As the artfully poured espresso scents the room you can’t help but feel cozy and comfy….even in too short shorts in January.

Even though we’re a relatively small community, we’re a loving one. A giving one. And the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation is indicative of this. Led by President Dave Brownlie, and run by the gregarious ‘Fairy Godmother of Whistler’, Mei McCurdy, and her diminutive powerhouse of a colleague, Jaime Kerrigan, the Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation that “is dedicated to providing financial support to registered non-profit organizations whose activities provide benefit to residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor in the areas of health, human services, education, recreation, arts and culture and the environment with an emphasis on children, youth and family programs.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. Both Mei and Jaime are passionate community-driven event professionals, and strive to create the most exciting and inspiring occasions possible, whilst benefiting charities and organisations along the Sea-to-Sky.

Their next endeavour is the upcoming TELUS Winter Classic, which features a jam-packed weekend of ski, food, wine, beer and entertainment events. From ‘Ski with a PRO’ day, to beverage-soaked ‘Wine-tastic’ and the sensory-driven ‘TELUS Technicolor Dream Mountain-top Gala’, there’s an event to tantalise every taste bud and get you reaching deep into those pockets to help support the Foundation’s charity partners.

The driving force behind this fabulous event, Mei McCurdy weighed in on the impact that the Foundation has on the community; “The TELUS Winter Classic is the largest fundraising event of the year for the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation and this year we are celebrating our 20^th anniversary! All proceeds from the event will be distributed to well deserving charities throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor focusing on children, youth and family programs.  The Foundation donates over $600,000 annually and since 1992 we have raised and donated over $7.5 million dollars.   The mandate of the Foundation has always been to help organizations whose activities benefit and enhance the lives of residents in the Sea to Sky Corridor.  Without this event and the support of our corporate sponsors, local businesses and volunteers,  we would be unable to make such a positive impact.  The TELUS Winter Classic is a two day event with many different components including the Accenture Ski With A Pro Day and the Thornhill Real Estate Group Race Classic.  There are two evening events that are absolutely phenomenal.  The Whistler Winetastic! event on the Friday evening features over 140 International Wines, Sprits and microbreweries  and delicious bites from some amazing local restaurants.  The grand finale of the event is our Gala  at the top of Whistler Mountain on Saturday night.  We transform the Roundhouse beyond recognition and this year our theme is Technicolour.  It really will be an evening you won’t want to miss.  We try to attract people to attend by producing an event  that is fun and exciting and at the end of the day people feel great that they’re involved in something that’s all about giving back to the community.”

The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Facebook page is also holding a fantastic contest where you can win tickets to the Wine-tastic event. Contest closes on January 21, so get over to their page and like away!

To read more about the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, click here.

Information and tickets to the skiing, and food and wine events can be found here.

Michael Overbeck loves coffee so we knew he would capture some awesome coffee porn at the new Whistler location of Mount Currie Coffee Co. Welcome to the ‘hood friends!

Chris Ankeny is the owner of Mount Currie Coffee Co. and also happens to be a very talented photographer. Look for his large prints on the walls at the coffee shop and to see more of his work check out his The Proof here. 

Mount Currie Coffee Co. Pemberton Facebook Page

Mount Currie Coffee Co. Whistler Facebook Page

I have to admit, as far as brunch goes, I have been a diehard Elements fan for quite some time, despite the fact you are sometimes waiting for up to an hour to get a seat in this bustling bistro on a typical weekend morning.

When Alta Bistro announced they were serving breakfast in their cozy eatery I was intrigued. This new kid on the block, just up the street from Elements and also off the pedestrian stroll, is one of my favourite places to dine. Based on my dinner experiences, I assumed breakfast would be fresh, imaginative and simply delicious.

And, I was right. After checking out the menu I decided to go with Mushrooms on Toast with a Two Hour Egg for $12. The thick slab of buttery, toasted sourdough bread was smothered with a selection of sauteed wild mushrooms, creamy horseradish hollandaise and topped with a slow poached, two-hour egg that had been lightly panfried to give it delicious, crisp brown edges. Two slices of organic bacon topped off this indulgent plate.

My dining partner Tyler chose the Croque Madame $11, served with an egg on the side and spicy homemade ketchup, perfect for dipping that cheesy goodness into. Both plates came with savoury roast potatoes. Although we opted for Namasthe organic mint tea and fresh brewed Milano coffee, a mimosa made with fresh squeezed orange juice and Blue Mountain Brut (known as the Manmosa when served on the rocks) would be a refreshing way to cut through all that buttery goodness. And since we were heading into the village  next to take care of some Christmas shopping, a little buzz would have been welcome. Oh well, there is always next weekend!

The Alta Bistro is serving breakfast and brunch from 7:30am to Noon daily. Check out the full menu here.

Did you know Fairmont Fridays are still happening until Friday, December 21, 2012? Get thee to the Mallard Lounge, my friend. Here are the details for tonight’s affair.

• Mandarin Spice cocktail, Whistler Powder Mountain Lager and Jackson Trigg Chardonnay and Merlot all on special for $5!
• Dave Morris will be performing live until 7pm.
• Complimentary passed appetizers will also be served.

Could there be a more perfect way to kick off the weekend? I think not. See you at Fairmont Friday!

As I was reminded recently, it is apparently bad form to cook on your own birthday. That being said, people generally don’t complain, and we certainly didn’t, when celebrating Araxi’s 31st. Sure, some attempt an entire “birthday week”, but few could pull off an entire birthday season!

I guess when you do so with such flair the guests will just keep coming. In perfect balance we chose our party partners – a friend eager to move to Whistler, and long time Whistler-based family who had ironically worked at the very first of Araxi’s anniversaries.

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Free food, great prizes, free museum admission, fun crowd … no brainer. Come on down to the Whistler Museum Saturday night for our annual Welcome Week free-for-all, otherwise known as Feeding the Spirit. Whether you’ve been in Whistler two days or two decades, everyone’s welcome to this early-season staple.

Our doors will open at 5:30, and after you’ve filled your famished, post-shred bellies, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to browse the exhibits, learn about your community, socialize, and celebrate the start of winter. Over the next two hours a  wackload of great prizes from  local businesses will be given away. Like what, you may ask?

Well, for starters, we’ve got  grocery gift certificates from Creekside Market (who generously donated all the food we’re serving that night) so you don’t have to lie when mom asks if you’re eating well. And if she’s worried about frostbite, we’ve got you covered with some super-styley Nibz Bandanas. Think your tresses will eventually need some expert help? Let the masters at Farfalla guide you, should you be so lucky as to win the draw. Worried about post-shred funk? We’ve got awesome all-natural soaps from Rocky Mountain Soap Co., coupons for Gone Bakery, Moguls, Zogs, Misty Mountain Pizza, Prior Snowboards sticker packs, gear from Kathmandu Bike & Board, Celebrate Whistler, the list goes on and on.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not. You don’t even have to like us on Facebook, it’s just an awesome free event, no strings attached (but since we’re on the topic, click here to like us on Facebook).