Part 2 | Drinking & More Drinking in Vancouver, B.C

Like any metropolitan city, you can pretty much find a place to get a drink on every corner and Vancouver was no different. Since I am a freak about food and drink, I did a lot of research on Eater before hand. Our second day in the city, we did some day drinking but nothing with alcohol (I know, I know...so disappointing). Instead, we got out caffeine fix at two local coffee places and we were NOT disappointed. Thanks to this article on Eater, we ventured to Revolver and Timbertrain. 

Revolver was packed so apparently this place is no secret. They were out of cold brew, so we shared an iced Americano. They rotate their coffee roasts daily and noticed Portland's Heart Coffee available for sale. If it wasn't so busy we would have ordered the coffee sampler but with no AC and sweaty people, we got our coffee to go. 

From there, we made our way to Timbertrain, which was awesome. They have cold brew on Nitro which made for a creamy and delicious coffee. It looked just like a Porter or Stout beer. I would highly recommend this gem of a place. They are relatively new (only open 7 months) and they roast all their own coffee. We couldn't walk away without a bag. 

Once our caffeine high wore off, we decided to go get some food and headed to the industrial rail area, to The Belgard Kitchen. This place is neat because it is a kitchen, brewery and urban winery all under one roof. I am obsessed. I loved everything about the ambiance, service, food and drink. Dylan ordered a craft beer flight from Postmark Brewing and I ordered a wine flight from Vancouver Urban Winery. Our favorite wine was the Cedar Creek Ehrenfelser...never have I ever tried this blend. Apparently it is a popular BC blend from the Okanagan region.

We stayed for hours enjoying the food, a bottle of wine and conversation with our awesome server. All the wine is served from the tap so nothing comes in a bottle. A "bottle" of wine is served in a vintage decanter and no two are alike. The staff and owners search the city for these unique beauties.

via belgard kitchen

We had a fabulous day of drinking and exploring Vancouver's beer, wine and coffee. I highly recommend all three locations! 

The Belgard Kitchen / Vancouver Urban Winery / Postmark Brewing

55 Dunlevy Ave.

Vancouver, BC

daily 11am - 11pm 

Revolver Coffee

325 Cambie Street

Vancouver, BC

mon-fri 7:30am - 6pm | saturday 9am - 6pm | closed sundays

Timbertrain Coffee Roasters

311 West Cordova Street 

Vancouver, BC

 mon-fri 7:30am–6pm | saturday 9am–6pm | sunday 9am–5pm

Part 1 | Eating & Drinking in Vancouver, B.C.

A sales event took me up North to beautiful British Columbia, so naturally, I recruited Dylan to come along to explore the lovely city of Vancouver. We drove up two days early, rented a loft via aArbnb and ate our way through downtown. 

We went for a casual dinner the first night at Tap & Barrel in the Olympic Village. It was neat to walk around the village where the 2010 Olympic athletes lived for several weeks. Tap & Barrel is right on the waterfront featuring a great outdoor patio with lots of seating. 

Our seasonal beer sampler was refreshing with a raspberry IPA and a blueberry wit, both from local BC breweries. Dylan was a good sport and drank the fruity beers with me. :)

In addition to the 24 beers on tap, they also have 14 wines on tap. We found out that wine on tap in Vancouver is very popular. Check out my next post on the Vancouver Urban Winery and you will know what I mean. 

 

Fo dinner, I went out of my comfort zone a little and tried something unique on the menu - PB&J Burger! I did get the sweet potato fries though...a standard for me. The burger was complete with chipotle peanut butter, bacon jam and topped with a fried pickle! Dylan ordered the fish and chips after he saw it delivered to the table next to us. He gave it a thumbs up but said the cod didn't quite have as much flavor as halibut.

Check out one of their two locations for some pub fare and local craft beers! 

Tap & Barrel

open 7 days a week | 11am - midnight 

Olympic Village 

1 Athletes Way

Convention Centre

1055 Canada Place 

Yup...still, the best weekend ever.

The festivities continued.

First off, we pitched a tent in REI this weekend...so that was fun.

Friday was a great day for food, friends and a rooftop. Two of my friends hosted a potluck barbecue on their apartment's rooftop and it was a lovely evening for it. Kelsey featured a yummy barbecue chicken with homemade sauce and I loved the flavors! Check out the recipe on her blog.

a candid gem of the ladies on the rooftop

Saturday, we made our way over to the Oregon Brewers Festival. Yes...Saturday...at 4pm. This is quite possibly the worst time to go to a beer festival if you are actually trying to TASTE beers. It is hot, loud and busy with long lines. If you want to taste beers (1 token = taster, 4 tokens = a full beer), then I suggest visiting the festival on Wednesday, Thursday or early on Friday. Saturday and Sunday are crazy...good crazy, but a lot of people. Needless to say, I wasn't doing much tasting. If I am going to stand in line for 15 minutes, this girl is getting a full beer. This is what I was able to try:

Mt. Shasta Brewery's Skip And Go Naked - Strawberry Ginger Hefeweizen.
Burnside Brewing Co.'s Marionberry Berliner Weisse
Coalition Brewing Co.'s Wheat the People - American Wheat

I give a thumb's up to the Ginger Hefe (I love ginger) and the American Wheat. Burnside disappointed me with the Marionberry...you could hardly taste the berries!

Sunday was filled with more IPNC fun at the Passport to Pinot event. It was a beautiful summer day filled with food sampling and wine drinking. We had a blast! So many Pinots, so little time.

We were able to sample bites from Salt & Straw, PBJs, Crown Paella, Red Hills Market, Portland Penny Diner and so many more! Too many wineries to name, but you can check out the IPNC Web site for a full list.

Coquine Supper Club bites

love the concept - tapas catering by Crown Paella

a fantastic PDX band 

Needless to say, it was a fantastic weekend of eating and drinking. Now it is time to gear up for the next festival, Feast Portland! I said it before and I will say it again...I am not missing it this year. 

The best weekend ever.

Have I said that before about another weekend? Probably. But seriously, this is one of the best weekends ever.

If you love beer and wine, then you know what I am talking about.

The last weekend of July many Oregonians will be spending their time in the Willamette Valley enjoying the International Pinot Noir Celebration or relaxing on the Tom McCall Waterfront Park for the Oregon Brewer's Festival. Actually, both events are nationally recognized so many people come from all over to attend one of these two events.

Tonight I found myself enjoying a lovely setting and a spectacular sunset at Stoller Vineyards for the Pre-IPNC Summertime ¡Salud! Dinner. Fortunately for me, there was an extra ticket and I was the lucky one. I cannot even begin to describe the stunning views, delightful company and wonderfully executed family-style meal. Yes, you read that correctly, family-style....my favorite type of dining.

I couldn't wait to share some of the photos I took of the beautiful views. For once, I actually wasn't snapping photos of my food. What a bad night to forget my camera.

Also, take a look at the menu prepared by our very own, Chef Sunny Jin. Yes yes, I am biased because I work with the guy but seriously it was delicious.

garden beet & blueberry salad with briar rose madrona, candied walnuts, banyuls vinaigrette

juniper-scented heritage pork loin with sprouted wheat berries, scallions, radishes, fig-saba marmalade

grilled new york strip loin with yukon gold potatoes, chicory slaw, charred garden onions, dijonnaise 

blackberry cobbler with greek yogurt, jory granola, brown sugar caramel 

birch syrup panna cotta with tequila-pickled cherries, mexican chocolate sauce 

Next up...celebrating Oregon Craft Beer Month.

How are you celebrating this weekend?

Family-style at Jamison

Portland is the home of new, reinvented restaurants. One goes out of business and then another opens to take its place. It is impossible to get through my mile-long list of restaurants to try as it is, and then my friends go and suggest a new one on me. Jamison opened last month and is a second venture for the owner's of Davis Street Tavern. It took the location of the well-known, Fenouil. Sad to see them go, but I have to say, I am pretty excited about Jamison. In my opinion, way more impressive than Davis Street.

via jamisonpdx.com

We chose to dine outside because it was a beautiful summer night and the restaurant has a large patio for outdoor dining. Our view was of Jamison Square with trees lit up by outdoor white lights creating an ambiance that made want to stay all night. The indoor dining was equally lovely with rustic, wooden touches but comfortable with oversized chairs and banquette seating.  The birdcage chandeliers were my favorite decoration piece. All the windows opened up to the patio so even dining indoors felt like you were outside. This place will transition nicely into the winter with the warm interior colors and cozy fireplaces.

The inspiration of the menu is "American family-style" so your plates are served as the kitchen prepares them. This is my FAVORITE way to dine. I come from a big family so sharing and sampling different dishes is my preference. There are small plates, vegetable sides, flatbreads, salads and large plates. We ordered something from ever section. Our favorites were the heirloom tomato salad (a given since it is tomato season), roasted garlic and crostini and the farro with broccoli raab and peppadew peppers. We walked away without ordering the halibut dish and I am regretting it. I must go back and try.

garlic crostini & menu

One thing I have to say is that it is vegan and

vegetarian-friendly. We ate all vegetarian that night and had NO problem finding options. With that said, you will find seafood and meat options too.

Stop by before while we still have our beautiful summer nights. You won't regret it...maybe check out their happy hour and let me know what you think!

Jamison 

900 NW 11th Ave

Portland, OR

503.972.3330

open tuesday - sunday

Bottle vs. Box - David Hill Winery

Generally, when I hear "boxed wine", I think of college parties, Franzia and my grandparents.  But, David Hill Winery is changing the way Willamette Valley wines are contained. This weekend my family and I tried their Farmhouse Red, both from the box and from the bottle. To my surprise, no one could really tell the difference. Some people argued the color was slightly different but no one could identify which was which.

bottle vs. box

Though I am not going to rush to replace all my wine bottles with boxes, this is still pretty neat. The box wine is tasty, sustainable, easy to travel with and holds four bottles of wine. In fact, it is cheaper too. 

If you decant this wine...I bet you can trick your family and friends. They might never know the difference. Give it a try!

David Hill Winery

46350 NW David Hill Rd

Forest Grove, OR 97116

503.992.8545

Allison Wonderland - food, wine & art event

So, I have to make a plug for a fabulous event at The Allison Inn & Spa, next Saturday August 6th. This is the first annual Allison Wonderland, an upscale farmer's market featuring local food, wineries and artists.

The Allison Inn & Spa has partnered with Lexus Luxury Cars to showcase a series of new events. This first event, Allison Wonderland, will kick off the series with some fine food, great wine, live music and a variety of different artistic media. It is going to take place throughout the gardens and on the walking paths around The Allison. 

Event Info

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

5:30 - 11pm

$100 per person

Take a look here to see a complete list of all the wineries, purveyors, artists and a sample menu!

R.S.V.P to the event

Happy Hour at Ringside Steakhouse

via Ringside Web site

After reading lots of reviews about their happy hour online, it was time to head to Ringside Steakhouse in uptown Portland. Ringside is a fine dining steakhouse that has been around since the 1940's and is a favorite to many Portland natives.

We arrived at 9:30pm, right when happy hour started, and I am glad we showed up when we did. The bar filled up quickly, even on a Sunday night. It was very cozy with small tables and dim lighting, but people were in and out quickly.

We ordered a couple grilled caesar salads, steak bites and calamari to start. I wanted a little something more, so our waitress recommended the crab cake. It was delicious and truly the best crab cake I have ever had. Great recommendation! Check out the happy hour menu to see all their choices, prices range from $2.25 to $4.75. Next time, I am going for the onion rings, they looked tasty!

This particular location went under a recent remodel and reopened in March. Our waitress recommended a bottle of wine from their new 10,000 underground wine cellar. We went with the 2009 Eola Hills Pinot Gris and we were very pleased.

Overall a fantastic experience and below are some reasons why I will go back:

Complimentary valet parking
Great happy hours prices
Exceptional service
Open 7 days a week

Happy hours: Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - close, Sunday: 4pm - 5:30pm & 9:30 - close

Ringside Steakhouse, 2165 W. Burnside, Portland 97210

Day Two of Willamette Valley Wine Tasting (Part 2)

Alright...so on to Anne Amie Winery! I was looking forward to this stop because I loved the wine I sampled at the Educate Your Palate event. When we finally arrived, the view from the entrance was incredible. The tasting room and winery looked so whimsically from down below, I loved it. I could not wait to get up to the top. I got funny looks as I hung out of the sunroof for a photo op.


When we got to the top of the winery, the view was just stunning. You could see all the vineyards, the coast range and the beautiful Chehalem Mountains. There were tables outside on the patio for picnics and the staff highly encourages using them. You can bring your own food or you can enjoy one of their small cheese plates.



We went inside to do some wine tasting and Ksandek, the Director of Hospitality was more than accommodating. We tasted the '08 Cuvée A Amrita, '08 Pinot Gris, '08 Pinot Blanc, '09 Riesling and a couple '07 Pinot Noirs. Also to break up the tasting, since there were so many wines to sample, Annie Davis was kind enough to give us a tour of the property. We learned there are 40 acres of vineyards and it used to be the Chateau Benoit Winery, but in 1999 was purchased and later changed to Anne Amie.

We spent a lot of time here and overall just a fun place to be - I will return for sure.

After we left Anne Amie and got some food in our bellies, we headed on to Domaine Serene, which is in the heart of the Dundee Hills. Talk about a grand entrance! This place is more than a winery, it is an entire estate! We drove up a long driveway until we reached the parking lot and then followed the signs around the building until we reached the tasting room.

The tasting room was very nice with a lot of space for guests and private parties. They also had outdoor seating on a patio that extending off the tasting room. This was our last stop, so we only tasted a few wines.



We tried a few different Pinot Noirs, a Rosé and a Syrah. These Pinots were a bit heavier tasting to me and it was my first time trying a Syrah. I was not crazy about it, but of course, I am still impartial to some red wines and trying to develop a palate for them. Would it surprise you if I said I liked the Rosé? Well I did like it and was ready to go back for seconds. Overall, a beautiful venue and a fun place to visit.

That wraps up my second day of wine tasting and I plan on visiting more as soon as the weather starts to get nice. I am hoping soon since we are approaching June! Next on my agenda are The Four Graces, Adelsheim and Archery Summit. Let me know if you have any suggestions for my next day of tasting!

Day Two of Willamette Valley Wine Tasting (Part 1)

Ever since my first day of wine tasting, I have been anxious to get back out there and do some more! This time, I recruited my boyfriend to come along with me. Our stops this time were - Bergstrom, Laurel Ridge, Anne Amie and Domaine Serene. (This post I will just write about Bergstrom and Laurel Ridge, I have too much to say!). Fortunately for us, it was a beautiful day so we were able to spend plenty of time at each of the wineries.


We stopped by the front desk at The Allison Inn and Spa for a winery map and some tasting cards and we were on our way!

I have been told to visit Bergstrom many times because it has a beautiful view, great Pinot Noirs and an even better Chardonnay. We drove up there and were in good company with a lot of other people. I think the nice weather brought a lot of people out wine tasting. The tasting room is not very big, but they have a patio with table and chairs for enjoying your wine. The view is quite spectaculor and you can see 33 acres of the Bergstrom and De Lancellotti Vineyards from the tasting room. I also learned that their winery is biodynamic which is becoming more common among wineries in the Willamette Valley.

We tasted the '07 Bergstrom Pinot Noir, '07 Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir, '07 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir (Pommard Block) and the 2008 Sigrid Chardonnay. I think we might have tasted another, but I can't seem to remember. Surprisingly, I loved the Chardonnay and I say this because the first wine I ever tried was a Chardonnay and I hated it. But, Bergstrom's Sigrid was fantastic! Dylan liked all the Pinots, I don't think he had a favorite at this winery. Overall, we loved it up there!


Next stop was Laurel Ridge Winery and we just sort of stumbled upon this winery on our way to Anne Amie. We recognized the winery name because we tried their dessert wine at the Educate Your Palate event. We pulled up and the property was very flat, unlike Bergstrom, which was up on the hilltop. Their were vineyards in the distant, but also wheat fields on property (at least I think that is what it was). The tasting room was very spacious and they had lots of other items for sale besides wine.

After looking around for a bit, Dylan decided he wanted to try the 2004 Laurel Ridge Port again. Did you know that Port originally came from Portugal, just like Champagne came from France? Well after the 2007 vintage, Portugal asked wineries to stop calling their dessert wine Port unless it is actually from Portugal. Interesting fact we learned.We tried the Port again with some fantastic dark chocolate and then I got to try the 2007 Riesling, which is not out for tasting yet! I lucked out, so tasty! But, remember...I love white wines, so everything might be tasty to me. :) It was well worth the stop and I am glad we saw their sign!

We then headed over to Anne Amie Winery...check out my next post to read about the rest of the day!

Day One of Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

Last Wednesday I had a day off and it was a gorgeous day, so I thought I would go check out the Willamette Valley and do some wine tasting. I work in the heart of wine country and I am constantly sending people to these incredible estates and vineyards and I have never been to any of them. I figure if wine tasting will help my career, then I must have it pretty good. :)



My first stop was Beaux Frères and I am so lucky I had the opportunity to visit this winery. Beaux Frères translates to brother-in-law in French (not beautiful brothers, as some might think). Michael Etzel is the winemaker and proprietor and started this winery with his brother-in-law Robert Parker. Both are incredible men. Michael Etzel took time out of his busy schedule to give us a tour of his beautiful property and explain his wine making process. His knowledge, love for growing the fruit and passion for his trade is amazing. I could have listened to him speak for hours. We tasted three different wines after our tour, all Pinot Noirs from different grapes and different vintages. The tasting room is small, but very quaint and just enough space to taste some delicious wine. This is only the second time I have been wine tasting and I truly appreciated every minute of it.

Next we went on to visit Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. What an incredible tasting room they have!



I wish I would have taken pictures of the special events space and the gorgeous view. When you walk in, there are open windows so you can see all the wine vats and barrels and then the tasting bar is directly to your right. We tasted about five different wines and I tried the 2009 Roseo wine, which was a first for me. It has a lot lighter body than their Pinot Noirs and is a lot more refreshing, but it still comes from a variety of Pinot Noir grapes. Perfect for a warm summer afternoon!

Next, we ventured on down the hill back into Dundee and decided to check out the Argyle tasting room. We just stumbled upon it because it is literally right off the 99W Highway. I like the convenience of it, but it did not have the view like Penner Ash. I would recommend this winery to finish the day because it is such a quick stop. They have a gift shop area too, so if you are looking for wine souvenirs, this is your place. I was excited to try their sparkling wine because we deliver bottles of the Argyle Brut to guest rooms as part of one of our packages. I tasted the 2006 Argyle Brut and the 2007 Argyle Brut Rosé. Yummy! I love bubbly wine...makes me feel like I am celebrating something.

That was the end to my day of wine tasting, but I would call it a success. I visited three great places but all of them had their unique qualities and atmospheres. I think I have about 300 more wineries to go...and the fun begins!

Eat, Drink and Bid – Supporting the Newberg Education Foundation

This weekend I got to do two of my favorite things, eat and drink. Usually when I am drinking, it is not fine food and wines, but thanks to the annual Eat, Drink and Bid event at August Cellars, I was able to do both. This annual event is a fundraiser to support The Newberg Education Foundation featuring 22 wineries and 15 restaurants.



I must say I am very new to the wine world, so I went with the hopes to try all different types of wines and I certainly was not let down. At August Cellars, there are three levels of the winery and on each level there were different wineries and restaurants represented.

Our first two stops were Trisaetum and Dobbes Family Estate. I have sent guests to both of these wineries, so it was nice to finally taste the wine and put a name to a face. I then ventured over to Bon Appétit Catering and tried the seared ahi tuna with fresh orange on a won ton crisp. How was it? Well, let’s just say I went back for seconds. But, the second time around I took it in one bite instead going through the embarrassment of trying to be polite and take two bites.



Next, my boyfriend pointed out the sign for Sweetest Thing Cupcakes because he has heard me rant and rave about their tasty treats. Obviously, I insisted on him trying all three flavors – Peachy King, Strawberry Kiss (made special for this occasion) and Cowboy. I loved the Strawberry Kiss cupcake; it was filled with a chocolate ganache and topped with a sweet strawberry frosting. I request this become a permanent flavor at the bakery.

Of course I can go on and on about all the wineries and restaurants that were featured at the event, but there are just a few I tables I spent more time at than others. One was Anne Amie Winery. There were four wines featured – 2008 Cuvee A Amrita, 2008 Pinot Gris, 2006 Winemakers Selection Pinot Noir ( I learned that ’06 was a good year) and a pinot blanc. I am for sure a white wine kind of girl and I loved the pinot blanc! My boyfriend is more of a wine guy and likes reds, but even he liked their featured white wines. Their 2008 Pinot Gris was recently named the best pinot gris in Oregon by The New York Times.

Here are a few of our other favorites:

SubTerra - Try their version of mac n’ cheese! It was cavatappi pasta with candied bacon, oven-dried tomatoes and four different cheeses topped with sautéed arugula. Fantastic!



Honest Chocolates – A dark chocolate truffle with a caramel filling and topped with sea salt. The best truffle I have every tasted…honest. I stole my boyfriend’s sample because I needed seconds.

Fanucchi Oils – I think we were sampling savory olive oils and spreads for a good twenty minutes. These extra virgin olive oils are imported from Greece, Italy and the Mediterranean. We liked the basil garlic infused dipping oil and the Traditional Organic with a pepper finish the best.

Laurel Ridge Winery – The 2003 Pinot Noir Port was wonderful and went well with my raspberry dark chocolate from Honest Chocolates.

Golden Valley Brewery – So happy to see something familiar, a microbrew! Beer tasting is a little more normal to me, so I was happy to sample a refreshing blonde ale.

We had a blast and it was a great introduction to the Willamette Valley’s wine and cuisine. I highly recommend attending next year’s Educate Your Palate – Eat, Drink and Bid event!