About Quails’ Gate Winery:

I have been a long time fan of Quails’ Gate winery in the Okanagan, located in West Kelowna. I have a particular affinity to their Pinot Noir.  At some recent world-wide wine competitions  Quails’ Gate won several awards.  Here is the press release with the list of their awards.  Maybe rush to your local liquor store or wine shop and pick up some of these wines before they sell out.

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May 22, 2013 (Vancouver, BC) – Quails’ Gate winery is again attracting global attention, as its wines have received numerous awards at international wine competitions.  Results from the Pacific Rim Wine Competition, Decanter World Wine Awards, and UK International Wine & Spirit Competition clearly show that Okanagan wines are among the world’s best.

Pacific Rim Competition - Based in California, the competition included 1200 wines from 11 countries.

• Gold/Best in Class - 2010 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay (2010 Chardonnay category)
• Gold - 2009 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir (Pinot Noir 2009 category)
• Silver - 2011 Quails’ Gate Chardonnay (Chardonnay 2011 category)
• Silver - 2011 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay (Chardonnay 2011 category)
• Silver - 2011 Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir (Pinot Noir 2011 category)

Decanter World Wine Awards - Evaluated a total of 14,362 international wines.

• Gold Medal - Quails’ Gate 2010 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay – only 1.59% earned Gold.
• Silver Medal - Quails’ Gate 2011 Chenin Blanc

International Wine & Spirit Competition - The prestigious competition in London, England.  Entries in the competition are blind tasted by a panel of expert judges as well as being subjected to chemical analysis in the lab.  The Northern Hemisphere results were just released, and three Quails’ Gate wines were awarded medals in this extremely competitive field.

• Silver Outstanding – 2011 Quails’ Gate Chenin Blanc
• Silver – 2010 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay
• Silver – 2009 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir

One of the Okanagan Valley’s foremost wineries, Quails’ Gate is family owned and operated and a must see destination of interior BC. Year after year, Quails’ Gate Winery continues to be internationally recognized as a top quality producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and as the home of one of the top winery restaurants of British Columbia. The wines are expressive of the unique terroir of the Estate where vines thrive on Mt. Boucherie, an extinct volcano that overlooks Lake Okanagan.

www.quailsgate.com

Twitter: @Quails_Gate

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It is estimated that approximately 1 in 6 people have some level of gluten sensitivity. Gluten is the substance in wheat flour that gives bread it’s elasticity.  Celiacs are people who cannot tolerate gluten at all, but for the gluten sensitive people, we can eat food, like a sandwich, but the gluten can cause us to get heartburn or patchy red skin, or other ailments.  While not life threatening, it feels better when you do not have to worry about eating a meal and wondering if there is a gluten-based product.

Pasta or noodle dishes are popular with most people, but most noodles are based on wheat.  There are some noodles made from rice or bean thread, but I recently became aware of a new product for me called “Tofu Shirataki” by House Foods.  Tofu Shirataki is a pasta alternative made by blending the flour of the Konnyaku - a member of the Asian yam family (also known as Konjac) with tofu.  I visited my local Choices Market and picked up a package of the Tofu Shirataki spaghetti style noodles to try in a Chinese stir fry.  I received a coupon for these noodles.  Beside the spaghetti shape, there is also fettuccine, angel hair and macaroni shaped noodles too.

The package of noodles come in a sealed package that is filled with water.  Opening the noodles, the instructions are to rinse them in water, then to boil them 2-3 minutes as use just like pasta, or if you are going to use them in a stir fry, to rinse them, then add them to the stir fry.  The 226 gram package I think is enough for 1 hungry person, or two people with regular sized appetites to share for their meal.

Tofu Shirataki spaghetti

To my stir fry I added chopped vegetables, and condiments of sesame oil, ground ginger, vinegar, soy sauce and black bean sauce.  I placed the noodles on top of the cooking vegetables and let things simmer for a few minutes.  The noodles are not fragile so it was easy to stir them into the vegetables and not worry that they would fall apart.

Into my bowl, I sampled some of these now seasoned noodles and was very pleasantly surprised.  The noodles did not stick together like you can get from wheat-based noodles.  When I bit into the noodle, there was some firmness, similar to al dente pasta.  I really enjoyed the texture of the noodles.  There was also no sour taste that you can get from tofu on it’s own.  I doubt most people could tell that they were not eating a wheat-based noodle.

Tofu Shirataki spaghetti in stir fry

I feel comfortable recommending these noodles to anybody to try.  I will buy these as well myself in the future for my meals.  Enjoy!

 

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Kulinarya

I first heard about Kulinarya during the Vancouver Magazine 24th Annual Restaurant Awards earlier in May. A Coquitlam-based restaurant, plus Filipino food, being highlighted for their culinary skills, at these awards, was a shock to me. I love Filipino food, but many of the Filipino restaurants are more casual, called “turo turo” where you line up and point to the dishes you would like. There are some sit-down Filipino restaurants, like Kumare in Richmond, and Pin Pin in Vancouver, and now to my delight, Kulinarya in Coquitlam.

Today I tried 3 dishes:

• MANOK SA GATA - Chicken with vegetables simmered in coconut milk
• INIHAW NA PUSIT - Grilled Squid
• PANCIT MALABON - Thick rice noodles with pork, vegetables and shrimp

I found out that the menu shows many local Manila area dishes, such as the Manok sa Gata, which I am told is a favourite of many people visiting the restaurant.  The Manok (chicken) sa Gata (milk) is very similar to a Thai yellow curry made with chicken.  This one also had pineapple chunks in it, which I am told is authentic for this dish.  I enjoyed this dish, not spicy, but lots of flavour, with that sweet component from the pineapple.

Manok sa gata (Chicken in milk)

My favourite dish was the Inihaw (grilled) na Pusit (squid).  A large squid, stuffed with chopped tomatoes and onions, grilled, and served on a hot plate.  It is accompanied with a sweet and sour vinegar sauce on the side.  The pusit was not overly grilled leaving it still tender.  I enjoy the sourness of the vinegar with the grilled onions and tomato flavour.  Squid provides the texture.

Inihaw na pusit (Grilled squid)

The last dish, Pancit (noodles) Malabon, is a noodle dish from a city called Malabon, which is part of Metro Manila. Pancit Malabon is made with a larger, translucent rice noodle, which has pork, vegetables, and shrimps added. It is topped with sliced hard boiled eggs, crushed pork rinds, and a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the dish.  This dish was more noodles and could have had a bit more vegetable and pork in my opinion.  It was ok but could be better.

Pancit Malabon (Malabon noodles)

In future visits to Kulinarya, there are many dishes that I want to try like:

• CRISPY BINAGOONGAN - Crispy pork in shrimp paste and coconut milk
• PAKSIW NA PATA - Pork hock simmered in vinegar-soy suace topped with banana flowers
• PINAPUTOK NA ISDA - Grilled tilapia fish in tomatoes, onions and tamarind sauce wrapped in banana leaf

If you are in Coquitlam, and it is near lunch or dinner, give Kulinarya a try( 114 -2922 Glen Drive, Coquitlam, BC V3B 2P5).  It is a small restaurant with 6 tables only.  They do not offer wine or beer, so enjoy these dishes with a juice or soda.

Our Tasting Menu

Chewies date night sign

Did you know that Chewies Steam and Oyster Bar has a Date Night special on Monday nights?  I recently was invited to sample from the Date Night menu and enjoy some fantastic wine too.  My partner in crime for the night was Dianne Chow aka @diannechow on Twitter.

If you have not heard of Chewies before it is a New Orleans inspired restaurant in the Kitsilano area located at 2201 W 1st Ave.  They have a decent wine list with 7 red wines by the glass, 9 white wines by the glass, and 2 sparkling by the glass (which goes really well with oysters on the half shell).  You of course can purchase full bottles of wines at Chewies.

Wild Goose Vineyards Autumn Gold 2011

For this evening, our host, Charles, opened a bottle of Wild Goose Autumn Gold 2011, BC. I really like Wild Goose’s white wines.  They have a good balance between fruit, sugar and acidity.  This wine is a blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Blanc grapes. Off dry in style with higher acidity, and flavours of white peach, pear and lychee. Soft and light bodied.  A very easy wine to enjoy. The bit of sweetness also helps to cool any New Orleans spice.

The Monday Date Night menu consists of 1 shared appetizer, two main courses, and a shared dessert. Bottles of wine are half price too. Our tasting menu consisted of:

• Pan seared calamari - Local Humboldt squid, cucumber, jalapeño mint salad
• Jambalaya - House smoked chicken, andouille sausage, prawns, tasso ham, spicy Cajun rice
• Beef brisket - Applewood smoked angus beef brisket, sweet potato mash, coleslaw, house made spicy BBQ sauce
• Lagniappe- pan fried oysters - Panko bread crusted Fanny Bay Oysters, house made tartar sauce
• Pecan pie - Whipped cream and chocolate sauce

Have you heard of  Lagniappe before?  It is a Cajun word, meaning a little bit extra.  Like when you are given an extra donut when you buy a dozen, or an appetizer at no charge at a restaurant.  Today the pan fried oysters were Lagniappe.

Pan seared calamari

The Pan Seared Calamari was cooked very differently than I have ever had before, and it was quite good. It was thinly sliced and marinated in buttermilk, then pan fried with dried chili flakes and chopped parsley.  The dish came with a sauce on the side that was creamy and spicy with a smoky edge, which I think was from smoked paprika.  If you did not know the slices were calamari you could be mistaken guessing they were a pasta noodle.  Tender, not chewy. The cucumber salad was a nice texture contrast with the crunch of the cucumber. The Wild Goose Autumn Gold, fruitness and sweetness also helped balance out the spice.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a New Orleans classic dish, similar to paella.  Creole Jambalaya according to Wikipedia is made, “..First, meat is added to  the trinity of celery, peppers, and onions, the meat is usually chicken and sausage such as andouille or smoked sausage. Next vegetables and tomatoes are added to cook, followed by seafood. Rice and stock are added in equal proportions at the very end. The mixture is brought to a boil and left to simmer for 20 to 60 minutes…“.  With Chewie’s Jambalaya you get smoky, earthy flavour, where the spice builds in your mouth the longer you eat it.  All the chicken and ham is very tender, with the chicken served in decent chunks on your fork.  The andouille sausage sliced thin has that right balance of meat to fat.  This Jambalaya has lots of spice to it, so if you are spice adverse, avoid this dish, but if you like spice, dig in!

Applewood smoked angus beef brisket

My favourite dish of the night was a Beef Brisket.  It had a wonderful smoky flavour together with a bbq sauce with black pepper and vinegar.  Brisket is always tender, and has lots of flavour on it’s own.  The slaw with this dish had a good dose of vinegar in it, but also a hint of sweetness.  Either of these main dishes are quite large so be sure to be hungry for the date night menu.

Pecan pie with whipped cream and chocolate sauce

If you have room, there is dessert, and for us, we shared a slice of pecan pie, accompanied with a chocolate sauce and a firm dollop of whipped cream. The pie was not too sweet and the pecans had a nice amount of chewiness to them.  The whipped cream looked so firm I initially thought it was ice cream, but the spoon easily carved through it.  Pecans and chocolate are a great pairing, so make sure you get some chocolate sauce on your piece of pecan pie, and some of the whipped cream, and your tastebuds will thank you.  Add a cup of coffee to it too, relax and slowly digest your New Orlean’s dishes.

Chewies is also well known for their 2 day marinated buttermilk fried chicken and they have a special every Tuesday, so after Monday’s date night, drop by for Tuesday’s chicken.  Cheers.

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Best chicken wings challenge

Chicken wings are a staple for many parties, bbqs and sporting events.  It’s also fun to eat with friends on an evening out.  Richard Wolak, aka vanfoodster, has announced his latest challenge, the “Best Chicken Wing Challenge” here in the Vancouver area.  Check out his press release below and further links to the challenge.

Don’t forget to try them with wine or beer!

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Vancouver, BC – Everyone loves Chicken Wings and they are a popular dish at local eateries and beyond. I chose Chicken Wings for my next challenge said Richard Wolak, this challenge features 13 participating restaurants and pubs in Vancouver, Coquitlam, and Richmond that runs from May 14 – June 9, 2013.

Participating restaurants are either showcasing Chicken Wings Creations that were specially created just for this challenge or already on their menu and all will be offered in all of these restaurants from May 14- June 9, 2013. The public is invited to visit any of the participating establishments and order the Chicken Wings creations and then decide on which ones they think are worthy of winning the challenge.

These are just some of the unique Chicken Wings creations in this challenge:

• The Morrissey Pub has created Moe’s Spicy Peanut Chicken Wings
• Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar has created Kimchi Chicken Wings
• Malone’s Bar and Grill has created Salted Caramel Waffle Wings with Zing

The full list with details including the participating restaurants and their Chicken Wings creations can be found here
http://vancouverfoodster.com/2013/05/14/vancouver-chicken-wings-challenge/ starting today!

Voting: The public is invited to try these chicken wings creations at the participating restaurants, and pubs keeping in mind this criteria – originality, creativity, uniqueness, traditional, non-traditional, price, value and most importantly taste. They are then encouraged to VOTE for their favourite Chicken wings creations between June 7-11, 2013 at
http://vancouverfoodster.com/chicken-wings-challenge/

We will announce the winning restaurants and their chicken wings dishes on June 12, 2013.

5 Speakers:

Vancouver Foodster’s Food Talks Vol. 8

Vancouver Foodster is prolific at putting on foodie events.  Upcoming is his 8th Food Talks.  This one features 5 inconic female chefs in the Vancouver lower mainland.  The talks are always interesting, and there is a Q&A period at the end where you can hear each of the speakers answer, and feed off of each other’s comments.  Quite entertaining.  Here is the press release about this event.

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Vancouver, BC –This is the eighth event in this Food Talks series! This edition of Food Talks features 5 iconic women chefs who will speak about their background and role as leaders in the food industry and community. This Food Talks event will also celebrate our 1st Anniversary of hosting inspiring speakers from our community.

Richard says “I created the Food Talks to educate people in our community about the food that they consume, it is about awareness as much as it is about lifestyle”; Richard also said “ the Food Talk is also a social gathering which is more than hearing great people talk about their passion, it is also a chance for the community to meet and mingle and ask questions from our leading panel of experts”.

Come join us to meet and mingle with other foodies, and to hear some enlightening speakers from the food community.

• Chef Karen Barnaby
• Chef Meeru Dhalwala
• Chef Susan Mendelson
• Chef Angie Quaale
• Chef Merri Schwartz

The Evening

Enjoy tasty appetizers by the chefs at The Westin Grand followed by a wonderful line-up of speakers who will talk about themselves and their role as a Woman Chef in the Food Community. Following the speakers, Richard Wolak -Founder of Food Talks, will moderate a Q & A where you will have a chance to ask questions and engage with the speakers. There will be a draw for prizes.* Wine, beer, cocktails and other beverages will be available for purchase.

Growing Chefs is our designated charity, support their wonderful organization that educates children on the food community in the public schools.

Tickets

Advance Tickets: $30 per person
Regular Tickets: $40 per person after June 8^th
Note: Eventbrite fee extra. A donation of $3 from each ticket purchased will go to support Growing Chefs.

Purchase tickets here http://foodtalksvolume8.eventbrite.com/

Full details of the event including the Speakers bio’s is here
http://foodtalks.ca/food-talks-volume-8-june-11/

Get Your Tickets

Marinaside Patio Seafood Platter

Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.  But does this also work for chefs cooking?  Let’s find out with the husband and wife chef couple from Provence Restaurants.  Details from this match up / throw down are below.  

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(Vancouver, BC) – On May 23^rd Chefs Alessandra and Jean-Francis Quaglia will celebrate 21 years of marriage. Not only are they a couple, but they are also both chefs and business partners owning Provence Restaurants – Provence Mediterranean Grill in Point Grey,Provence Marinaside in Yaletown and the newest venture TWB – The Wine Bar next door to Provence Marinaside. While Jean-Francis is Executive Chef for all locations, he devotes most of his time to Provence Marinaside (P2) while Alessandra casts a watchful eye over Provence Mediterranean Grill (P1). Over the years a friendly rivalry has blossomed between P1 and P2 – each offering slightly different menus and completely different ambiance.
 
On May 29^th, Provence Mediterranean Grill will be the site for Husband vs. Wife – a Chef’s Challenge. Who does the better halibut? Alessandra? Jean-Francis? You be the judge.
 
For this one night only P1 will offer a set three-course set menu for $50 (including tax and gratuity but not beverages). The first course is a choice from the restaurant’s antipasti case and dessert is Cherry Chocolate Clafoutis. It’s the main course where the halibut throw down happens. Two very different versions of halibut will be offered – one by the wife, the other by the husband. Guests won’t know who has created which to keep the competition unbiased. At the end of the evening Provence will tally up which main course sold the most and will announce the winner via social media and in its newsletter.
 
The idea came to Alessandra when the family (they have two sons who have grown up in the restaurants) was on a recent vacation. “We had many nights of cooking with the boys and a little competition developed to see who the best cook was. It was a lot of fun, so we decided to try it at the restaurant.”
 
At the moment, this event is planned as a one-off. However, if there is a lot of demand and the event quickly sells out; they may consider repeating it on May 30^th and then doing a different competition at Provence Marinaside next month.
 

When: May 29

Cost: $50 (including tax and gratuity but not beverages) per person

Tickets are available on Eventbrite: or  through Provence’s web sitewww.provencevancouver.com 
 
So join us for some ‘all in the family’ fun at Provence Mediterranean Grill on May 29^th and you get to pick the winner. It’ll be a halibut of a good time.

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Pizza and Beer

Vancouver Craft Beer week is coming up starting May 31.  Have you considered attending any event?  The event website is at this link.

But if you can’t wait, because pizza is awesome to enjoy with friends and family, and a craft beer (or wine) is an excellent pairing, why not visit Nicli Antica Pizzeria?   Check out their press release below.

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(Vancouver, BC) Beer and pizza – it’s become a classic Canadian combination. Whether it’s an after game celebration, before class quick bite, or dinner out with friends; beer and pizza is everyone’s ‘go to’ casual meal. It’s become so ubiquitous that most of us take it for granted. Not at Nicli Antica Pizzeria where they continue the century old tradition of creating Neapolitan-style pizzas the proper way – with love, by hand, using the only the best seasonal ingredients.

Coming up are three Craft Beer and Pizza Pairing Dinners that may just have you appreciating beer and pizza with a whole new respect. “We are very excited to be partnering with three of BC’s top artisan breweries,” says Nicli owner Bill McCaig. “Like a wine-pairing dinner, it’s a great way to showcase the flavour profiles in the beer and how they complement our pizzas. For these initial dinners we are so pleased to be working with Parallel 49 (May 13), Driftwood (May 20) and Howe Sound (May 27). They demonstrate the same care and attention to beer-making that we do with our pizzas. We think this may be a Vancouver first and if they’re well received, we’ll do more.”

The dinners start at 8:30 p.m. and each includes courses of four different pizzas plus dessert paired with beer from the featured brewery. A representative of the brewery will be in attendance to talk about the pairings and the beers. The very reasonable price of $45 per person, per dinner includes the meal, the pairings, tax and gratuity. Tickets must be purchased in advance and can be obtained on Event Brite.

Mark these on your calendar and join Nicli Antica Pizzeria for three special dinners pairing local craft beers and Nicli’s artisan pizza:
• Monday, May 13 – Parallel 49 Brewery
• Monday, May 20 – Driftwood Brewing
• Monday, May 27 – Howe Sound Brewing

Multi-award winning Nicli Antica Pizzeria is the first VPN (Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana) certified Neopolitan pizzeria in Vancouver. So far this year it has won Gold, ‘Best Pizzeria’ at the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, ‘Best Wine List’ at Vancouver International Wine Festival, ‘Best Pizza’ from the WestEnder’s Best of the City and ‘Best Pizza’ from the Georgia Straight’s Gold Plates.

Nicli Antica Pizzeria’s website for more details.

Mother’s Day Menu

When she was a young woman, your mother’s dreams of romantic Paris were kindled by books such as A Moveable Feast or movies like Gigi. Perhaps she actually travelled to France and drunk in Paris’ romance from a café seat on the Boulevard Saint Germain. Perhaps Life led her in another direction and she never managed to see The City of Light in person. Regardless, the dream still exists. This Mother’s day, treat your mother to the Paris of her dreams with a classic bistro brunch or dinner at Le Parisien, Vancouver’s little bit of the Left Bank in Vancouver’s West End. Special three-course prix fixe dinner for $39. Regular dinner menu also available.  Enjoy a bottle of rose wine with the meal below!

Brunch: 9.00am to 2.30pm;
Dinner: 5.00pm to 10.00pm.

Reservations essential: 604-687-1418 or
www.opentable.com/le-parisien-vancouver

LOBSTER BISQUE
steamed shrimp, croutons, crème fraîche

- or -

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED GREEN ASPARAGUS
hollandaise sauce

- or -

PORK AND VEAL TERRINE
pickled vegetables, grilled sourdough bread

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ROASTED LING COD
saffron potatoes, wilted spinach, tomato fondue, clam butter sauce

- or -

GRILLED BEEF TENDERLOIN
potato lyonnaise, short rib croquette, red wine jus

- or -

SUNCHOKE & MUSHROOM RISOTTO
wild and cultivated mushrooms, parmesan shavings and fennel salad

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CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE
strawberry gastrique, almond tuile

- or -

WHITE WINE POACHED PEARS
sable and blackberry sorbet

- or -

BOURBON INFUSED CRÈME CARAMEL
walnut biscotti

$39.00 / Person

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Vanfoodster’s Tasting Plates take you to restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops around town, as well as food trucks.  Some have themes, while others are based on certain Vancouver neighborhoods   The upcoming Tasting Plates is centered on East Vancouver.  Here is the announcement from vanfoodster.  Get your tickets as it is always a fun experience to share with friends or family.

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Tantalize your taste buds at several restaurants in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of EastVan. This evening tasting extravaganza goes from 6pm until 9:30 pm on June 19 and is presented by Vancouver Foodster.

Each restaurant will be serving up Tasting Plates for guests to enjoy and you will have a chance to visit many different types of restaurants throughout the evening, meet some new food loving friends, meet the chefs, and learn about each of the participating restaurants.

If you haven’t been to our previous Tasting Plates events, Novus TV featured our last event on City Lights (view here).

• Vegetarian options will be available at many of the participating restaurants.
• Bring along a friend or two, your significant other, your family or come solo.
• A food networking dinner event connecting Vancouver’s vibrant food community.

Visit each of the participating restaurants at your leisure by bike, moped, car, transit, walking, roller skates, skateboarding or carpooling.
Registration: TBA -this is where you will show us your printed or digital tickets and will pick up your Tasting Plates Cards.

Participating restaurants:
to be announced soon

Advance Tickets: $35 per person (eventbrite fee extra) after April 30th.
Regular Tickets $45 per person (eventbrite fee extra) after June 16th.
Ticket price includes tasting plates at each of the participating restaurants throughout the evening. (Beverages are included at some restaurants which will be noted, you are welcome to purchase wine, beer, cocktails or mocktails at each of the participating restaurants).

Purchase tickets via Eventbrite:

http://tastingplateseastvan.eventbrite.com/