Gone are the days of EAT! Vancouver being the most talked about trade show floor for food products. In its place for a couple years now is a fall celebration of Vancouver chefs and culinary projects. For 2018, EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival is back for the 3rd iteration of its current mission of educating the public on the state of dining in Vancouver. Amongst events showcasing the talents of Vancouver, events featuring invitee chefs, pastry-focused extravaganzas, and an all-new appreciation for fine cognac is on the itinerary. Here are five things to look forward to for EAT! Vancouver this year.
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a media preview of EAT! Vancouver and have the following to share as far as things to mark on calendars.
EAT! Vancouver Fine Cognac
Tuesday November 6th, 2018, 7-9PM
A brand new event for EAT! Vancouver, Fine Cognac appears to be Vancouver's first appreciation event focused on cognac (BC Distilled features but a few cognacs). Aficionados can discover their favourites and sample cognacs not normally available.
Guests will have the rare opportunity to experience more than 35 of the world’s most exclusive Cognacs, many currently unavailable in BC, but during the event all Cognacs presented will be available for purchase on site from Legacy Liquor.
Grand Marnier Distillery
Tickets: http://eat-vancouver.com/eat-fine-cognac/
EAT! Harvest
Friday November 9th, 2018, 7-9:30PM
EAT! Harvest has been the marquee event for EAT! Vancouver ever since its renaissance in 2016. Few events in Vancouver bring together so many chefs outside of the usual groups (i.e. Oceanwise and Chef's Table Society tend to have exclusive circles). The creator of Vancouver's famous Dirty Burger (found at Campagnolo), Robert Belcham, might be serving up something special at a table next to one of the city's most expensive restaurant's chefs, Pino Posteraro of Cioppino's, whipping something else up for every visitor to try.
EAT! Vancouver’s signature event is back and bigger than ever. EAT! Vancouver’s entire 2018 lineup of rock star chefs will offer bites of canapés that embody their cuisine, resulting in an unparalleled event highlighting some of the best chefs in the world, all in one room.
EAT! Harvest
Tickets: http://eat-vancouver.com/eat-harvest/
EAT! Pastry
Saturday November 10th, 2018, 2-4PM
Back for its second year, EAT! Pastry was a huge success last year. Being the first of its kind to bring together the best desserts of Vancouver likely induced a number of sugar highs and increased visits to the dentist. Thankfully, this event is back and I can't wait to see some newcomers share their decadent fares (La Glace, Mon Paris, and Ancora are all joining the fray).
I had a great time covering EAT! Pastry last year which you can read all about here: GHOST_URL/eat-pastry-18-desserts-recap-vancouver/
Take a decadent journey and meet 13 award-winning pastry chefs and chocolatiers from Vancouver and beyond, including guest chefs Brett Roy from Sweet Lollapalooza of Edmonton, and Patrice Demers from Patrice Patissier of Montreal.
EAT! Pastry
Tickets: http://eat-vancouver.com/eat-pastry/
EAT! Expert Classes
November 5th to November 8th, various times
For something a little more intimate, the EAT! Expert Classes lets you leave with more than just a full stomach as you'll be trained in learning a craft that's been practiced for decades by masters in the trade. Craft your own pizzas at Nicli's or learn to stuff your own Turducken with Meat & Bread. The class that personally gets me excited is the salami-making class with Oyama Sausage Co.
Develop your own old-world salami recipe as you learn how to fuse traditional methods with international inspiration and create your own dry-aged salami. Delight and surprise your palate in this class like no other!
Oyama Sausage Salami Expert Class
Tickets: http://eat-vancouver.com/category/event-category/expert-classes/
EAT! Dinner Series
November 7th to November 8th, various times
For the ultimate comfort in dining, the EAT! Dinner Series are the place to be. Some of Vancouver's most lauded restaurant chefs are directing one-of-a-kind dinner collaborations with guest chefs from around the world. Of particular note for me is Ian McHale of Wildebeest who will join forces with Naomi Pomeroy from Beast Portland. Chef Naomi in 2013 named in Oprah Magazine's Top 10 Women to Watch in the Next Decade. This dinner will surely be a treat.
Ian McHale of Wildebeest
Tickets: http://eat-vancouver.com/category/event-category/dinner-series/
Proceeds to Project CHEF
Once again, the charity partner for EAT! Vancouver is Project CHEF. Fitting that the city's biggest dining celebration will benefit a charity whose mission is to teach children the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy food choices and enable them to make wholesome, nutritious meals for themselves.
Last year, EAT! Vancouver donated $25,000 to Project CHEF enabling the charity to reach 556 children and 350 parent volunteers.
Barb Finley, founder of Project CHEF
Project CHEF Education Society is a not-for-profit society that offers experiential programs to teach children and families about healthy cooking and eating. Project CHEF: Cook Healthy Edible Food is a curriculum-based school program aimed at children in kindergarten to grade seven. This award-winning program teaches students about healthy food: where it comes from, what it tastes like, how to prepare it and how to enjoy sharing it around a table. Designed to immerse children in the process of cooking from preparation to clean-up, children gain knowledge about food; they discover the pleasure and satisfaction in creating meals for themselves and they develop the skills so that they can apply their new-found knowledge and abilities in making healthy food choices at home.
Catch these chefs and more in a variety of dining and pastry events for EAT! Vancouver 2018
Pino Posteraro of Cioppino's
Steve Hodge of Temper Pastry
Sean Reeves of The Mackenzie Room
Robert Belcham of Campagnolo
Andrea Carlson of Burdock & Co.
Looking forward to November! For more information on EAT! Vancouver, visit their website here.