“I entered to win 2 @Eat_Vancouver passes from @WhatsForLunchBC and @SurreyIsTheBomb! http://wp.me/pVVWR-z5  RT to enter!”

You will get an additional entry in the contest for subscribing to WhatsForLunchBC.com and SurreyIsTheBomb.com!! (One entry for each subscription) You will also get an additional entry for following @WhatsForLunchBC and @SurreyIsTheBomb on Twitter!!

Eat! Vancouver runs from June 1-3 at BC Place. The contest will run until Sunday May 27th so start tweeting, following and subscribing!! I look forward to seeing you there!

Scott.

Reblogged from Surrey Is The Bomb dot com!:

Surrey’s Canada Day festivities have grown to be the largest in western Canada drawing over 100,000 visitors to last years event. This year it’s looking like another blockbuster with everything from a a freestyle motocross demo team, lots of fun activities for the kids, two stages featuring live music all day and a fireworks show to close out the evening. The Main Stage, presented by Chevron, will feature local favourite Hannah Georgas and 6 time Juno award winner Sam Roberts.

Read more… 76 more words

Canada Day + Awesome music + Surrey = the best day ever.

Reblogged from Surrey Is The Bomb dot com!:

These shirts are as cool as the other side of the pillow.

Saturday May 19th we will be at O’Hares Pub in Steveston (5031 Steveston Hwy) for the Russell Brewing/North Coast Brewing tap takeover from 6pm-closing. This is a non ticketed event, all you have to do is show up! There will be a Russell dry hopped double IPA cask and a keg of the VCBW collaboration beer!! As an added bonus Leo will also be giving out free hugs to anyone who sings his favourite Duran Duran song to him.

Sunday May 20th we’ll be at Hogshack Cookhouse in Steveston (3900 Bayview st) for the debut of Odin Brewing in Canada. I’m particularly excited about this event because Odin takes great care in making sure their beers pair well with food, and as you all know I love the Hogshack! This one runs from 6-10pm, tickets are $35. Call 604-272-7264 for tickets and tell them Scotty sent you.

Monday May 21st we will be at Biercraft on Cambie (3305 Cambie st) for a Belgian Showcase with over 50 Belgian and Belgian style beers along with Belgian inspired hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $75 and are all inclusive, just call 604-874-6900.

Tuesday and Wednesday there are some great events all around town but the Beerthirst crew and I will be chugging Pepto Bismol and piggybacking Tylenol and Advil to get ready for Thursday. Check out vancouvercraftbeerweek.com to see what’s up on our days off.

Thursday we’ll be at The Pumphouse Pub in Richmond (6031 Blundell rd) from 5pm-late for the Elysian Tap Takeover and Homebrew contest. 20 different beers from Seattle’s Elysian Brewing with their brewmaster Dick Cantwell on hand. He will be judging the homebrew contest where I look forward to trying Tony “The Warlock” Iaci’s much hyped homebrew. Tony is the manager at the Pumphouse so I’ll be watching closely for back room deal making.

Friday May 25th from 5-10pm and Saturday the 26th from 2-7pm (which is my birthday, in case you wanted to buy me something) we will be at the VCBW Beer Festival at The Salt Building in the Olympic Village (85 west 1st ave). If you have tickets already you are a lucky duck as both days are sold out!!

If you ever wanted to stalk me this is the time! See you next week craft beer lovers!!

Scott.

Seeing as I decided to visit on the first really nice day of the year the line up was predictably long but the crew in the truck were upbeat and very friendly, pushing out food like a well oiled machine. The menu is described as Mediterranean food and it definitely is, with a decidedly Italian influence. Chef Alessandro Vianello and Chef Mike Carter say their goal is to bring addictive fine foods at an affordable price to the streets of Vancouver, let’s see how they did.

First up I had the Crispy Fried Risotto Balls with slow braised pork, green onions and truffle aioli. These are some tasty balls people. The crunch on the outside is just right and the rich warm goodness inside is very rich and full of flavour. Served on a bed of greens the left over aioli also makes a nice little salad to accompany the risotto balls. Very nice.

Next I had the Grilled Spicy Italian Sausage with stewed red peppers and Taleggio cheese served on a toasted baguette. The sausage is made from high quality local pork and it tastes great, just a little heat and not too salty. The casing has a nice snap to it as well. The baguette poses a challenge to those looking to stay clean, it takes some biting power to get through the toasted crust and you may end up with stewed red peppers on your shirt. The bun is great though, very fresh and airy inside. The Cheese is very soft and gooey and adds a nice creamy balance to the acid of the peppers and the heat of the sausage. There are also some scratch made potato chips with this dish that are really good.

So there it is, another great meal from one of Vancouver’s ever growing family of food trucks. To find out where the Street Meet Truck is at Follow them on Twitter @StreetMeetTruck, Check out their website at StreetMeetTruck.ca or use the uber awesome Street Food App on your iPhone (an Android version would be nice…nudge nudge)

Scott.

Each recipe listed below serves 4 and only takes 25 minutes

Option 1 – Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast 

• 8 slices of day old bread- I kind of love Texas Toast for this
• 2 ripe bananas
• creamy peanut butter
• liquid honey
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• tablespoon or so of vanilla
• optional tablespoon or so of rum (dark, amber, or white)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• butter for frying
• powdered sugar for sprinkling.

1. Spread peanutbutter onto all 8 slices of bread, on 4 slices add banana slices, on the other 4 drizzle some honey. Stick together to make sandwiches and set aside.
2. In a flat bottom dish, whisk the eggs, milk, juice, vanilla, rum if you are using it, and spices until combined.
3. Heat frying pan, skillet, or grill on medium heat, 350-375F or until the butter begins to sizzle.
4. Dip each sandwich in the mixture on each side, and place into the hot pan.
5. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. The sandwiches should be golden brown.
6. Remove from pan and very carefully cut in half diagonally. The peanut butter will be very hot and will ooze out of the sandwich if you press too hard.
7. Arrange a sandwich on a plate and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

Option #2 – Apricot (or any fruit preserve) and Cheese Stuffed French Toast

• 8 slices of day old French bread, or more if using a Baguette
• Apricot preserve, or your favourite jam or fruit preserve
• softened cream cheese for spreading, or sliced Swiss cheese if you’re extra fancy
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• tablespoon or so of vanilla
• optional tablespoon or so of rum (dark, amber, or white)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• butter for frying
• powdered sugar for sprinkling.

1. Spread apricot preserve onto 4 slices of bread, on the remaining 4 slices spread with cream cheese. Stick together to make sandwiches and set aside. If using Swiss Cheese, put preserve on both pieces of bread and put a layer of sliced cheese in the middle.
2. In a flat bottom dish, whisk the eggs, milk, juice, vanilla, rum if you are using it, and spices until combined.
3. Heat frying pan, skillet, or grill on medium heat, 350-375F or until the butter begins to sizzle.
4. Dip each sandwich in the mixture on each side, and place into the hot pan.
5. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. The sandwiches should be golden brown.
6. Remove from pan and very carefully cut in half diagonally.
7. Arrange a sandwich on a plate and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

Option #3 – Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed French Toast

• 8 slices of day old bread, again Texas Toast is great
• fresh sliced strawberries
• Nutella
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• tablespoon or so of vanilla
• optional tablespoon or so of rum (dark, amber, or white)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• butter for frying
• powdered sugar for sprinkling.

1. Spread a thin layer of Nutella on all slices of bread. Place sliced strawberries on 4 slices of bread, use other 4 slices to stick together to make sandwiches and set aside.
2. In a flat bottom dish, whisk the eggs, milk, juice, vanilla, rum if you are using it, and spices until combined.
3. Heat frying pan, skillet, or grill on medium heat, 350-375F or until the butter begins to sizzle.
4. Dip each sandwich in the mixture on each side, and place into the hot pan.
5. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. The sandwiches should be golden brown.
6. Remove from pan and very carefully cut in half diagonally.
7. Arrange a sandwich on a plate and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

You can serve any of these on their own because they are pretty hearty, but it’s extra awesome with the savoury flavours of sausages and/or bacon. You might want syrup, but I encourage you to try it without it first. And you know what? This would be an excellent and easy thing to surprise your mother with this Sunday. Enjoy! – Rochele 

Cooper was a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Lab cross who was picked up by the Surrey SPCA in the spring of 2001 after roaming the streets of Whalley and Guildford. They moved him the the Vancouver branch of the SPCA as it seemed no one in Surrey wanted such a big dog. When I met Cooper he was the only dog in the shelter that wasn’t a Rottweiler or a Pitbull, he was the only dog who didn’t lunge at me when I approached his kennel. They figured he was roughly 1 year old as he was fully grown (around 100lbs) and his teeth were very clean.

Cooper came home with us later that day and somehow we found out he knew some hand signals, he had obviously been someone’s dog and had escaped which we would find out very shortly he was incredibly good at. Our vet figured he was a guard dog for a grow op and he was very leery of men, all men except for me for the first few weeks. Repeated attempts at crate training simply proved he could escape from a crate, keeping him in the garage while we went to work proved that he could open a garage door, he was like Houdini. On more than one occasion I came home to find a note on my door from Surrey By-law Enforcement officers saying they had chased Cooper all over Fleetwood only to follow him home, watch him open the  garage door and disappear back into the house where they couldn’t get to him.

After that he earned the spot of ruler of the house. No more garage, no more crate, he could sleep on the couch all day without a care in the world. Cooper also had the ability to leap a 6 foot tall fence without needing a running start. We found this out while in Lake Chelan, Washington where we were visiting some friends. We had left Cooper in the big fenced back yard as I thought he’d be happier there. Turns out he was happier jumping the fence and running all over the hills outside Chelan. He always came back though, always. The last time he ran away was almost 2 years ago to the day. It was the day we brought Hayley, our daughter, home from the hospital. Our friend Doug found him playing with some kids in his favourite park.

We went for our last 3 walks yesterday afternoon, last night and this morning. We visited all of his favourite places in our neighbourhood, the park behind Frost Road Elementary School, the field behind Surrey Christian School, Doug’s driveway, he had a dump on the lawn of the house down the street, I’m sure that guy will miss him a lot (sometimes I forgot to bring a bag). I made him steak and roasted potatoes for dinner and let him lay with me on the couch. He had scrambled eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast this morning.

Cooper was with me through a lot of big moments in my life, a divorce, 9/11, many career changes, the birth of my daughter, he has always been a shoulder to cry on, a sympathetic ear to complain to, a crazy dance party companion and a best friend. He passed away peacefully in my arms today at 12:07 at Newton Animal Hospital. I stayed with him for half an hour after he was gone and told him I loved him, petted him and cried.  I’ll be taking him up to Green Lake, near 70 Mile House, it was his favourite place and he deserves to spend eternity there. I miss you already buddy. If you have pets you understand, if you don`t have pets I can`t describe it, it`s a helpless feeling. Sorry to bum you guys out, I just needed to tell you about him.

Scott.

I started out with the buttermilk marinated calamari with tzatziki  and chilli flakes. The squid was tender and the buttermilk gave the flavour a creamy quality which balanced out the mild heat of the chilis. I also think I detected a hint of curry powder somewhere in the dish, a very nice addition.

Next up was the house made (HOUSE MADE!) hot dog. Yes you read that right, they make their own hot dogs in house. The casing had a nice snap to it and the flavour of the dog was great. It really is somewhere between a hot dog, a smokie and a sausage but it’s fantastic. I had mine with mayo, grainy mustard and diced white onions with a side of golden crispy onion rings.

After that I tackled the Special of the night, Halibut in a clam and chorizo broth, it was kind of like a bouillabaisse done as an entrée with big protein feature, the halibut, instead of lots of small stuff in broth. The Halibut was great, very fresh and the broth was outstanding, tons of flavour and very well balanced.

Now, the burger. Simply called the Uli Burger it is a house made patty and comes with burnt onion relish and smoked cheddar on an amazing challa bun. Of course  you all know I added bacon, if I didn’t it just wouldn’t be me. It’s house made bacon too, so good. The burger patty is packed with flavour, it has great texture and it’s as juicy as…well I can’t say that here this blog is pg13 (mostly). The onion relish, smoked cheddar and bacon make a delicious trio to accompany the patty, the bacon is awesome and I’d love to try some on its own, you know, for research. The fries were good but the burger, like I said it’s the best burger in the GVRD, probably in BC.

To top things off Uli’s has an incredible craft beer menu and I had a few Elysian Idiot Sauvin IPA’s and a few more La Chouffe Begian style pale ales. Owner Tyson, Manager David and Chef Ryan are are awesome guys who get what running a restaurant is all about, The food, the room, the attitude and the drinks make a for an unforgettable night out.

Follow them on Twitter @Ulis_Restaurant (Tyson) @aliquidfish (David) and @chefbissell (Ryan)

Check them out online at ulisrestaurant.com and most importantly get yourself down to White Rock! I seriously might make this a semi regular spot, which is something I don’t ever do, it’s that good.

Scott.

Steam Whistle Brewing opened in Toronto of 2000. Their focus is brewing Canada’s Premium Pilsner, using only 4 natural ingredients – spring water, yeast, malted barley, and hops. Their motto is “do one thing, really, really well.”

The beer is mainly sold in green glass bottles, a replica of the industry standard from the 40s and 50s, paying tribute to The Golden Era. The bottles are made with a thicker glass, making them reusable up to 35 times.

The name “Steam Whistle” comes from the sound of steam rushing from factory whistles of the 50s, marking the end of the day, and time for a rewarding brew!

Greg Taylor, Cameron Heaps and Gregory Cromwell are the three founders, aka “The Three Fired Guys”. They met while working for Upper Canada Brewing, and lost their jobs after the brewery was sold to Sleeman’s. “3FG” is marked at the bottom of the Steam Whistle bottles as an inside joke.

Steam Whistle’s Brewmaster, Marek Mikunda, is from the Czech Republic. What better place to be from than the birthplace of Pilsners?

Their beer became available in Alberta in 2006, and BC in 2009. Mike wants to focus on taking care of getting the beer on tap in Vancouver, as it’s a huge city with a serious love for craft beer.

I asked Mike, why only brew Pilsner? He summed it up by saying “Steam Whistle wanted to take something on as a project and perfect it. Our beer is fresh, made with all natural ingredients, and it’s Canadian.”

My opinion of the Steam Whistle Pilsner – I really enjoyed the beer. It’s got plenty of flavour, very refreshing, and would make an excellent session beer. Perfect for summer, or any time, really.

Steam Whistle will be taking part in the YVRBeerTweetUp May 2nd at Smiley’s Public House, the EPIC Sustainable Living Show May 11-13th at The Vancouver Convention Centre, and Vancouver Craft Beer Week, May 21st at The Electric Owl.

You can find Steam Whistle at http://www.steamwhistle.ca/ on Twitter @SteamWhistle and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/SteamWhistle

Megan.

Follow Megan on twitter @Megana28!!

I chose the Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po’ Boy sandwich. It’s made with locally sourced sustainable oysters that are panko breaded and deep fried. They’re nestled lovingly in a great whole wheat bun with some signature slaw and house made tartar sauce. Grab some napkins, this guy’s as messy at it is tasty. The oysters are full of oceany (yes that’s a word…) goodness and the flavour of actual oyster is still front and centre with the sauce, slaw and bun playing their backup roles perfectly.

The “BC Poutine’ is a nice departure from heavy animal based gravy poutines. The gravy is made with local mushrooms and the crispy fries and real cheese curds make up quite the threesome of flavour in your mouth. The green onions are a nice touch too, adding a little freshness and bite to the dish. I opted for water to drink as I did’t want any sugary drink messing with these great flavours.

Make sure you say Hi to Andy, Brian and Matt, the Kaboom Box crew! They’re doing some great things out of that tiny food truck!

The #KaboomInABox pass goes on sale May 2nd at 7am and you can get it at VANEATS.ca!! I would also like to give a special shoutout to Kev and Billzzzz from VANEATS.ca for their support and for filling me with delicious food on a regular basis, you guys ROCK!

Scott.