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Whistler Blackcomb

Feb25

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2013 Dining Out for Life

Posted in: Charity, Dining, Events, Lower Mainland, Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb, White Rock

[Sheena Sergeant, Lisa Martella at Dining Out for Life 2012 launch, Coast Restaurant's O Lounge]

Dining Out For Life, BC’s largest restaurant fundraiser, returns for its 19th year on Thursday, March 7. Nearly 200 restaurants have signed on to contribute 25% of their total food sales from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to two great Vancouver charities, Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful.

Both vital organizations support people living in our communities with HIV/AIDS.

[Forage Executive Chef Chris Whittaker]

“The loyalty and commitment of our long time participating restaurants, from White Rock to Whistler, never fails to amaze and inspire me,” says Sheena Sargeant, Executive Director of Friends For Life. “And the support of our Honourary Executive Chef, Chris Whittaker, from forage Restaurant, who’s commitment to sustainable farm-to-table dining, helps draw attention to our focus on living well and supporting our local community.”

“And it is so wonderful that our twelve new restaurant partners, who have been drawn from across the Lower Mainland and the downtown communities, recognize that there is an ongoing need to support people living with HIV/AIDS in our communities,” adds Lisa Martella, Executive Director at A Loving Spoonful.

[Forage’s Pacific provider salmon, Pemberton potatoes, sea asparagus, pickled huckleberries]

2013 also marks a new bonus for those dining out on March 7: the Vancity 20% Off Tuesday Savings Card, offering a 20% saving on food purchased every Tuesday until February 2014 at the 15 participating Lower Mainland restaurants. The card is just a small token of appreciation to those guests who visit a participating restaurant on March 7.

Don’t forget to fill out the form at any of the Dining Out for Life restaurants for a chance at some great prizes including two roundtrip flights on Helijet and dinner for two at Victoria’s Blue Crab Bar and Grill plus an Ocean Magic Cruiser Tour from Prince of Whales Whale Watching Tours, tickets to a BC Lions or Vancouver Giants game and more.

“When you dine out on March 7th you are putting food on the plates of many individuals and their families living with HIV/AIDS,” says Martella. “A couple spending $80 at a Dining Out For Life restaurant will provide meals for 5 people through A Loving Spoonful.”

Follow Dining Out for Life updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Jul20

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11th Annual Whistler BBQ Champs

Posted in: Contests, Events, Music, Whistler Blackcomb

This coming long August weekend, BBQ Chefs from across North America will battle for top spot in the 11th Annual National BBQ Championships.

The Bull’s-Eye Canadian National BBQ Championships will return to Whistler, adding a little extra sizzle to the August long weekend. From August 3 to 5, BBQ chefs from all over North America will compete for the honour of “Canadian Champion.”
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Feb29

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Dining Out for Life

Posted in: Charity, Dining, Health, Lower Mainland, Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb, White Rock

[Sheena Sergeant, Lisa Martella. Taken at Dining Out for Life launch, Coast Restaurant's O Lounge]

Founded in 1991, Dining Out for Life is an annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser that 55 North American cities actively participate in. To date, the event has raised over $3 million. In Vancouver, that amount translates to 250 restaurants aiming to raise $200,000 in support of people living with HIV/AIDS.

A few facts about Dining Out for Life:

- Dine out for breakfast, lunch or dinner at any of the 250 participating restaurants from Whistler to White Rock and across the Fraser Valley

- A couple spending $140 at a Dining Out for Life restaurant will provide meals for 10 people through Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful

- The Gastown/Downtown Eastside maintains the highest HIV infection rate in North America, affecting 30 per cent of the local population, mainly women

- In 2009, the majority of AIDS cases were reported in Ontario (50.9%), followed by British Columbia (25.0%), and Alberta (16.1%)

- Friends For Life provides holistic support services to people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses

- A Loving Spoonful provides free, nutritious meals to men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Metro Vancouver

[Sheena Sergeant, Executive Director of Friends For Life; Ned Bell, Executive Chef at YEW; Lisa Martella, Executive Director of A Loving Spoonful]

This year, Executive Chef Ned Bell of YEW at the Four Seasons Hotel will team up with the Dining Out for Life organization as honorary chef to help this vital fundraiser benefitting 18,000 British Columbians currently living with HIV/AIDS.

Bell is “excited to have this opportunity, together with Yew restaurant + bar to support two great organizations that provide invaluable nutrition and therapeutic services – Friends for Life and A Loving Spoonful. Dining Out for Life is about giving back to the community and also giving yourself a break. What a better way to give than to treat yourself and your friends for a night out on the town.”

The big day is Thursday, March 29. 250 Dining out for Life participating restaurants will contribute 25% of their food sales to support both A Loving Spoonful and Friends for Life. As well, event sponsor Stella Artois will donate $1 from every bottle of beer sold throughout the evening.

Click here to locate a participating Dining Out for Life restaurant across the Lower Mainland. Support two vital organizations at once and perhaps even discover a new favourite dining spot in the process!

Photo courtesy of Wink Photography.
Nov25

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Whistler’s Summit Lodge and Spa

Posted in: Dining, Lodging, Resorts, Spa, Travel, Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler’s Summit Lodge and Spa is conveniently located near many of the resort’s top restaurants, shops, cafés and Whistler Conference Centre (making it the perfect sleep and home base for Whistler Cornucopia, the reason I was in town over the recent holiday weekend).
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Nov16

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Zipping in Style to Whistler

Posted in: Car Sharing, Events, Gadgets, Lower Mainland, Technology, Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb

I’m a long-time fan of car sharing programs. When my husband and I first moved to Vancouver from Europe, we joined CAN (now called Modo) car co-op. We saved enough money in those first few years to buy a car (to share).

Since then, a few companies have entered the market, most notably, Zipcar and Car2Go, both available in Vancouver. When Zipcar generously offered to provide me with a vehicle to drive up to Whistler for the Cornucopia Wine Festival, I was happy to oblige.
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Nov15

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Natalie MacLean’s Wine Seminar

Posted in: Books, Canadian authors, Events, Inspiration, Resorts, Whistler Blackcomb, Wine, Writers

I really enjoyed attending wine writer Natalie MacLean’s seminar at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
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Nov14

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Cornucopia: Trade Tasting Reception

Posted in: Charity, Events, Networking, Whistler Blackcomb, Wine

I was lucky to have been invited to a trade tasting reception on Friday afternoon, ahead of Cornucopia’s two day CRUSH Gala.
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Nov13

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Cornucopia: Crush Gala in Photos

Posted in: Charity, Events, Whistler Blackcomb, Wine

The Whistler Cornucopia Wine weekend is filled with events to suit every taste and budget. CRUSH Gala is the flagship event of the entire four days.
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Nov1

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Whistler Cornucopia 2011

Posted in: Charity, Dining, Events, Whistler Blackcomb, Wine

Whistler Cornucopia celebrates extraordinary chefs from across Canada and around the world, showcasing local, regional, and international wines for every taste. Offering a truly sensory experience, with winemaker dinners, interactive seminars, gala wine tastings and after parties, this four day (and night) festival is Whistler’s yearly premiere food and wine party. Each year, Whistler Cornucopia draws in over 6,500 attendees as well as hundreds of industry members and media.

I will be covering several Cornucopia events this year and look forward to meeting fellow wine and food lovers from around the globe.

Cornucopia is honored to present champion Chef Dale MacKay as part of the much anticipated lineup. As title chef for one of the extravagant chef’s luncheons (Saturday November 12, noon to 3:30 pm), Chef MacKay will feature his award winning cuisine and culinary flair in an exclusive 50 person luncheon held in a beautiful Whistler mansion.

Cornucopia will also showcase the East Coast’s culinary prowess in the form of six (to be announced) celebrated chefs from Quebec. Infusing Cornucopia’s programming with East Coast flavour and Quebecois energy, the chefs will be featured at a number of events including Bearfoot Bistro’s Masquerave (returning after a five year hiatus). Cornucopia creates a foundation for domestic appreciation on a culinary level by showcasing the wealth of variety and talent of our local chefs.

Masquerave at the Bearfoot Bistro will feature outstanding local and international wines, world class champagne, light shows and burlesque entertainment. The new food program will feature gastronomic creations by Bearfoot Bistro executive chef Melissa Craig as well as from other top Vancouver and Quebecois chefs.

New this year is the Bearfoot Bistro’s association with One Drop, the charitable organization and initiative of Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté. The One Drop Foundation aims to provide access to clean water for all. Masquerave’s proceeds will go to this valuable organization, to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, and to Whistler’s École La Passerelle.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of internationally acclaimed Araxi Restaurant, there will be two major events. Araxi Executive Chef James Walt will unveil his most ambitious multi-course menu yet at the Big Guns Winemakers Dinner: Icons of the Wine World. The elegant evening will feature an unprecedented showing of 10 exemplary wines, each representing one of the world’s foremost wine regions.

[Bubbles and Oceans at Araxi]

Araxi’s legendary Bubbles + Oceans Afterparty will showcase 30 of the world’s top champagne houses and sparkling wine producers. Preeminent bubbles paired with spectacular seafood at this Whistler hotspot makes Bubbles + Oceans one of the ‘must-attend’ events of the festival.

Cornucopia proudly presents the Viking Stage and Wine Seminar series of 2011. The featured keynote speaker is award winning writer Natalie MacLean, editor of Canada’s largest wine site. The wine seminars are a perfect opportunity to combine passion for amazing wines with interactive and informative tastings.

Ms. MacLean will host a wine tasting and launch of her new book Unquenchable: A Tipsy Search for the World’s Best Bargain Wines, with travel anecdotes and colourful stories along with wines featured in the book on Friday, November 12 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s Frontenac Ballroom. This is an exclusive opportunity to interact with one of the world’s most celebrated wine writers.

Tickets for all events are available (while they last) via Whistler Cornucopia’s website.

CRUSH, the two night flagship event, Winemakers Dinners, Chef’s Luncheons, Chef’s Trip to the Farm and world-class after parties round out the programming.
Oct11

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Unwind Time at Scandinave Spa

Posted in: Nature, Spa, Whistler Blackcomb

Other articles in this series: Whistler: Between the Seasons, Touring Whistler Brewing Company, A Visit to Purebread Whistler.

To get our long Thanksgiving weekend off to a relaxing start, we visited Scandinave Spa last Friday. This eco-conscious spa facility (opened in February 2010) features a Eucalyptus steam bath, wood burning Finnish sauna, outdoor hot baths, thermal and Nordic waterfalls, solariums and terraces, relaxation areas and hammocks, outdoor fireplaces, and an onsite bistro and boutique.

The spa is located about a mile north of Whistler Village and is situated on the edge of both Lost Lake and Spruce Grove parks. Heading from the parking lot to the entrance, we were greeted by a nature trail and beautiful vegetation. No reservations are required for the Scandinavian bath experience, however if you’re also there to enjoy one of a variety of massages on offer, reservations are necessary.

We checked in at reception where we were handed two towels and a lock for the downstairs changing room and showers. The spa conducts a silence policy; you’re asked to sign a paper in agreement prior to entering the baths. Once through the doors to the outside spas and baths, signs are posted in hopes of keeping this wonderful aspect of the spa in check.

Although we did hear some conversation from time to time, it was mostly adhered to. Makes a big difference when trying to soak in the heat and steam, or cold plunge of the Nordic baths.

There is no set order to visiting the baths, although the Eucalyptus steam room is the first building that we encountered along the way. The strong scent really works down through the skin, opening pores together with the heat generated.

Hydrotherapy is known to cleanse both the body and skin, helping to improve blood circulation. Once you’ve brought your body’s heat up in the steam bath, hot baths or Finnish sauna, a cold plunge is considered a good way to continue. Hot to cold, and repeat.

Allowing your body to cool off quickly made my skin feel smooth and refreshed, even though it took a few minutes for me to work up the nerve to dive into one of the Nordic waterfalls!

A few relaxation areas are spread around the outdoor area. There’s several seated hammocks with foot rests, chaise lounges, and indoor solariums with magazines for perusing while chilling out. And chill out we did. After a couple of hours, we walked out of there treading on soft, baby-like feet, and enjoyed the effects of the baths long into the following day. I recall my hair being super soft from the waters (I didn’t wash my hair after the baths).

We didn’t reserve for a massage, but the list of massage services is impressive:

- 60 minute Swedish massage (solo or duo)
- Deep Tissue massage
- Sports massage (for enhancing athletic performance or helping to recover from a sports injury)
- Hot Stone massage (90 minute massage with hot volcanic stones)
- Thai Yoga massage (massage inspired by Thai techniques, helping as either an initiation or a complement to yoga)

Pricing:
Scandinavian Baths, $58 (three month unlimited baths passport available for Monday to Friday access, plus 15% off on Swedish massage, for $350)

The 20,000 square foot spa is spread out over three acres, overlooking Whistler mountains and gorgeous scenery in the middle of nature. The spa was designed on principles of sustainability and includes green roofs, a high-efficiency furnace, and passive solar heating system.

Water-saving shower heads, dual flush toilets, irrigation and controls are all part of Scandinave’s commitment to a cleaner environment. Adding to this, the building is oriented in order to optimize winter sunlight exposure, facing south to create a microclimate enclosure.

The spa is open year-round, rain or shine, helping to warm the bones after hiking, skiing, mountain biking or just a busy day at work.

Scandinave works with local suppliers for its bistro. Bearfoot Bistro, voted in 2009 as Whistler’s Best Restaurant, does the catering.

Scandinave Spa is located at 8010 Mons Road in Whistler.

Reservations may be booked either online or by phoning 604.935.2424 (1.888.935.2423 toll-free). Scandinave Spa’s facilities are recommended for those 19 and older.
Disclosure note for complimentary spa visit (my husband received a discount for his visit): cmply.2