There’s nothing quite like getting into a car and taking off for a road trip. With a rented Jetta, we packed our suitcases into its trunk and set off for two weeks of adventures through the Grand Canyon State. Our first stop was Phoenix, where we checked in for three nights at the Kimpton Palomar. I’ve become a fast fan of the Kimpton, having stayed at the Kimpton Monaco in Portland, Oregon last year.

Through the (nearly) triple-digit temperatures, we navigated on foot to explore the downtown area, checking out the landmark Hotel San Carlos lobby, showing off its wild history with photographs and news clippings from the 1920’s. The hotel is reportedly haunted.

A hot spot for breakfast is Matt’s Big Breakfast, a place we were recommended right off our plane. They’ve recently added a second larger location to handle the crowds. We were lucky to have scored a seat right away; local news carrier Channel 3 had just wrapped up a session with Matt’s owner as we arrived. By 11 am, there was already a line out the door for lunch.

Local products, excellent dishes, and ‘scratch cooking’ make it a fun stop on your way out of town. Scottsdale was our next destination, a suburb filled with art galleries, tourist shops, and plenty of dining. We spent an afternoon wandering the streets before heading to the air-conditioned relief of Scottsdale Fashion Square. In fact, we did the same thing in Tucson, and let me say this: it’s a great solution for taking the edge off the continual desert heat for a couple of hours! Iced coffees in hand, we wandered the shops for some retail therapy. Tucson Mall is even nicer and has an In-N-Out Burger just outside.

The Arrogant Butcher served up some tasty oysters and entrées for our last night in town. Just next door to the Kimpton, it’s part of the Fox Restaurant Company, with other dining establishments in Newport Beach, San Diego, Santa Monica, Denver, Las Vegas, Tucson, Austin, and Leawood, Kansas.

In Sedona, we buckled up for a wild ride with Arizona Helicopter Adventures. This was definitely a book, then breathe kind of moment, knowing we’d be flying in a helicopter without its doors on!

Once our pilot Jonathon had us secured in our seats (it’s a four-seater; my husband and I nearly had a private tour if not for another passenger from LA), the 25 minutes sped by as I grabbed my camera at every turn and watched the Red Rocks unfold in the morning sunshine.

There’s nothing allowed on the flights; any camera or smart phone must have a strap or you won’t be permitted to take it.

A perfect, windless morning gave us lasting memories of this trip, one we’d highly recommend booking if you’re in the area.

And for a real treat, the Adobe Grand Villas are a wonderful way to relax while in Sedona. The B&B’s 14 deluxe villas are located in West Sedona, just off 89A, tucked off the main road and away from the touristy part of town at the other end.

While in Sedona, try local craft brewery Oak Creek and put your name in at Elote Café, one of Sedona’s must-dine options. Expect a one hour wait from their 5 pm opening right through to closing (dinner only).

Red Rock country is impressive at any time of the day and it’s especially nice to simply drive along the road and look around at all the formations, many given names such as Cathedral Rock, Snoopy Rock, Coffee Pot Rock, Courthouse Butte, etc.

Third time’s the charm. After two earlier visits to Arizona over the years, I finally got my wish: to see the Grand Canyon. Booking into the rim hotels is an exercise in futility, as many are booked nearly a year in advance, particularly the cool kid on the ‘block’, El Tovar. This hotel is not only right near the South Rim, where sunrise and sunset are just a walk out the door, but it’s a registered national historic landmark. Have a walk through the hotel, or better yet, try your luck at at the restaurant for a last-minute cancellation.

[The rare California Condor makes an appearance overhead, Grand Canyon]

Famous guests include Theodore Roosevelt and Albert Einstein. Staying in nearby Tusayan offered us the chance to check out Sophie’s, a great little Mexican cantina with excellent sangrias by the pitcher. We spent three days in the area, did several rim hikes and enjoyed scenery from Desert View in the east out to Hermit’s Rest.

This feature continues with part two next week. View my Arizona photo collection on Flickr.

For the past year, turning 50 has been looming in the back of my mind, a big part of it wondering where I’d actually be to ring in that landmark half century of living.

My husband and I bounced around ideas of a big party, perhaps a visit back to Europe, and then the thought popped up, “Hey, I want to be visually mind-blown for my birthday”. Where hadn’t we yet been where we could be wowed?

Though I’d been to Arizona a couple of times in the past (Tucson for a U2 concert filming in 1989, Lake Havasu for a waterskiing holiday with the London Bridge as a backdrop), somehow visiting the Grand Canyon hadn’t made it into the plans. So here we are, on our way to explore the desert beauty of Arizona, with stops in Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, portions of Route 66’s faded glory, and then to Tucson, where we’ll actually be to ring in the big day.

While this isn’t a destination where one hopes for sunshine (we’ve already seen the hot May temperatures that will greet us thanks to our iPhone weather app), it will be one to relax and take several breathtaking moments of celebrating five decades of life on this planet.

So here’s to 50, anyone else turning 50 (or any other major milestone), and we’ll catch you back here in a couple of weeks. And a heartfelt thanks to all my readers for supporting me both via this website and in the online community. Cheers!

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival will launch its 24th season next month with the emotional, romantic comedy Twelfth Night. Dennis Garnhum (Artistic Director, Theatre Calgary) will direct this production joining his first season with Bard on the Beach.

Spirits are lifted, hearts are mended, and love is sought and won at the What You Will Hotel and Spa. It’s 1913 and in the pampered world of a fine European spa, everyone is falling in love with someone who is not exactly who they seem.

Feste, the lobby lounge singer, entertains, Toby Belch and Andrew Aguecheek create mischief and Malvolio, the annoyingly pretentious hotel manager, threatens to spoil all the fun. Can young Viola ultimately find renewal and true love on the grounds of Olivia’s sumptuous hotel?

Shipwrecked off the coast of Ilyria with the Sea Captain (Duncan Fraser), Viola (Rachel Cairns) is convinced her twin brother has drowned. Uncertain what to do, she disguises herself as the page Cesario, sets off for Ilyria, and offers her services to the Duke Orsino (Todd Thomson), only to fall in love with him.

Orsino, however, is in love with the beautiful Countess Olivia (Jennifer Lines) and sends Cesario to woo her on his behalf while he stays with his attendants, Valentine (Andrew McNee) and Curio (Robert Olguin). Olivia, who is attended by Fabianna (Barbara Pollard), in turn becomes smitten with the lovely ‘boy’ after he comes to woo her with his poetic prose. Olivia’s kinsman, Sir Toby Belch (Bill Dow), encourages Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Richard Newman) to continue his suit for the Countess, as Aguecheek’s wealth supports Sir Toby’s carousing with Olivia’s Fool, Feste (Jonathon Young).

When Olivia’s steward, Malvolio (Allan Zinyk), threatens to have them all sent away, Maria (Naomi Wright), Olivia’s maid, plots Malvolio’s downfall using a phony love letter to him from Olivia. Meanwhile, Viola’s twin brother Sebastian (Daniel Doheny), has been saved by a mariner named Antonio (Craig Erickson) and sets off for Ilyria to see Duke Orsino. After a series of mistaken-identity mishaps, twin sister and brother finally come face to face, revealing Cesario’s true identity and the numerous cases of misplaced affection. 

In other words, story lines and twists aplenty make for a comedic romp in Vancouver’s Vanier Park.

Set designer Pam Johnson has transformed the BMO Mainstage into the understated and opulent What You Will Hotel and Spa. Costume designer Nancy Bryant will add to the elegance of the early 1910’s with her pieces. A charming piano lounge will set the mood for sound designer Jeremy Spencer.

Bard on the Beach Presents Twelfth Night
Previews: June 12, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25; opens June 26
Dates: June 12 to September 14, Tuesdays through Sundays; BMO Mainstage in Vanier Park
Bard-B-Q & Fireworks evenings: July 27, 31, and August 3, 6 pm
Celebrating Red & White wine event: between shows on August 17
Tickets: $43 (evenings) and $25 to $30 (previews, matinees, and long weekend evenings) with a $25 Youth Rate (6-25 years, all performances). All prices include services fees and taxes.
Early bird pricing in effect: $40 for a regular adult ticket when purchased by May 31.

For performance schedules and tickets, phone 604.739.0559 (toll free 1.877.739.0559) or visit the Bard website.

Chocolatier Paul Dincer didn’t start out with a passion for creating handmade, hand-tempered and painted chocolates. His story began in Turkey, where 13 years of writing (with two published books) left him longing for the perfect place in the world where he could continue his writing.

His conclusion? It doesn’t exist.

He did however head to Australia to study business administration. He there met an Italian chef; the two worked together for six years. The next chapter of his life brought him to Vancouver, BC, where he started to create chocolates out of his home, transforming his kitchen into a commercial one.

His first foray into the chocolate business was through Kitsilano’s pocket farmers’ markets by the Kits Neighbourhood House. There he met other likeminded passionate farmers and artisan product makers, further fueling his desire to open a chocolate shop. Three years at weekend farmers’ markets (as Levni Chocolates) in both the West End and Kitsilano laid the groundwork for opening his first retail space in Kitsilano.

Koko Monk officially opened in February. Paul is connected to every aspect of his cozy shop, right down to the floor tiles. Alongside the stellar, one-of-a-kind chocolates, the shop sells pastries created by a German pastry chef, as well as hot chocolate and specialty coffees. Paul feels a particular connection with Kitsilano. With Plöeger German deli, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Pizza, and the soon-to-open Krokodile Pear organic juice company as neighbours, he’s in good company.

Our small media group took up the entire space, spread out over two tables. We sampled six chocolates from his collection. Paul explained that his chocolates are inspired by post-modern concepts, each one containing a unique flavour composition.

[Koko Monk Old Man and The Sea]

Every one of his chocolates tell a story. Witness The Old Man and the Sea, inspired from the Hemingway novel. The colours form the sea, the shape mimics the waves, and the inside contains watermelon and sea salt.

[Koko Monk Smoking Hearts: Raspberry-infused chocolate containing 12-year single malt scotch, guava, coconut, mango, then smoked a second time]

Never mind the typical salted caramel or truffle fillings; some of these combinations have yet to be replicated anywhere else in the world. From La Petite Amour, a maple leaf chocolate with mango, lemongrass, and lime to Smoking Heart, a raspberry-infused chocolate containing 12-year single malt scotch, guava, coconut, mango, then smoked a second time, and taken out of a wooden box for tasting, Paul knows how to knock your tastebuds for a loop!

[Koko Monk La Petite Amour: mango, lemongrass, lime]

We tasted each chocolate without knowing what was inside, allowing our palates to experience the slowly-melting components before knowing the name and ingredients of each, making for a true savouring experience.

[Koko Monk Zentropy: Wasabi, ginger, orange chocolate]

“My chocolates demand that you slow down to fully experience them.” – Paul Dincer

[Koko Monk's Bachanalia; photo courtesy of Koko Monk]

I particularly enjoyed the Bachanalia, with balsamic vinegar caramel, sea salt, and a hint of orange. All ingredients hit my palate at different moments. Paul takes a primary essence and finds an unorthodox flavour to add a distinct dimension, then compliments that duo with a third (and sometimes fourth) ingredient. I compared this process to painting a canvas. These pieces must be experienced in person; each chocolate is hand-painted and stands apart in colour and form.

Peering through the glass case, I can see why Paul’s got fans as far away as Belgium ordering his chocolates. This has to be the highest form of flattery for a local chocolate maker whose creativity on paper led him to sparking our tastebuds.

[Koko Monk's Blue Moon; photo courtesy of Koko Monk]

Koko Monk is located at 1849 West 1st Avenue in Kitsilano. Visit the website for more information. A big thanks to sponsors Suki’s Salon & Spa, Hilary Miles Flowers, and Costen Catbalue Goldsmiths + Design who helped to make our tasting event possible.

house wine is honoured to host winemaker Alberto Antonini for a great evening of conversation at Vancouver Urban Winery on Monday, June 3. Between managing his own winery (Tuscany’s Poggiotondo), partnering on numerous projects, and lending his expertise to over 50 wineries as both a winemaker and viticulturist, Alberto is one busy man.

The night will get underway with an intimate sit-down discussion where Mr. Antonini will share his global experiences crafting wines that express a sense of place. Bringing the discussion into BC’s backyard, he will then reveal his vision for our province’s terroir. Alberto has been working with Okanagan Crush Pad as consulting winemaker and viticulturist since 2010.

The discussion will be followed by a wine tasting, offering guests the chance to sample wines from Australia, Italy, Argentina and BC — all wines that Alberto has either produced or consulted on.

house wine is especially grateful to partners Okanagan Crush Pad, Trialto, Stile Brands and the Vancouver Urban Winery in helping to make this event possible.

A Conversation with Alberto Antonini
Date: Monday, June 3, 7 to 9:30 pm
Venue: Vancouver Urban Winery, 55 Dunlevy Avenue, Vancouver
Tickets: $79 (plus GST); available online

Edible Canada at The Market commands a prime spot on Granville Island close to the Public Market where over 12 million visitors peruse the food hall on a yearly basis. They started with a small shop in that very food hall (Edible British Columbia), selling many items now found in their current onsite shop. The busy restaurant has a comfortable, casual vibe, with families, businessmen, and groups coming and going.

The restaurant was packed during my recent lunch visit. Sitting by the window offers a glimpse into the daily life of Granville Island. The open kitchen is the first thing you see upon entry, opposite a series of square windows letting in a good amount of natural daylight.

Edible Canada enjoys relationships with many local suppliers, including South Surrey’s Hazelmere Farms, providing the Granville Island restaurant with beautiful sunchokes for their soup. Sea to Sky bacon-salted butter is offered with crusty bread or rolls. Victoria’s Silk Road Teas and Granville Island Tea selections are on the beverage menu, as well as local beer, wine, and spirits.

You can see where this is going: Edible Canada at the Market is a proudly local restaurant and retail space that’s passionate about things sustainable. They are dedicated to sourcing the highest quality products across Canada.

A room towards the back can be sectioned off with a glass-windowed sliding garage door for private parties and tastings. There’s also a bar, culminating in a retail space that showcases numerous local products from honey to gourmet salt.

The drink menu is filled with local beers on tap: Driftwood’s White Bark Wheat, Fat Tug IPA, Howe Sound Brewing’s seasonal Baldwin & Cooper Best Bitter, and Vancouver’s own Red Truck Lager. They’re all available in half-pint, pint, and pitcher portions ($4.50, $7, $16). Bottled beers cost between $7.95 and $13 (the higher end of that scale includes a Unibroue La Maudite Belgian dark ale).

An extensive cocktail list as well as whiskeys, vodka, and gin all incorporate Canadian products. Flights of wine on tap (Nichol Vineyard Organic Pinot gris and Nine Mile 2010, Crush Pad Rosé, Red, and White) plus a large list of reds, whites, and dessert wines are offered by the glass or bottle. I sampled their 2010 Market Red, produced at Okanagan Crush Pad. It’s an aromatic, medium-bodied blend of Gamay and Syrah picked from both Secrest and Cequeira Vineyards in Oliver, BC.

Vivreau water forms part of the sustainability program here (read my earlier Vivreau post here).

I started with a Hazelmere Farms sunchoke bisque with tiny crispy garlic chips on top. It’s presented in a nicely-designed deep bowl. The delicate flavour of the sunchoke was a great match for the garlic spice. I ordered a piece of crusty artisan bread just to try the bacon salted butter. Magnificent along with the sunchoke.

It was hard to decide between the Canadian-inspired mac & cheese, Salt Spring mussels & frites, or the Yarrow Meadows duck poutine, but another flavourful concoction caught my eye: Vij’s curry-spiced Albacore tuna ($16). Part of the lighter fare menu, the fine curry-crusted tuna is set atop local veggies with a drizzle of Nonna Pia’s balsamic reduction. It tasted as healthy as it looks in the photo. All of the dish’s components are smartly laid out on the rectangular dish. The only part of the dish that didn’t agree with me was the belly confit’s fitting in. While delicious on its own, it didn’t seem to combine well with the rest.

Desserts ($8 each) can vary from a warm fudge brownie with Alberta rye ice cream and hazelnut crumble to a maple sugar pie, with thickened cinnamon whipped cream and candied pecans. I admired how the whip cream wasn’t soft but held a consistency that reminded me of a custard. I like the rustic presentation of this dish, with the nuts loosely tossed about, with the flavourful maple filling packed into an uneven chunky pie crust. While I was enjoying the sugar pie, I also sampled a bit of that homemade Alberta rye ice cream, and while not a spirits lover, this ice cream is simply divine. I can imagine returning to try it with its proper fudge brownie, melting amongst the bits of hazelnut. Blissful thoughts arise.

While I sipped a cup of Silk Road Gen Mai Cha Japanese green tea at lunch, I ordered a decaf americano for the pie. Salt Spring Coffee is one of Edible Canada’s investors, and together they share a great relationship offering a dedicated coffee program, with an abundance of coffee drinks on the menu.

Edible Canada’s owner has Celiac’s disease, thus the menu offers a wealth of gluten-free dishes whether by choice or necessity.

On the day of my visit, reggae music at a non-obtrusive level was playing on the sound system. I also learned that the coveted outdoor heated patio will accommodate 100 more seats this year.

Edible Canada offers two-hour culinary tours of Granville Island Public Market, gourmet kayaking trips to the beautiful Gulf Islands, as well as a market dinner series with well-known Vancouver chefs. The next dinner is set for May 7, where Chef Ted Anderson of Campagnolo Roma will present a multi-course dinner with wine pairings ($80 per person plus tax; includes gratuity). Each guest chef dinner is limited to 24 guests. Visit the website for more information.

There’s also the return of The Take-Away Project, a campaign to find the best themed concept for a dish, to be served at Edible Canada’s outdoor take-out window during the summer season. The winner will receive free food while the window is open as well as having the item named after them.

My lunch and drinks were courtesy of Edible Canada at the Market for the purpose of experiencing the menu and restaurant.

Each month, Melanie Friesen invites a distinguished guest to Vancity Theatre’s Cinema Salon, in order to present his/her favourite film. After the screening, both audience and speaker have the opportunity to engage over drinks and snacks in the Vancity lounge. This month’s film is Jean Renoir’s The Rules of the Game.

The Rules of the Game is a bittersweet masterpiece about French romance, class, manners and hypocrisy on the eve of World War II. André, a French aviation hero, is in love with Christine, who is married to wealthy aristocrat Robert. Robert has a mistress, whom he invites to a weekend hunting party at his estate, along with André. Renoir himself plays Andre’s friend Octave. Underneath the stairs, the servants are also playing musical beds.

Tout Paris was hostile on opening night in 1939, as the upper class is depicted in this film as insouciant and self-indulgent, with little regard for the consequences of their actions. Under Paris Nazi occupation, The Rules of the Game was banned as being morally perilous. Now the film is often named as one of the greatest films in the history of cinema.

This month’s Cinema Salon is hosted by Dr. Ron Burnett. Dr. Ron Burnett has been President and Vice-Chancellor of Emily Carr University of Art + Design since 1996.

In 2010, Dr. Burnett was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government and received the International Digital Media and Arts Association Outstanding Leadership Award. In 2012, he received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in honour of his significant contributions and achievements.

Vancity Cinema Salon with Dr. Ron Burnett Presents The Rules of the Game
Date: Tuesday, May 14, 7:30 pm
Venue: Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Tickets: $13.00; may be purchased online

NEWmatica is a riveting, site-specific, and interdisciplinary concert of new music and modern tap dance, where the venue itself is played as a musical instrument.

The towering, 26-storey Mill at the Britannia Mine Museum (a National Historic Site), will serve as the venue. Vancouver-based musicians Fringe Percussion (Jonathan Bernard, Martin Fisk, Brian Nesselroad and Daniel Tones), soprano Heather Pawsey, and contemporary tap dancers Danny Nielsen and Dayna Szyndrowski will showcase their individual musical expressions – and where they intersect – through rhythm, melody, harmony, text, and audience participation.

“Whenever possible, we love to engage our audiences through active participation in our concerts,” says Heather Pawsey, Artistic Director of Astrolabe Musik Theatre. “For NEWmatica, we’ve invited members of the public, through a series of workshops, to join us and literally play the Mill as a musical instrument itself in a series of musical motives used as transitions throughout the evening.”

This one-of-a-kind presentation will feature the music of iconic American composer John Cage (Third Construction; forever and sunsmell) as well as Canadian composers André Cormier (Tableau de Backyard), Jocelyn Morlock (Darwin’s Walken Fish; Train), and internationally acclaimed Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer (Tantrika), in celebration of his 80th birthday.

The Britannia Mine Museum’s Mill (one of North America’s last remaining gravity-fed concentrator mills) was chosen as a venue because of its cathedral-like height that soars into the air with 14,416 window panes. Its long and reverberant acoustic, punctuated by splashes of water trickling down its rock-face walls, allows for spatial placement that enables unamplified voice and tap to seamlessly integrate with the larger forces of a percussion quartet.

Steel beams and girders, round wooden platforms, concrete floors, and found objects will provide a variety of opportunities for the public to play the Mill as a percussive instrument itself.

Astrolabe Musik Theatre & the Britannia Mine Museum Co-Produce NEWmatica
Date: May 25, 7:30 pm
Venue: Britannia Mine Museum, Highway 99, Britannia Beach (45 min. north of Vancouver)
Tickets: Adults, $25; students and seniors, $18 (all tickets excluding service fee); available in advance online or in person at the museum
Dress Advisory: As the Mill is unheated, please dress warmly, with footwear suitable for uneven terrain.

Astrolabe Musik Theatre is passionate about commissioning and performing new works by Canadian artists in non-traditional venues.

[Daniel Arnold, Anthony F. Ingram; photo by Damon Calderwood]

One of the first lines uttered by our narrator, Bill (Anthony F. Ingram puts on a strong performance here) sets the stage for the rest of the two-hour (including intermission) production of Pacific Theatre’s How to Write a New Book for The Bible. That title alone made me curious, and I imagine it would to you as well. After all, a play with that title can go either the theological route, making for a long evening of Bible recitations, or come off as a primer on writing, well, literally a holy book.

[Anthony F Ingram, Erla Faye Forsyth; photo by Emily Cooper]

Luckily for the audience, this is a combination of the two, with a great amount of humour thrown in to confront the gentle subject of aging parents close to death. Mother Mary (Erla Faye Forsyth) is a witty 82 year-young gal who gets the best lines in the play. Erla is fabulous in this role; speaking with her at the opening reception, this is a real-life situation for her as she’s currently living at home looking after her own folks.

Playwright Bill Cain has put his own life into the play as well. How to Write a New Book For The Bible has been performed in the US; this is the autobiographical play’s Canadian premiere.

The simple set includes a solitary door, chair, old TV and two concrete bricks. The floor contains the Cain family tree on name plates, right down to playwright William.

In the play, Bill and older brother Paul (a sharp performance by Jessie-nominated Daniel Arnold) are caring for their aging mother. While Paul is back in El Paso, Bill is reluctantly put in charge of living at home with Mom. You see, Paul has a “real job”, while Bill is just a writer. This is the biggest difference between the two: one is the athlete, the other, a scholar. On top of Bill’s parental care and script writing on the side, he’s a priest. And therein lies the premise of the play’s title. Bill wants to rewrite a book for The Bible.

[Byron Noble; photo by Damon Calderwood]

Theological references to family are peppered into the comedic story line. This is a tale told by all four characters, though Bill is the lead narrator. During key monologues, soft melodies are played in the background. Interwoven into the play are family rules and what’s fair. The four Cains proceed to sound off a list of rules, as they come from a functional family. As this plays out, a lot of family frustrations surface, making for excellent character build up.

“Unconditional love makes way more demands than conditional love.”

This theme is strongly brought forth by Bill and Paul’s mother, who’s had a rough life, a strong work ethic, but instilled the never-give up-attitude in both sons. Another interesting facet of the play is having the characters talk in the third person. Paul and Mary both give very powerful performances and were my favourite two characters in How to Write. Byron Noble completes the picture as Peter, the dad and Mary’s husband, who appears in both life and afterlife. Both Daniel Arnold and Byron Noble play a few characters during the course of the play.

[Byron Noble, Erla Faye Forsyth; photo by Damon Calderwood]

While the first half conveys the family mold, the second half has more to do with Mary’s inevitable exit from this world. Acting as priest, Billy closes the production, giving much food for thought as well as a lovely, simple after-life ending to the story. Kudos to Set Designer Lauchlin Johnston for his attention to detail. Try to visit the set during intermission and after the play. There’s a lot happening on both the walls and floors.

[Byron Noble, Daniel Arnold, Anthony F. Ingram, Erla Faye Forsyth; photo by Emily Cooper]

This production is directed by Morris Ertman, returning for his second show at Pacific Theatre this season following his work on Leave of Absence. How to Write a New Book for The Bible continues at the Pacific Theatre through May 25.

Pacific Theatre’s landmark 30th season begins on September 20. Visit the website for its nine productions through June 2014.

Vancouver Food Talks returns in June with its eighth edition in the series, celebrating one year of hosting inspiring speakers from our local food community! This edition of Food Talks is themed 5 Iconic Women Chefs. 

Each of these inspiring women will talk about what they do and their role as a woman chef in the food community. 

Volume 8’s five women chef speakers will be:
Chef Karen Barnaby
Karen has lived and worked in Toronto, cooking at The Rivoli and the David Wood Food Shop. In Mexico, she worked as a private chef. Vancouver has been her home since 1991 where she has held the position of Executive Chef at both the Raintree Restaurant and the Fish House in Stanley Park. Her current role is Chef of Product and Business Development for Albion Fisheries, Intercity Packers, and Fresh Start Foods under the Gordon Food Service umbrella.

Chef Meeru Dhalwala
Meeru Dhalwala was born in India and moved to Washington, DC, at a very young age with her parents. In DC, she worked with various international non-profit organizations on human rights and economic development projects. She received a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Bath University in England. In 1995, Meeru moved to Vancouver and joined her husband, Vikram, to work at his newly opened restaurant, Vij’s. She quickly took over the menu responsibilities and has been creating new dishes since the summer of 1995.

Chef Susan Mendelson
Susan has shared her recipes on radio, television, and in her 10 cookbooks. After 30 years, Susan still feels passionate about delicious and beautiful food and believes that only the finest ingredients should go into any food that is created. Susan has supported several key organizations, donating a percentage of her book royalties to Big Sisters of BC, the Vancouver Jewish Family Service Agency Food programs and others.

Chef Angie Quaale
Angie Quaale founded Well Seasoned in 2004 after working for several years in hotels and fine dining. Her successful career has focused on commercial food sales, menu development, and retail food distribution.

Chef Merri Schwartz
A deep passion for food and agriculture led Schwartz to found Growing Chefs! Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture in 2005. This Vancouver-based, non-profit organization pairs chef volunteers with elementary school classrooms, where chefs help students plant, grow, and cook their own vegetables. Schwartz founded Growing Chefs! with the hope that sustainable practices will become integral to living and cooking in Vancouver and beyond.
 
Enjoy tasty appetizers prepared by the chefs at The Westin Grand followed by the talks. After the speakers, Richard Wolak, Founder of Food Talks, will moderate a Q&A, offering the audience a chance to ask questions and engage with the speakers. There will also be a draw for prizes. Wine, beer, cocktails and other beverages will be available for purchase.

Growing Chefs will be the event’s designated charity, an organization that educates children on the food community in public schools.

Food Talks Volume 8
Date: Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 to 9:30 pm
Venue: The Westin Grand, 433 Robson Street, Vancouver
Early Bird Tickets: $18 per person before April 30 (11:30 pm); Advance Tickets: $30 per person after April 30. After June 8, regular tickets will be $40 per person.
All tickets exclude Eventbrite fee.
A donation of $3 from each ticket purchased will go to support Growing Chefs.