There are rare occasions where the convenience of meat and bread in hand trumps my Asian leanings toward noodles and rice. When this happens, these are the places I turn to.

La Brasserie: Brass chicken sandwich

by are you gonna eat that

Rotisserie chicken, brined in beer. Gravy. Buttermilk biscuit. A mountain of slivered, crispy onion. $7. Yes, please.

Find this mouth-watering creation in 3 locations: the La Brasserie restaurant on Davie & Thurlow, their original street cart on Georgia & Granville, and their second street spot on Georgia & Burrard.

Meat & Bread: porchetta and meatball addictions

If you ask me out to lunch on any given day, don’t be surprised when I suggest meeting at Meat & Bread. Despite my frequent patronage, it’s still a gut-wrenching experience at the counter each time I decide between the porchetta and the meatball. I typically wind up choosing the porchetta–no self-respecting Filipino would deny themselves any variant of lechon–and persuading my lunch mates to get the meatball or the daily special. Then I steal nibbles from their sandwiches. Dilemma solved.

Bada Bing: a Philly cheese steak that won’t weigh you down

It may well be that everyone’s talking about Anthony Sedlak’s newest venture (I for one had a good first visit), but the cheese steak that continues to steal my heart is the foot-long from Bada Bing.

by foodtruckapp

Made with halal beef that’s been sliced razor thin, topped with melted Monterey and stuffed inside a soft Italian loaf, you’d think that eating a foot of it would be a challenge to your digestive system. Instead, you’ll find that Bada Bing’s combination tastes elegant and subtle, which makes it easy for even a lightweight eater like myself to polish off the entire thing.

Unfortunately, the lack of a consistent web or social presence makes Bada Bing’s food truck difficult to spot. Make sure to track their lunchtime and evening whereabouts using the Street Food App on your smartphone before calling a delivery service like Foodsters to wrangle a ‘wich for you. The Street Food App also has food cart landing pages on their regular website for those that are not smartphone-enabled.

What sandwiches are you addicted to? Inquiring minds want to know.

From December 10-22nd, I’m a media sponsor for Foodsters’ 12 Days of Christmas Food Drive. Follow along as I share what my top 12 food and restaurant cravings are this season (with some poetic license to boot).

Take a look at the other members of Chow.com’s Sandwich Hall of Shame >

My sandwich trauma stems from a childhood overrun with Wonderbread and  lunch meats of questionable provenance: liverwurst, bologna, spam, Vienna sausage. [Spam and Vienna sausage are magic with rice, though.]

by Kevin H.

Scarred by this kind of sandwich history, I find myself amazed at how I have come to frequent Meat & Bread, one of Gastown’s newest breed of minimalist, casual eatery.

The restaurant is exactly what it claims to be: a place with a small but stellar selection of meat and bread. You will find 4 sandwiches to pick from on any given day.

Porchetta, $8. They pronounce it like “pork-etta”. Fattylicious roast pork chopped together with its juicy stuffings and topped with salsa verde. My favourite.

Meatball, $8. 3-5 giant, oozy, spicy rounds of pork drenched in housemade sambal. My husband’s favourite.

Daily Special, $8. Previous offerings have included jerk chicken, duck confit with blue cheese, and braised turkey leg. You can check out what is on feature that day by visiting their website before you arrive. I occasionally cheat on my porchetta with these temptations, and it is a constant battle at the counter between the tried-and-true and the I-can’t-believe-you-can-offer-that-in-a-sandwich.

Grilled Cheese, $7. Shaved onion and aged white cheddar melting goo between generously buttered toast. I ordered it once for my daughter but she kept stealing bites from my porchetta…so no photo, sorry.

They do veer off course to entice you with their single dessert item, which is simply labelled ice cream sandwich on their menu board. Don’t be fooled…this is a to-die-for concoction of maple & bacon ice cream, sandwiched between stroopwafel-like wafers that are similarly infused with piggy grease. If you haven’t tried this out yet, I suggest you split one of their regular sandwiches with a friend so you can have enough room in your belly for dessert.

Photo courtesy © Cathy Burrell of Cathy Eats

If you like their housemade mustard and sambal as much as we do, grab a jar off the shelf near the entrance and keep it in your fridge for sandwich emergencies. Extra handy when you take M&B fare to go and find, like we have, that the usual dollop of mustard present on your cutting board plate is unfortunately not something that can be easily transported.

There’s not much to dislike, but I have found a few minor areas for improvement:

1. Stock Coca-Cola. The mom & pop colas are just not cutting it for me. I feel like a jerk for smuggling in my favourite carbonated bevvie from the pocket of my daughter’s diaper bag. [UPDATE: They now sell locally made Sip sodas--these herb-infused sparkling waters are a great fallback, but I still ask for less guilt and more Coke, pretty please.]
2. Be open for dinner. One diner came by at 5:05pm and was aghast to see that he was too late for a sandwich. He looked at my cousin, who was on her way out, and asked, “Nooo…?”. “Yes,” she replied sadly. “No! No,” he exclaimed. My cousin looked sympathetic. Up and shaking went his fist, and from his mouth came a wail straight out of a Star Trek epic: “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” I hope he got his sandwich fix the next day.
3. Be open on Sundays. I need you guys 7 days a week!

Maybe I’ll see you at the Meat & Bread communal table one day soon.

Vancouver makes an admirable poutine. Sure, it’s not straight from Montreal like the one above, and the cheese curds don’t tend to squeak like mice in a cage, but the total package is delicious enough to satisfy any Vancouverite’s craving.

Davie Village’s La Belle Patate is widely known for being the city’s poutine benchmark. Some believe that the family-run company makes even tastier poutine than what can be found in Montreal. I’m not completely sold on that statement. It’s close, but I need my cheese curds to be a lot more noisy before I’ll dare to say that someone in Vancouver does it better.

by Calgary Reviews

When you’re hungry for poutine after a night of shenanigans and LBP is already closed, head downhill on Davie to Belgian fry hot spot Fritz.

by Slightlynorth

Want more upscale poutinery? Try La Brasserie’s breakfast poutine during weekend brunch. I haven’t had the chance to go there myself, but palates I trust can do nothing but rave about this dish.

Image © Noshwell.com – used with permission. Read Noshwell’s La Brasserie breakfast review >>

I’ve also had high-class frites at Gastown’s Boneta. I think of it as a poutine, elevated: their rendition of gravy, curds and potato is too delicate to treat as street food or rustic fare. As divine as it may look and taste, the dish is a very reasonable $10.

Our dark horse pick, Frenchies Diner, is a great lunch option for the Dunsmuir working crowd. The choices are more gimmicky than those at La Belle Patate, but I am not one to contest an offering of poutine with steak! They can handle your extra Quebecois hankerings with Steamies, smoked meat sandwiches, and tourtière.

These poutine purveyors don’t deliver, so if you’re stuck at home and poutine pangs strike, consider asking Foodsters to pick your order up for you.

Got any other GVRD recommendations for memorable poutine?

From December 10-22nd, I’m a media sponsor for Foodsters’ 12 Days of Christmas Food Drive. Follow along as I share what my top 12 food and restaurant cravings are this season (with some poetic license to boot).

It was therefore with much anticipation and carnivorous craving that I headed to the 2009 Gastown Blues and Chili Festival, a first-year block party on Abbott between Cordova and Water. I was joined by friends Lawrence and Hayley, who graced this blog once before with their participation in Operation Operation. Here is our collective story.

Festival observations

We arrived an hour into the festivities, where the cordoned area was already jam-packed with musicians, music lovers, cooks, judges, chili, and eager taste testers. At the front of it all was the beer garden and the sound stage, kept constantly occupied with live blues performances or the emcee stylings of BT’s Dawn Chubai.

Neighbouring the doors of the Revel Room was the ticket booth for the chili cook-off tastings. One could buy a $15 bracelet for 2oz samples of all the entries, or be more selective with $1/$3 tickets for 2oz/8oz quantities. Our threesome opted for the bracelets and proceeded directly to the white tents scattered throughout the block, the scent of red meat, spices, and peppers already getting our appetites in gear.

As we quickly discovered, the 2oz samples were more than enough to appraise each contender. In fact, 2 ounces proved far too generous; we were absolutely stuffed after only 10 booths, and had to ask for half portions even after the first three. The 1-hour breather we decided to take at the nearby Gastown Farmers Market was essential for some culinary contrast, chair time, and iced tea.

Chilied out

When we returned at 3 o’clock, we were dismayed to see the remaining tents devoid of food and cookery. Left on those tables were the red checkered tablecloths and apologetic “sold out” signage. Had we known that taking a chili break would result in a shut-out, I think we would have forged ahead after our 10 samples. It was disappointing, yes, but being quite satiated from our earlier tastings and the bounty of the farmers market, we were more saddened that festival visitors arriving in the last 4 hours of the event would be denied such tasty dining.

There were still eating options available to latecomers, and plenty of blues stylings, of course. Restaurant staff returned to their home bases to welcome the converted for dinner. On Abbott Street, the ticket booth now sold watermelon slices for a buck. The beer garden by the Revel Room was still in full swing, and there was still even a few scoops of chili available from some of the original competitors by the time we left at 4pm.

Suggestions for next time

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that the chili ran out because of those $15 bracelets and the $3 portions of 8 whopping ounces. With the crowds, it would have been too easy for bracelet wearers to return for seconds to their favourite booths before their servers got suspicious. And the value was certainly there to take advantage of; I would have personally paid up to $5 each for an 8oz portion of the top 3 entries. Paying $15 for 18×2 = 36 theoretical ounces of chili goodness seemed a crime!

Next time around, we’d like to suggest stamp cards in lieu of bracelets to control portions.  It may work better to ensure that all festival visitors get exactly one shot to try a particular booth’s chili (fair to the booth, fair to the rest of the crowd, methinks). If a restaurant excels in its chili concoction, I daresay they merit extra payment for additional portions, no?

For festival goers, here are our tips for the next Gastown Blues and Chili Festival (which I truly hope is something that happens next year):

• Bring your own (tea)spoon and save a little plastic, pretty please.
• Bring a bottle of your favourite coolant. The lineup for bottled water was the same as the one for ticket sales, and you don’t want to be caught unprepared with fire in your mouth.
• Don’t wear white. Hayley and I did and were too worried about our clothes to be fully relaxed. Lawrence wisely chose a white shirt striped with red and orange, which he claims could have camouflaged any spills. Sure, buddy.
• Arrive early and hungry. The later you get there, the less likely you’ll get a shot to have chili with your blues.
• If you’re coming with a partner and the festival still offers a $15 bracelet option with 2oz samples…share it. It was a hell of a lot of chili, even for Lawrence, who once scarfed down at greasy spoons with the best of them. We were done after 10 ounces!

Chili tasting notes

Although we didn’t get to try all the chili that was on hand for the cook-off, all three of us felt like we got our money’s worth sampling the 10 that we did get to taste. We share our thoughts below.

Alibi Room

Our first chili try of the day incorporated three different types of shredded bison meat. Nice heat in the back of the throat with a gamey finish that didn’t fully manifest until our 2oz sample was completely inhaled. It appealed to me overall but I suspected that it could be forgotten as the tastings wore on. Lawrence found the flavour to be a little thin.

Black Frog

Black Frog’s entry was a chili verde made with diced pork, tomatillo, corn, and other greenstuffs. Clean and refreshing, making it an unforgettable sample amongst the more unusual offerings had that day. This was my and Hayley’s favourite out of the ones we tried and Lawrence’s runner-up choice. Points were docked for a lack of true smoky or BBQ essence and its watery first impression.

The Diamond

A memorable concoction containing bratwurst, chipotle, porter, bourbon, and dark chocolate. The chocolate was the standout ingredient, combining with the liquors to produce molasses and hickory notes. All three of us agreed that this was easily our favourite of the “looks like a chili, tastes like a chili” contenders.

Boneta

Chili-cum-gumbo of pork rib, chicken, Mexican chorizo, and what Hayley guesses are Roman beans. With its pale complexion and lack of heat, it resembled stew much more than it did anything else. With the high expectations we had for Boneta, this entry did disappoint. Perhaps it was a deliberate ploy to garner greater attention for The Diamond, younger sister to Boneta. Who really knows for sure…

Lamplighter

What a bland, soggy mess. This chili seeped through our double-paper-cup containers before we were even halfway through our tasting. I didn’t even think to take a photo, so unimpressed was I.

Lawrence said it best: “This must have been made with the pigs that didn’t make it onto Noah’s Ark.”

La Casita

We didn’t fare much better at La Casita. Bonus points for the shredded cheese that topped our samples, providing a delightful ooziness in the mouth. But those same points get docked for the blatent cheese-for-your-vote exchange and the overall impression of “cafeteria-style chili” that this entry imparted.

Chill Winstons

It’s easy to see why the Chill Winstons booth won the popular vote. It was colourful, friendly, aesthetically pleasing in an Earls’ Girls kind of way, and was the only booth in our experience to announce that their secret ingredient was love.

Besides the love, we found rum, Red Stripe beer, and shredded pork in the mix. Lawrence thought it needed corn, kick, and a bit more ingredient breadth to win him over as a good chili, but we all thought that as a filling, it’d make for a terrific pulled pork sandwich.

Revel Room

Block party host Revel naturally entered into this chili cook-off. Their take was sweet and smoky, likely a product of the woodchip-smoked meat, Makers’ Mark bourbon, Agave nectar, and coffee bean rub. A bit of crunch and contrast provided by the slivers of celery root. If it weren’t so wet that it soaked through our paper containers, this would be higher up in our rankings.

Wild Rice

I was a little perplexed by the “3 odd balls and a ladle” sign next to the pot of chili at the Wild Rice booth, but I suppose it makes sense for an entry that contained mini meatballs of lamb, bison, and pork mince. Kudos for the East-meets-Deep-South concept…but the three of us were still seeking glimmers of Texan or Mexican flair that didn’t seem to be present in the more exotic entries.

So.cial at Le Magasin

Hayley loved this chili. She particularly enjoyed the extra-strong hit of (organic) tomato; I shared her enthusiasm for the squares of bison meat that marbled away in our mouths as we chewed. Lawrence’s sample was devoid of bison so he had to ask us whether this entry was vegetarian. He was not a fan; I was leaning towards a favourable impression despite the ketchup-red colouring and Prego-like consistency.

Results of the Gastown Blues & Chili cook-off

Our verdict wouldn’t be complete given our partial sampling. Instead, give these pieces a read for takes from the official festival judges and event promoters:

• Gastown Indeed! 16 Bowls of Chili & Blues Shut Down Abbott St. (Scout Magazine on Sept 21, 2009)
• Gastown Blues and Chili Fest (Gastown Blog on Sept 21, 2009)

Your take on the 2009 Gastown Blues & Chili Festival

Our inquiring minds want to know. Leave a comment here or catch us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like their name, they are all class. Sought-out antiques and chandeliers provide a contrast to the sparkly diamond napkin-weight and custom diamond wallpaper. The bright windows and dark wood are another happy contrast, but the biggest surprise is how well the asian-inspired kitchen pairs with the pub-style front of house.

I’ve had the rock cod sub spiked with Togarashi, and the duck noodles – both delicious, but the jewel of this kitchen is the Sloping Hills pork gyoza. Soy, mirin and pork pinched with love and piled into a bowl. I hesitated on ordering it (plus a sub) on my first visit and now I’ve had them every time I’ve been. They’re necessary.

Opened by Mark Brand, Josh Pape & Sophie Taverner, this is as good a crew as you can get in this town and they will make sure you’re well taken care of.

Wednesday is my breather from the frenzy of the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.  I’ll be back in the scene in some way, shape, or form on Thursday and Friday.  Till then, please enjoy this collection of Wine Fest recaps from the official and alternative presses, which I will continue to update as new stuff comes in.

From the wire

Reports from TV, radio, mags, and rags:

• Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is just around the corner (Anthony Gismondi, The Vancouver Sun)
• BC wines face homecoming test (Alexandra Gill, The Globe and Mail)
• Good Eats: B.C. wines take centre stage at Vancouver Playhouse Int. Wine Festival (Bruce Stephen, North Shore Outlook)
• Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival Launches (Anya Levykh, Metro Vancouver)
• Reality Check in Vancouver (Peter Mitham, Wines & Vines)
• Playhouse Wine Fest Cheat Sheet (David Scholefield, Vancouver Magazine)

From the blogosphere

What bloggers and online publications have been saying:

• How to Survive the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival 2009 (The Blog According to Buzz)
• International Wine Fest 2009: live coverage of BC wines at Earls and West (Tiny Bites)
• Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival – Day 1 (Wine Bard)
• Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival Begins! (Full-Bodied)
• Winefest Blog #269: The 1st Day In The Big Shoes Of Sid Cross (Scout Magazine)
• WineFest Blog #628: Dinner At Bishop’s And 17 Again At Boneta (Scout Magazine)
• Wine Festival Kick Off (Urban Diner)
• Joy in a Glass (Urban Diner)
• The 2009 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival Kicks Off (Vinifico)
• WineFest Blog #270: Heidi Noble As Globe & Mail “Flashpoint” (Scout Magazine)
• International Wine Fest 2009: live coverage of Caymus Vineyards at CinCin (Tiny Bites)
• WineFest Blog #271: Sid Cross Shares His CinCin Tasting Notes (Scout Magazine)
• 2009 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival – Brunello, Barolo and Beyond… event (Vinifico)
• WineFest Blog #272: 2 Wines And 20 Vintages With Sid Cross (Scout Magazine)
• WineFest Blog #273: The Trade Tasting & Mike Bernardo’s Shoe (Scout Magazine, with a gallery containing my photography)
• CedarCreek Winemaker Dinner at Bishops (City Food Magazine)
• Make Wine She Said: Divas at the Met (City Food Magazine)
• New Wines to Try at the Festival: Pink Elephant Sparkling (City Food Magazine)
• Vancouver WineFest Thursday Trade Tasting Report (Full-Bodied)
• Andrea Vescovi Named Sommelier of the Year (Urban Diner)
• Caymus Wine Dinner At Cincin (Urban Diner)
• 2009 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival – Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical Tasting (Vinifico)
• 2009 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival – Wine folks talk about their wines and the value of social media (Vinifico)
• WineFest Blog #274: Spit Bucket Barricades & Fashionistas (Scout Magazine)
• *News Flash* 2010 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival (Wine Bard)
• WineFest Blog #295: Five Days And Nights & Still Going Strong (Scout Magazine)
• Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival – Summary (Wine Bard)

From the Twitterverse

Trying out yet more fun tech. Below is a feed of the most recent Twitter musings that have been tagged by the official hashtag of the event, #vpiwf.

If you’d like to see the full collection of #vpiwf commentary, you can look it up on Twemes, which has the added benefit of showing you all Flickr photos (like mine) tagged with vpiwf.

Update: Wine Fest personalities on Twitter

Would you like to know which participating wineries to follow after the Wine Fest winds down?  Here’s a list to start you off.

• @township7 – Township 7, BC
• @blackcloudwine – Black Cloud Wine, BC
• @dfwinery – Dunham & Froese, BC
• @stoneboat – Stoneboat Vineyards, BC
• @road13vineyards – Road 13 Vineyards, BC
• @prospectwinery – Prospect Winery, BC
• @tinhorncreek – Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, BC
• @sokolblosser – Sokol Blosser Winery, Oregon

I had a heck of a time finding many participants on Twitter from outside of BC, although there are at least 60 wineries on Twitter from around the world. Please help me flag down any wineries that you follow that were represented at this year’s Wine Fest.

Share Wine Fest news with me

Help me add to this Wine Fest round-up by dropping a comment with related articles on the interwebs.

Festival Gallery

Here is my share of visual documentation of this week’s festivities. Click on a thumbnail and use the Prev and Next buttons to navigate through the rest.

UPDATE, October 23, 2009: The new owners of Sandwich Garden contacted me today saying that the cafe is no longer a Korean restaurant. They’re now a Brazilian sandwich and bread place. Haven’t been there myself. They’re working on a website but it’s not up yet.

If you have tried the new Sandwich Garden, let me know what you think.

Dear Sandwich Garden Korean Cafe,

It’s only been 15 days since I last requested a bubbling bowl of Korean soup, and already I feel like a neglectful patron.  It’s not that I don’t care. You see, I’ve shifted job gears in the past two weeks, which means that I’m no longer a whisper away from your shop on West Pender and Richards.  Gone are the days of stopping in to lunch on a different hot pot 3 or even 4 times a week.  It breaks my heart that your $8 lunches, complete with rice and a trio of Korean side dishes, are now more than a 20 minute walk away.

But don’t worry. I’ll be back. Today, in fact.  With autumn firmly upon us and the darkness of winter descending, I’ll be counting on your tofu hotpot, pork bone soup, and beef rib soup to keep me warm on dreary days.

I just wanted to let you know that I haven’t forgotten you, and that I have you to thank for showing me a side of Korean cuisine beyond kimchee and cook-it-yourself barbeque.   Guess it just struck me that the reason I had never fallen in love with Korean food was that I hadn’t met the right place…until now.

See you at lunchtime,
Karen

Sandwich Garden Korean Cafe
529 West Pender Street | Near Gastown
(604) 681-4422

My husband reconnected with his family in Winnipeg last week while I missed him greatly at home. To pass the time, I booked myself silly with lunch and dinner dates, which culminated in a general Facebook & Twitter call for dining companions for Friday evening. The address to explore was Cobre, a Gastown tapas restaurant whose praises have been sung by many a Tiny Bites reader.

Photo courtesy of my lovely cousin

Five diners responded to my invitation, and on Friday, the 6 of us gathered for a lively meal atop Cobre’s mezzanine. Introductions were made and wine was poured: a velvety carmenere from Chile that had everyone competing for the last drop.

We then began the lengthy but enjoyable process of deciding what to order. The menu was littered with Spanish and culinary terms which would have otherwise daunted the uninitiated; luckily, Cobre supplied each diner with a glossary to help us decipher each item.

Everything sounded intriguing so we went bat-crazy with the menu, ordering 12 different dishes and doubles of some. (One guest must have found his gastronomic soulmate in another, because these two ordered almost exactly alike and flattered each other’s sense of taste all night. His girlfriend seemed okay with that.)

These were the highlights for me:

We nearly exhausted the Taqueria menu that night, ordering 4 of the 5 varieties available. My pick of these was the pulled duck with scallions and roasted garlic. Duck titillates my palate in oh so many ways, so I was very pleased to discover another method of preparation for my favourite fowl.

Honourable mention goes to the one with wild boar chorizo, sunchokes, and nugget potato. It wasn’t the runner-up in terms of taste (I’d say that was the rockfish) but it definitely won points for originality.

I fell in love with the mango crème brulée after my first spoonful, but unfortunately, it was not the dessert I had ordered. I made googly eyes at it from across the table while I nibbled at my delicious but extremely sweet dulce de leche.

The chocolate soufflé was absolutely sinful with its molten centre and dark, starchy outer shell. I was content with just a bite and a giggle at the curious geometry of the accompanying cinnamon churros.

Dinner conversation often veered back towards the gorgeous artwork that peppered Cobre’s walls. It seems inevitable that my cousin will track this artist down and buy some of her works, as we did find one of her business cards leaned up against the back of our booth.

The Verdict

Group consensus was quite positive. Plates were licked clean; wine was duly noted for future consumption; service was attentive and accommodated our communal table by splitting all our orders into smaller, shareable portions. I’m looking very forward to returning to Cobre and introducing my husband (and hopefully more Tiny Bites dining companions) to this wonderful Gastown find.

Cobre
52 Powell St | Gastown
(604) 699-2396
www.cobrerestaurant.com

]]> http://tinybites.ca/2008/08/22/a-tiny-bites-dinner-date-at-cobre/feed/ 13 http://tinybites.ca/2008/08/04/when-twitter-hunger-and-hesitation-collide-at-flux-bistro/ http://tinybites.ca/2008/08/04/when-twitter-hunger-and-hesitation-collide-at-flux-bistro/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:00:55 +0000 Karen Hamilton http://tinybites.ca/?p=564 Lately, I’ve been dipping my toes in the pool of face-to-face meetups with people that I’ve come to know from the internets. One example was last Thursday’s Gastown Tweetup at Flux Bistro, organized by @jordanbehan of the local Twitterverse.

Some of you may scoff to hear this, but I can get extremely shy in group situations. This meetup was no exception. Colleague @skyden agreed to be my +1 while Twitter buddies @nalei, @hummingbird604, and @miss604 assured me that the crowd would be kind to newcomers like myself. Somewhat pacified, I arrive with @skyden promptly at 1pm and starving to the max. A few others that I didn’t recognize walked in before us and seated themselves at a large table. That’s when my bashful gene decided to kick in.

Unable to bring myself to ask whether they were also there for the Tweetup, we scuttled ourselves to a table for 2 at the periphery of the action. We ordered our drinks and perused the menu, with @skyden chomping at the bit to initiate an introduction. I kept telling him to hold off.

When @jordanbehan started the introductions, @skyden decided enough was enough and approached the table. They were indeed the people we were supposed to connect with, and they had no problem with us joining them for lunch. @skyden threw me a was-that-so-hard look as I ushered myself into a seat, completely mortified.

The rest of the experience was smooth sailing. Everyone was open and friendly, and the eventual presence of familiar faces @nalei and @miss604 did much to calm my nerves. It was great to also meet fellow food blogger @rtanglao, who had been aiding me in finding other Filipino restaurants to bookmark for a visit.

On to the food.

I was similarly hesitant about the chorizo & shrimp fettucini and the artichoke & zucchini spaghetti, so @skyden and I wound up ordering both to share. The fettucini won out in the end: the chorizo lent it a punch that the veggies simply could not stand up against. My drink of choice was ginger beer, which is starting to become my de facto order whenever it’s on the menu…though it did feel like I was cheating on my beloved Coca-Cola.

As the event wound down and the Twitterati said their goodbyes, we ended off the meal with a ginger and orange crème brulée, complete with candied orange slice.

In hindsight, the Gastown Tweetup was not as harrowing as my imagination had made it out to be. The food and service at Flux was fine, the people were outgoing, and wing man / second stomach @skyden would have saved the day anyhow.

Looking forward to the next Twitter lunch-up…I’ll try not to be quite so timid for that one!

After wading through the sea of comments, emails, text messages, and phone calls, I am happy to report that we:

• raised $305 $540 for the David Suzuki Foundation
• signed 4 7 people to the Nature Challenge, and
• had 1 person send letters to government reps using templates offered on the Take Action page

Even more people described what they would change in their lives to conserve nature and to strive towards sustainability. That’s great to hear! Make your pledge count by adding yourself to the team of 364,855 individuals that have taken on the Nature Challenge.

Great work everyone!

How do I donate to the David Suzuki Foundation?

Have yet to submit your pledge to the David Suzuki Foundation? Do you still want to donate to the cause?

Please complete the 4 steps below:

1. Visit this special Tiny Bites link to their online donation page
2. Fill out the 2-page form with your info and your donation amount. Feel free to make it on behalf of your restaurant or business. You’ll get a tax receipt and much gratitude from me if you donate $20 or more!
3. In the field marked Comments, please type in tinybites. This will help us track donations that are tied to this Blogathon effort. See the sample screenshot below
4. Write me a comment on this page to let me know of your contribution

What did you write about during the Blogathon?

Below is the full account of posts published during this 24-hour fundraising effort. If you didn’t get the chance to make a contribution during the course of the Blogathon, please consider making a donation today. You can think of it, like pledger Andrew does, as a subscription to restaurant reviews and other foodie content from Tiny Bites!

1. 10pm: Blogathon 2008 begins!
2. 10:30pm: Art & Gastronomy at the Autumn Brook Gallery
3. 11pm: Live pledge #1: Randy Pante
4. 11:30pm: A musical dinner at Hell’s Kitchen
5. 12am: More than just congee at the Congee Noodle House
6. 12:30am: Blogathon 2008: a water conservation tip from a supporter
7. 1am: A pre-salsa dinner at Hon’s
8. 1:30am: Salsa birthday eats at Habit
9. 2am: My direct encounter with David Suzuki
10. 2:30am: Blogathon 2008: pit stop #2 at Calhoun’s
11. 3am: Downtown pho at Saigon Venture Restaurant
12. 3:30am: Pies galore at A La Mode
13. 4am: Progress reports on Blogathon 2008 and the Nature Challenge
14. 4:30am: Exploring the drink menu at Alpha Global Sushi & Bar
15. 5am: Trial #1 of cornbread à la Memphis Blues
16. 5:30am: First impressions of Calhoun’s
17. 6am: Fine organic meats at Sebastian & Co
18. 6:30am: Thai on the water at Chilli House
19. 7am: My indirect encounter with David Suzuki
20. 7:30am: Blogathon 2008: Yaletown bound
21. 8am: Blueberries in season: celebrate with this blueberry-banana bread
22. 8:30am: Rouxbe.com Cooking School: the rolling technique
23. 9am: Keep an eye out for sustainable seafood
24. 9:30am: Keep an eye out for the Ocean Wise symbol
25. 10am: Blogathon 2008: halfway to the finish line!
26. 10:30am: Blogathon 2008: pit stop #3 at AGRO Cafe
27. 11am: Blogathon 2008: pledge your support by taking action
28. 11:30am: Cookies by George nostalgia
29. 12pm: How I discovered AGRO Cafe
30. 12:30pm: The relationship between caffeine and roasting coffee beans
31. 1pm: Recipe recap: beef coconut curry
32. 1:30pm: Blogathon 2008: family phone-ins to date
33. 2pm: Blogathon 2008: pit stop #4 at Brioche
34. 2:30pm: Crepe heaven is found at La Bretagne Creperie
35. 3pm: Cocoa, truffles, and more at Chocoatl Chocolate Boutique
36. 3:30pm: A taste of Turkey at Baghdad Cafe
37. 4pm: Blogathon 2008: the final stretch
38. 4:30pm: Progress report: will David Suzuki dig my garden?
39. 5pm: Blogathon 2008: pit stop #5 at Trees Organic Coffee
40. 5:30pm: Sometimes concert food can be good for you…
41. 6pm: Quick recap of our lunch at Brioche
42. 6:30pm: Pielicious delights at Savary Island Pie Company
43. 7pm: Yopo Cafe saves the (week)day
44. 7:30pm: A survey of cheesecake at Trees Organic Coffee
45. 8pm: Blogathon 2008: pit stop #6 at Boneta
46. 8:30pm: Visual previews of lunch at Goldfish
47. 9pm: Visual previews of So.Cial at Le Magasin
48. 9:30pm: First impressions of Boneta

Happy browsing!

One more note of thanks…

Many people contributed to the success of this fundraiser in other ways and must be recognized:

• Stephen and Jennifer of SalsaVancouver.net, for loaning me a Macbook so that I could take this campaign around the Wifi eateries of Vancouver
• Eli van der Glessen of the David Suzuki Foundation, for setting up a Tiny Bites donation tracker and providing links to useful resources and media materials
• My friend Jason, who printed out my blogathon in progress laptop banner in full colour
• Robert Kwon of Autumn Brook Gallery, who went out of his way to provide me with internet access and provided computer support throughout my stint at the gallery
• The staff of Calhoun’s for keeping me company during the lonely hours of 2-7am
• Matti of AGRO Cafe, for playing upbeat music while I blogged in the morning, giving me a sample of my first Clover light roast, and teaching me a little bit about the roasting process
• Eduardo and the staff of Brioche, for treating me to lunch and preparing a special dessert platter for me and my husband
• Mark, Jeremie, Andre, and Sean of Boneta, for allowing me to wrap up the Blogathon at their establishment and celebrate with a truly wonderful dinner. That gnocchi was to die for!
• Eileen, Steve, and my dear husband Kurt, for visiting me on the campaign trail
• My fellow Blogathoners for your superstar efforts on your own sites (Raul, Duane Storey, Rebecca Bollwitt, Shane Gibson, Ayeza Garcia, Isabella Mori, Danny Dang, Mehnaz Thawer, INVOKE, Barbara Doduk, TAGGA, and Colleen Vince), for providing encouragement and inspiration throughout, and Rebecca in particular for organizing all of us!
• All of you that stopped in to cheered me on through the trying hours of this campaign

You have my deepest gratitude for helping me to raise awareness for this organization that is near and dear to my heart. Thank you all so very much.