Noon With a View
Amid the Dine Out Vancouver dinner foofaraw, one restaurant also does lunch (with a harbour view). Book yourself into The Cannery (2205 Commissioner Street), weekdays through February 3, for three courses at $25. Try black-bean lemon soup with habanero-pepper-and-herb croutons, grilled salmon with chive-and-cream sauce, and a bitter chocolate “tower”.

Grassroots Charter
Find out about the Vancouver Food Charter when the Westside Food Security Collaborative and the Vancouver Food Policy Council join forces at a community event focused on how the charter can work at grassroots level. Show up Wednesday (January 30) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (2325 West 7th Avenue).

A Taste of Dine Out Opt Outs
Without knocking Dine Out Vancouver for a nanosecond, if your usual spot is ultra-busy with diners capitalizing on $15-to-$35 dinners, note that the following are all nonparticipants. For romance or nailing a deal without shouting your head off, try Bishop’s (2183 West 4th Avenue), Cobre (52 Powell Street), La Buca (4025 MacDonald Street), or La Régalade (103–2232 Marine Drive, West Vancouver).

Burns Best
Tuck into a haggis-free Robbie Burns dinner at Boneta (1 West Cordova Street) this Friday (January 25) when The Arran Malt’s master distiller David Douglas brings a cache of six rare Scotches, including the Robert Burns Single Malt, to accompany and imbue chef Jeremy Bastien’s five-course menu. It starts with whisky-smoked cod brandade and wraps with Arran-scorched Scottish caramel. Seats are $95 at 604-684-1844.

Okanagan Kitchen Party
Move fast while there are still tickets to the South Okanagan Winery Association’s first annual Kitchen Party on February 7 at Midland Appliance’s show kitchen (210–188 Kingsway). Hosted by the Straight’s wine columnist Jurgen Gothe, the affair will see 20 of the region’s best wineries pouring specialty, limited-release wines alongside bites from local restos. Proceeds (tickets are $75 at www.ticketweb.ca/) benefit the Osoyoos Desert Society (www.desert.org/).

Festival Feasts
Tickets to all Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival events (February 25 to March 2) including wickedly popular Flavours of the Festival and Sunday Vintners’ Brunches—always early sellouts—are now on sale. Other main events include the Festival Tastings, Monday and Tuesday winemaker dinners, wine-soaked Saturday lunches, and more. Visit www.playhousewinefest.com/ or 604-873-3311 for event info and tickets.