Seven food & dining events

Celebrate Carnival
Get ready to heat up the night on Saturday (February 21) with a spicy Nuevo Latino celebration at Cobre (52 Powell Street). Enjoy a hip-swivel-inducing caipirinha and some savoury appetizers, then salsa the night away to Rico & Mambo Jazz’s saucy beats. Tickets are $50 plus service charge at 604-684-2787 or www.ticketstonight.ca/.

New Orleans Fun
If New Orleans seems too far to go to celebrate Mardi Gras, try South Granville instead. From Friday to Mardi Gras Day/Fat Tuesday (February 20 to 24), Ouisi Bistro (3014 Granville Street) will be offering treats like seafood jambalaya and muffuletta sandwiches. For more information, call 604-732-7550.

Oscar Bites
If you’d rather be strutting your stuff than watching the stars do so on Oscar night this Sunday (February 22), put on your Hollywood best and head to Voya Restaurant and Lounge in the Loden hotel (1177 Melville Street). If you tire of ogling other patrons, you can watch Brad and Angelina on the lounge’s three flat-screen TVs. The regular menu will be available, plus Academy Award–themed cocktails and complimentary canapés. Need another reason to primp? The best-turned-out couple wins an overnight stay and dinner. The evening starts at 4 p.m. and runs till midnight; call 604-639-VOYA.

More Faux
East Van’s Les Faux Bourgeois French bistro (663 East 15th Avenue) is now open Sunday nights (it remains closed Mondays), and has added a tiny daytime café to the mix. Chocolate-croissant cravings can be satisfied from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, or just drop by for a cup of fairly traded coffee.

Island Blast
Granville Island swings into Winterruption mode from February 19 to 22 for a rave-up of music, arts, and food and wine. Tonight (February 19), Liberty Wine Merchants gets the party started with Celebrating Wine and Culinary Arts ($19.99; 604-602-1120), spotlighting Stephen Wong’s wine and food pairings. Explore the market with Edible B.C.’s thrice-daily tours or take in weekend cooking demos—called Art You Can Eat—with chefs such as Fuel’s Robert Belcham.

Downtown Wining
Joeys’ brand spanking new operation is a mere three blocks away from the Burrard and Robson location that opened last year. Joeys Bentall One (507 Burrard Street) is a two-parter, with the Long Bar and the Wine Room. The former serves Joeys’ traditional casual fare, and the latter a compact menu of wine-friendly plates like lobster grilled-cheese sandwiches that complement five dozen by-the-glass wines on “tap” in a purity-preserving 60-bottle Enomatic dispenser.

Fair Prixe
Those curious about the new MARKET by Jean-Georges—but not curious enough to lay out $65 for the dinner tasting menu—might consider lunch. Monday to Friday, two choices from the appetizer and main menu (think seared scallops and soy-glazed short ribs) plus dessert runs a great-value $28. MARKET is in the Shangri-La hotel (1128 West Georgia Street; reserve at 604-695-1115).

Comments