You Gotta Try this in March 2024

Can you believe it’s less than a month until fresh wild BC halibut season starts again? I know BC is world-famous for its five superb species of salmon, but honestly I can’t think of anything more amazing than a gorgeous fillet of hali, fresh off the grill. Countdown’s on, folks! Ramps season is coming up soon and then we’ll be off to the races with spot prawns, the first strawberries, Similkameen peaches… my mouth is drooling already! But enough dreaming of future bites, let’s dive into what’s pretty damn delicious right now!

NORTH VANCOUVER

Regular readers will know that I am a huge fan of locavore butchers, Two Rivers, and their drool-worthy store in North Van, so I am loving this collab that they are doing with She Summits, a group for for women ‘…seeking authentic connections, personal growth, and tools to navigate the push and pull of life.’ Buy a ticket for the event here, and join them for a hike and Happy Hour session on Sunday, March 17, 2024 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Cleveland Dam for a 90-min all-levels hike, then head back to Two Rivers Meats restaurant in North Vancouver for après. Included in the ticket, a guided hike, an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink, Signature Two Rivers Meats appetisers, $15 gift card to Two Rivers Meats and bag of their delicious jerky, $50 voucher to Fjallraven and a chance to win 60 minutes session at Myodetox. Plus, the opportunity to meet cool new women and hike through gorgeous forest, rivers, and waterfalls!

NELSON: 

It’s Beer o’Clock in Nelson on March 23-24th as they celebrate the annual Blast Beerfest at the Whitewater Ski Resort (who are currently enjoying plenty of that pow-pow that they are famous for) and raise a foamy glass to all the amazing local breweries and distilleries in the Kootenays. Sample local tipples and enjoy tasty eats in their on-the-snow beer garden, vote for your favourite beer and enjoy live music and dancing with a glorious view over Ymir Peak! SHould be fun. And as ever, don’t forget to do a coffee bean pick up at Oso Negro when you’re in Nelson.

VANCOUVER: 

ZOMGOD. Can it be in this economy that such a thing as a $9.99 menu exists?! Yes! And right in the heart of downtown too. Basically a Korean noodle-y speakeasy, Noodle Oyo is in the back of Pokerrito on Hornby, behind a curtain (IYKYK and now YK!) Chow down on house-made galbi beef dumplings, chewy Tteokbokki, and bowls of bouncy noodles and feel the warm glow that only a delicious budget meal can bring. Plant-based? They got you; the Sweecy, Soyo and Japchae are all vegan-friendly. Really well executed, the food is super tasty and the prices are delicious!

VANCOUVER ISLAND: 

The chowder chowdown competition is back on the Island again this year as part of the Pacific Rim Whale Festival which shines a spotlight on the annual return of migrating Pacific Gray whales to the coastal waters of the communities of Tofino, Ucluelet and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve from their breeding grounds in Baja California Sur. Around 2,000 Gray whales make the 13,000 km migration north each year (the longest animal migration in the word!), so make a migration of your own to the Ucluelet Community Centre on Saturday March 16th to join restaurants from Tofino and Uclulet who will be serving up bowls of super-sustainable chowder in the hope of winning the public and judge’s votes for the coveted Best Chowder crown.

RICHMOND:

Celebrate Alaskan King Crab season at the Fish Man Restaurant with a King Crab feast! The season is short so dive in this month to eat juicy King Crab in all the different ways: legs steamed with garlic, knuckles fried with hurricane shelter-style with garlic chips, with noodles in a crab sauce, and baked with rice and coconut milk served in the crab shell. Don’t forget your celebratory server-with-the-crab photo, does King Crab dinner even count if you don’t get that shot!?

KELOWNA:

The super-popular Cheese and Meat festival is back on May 25th at the Laurel Packing House and tickets just went on sale, so grab yours now as this always sells out! This year’s festival will feature more than 40 vendors both local and international, showcasing artisanal cheeses, charcuterie and all the tasty condiments, crackers, pickles and olives your heart desires. I love how this festival is organised into two-hour tastings so the room doesn’t get crazy, and you can actually get around to sample everything and chat with the makers too. Can’t get to Kelowna? Then check out the event in Victoria or Vancouver instead!

SILVER STAR

Vernonites! Head on up for a day of skiing or boarding at Silver Star and combine it with a creative culinary evening at Black Pine Social for a Paint, Wine and Dine evening on Thursday, March 28. Join artist Destanne Norris to learn how to paint Silver Star mountain in the style of celebrated Canadian artist, Ted Harrison (this is such a great idea, as Harrison’s signature layered, colourful pieces are likely to be fairly easy for even beginners to work from, go take a look at his work; just gorgeous!) While you’re creating your masterpiece, find inspiration in a glass of wine, entree and dessert!

VANCOUVER:

If you’ve not visited Mount Pleasant’s Fabrique St-George, do you have a treat instore! An urban winery, they make their no-intervention, qvevri-fermented wines right there on E 7th Ave. There’s a tasting bar where you can go taste through the wines, and fill a growler to take home, and you can settle in and enjoy a glass or two over a self-curated picnic, gathered from the far-too tempting collection of cheeses, charcuterie and snackiness available. But! They now have a Happy Hour to add further temptation: all day Monday and Tuesday-Friday from 3-5pm, you can have a $9 glass of wine, or $10 off a bottle. Cheers!

WHISTLER:

Start making plans to head up the Sea to Sky in April to check out ‘The Magic of Maple’ at the Bearfoot Bistro. Flexing their French-Canadian roots, the team at the Bearfoot, led by Culinary Director Dominic Fortin, will be hosting a Cabane à sucre” (Sugar Shack) experience, starting April 8 till the end of the month, with all those delicious Québécois classics given a Bearfoot Bistro twist. Expect fun room décor (I’m hearing those classic checkered table cloths could make an appearance!) maple syrup-drizzled EVERYTHING—and knowing Fortin, I bet there’s some foie gras and caviar on the menu too! Prix fixe starts at $60 and tickets go on sale March 8th, I’m guessing this will sell out so mark your calendar now.