The 2013 Exceptional Eats! Award Winners as chosen by EAT Magazine readers.
EATING OUT
Restaurant of the Year
This restaurant always delivers-in service, selection, atmosphere, and execution. It’s the best restaurant in the city-in every way, every time.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Brasserie L’ecole
Silver: Ulla
Bronze: Café Brio
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Hawksworth
Silver: Fable
Bronze: Vij’s
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: RauDZ Regional Table
Silver: Waterfront Restaurant + Wine Bar
Bronze: Local Lounge & Grill
Restaurant Cooking Local
Best Restaurant Cooking Local: Local = Fresh + Delicious. Who does barn-to-table best and supports our local farms? What restaurant is it?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Camille’s
Silver: Sooke Harbour House
Bronze: Ulla
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Bishop’s
Silver: Edible Canada at the Market
Bronze: Tie: Fable, The Parker
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Ricardos Mediterranean Kitchen
Silver: Waterfront Restaurant + Wine Bar
Bronze: Hillside Winery Bistro
Best Dish of the Year
You really must try the _____at _____! What dish was so fantastic that you will remember it forever-or at least until next year?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Crispy smoked chicken with roasted cauliflower, rice, pickles and South East Asian vinaigrette – Relish Food & Coffee
Silver: Steak Frites at Brasserie L’ecole
Bronze: Gnocchi at Zambri’s
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Qualicum Bay Scallops with caramelized Belgian endives, wild rice griddle cake, candied ginger and citrus sauce – Blue Water Cafe
Silver: Birch Syrup Sablefish – Edible Canada at the Market
Bronze: Humboldt Squid with Persian Tamarind Glaze – Diva at the Met
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Bengali Fish with tangy kasundi mustard sauce with raw mango, chili, onion and coconut milk – Poppadoms
Silver: Prime Rib – Ricardos Mediterranean Kitchen
Bronze: Confit Duck Leg “Grilled Cheese” Sandwich – Hillside Winery Bistro
Best Place for Lunch
Lunch as a Delicious Event: Lunch is not only about re-energizing you at midday; it has really come into its own as a dining out experience.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Relish Food & Coffee
Silver: Devour
Bronze: Foo Asian Street Food
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Meat & Bread
Silver: Medina Cafe
Bronze: Au Petit Chavignol (now closed)
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Walla Artisan Bakery & Cafe
Silver: Good Omens Coffee House
Bronze: Okanagan Street Food
Dish Under $10
Best Place to Spend Your Last $10: You’re hungry. You have a ten-dollar bill in your pocket. Where do you go to eat?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Hernande’z Cocina
Silver: Red Fish Blue Fish
Bronze: Pig BBQ Joint
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Go Fish
Silver: Vijs Rangoli
Bronze: La Taqueria
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Okanagan Street Food
Silver: The Bench Market
Bronze: Cinnamon Cafe
Remotest with the Mostest
Let’s head out of the city. I know this amazing little place in the middle of nowhere… Name a great restaurant not in a city that’s worth a special trip (keep it close to home, though, no planes).
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Amusé on the Vineyard
Silver: Stone Soup Inn
Bronze: Point-no-Point
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
Silver: Araxi Restaurant & Bar
Bronze: The Pear Tree
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Hillside Winery & Bistro
Silver: Benja Thai in Keremeos
Bronze: Joy Road Catering at God’s Mountain
Place For Appys & Cocktails
It’s been a long day; fancy an appy and a drink? Or three? Best after-work or late-night place to go for a bite and a drink. Name your favourite establishment.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Veneto Tapa Lounge
Silver: Clive’s Classic Lounge
Bronze: Stage Wine Bar
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Chambar
Silver: Hawksworth
Bronze: Cactus Club Burrard St
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Local Lounge & Grille
Silver: RauDZ Regional Table
Bronze: Bufflehead Pasta & Tapas Room
Neighbourhood Gem
Everyone’s neighborhood should have one: warm and friendly atmosphere, decent food and drinks, and wallet-friendly prices. Which neighbourhood restaurant, bistro, pub, or café is your “go-to” for a “walking-to” date night? Name the place and the neighbourhood.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Stage Wine Bar – Fernwood
Silver: Fernwood Inn – Fernwood
Bronze: Bubby’s Kitchen – Fairfield
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: The Parker - Strathcona
Silver: Bishop’s (Kitsilano)
Bronze: Irish Heather (Gastown)
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar – Cultural District Kelowna
Silver: Hillside Winery Bistro – Naramata
Bronze: Minstrel Cafe – Lower Mission Kelowna
Guilty Pleasure
Is it a sticky cinnamon bun, a dark pain au chocolat, or a silken crème brûlée? Where do you go to soothe the sweet cravings that call? Please name the item and the restaurant/bakery/café/shop.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Fol Epi - Pain au Chocolat
Silver: Bubby’s Kitchen – Cinnamon Bun
Bronze: Cold Comfort – any ice cream
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Thomas Haas – Double Baked Almond Croissant
Silver: Thierry – Macarons
Bronze: Chocolate Arts – Cinnamon Bun
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Sandrine French Pastry – Macaron
Silver: Okanagan Grocery – Chocolate Croissant
Bronze: True Grain – Ginger Cookie
Cat-Out-of-the-Bag
There’s this little place you go to that no one seems to know about but you-and you love it. Name your undiscovered treasure?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Uchida eatery/shokudo
Silver: Clay Pigeon
Bronze: Nourish
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Musette Café
Silver: Judas Goat
Bronze: Tableau Bar Bistro
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Saint Germain Cafe Gallery
Silver: Cinnamon Café
Bronze: Mad Mango Cafe
Great Pizza Pie
The thin-crusted, wood-fired pizza parlour invasion continues and we love it. Where do you go to get your slice of heaven?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Pizzeria Prima Strada
Silver: Zambri’s
Bronze: Fiamo
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Nicli Antica Pizzeria
Silver: Campagnolo
Bronze: Pizzeria Farina
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Bordello’s Italian Pizzeria
Silver: de Bakker’s Kitchen
Bronze: DunnEnzies Pizza Co.
Best Front of House Crew
We’ve all been there. Left at the front without being greeted. Ignored when we want that glass of wine when the main course comes. Which restaurant give you the best service and cheers you up no matter how in the weeds the kitchen is?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Brasserie L’ecole
Silver: Ulla
Bronze: Zambri’s
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Tie: Hawksworth / Bishop’s
Silver: The Pear Tree
Bronze: Provence
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Ricardo’s Mediterranean Kitchen
Silver: RauDZ Regional Table
Bronze: Miradoro Restaurant
Place For Healthy Eating
Delicious and Nutritious… Feed me! A meal out can be both delicious-and healthy. Tell us where you go when you want to treat both your palate and your body?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Rebar Modern Food
Silver: Nourish
Bronze: Mo:Lé
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: The Acorn
Silver: The Parker
Bronze: Capers
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Wild Scallion
Silver: Nature’s Fare
Bronze: The Chopped Leaf
Best Street Food
The street food scene continues to heat up. Whose stall, cart, pot or truck is worth braving the elements to chow down?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Red Fish Blue Fish
Silver: Taco Justice
Bronze: The Refiner Diner
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Tacofino
Silver: La Brasserie Street
Bronze: Vij’s Railway Express
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Jeffer’s Fryzz
Silver: Okanagan Street Food
Bronze: Gregors Gourmet
Place to Feed a Kid
Praise be to the restaurants and cafés that know how to cater to families with kids. Who makes you welcome when you have children in tow?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Pizzeria Prima Strada
Silver: Crumsby’s Cupcake Cafe
Bronze: Red Robin
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Little Nest
Silver: Rocky Mountain Flatbread
Bronze: Whole Foods
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Wild Apple Restaurant
Silver: Red Robin
Bronze: Poppadoms
EATING IN
Best Place to Buy Local Food
It could be a farm stand, outdoor market or a store. Where do you go to buy your local, fresh and in-season food?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: The Root Cellar
Silver: Red Barn Market
Bronze: Niagara Grocery
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Trout Lake Farmers Market
Silver: Granville Island Public Market
Bronze: Whole Foods
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Kelowna & Penticton Farmers Market
Silver: Harker’s Organics
Bronze: Quality Greens
Best Take-Out
Today’s Takeout (not your mom’s takeaway): It’s the afternoon and you’re thinking about dinner-but you don’t feel like cooking tonight. What do you grab on the way home? Think restaurants, delis and food shops -who’s got the best gourmet to go?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: The Noodle Box
Silver: Foo Asian Street Food
Bronze: Baan Thai
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Rangoli
Silver: Whole Foods
Bronze: Urban Fare
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: The Bench Artisan Food Market
Silver: Urban Fare
Bronze: Bluetail Sushi Bistro
Best Place to Shop for Healthy Food
I’m Health Conscious: They say that you are what you eat. Where do you shop for food that is healthy or based on dietary restrictions?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Lifestyle Markets
Silver: Planet Organic
Bronze: Mother Nature’s Market
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Whole Foods
Silver: Famous Foods
Bronze: Choices
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Nature’s Fare Markets
Silver: Choices
Bronze: Whole Foods
Favourite (Locally Owned) Kitchen Store
Need a chef’s knife, tablecloth, pot, candles or coffee grinder? And you’re not a fan of big-box shopping. Where do you go to buy it?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Cook Culture
Silver: Penna and Co.
Bronze: Haute Cuisine
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Gourmet Warehouse
Silver: Cookworks
Bronze: Ming Wo
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Chef’s Edge
Silver: Lakehouse
Bronze: Terwilligers
Best Place to Buy Cheese
The Cheesier the Better: Best selection and service of artisanal and farmstead cheese. Where do you go?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Tie: Hilary’s Cheese / Ottavio Italian Bakery & Deli
Silver: Charelli’s Cheese Shop
Bronze: Thrifty Foods
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Les Amis du Fromage
Silver: Benton Brothers Fine Cheese
Bronze: The Cheese Man
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Valoroso Foods
Silver: Carmelis Goat Cheese Artisan
Bronze: Upper Bench Creamery
Best Local Food or Ingredient
You’ve got friends and family visiting, and you take pride in BC’s food diversity. Okay, maybe you’ve been known to brag about the largess of this province. What local food, product or ingredient are you sure to introduce them to?
(VICTORIA)
Vancouver Island Salt | Spot Prawns
(VANCOUVER)
Kurobuta Pork | Sockeye Salmon
(OKANAGAN)
Okanagan Wine!
Place to Buy Meat
Meat your Maker: Many shops, delis and restaurants are offering house made meats – charcuterie, cold cuts, salami and sausages. Where do you go to fill your sandwich?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: The Whole Beast
Silver: Choux Choux Charcuterie
Bronze: Red Barn Market
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Oyama Sausage
Silver: Woodland Smokehouse and Commissary
Bronze: Sebastian & Co.
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Mediterranean Market
Silver: Il Vecchio
Bronze: Valoroso Foods
Best Specialty Food Store
You’re having a dinner party and you’re cooking something special (maybe you’ve never made it before!) Where do you go to get that “something” that makes the dish special?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Ottavio Italian Bakery & Deli
Silver: Market on Yates
Bronze: Charelli’s Cheese Shop
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Whole Foods
Silver: Urban Fare
Bronze: Gourmet Warehouse
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Urban Fare
Silver: Valoroso Foods
Bronze: The Bench Artisan Market
DRINKS
Best Beer Store
Beer Boom IPA, wit, stout, Belgian, porter… Which store has the best craft-beer selection in town?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Cook St Village Liquor
Silver: Spinnakers Liquor Store
Bronze: Cascadia Liquor (Quadra Village)
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Legacy Liquor Store
Silver: The Brewery Creek Liquor Store
Bronze: BC Liquor Store (39th & Cambie)
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Cannery Brewing Company
Silver: Metro Liquor
Bronze: BCLDB (gov’t liquor stores)
Best Bar
(This) Bar (is) Fly: You belly up to your favourite bar. Slap your credit card down and call out – “Fix me a…” What cocktail sends you into a swoon and where are you?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Barrel-aged Negroni at Clive’s Classic Lounge
Silver: Rosemary’s Baby at Veneto Tapa Lounge
Bronze: French 75 at Stage Wine Bar
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: French 75 at The Pourhouse
Silver: The Vancouver at The Parker
Bronze: The Beldi, at West (Bombay Sapphire with bitters by Kale & Nori)
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Amante Picante at RauDZ Regional Table
Silver: Pepper Infused Vodka Caesar at Waterfront Restaurant
Bronze: Cherry Bomb at Local Lounge & Grill
Best Wine Store
You Say Champagne, I say Cremant: You want an excellent selection, a range of prices, and a personable, knowledgeable staff. Best place to drink or buy wine. What’s your recommendation?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Everything Wine
Silver: Fort & Foul Bay BCL
Bronze: Cascadia Liquor
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Marquis Wine Cellars
Silver: Everything Wine
Bronze: Firefly Fine Wine & Ales
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Metro Liquor
Silver: Discover Wines
Bronze: The BC VQA Wine Info Centre
Best Local Winery
You Brought Wine: Impress your out-of-town host with a bottle from a local winery. What would you bring?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Averill Creek Vineyard
Silver: Alderlea Vineyards
Bronze: Venturi-Schulze Vineyards
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Laughing Stock Vineyards
Silver: Joie Farm
Bronze: Township 7
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: 8th Generation Vineyard
Silver: La Frenz
Bronze: Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
Best Mocktail
This ain’t no Shirley Temple: Cleanse, diet, abstinence? Don’t mock this no-alcohol cocktail. Phew, fix me a drink! Name your favourite mocktail and the bar or restaurant where you get it.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Spinnaker’s Gastropub (Sparkling Ginger O De Vie) Ginger steeped in Spinnaker’s/Lifecycles apple cider vinegar, topped with O De Vie sparkling mineral water & sweetened
Silver: Shirley Temple at Pagliacci’s
Bronze: Mango Lassi at Ferris’ Upstairs
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Hawksworth (Kalamansi Fizz) Pomegranate juice, kalamansi, honey, ginger beer
Silver: Fat Dragon (Spiced Mule) Now closed.
Bronze: Blue Water Cafe (Misirilou -with coconut water, orange flower water, lime juice, honey syrup cucumber)
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Poppadoms (Mango Lassi) Homemade yougurt drink with mango purée
Silver: Virgin fresh fruit margarita from RauDZ Regional Table
Bronze: Jamaican Fizz at Ricardo’s Mediterranean Kitchen
Best Local Beverage
Local Beverage of the Year: This local beverage was, in a word, remarkable. Be it wine, beer, cider, spirits, soda, tea, coffee you name it. What really impressed you this year? Tell us what it was and which company made it.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Victoria Spirits Victoria Gin
Silver: Merridale Estate Cidery Traditional
Bronze: Sea Cider Farm Rumrunner
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Pemberton Distillery Schramm Organic Potato Vodka
Silver: Artisan Sake Maker Osake Junmai Sparkling Sake
Bronze: Painted Rock Red Icon
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Okanagan Spirits Whisky
Silver: Cannery Brewing Knucklehead Pumpkin Ale
Bronze: Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio
Best Place For Coffee
Higher Grounds: We want to know where do you get your bean-juice fix? Name your favourite coffee shop.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Discovery Coffee
Silver: Caffe Fantastico
Bronze: Habit Coffee
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: 49th Parallel
Silver: Caffe Artigiano
Bronze: Revolver Coffee
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Tie: Bean Scene / Good Omens
Silver: Gio Bean Espresso
Bronze: The Beanery Coffee Company
Beer of the Year
This is My Beer of the Year: Impress your out-of-town host with a bottle of local brewski. Name the local brew that has all the beer nerds in a froth?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Driftwood Brewery Fat Tug IPA
Silver: Phillips Brewing Longboat Chocolate Porter
Bronze: Gulf Islands Brewery Gruit Ale
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: R&B Brewing Co. – Sun God Wheat Ale
Silver: Old Yale Brewery – Sasquatch Stout
Bronze: Central City – Red Racer Raspberry Wheat Ale
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Cannery Brewing Naramata Nut Brown Ale
Silver: Tree Brewing Winter Ale
Bronze: Crannóg Ale‘s Back Hand of God
LET’S GIVE CREDIT
Best Food or Drink Experience of the Year
Gilded Gatherings: Which food or drink event, festival or seminar most excited you this year?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Culinaire
Silver: The Great Canadian Beer Festival
Bronze: Brewery & The Beast – Festival of Meat
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Feast of Fields
Silver: Cornucopia Whistler
Bronze: Dîner en Blanc – Vancouver
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Feast of Fields
Silver: Similkameen BBQ King
Bronze: Okanagan Fall Wine Festival
Best People Skills
Did you have an amazing experience at a food shop, store or market this year that made you feel special? Maybe it made you want to tell your friends? Tell us your story and the store.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Charelli’s Cheese Shop and Delicatessen
Silver: The London Chef
Bronze: Ottavio Italian Bakery
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Barbara-Jo’s Books To Cooks
Silver: Les Amis de Fromage
Bronze: Benton Brothers Fine Cheese
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Urban Fare
Silver: Kelowna Farmers Market
Bronze: Discover Wines
I Eat, Therefore I Am Social
I Eat, therefore I Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram and Tweet: Which local food writer, blog, or photog would you follow to the ends of the earth?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: EATmagazine.ca
Silver: Heidi Fink’s Blog Lip Smacking
Bronze: Smitten Kitchen
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: FollowMeFoodie.com
Silver: Mia Stainsby
Bronze: Scout
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: BettyDish.ca
Silver: Jennifer Schell
Bronze: n/a
Cooking Class or School
Cook Like A Pro: Knife skills 101? Advanced pasta making? Pig butchery? What cooking class really sparked your culinary edification? Please tell us which class and where you took it.
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Spices of North Africa (The London Chef)
Silver: Cosmos Means (Cook Culture)
Bronze: Thai and Indian (Heidi Fink)
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Ocean Fling: The Ultimate Seafood Class (The Dirty Apron)
Silver: Whitewater Cooks class at Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks
Bronze: Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Hester Creek Estate Winery Cooking Classes
Silver: Indian Cooking Classes at Poppadoms
Bronze: Mission Hill Cooking Classes
The Next Big Thing
Food fashions come and go. Remember truffle oil on everything? Foam sauces? Cosmopolitans? Say hello to the next big thing. What is it?
(VICTORIA)
Pickled everything
Foraging
Kale
(VANCOUVER)
Nose to tail, farm to table
Vegan fine dining
Local, seasonal, organic
(OKANAGAN)
Local and organic
Pumpkin is the new bacon
Quality over quantity
Worst Trend of 2012
Remember cake pops? Celebrity chef restaurant outposts where the chef isn’t present? Haute hot dogs? Tall food? Help us weed out the most awful trend du jour! What is it?
(VICTORIA)
Bacon in everything
Cupcakes
Foam
(VANCOUVER)
Large bowl plates (cutlery slides into the food)
Donuts
Foam
(OKANAGAN)
Deconstructed dishes
Bacon on everything
Fast food
Best Sustainable Practices
A Year of Living Sustainably: What business, association or non-profit best promotes a sustainable food system?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: Lifecycles Project Society
Silver: Island Chefs Collaborative
Bronze: Red Fish Blue Fish
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Ocean Wise
Silver: C Restaurant
Bronze: Vancouver Farmers Markets
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: Harker’s Organics
Silver: Okanagan Chef’s Association
Bronze: Penticton Farmers’ Market
Best New Restaurant, Shop, or Café
Best new addition to the food and drink scene in 2012?
(VICTORIA)
Gold: The Clay Pigeon
Silver: Chorizo and Co.
Bronze: Jam Café
(VANCOUVER)
Gold: Wildebeest
Silver: Fable
Bronze: The Parker
(OKANAGAN)
Gold: True Grain Bread
Silver: The Kitchen at Misconduct Winery
Bronze: The Stuffed Pepper
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Give recognition to the person who has spent their lifetime committed to exemplary, sincere, and passionate culinary excellence. The ripple effect of this person cannot be easily measured. (Note: David Mincey, Greg Hays, Peter Zambri, John Bishop and Bernard Casavant are past recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards )
(VICTORIA)
Sean Brennan (Brasserie L’Ecole)
(VANCOUVER)
Bruno Marti (La Belle Auberge Restaurant) now closed
(OKANAGAN)
Harry McWatters (McWatters Collection)