A few years back, the post-holiday dining scene was a veritable wasteland. Call it the doldrums of dining, when credit card realities kicked in, shortly followed by the spectre of the inevitable pre-tax season. In plain terms, post New Year’s many servers and other restaurant workers were laid off until late spring, when tourists re-appeared.
With the advent of deal-driven Dine Out Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€” way back in 2002 — all that started to change. And 13 years later we now have one of the busiest times on Vancouver’s hospitality calendar.
Dine Out (Jan. 16 to Feb. 1) has grown to include 276 restaurants this year. Now the largest event of its kind in the country, it’s a key ingredient in the evolution of our food and wine culture, which now draws people year-round.
What used to be purely a discount dinner fest has blossomed into a metro-wide celebration that reflects a level of diversity and sophistication we now take for granted.
That becomes clear with a glance at the Dine Out events program, which is fast selling out and ranges from secret supper destinations, food talks and wine debates to menus paired with savvy cocktails or smartly honed beer bites to go with Vancouver’s wicked craft scene.
Of course, there is no shortage of deals. Spend time on the Dine Out website and you’ll find them. But gauging how the festival has helped hone our food and B.C. wine culture is not so simple. Look at Vancouver’s “chain” restaurants — previously dismissed as just that but now standard-bearers of what constitutes the best “casual fine dining” in Canada.
Interestingly, despite its burgeoning size, the festival is still about discovering new neighbourhood haunts — and in doing so, luring people out of their regular habits to try new things.
A whirlwind tour this week yielded no shortage of pleasant surprises, from crunchy beet salad or perfectly tender beef short rib with parsnip purée and mushroom jus at Yaletown’s cozy West Oak ($38 for three courses) to the Abbey gastropub’s equally seductive beer-braised beef or Toulouse cassoulet (also $28 for three courses).
Book in to Railtown’s buzzing Belgard Kitchen’s Jan. 20 four-course dinner to enjoy brewmaster Craig Noble’s exceptional ales paired with smart plates from chef Reuben Major, including a foraged mushroom risotto. Major’s dessert alone is inspirational — a chocolate espresso “budino” with sponge toffee (think Crunchie chocolate bar sweetness and texture) and crème fraiche that’s a shoo-in for Noble’s smooth chocolate porter. (The $65 tab includes four 10 oz beers matched with four dishes, and a brewery tour, plus tax and gratuity.)
For most places, Dine Out menus are straight-ahead “what you see is what you get” kind of affairs, although it pays to ask up front about optional add-ons and wine by the glass prices, which can vary greatly.
Overall, Dine Out Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»remains one heck of a deal — making January into February a season to celebrate, not suffer.
Find details on all menus, B.C. wine pairings and special events at .
Belly’s Best
• Quails Gate Chenin Blanc 2013
A perennial alternative to Chardonnay that shows up on a few Dine Out menus. Packed with zesty lemon-lime citrus, it’s generous without being clumsy, plus crisp and clean in the finish. Chill it down (not too much though) and get shucking those oysters. $18.99, 91 pts.
