The 11-year evolution of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival has been quite remarkable; what started out as an incentive to bolster sluggish January sales at Vancouver eateries has flourished into one of the largest food festivals in Canada, with 232 restaurants offering prix-fixe menus ($18, $28 or $38 per person, and suggested wine or beer pairings) over 17 days.
And while securing a reservation at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star West restaurant is definitely a Dine Out coup, there are two smaller, more elite events that would make for a memorable Dine Out experience.
Hawksworth @ Holt Renfrew, presented by the Swallow Tail Secret Supper Club, Holt Renfrew, Hawksworth Restaurant and Joie Farm, is an intimate dinner (just 36 seats) that combines the best of food and fashion into one very special night. With posh department store Holt Renfrew as your dining room for the evening, the night begins with a champagne cocktail reception in the well-presented designer boutiques, followed by a Hawksworth-created and -executed dinner, which, judging by the restaurant’s reputation for fine dining, will be incredible. In the midst of the festivities, live models will show off women’s and men’s spring 2013 designer collections. January 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets: $199 for regular seating/$249 for sky-bridge seating (wine pairings and $50 Holt Renfrew gift card included).
Dine Out isn’t just about dinner, though. One of the most interesting events promises to be Breakfast with the Masters at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The morning starts with a hot buffet breakfast in the sophisticated Gallery Café, where the mood will be set with fresh flower arrangements and classical music. From there, a private, guided tour of a noted Vancouver contemporary artist’s new exhibit, “IAN WALLACE: At the Intersection of Painting and Photography,” will begin. The gallery will not yet be open to the public, which makes this cultured culinary affair even more enticing. February 1 at 8:30 a.m. Tickets: $50 (tax and gratuity included).
Photos Courtesy of Dine Out Vancouver
