Birthday Celebrations

Before it opened its doors, Boulevard was pronounced by multiple social media outlets as being Vancouver’s newest hot spot. The man handling the position of executive chef is no other than Alex Chen himself, setting high expectations for many interested diners. After catching sight of the Vahlrona soufflé on one of my news feeds, I knew I had to make a visit for dinner. With my birthday not too far away, I knew I didn’t have to deliberate anymore on which restaurant to choose – Boulevard would be the verdict. The whole night unwounded smoothly (minus my glass dropping and shattering), with the presence of impeccably well-mannered staff. I could not have been more pleased. The space was bustling, enchanting, and the food didn’t disappoint either. The mussels were simply perfect: briny, meaty, and juicy. Though the burrata won’t be a dish I would re-order as I wasn’t a big fan of their version, the ingredients were so fresh with a strong connection to seasonal availability at home. I have to say though, the highlights of the meal were the risotto and soufflé. From presentation to the execution, I could not have been more happy with my decisions… burrata peas, mint, frill mustard greens, heirloom tomatoes, white balsamic summer vegetable risotto summer beans, peas, fennel, chanterelles, braised artichokes, tomato fumet, parmesan oceanwise oysters a seasonal selection of west & east coast oysters spaghetti alle vongole sawmill bay clams, wild white shrimp, basil, fresno chile, d.o.p. san marsano tomato grilled beef ribeye balsamic onion, chanterelle mushroom, béarnaise, red wine sauce alpaco chocolate souffle valrhona alpaco chocolate, creme anglaise

Main Mall Harvest Feast 2014

I love the concept of community dinners. It’s an incredible opportunity to connect with individuals who share similar passions as myself on eating good, sustainable food. When I heard about this event, I was ecstatic! It was like a re-visit to Diner en Blanc, which is… impossible to put into words. Nonetheless, along with two of my friends, we dined famiglia-style with a few others at our table and seriously had a grand ol’ time catching up! It was the perfect mid-week treat that we all needed… If you see another event happening like this one, I would highly recommend it. For the price of $18, it was a steal.

Wild Mushroom and Zucchini Pasta

Chorizo and Roasted Vegetable Penne

Butternut Squash and Kale Fall Salad

UBC Farm Blueberry Crumble with Whipped Cream

Okanagan Apple and Fraser Valley Cranberry Pie

Nothing Says Fall Better….

It’s that time of year again – the clean, crisp air, the golden sunlight, the sound of leaves crunching as you are walking, oh, and the remarkable array of pumpkin goodies available throughout bakeries. Most of the time, all I can dream of is cozying up on my couch, wrapping myself in furry blankets, while re-watching my favourite childhood movies with friends. Oh, and enjoying all that comfort food that has been shelved since the spring season started… I seriously love this time. With that said, I do acknowledge my lack of posts recently. My instagram @longlivefeasts is more frequently updated since it’s much easier taking a photo then finding the time to write an entire post about a certain place. As well, I’ve realized that I want to slowly transition this blog into something more personal. Not just a long review with photos, but a place where I upload photos I’ve taken of recently, of sentimental value and wish to write a little blurb about… Anyway, aside from that long spell, here is my recent visit to Butter! Seriously, I could not imagine being anywhere but here on a Saturday morning. Enjoying one of their house-made cinnamon buns or something off their daily menu, it epitomizes brunch with it’s charming set-up and jaw-dropping sweets. A little girl’s wonderland, it’s a corner cafe that every neighbourhood wish they had, like Le Marché St. George. My friend and I decided to share a tomato burrata sandwich and the french toast of the day (with vanilla butter and strawberry sauce)… not the best brunch fare I’ve had, but it was such a treat being in their space! Of course, my visit there was prompted from all the pumpkin goodies they were offering (darn Instagram!), so of course, I couldn’t resist trying one of their offerings. I’m not going to lie, if you are an indecisive person, it’s painful trying to make a decision. Everything on display looks too tempting! Nontheless, I chose their pumpkin pie and a package of their pumpkin biscotti! Their biscotti I’m really digging (as I’m eating one currently), but their pumpkin pie was underwhelming. It wasn’t as flakey as I presumed and it just didn’t feel right without a scoop of vanilla ice cream…