foodgressing, Author at Foodgressing

Taste of Yaletown 2018: The Parlour

October 20, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

The 14th annual Taste of Yaletown presented by the Yaletown Business Association is now on until October 28 with 25 participating restaurants offering innovative pairings, and special menus at set prices of $25, $35, and $45. The Parlour is presenting a $45 menu for this year’s festival. I had the opportunity to try out a variety of their menu items.

$45 TASTE OF YALETOWN MENU

APPETIZER

APPETIZER OF YOUR CHOICE
with the exception of Burrata and The Board

ENTRÉE

PIZZA
all pizzas are available, for gluten-free dough add $4

DESSERT

CHOCOLATE TART
smoked sea salt, raw, flourless, vegan

SALTED CARAMEL SUNDAE
chocolate fudge, caramel popcorn & whipped cream

CHEESECAKE
fresh locally made cheesecake

Arugula Salad

Sliced d’Anjou Pear, red onion, butter croutons, parmesan, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, maple shallot vinaigrette

Stacked Short Ribs

Hoisin and Tamarind marinated, sriracha, sesame seeds, Granny Smith Apple and Jicama slaw

Roasted Vegetables

Beets, asparagus, mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, avocado habanero crema

Goldmember pizza: caramelized onion, mushroom duxelle, Yukon gold potato, truffle oil, gruyère

Artichoke pizza: creamed spinach, parmesan, mozza

The Roasted pizza: roasted chicken, roasted garlic, sundried tomato, basil, chili flake, mozza

Swag pizza: ricotta, roasted pepper, kalamata olive, caramelized onion, roasted garlic, golden honey

The Parlour
Address: 1011 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC
Website: theparlourrestaurants.com/‎

Taste of Yaletown 2018: La Pentola

October 20, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

The 14th annual Taste of Yaletown presented by the Yaletown Business Association is now on until October 28 with 25 participating restaurants offering innovative pairings, and special menus at set prices of $25, $35, and $45. La Pentola is presenting a $45 menu for this year’s festival. I had the opportunity to try out the Taglierini De Mare at a media preview featuring side stripe shrimp, mussels, arrabbiata, and herb breadcrumbs.

$45 TASTE OF YALETOWN MENU

APPETIZER

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND WHEATBERRIES
mustard greens, whipped goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, crispy leeks, golden raisins

TUSCAN KALE AND AMBROSIA APPLE
toasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries, pecorino romano

ENTRÉE

TAGLIERINI DE MARE
side stripe shrimp, mussels, arrabbiata, herb bread crumbs

FRASER VALLEY DUCK BREAST
duck confit, white bean, squash purée, cassis and sour cherry

PORCINI MUSHROOM RISOTTO
porcini mushrooms, vegetable stock, parmesan

DESSERT

LEMON CREAM
cherry puree, blueberries, biscotti

CHOCOLATE S’MORE
toasted marshmallow, graham crumble, rosemary gelato

La Pentola
Address: 50 Davie St, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.lapentola.ca‎

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge: The Italians

October 20, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge is now on until October 28. Restaurants from all over the city were invited to enter their pasta dishes into this challenge, some of the restaurants have created a special pasta creation just for this challenge.

Chef Matteo Vincenzi from The Italians Kitchen and Bar is participating with Spaghetti Mare e Monti ($27). The dish is inspired by the flavours and elements from the sea and the mountains. Fresh mussels and clams, mushrooms, truffle pate served with handmade fresh pasta. Inspired by Italian culinary tradition. Offered for dinner daily Tuesday – Sunday.

The Italians Kitchen and Bar
Address: 1220 Bute Street, Vancouver
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theitalians_vancouver/

Other restaurants participating in Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018:

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018: Maru Restaurant

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018: Novo Pizzeria

Everyday Essentials via 7-Eleven and foodora

October 19, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Ever want to have everyday essentials delivered to right to your doorstep? foodora now has a national partnership with 7-Eleven and now everyday essentials (like milk, bread, Advil and so forth) is available through delivery exclusively through foodora Canada-wide! To celebrate the launch, foodora and 7Eleven have created kits that will have all the essential items for specific occasions.

Here are the 7-Eleven Kits available to order:

Game Night – All you need for the big match.

2L pop
Pizza
Snacks

The Hype Man – The perfect addition to any pre-party before a night out.

Sports drink
Snacks
Gum
Condoms
Slurpee® or 2L pop
Energy Drink

The Morning Recovery – A life-saver after a wild night on the town with your friends.

Sports drink
5-hour Energy
Advil or Asprin
Pizza
Slurpee® or 2L pop
Snacks

The Achy-Breaky Heart – perfect Items when trying to mend a broken heart.

Slurpee® or 2L pop
Pizza
Sweets (chocolate, candy)
Ice cream

The Feel Good – Nutritious and delicious items to treat your body like a temple.

Water of ginger ale
Fresh fruit
Healthy snacks (granola bar, roasted nuts, trail mix)
Fresh fruit: Banana, Apple or Orange
Yogurt
Organic juice

Nurse Me – For that sudden sickness

Cold Medication
Orange juice
Soup
Water or ginger ale
Fresh fruit

Find out how to get $10 off your first order of foodora here:

How to Get $10 Off Your First foodora Order

Happy Hour at Railway Stage & Beer Cafe

October 17, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

What’s better than one happy hour? Two, obviously! The Railway Stage & Beer Café by The Donnelly Group is launching new happy hours to make after work and the end of the night just that little bit better. Each happy hour at the Railway will feature rotating $3 beers from its constantly-changing local craft beer list.

The Railway is offering an after work happy hour from 4-8 pm Monday to Friday and during the last hour of service every day.

Along with great local $3 beers, happy hour at the Railway includes live entertainment like the Friday knock off, Tuesday Music Bingo hosted by Meredith Geddes of CFOX, and the Saturday Sessions with Joe Rotundo.

I had the opportunity to visit the Railway Stage and Beer Cafe for Happy Hour and try some of their dishes which pair well with beer.

Disclosure: All food and drinks were complimentary. Opinions are my own.

With a London Fog Ale brewed by Faculty Brewing, my guest and I tried the pulled chicken corn chowder ($7), salad bowl with kale, corn, black bean, tortilla and feta ($12), and beef brisket and provolone sandwich ($12).

I thought the items were very good, well-portioned, fast, fresh and delicious. The main room is more of a cafeteria-style communal seating. I liked how the wall was decorated with old pages of Rolling Stone Magazine.

There is also an old back bar where you will find a games room featuring a a pool table, a shuffle board table, and darts board.

Railway Stage & Beer Cafe
Address: 579 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver, BC
Website: donnellygroup.ca/railway-stage-and-beer-cafe

Spafinder gift certificate deals and discounts

October 17, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

If you’re looking to indulge in a spa experience locally or during your travels, there is a way to save money on your visit. Spafinder is an award-winning spa & wellness website dedicated to providing the information, experiences and inspiration to help people find – and share – their path to wellness. Aside from being the world’s largest spa and wellness media and marketing company, they are also largest seller of spa, wellness, and beauty gift cards, bringing clients to a global network of spas, fitness studios, and wellness practitioners.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up. Thanks for the support!

How to use the Spafinder gift card

Spafinder gift cards can be used at any of their partner businesses. To search for locations accepting Spafinder gift certificates/cards by city, state or zip code, visit spafinder.com.

You can easily verify if a location accepts the certificates/cards by looking for the “Accepts Spafinder Gift Cards” icon near the name of the location. Spafinder gift certificates/cards do not expire nor will their value depreciate over time.

How to Get a Spa Deal & Discount via Spafinder

Spafinder gift certificates can be bought at a discount to their full value (like $85 for $100 value) so that enables you to save money on a spa experience at their partner spas.

Right now, you can enjoy 15% off Spafinder gift certificates until October 30, 2018 now using this link.

Great for Gifting

Spafinder is a particularly nice gift item where the recipient can choose the spa that he or she wants to visit. They have a wide range of spas for different budgets ranging from smaller, local spas to ultra-luxurious ones.

If You are Looking for Canadian Spas…

For US spa experiences, I would recommend Spafinder. However, if you’re looking for a spa service in Canada, please check out my post on Wayspa. You can save money on spa treatments similarly.

WaySpa Coupons: WaySpa Promotion Code 2018

Whistler Spa Deals & Discounts via WaySpa

October 15, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

If you’re planning a trip to Whistler, you might just want to indulge in some pampering and relaxation. One way to save money on your spa visit is through WaySpa, Canada’s largest spa and wellness marketplace with over 2,000 partner spas. You can buy a Wayspa gift certificate which can be used at any of their partner spas including Scandinave Spa Whistler.

Wayspa offers a wide range of spas for different budgets ranging from smaller, local spas to ultra-luxurious ones. I’ve been using WaySpa for a few years now and can attest that it has been easy to redeem and the spa choices are excellent.

How to Get a Whistler Spa Deal & Discount via WaySpa

WaySpa gift certificates can be bought at a discount to their full value (like $75 for $100 value) so that enables you to save money on a spa experience at their partner spas. There are three ways to buy discounted Wayspa gift certificates: WaySpa.com, Costco.ca and Ebates.ca.

1. Wayspa.com (10% – 22% off)

Wayspa.com offer discounts throughout the year especially in time for holidays like Mother’s Day and Black Friday. You can receive notification of these offers by subscribing to their newsletter. I have personally seen offers ranging from 10% to 22% off.

Right now, you can enjoy 18% off WaySpa gift certificates until November 30, 2018 now using this link.

2. Costco Wayspa Gift Certificates (25% off)

Costco also sells WaySpa gift certificates at the price of $74.99 for two $50 gift certificates.

3. Ebates Wayspa Deals (varies)

Are you a member of Ebates.ca yet? Ebates.ca is a great website that actually pays you Cash Back every time you shop online and it’s free to join! Ebates.ca works with over 750 stores that ship to Canada including Indigo.ca, Amazon.ca, eBay, Sears, Old Navy, Forever21 and Groupon.

Ebates.ca has a gift card service in partnership with CardSwap.ca where you can receive Cash Back for your gift card purchases. Depending on the retailer, these gift cards can be either a code sent to you electronically or a physical card. If you buy a Wayspa gift certificate via Ebates, the Cash Back rewards are credited to your Ebates.ca account within 7 days.

If you are not an Ebates.ca member, use my referral link to sign up.

WaySpa Partner Spas in Whistler

Here is a list of Wayspa partner spas in Whistler. Please check their website for most up-to-date information:

Scandinave Spa Whistler
Avello Spa & Health Club
Spa Smart Whistler
Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa (2 locations)
Eco Chic Spa

Check out my other Whistler articles:

Scandinave Spa Whistler Deals & Discounts

5 Ways to Enjoy a Dreamy Whistler Vacation

McDonald’s Monopoly Canada 2018 now on

October 14, 2018 by foodgressing 2 Comments

Monopoly Coast to Coast at McDonald’s Canada is now on until November 11. There are plenty of prizes to be won including over 17.6 million instant win food prizes. Instant win prizes include non-food items such as Air Transat Roundtrip Flights and even $10,000 cash prizes. This year, there are 25 “Big Mac for A Year” prizes and 1 “Big Mac for Life” prize.

McDonald’s Monopoly Canada 2018 Specially Marked Food and Drinks

Game pieces are found on the following specially marked food and beverage items:

- Medium and large hot McCafé beverages (Premium Roast Brewed Coffee, Tea, Mocha, Latte, Cappuccino, Americano and Deluxe Hot Chocolate)
- Extra large McCafé Premium Roast Coffee or Tea
- Medium and large Fountain Drinks
- Medium and large Triple Thick Milkshake^®
- Big Mac sandwich
- Double Big Mac sandwich
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese sandwich
- Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese sandwich
- Quarter Pounder BLT sandwich
- Double Quarter Pounder BLT sandwich
- Mighty Angus Original sandwich
- Bacon and Cheddar Angus sandwich
- Creamy Black Pepper Angus sandwich
- McChicken sandwich
- Seriously Chicken sandwich
- 10-piece Chicken McNuggets
- Large Fries
- Egg McMuffin sandwich
- Sausage ‘N Egg McMuffin sandwich (excludes Sausage McMuffin sandwich)
- Bacon ‘N Egg McMuffin sandwich
- Hash Browns
- Regular size McFlurry
- 20-piece Chicken McNuggets

Odds of Winning a Food Prize

There are 17,679,163 food prizes to be won. The overall odds of winning a food prize is 1 in 5.46. You have the best odds of winning a medium fries (1 in 25). The worst odds are for a small fountain drink (1 in 61).

Food Prizes	# of Prizes Available	Odds (as 1 in)	Average Retail Value
Cheeseburger	3,535,833	28	$1.89
Muffin or Mini Pastry	3,535,833	28	$0.89-$1.39
Small Hot McCafé® Beverage	3,359,042	29	$1.93
Small Fountain Drink	1,591,125	61	$1.59
Medium Fries	3,889,414	25	$2.79
Sandwich	1,767,916	55	$1.59-$5.79

Odds of Winning an “Instant-Win”Non-Food Prize

There are 1,656,459 “instant-win” non-food prizes to be won. You have the best odds of winning a $25 e-Gift Card valid for purchases at canvaspop.ca (1 in 65). The worst odds are for a Universal Orlando Resort Family Trip (1 in 16,066,918).

“Instant Win” Non-Food Prizes	# of Prizes Available	Odds (as 1 in)	Average Retail Value
$5 Hudson’s Bay Promotional eGift Card	100,000	965	$5
$10 Hudson’s Bay Promotional eGift Card	24,000	4,017	$10
$10 McDonald’s Card	12,500	7,713	$10
Hasbro MONOPOLY Classic Board Game	1,000	96,402	$24
$25 Esso \| Mobil Gift Card	5,000	19,281	$25
$25 e-Gift Card valid for purchases at canvaspop.ca	1,500,000	65	$25
$50 Vanilla Prepaid MasterCard card	600	160,670	$50
$50 Esso \| Mobil Gift Card	2,200	43,819	$50
$50 McDonald’s Card	1,500	64,268	$50
$50 cheque	6,000	16,067	$50
Forza Horizon 4 game, and a code redeemable for six (6) months of Xbox Game Pass	1,500	64,268	$152
Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Headphones	1,500	64,268	$200
Xbox One S Bundle: Xbox One S game console and Forza Horizon 4 game	100	964,016	$400
Hisense Roku TV, 43-inch 4K TV, model #R6107	100	964,016	$400
Warner Bros. TV Series Prize Packs: 11 seasons of The Big Bang Theory, 6 seasons of Arrow and 4 seasons of The Flash.	240	401,673	$844
Air Transat Flight Prize: Air Transat round-trip economy class flight to one (1) destination anywhere Air Transat flies up to $1,100	150	642,677	$1,100
CraveTV Bundle: 12-month subscription to CraveTV™ on-demand video streaming service, a 49-inch Smart TV, and a tablet	10	9,640,151	$1,500
Bloomex Flowers and Gifts: 4 themed flower and gift or gift packages (e.g., flowers in a hand-blown vase, gift baskets, teddy bears, chocolates or other such gift items) for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas and a birthday or anniversary	20	4,820,076	$1,851
Universal Orlando Resort “Family Trip: 4 day, 3 night trip, to Orlando, Florida, USA, for winner and 3 guests	6	16,066,918	$5,116.58
$10,000 cheque	7	13,771,644	$10,000
Big Mac for Life: 2 Big Mac sandwiches each week for 40 years, or at the winner’s option, a cheque for $24,086	1	6,124,000	$24,086
Big Mac for One Year: 2 Big Mac sandwiches each week for 12 months (52 weeks), awarded as a McDonald’s Card credit for $602.16	25	244,960	602.16

McDonald’s Monopoly Canada 2018 Rare Game Pieces

The rare prize with the best odds of winning is the $2,600 Esso | Mobil Gift Card (1 in 3,856,061). You have the worst odds of winning the Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV and Youth Yamaha ATV (1 in 169,618,314).

Rare Piece	Property Set	Prize	# of Prizes Available	Average Retail Value	Odds of Collecting Rare Piece (as 1 in)	Game Pieces Required	Odds of Collecting Winning Combination (as 1 in)
Rideau Canal (#901)	Brown	Xbox One X and Forza Horizon 4 Bundle	20	$1,308	4,820,076	Parliament Hill (#902)	25,442,801
Mackenzie River (#904)	Light Blue	Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV and Youth Yamaha ATV	3	$14,999	32,133,836	Lake Louise (#903), Lake Athabasca (#905)	169,618,314
Percé Rock (#906)	Purple	Cheque for $10,000	10	$10,000	9,640,151	Miles Canyon (#907), Columbia Icefield (#908)	162,418,046
Tunnels of Moose Jaw (#911)	Orange	Cineplex® Première Card valid for winner and one guest for admission to movies at Cineplex theatres in Canada	10	$2,500	9,640,151	Signal Hill (#909), Peggys Cove (#910)	50,885,495
Confederation Bridge (#912)	Red	$5,000 in Vanilla Prepaid MasterCard cards	5	$5,000	19,280,302	Baffin Island (#913), Bay of Fundy (#914)	96,924,798
Whistler (#917)	Yellow	Cabela’s Barbeque Package	75	$1,979.92	1,285,354	Algonquin Provincial Park (#915), Wapusk National Park (#916)	23,875,664
Portage & Memorial (#920)	Green	$2,000 Hudson’s Bay gift card	5	$2,000	19,280,302	Robson Street (#918), Sainte-Catherine Street (#919)	101,770,978
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac (#921)	Dark Blue	5 Million RBC Rewards points from Royal Bank of Canada, or a direct deposit of $50,000 into the winner’s Royal Bank of Canada personal deposit account or a cheque for $50,000	6	$50,000	16,066,918	Niagara Falls (#922)	16,066,918
Vancouver Airport (#926)	Airports	7 nights’ vacation for four in Riviera Maya, Mexico via Air Transat	20	$8,800	4,820,076	Montréal Airport (#923), Toronto Airport (#924), Halifax Airport (#925)	84,801,970
Route Transcan Highway (#928)	Highways	$2,600 Esso Ι Mobil Gift Card	25	$2,600	3,856,061	Sea To Sky Highway (#927)	3,856,061

Breakfast or Brunch with Santa in Vancouver 2018

October 14, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Here is a list of places in Metro Vancouver that are offering breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea with Santa in 2018. I have not included images as this list is designed for you to obtain quick information on what is being offered and compare the options. Please check with the restaurant for the most up-to-date and accurate information on dates, times, prices and menu offerings. This list is updated as information becomes available. If you are a restaurant and want to be added, please contact me at foodgressing@gmail.com.

If you are looking at this post in mobile, rotate your phone sideways to see the entire table.

Restaurant	Type	Price (tax and tips may be extra)	Description	Date/Time	City
Grouse Mountain	Breakfast	$69 (Adult 17 -64) $60 (Senior 65 +) $28 (Senior 5 - 16) $9 (4 and under) *check website for passholder prices	Breakfast with Santa will be featured in Lupins Café and Altitudes Bistro. Families can enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet, visit with Santa Claus, partake in face painting and enjoy a magic show.	Dec 15 - 24	North Vancouver
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver	Parade Breakfast with Santa	$40 (Adult) $20 (Child 12 and under)	Breakfast buffet and exclusive meet & greet with Santa before TELUS presents the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade. Children will have an opportunity to sit with Santa and confide their Christmas wish list before he presides over the festive parade at noon.	Dec 2 ( 9 - 10:30 am)	Vancouver
Fairmont Vancouver Airport	Afternoon Tea	$79 (Adult) $35 (Child 12 and under)	Festive afternoon tea menu, a visit from Santa, live music, cookie decorating station, hot chocolate bar and other special surprises. Proceeds from every ticket go to Make-A-Wish Foundation.	Dec 15 (1 pm)	Richmond
Morgan's Creek Golf	Brunch	$45 (Adult) $25 (Child 5-12)	Details	Dec 2 (10:30 am), Dec 9 & 16 (10:30am & 1:30 pm)	Surrey
Krause Berry Farms	Breakfast	By donation	A fundraising event for breast cancer. First come first serve. No tickets required.	9:30 am - 11:30 am	Langley
Northview Golf and Country Club	Brunch	$38 (Adult) $19 (Child 6-12)	Details	Dec 2, 9 & 16 (Palmer Room seatings at 10am, 10:30am, 11:00am Duffey's Seatings at 9:45am, 10:15am, 10:45am)	Surrey
Pat Quinn's Restaurant & Bar	Brunch	$33 (Adult) $16.50 (Kids)	Details	Dec 9 & 23 (10:30 am - 2:30 pm)	Delta

Also check out my list of restaurants in Vancouver serving Christmas dinner this year and where to get Christmas turkey dinner to go:

Where to Dine Out for Christmas 2018

Where to Get Christmas Turkey Dinner to Go 2018

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018: Novo Pizzeria

October 12, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Carmine Paradiso from Novo Pizzeria has created the Bucatini with Braised Guanciale and Orange ($22). This pasta creation is an expansion on classic Roman dishes that have as their bases guanciale (Italian cured meat product prepared from pork jowl or cheeks) and Pecorino Romano (Italian cheese).

The orange flavour in this pasta is formed three-ways: zest, orange juice, and agrumato blood orange oil. Agrumato is a technique of simultaneously crushing ingredients (in this case blood oranges) with olives to produce exceptionally flavoured oils. They also added crushed pink peppercorn and fennel pollen to finish off the dish.

Novo Pizzeria & Wine Bar
Address: 2118 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Website: www.novopizzeria.com

Other restaurants participating in Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018:

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018: Maru Restaurant

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018: The Italians

Taste of Yaletown 2018: The Parlour

$45 TASTE OF YALETOWN MENU

APPETIZER

ENTRÉE

DESSERT

Taste of Yaletown 2018: La Pentola

$45 TASTE OF YALETOWN MENU

APPETIZER

ENTRÉE

DESSERT

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge: The Italians

Other restaurants participating in Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018:

Everyday Essentials via 7-Eleven and foodora

Happy Hour at Railway Stage & Beer Cafe

Spafinder gift certificate deals and discounts

How to use the Spafinder gift card

How to Get a Spa Deal & Discount via Spafinder

Right now, you can enjoy 15% off Spafinder gift certificates until October 30, 2018 now using this link.

Great for Gifting

If You are Looking for Canadian Spas…

Whistler Spa Deals & Discounts via WaySpa

How to Get a Whistler Spa Deal & Discount via WaySpa

1. Wayspa.com (10% – 22% off)

Right now, you can enjoy 18% off WaySpa gift certificates until November 30, 2018 now using this link.

2. Costco Wayspa Gift Certificates (25% off)

3. Ebates Wayspa Deals (varies)

WaySpa Partner Spas in Whistler

McDonald’s Monopoly Canada 2018 now on

McDonald’s Monopoly Canada 2018 Specially Marked Food and Drinks

Odds of Winning a Food Prize

Odds of Winning an “Instant-Win”Non-Food Prize

McDonald’s Monopoly Canada 2018 Rare Game Pieces

Breakfast or Brunch with Santa in Vancouver 2018

Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018: Novo Pizzeria

Other restaurants participating in Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge 2018:

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