The Vancouver Foodster himself, Richard Wolak, is serving up a delicious evening in Burnaby Heights next month.
Wolak, writer and founder of www.VancouverFoodster.com, is organizing a Tasting Plates tour of the neighbourhood on Dec. 11.
Though Wolak was already a fan of Romana restaurant on Hastings Street, he was not aware of the other eateries opening in the area until last spring, he says.
"I've been at Romana, for years I've gone there, but all I knew was Romana, I didn't realize there was more to the neighbourhood," he says, adding that the neighbourhood came on his radar again last spring when Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie and Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery opened. So he made a visit to the neighbourhood.
"When I did, I was like, 'Wow, there's all these new restaurants, it's a real hub now,'" he says. "It's a huge resurgence of that neighbourhood."
Wolak's event is intended to make foodies in Vancouver aware of the neighbourhood's offerings, he says.
"I think an event like this is gonna put it more on the radar for people in the city," Wolak says. "The people who go to my events are all foodies from all over the city."
Thus far, four locations are confirmed - Cioffi's Meat Market and Deli, Caffe Divano, Chez Christophe and Glenburn.
Wolak says four more locations will be confirmed in the next week.
"The idea is, there'll be Italian, there'll be Greek, there'll be Thai," he says.
Cioffi's is planning tastings on both sides of their location - the market and the deli. Caffe Divano is serving up coffee and hot chocolate, and Chez Christophe and Glenburn will be offering desserts.
Wolak began his Tasting Plates event series nearly two years ago, he says.
"I did one and it was a huge hit and everyone was like, 'when is the next one?'" Wolak says.
Since then, he has been pacing how often he holds events, so that they aren't too close together, he says. In the summer, he did one in North Vancouver.
"North Van was a huge hit," he adds.
He has to check out each location before adding it to the event and has been visiting many places in the Heights recently, he says.
"I've been eating a lot in that neighbourhood." Wolak says. "Any place that I have any of my events, I've got to have eaten there first and it's got to be good. If it's not good I'm not inviting them."
But Wolak also looks for something special at the places he adds to the tours.
"If people are going to try the food, it's got to be good food, first of all, but it's got to be something a bit more enticing there for people," he says.
Because the Burnaby event is in mid-December, there will be a bit of a holiday theme, as well, according to Wolak.
"The focus is Burnaby and Burnaby Heights but because it's so close to the holidays and the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood is going to be lit up with all the lights in the neighbourhood, I thought, well, might as well make it holidayish," he says.
The Burnaby Heights Merchants Association has been helping Wolak organize the event and is trying to get carolers to sing along Hastings Street as the Tasting Plates participants walk from location to location, he adds.
Tasting Plates, Burnaby Heights edition, takes place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 11. Early bird tickets to the walking and tasting tour are on sale until Nov. 12.Early bird tickets are $24.50 plus a fee and GST, advance tickets sold after Nov. 12 are $40 plus a fee and GST, and regular tickets are $50 plus a fee and GST.
Click here for more information and to order tickets.
