Restaurant

Summer is here and it's time to get out. In this episode chef Jonathan and Darren take the time to go over some fun activities and interesting things to do around your community. We hope to keep you entertained as well as find a way to fill your belly.

 
This time we're talking about what's hot on the dinner table. Checking out the Canadian food scene we go through the top 10 of great food eats and up-and-coming trends for this year 2017.
 

Dine Around began an event for local restaurants to showcase some great local products with value conscious pricing during a traditionally slower time of year for the hospitality industry. It has now grown to encompass pubs, bistros, hotels, vineyards, distillers, resorts and more. It's bordering a sort of 'diners festival'. There's seminars and classes, pub tours, wine tours, special accommodation packages and of course, dining! Tonight we have 3 members that sit on the Dine Around Comox Valley board, to tell all of you about the great food and amazing experiences that await you for Dine Around 2017. Chef Ronald St. Pierre, Trish St. Pierre, and Sandra Viney (who happen to be the owners of Locals Restaurant and Atlas Cafe, respectively), are a wealth of information for this, the 8th annual Dine Around Comox Valley!  
 For more info on the event Check out Comox Valley Dine Around

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Finally after a long wait: Flavour - The North Vancouver Island Picnic! We were lucky to have Darren walk the grounds of Flavour while recording interviews with many exibitors and guest to find out who they were, what they brought and why they were there. Please enjoy, we sure did.

 
With
the Comox Valley’s fourth Flavour Festival approaching quickly, Chef Jonathan
Frazier and Darren Howlett have the chance to sit down with organizer and executive director of the
North Island College Foundation, Susan Auchterlonie.  This event is returning after a year long
hiatus, and we talked about all the exciting plans that will occur at this year’s
highly anticipated festival.
As always this festival
allows the Comox Valley to showcase its finest
chefs, vintners, farmers and producers in support
of education and culinary culture in our community. If you are one of the lucky
500 people that were able to get a ticket (it sold out in five minutes), you’ll
definitely have a memorable time and we look forward to seeing you there!

#100 – We did it! We hit our first major milestone with episode 100. Passing this threshold would have felt off if we had anyone other than Mr. Blayne Prowse as our guest. There would not have been an episode100 without him. There would not have been an episode 1 without him!
 
Jon, Darren and Blayne take this opportunity to reflect on the podcasts beginnings and through it’s hurdles, adjustments,refinements and victories. They also speak to where EdibleValley is heading for the next 100 episodes – format, guests, and changes. Listen in and find out some of their favorite episodes, some that may have been a little more challenging and some that changed their lives entirely.
 
Thanks for tuning in. We share this milestone with you, our cherished audience. Thank you!

 Chef Jonathon Frazier, Darren Howlett and Blayne Prowse are in the studio again to discuss food trends. Jon participated in Restaurants Canada 2015 chef survey, a Canada-wide poll of chefs on food trends and the results are in. Listen in for what you can look forward to at your favourite restaurant or grocery store as well as what may be on the way out. We would love to get your input on this one! What do you think is popular in food; what's not exciting anymore;  or what's being overlooked and should be more popular?

The hot topic in the Comox Valley, Food Trucks? Joining Chef Jonathan Frazier and Darren Howlett tonight is none other than Hans Peter Meyer - bon vivant and man about town, to discuss Food Trucks in Courtenay. Unexpectedly, we all had a very different take on this issue! It made for some great conversation and counter-points though (and Hans makes a pretty convincing argument). Listen in and let us know where you stand on this oft debated issue! Let us know how you feel @ediblevalley and here is the  link to an online survey about the issue at www.courtenay.ca/foodtrucks open till Friday, March 11, 2016. Hard copies of the survey are also available at Courtenay City Hall, or by request at courtenay@courtenay.ca

Comox Valley Dine Around 2016 is coming up quick, so we sat down with Deana Simkin for all of the details. Deana is A member of the committee that organizes the event, as well as a participant with her own local business - Billy D's Pub and Bistro. Deana brings us up to speed on the history of Dine Around, its growing success, and the future of where it's headed! We also talk a little bit about its branching into other events, such as the Sip Around and Brews Cruise. Everyone in the local food industry is gearing up and getting excited as the event itself is right around the corner! Listen in and get all the details.
Check the menus
www.comoxvalleydinearound.com
#cvdinearound

Switching gears for this episode, we invited a few friends (Arzeena Hamir and Blayne Prowse) to discuss the issue of rising produce costs. Specifically, 'How did we get here?', and 'What can we do about it?'.  We are living in a time when our current models are starting to fail us, and new models, or outright change from the ground up is required. It was an illuminating chat with some great ideas and options, and an interesting new format for the Edible Valley. We hope to pepper in a few of these throughout the year - let us know what you think!

Our good
friend Chris Thrift joins us in studio tonight. Having made his way around the
Valley at a handful of restaurants, Chris has settled in quite comfortably with
his new role as Chef at Anglers Restaurant at Dolphins Resort in Campbell
River. We get to touch on the Campbell River food scene, local sustainability
and Island food culture. We also touch on moving for work, and finding your
niche. Chris is a fantastic chef who has found his anchor, his center in this
new setting. And you know what they say about a Chef inspired...
He is
leading the way in something very special, and it's great to be able to bear
witness at this initial stage. We will be touching in with him periodically as
he digs in to the Campbell River food scene and culture. We're looking forward
to hearing about his new culinary adventures!
He is leading the way in something very special, and it's great to be able to
bear witness at this initial stage. We will be touching in with him
periodically as he digs in to the Campbell River food scene and culture. We're looking
forward to hearing about his new culinary adventures!

Chef Jonathan Frazier and Darren Howlett catch up on the local food scene today. These episodes where we check in on what's going on with us and the Valley in food have become some of our favourites. We touch on upcoming events, what's inspiring us, what's new in our local food culture, and where it's all heading.