HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY NEIL!
Last Saturday we had the pleasure of hosting a one-of-a-kind birthday party for Neil, a local gentleman.
Neil and his 3 brothers were born overseas (children from a military family) and his son, Paul, wanted to bring together his extended family for his dad’s 70th birthday. What better place than at Granville Island with some cooking, eating and drinking!
The day began with Neil catching a ride on a local water taxi and each of his 3 brothers getting on board at various stops along the way (the first of many surprises) before docking at Granville Island to meet EBC owner Eric Pateman for a tour of the market.
While visiting the vendors, the brothers hand-picked fresh ingredients for the birthday feast, including sablefish, Dungeness crab, local sake plus some seasonal vegetables. Grocery bags full, their jobs were far from over. As official chefs for a day, these now “expert” epicureans made their way back to home base at EBC’s retail store where they simmered chocolate sauce, prepared live spot prawns, marinated sablefish and even made fresh ricotta cheese.
By the end of the afternoon, the four brothers had attracted quite a crowd, leaning in to inhale some of the amazing scents coming from their saucepans. But after the closing buzzer rang at 7pm, they had the market– and the food and wine — all to themselves.
The four brothers were then joined by more excited family members, who sat down for their exquisite, market-inspired dinner, starting off with a Granville Island Tea Shop white tea lemonade (spiked with a little Victoria Gin).
The first course was an EBC specialty: chilled watermelon soup with a spicy Dungeness crab. This was paired with a light, bubbly Sumac Ridge’s Brut. After toasts and speeches, the entire family gathered around the chef’s table to watch as Eric constructed their next course: Qualicum Bay scallop carpaccio, fresh BC spot prawns and a garnish of citrus oil and smoked sea salt. Dirty Laundry’s 2006 Chardonnay accompanied this dish.
The birch syrup glazed sablefish, paired with Jackson Triggs White Meritage followed, and the brothers got back into the game, cooking up a wild mushroom risotto to pair with the beautifully tender slow braised beef cheeks.
The traditional birthday cake was scratched in favour of ricotta donut holes, fresh out of the deep fryer and drizzled a chocolate wine sauce and sweet strawberries tossed in Raspberry Eau De Vie from Okanagan Spirtits. The birthday chef and his family capped off the night with Calona Vineyards 2004 Sonata dessert wine.
This event was an incredible experience for everyone involved. Edible BC’s private cooking classes, tours and other culinary events can be custom-planned for any special occasion and we’re always excited to bring the best of BC’s food and wine to groups of friends, families and co-workers in unique and memorable ways. Email us for more information.
**The feedback on the evening from the organizer…
“Just a quick note to say that everything hit the mark for the entire weekend. My sister and I took considerable time to put together a plan for my dads 70th. I knew when we met you – we found our solution. The brothers had a great time and told me that they really thought the evening was made memorable not only by the learning experience – but from your approach to the entire afternoon and evening. It really was special. My dad is still soaking it all in and I’m sure will be thinking about it for a long time. The entire experience working with edible BC has been top notch. The attention to detail, menu an wine selection were great – but I think what made it most special was it felt like it was really our evening. Our time to be together as a family and celebrate. My family has been thanking me all weekend for planning such a memorable event – but I turn my thanks to you for creating the experience and wonderful memories.”
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