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August 20, 2010
Foodster anniversary
Celebration has gourmet food, music, charity.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
Almost 600 people joined the party at Canvas Lounge in Gastown on July 28 to celebrate Vancouver Foodster’s first anniversary. In addition to marking the website’s birthday, more than $1,800 was raised for the Vancouver Food Bank Community Angel Food Runners Program.
Created by Richard Wolak in July 2009, Vancouver Foodster is an online restaurant guide. It offers restaurant reviews, interviews and upcoming events, as well as other items that keep people informed about dining trends, the latest food luminaries and the best new foods, wines, spirits and cocktails.
“When I first started Vancouver Foodster over a year ago, it was because I had a great passion for food and wanted to share it with the public,” Wolak told the Independent in an e-mail interview. “The comprehensive site, which is more than a blog and much like an online magazine, has become the leading resource for locals and visitors looking for restaurants and tips on the local food scene. I believe the restaurants reviewed have gained many new customers, strengthening their position in the city.”
Support for the site was obvious at the first anniversary party, where there were food and drink offerings from Coast, Sanafir, Atithi, Hapa Izakaya, Maple Grill, Nimby Burger, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co., Wild Rice, Canvas Lounge, Benton Brothers Cheese, Bonchaz, Cake Tease, Vancouver Brownies, Xoxolat, Kafkas Coffee and Tea, Dao Tea, Vista D’oro Farms, Chandra Winery, Nichol Vineyard, Rollingdale Winery, Desert Hills Winery and Neck of the Woods Wines.
Adding to the festive ambience was music played by DJs Pat Lock and Jeremy Lim. Emcees for the evening were Meena Mann and Charles Zuckermann, Fareeday Rasoul Kim from the Vancouver Food Bank said a few words, as did Wolak. Canvas Lounge, Lonsdale Event Rentals, Jeremy Lim Photography, Khare Communications and Chat Media were sponsors of the event.
As for Vancouver Foodster’s future, Wolak said he’d like to “continue to provide reviews to more restaurants, and to feature food from the diverse cultures that make Vancouver multi-cultural, [as well as] informative interviews with chefs, sommeliers, winemakers, brewers and more.”
At press time, Wolak’s list of top new restaurants, which, he warns on the site, is subject to change as he reviews additional establishments, included Gaia Bistro and Maple Grill in the top 10. He notes that he’s a “food for the people” type of guy, “[s]o while I very much believe that all my Vancouver restaurant recommendations are delicious, they might not necessarily be romantic or Michelin-esque or, well, to your tastes.”
Wolak can be reached at [email protected]. For updated reviews, visit vancouverfoodster.com. People on Twitter can follow @Vanfoodster.
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