16 Vancouver food events worth checking out this March

Featuring collaborative dinners, Macaron Day 2016, and the third annual Curry Cup, Vancouver’s food events calendar for March is marked with a number of fun food-focused outings.

We’ve complied a list, which we will keep adding to, of upcoming food-related events happening in the city this March.

The Road to Dublin

This March, Donnelly Group is launching a celebration and contest to get everyone in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day. The Road To Dublin will showcase a range of Irish beer styles while offering one lucky winner the chance to experience Irish beers in their homeland with a grand prize of a trip to Dublin. Entering the contest is as easy as drinking an Irish beer at a Donnelly Group pub between March 1 and March 16.

When: March 1 to 17, 2015
Where: Various locations

Salt Spring in the City

This popular venture from Salt Spring Island is back for its third year, once again bringing with it an array of crafts, art, and, of course food and drink. Look for award-winning cheese, small-batch jam, “wild untamed cider,” elixirs and tonics, and wines. The first 25 people through the door each day receive a gift of Salt Spring Island goodies.

When: Friday, March 4 (4 to 9 p.m.); Saturday, March 5 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.); Sunday, March 6 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Where: Heritage Hall, 15th and Main Street
Price: Admission is $4 for adults, and free for kids 13 and under.

3rd Annual Curry Cup

On Monday, March 7, eight acclaimed B.C. chef will compete in the third annual Curry Cup. Tickets to the event (presented by Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia) include eight unique international curries highlighting diverse flavours from around the world served by the competing chefs, along with beer, and Chai tea from The Chai Company. Part of the proceeds will be given to Growing Chefs.

When: Monday, March 7, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street
Price: Tickets are priced at $60 per person and can be purchased online here.

[am2_see_also]

Provence-Inspired Cooking Class

If you’re looking to expand your cooking repertoire make sure you register for Tartine & Maple’s Cooking class and Dinner influenced by sunny Provence. Led by the talented Valentine Kitamura, owner of Tartine & Maple and baker at The Uncommon Café, the class will entail learning to cook a Provence-inspired menu (with wine).

When: Wednesday, March 9, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street
Price: Tickets are priced at $70 per person and can be purchased online here.

Writer, Blocked: A Benefit for Michael White

Vancouver’s food (and music) lovers are probably familiar with the name Michael White thanks to his work in Vancouver Magazine, among other publications, and now the hospitality industry is rallying around their colleague who is enduring a rare and debilitating chronic neurological movement disorder and the loss of his livelihood and income. To help Michael, an evening at the city’s celebrated Café Medina will showcase bites from the restaurant, cheese and charcuterie by La Grotta Del Formaggio, dessert by Bella Gelateria, and wine from See Ya Later Ranch.

When: Wednesday, March 9, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Café Medina, 780 Richards Street
Price: Tickets are $49 plus tax and are available online

Eat, Grow, & Love Local Long Table Series

This is the first in a series of monthly Eat, Grow, & Love Local themed Long Table Events, presented by Rocky Mountain Flatbread, that will include a demonstration of how to grow and cook with the seasons and a four-course menu with tastings from a local craft brewery, B.C. winery or distillery. 100 per cent of the proceeds from these events will go to EarthBites, a Vancouver-based school gardening program where students learn to grow their own food and create nutritional snacks.

When: Wednesday, March 9, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Rocky Mountain Flatbread, 1876 West 1st Avenue
Price: Tickets are priced at $20 per person. To book, call 604-730-0321.

22nd Annual Dining Out For Life

Dining Out For Life returns for its 22nd year in support of individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses in B.C. From Whistler to White Rock and across the Lower Mainland, the annual event’s restaurant partners will contribute 25% of their food sales to registered not-for-profits Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful. All proceeds directly benefit the programs and services they provide free-of-charge.

When: Thursday, March 10, 2016
Where: Various venues. For a full list of participating restaurants click here.

Four Chef Collaboration Dinner

On March 13, four local chefs will come together to share their passion for B.C.’s regional bounty. The one-night-only event will feature game-focused dishes with wines paired collaboratively by Michael Godin from Liberty Specialty Imports and Chase Macleod, Sommelier and Partner of Mission Restaurant.

When: Sunday, March 13, doors open at 6 p.m.
Where: Mission Restaurant, 2042 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano
Price: Tickets are priced at $125 each per person (inclusive of wine, taxes, and gratuity), and can be purchased by contacting Mission directly at 604-739-2042.

Colab @ Latab

This monthly series, held on the third Monday of each month, puts the focus on collaborations between some of Vancouver’s most innovative chefs, bartenders, and wild harvesters. Attendees to the March event will be presented with plates featuring foods that are easily gathered within our reach. Barbara-jo McIntosh (from Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks) will be stepping into the kitchen with Latab’s chef and co‐owner Kris Barnholden, using wild harvested yeasts and greens from MuseumEats.

When: Monday, March 14, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Latab, 983 Helmcken Street
Price: Tickets are priced at $75 (all inclusive). Reserve your seat by calling 604-688-6755.

Taste of the States

Mamie Taylor’s Taste of the States regional longtable dinner is back for 2016. Kicking off on Wednesday, March 16, Mamie Taylor’s will introduce 30 guests to the traditional flavours of a chosen American culinary region with a native welcome cocktail and a four-course menu. Diners who attend the sit-down meal will be rewarded with a feast prepared by chef Tobias Grignon, which is inspired by the flavours of South Texas.

When: Wednesday March 16, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Mamie Taylor’s, 251 East Georgia Street
Price: Tickets are priced at $45 per person. Reservations are a must and can be made online at www.mamietaylors.ca.

The Canadian Table: A Celebration of Cultures

Edible Canada’s Canadian Table dinner series kicks off on March 16, with a French Canadian Feast. Attendees will get the chance to linger over a romantic Québécois meal, presented by Chef Marc-Andre Choquette.

When: Wednesday, March 16, 6:45 p.m to 11 p.m.
Where: Edible Canada, 212-1551 Johnston Street, Granville Island
Price: Tickets are priced at $110 per person (not including gratuity and tax) and can be purchased online here.

Macaron Day 2016

March 20 is Macaron Day, and Vancouver is ready to celebrate the petite treat. “Le Jour du Macaron” was started in 2005 in Paris by pastry chef Pierre Hermé, and the tradition continues on around the world. Several cafés and bakeries specializing in macarons will host special events in honour of Macaron Day.

When: Sunday, March 20, 2016
Where: Various venues. Look out for our upcoming post on where to celebrate Macaron Day 2016.

TableSmarts Dining Etiquette Course

Led by Sunita Padda, the TableSmarts Everyday Dining for Adults course runs through the ABC’s of table manners. Topics include: how to approach and exit the table in a polite fashion, placing an order with the waiter, navigating place settings, napkin-uses, rules for eating bread and soup, correct handling of utensils, passing food at the table, appropriate behaviour at the table, and dealing with unwanted food.

When: Sunday, March 20, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Terminal City Club, 837 West Hastings Street
Price: Tickets are priced at $99 per person and include a three-course meal. Purchase online here.

Vancouver Urban Winery’s Sunday School – 700 Series

Vancouver Urban Winery presents Sunday School, a series of informal and irreverent wine seminars hosted by Sommeliers David Stansfield and Lisa Cook. The focus of Sunday School will be on demystifying wine in an accessible and energetic environment. Set within the gorgeous Settlement Building attendees will get the opportunity to taste and learn about the wines being showcased.

When: Sunday, March 20, doors open at 3 p.m.
Where: The Settlement Building, 55 Dunlevy Avenue
Price: Tickets are priced at $40 per person (excluding tax and fees) and can be purchased online here.

Winemaker’s Dinner at Blue Water Cafe

At this dinner, CheckMate Artisanal Winery will introduce the inaugural vintage of its five Chardonnays handcrafted by winemaker Philip McGahan, for the first time ever in Vancouver at Blue Water Cafe. The restaurant’s executive chef, Frank Pabst will masterfully pair the entire collection of CheckMate’s ultra-premium Chardonnays with five exquisite signature dishes for this dining event.

When: Wednesday, March 23 at 6 p.m.
Where: Oceans Room at Blue Water Cafe, 1095 Hamilton Street
Price: Tickets are priced at $165 per person and can be purchased online here.

Whiskey Six Pop-up Dinner

On March 24, Whiskey Six BBQ will host a “family-style” pop-up dinner at The Capilano Tea House in Gastown. The smoked and BBQ-ed meats served up will offer a taste of what is to come when Whiskey Six opens their very own brick and mortar location. The multi-course menu created by chef Justin Helton will be paired with local craft beer and B.C. wines.

When: Thursday, March 24, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: The Capilano Tea House, 221 Abbott Street
Price: Tickets are priced at $85 and can be purchased online here.

3rd Annual B.C. Distilled

B.C.’s premier annual micro-distillery festival is back and bigger than ever. Featuring 27 B.C. artisan distilleries, spirit aficionados who purchase tickets to this event will get the chance to sample locally-made gin, whisky, liqueurs, and vodka. Canapés will be provided throughout the evening, courtesy of chefs from Blacktail, Boulevard, Cascade Room, Edible Canada, The Union, Westin Bayshore, and Forage.

When: Saturday, March 26. Public tasting 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Croatian Cultural Centre, 3520 Commercial Drive
Price: Early bird general admission is priced at $49.99 per person. Tickets can be purchased online here.