Happy Sunday! While you are all out enjoying this gorgeous Sunday on a sort of-kind of holiday weekend, I wanted to tempt you inside a bit (starting this Thursday) with some details on the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge Featured Restaurants.
Taking a weekend away is nearly impossible for Ken and me. But, we are big, BIG fans of mini breaks in the form of an evening out for dinner.
We’ve got our favourite spots for sure – and laughed a little bit about how we only recently realized that they are all spots that serve yummy local food. I’ve also been plotting a series of nights out together this Summer (surprise, Ken:)) and was so very happy to see that the chefs who jumped in for the food challenge make that planning super easy.
James and Angeline Street over at Brambles pulled together an awesome crew for this part of the challenge with Locals – Food From The Heart of the Island, The Great Escape, Anderton Bistro-Pub and Bisque.
-Locals is a charming, wonderfully local restaurant where the food is 100% spectacular. Chef Ronald St. Pierre brings the stories and incredible tastes of the Valley to life every day in Courtenay.
-The Great Escape is a Cumberland gem that makes me smile just thinking about the mouth-watering Indian fusion food created by chefs Nicola Cunha and Jean-Francois Larche. This great spot reminds me of the great neighbourhood restaurants we used to walk to in San Francisco with its urban vibe and great food.
-Anderton Bistro-Pub chef Andrew Stigant has come back home after years creating in some of Western Canada’s premiere restaurants to bring his unique perspective on local food to the Comox Valley. This spot has transformed from a once sports bar to an elegant dining experience with Stigant at the helm. Yum is what I say.:)
-Tucked away in a diminutive spot near downtown Courtenay, Bisque is creating local food greatness. Recognized recently for their fantastic food, owners Steve and Maralee Dodd have their pulse on deliciousness.
These four restaurants are creating FRESH SHEETS for the month of July off of which Challenge Participants can enjoy an incredible local food meal. These are especially created for the food challenge and you know they are going to be hot.
Why?
As part of the experience, Challenge Participants who dine their way through the food challenge (sounds perfect to me) can rate their local food experience at each of the restaurants (if you already have your passport, that’s what those cards are for), be entered into a drawing for prizes from each restaurant and, at the end, the ratings will be tallied and the restaurant with the highest rating will be the recipient of the 2009 Yummy Award.
The Restaurant Experiences are also Stamp Events. So, you get one stamp closer to being eligible for the EatRealEatLocal $1,000 local food dining experience grand prize.
So, while you are in serious local food mode and – of course – in serious need of a series of evenings out with adults – get those reservations made for July, be sure to bring your challenge passports with you (get those stamps!) and prepare to be seriously wowed by local food when you get your yummy on at the Featured Restaurants who are a part of the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge.
If you haven’t registered for the Food Challenge, be sure to pick up your Challenge Passport at Brambles Market, 244-A Fourth St. in Courtenay and then register HERE to get the full schedule and become eligible for prizes.
