by Talia Kleinplatz | A sommelier answers that age-old question: When do I need to get rid of that open bottle of wine?

On the purchase of Stumptown and Intelligentsia and what it means for our collective love of modern craft coffee culture.

From local sausages and craft beer to James Beard award-winning chefs, North America’s sports stadiums are stepping up their food game.

A sneak peek inside Sorella, Cambie’s new American-Italian Eatery. Red and white checkered napkins and spaghetti and meatballs? Molto bene.

Forget the chicken wings. Ranch dressing is making a comeback and chefs are taking the maligned condiment to some new and unexpected places.

Just when you thought food couldn’t get any weirder, enter the Fluff Burger — as in marshmallow fluff. No, this is not a joke. And yes, it’s apparently delicious.

This NPR article on the history of sliced bread is the greatest thing since…well…you know.

A step in the right direction: researchers find that overall drink prices have dropped since the introduction of BC’s Happy Hour laws. Just imagine if they hadn’t…

Big food companies are having trouble keeping up with our ever-evolving food preferences. As we flock to our local farmer’s markets in droves, General Mills, McDonald’s and Kraft struggle to woo us back.

As Danny Meyer does away with tipping, Toronto’s Indian Street Food Co. follows suit in favour of a fair wage for all staff.

The annual Gold Medal Plates cooking competition kicks off in Victoria on November 19th. Which of these local chefs will you be rooting for?

Not all drinks are created equal. That said, pancakes, Oreos and ginger ale make for an undeniably winning combination.

Portland chef Greg Denton of Ox talks about the things he hates, among them fact checkers, bullies and waste.

As craft brewing continues to grow in Vancouver, Molson’s local plant will be shutting its doors and moving elsewhere in the province.

Eating via Instagram honours this week go to local chef Juno Kim, who planned a menu over a massive burger a L’Abattoir.

In addition to our own Hopscotch, here’s a list of upcoming winter beer festivals. Portland in early December anyone?

Change up your cocktails at home by infusing your spirits. The spice-infused Aperol sounds awesome!

On the heels of the True North release, an interesting discussion on how we eat with four prominent players in the Canadian food scene.

Looking for work in the trade? Cadeaux, Espana, The Fat Badger, and Nicli’s Next Door are hiring.

———————————————————————-

 Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Talia Kleinplatz fell in love with food at the apron strings of her mother and grandmother whose kitchens wafted the intoxicating aromas of fresh dill, homemade pies and painstakingly slow-cooked brisket. She completed her degrees at Concordia and McGill, graduating with a Master’s in Social Work in 2009. Her six years in Montreal taught her to eat well but it was her move to Vancouver in 2011 that taught her to drink well. In 2013 she launched her award-winning cocktail blog, Two For The Bar. She lives in South Granville with her husband and her three-legged, curmudgeonly cat.