DINER: Photos Of Vancouver’s Restaurant Scene Getting Ready To Rumble For Charity
April 19, 2012
Last night saw the last of the tryouts for Aprons For Gloves’ upcoming Restaurant Rumble, which will set Vancouver chefs, bartenders, servers, and bussers against one another in a boxing ring for a fantastic cause. As these many photos from Guy Roland and Elena Doyle readily attest (thanks guys!), there’s been a great cross-section of entrants, from chef Dale Mackay of Ensemble and Bartender of the Year Simon Kaulback of Boneta to Alibi Room owner Nigel Springthorpe and Steve da Cruz of The Waldorf (list of contenders here).
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As mentioned in a previous post, the boxing matches themselves will be taking place in the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at Simon Fraser University (Woodwards) on Wednesday, July 25th. I can’t stress how important it is that you book that day off now…
Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association is a charity organization that was founded in 2012 by a group of individuals from various service industry professions, most of whom live and work in the Gastown/Downtown Eastside area. A few of our founding members had begun boxing as a way to relieve stress and keep fit. What they discovered, at the local downtown east-side Astoria Boxing Club, was far more powerful and special than just stress relief and physical fitness.
There were so many incredibly courageous young kids that relied on the mentorship of the coaches to guide them through life, even outside of the ring. When it was brought to our attention that the gym was in danger of closing, we felt that we had to do something to help. The gym has since been closed, leaving these kids (many of which are troubled youth) without a place to go that offers a positive environment and instills good moral values and work ethic. It was with this in mind that the Restaurant Rumble fundraiser was born.
Get the full skinny here and follow @apronsforgloves there.
FIELD TRIP #592: On A Food Porn Safari To The City Of Angels With Several Wildebeests
March 15, 2012
We recently returned from an R&R trip down to Los Angeles. We were down there at the same time as Josh Pape, James Iranzad, and David Gunawan who were in town doing R&D for their upcoming Wildebeest restaurant on Hastings. We tagged along for several of their meals and got up to many other things besides, the delicious gists of which you can see from the 200 or so shots below…
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MORE FIELD TRIPS
VANCOUVER DETAIL #277: Brass Elephants Wrapping Up The Foot Rail At “The Diamond”
February 24, 2012
It gets pretty dark in The Diamond (6 Powell St. in Gastown) and there’s often drinking involved, so don’t blame yourself for missing these brass elephant youths wrapping their trunks around the bar’s foot rail. I’d never seen them until very recently. Owners Mark Brand and Josh Pape found the set of proboscideans at a liquidation auction held in memory of a defunct Port Moddy pub. You’d think the set would be a one of a kind in Vancouver, and for a while they thought it to be. Lo, the exact same one holds the toes of tourist tipplers at the Old Spaghetti Factory just a few doors west on Water Street. Are there others?
Bonus: this is now your default alibi for staring at bar floors.
EVERYTHING SEEN IN VANCOUVER
DINER: Pape & Iranzad Pick Up Ex-West Chef David Gunawan For New “Wildebeest”
November 21, 2011
by Andrew Morrison | Early last month we revealed that restaurateurs James Iranzad (Cartel, Abigail’s Party) and Josh Pape (The Diamond) had secured 120 West Hastings with plans for a new joint arriving in 2012. There was no name or chef at that point (they’d only just signed the lease), so the news was “info-light”. In this week’s copy of the Westender, I have written a piece on the place, revealing a whole bunch of details, including a glance askance at the first menu and cocktail list drafts (mmm, bacon bitters). The paper doesn’t come out until Wednesday, so until then, here are the Cliff notes… Read more
DINER: On UR Discussing Pape & Iranzad Project, Rainier, New Boneta, And L’Officio
October 25, 2011
Talking about the new Boneta (and the old one), Sean Heather’s upcoming Rainier Deli, the highly anticipated L’Officio on the West Side, and the as-yet-unnamed 120 seater from Josh Pape and James Iranzad on West Hastings.
ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS
DINER: Josh Pape And James Iranzad To Open 115 Seat Restaurant On Hastings
October 3, 2011
by Andrew Morrison | Good news, gluttony fans. Local restaurateurs James Iranzad (Abigail’s Party, Cartel) and Josh Pape (former Bartender of the Year, co-owner of The Diamond) have picked up the voluminous, 2,400 sqft space at 120 Hastings across from the Woodwards complex with plans for turning it into a new restaurant and bar by February 2012. They’ve only just signed the lease on the newly renovated (read: empty) location, but trades have nevertheless made their assessments and the keys are in hand. The board is set. The pieces are moving. I can’t wait for this one. Read more
City’s Best Bartenders Sweep The Leg At Chinatown’s “Keefer”
July 19, 2011
by David Greig | In a dark bar in Chinatown, flecked with some of the first rays of a long overdue summer, a hush fell over the gathered masses. Breaths were held, as two pairs of eyes scanned the bottles lying before them. Years, nay decades, of experience tensed their minds and hands. All was about to be laid on the line in the cause of cash and glory. A judge rose to his feet, ticket in hand…
“LAST WORD AND A BOULEVARDIER!”
It was on. The Bar-ate Kid had begun. Read more
Seen In Vancouver #304: “The Diamond” In Gastown Finally Gets Its Corner Neon Sign
July 9, 2011
It’s been a very long time coming, but yesterday The Diamond overlooking Gassy Jack Square in Gastown finally got its corner neon sign up. We love how above the white script in the green box there’s a diamond mobile that slowly spins around. Transfixingly cool.
EVERYTHING SEEN IN VANCOUVER
The Diamond Releases The Last 50 Tickets To Their N.Y.E. Bash…
December 27, 2010
News from Scout supporter The Diamond
Vancouver, BC | Happy Holidays from us here at The Diamond. We hope the break was good to you and yours. To continue with the Christmas cheer and help a few of our friends solidify their NYE, we’re releasing the last 50 tickets to our notorious bash. These are first come, first serve. For those of you not yet in the know, the evening will include the following:
Open bar – That’s right, all our hand crafted cocktails and delicious bottles will be included in the cover price.
Full canapé service – All night our menu items will come in bite sized format along with some party favorites that you don’t usually get to enjoy.
Speaker Bruiser Sound System – One of the country’s greatest will be doing a live set mixed with tables, and no doubt, special guests.
Doors open at 8:30 and close well into 2011. Tickets available by contacting info@di6mond.com or in person, we’d like to see you.
“The Diamond” In Gastown Gets Set To Blow Their Own Roof Off
July 28, 2010
Scout supporter The Diamond will be celebrating their first birthday tomorrow night, and if last night’s 3rd birthday at Boneta was any indication as to how these guys celebrate (it was a party, son), you just know it’s going to get proper lively. Same deal as before: they’re extending the invite to those Scout readers who are regulars. Good times guaranteed.
