by Talia Kleinplatz | Is it possible? Could it be? Are fine-dining chains the future? Or is it simply an oxymoron without a leg to stand on?

Eater shares a collection of the worst restaurant reviews in 2015. NYT Food Critic Pete Wells makes the list a couple of times including one infamous and scathing zero-star review. Ouch!

Bad news for Mast Brothers as their “bean to bar” claims come under scrutiny. I wonder how Valrhona feels about this…

The Food Network’s Alton Brown shares his hatred for single use kitchen gadgets including meat shredding claws. I’m tempted to disagree on the Baker’s Edge brownie pan though because…who are we kidding? Brownie edges are amazing.

From gifts and cocktails to punch recipes and more, Imbibe shares its 2015 holiday guide. Me and Milk Punch are became quite fond of one another these last few weeks…

Did you ever wonder what Route 66 tastes like? An evolution in cocktail culture sees bartenders developing concept-driven menus.

Gail Johnson shares her picks for the best new restaurants to come out of Vancouver in 2015 in the Georgia Straight.

Local chefs name some of the their favourite bites in the city. Those lamb barbacoa tacos from Molli Cafe are high on my list to try.

The holidays aren’t over yet! Here are a few seasonally appropriate drinking suggestions from some of Vancouver’s best bar programs.

If, however, you’re looking to have a celebratory drink at home, here’s a gorgeous (and simple) punch recipe to help you ring in the New Year in cocktail style.

From Wildebeest and Bishop’s to Bao Bei and AnnaLena, here’s Scout’s list of 25 peer-voted Vancouver restaurants that you can feel confident recommending to your friends.

New restaurants sometimes have a hard time living up to their hype. Here is Scout’s list of new Vancouver joints that are exceeding expectations.

The return of the desperation pie – a dessert imbued with American farming history. As a pie lover, I’m intrigued!

The lost art of hunting shellfish and how some of the women of Jeju Island have continued the tradition. Fascinating.

According to Food and Wine, the shower wine is a thing. With the help of an ice bucket, appropriate glassware, and wine and shampoo pairings, you too can enjoy this shower-time sipping routine.

From funky cocktails to the absence of coat racks, Alexandra Gill shares her most and least favourite food trends of the year.

Drinking via Instagram honours this week go to Postmark Brewing (and what I can only assume was a most excellent holiday beer stroll).

Looking for work in the industry? Check out who’s hiring!

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 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.