Think pink! Diva showcases rosé on both menu and wine list

Chef Quang Dang introduces special feature items for August and September
www.divamet.com

July 29, 2010; Vancouver, B.C. - As the temperature rises in the city, rosé wine is undoubtedly the perfect summer sipper: an impeccable choice for a post-work drink on the patio, but just as at-ease being paired with a wide range of seasonal dishes. As Diva at the Met Chef Quang Dang hits the farmers' markets each week, rosé has provided the inspiration for a range of Cascadian dishes showcasing the best locally-sourced ingredients.

Throughout both August and September, Diva at the Met will highlight the allure of rosé with four specially created dishes and an expanded list of rosé wines available by the glass. "The food-friendly, clean and fresh style of the wine is a great match for the clean and fresh style of Cascadian cuisine," said Chef Dang. "It's also the ideal accompaniment to ingredients that peak during this time of year, including blackberries, hazelnuts and red currants, and it can pair well with everything from seafood to game. To me, rosé is the perfect wine to toast summer with."

Throughout August and September, the following special rosé dishes will be available:

Fresh shucked Vancouver Island scallops and clams
rosé marinated cucumbers, extra virgin olive oil
Suggested wine pairing: Segura Viudas Brut Rose N/V, Penedes, Spain

Blackberry and hazelnut bread salad
farmhouse fresh goat cheese, watercress
Suggested wine pairing: Miguel Torres De Casta, Rosado, 2009, Catalunya, Spain

Grilled Fraser Valley quail
caramelized onion and bacon tartlet, red currant vinaigrette
Suggested wine pairing: LaStella, LaStellina Rosato, 2009, Golden Mile, Okanagan, BC

Pan roasted ling cod
ragout of chorizo, spot prawns and fennel bouillabase reduction
Suggested wine pairing: JoieFarm Rosé, 2009, Naramata, Okanagan, BC

In addition to the wines suggested to pair with each of the dishes, another couple of rosés will be available by the glass. Any of the rosés available by the glass can be chosen to make a flight of three different three-ounce tasters, perfect for those wishing to contrast and compare different styles.

Along with the special rosé dishes available throughout August and September, Chef Dang has also launched new lounge, lunch and dinner menus bearing the unmistakable hallmark of his Cascadian cuisine. The style combines the fresh spirit of the Cascadian region with the multicultural and indigenous influences that have shaped the region's history and applies them to the enviable coastal bounty of ingredients that the area produces.

Metropolitan Hotels operates four luxury properties: Metropolitan Toronto, the Soho Metropolitan, the Grande Rockies Resort and the Metropolitan Vancouver. With more than 920 rooms, Metropolitan Hotels is committed to providing luxury accommodation for business and leisure travellers seeking an independent choice. A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Metropolitan strives to provide superior service with distinctive accommodations. Award-winning restaurants at Metropolitan Hotels include Hemispheres and Lai Wah Heen (Metropolitan Toronto), Senses (SoHo Metropolitan), Diva at the Met (Metropolitan Vancouver) and Lai Toh Heen (mid-town Toronto).

Second annual Okanagan Feast of Fields announces 2010 participants and sponsors

August 22 farm-to-table celebration already one third sold out!

July 20, 2010; Okanagan Falls, BC: With temperatures soaring in the Okanagan, both locals and visitors are making the most of BC's sun and fun destination. On Sunday, August 22, FarmFolkCityFolk's Feast of Fields Okanagan will capture the essence of the region, bringing together food, wine and outdoor fun in a wandering 25-course tasting event, prepared by the region's top chefs and paired with local wines and beers. Read the rest here...

Chef Quang Dang puts his stamp on new "Diva at the Met" menus

New dishes carry the clean, fresh style of the chef's "Cascadian" cuisine
www.divamet.com

July 14, 2010; Vancouver, BC: New lounge, lunch and dinner menus at Diva at the Met bear the unmistakable hallmark of Chef Quang Dang's unique "Cascadian" style of cuisine. The three menus showcase his light, fresh and clean approach to the quality seasonal ingredients available in the region.

Chef Dang took over the position of Executive Chef at the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver in April and immediately set about defining the direction of the acclaimed restaurant. "My cuisine combines the fresh spirit of the Cascadian region with the multicultural and indigenous influences that have shaped our history, and applies them to the enviable coastal bounty of ingredients that the area produces."

Sample dishes on the new menus include:

Milk poached smoked black cod
whole grain mustard spaetzle, fine herb vinaigrette

Dungeness crab salad
shaved fennel, gala apples and spring rhubarb

Cinnamon smoked duck breast
sunchokes, fava beans and Okanagan cherry jus

The Cascadian region stretches from Northern California up to Alaska, and unites multiple areas with a similar attitude to food. An advocate of sustainability and champion of Cascadian cuisine, Chef Dang is himself the epitome of the diverse flavours and techniques he employs in the kitchen. With family roots stretching back to both Vietnam and Scotland, he draws inspiration from his own background as well as his professional experience in some of Vancouver's most acclaimed restaurants to create unique food that represents the area.

Along with the new menus, each month Chef Dang will create a selection of special dishes showcasing a particular ingredient or theme. July's feature dishes celebrate local organic heirloom tomatoes with a collection of four items available at both lunch and dinner. In August the restaurant will showcase rosé wines with both menu items from Chef Dang and a special rosé flight of wine available.

Metropolitan Hotels operates four luxury properties: Metropolitan Toronto, the Soho Metropolitan, the Grande Rockies Resort and the Metropolitan Vancouver. With more than 920 rooms, Metropolitan Hotels is committed to providing luxury accommodation for business and leisure travellers seeking an independent choice. A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Metropolitan strives to provide superior service with distinctive accommodations. Award-winning restaurants at Metropolitan Hotels include Hemispheres and Lai Wah Heen (Metropolitan Toronto), Senses (SoHo Metropolitan), Diva at the Met (Metropolitan Vancouver) and Lai Toh Heen (mid-town Toronto).

Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver joins Fever Pitch client roster!

Exciting news - the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver, and their amazing restaurant, Diva at the Met, have joined Fever Pitch's client roster. I'm so excited to work with them, especially given that Chef Quang Dang has joined the hotel in the role of Executive Chef. Diva was the restaurant that changed the whole definition of "hotel dining" in Vancouver when it opened in 1996 and it's consistently been recognized for it's commitment to showing off the best of our region. Stay tuned for more Metropolitan and Diva news!

Father's Day antidote to golf-and-tie-overload

Su Foster Jewellery's "West Coast" collection heralds a fashion-forward Father's Day

June 11, 2010; Vancouver, BC: If Pops wouldn't know one end of a golf club from the other, and he already has a closet full of car cleaning products, a locally-handcrafted ring from Su Foster Jewellery could be the manly-but-fashion-forward answer to Father's Day this year.

The "West Coast" collection is a range of silver rings taking inspiration from B.C.'s natural surroundings: bark, rainforest, driftwood and yes, rain. The pieces are both substantial enough to create a statement, but appropriately refined so that they won't look out of place when Dad's rocking a suit. A West Coast ring is the Father's Day gift that can be worn all year, unlike, say, a novelty tie.

West Coast collection rings are available at Lloyd's of Gastown, 157 Water Street, Vancouver.

Su Foster Jewellery and Small Object Design is a local company that consists of the slightly hippy-like Su Foster working away in her cosy, Eastside studio, focusing on the small details of jewellery design that would send other people either crazy or blind. Su graduated from the Jewellery and Small Object Design program at Kootenay School of Art in Nelson, B.C. in 2002. Since then she has worked as a professional goldsmith alongside world-class artists and has continued her education both locally and abroad.
www.sufoster.com

Photo credit: www.eikcam.com

Welcome to Fever Pitch!

This is the first post to the new Fever Pitch Marketing Communications blog. I can promise you that it will get a lot more interesting from here! This blog will include the latest news on all of the Fever Pitch clients (once I have some), along with press releases, updates and general musings. Watch this space ;)