Alebrije Kitchen + Bar

The newest restaurant on White Rock's beach goes by the name of Alebrijie Kitchen + Bar. A delightful Mexican restaurant owned and operated by Mexican Canadians family. Alebrijie had only been open for five days when Barbara and I visited on January 29th.

We received a warm welcome from two staff members; we later learned our server was also the manager and co-owner by the name of Diego Castillo. What a wonderful friendly attitude this young man processes; we could have chatted with him all evening. 

We were seated in a comfortable COVID compliant booth beside a window with a great view of our famous White Rock Pier, perfect! No sooner did we sit down when Diego placed a tray of homemade tortilla chips and salsa in front of us. Barbara was so impressed with them she ordered some to take home. It turns out Diego's mother makes the salsa and chips on site.

As happens with many new restaurants the liquor license was still pending. We settled for Mexican coffee which was excellent and brought back memories of the coffee we used to drink on our visits to Mexico. Our cups were kept full all during our meal.

Choosing what to eat took a few minutes; the menu is quite extensive. After much debate and some welcome advice from Diego, Barbara settled on the prawn tacos and I went for the steak fajitas, we were not disappointed with our choices.

The meals were well presented, most delicious, we were more than happy. We enjoyed the hospitality, food, and seaside view. The restaurant's interior is decorated with beautiful Alebrijie. Alebrijies are brightly coloured Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical (fantasy/mythical) creatures.

By not having margaritas we were able to use the calories saved and splurge on dessert; we shared a chocolate impossible cake.  We are sure that when we return, the license will be in effect, and we can skip dessert for a classic margarita!  But don't wait for the liquor license, get on down to the restaurant and enjoy the food, service and ambience!

 

The Dudes Crescent Beach 

Ocean parks fabulous unique coffee shop has opened a second located in Cresent Bench. The Crescent Beach location specializes in the best tasting coffee and brunch. At this time there is no beer and wine license but the owners promise it is coming.

Meanwhile, the menu offers some really delicious items, such Larry's own version of Egg Benedicts or Avacado on Toast.&nbspWithout a doubt Larry the co-owner along with his wife Kelly makes the best Lobster Benny in all of South Surrey. The pancakes are to die for. If you prefer a simple breakfast go for the egg omelette.

The prime rib beef dip is my favourite. Only served on Saturday. 

This is a true family coffee shop where you will find Larry's and Kelly's children serving you with a smile. To sum it all up the coffee is five stars, the food is five stars and the hospitality is 5 star.

They located at 12823 Crescent Road. Please stay out of my parking spot 😇. Thank you

 Happily, we discover some mince tarts still left from Christmas. So, of course, we had to indulge. The bigger concern was what wine to enjoy with the mince tarts. The obvious answer Icewine,

One of nature's most exquisite gifts. One of the world's most luscious and celebrated wines. It is one of the most difficult and challenging processes for the winemaker. Canada is the world leader in producing amazing Ice Wines. 

Icewine is a rare gift from a magical Canadian winter. Picked at the coldest moment of a winter's night, each frozen grape creates just one drop of Icewine. One smooth rich, luxurious drop.

The first Icewine to appear on the Canadian front was a Riesling, made in British Columbia by Walter Hainle and his son Tilman in 1973. Tilman Hainle and his wife Sandra continued experimenting with Icewines at their Hainle Vineyards in the Okanagan, ultimately producing their first commercial release in 1978. In 1991, other Okanagan winemakers joined in, capitalizing on the early onset of cold temperatures that year and plenty of frozen grapes on the vine. 

The story that leads to Canada been known around the world for its icewine is far more in depth and took the efforts of many to achieve. Perhaps the most important factors is Canada's unique climate. 

History of Canada's Icewine

Icewine must be produced exclusively from grapes that have been harvested, naturally frozen on the vine, and pressed in a continuous process while the air temperature is -8° Celsius (17.6°F) or lower. Icewine grapes are often harvested during the night to guarantee a temperature below -8° Celsius.

The icewine we chose

Rief Estate Vidal Icewine 2017

Wow! A fantastic aroma of tropical fruits with honey and peach. It melts in your mouth with additional fruit flavours. More please! 94

 Hey! It's 2021

Staring with a few appies and some wine my wife and I settled in on New Year's Eve to watch movies on Netflix. That was only a few days ago and already I have forgotten the movies.  The wine I remember. Church and State 2017 Marsanne.

Not the most common grape by far. There are perhaps more than 250 different varietals grown in British Columbia. 

Top ten varieties in order of acres:  Merlot  Pinot Gris  Pinot Noir  Chardonnay  Cabernet Sauvignon  Gewurztraminer  Cabernet Franc  Syrah  Riesling  Sauvignon Blanc

Marsanne is a white wine grape, most commonly found in the Northern Rhone region. Outside of France, it is also grown in Switzerland, Spain Australia, New Zealand, United Staes and Canada.

 Marsanne produces a deep gold coloured wine with high alcohol content. The flavours range from nutty to fruity. Road 13  2018 provides a cream honey finish which is quite nice.

Moon Curser 2019 won Gold at The All Canadians.

Church and State Winery -Marsanne 2017

A perfect golden colour. Aromas of fresh apricot, dried orange peel, and honeycomb, finishing off with nuts and fruit flavours 90

Happy New Year!

 

On a holiday break back in January

http://www.winesofcanada.com/featured_winery_visit2021.html

http://www.winesofcanada.com/featured_winery_watch_2021.html

Caesar salad is one of the most popular and well-known salads in the world. The ingredients and preparation are very simple yet to be correct a balance of all the ingredients and order of assembly must be followed. There was also a very special presentation of the famous salad. The Original Classic Cease Salad is not just a recipe but there is a special technique to tossing it

Remember when the waiter or  Maître D  would wheel a table with all the ingredients to your table and prepare your salad with style and grace. Where did those days go? Why was the salad reduced to numerous varieties of the original receipt?

The popularity of this salad around the world is most likely due to a man that bears the salad's name, Caesar Cardini.  Frech Romaine lettuce was the key. Only the leaf was used, not the stem. Today the restaurants use the steam, they sneak in other types of lettuce and offer the salad up as a substitute to french fries.

They have successfully destroyed the joys of ordering a caesar salad. Sacrilegious!

Now the winemakers of today have shown the same lack of respect to their wines. Wines do not belong in a can. It is sacrilegious to do so.

Some resources claim the first wine in a can appeared in 1996. Humbug I saw it on my honeymoon in 1992. It failed back then to gather a following.

A current article claims Barokes Wines of Australia was first to introduce wines in a can. Barokes Wines was founded by Steve Barics and Greg Stokes, reputedly after narrowly avoiding an experience involving a shattered wineglass and a spa. They saw wine in a can as a solution to all those situations where glasses and bottles were either forbidden or ill-advised.

Francis Ford Coppa produced a can wine in 2002. It was at first successful but faded quickly.

My research goes back to 1935. Acampa Wines from Lodi Ca put their wines in a can. Bear Creek Vineyards, also of Lodi soon followed.

It is not clear when can wines were introduced in Europe. They are not at popular there with the exception of Germany. Japan also seems to be supporting can wines. Moncigale, a French wine company is promoting the use of cans for their Rose. They say cans are better as they keep the wine "cooler" than a wine glass. Thus provide better flavours. 

Moncigale receives wine from around 300 winemakers and co-operatives and is in partnership with a young firm which patented a method of making cans adapted for wines. “The cans are of very thin aluminium with a special coating baked on to cope with the wine’s acidity and to make sure the packaging is absolutely neutral and does not affect the taste. They also have a bit of nitrogen added to make sure the wine does not oxidise and that also gives a bit of a ‘psscht’ noise when the can is opened.”

Canada, sadly, seems to have developed a desire to place their wines in cans starting in 2020. And we all know how popular 2020 is.

One Ontario writer gives brothers Greg and Yannick Wertsch, owners of Ontario’s Between the Lines Winery, credit for starting can wine in Canada.

Castoro de Oro is said to be the first Okanagan winery to produce wines in a can. I love their wines but cans no thank you!  I believe the View produced a can wine before this called Bing. But to each their own. 

Next time you are out enjoying a five-star diner and the waiter brings your wine in a can, enjoy the moment!

An improperly made caesar salad and a can of wine just $30.99 at a restaurant near you, enjoy!

 Port Now Fortified!

Port is a fortified wine. Fortified wines are made by adding a proportion of grape spirit, or brandy, to the wine at some point during the production process. The name comes from the harbour Porto this harbour is located in the City of Oporto . Some say Port was named after the city. The original wine region from which Port first came is called Douro. Today port wine is made in numerous countries; Canada has building a reputation for fine Port style wines .The Canadian Government reached an agreement with Portugal. Agreeing that only wines made in Douro maybe referred to as Port.

On December 31, 2013, the Canadian wine industry will no longer be able to use the terms “Port” and “Sherry”, as per the Canada-EU Wine and Spirits Agreement (CEWSA). Article 12(2) of CEWSA requires Canadian producers to stop using certain geographic indications in any market to describe or present wine.

In June, the final Fortified Wine Guidance Document was issued by the CVA Fortified Wine Committee to help ensure a smooth transition with full compliance to labelling laws and regulations. The new classifications (presently known as “Port’ and “Sherry”) are intended for the Canadian market, and may deviate slightly from more traditional classifications for these fortified wine products. Furthermore, flexibility has been provided for fortified wines to leave room for producers to vary their style of wine without undue restrictions.

1) Port will be replaced with Tawny, Ruby and Vintage for these styles of fortified wines produced and sold in Canada

2) Sherry will be replaced with the term Apera for these styles of fortified wine products produced and sold in Canada

This guidance is voluntary but will ensure compliance with federal regulations and avoid any unnecessary enforcement action from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA

The important fact here is that Canada produces a high quality level of fortified wines. Among the notable wines is Black Sage Vineyards Pipe made by winemaker Jason James. “Pipe” to reflect the time- honoured tradition of Port producers and the quality of this fine wine. The wine is an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, usually the last grapes to be harvested, with a Brix level of 25 to 26. Partway

For years now we have enjoyed the fortified wines from La Frenz on the Naramata Bench. La Frenz was names Small Winery of the Year at the Riverside Wine Competition California both in 2012 and 2013. 

NV Liqueur Muscat This unique fortified wine is produced in a Solera system, meaning the average age of the blend progressively becomes older. In other words, every year’s release has a percentage of our first vintage in 1999. The wine is aged in neutral oak barrels and is a blend of three Muscat varietals, the dominant one being the Schönberger grape

NV Tawny Port It has flavours of nuts,dates and dried fruits reminiscent of dark fruit cake infused with a butterscotch sauce. Tawny is a combination of vintages, it will not benefit from any additional cellaring. It shows the beautiful and complex characteristics that come from the multiple years spent in neutral barrels.

2013 Vintage Port estate grown Shiraz grapes which offer the mouth-watering aromatics of sweet blueberries with hints of white pepper. La Frenz's own custom-distilled brandy dosage adds fortification and complexity to the wine. The wine is sweet, but finishes dry on the palate.

One that we have not tried recently is Quails' Gate Estate Winery Fortified Vintage Foch This Fortified Vintage Foch was made in the traditional port style using very ripe Marechal Foch grapes 

Unsworth Vineyards, BC n/v Ovation is one we have tasted a couple of times recently We can recommend it Gold Medal Winner, 2014 All Canadian Wine Championships

Known for our icewine Canada is rapidly gaining a reputation for its Sparking wines, ciders and fortified wines. Watch for the port-style wines come out of Quebec. One winery to watch is Coteau St-Paul, QC 

At the 2020 All Canadian Double Gold for La Frenz Winery, BC    N/V    Tawny Port  and     Gold for their   2019   Vintage Port     $27.90