FASHION Magazine

It’s a no-brainer that ceremonies, celebrations and cocktails belong together, and there’s no better place downtown to get a little boozy than at YEW Restaurant + Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel (791 W. Georgia St., 604-689-9333, fourseasons.com/vancouver). A new Olympics-themed menu includes a meant-to-be-shared, one-pound of beef burger (plus fixings) and an Olympic Salad made with rings of grilled squid, anelli pasta, radish, leeks, and crispy shallots, all best supplemented by equally-festive cocktail concoctions.

Nathalie Rykiel explained the reason for the Sonia Rykiel collab with H&M: they copied her! In an interview, the creative director revealed that she told the chain that if they wanted “[their] girls to wear Sonia Rykiel from H&M, let’s let them have the real thing!” [Nylon via Fashionologie]

Valentino partner Giancarlo Giammetti has learned just how far Facebook networking stretches, especially when it involves negative press. After watching the Valentino spring 2010 show in Paris, Giammetti took to his FB page and changed his status to read “not sad … just surprised. … We have always supported the new designers and we love them, but this time we have to distance ourselves from this ridiculous circus.” After a flood of comments, Giammetti deleted his status, “…because it was becoming [too] heavy.” [The Cut]

Two of the biggest buzz topics in the lead-up to the Games have been (a) the dreaded traffic jams, and (b) how hard it’s going to be to find a decent place to eat around the Olympic venues. While some restaurants have opted for buy-outs, others have decided to stay open for walk-ins only. Cactus Club Cafe (cactusclubcafe.com) has opted for the latter, meaning one of western Canada’s favourite chains will likely soon be one of the world’s, too. I recently sat down in Bentall 5 (a room that also hosts a trio of original Basquiats, thanks to Cactus founder Richard Jaffray’s fine—ahem—taste for art) for a tasting menu of chef Rob Feenie’s newest creations.

Part café, part clothing store, Ottawa’s Aunt Olive’s (209 Gilmour St., 613-565-0564) allows customers to shop for eclectic and kitschy vintage finds while grabbing a bite to eat.

We shopped one-on-one at Whole Foods in Toronto with Sam Graci, Greens+ magnate and superfood researcher, to learn how to maintain a balanced body chemistry. He says we need to create an even pH level—where alkalizing and acid forming foods are balance—for higher energy levels and better memory, mood, libido and skin. “Our body is a very exquisite chemical processing plant,” says Graci.

Here’s what we picked up:

As a fashion editor, it’s not everyday that I get to enjoy a foodie event. But with such a lively and burgeoning dining scene, Vancouver’s fashion and food industries are most definitely linked (just ask a few of the city’s stylish couples!). So when I received an invitation to a hands-on Contemporary West Coast workshop […]

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Though I consider myself a fairly health-conscious person, summer days spent on the patio have caused me to indulge a bit too heavily in sweet potato fries. (Yes, the vitamin A contents supposedly makes them healthier than regular French fries, but the decision to order them is never guilt-free.) T-Fal has apparently found a way for me to enjoy my snacks without constantly thinking about hitting the treadmill afterwards.

After a Zen retreat from holiday excesses, we’re whirling back into social life with some really hot ideas to help us get through the next few waves of cold:

Montreal Highlights (to March 1): if you’re a foodie or a culture aficionado you know where to go: montrealhighlights.com.

I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. I do however believe in surprising the people you love.  So, in the spirit of totally shocking surprises, I have decided to do something really out-there on February 14.  It’s kind of sexy, perhaps even a little dangerous, and my fiancé will never expect it: I am going to cook.  To make this experience less intimidating, I decided to shop for food the same way I shop for clothing—forego the one-stop-shopping mall or grocery store, and hit up small, independent boutiques, gourmet bakeries, cheese shops and markets.  It may take a little longer, but I figure if this is the one meal in 2009 that I’m cooking, I can put a little extra effort into it.

Recessionistas are rediscovering the simple pleasures of homemade meals, and they’ll surely enjoy the not-so-simple foie gras cooking class by caterer extraordinaire Denise Cornellier (December 10, $225, cornelliertraiteur.com). From fancy holiday hors d’oeuvres to hearty soups with a twist and scrumptious mains, your dear ones might very well surprise you with fine new delicacies at […]

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Although I’ve lived in Vancouver now for nearly six years, I had never experienced Whistler Cornucopia (whistlercornucopia.com), a food and wine festival that, for the past 12 years, has offered foodies the opportunity to schmooze, eat plenty of delicious food, and learn from acclaimed chefs, vintners, restaurateurs and sommeliers. Two weeks ago, however, I got […]

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Odd Gems by Connie Ng

Attention chocoholics: MoRoCo Chocolat (99 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-2202, morocochocolat.com), possibly the most fashionable chocolate salon in Toronto, opened this fall. The location is quite hidden, but even if you miss their giant Victorian logo that reads “Let Them Eat Cacao,” your nose will lead the way like a GPS.