Some cool people I met this year…
I haven’t done my yearly recap, which will likely be all food-related, but here are some cool, amazing, and talented people I am grateful to have met this year. A few of them I’ve met before and have become good friends with, but otherwise it’s a pretty mixed bag of good times!
It’s not a “cool list” or anything, because frankly the homeless man who returned my phone in Vancouver, BC the other night was pretty damn cool too. I accidentally dropped it in a parking lot in Gastown and drove away without realizing until 5-7 minutes later. I was hoping I left it at the restaurant, but as soon as I pulled into the same parking lot he waved me down to return it. I didn’t catch his name, but he “directs traffic” in the parking lot between Chill Winston and Secret Location. I had given him food before going into the restaurant too. Karma? Or pure luck?!
I ended up giving him some money, even though he didn’t ask for any, and told him to promise me he wouldn’t spend it on anything bad. He said “I promise. I haven’t done anything bad in years. The worst thing I do now is have an occasional beer.” I couldn’t help but to smirk. Well, I’m okay with that. If you come across him (older gentleman… he’s always there), he is a good man.
Anyway, random story, but cool people are everywhere and sometimes you meet the coolest ones when you least expect it. Here are just some more recognized faces.
Follow Me Foodie to familiar faces…
At The 2nd Annual Diner en Blanc in Vancouver with Willie Mitchell from the LA Kings (centre) and sous chef Phil Scarfone from Hawksworth (right). See my recap here.
BC Spot Prawn Fishing on the Organic Ocean boat with geneticist, broadcaster and environmental activist Dr. David Suzuki of David Suzuki Foundation (left) and Chef Jason Bangerter at Langdon Hall in Toronto (right). See my recap here.
At Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Awards with 2013 Bocuse d’Or Canada representative Chef Alex Chen. See my recap of Bocuse d’or 2013 here.
Judging noodles for Cathay Pacific’s “Noodles of Asia” contest with Chef Sang Yoon of Father’s Office in LA (far left) and Chef Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook (centre). Also pictured is Peter Ho and Satomi Aoki from Cathay Pacific. See my recap here.
Judging chicken wings at The 1st Annual Chicken Fight Kitsilano with rapper Prevail from Swollen Members (left) and hip-hop artist Red1 from the Rascalz (right). See my recap here.
At the 2nd Annual First Harvest dinner at The Willows Inn on Lummi Island with Blaine Wetzel (The Willows Inn, Washington), Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn, San Francisco), and Justin Yu (Oxheart, Houston).
Also at the dinner was Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA) and Grant Achatz (Alinea, Chicago). Missing from the photos is Virgilio Martinez (Central Restaurante, Lima, Peru). See my recap here.
Nevermind! There’s Virgilio.
At the ChefSteps kitchen in Seattle with co-author of Modernist Cuisine, Chris Young (far left), chef Grant Lee Crilly (left), and photographer Ryan Matthew Smith (right) (all previously at Modernist Cuisine). See my 2 Days in Seattle here.
At Cactus Club Cafe with Food Network’s Top Chef Canada winner Matt Stowe.
At The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City with Iron Chef winner and Executive Chef of Cactus Club Cafe Rob Feenie. PS: Follow Me Foodie to Mexico City and Oaxaca stories launch in January 2014!
At The Vancouver Home + Design Show with Restaurant Makeover’s Massimo Capra (right) and Honorary President of International Wine & Food Society Sid Cross (left).
At Blue Water Cafe with American food journalist, author, and columnist for The New York Times Mark Bittman.
At West Restaurant with Chef Chuck Hughes from Chuck’s Day Off.
With Vikram Vij of Vij’s and Rangoli in Vancouver, BC.
So… Pretty much other than David Suzuki and the rappers, all cool people you met were chefs/related to food industry? If so, yeah, you pretty much are into food, hahaha!
She said *some*. I’m sure there were many others. What a banner year, Mijune !
It was great reading & equal to the “Food Scene” we expect on the West Coast and aspire to in all of Canada. A lot of culinary peaks in this year’s summary so I am looking forward to … 2014. Season’s best and looking forward to next year.
What a year you’ve had! Between the writing, the traveling, the eating! …. you must need a break at some point. I think all your followers are very proud of all that you’ve accomplished so far and look forward to reading about your future adventures. I hope that I’ll meet up again with you soon. Thanks for an interesting year. Merry Christmas Mijune!