On Tuesday evening 24 June 2008, we spent an enjoyable evening visiting three new Gastown Restaurants, all award winning and highly regarded, for a culinary experience in one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods. Thirty-three members and guests started the evening at the Salt Tasting Room where we had three Tapas style starters – a German Riesling with Salamanca and quince paste, a rosé with Dementer Gouda and apple chips, and finally a Languedoc red with Isle of Mull Cheddar and olives.

We then walked about half a block to Cobre with their Nuevo Latino cuisine, Vancouver’s Bronze Medal Best New Informal Restaurant for 2008. Our entrée at Cobre was like a mini tasting menu, comprised of three or four small courses, accompanied by the 2006 Chardonnay “Finca la Florencia” from Chili and a 5 litre bottle of 2001 Merlot “Marques de Casa Concha” from Argentina, both wines from our cellar.

Finally we finished on a sweet note at Boneta, Vancouver’s Best New Informal Restaurant of 2008 and Gold medal winner. Here we each ordered a dessert from the menu which was paired with our 2005 Nugan Cookoothama Botrytis Semillon. All in all, a great dine-around evening!