Xmas Parties in Western Canada

[nwyles]

I just returned a slew of emails about Xmas party bookings. I got my first booking in July. All things point to a great Xmas season this year. Anyways.........

Where have you had you parties and have they been good. or bad. Why were they that way.

I will go first.

Last year.

" C " restaurant.

Great. Big tasting menu with wine pairings and a talk about each one etc. Really had a great time. Half the staff loved it and really wanted the evening to continue and some others really could have cared less and just wanted to get bombed, and go out to the bars. As much as I would like to show them how things are at a great restaurant like "C" , it sort of shocked me that some of them did not really care. Lesson learned.

This year. Probably a dinner at the Keg, with a few rounds of shooters to follow and leave them to their own devices. Either way we will have a good time. I certainly do not think badly of the crowd that did not get it, they just wanted to party and have a good time. There was a time that I was one of those.

So, what are you doing and what did you do last year.

No sordid tales of one night office romances, barfing etc. Just about the venue, the food and did you have a good time.

Edited October 5, 2005 by nwyles (log)

[mamacat]

Several years ago, before the company I was then working for went belly up, we used to have our Christmas parties at the Pavilion in Stanley Park. Cocktails in the room with the big fireplace (huge wood fire going, of course) and then dinner in the large room next door. The place was always beautifully decked out with Christmas decorations and the buffet dinner was surprisingly good...roast beef, whole salmon and a slew of salad and side dishes. There is a stage in the large room for a band and lots of room for dancing once the buffet tables are cleared.

Current work group does something a little more sedate...the turkey buffet lunch at Country Meadows golf course in Richmond. Again, surprisingly good food for a buffet and a lovely room with ceiling to floor glass windows looking out over gardens and the golf course.

[jtcookie]

It always amused me how the end of year bash would reflect the financial vagaries of the industry my wife was in for a number of years. The travel business has been through some very tough times recently, but it wasn't always so.

The first time we went to her company-hosted event, it was to a wonderful Italian restaurant on Commercial. My apologies for forgetting his name, but the chef/owner had a pastry shop on the other side of the road. Great food, and the standard litres of house wine on the table, all compliments the employer. And of course the 'stayers' went on afterwards, disco-ing the night away.

Then came those memorable December evenings at Hy's Mansion. Ties for all the gents, ladies gorgeous in their not-trotted-out-often-enough finery, and a visit from the carolling group that really got us into the the Christmas spirit. Literally, as it was open season on the host bar, with many gallons of B-52's et al turning the disco floor into an early version of a mosh pit! Our hosts also provided taxis all round to make the blurred trip back to the burbs, as designated drivers weren't yet a social vocation.

All good things come to an end, and Hy's Mansion departed one year prior to the last bun-fight we enjoyed in that building. The halcyon days of the travel industry were also numbered, and the parties took a notable turn down market. We suffered a couple of hastily arranged prix fixe debacles in ma 'n pa-type properties, where I had the distinct impression that ma might have shot through with the head waiter a while previously, taking her recipes with her! Nevertheless, many refreshing libations flowed, dulling the ignominy of our fall from grace.

The final straw was the pot luck dinner in the office. How many versions of a 7-layer dip can you imagine? Not as many as the cheese ball/log varieties lining up forlornly on the staff lunch room counter!

"Darling, it's time for a career change!"

John

[inanimate]

A few years ago we had our christmas party at balthazar off davie.

The open bar was probably the most memorable part, with single malt scotches being downed in quantity and double belvederes for me.

The food was good too, but the buffet lineup was a mild annoyance. The appies came by often enough to keep most of us happy though and we danced and partied into the night.

Best christmas party ever.

[Megan Blocker]

My old employer had a Christmas party in the basement of a bar in the Village. My current employer does dinner, drinks and dancing at the Rainbow Room. In all honesty, aside from the excellent shrimp cocktail, I preferred the bar's basement.

Edited to add: Oops. Just realized this is on the Vancouver forum - sorry for intruding with thoughts of NYC, guys!

Edited October 5, 2005 by Megan Blocker (log)

[gerald]

I worked for a company that had a great christmas party in yaletown at amarcord, the interesting thing was that we were all given overnight bags as presents. Which coincidently came on the heels of the completion of a goal setting course

(you know the course, how to set goals and achieve them). Damned if almost every one of the managers didn't use the bag to empty their lockers when they quit to pursue their goals.

the moral of the story, don't give your staff subliminal messages

edited for colour

Edited October 5, 2005 by gerald (log)

[BCinBC]

My last employer was a huge company, a behemoth, and Christmas parties were scaled accordingly. They did a buffet dinner / dance at one of the nice hotels downtownm, one year featuring a beautifully done salmon wellington. The last year I was there, they did a much poorer rendition of the dinner as a whole. A few free drinks for you and your spouse, watch the bosses get drunk and dance, a mediochre time is had by all. Or at least me.

Much more enjoyable was the "division" lunch, were on the last day prior to the Xmas break, our group of 15 or so (no spouses) would go out for a late lunch, drink ourselves silly with expensive wine (ie expense account wine), wind up getting denied entry into a variety of bars before getting lucky with one, and eventually cab home (I still think of a coworker who cabbed back to Abbotsford for $100!!). One year was at Joe Fortes, once Aqua Riva, one year an Italian place in Gastown (can't remember the name, but that one was particularly bad for the drunkenness (sp?), and to this day I offer apologies to the family sitting next to us). Good food and good wine in great volumes.

My current employer is much much smaller, and dinner is scaled accordingly too. Last year, my first year, was at a local club where he's a member. We had a great meal (and cheap! when you don't consider the annual fees I guess) and very nice beers / wine. Not a debacle by any means, but you know what, turns out you don't need to be a drunken slobbering mess to have fun.

Edited October 5, 2005 by BCinBC (log)

[Daddy-A]

Some more Christmas party stories can be found HERE, and HERE.

A.

[jamiemaw]

Designs for Western Living Department

Tips for Xmas Party Etiquette & Deportment in Vancouver, British Columbia

Part I: -- The Spirits of Christmases Past

Amongst my favourites are the obligatory, mind-numbing corporates (when you could be home soothing something nubile such as a pubescent bottle of Macallan's). Often these dinners multi-task, strangely morphing into awards pageants (Assistant of The Year: Muffie! From Forensic Accounting! Was there ever any doubt?!), typically with buffeteria line-ups in souless hotel convention spaces where I know no more than five people including the barman, whom I'm getting to know quite well. The mind numbing is best accomplished with inappropriate quantities of malt beverages because the wine could double as the steno pool's nail polish remover. If the CFO is anywhere near you in line, order a triple of 'premium' scotch and then hand it to him. Say, 'Merry Christmas, Mel.'

Needless to say, eating in the buffet line is required so that you're finished the cheap fillers (pasta salads. cold cuts, aspic, devilled eggs, scalloped potatoes, nerf buns etc.) just before pulling up to the roast beef station. One tip, do not move until the plate is covered liberally. Even establishing eye contact with the carving guy could mean your time is up. You worked hard all year and it's time to get all your beefs back. Exact your due. With horseradish.

One year I saw a chap haul an entire dinner plate of (Lasqueti Island) shrimp back to his table, slathered with 1000 Island and, yes, (Albertan) bacon bits. I gave him a nod of approval later at the Salmon Wellington station. 'Nice job on the shrimp,' I said. 'Thanks,' he said, and perhaps recognizing a fellow traveller asked, 'Hollandaise?'

Unlike the tips and techniques for office parties published each year in middlebrow women's glossies such as Redbook, Cosmo and Flare, I for one say: Misbehave. Mickey fin the CEO's daughter's drinks. Share furtive smokes with her on the rain-lashed balcony. Offer her your suit jacket when it turns to sleet. Take it back when she starts to turn the colour of Habitant brand pea soup.

Later, when she receives her 'maximum $10 joke gift' from under the aluminum Christmas tree, and is visibly disappointed with the MidValley Insurance coaster set, offer her yours. I mean, what are you going to do with another whoopee cushion anyway?

Alright, the band is starting up. You already know the line-up: Jingle Bell Rock. Then those Yule classics: Brown Eyed Girl and Stayin' Alive.

Out in the foyer, Roy, the barman hands me another, CFO-sized Dewar's. The band lights into Gimme Some Lovin' by the Spencer Davis Group. It will be followed by a swoony Have I Told You Lately. . .

'Have a nice evening,' Roy says to me.

'Actually, Roy,' I say, turning away, 'I've made other arrangements.'

Edited October 5, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Jenny McClure]

This definatley is the ugly. I just started working for a small company (small but we are agents for a huge Taiwanese company) They just informed us that everybody, as of this week, had to put down $5 a week for the Christmas party????!!!!! Never have I heard of such a thing. It's time to start looking again

[Daddy-A]

[host]

Obviously my subtle title change to this thread has gone unnoticed ....

I'd like to see this thread stay in the Vancouver/Western Canada forum, but unless we can keep the stories about regional restaurants and catering halls, I'll have to move it to General.

Help me out ... I'm already over-worked and stressed.

A.

[/host]

[jamiemaw]

[host]

Obviously my subtle title change to this thread has gone unnoticed ....

I'd like to see this thread stay in the Vancouver/Western Canada forum, but unless we can keep the stories about regional restaurants and catering halls, I'll have to move it to General.

Help me out ... I'm already over-worked and stressed.

A.

[/host]

←

Arne,

I have also made subtle changes to the header of my first (in a series) of posts. Anticipate more regional allusions (rather than generic disillusions) in its forthcoming chapters.

[peppyre]

The Burnaby Winter Club, so long ago that I have forgotten which company I was with at the time. I remember I really didn't like anyone I worked with, the food was horrific, and there was curling game going on at the same time. The room was dark and dingy, it was just bad.

One of the best that I had to miss was when I worked at Ballard. All expenses paid bash at the former BC Pavilion.

There was also the event at Zin with the company that wasn't doing so well financially, yet we were pretending that we had a alot of cash. Bad buffet food but I polished off serveral glasses of wine before heading back to my office and the day ended on a happy note.

[Daddy-A]

I have also made subtle changes to the header of my first (in a series) of posts. Anticipate more regional allusions (rather than generic disillusions) in its forthcoming chapters.

Yer skaitng on thin ice Maw!

There was also the event at Zin with the company that wasn't doing so well financially, yet we were pretending that we had a alot of cash.  Bad buffet food but I polished off serveral glasses of wine before heading back to my office and the day ended on a happy note.

J's work had their Christmas party there 2 years ago. Your assessment is pretty much bang on. Cool room ... but it ended there. We're at the Aquarium this year. Anybody know who does their catering? Should I bring my fishing pole instead?

A.

[Matt R.]

My Dad worked for Sears Canada for a long time when I was little, and I must have attended about a dozen 'family' type Christmas parties in the cafeteria at the Hillside Mall location. I remember being pretty scared at first, mostly because of all the noise, large group, etc. but I have extremely fond memories of those times. I always wondered how Santa knew that I wanted Lego .... every year. Food was not memorable, and the typical hot dog and pop variety, for the kids.

One place I worked booked out Bravo on Wharf Street for a party, with pretty good food, enough free drinks, and live DJ. Not too shabby!

Last year I only got to attend the Marriott 'family' party (I was working the night of the staff party, and they gave the on-shift staff GC's to various local restaurants) which was really great. Food, albeit the chicken finger/hamburger/hot dog variety, was done really well, and everyone enjoyed. My daughter has a peanut allergy, so the chef churned some special ice cream, just for her. I wonder if my new employer does much of a Christmas party? We shall see.

-- Matt.

[canucklehead]

We're at the Aquarium this year.  Anybody know who does their catering?  Should I bring my fishing pole instead?

A.

←

I went there for a VIFF shindig a few years a go. It is a pretty cool venue - lots of nooks and crannies to sneak off to and.... um..... celebrate.

Don't know who does the catering - but they have a prep area ready in the back to encourage party rentals. I was hoping for a dolphin shaped tuna spread - no such luck.

Edited October 5, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[annanstee]

J's work had their Christmas party there 2 years ago.  Your assessment is pretty much bang on.  Cool room ... but it ended there.  We're at the Aquarium this year.  Anybody know who does their catering?  Should I bring my fishing pole instead?

A.

←

They used to work with several caterers but for the last few years everything has been done in house. Don't know if that is a bad thing or a good thing.

[fud]

We're at the Aquarium this year.  Anybody know who does their catering?  Should I bring my fishing pole instead?

A.

←

I went to the aquarium two years ago (I think it was the first year they had it?). It was pretty fun and the aquariums are awesome. The seals were very playful and really enjoyed playing with the guests behind the glass.

I don't remember the food at all! Was there food?

[barolo]

Right now things are pretty good on the Christmas party front. We have two parties each year, one we employees pay for ourselves and the official one. For the official one we usually go out to a restaurant, Le Gavroche last year, Villa del Lupo the previous. Villa del Lupo was especially fabulous.

For the staff one we always used go to the Wedgewood in a private room and have a traditional turkey dinner, but last year we went to Caffe de Medici which was pretty good and not turkey (hurray).

I'm trying to convince the organizers to quit spending money on buying us cheesy presents and use it for wine and food instead, but I'm not making any inroads.

Particularly bad was the one years ago on a carol ship - awful buffet, horrible people getting plastered, cold, damp and no escape.

[Daddy-A]

J's work had their Christmas party there 2 years ago.  Your assessment is pretty much bang on.  Cool room ... but it ended there.  We're at the Aquarium this year.  Anybody know who does their catering?  Should I bring my fishing pole instead?

A.

←

They used to work with several caterers but for the last few years everything has been done in house. Don't know if that is a bad thing or a good thing.

←

I've actually been to a couple functions at the Aquarium ... neither involved food, so I'm flying blind on this one. *sigh* I guess I'll take on for the team.

A.

[lannie]

Years ago, when DH worked for Electronic Arts, there was a big shindig atop Grouse Mountain for all the staff. The buffet at the restaurant was pretty decent (lots of good holiday grub); but, the best were the outdoor activities like ice skating, snowball fights, and a horse-drawn sleighride. It was pretty magical and winter wonderland-ish...