Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

City Dine


TimK

Recommended Posts

City Dine is an event that started last year in many American cities and is now coming to Vancouver and Toronto the last two weeks of September. Their website CityDine will have more details coming in early August. Many top end Vancouver restaurants are participating with 3 course $35 meals. $1 from each meal served goes to the Canadian Association of Food Banks. I am excited to see what the participating restaurants will be offering for the event as well as raising money for a good cause. It is my understanding that menus will be posted online after August 4th.

Edited by TimK (log)

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting this, Tim!  I'll keep my eye for the menus.  Are you giving a sneak preview that Rare is participating?  I really miss the Taste of the Nation event here that also supported charities that fight hunger.   

Nancy

I believe that Lucy Mae Brown's, Century, Brix, HSG, La Terrazza and many more (yes Rare is participating) are offering City Dine. My Open Table rep said that 70% of their restaurants were involved so it should be a great event.

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just received this from City Dine organisers, they expect the website to be updated by the 15th of August...

Here is the official City Dine List. It’s pretty diverse and spread out around the city.

· Amarcord Ristorante Italiano (Yaletown)

· Bistro Pastis (4th ave)

· Bravo Bistro (coal Harbour)

· Bridges (Granville island)

· Brix (Yaletown)

· Capones (Yaletown)

· Cassis (downtown)

· Century (downtown)

· George Ultra Lounge (Yaletown)

· Gramercy Grill (Arbutus/Kits)

· Hamilton Street Grill (Yaletown)

· La Terrazza (Yaletown)

· LK Dining Lounge (Yaletown)

· Lucy Mae Brown (downtown)

· Maurya Indian Cuisine (Broadway)

· Provence (Yaletown)

· Quattro On 4th (4th Ave/Kits)

· Rare (downtown)

· Relish (downtown)

· Stonegrill (Downtown)

· Tapastree (downtown/Denman)

· Watermark on Kits Beach (Kits)

· Zin (Robson/downtown)

· The Beach House at Dundarave (West Vancouver)

· The Beachside Café (West Vancouver)

· Saltaire (West Vancouver)

· Pearl on the Rock (White Rock)

· A Kettle of Fish (downtown)

· Savoury Coast (Robson/Downtown)

Edited by TimK (log)

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I see that the City Dine webiste is finally updated for the event. Website Participating restaurants and their menus.

It seems like some of the menu PDFs have been posted and others have not as of this moment--keep clicking through to test out which ones work. The ones I have seen sound delish!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks so much for this guys. I got the invitation from OpenTable but for some reason they did not have a link to the official web site leading me to being to wonder whether ALL restaurants in Citydine were on the OpenTable system.

Even Google seems to favour the opentable link over this one :shock:

"There are two things every chef needs in the kitchen: fish sauce and duck fat" - Tony Minichiello

Link to comment
Share on other sites

did you see that open table calls it DineOut.

hmm...

Just in one small instance. I had to search it out....

"Please ask for the official Dine Out menu when you are seated."

Otherwise they refer to it as City Dine.

I hope they repeat this program in the future. Every year diners can look forward to City Dine in September. Taste of Yaletown in October and DOV in January. Dine Out has spawned so many spin offs. I know some servers hate it (from friends in the indutry) but it seems to be a success. I am interested to see the line up for Taste of Yaletown this year.

Chef Wyles?

When do we get to find out?

Edited by wildebeest (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

did you see that open table calls it DineOut.

hmm...

Just in one small instance. I had to search it out....

"Please ask for the official Dine Out menu when you are seated."

Otherwise they refer to it as City Dine.

I hope they repeat this program in the future. Every year diners can look forward to City Dine in September. Taste of Yaletown in October and DOV in January. Dine Out has spawned so many spin offs. I know some servers hate it (from friends in the indutry) but it seems to be a success. I am interested to see the line up for Taste of Yaletown this year.

Chef Wyles?

When do we get to find out?

Taste of Yaletwon is launching soon.

Meeting today at 4:30 actually.

Pretty much same line up as last year, except Ciopinnos and Circolo as far as I know.

Spnsors are stepping up with $$$ so we have a bit more to do marketing with.

As I have a face for radio, I will try and get other people to do whatever TV spots there are. I got lots of exposure as the spokeperson last year, but the truth of the matter was it was hard to get people out to be the face of the event and it was left to me.

I think this year will be different.

Neil Wyles

Hamilton Street Grill

www.hamiltonstreetgrill.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Are the restaurants also donating a percentage of sales, as with Dining Out for Life?

What I gleaned from a quick glance at the website was that $1 per diner would be donated. Perhaps I need to delve further.

I asked a participating restaurant about it and they confirmed that it was $1 per person. They mentioned something about the event hoping to raise $5,000. That is an average of 16 diners a night per each participating restaurant. Seems like an easy target to hit. It would be nice to see them surpass it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are the restaurants also donating a percentage of sales, as with Dining Out for Life?

What I gleaned from a quick glance at the website was that $1 per diner would be donated. Perhaps I need to delve further.

I asked a participating restaurant about it and they confirmed that it was $1 per person. They mentioned something about the event hoping to raise $5,000. That is an average of 16 diners a night per each participating restaurant. Seems like an easy target to hit. It would be nice to see them surpass it.

The early response to the event seems to be very strong and the marketing by San Pellegrino hasn't even started yet. Radio and major newspapers start the ad campaign next week. If the early response is any indication Vancouver should raise way more than $5000 for a good cause.

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In fact, I would be more inclined to enjoy City Dine than DOV. DOV is all about tourism and in the end, business motivated. This at least has good intentions (albeit I imagine their ad campaign to cost more than the total amount raised for the cause..)..

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

Virginia Woolf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mental comparison was between this and Dining Out for Life, which is charitable. Dine Out Vancouver is not about raising money for a cause, just about a good value for money promotion during a quieter time of year.

Are there any other charity events besides Dining Out for Life and City Dine?

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mental comparison was between this and Dining Out for Life, which is charitable. Dine Out Vancouver is not about raising money for a cause, just about a good value for money promotion during a quieter time of year.

Are there any other charity events besides Dining Out for Life and City Dine?

http://www.drpeter.org/html/newscalendar.htm on September 17th, 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mental comparison was between this and Dining Out for Life, which is charitable. Dine Out Vancouver is not about raising money for a cause, just about a good value for money promotion during a quieter time of year.

Are there any other charity events besides Dining Out for Life and City Dine?

None that I can think of off the top of my head, other than a Tsunami-relief night shortly after the Tsunami. I'm not being critical, btw: any contribution is a good contribution, and welcome, I'm sure. :smile:

Agenda-free since 1966.

Foodblog: Power, Convection and Lies

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mental comparison was between this and Dining Out for Life, which is charitable. Dine Out Vancouver is not about raising money for a cause, just about a good value for money promotion during a quieter time of year.

Are there any other charity events besides Dining Out for Life and City Dine?

None that I can think of off the top of my head, other than a Tsunami-relief night shortly after the Tsunami. I'm not being critical, btw: any contribution is a good contribution, and welcome, I'm sure. :smile:

Who makes decisions with regards to events like these? Why aren't there more charity events. It seems that there are enough suppliers able to do what San Pellegrino is doing. I am sure that there are many times in the year where an event like this can help restaurants during slow times and still put much needed funds into the coffers of charities. Is November a busy month for restaurants? A charity like the Empty Stocking Fund could benefit just before Christmas. Is there a restaurant association where owners and managers discuss these types of events?

I know that for my friends and I we tend to get together as a group and go out more often when we are supporting a charitable event. I would prefer to see a % of sales instead of a flat amount donated. When this is the case we all tend to order better wines and have add ons to the pre-set menus because we know it is going to a good cause. Just my two cents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I received this in an email today. More charity events.

Good Vibrations - A Celebration of California Food & Wine

A charitable event to benefit the Canadian Mental Health Association

On behalf of the California Agricultural Export Council,

and the office of the United States Consul General,

please join us.

Saturday, September 23rd, 2006

6:00pm Reception – 7:00 Dinner

The Four Seasons Hotel - Park Ballroom

791 West Georgia Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

A truly "California-Style" evening, combining top foods, high-end wines and good California music,

in one of Vancouver's most prestigious properties,

the Four Seasons Hotel

Chefs, wine connoisseurs and “foodies” of all types are coming together on this special night

to enjoy California’s finest cuisine prepared by

Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver Executive Chef Rafael Gonzalez

and Four Seasons Hotel Beverly Hills Executive Chef Ashley James

paired course by course with a collection of rare California wines

Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2005

Kendall Jackson Camelot Highlands Chardonnay 2004

La Créma Russian River Pinot Noir, 2004

Cakebread Benchland Cabernet 2002

Saint Francis Pagani Ranch Zinfandel 2002

The evening festivities will begin at 6:00 pm with a California sparkling wine reception

featuring Domaine Carneros Le Reve 1999

Dinner will be served starting at 7:00pm

For further information please call Cate Simpson at 604-730-9626 or go to www.goodvibrationscanada.com

Partial ticket price and all proceeds to benefit

The Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Chapter

_________________

$175 per ticket or $1,300 for a table of eight

Please rsvp to CaliforniaVibrations@telus.net

Tickets in advance only - Can be picked up in person

or with credit card by phone and e-mail.

Edited by TimK (log)

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

speaking personally,

I do not think I have a line on my income statements for that kind of stuff. I do not think I have ever used any charity event I have ever done as a tax write off. If I was a bit more organized about this sort of thing, I would take advantage of it. I just get through the event with that " good feeling" and get back to work.

As I usually get involved in something about 8 to ten times a year, I guess that is a fair amount of write off left on the table over ten years. In a business where we monitor the cost of sugar packages and the price of butter is a big deal, I will try and remember to get the write offs.

Neil Wyles

Hamilton Street Grill

www.hamiltonstreetgrill.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5:40 am? Holy crap Neil. Was it that coffee we served you yesterday afternoon?

As far as City Dine goes it is San Pellegrino putting forth the money to the food bank not the individual restaurants.

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe someone on this forum with the help of the mod's might want to set up something like a food drive or even a pot lock that we drop off at a food bank this Christmas. I am willing to help out.

As for city dine I am planning on visiting rare and one other restaurant which I still have to decide on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe someone on this forum with the help of the mod's might want to set up something like a food drive or even a pot lock that we drop off at a food bank this Christmas. I am willing to help out.

There are some good things in the works. Stay tuned.

Edited by TimK (log)

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...