It was a culinary event of Olympic proportions and the big winners were our own Olympic athletes. The Canadian Culinary Championships (CCC) were held late last month and were the culmination of the local regional Gold Medal Plates city competitions held throughout the year across Canada. The fundraisers were all designed to help put Canadian athletes on the podium come February – so no matter how you slice it, everyone came out a winner. Also, this week marks the start of Mangia E Bevi’s special month-long fundraiser entitled “B.A.C.I.O” (Because A Cure Is Obtainable). The West Vancouver restaurant is raising funds all this month with a special menu – a portion of which will be donated to the BC Children’s Hospital and the Lions Gate Hospital Oncology departments. Join them until Jan 31 at www.mangiaebevi.ca.
01 – West Vancouver’s own Olympic committee sweetheart, silver medal track star Charmaine Crooks, attends the CCC wearing a diamond encrusted Inukshuk, the Olympic logo, around her neck.
02 – Westender food critic and CCC judge Andrew Morrison, who also hails from the North Shore, chats with Vancouver Gold Medal Plates representative, Chef Rob Feenie of Cactus Club.
03 – Media personality Terry David Mulligan and CTV news anchor Coleen Christie act as the evening’s MCs for CCC.
04 – The menus will change, but the goal to fight cancer remains. Magia E Bevi owners Antonio Sauro, left, and Rob Parrott are ready to serve.
05 – North Van PR gal Dana Lee Harris and Mania e Bevi’s Doug Grisdale have both donated their time to raise funds for B.A.C.I.O.
06 – Lions Gate Hospital’s Kristy Gill and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Terra Scheer came by the restaurant to see what’s in store for the B.A.C.I.O. event.
07 – Judging from the smiles from the judges, things are postively delicious at the CCC competiton. From left: David Scholefield, Mick Luckhurst and Sid Cross.
By Catherine Barr – December 2009
Published in print by North Shore Outlook newspaper (Black Press) on Jan 7, 2010