Dine Out Vancouver + OPUS Hotel + Giveaway

[trip style = foodie + urban]

Vancouver's food scene sizzles in every season. Living on Canada's West Coast has made my flavor benchmark soar as high as the mountains towering over the city---a bar that has become abundantly clear as I trip style and taste my way around the globe. The local catch and crops, infused with flavors from the Pacific Rim, inspire a city of uber-foodies who have a mere 1/4 teaspoon of tolerance for bad bites.

Dine Out Vancouver Once a year for 17 days over January and February, Vancouver chefs slice and simmer up a storm for Canada's largest restaurant festival: Dine Out Vancouver. Now in its 12th year, the festival has grown from a handful of prix-fixe menus at the city's hottest eateries to a celebration of gastro-wow at hundreds of the city's top tables from L'Abattoir to La Pentola to Wildebeest to YEW to PiDGiN to Bella Gelateria {multicourse gelato tasting anyone?}.

Beyond the 263 participating restaurants offering tasting menus at $18, $28 or $38, the festival has grown to include 31 quintessentially Vancouver events, think: snowshoe-and-fondue evenings {see my photos of this event on Instagram}, food truck gatherings, brunch crawls and a 'palate promenade' through Granville Island---the city's undisputed source for fresh ingredients.

A Dine Out Night Out Since we're food- and hotel-obsessed here at Trip Styler, for us, the most appetizing Dine Out story is the 25 savor and stay pairings! Excited to show off two palate- AND palette-pleasing spaces under one roof, we hightailed it to the OPUS Hotel---one of Canada's top-rated boutique hotels---for a sweet staycation.

Our evening started with craft cocktails mixed by bartender Martin Corriveau in the velvet-imbued and Tulip table-topped OPUS lobby, continued into La Pentola della Quercia for the $38 four-course tasting menu, and concluded with a tech-savvy and trip-styled stay. Bonus, the stroll 'home' was 20 steps.

Trip Styler Tip: Keep reading for delicious details how you can enter a OPUS Hotel Vancouver GIVEAWAY!

Here's a Taste Chic check-in offering a water or sparkling French wine {tough choice!}.

A suite. At turndown, every room and suite receives retro candy like Popeye Cigarettes or Pop Rocks on the pillow.

La Pentola just before the pre-dinner rush.

The lobby---for cocktailing and chilling out.

La Pentola Northern Italy-inspired Dine Out menu with two choices for each course.

Dine Out antipasti: House-cured organic Coho salmon.

Dine Out primi: Parmesan souffle with a zucchini crudo {my fav course!}

Dine Out surprise dish: rabbit and artichoke ravioli in a brown butter sauce.

Dine Out main course: Mushroom risotto with a Qualicum Bay scallop.

Dine Out dessert: Chocolate mousse paired with beet ice cream and foam crumble, and poppy seed puree.

My deluxe king room at the OPUS. All rooms include ah-ha extras like iPads for stay use, heated bathrooms floors, WiFi, original art by local artists and a Jaguar XJ downtown car service. PS - Fido is welcome without charge!

Dine Out Details - It's on NOW, the 2014 dates are Jan 17 - Feb 2. - Some events, and restaurants---like La Pentola---still have availability. - Make a night of it, check out the hotel pairings---we dig the OPUS {from $138}. - Peruse restaurants, events, hotels and availability on the Dine Out Vancouver website.

OPUS Hotel Giveaway - One lucky reader will win one unforgettable night in a superior room at the OPUS Hotel Vancouver. - Hotel certificate expires December 30, 2014. - Enter by liking this post on Facebook---see like button below---AND by leaving a comment below notifying us of your entry. - Bonus entry: go to Instagram.com/tripstyler for details {must complete above step to confirm your entry}. - Contest closes Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 at noon PST. Winner will be selected via Random.org. Upon notification, winner has two days to claim prize. *Winner announced and contacted. Congrats Casey.

[photos by @tripstyler and OPUS Hotel, taken as a guest of Dine Out Vancouver]

Hola Hualtulco

[trip style = beach + sun + budget-conscious]

It's 5:15pm on Dec 29th. Mr. Trip Styler and I are combing the travelsphere for a flash of sun-spiration. Huatulco, Mexico's heat and hues grab our attention. We've never been and the flight leaves in a day. As the sound of rain drips in a hypnotic drone from my balcony, spending the first week of 2014 consuming cervezas and guacamole al fresco turns from window shopping to buying. Before booking we check the weather report---an upside of last-minute travel---to confirm tropical temps and steer clear of the Polar Vortex. Seven straight days of sun makes the harried should we? moment before hitting "submit" so much easier: Hola Huatulco.

Hualtulco hugs the base of Mexico's Pacific Coast so far south it's the last major beach destination until Central America. "Do you love Huatulco?" "It's beautiful, si?" are the main questions asked by shopkeepers and taxi drivers. They're fiercely proud of their stomping grounds, a collection of 36 beaches and nine bays nestled into the cactus-covered coastline. If you have a private boat {or an affinity for bushwhacking} like some of the snowbirds we met, they'll tell you tales of many more beaches and bays.

Until recently, most of the spots I've visited in Mexico are driven by international tourism. Huatulco is different. Local hotels occupy every few buildings and far outnumber the big and beachy structures frequented by winter-averse margarita mavens. Beach dwellers are mostly Mexicans. Residents and visitors pay the same cab fares and eat at the same restaurants. This we're-all-in-the-same-boat approach to tourism is refreshing, like a cold Corona on the beach.

Beaches 

Arrocito Beach

Arrocito Beach

Tangolunda Beach

Tangolunda Beach

Chahue Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Tejon Beach

Tejon Beach

Tejon Beach

My beach read: Life by Keith Richards. About 200 pages in, you won't want to put it down. Tales of the Rolling Stones' shenanigans at concerts, in hotel rooms and on private jets will either conjure a love for your normal life or lust after fame.

Food

Just opposite the main square in La Crucecita, Los Portales glows in technicolor with neon, plastic-woven chairs---a take on the famed Acapulco chair---bright lights and eye-popping dishes.

A bottle of Pacifico washed down my best chicken taco meal in Huatulco at Restaurante Arely, a festive locals' joint a few blocks off La Crucecita's main square.

MediterraneO, an on-the-beach, shipwreck-style restaurant we visited three times sporting swings as bar stools and wooden tables decorated with yellow gerbera daisies. Visit at night---9 or 10pm---to dance the night away to the rhythm of live music. Find it in the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Don't rule out the beach for good food, either. At Maguey Beach we secured an umbrella and lounges for ordering a few Pacificos and guac.

Shop

Museo de Artesanias Oaxaquenas, a family collective of artisans making carpets, blankets and scarves by handweaving colors sourced from the land to dye local wool. Find it in the center of downtown La Crucecita.

Hotel
Hotel Villablanca, a modest, little off-the-beach abode with included breakfast and WiFi. It's so well positioned two blocks from the beach, near a grocery store and a 15-minute walk from town that a flock of snowbirds winter here, meeting every day for breakfast and happy hour by the pool. Rooms are basic, beds are hard {common at local hotels in Mexico} and the grounds are well kept. From $60 per night.

Recommendations
- Cash is king. Credit cards are not widely accepted in local joints. Take out pesos as you need them at one of the many bank machines in town {HSBC, ScotiaBank, BancoMex and more}. - Brush up on your Spanish beyond "donde esta el bano" and "un cerveza por favor." English is not widely spoken.
- Cabs are very reasonable, with small trips starting at $2 or 25 pesos. Tip up.
- If you want to explore the local beaches, which I recommend, bring a beach umbrella. The breeze is light and won't overturn your shelter and there isn't much shade.
- Casual clothes are du rigueure {read: I never wore the wedges I packed, only my sandals, but know that I didn't stay at big, beachfront resort}.
- While you should always be street-smart when you travel, I never felt unsafe.
- Of course only drink bottled water and try all the local food!

[photos by @tripstyler]

Spotlight :: Amsterdam

[trip style = urban + sightseeing]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle writer Heather.

Forty-eight hours in Amsterdam is not enough. It's not enough time to eat street waffles, stroll past romantic canals, visit brightly colored tulip fields, drink Heineken in Vondelpark, gaze at stylish cyclists, take in the city's museums, or put your finger on exactly what makes Amsterdam so cool. This spring I took advantage of KLM's free stopover option while traveling from Vancouver to Barcelona. Best decision ever.

Eat
Amsterdam is full of chic restaurants, street eats and gorgeous cafés. Foodie must-eats include Vlaamse frites {Belgian fries covered in mayonnaise}, stroopwafels {two thin, warm waffles filled with caramel syrup} and Dutch pancakes {huge, thin pannenkoeken or small, icing sugar-covered poffertjes}.

A Dutch take on Italian and Spanish: pizza at Mazzo and tapas at Mercat, two popular restaurants from Amsterdam's IQ Creative group.

The most stylish café in the city. Linger over espresso and design books at Roomservice inside Hôtel Droog, an Amsterdam design shop, gallery, café, one-room hotel and collection of boutiques. Trip Styler approved!

Trip Styler Tip: Looking for coffee and a place to rest and recharge? Be careful what you ask for. Coffee shops and cafés are not the same thing in Amsterdam {coffee shop = marijuana / café = coffee}.

Stay
Hotels in Amsterdam are among the most expensive in Europe, but it's possible to find a stylish stay that won't break the bank. Look for a hotel inside the canal ring if location is your top priority. I stayed in the trendy Jordaan neighborhood, which was the perfect spot for a solo stopover. For a uniquely Amsterdam stay, look for a houseboat.

Hotel The Exchange and The Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy {pictured above} are unique properties that offer rooms from 1 to 5 stars {Amsterdam's answer to the Ace Hotel chain}. The former is a small hotel steps from the train station with rooms designed by fashion students; the latter is a 100-year-old building---once an emigrant hotel, a prison and artist studios---in the up-and-coming Eastern Docklands neighborhood.

Do
I could have easily spent a week touring this extremely liveable city. I'll say it again: 48 hours is not enough. I'm already plotting my return.

I barely had enough time to explore Amsterdam's delightful 17th-century city center on two feet. Two wheels is a different story, and happens to be Amsterdam's favorite mode of travel. Bicycles are easy to rent and fun to ride. Bonus: the city is flat and covered in 400+ kilometers of bike lanes! Visit Amsterdam Noord and the Eastern Docklands if you're on two wheels.

You can really get your culture on in Amsterdam. Don't miss out on the big four: the Stedelijk Museum {pictured above}, the Anne Frank House and the recently reopened Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum {pictured at very top}.

Trip Styler Tip: If you plan on visiting more than two museums, choose one of the three multi-museum passes offered in the city.

A good way to restrain your shopping habits is to visit Amsterdam with only a carry-on to your name. Whatever you buy, you carry around Europe for three weeks! That didn't stop me from exploring The Nine Streets, a boutique-filled shopping area in the canal ring, De Bijenkorf department store for Holland's version of Nordstrom, The Frozen Fountain for crazy-cool furniture and home accessories and the Target-like HEMA for everyday essentials.

Related
Fashion Friday :: Cycle Chic
Fashion Friday :: White Chucks
Travel Trend :: Pod Sleepovers

[all photos taken by @heatherlovesit]

An Epicurean High

[trip style = foodie + wine tasting + weekend getaway]

Eye flutters and moans marked my weekend. In case you're getting any sultry ideas, this topic is G-rated, and by G I mean gastronomic. For the past four days, I've sampled and sipped 2,000 ft above sea level at one of Canada's longest-running and highfalutin food and wine festivals: Cornucopia in Whistler, Canada.

The good-time gourmets who've faithfully attended the four-day celebration for 16 years asked for more. The result: an 11-day foray into bites and bevs honing in on the region's homegrown harvest, local talent and international appeal.

While past years focused primarily on savoring both liquids and solids, this year saw Cornucopia weave in an oh-so-Whistler thread of well being and la belle vie. Wellness-themed sessions, aptly named Nourish, made their debut on the epicurean event's menu. We could all learn something from Whistlerites -- British Columbia's masters of the good life who ski, bike or hike by day and eat and drink well by night {and manage to look 10 or 15 years younger than us city folk}.

Complementing this Whistler lifestyle, morning yoga sessions were available to balance-conscious festival goers, as well as sessions on stress-relieving foods {note to self: eat more avocados, spinach, walnuts and turkey} and skincare from the pantry. Midday, munch on demos featuring local chef and sommelier collabs, and intimate chef- and winery-led lunches at private residences. When the clock strikes six, sip to your palate's content at grand tasting galas or themed restaurant tastings.

During the weekend, I witnessed one moment that described Cornucopia best; it happened at the culinary stage series, crafted by the executive chef and the sommelier of Vancouver's acclaimed Cibo Trattoria. While tasting northern Italian wines -- chosen to complement autumnal cooking {mushrooms} -- Chef Faizal Kassam pulled handmade gnocchi out of the oven. As he topped the creamy, nearly polenta-like dish with in-season porcini and chanterelles, the sold-out crowd erupted with elation as a slice of truffle crowned the canapé. The groans were for good reason; the Italian staple was that good. Good food and fine wine have a way of bringing out our inner joie de vivre, hence the fanfare and impassioned reactions.

The rest of the weekend crescendoed with a pop when I launched the top of a Moët bottle into midair in a literal and ceremonial swipe of a sword in the Bearfoot Bistro's wine cellar. Cin cin!

Photos

{Prepping my palate for Cornucopia at Sidecut restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler.}

{Culinary Stage Series: Cibo Trattoria - Piedmont in Autumn.}

{BC Wine Pairing dinner: seven courses and 15 wines!}

{MarTEAni Party at Fairmont Chateau Whistler, a dress-up affair turning a spot of Fairmont's famous teas into a series of sophisticated sips.}

{The libation station and bite-size cheesecake at Four Seasons Whistler's Private Residences chef brunch. Find other chef luncheons here.}

{The Bearfoot Bistro; the unofficial après-Cornucopia place to be.}

The Tasty Bits - Cornucopia runs from November 7 - 17, 2013. If you live nearby, there's still time to attend this coming weekend! - Tickets range from $15 to $250 per event. Stay and sip packages and other ticket-bundling options are available. - The events are as plentiful as a fall harvest and range from a $25 three-course meal at one of Whistler's most fabulous restaurants to culinary demos, seminars, grand tasting galas and seven-course dinners.

[photos by @tripstyler, taken while a guest of Cornucopia]

Tropical Escapades

[trip style = all-inclusive + beach + foodie + adventure]

This time last year I sampled several Air Transat, itineraries in Puerto Vallarta, a destination I'm drawn to for its swaths of sand, cobblestone streets and authentic Mexican flavors {like the guacamole I handmade at a cooking class in the photo above}. The trip was not my first Transat voyage with the Canada-based and operated airline; in the past I've traveled under their wing via packages and direct flights to Europe and the Caribbean.

Given my Transat experience and travel expertise, they've asked me to be a Canadian spokesperson for the all-important winter season {read: jetting to the South!}. While this opportunity does not afford me weekly jaunts to Jamaica to savor jerk chicken or float down the Rio Grande river in a bamboo raft, it does mean I will lend my know-how as a traveler who is particularly passionate about experiencing a destination through a number of vacation lenses, which I term trip styles {all-inclusive, adventure, sightseeing, foodie, etc.}.

Starting in mid fall, Canada's leading holiday travel airline begins a wave of direct flights from Vancouver and other Canadian departure points to beachy locales like Mexico and Jamaica, in addition to their staple European outposts like London. While Europe calls my name d-a-i-l-y, and I would like to do all my Christmas shopping at Harrods {as well as get a peek at petite Prince George}, the vacation collections I'm most drawn to are trip styled with beach lovers and culture vultures in mind.

Enter Transat Holidays' DUO and Escapade vacations. In the DUO scenario, a two-in-one vacay combines opposite corners of a country. For example, sample Veradero's oh-so-sultry sand and Havana's historic rhythm in one vacation. Escapades are for those who want to infuse some added flavor into their all-inclusive getaway. For two days and one night you leave the resort---without even checking out!---and dive into the destination's sense of place. For example, in Jamaica spend 80% of your trip lounging under a palm and 20% taking a cooking class, dipping into a waterfall and sojourning at an eco-spa. Culture and coastal life, accomplished.

If you're involved in the travel biz and want to learn more about Transat trips to the South, join me at an upcoming event I'm co-organizing with a group of travel professionals and Air Transat in Vancouver on November, 20th, 2013. Details here.

[photos by @tripstyler brought to you in collab with transat holidays]