.

On Sunday March 7, 2010, from 5pm to 10pm, OPUS Bar (350 Davie Street) and Elixir Bistro in Yaletown are celebrating the Oscars in style.

Feel like a celebrity as you walk the Red Carpet, wave to adoring paparazzi and step into the ultimate viewing party! Dress to impress and experience all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood while sipping Oscartini’s, nibbling feature Oscar O-bite platters for $25 and mingling with Vancouver’s glamorous while watching the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

3 course Oscar Dinner available in Elixir Bistro for $30 with optional wine pairings for $20. Also, don’t miss your chance to win a Bed & Breakfast package for two at OPUS Hotel Vancouver, for the person with the most correct Oscar ballot predictions. RSVP to Jessica Dunn JDunn@opushotel.com.

.
On Sunday March 7, 2010, grab some friends and head downtown to O Lounge (1054 Alberni Street) at COAST Restaurant and watch the Oscars’ festivities in Hollywood Style. Starting at 5pm, their new HD Projector and 2 large plasma screens will broadcast all of the glitz from the Kodak Theatre, live from Hollywood.

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin host, while Chef Josh Wolfe prepares the finest and freshest oysters in town to go with your bubbly!! For the first time ever there are 10 movies in the running for best picture instead of the standard 5. Think you are a movie buff? Glowbal Group prizes and Gift Certificates given to the table with the closest predictions! Break out the Tuxes and Cocktail attire…we will be giving awards and prizes to the evening’s Best Dressed.

For your table reservations call 604.685.5010

Starting at 5pm on Sunday March 7, The Lamplighter Public House (92 Water Street) in Gastown will be featuring their special Oscar Awards Menu, which is a set 3-course meal for $40. Named after award hopefuls, the names of the dishes include “Avatar”, “Up in the Air” and “District 9″.
.

George Ultra Lounge is the Godfather of Vancouver’s cocktail culture. Modeled in the London style, George pioneered the cocktail kitchen concept in Canada when it opened in 2005. Today, with award-winning Shaun Layton behind the bar, George continues to pour proper classic and market-fresh cocktails, complimented by a dinner and late night menu through 2 a.m

George Ultra Lounge (1137 Hamilton Street) is taking a page from the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and holding their own “Mixlympics”, a competition featuring ten bartenders (6 international, 4 local) competing head-to-head in a black box style event. Sponsored by Martin Miller’s Gin & Arc’teryx, these masters of mixology will be vying for the top prize – $500 cash provided by Martin Miller’s Gin, but there will be medals too. Gold, silver and bronze, just like the athletes competing in Vancouver and Whistler. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 12:00 pm but it might be best to get in line a little bit earlier.
.
The international contestants are:

• Joe Stokoe – Bar Manager for all three All Star Lanes, London, UK
• Abdul Kpekawa – Bartender, All Star Lanes, London, UK
• David Grieg – Bartender, All Star Lanes, London, UK
• Ola Carlson – Bartender, Box 101, Stockholm, Sweden
• Nicolos de Soto, Bartender, Experimental Cocktail Club & Curio Parlour, Paris, France
• Charles Tan – Bartender, China Club, Paris, France.

Representing Canada will be:

• Mark Brand – Owner, Boneta and The Diamond, Vancouver
• David Wolwidnyk – Bar Manager, West, Vancouver
• Jay Jones – Owner, The Pourhouse, Vancouver
• Darryl Macdonald – Bartender, Port, Toronto

Amazing. In just over a year, Qoola Frozen Yogurt has already opened its third location! Join them today at Metrotown for Vancouver’s first self-serve yogurt bar. Six flavors of yogurt will be available with tons of toppings, the famous “QRUSH” and more! And, all proceeds today (February 11) will be donated to the Red Cross.

I went to the Olympic Irish House (620 Nelson Street) preview last night, a 9,000 square-foot pavilion house which is open to the public between February 8th to 28th. Located in a makeshift tent beside Doolins Irish Pub, this country pavillion reminds me of a typical beer garden crossed with a sports bar – complete with TV projections, a Nintendo Wii Station and a live band. Drink tickets can be bought for $8 to $9 – a preview of Olympics prices for the next month. There are two separate balconies accessible by stairs, and a sales booth by the entrance selling Celtic patterned jewelry. Click for photos and to continue reading.

.
Noir Lash Lounge, Vancouver’s first and only exclusive boutique lash extension service, opened its first location in Yaletown in March 2009. Within six months, Noir has appeared in numerous media including The Globe and Mail and the 2009 Juno Awards. “It’s no wonder the city’s turned from lash virgins to full-blown lash addicts!” And now, congratulations once again, as Noir is opening its second location in South Granville – conveniently located next door to Pure Nail Bar and around the corner from Blo Blow Dry Bar. What a great addition to the neighbourhood!
.
Doors open February 11th, 2010. Call 604-738-LASH (5274) to book your appointment.

Can’t believe it! It seems just like yesterday when Two of Hearts (3728 Main Street) opened in the Main Street shopping district. This Valentine’s Day will be their one-year anniversary and they are throwing a party! On Saturday February 13th, starting at 6pm, visit Two of Hearts for door prizes, champagne, cake and modelling competition. See below for more details.

.
Bombay princesses and stylish mavens, your brow search is over. At Bombay, we’re not a spa. We have a major brow obsession – it`s all we do.
.
Bombay Brow Bar (1056 Mainland Street) is opening its flagship location in Yaletown on February 5th. Brow Sculptresses are trained to give you the ultimate brow experience. Sit back and relax in Bombay’s trendy Indian environment. Your “Sculptress” will consult on the shape, define your brow, treat you to an Indian brow massage with a soothing rosewater gel, and finish with a complimentary make-up touch-up. For 23 dollars, pick a shaping technique and leave with perfectly sculpted brows in 20 minutes. By walk in or appointment. 604-683-BROWS (2769).
.
No pain, no hassle. Just serious brow perfection.

It’s great to see so many restaurants in the Vancouver community taking the initiative to put on fundraising events to help Haiti. RTL (1130 Mainland Street) in Yaletown is hosting their “Help Haiti” event on Thursday January 21st. Tickets are $45, with cocktails and canapes, a silent auction and a photo gallery. Call R.TL at 604-638-1550 for tickets. And for more information about R.TL, click here to read the MMV article.