Vancouver Art Gallery – WACK! Coupon (expires Jan. 11, 2009)

I went to the Vancouver Art Gallery today to check out their “WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution” exhibition. In the corner of the second floor, there is this big garbage tree (excuse my lack of eloquence) that visitors are encouraged to interact with by either adding something or taking something way. I left two of my Modern Mix Vancouver business cards on that tree. Can you find them? Click the image below to get $5 off your visit to VAG’s “Wack!” exhibition before January 11th and save $5 off gallery admission.

If that doesn’t work, you can try clicking here.

Earls-Inspired Warm Mulled Wine

By Guest-writer Alicia Woodside

While waiting to be seated this holiday at Earls, I was pleasantly surprised by an offering of warm, delicious mulled wine. The popular restaurant was using a very unique and appealing way to keep customers pleased during the busy holiday rush. After quickly finishing my mug, I requested Earls’ recipe, which uses a simple and flavourful array of ingredients that would please guests at any gathering this winter. Mulled wine is a winter evening delight and a great addition to bring warmth, comfort, and style to any occasion this winter.

Ingredients:

  • 2 bottles red wine: A Zinfandel or Merlot (avoid oak-aged wine, and choose a decent bottle- it doesn’t have to be expensive as it is just being heated anyway)
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup cognac
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 10 cracked cardamom pods

Directions:
Heat-up the flavour elements by bringing the two cups water, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods to a boil in a saucepan. Once it boils, lower the heat, and add the wine to the aromatic mixture you have created. Gently heat the wine to a simmer, without allowing it to boil, for anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours. Just before serving, stir in the cognac.

Tips:
For a gathering, continue to steep the wine as guests arrive to welcome them with the amazing fragrance of fruit and spices. Serve in mugs, and keep the wine warm throughout the evening in a thermos, as guests are likely to want more

2009 Eating & Drinking Guide

Inspired by Vancouver Magazine’s “Eating & Drinking Guide”, MMV has compiled its own Top 3 Restaurant Recommendations from the past year.

Modern Mix Monday – The Redroom

Looking for something to do? Every Monday morning, we present to you “Modern Mix Monday”, a brief but link-filled one-liner review of our past weekend loaded with suggestions to inspire you for your next!

Do you like electronic music? Trance, progressive house, and electro house – Believe on Saturday nights at Redroom has it all! The electronic scene in Vancouver is relatively small, but Believe at The Redroom (398 Richards Street) is filled with a crowd who enjoy and appreciate this music genre. The venue has a great layout with its open dance floor and a second backroom, but overall, it’s a little bit grungy and in need of some major upgrades and renovations. The beloved back corridor, with its black walls and neon space scene makes it a popular picture taking location. I remember when I first went to Redroom, I felt like I was in a maze with back corridors and passages and steps leading up, down and around the DJ booth. (There’s also a third secret room hidden in the wall, but I won’t get into that right now…) It keeps things interesting. I also like how there are separate entrances and exits to avoid crowding. Cover is $15 but there are a ton of “black cards” and VIP passes floating around so if you can get your hands on a couple of those, it’ll save you a ton of cash. Nonetheless, when party-goers congregate at a club solely for the music, nothing else matters. If you’re designated driver for the night, there is a parking lot just around the corner (on West Cordova and Richards) where you can park for $2 for four hours at night!!

Coach Wallet – “Hampton Signature Checkbook Wallet”

I had no idea the Coach wallet I got for Christmas was called the “Hampton Signature Checkbook Wallet” until I looked it up online. There’s no way it’ll fit into my smaller purses, but perhaps I could even use this as a clutch itself. Like most Coach accessories, it is a very solid and sturdy product. Two compartments for bills, a button clasp, numerous slots for credit cards and ID, and a separate zip-compartment for your coins on the other side. This particular wallet comes with a checkbook case, but who really carries their checkbook around anyway? There’s room for paper and a pen though, so I could always use it for note-taking purposes instead. I don’t really have much else to say about it so here is a picture for your reference. I got it in the brass/khaki/gold style. $218 + tax.