IMAGE : courtesy Refuel

"Be an Ice-hole" burger and beer special at Refuel for 2010 Olympic Games

If Olympic medals were handed out for creative menus and imaginative cocktails, the restaurants, bars and clubs in and around Vancouver and Whistler would surely dominate the podium.

So, true to form, many of our favourite foodie hotspots are getting into the spirit of the Games by serving up Olympic-themed menus, cocktails, and more. Here’s our guide (organized by neighbourhood) to eating and drinking in gold-medal style during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. And be sure to watch this blog for updates, as we’ll continue to add to it in the days and weeks ahead.

DOWNTOWN

Four Seasons Hotel's Yew Restaurant + Bar showcases special menu during each day of the Olympics

Talk about getting into the Games! Yew Restaurant and Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel is offering a special menu that has been conceived with Olympic-size ambition! On February 13, chow down on an Olympic burger (can we use the b-word?), the showcase of the day. Prefer a little libation? Then drop by on Feb. 18 for the Gold Vancouver cocktail. And make sure to bring your passport. If your country captures a gold medal in the daily event final (freestyle skiing/ladies moguls and men's figure skating are on February 13 and 18, respectively), then you've earned access to Yew's Gold Medal cocktail. Let the Games begin!

Location: 791 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, 604-689-9333

Joey Restaurants designated Caesar Embassies, serving up Canada's National Cocktail during the Games

If you've ever tried to order a Caesar when travelling outside of Canada, then you've seen that puzzled look from the bartender or server and ordered a Bloody Mary, instead. Well, Canada's not-so-obsure cocktail will be introduced to the international masses during the Games, with select Joey Restaurants across Canada getting into the spirit and mixing up the quintessentially Canadian cocktail – the Caesar. Raise the red glass and toast the athletes with this spicy sipper. 

Locations: 820 Burrard Street, 507 Burrard Street, 1424 West Broadway (West Side)

Decadent Belgian waffles and coffee available to go at Café Medina’s new take-out window

The whiff of espresso might give you pause, but the sweet aroma of fresh waffles wafting from Medina Café is sure to stop you in your tracks. The Beatty Street café, sandwiched between Chambar restaurant and the Dirty Apron Cooking School, and owned by star chef Nico Schuermans, will be open daily during the Games. And, since Beatty Street will be a pedestrian thoroughfare, it’s the perfect spot to stop to grab a bite en route to the various Olympic venues.

Location: 556 Beatty Street, Vancouver, 604-897-1808

Olympic hockey highlights on the big screen at Chambar

Chambar is sooooo close to Canada Hockey Place (that’s GM Place, to the uninitiated), that you can practically hear the puck drop on game days. But if you’re not one of the lucky fans who’ll be in the crowds watching in person, don’t despair. Amble over to Chambar, where you can watch Olympic hockey highlights on the big screen in the back room. Bonus: the kitchen will be open until midnight, and you can wash down your meal a pint of refreshing Chambar ale.They don't serve that at the Garage!

Location: 562 Beatty Street, Vancouver, 604-879-7119

Granville Room mixes up Olympic-inspired cocktails

Granville Room’s Trevor Kallies is commemorating the Games with cocktails he’s crafted, inspired by great Canadian Olympic moments. Case in point: The Double Lucky Loonie, and the Gold, Silver and Greene. And, in patriotic form, cocktails will showcase the finest Canadian liquors and ingredients. Granville Room is open daily, from 8 p.m.

Location: 957 Granville Street, Vancouver, 604-633-0056

FALSE CREEK NORTH

Sustainabilty meets five-rings fever at C Restaurant

C Restaurant has racked up a shopping list of accolades for serving up superb and sustainable seafood. And now it’s teaming up its fever for freshness and the Games by creating a 5 Rings Menu. Choose from items like the Double-smoked bacon-wrapped albacore tuna (Red), red-wine-glazed AAA beef rib-eye (black) and Poplar Grove Tiger Blue panna cotta (Blue), plus more. Oh yeah, Vancouver residents get 10 per cent off during the Games.

Location: 2 – 1600 Howe Street, Vancouver, 604-681-1164

Nu Restaurant + Lounge serves up flaming cocktails and gold-medal gastronomy

If you’re looking for a swank spot to chill and watch the Games in style, look no further than Nu, the sister restaurant to C Restaurant and Raincity Grill. This waterfront spot that showcases farm to table dining, has now found inspiration in the torch relay. The result: flamed cocktails. Try the 2010 Martini: Raisin-infused Cognac Flame, shaken with Fernet Branca, maple syrup and Kahlua Liqueur. And while you’re there, enjoy the gold-, silver-, and bronze-medal appetizers.  

Location: 1661 Granville Street, 604-646-4668

GRANVILLE ISLAND

Swiss eats and extended hours at Bridges, home to House of Switzerland

From February 5 to February 28, Bridges restaurant on Granville Island is being transformed into House of Switzerland, with extended hours from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Be prepared to savour plenty of Swiss treats at special events and tasting. On February 14, celebrate Valentine’s Day in Swiss style – there will be chocolate presentations by an original Lindt and Sprüngli maître chocolatier.

Location: 1696 Duranleau Street, Vancouver, 604-687-4400

GASTOWN

Pop Opera welcomes urban music producer and DJ Jermaine Dupri during Olympics

On February 23, Jermaine Dupri will make his Vancouver debut at Pop Opera in Gastown, which is hosting a number of guest DJs during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Dupri is probably best known for his collaborations with Usher and Mariah Carey, not to mention that on-again, off-again relationship with Janet Jackson. Pop Opera will be open daily from 8:30 p.m. until 3 a.m., so you can celebrate the Games into the wee hours of the night. 

Location: 686 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, 604-683-0315

KITSILANO

"Be an Ice-hole" Burger and Beer special at Refuel

Take that Stephen Colbert! In honour of – or rebuttal to – Stephen Colbert’s anti-Canadian “Don’t be an ice-hole” campaign, Kitsilano restaurant and bar Refuel is serving up a “Be an Ice-hole Burger & Beer” special ($15.50), from February 12 to 28. R&B Brewing Co.’s limited edition Iceholes Celebration Lager will be on tap as a perfect accompaniment to Robert Belcham’s mouthwatering dry-aged beef burger.

Location: 1944 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, 604-288-7905

RICHMOND

Icewine tasting at Inniskillin Icewine Gallery

The Inniskillin Icewine Gallery welcomes wine lovers with two 36-foot tasting bars (designed to mimic ice, no less) along with a wintry VIP lounge and videos that reveal the art of icewine-making. Inniskillin Icewine will be for sale, too. Choose from the Inniskillin Vidal Icewine Commemorative Edition and the Inniskillin Vidal, both from the Niagara regions, or go local with the Inniskillin Okanagan Riesling Icewine. Costs are $5 for a half oz sample, or $10 for three half oz tastes.

Location: Richmond O Zone, Granville Avenue at Gilbert Road, Richmond

WEST END

Three-course Gold-Medal Dining Menu at Raincity Grill

Raincity Grill, an institution in Vancouver’s West End, has always been celebrated for its excellence in bringing regional cuisine from farm to table. So it’s no surprise that it’s offering up a three-course Gold Medal Dining Menu ($48; add $18 for wine pairing), available from January 21 to 31, and showcasing the best of B.C. food and wine. What’s on the menu? Enjoy savoury items, like seared B.C. albacore tuna, served with an heirloom vegetable barigoule and North Arm Farm jade radishes, paired with a Quails Gate Rosé. And don't forget the sweet ending: quince tarte tatin, with roasted apple ice cream and honey caramel, complemented by Quails Gate Optima L.H. Riesling.

Location: 1193 Denman Street, Vancouver, 604-685-7337

WHISTLER

Araxi pops the cork on Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte to celebrate bronze, silver and gold medalists

Araxi Restaurant and Bar (and other establishments in the Top Table Restaurant Group) will honour athletes who win medals during the Games by popping a complimentary bottle of Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, so the medallists can toast family and friends. Spectators, take comfort: Araxi is open to the public, so you can share in the festivities and enjoy a sumptuous lunch, dinner or drinks at the bar. We’ve been assured that some reservations are still available, especially during non-peak hours, so make your booking soon!

Location: 4222 Whistler Village Gate Square, Whistler, 604-932-4540

YALETOWN

Olympics Brunch at Goldfish Pacific Kitchen

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So get yourself ready for the Games’ festivities with a breakfast of champions from Goldfish Pacific Kitchen’s Games menu. Our pick: the Toasted Savoury Bread Pudding maple bacon, Canadian cheddar, poached egg and wild field greens ($15).

Location: 1118 Mainland Street, Vancouver, 604-689-8318

Olympics Lifestyle Cocktails and O Bites at Opus Bar

With all the Games excitement in and around Yaletown, you’ll to ensure you keep well fed and hydrated. So drop into the Opus Bar and whet your whistle with an Olympic lifestyle cocktail and some O Bites, like the Buffalo Bobsleigh (miso marinated buffalo sate, cashew-ancho chili sauce, $12) and the Slap Shot S’mores (graham crackers, toasted marshmallow, bitter sweet chocolate, $8).

Location: 350 Davie Street, Vancouver, 604-642-0557