Drinking Limit Spreads East

The blood alcohol drinking(BAC) limit, set in BC in September 2010, seems to be making it's way east as Saskatchewan announces it plans to impose fines for drivers with a BAC between .04 and .08 in the Spring or Summer of 2013.

This is especially significant to the hospitality industry; hotels, restaurants, casinos, bars and pubs, who can really be impacted with tight revenue margins.

Many owners/operators in BC and Alberta noted a marked decline in sales and concerns from customers who were consuming less alcohol with their meals or none at all, some even deciding to stay home and avoid the hassle. The new regulations make it difficult for customers to guage their safe drinking levels.

While nobody wants to see drunk drivers on the road, the new limits will likely target imbibers that monitor their alcohol consumption, not the obvious and dedicated alcoholics that drink and drive. The latter are the only ones that we need to have more stringent regulations for but ironically are also the only ones unaffected or concerned by the new rules.

If you work in the industry, please watch for the CRFA's upcoming petitions and voice your opinion at crfa.ca.

Best of BC

For all you hospitality people in the Lower Mainland of BC, I came across this "best of" list on a paste site so I'm not sure of any accuracy in the surveys but found it interesting. Enjoy!

Readers' choices
Media, Arts & Culture
Lifestyle
Travel
Sports & Recreation
Food & Drink
City Life
Style
Mind, Body & Soul

These winners were selected by readers in an on-line survey conducted earlier this year. To view a winner's details, click on a question.
Food & Drink
Best restaurant wine list (international wines)
1. Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
2. Cioppino's and Cioppino's Enoteca
3. Salt Tasting Room

Best place for cheap drinks
1. The Cambie
2. Café Crêpe
3. Metropole

Best coffee shop (national chain)
1. Starbucks Coffee
2. Blenz Coffee
3. Tim Hortons

Best tea shop
1. The Secret Garden Tea Company
2. DAVIDsTEA
3. Granville Island Tea Co.

Best bakery (breads)
1. Terra Breads
2. COBS Bread
3. Uprising Breads Bakery

Best lesbian club event/bar
1. Lick
2. Hershe Bar
3. Celebrities Night Club

Best B.C. wine/winery (red wine)
1. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
2. Mission Hill Family Estate
3. Quails' Gate

Best restaurant bathroom
1. Cactus Club Cafe
2. Joey Restaurants
3. Moxie's Classic Grill

Best coffee shop (local chain)
1. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters
2. Caffè Artigiano
3. Bean Around the World Coffees

Best restaurant to take out-of-town guests
1. The Sandbar
2. The Boathouse Restaurant
3. Seasons in the Park
3. The Salmon House

Best brew pub
1. Yaletown Brewing Company
2. Steamworks Brewing Company
3. Granville Island Brewing Taproom

Best restaurant/café with free Wi-Fi
1. Waves Coffee House
2. Starbucks Coffee
3. Blenz Coffee

Best sports bar
1. Shark Club
2. Forum Sports Bar
3. Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery
3. Score On Davie

Best B.C. wine/winery (white wine)
1. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
2. Quails' Gate
2. Mission Hill Family Estate
3. JoieFarm Wines

Best romantic restaurant
1. Seasons in the Park
2. Bishop's
2. Chambar Restaurant
3. Il Giardino

Best locally brewed beer
1. Granville Island Brewing: Lions Winter Ale
2. Granville Island Brewing: Cypress Honey Lager
3. Granville Island Brewing: Island Lager

Best brunch
1. Medina Cafe
2. Milestones Grill + Bar
3. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe

Best gay bar
1. Celebrities Night Club
2. Odyssey Night Club
3. Lounge 1181

Best fair-trade coffee shop
1. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters
2. Salt Spring Coffee
3. Bean Around the World Coffees

Best bar
1. The Roxy
2. The Lamplighter Public House
3. The Cambie

Best produce store
1. Kin's Farm Market
2. Capers Whole Foods Market
3. Donald's Market

Best butcher
1. Windsor Quality Meats
2. Jackson's Meats & Deli
3. Granville Island Public Market

Best organic produce store
1. Capers Whole Foods Market
2. Choices Markets
3. Vancouver Farmers Markets

Best B.C. beer brewed outside Vancouver
1. Okanagan Springs
2. Phillips
3. Kokanee

Best Canadian beer brewed outside B.C.
1. Sleeman's
2. Alexander Keith's
3. Big Rock
3. Unibroue

Best strip club
1. Brandi's Exotic Nightclub
2. The Number 5 Orange
3. Penthouse Night Club

Best restaurant for meat
1. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
2. Memphis Blues Barbeque House
3. Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Best late-night takeout
1. Fritz European Fry House
1. The Naam Restaurant
2. Tsui Hang Village
3. McDonald's

Best cheese store
1. Les amis du FROMAGE
2. La Grotta Del Formaggio
3. Granville Island Public Market
3. Mount Pleasant Cheese

Best restaurant for fine dining
1. Bishop's
2. West
3. Chambar Restaurant

Best veggie restaurant
1. The Naam Restaurant
2. The Foundation
3. Bandidas Taqueria

Best restaurant (independent)
1. Chambar Restaurant
2. Vij's
3. The Naam Restaurant

Best coffee shop (independent)
1. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters
2. 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters
3. Caffè Artigiano

Best restaurant for cheap eats
1. Hawker's Delight
2. Bon’s Off Broadway
3. The Foundation

Best restaurant wine list (B.C. wines)
1. Raincity Grill
2. Salt Tasting Room
3. Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House

Best bubble tea shop
1. Dragon Ball Tea House
2. Bubble World
3. Pearl Castle
3. Pearl Fever

Best pickup bar (F seeking M)
1. The Roxy
2. The Lamplighter Public House
2. Republic
3. The Sandbar

Best place for cheap beer
1. The Cambie
2. Café Crêpe
3. Royal Canadian Legion

Best fresh seafood store
1. Granville Island Public Market
2. Seven Seas Fish Company
3. The Lobster Man

Best cooking school
1. The Dirty Apron Cooking School
2. Pacific Institute Of Culinary Arts
3. Vancouver Community College

Best patio
1. The Boathouse Restaurant
2. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
3. Bridges Seafood Restaurant

Best new restaurant
1. Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie
2. Maenam
3. The Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe

Best local microbrewery
1. Granville Island Brewing
2. Storm Brewing
3. R&B Brewing Co.

Best restaurant to work for
1. Cactus Club Cafe
2. Earls
3. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

Best all-day breakfast
1. Denny's
2. Bon’s Off Broadway
3. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe

Best wine store
1. Liberty Wine Merchants
2. B.C. Liquor Stores
3. Marquis Wine Cellars

Best imported beer
1. Stella Artois
2. Heineken
3. Guinness
3. Corona

Best kid-friendly restaurant
1. White Spot
2. Little Nest
3. Red Robin

Best pickup bar (M seeking F)
1. The Roxy
2. The Sandbar
3. Republic

Best gelato/ice cream shop
1. Mario’s Gelati
2. La Casa Gelato
3. Gelarmony

Best restaurant (chain)
1. Earls
2. Cactus Club Cafe
3. Milestone's Grill and Bar

Best grocery store
1. Capers Whole Foods Market
2. Choices Markets
3. Save-On-Foods

Best bakery (pastries)
1. Fratelli Authentic Italian Bakery
2. Thomas Haas Patisserie Chocolate Café
3. Terra Breads
3. Notte's Bon Ton Pastry & Confectionery