The Bearfoot Bistro was forced to close its doors on Whistler’s biggest party of the year, the infamous Masquerave.
The truth of this Cornucopia drama lies somewhere between a liquor board agent and restaurateur Andre St. Jacques, who pushes the boundaries on everything.
It’s been quite a fight.
In one corner, you have liquor board officials saying the parameters for the Masquerave’s event liquor licence last year were clearly laid out and broken.
On the other side, you have a restaurateur who says those broken parameters were not communicated to him and that the agent has a personal vendetta against his party.
But there is also a third party involved, outside of the ring. Tourism Whistler gets to ring the bell to signal the start and end of the match, but Tourism Whistler officials have washed their hands of the Masquerave situation.
Tourism Whistler officials changed Cornucopia’s after party licencing process this year, so instead of restaurants applying through Tourism Whistler for the special event licence, restaurants now must apply directly to the liquor board for the license.
Tourism Whistler refs should help mediate between the two quarrelling opponents, especially when the Bearfoot Bistro after-party was not only the founding after-party of the festival, but also one of the driving forces behind the success, or at the very least international recognition, of the festival.
Party revelers traveled from all corners of the globe for the crazy, sexed-up evening of naughty food, wine and painted ladies. High rollers were happy to pay the $250 price tag for this nightwalker circus, with many returning the following evening for the Bearfoot’s legendary winemaker dinners covering everything from an ode to truffles to 10 decades of Dom Pérignon.
So has the Masquerave received a fair deal?
Some fans say no and are completely withdrawing their support from the festival altogether. Others are looking at other after-parties and wondering if they could even begin to size up. And a select few are seeing whether their party might be the next Masquerave — they’ve got big Champagne glasses to fill.
With the exception of Araxi’s fourth annual Bubbles, Rhythm and the Deep Sea and the Whistler Arts Council’s 12th annual ARTrageous, it’s an all-new lineup of after-parties this year.
After reading an after-party description on the Cornucopia website at whistlercornucopia.com, I was rolling my eyes at the coat tail riding that seemed to be going on. Masks, body painting, promises of being “a little bit risqué”. Sound familiar?
But after talking with Jennifer Morrison of the Hilton I learned the first annual Arti Gras Costume Ball: a Food and Drink Extravaganza on Saturday, Nov. 10, was in an entirely different state all together, a New Orleans one.
After visiting the New Orleans Hilton, Robert Tan, director of food and beverage for the Whistler Hilton, was inspired to toast the state’s “official” hurricane cocktail (think Shirley Temple drunk with rum) at a new Cornucopia after-party in Whistler.
The adult carnival will take place in the lobby throughout the hotel’s main floor. The paparazzi will snap away at the grand entrance as guests costume themselves mardi gras style. Beads, brilliant colours, feathers and masks are a must for this costumed event. And if you don’t have time for a costume change on your way over from Crush or the Bubbles after-party at Araxi, locally made artist masks can be purchased with a donation to the Whistler Arts Council.
Carnival will come to life as guests step onto the streets of New Orleans at the Hilton. Authentic Cajun cuisine will be served. Executive Chef David Woodward from the Hilton New Orleans has designed the menu with Whistler Executive Chef Jay Lynn executing an authentic spread of alligator sausage, crawdad bisque shooters, creole crab cakes, cornmeal fried catfish, jambalaya, po-boy’s and seafood gumbo.
When not sampling Canal Street cocktails and Bourbon inspired canapés, guests can catch the Hype House of Blues, featuring Blues Brothers impersonators. Body and face painting, magic shows and psychic readings will fill out the rest of the night.
The $200 ticket includes food, entertainment and five drinks.
Masquerave’s open bar set up was a grievance with the liquor board. In an effort to control alcohol consumption, Mountain Club officials have also adopted this five drinks for one ticket tactic.
The five-drink theory is based on the idea that if a guest stays for the duration of a party, averaging five hours, they are allotted one drink per hour. Of course that is what all of the bars do: one drink per hour. I’d hate to see what kind of stipulations liquor board inspectors are putting on establishments when there isn’t a food and wine festival going on.
The Mountain Club is partnering with Garfinkel’s to host a new after-party on Friday, Nov. 9. One ticket, two parties. The Mountain Club will host the down tempo ultra lounge with canapés and high-end liquors. Iced shot glasses with vodka and oysters will further chill out the smart, sexy evening where guests can lounge about on couches and chairs.
Canapés will reflect The Mountain Club menu of upscale comfort food, served both at the lounge and Garfinkel’s where guests will find — wait for it — The Burlesquerave.
The Masquerave just rolled over in its grave.
Despite the name, the show of burlesque dancing, live music and turntables sounds great. There will be drum, saxophone, burlesque and DJ acts early in the evening, then all four will morph together for one big show.
Dress smart. Ladies can get away with high heels and a dress, and guys with a collared shirt — yes there are men in Whistler that own a collared shirt, and yes some even have an iron to press it.
Ian McRae, the new general manager of The Mountain Club, is orchestrating the evening, and with frivolities such as an ice bar, he promises that Garfinkel’s will look nothing like, well, Garfinkel’s.
Tickets for this event are very reasonable in Cornucopia dollars: $95.
The new Casino Royale really gets to the meat of things with Miss Money Pennys and 007s invited to celebrate Cornucopia Monte Carlo style on Friday, Nov. 9 at Ric’s Grill.
The steak house will showcase filet mignon and sterling silver prime rib along with other culinary delicacies that don’t mind a tuxedo for company, such as Alaskan king crab. Martinis will be shaken or stirred and served along with fire spinners, showgirls, live action artists and turntable talents. A silent auction will raise funds for the Whistler Health Care Foundation CT Scanner Fund.
Tickets for this cliffhanger affair are $125.
So after-party hunters can gamble with a new after-party or return to an old favourite.
Bubbles lovers can definitely chalk up the Bubbles, Rhythm and Deep Sea after party on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Araxi as a favourite. I know I do.
The elegant, upscale evening of luxe Champagnes and seafood is perfect for people who enjoy quality food, drink and conversation. Executive chef James Walt will showcase the ocean’s finest, including freshly-shucked oysters, chilled lobster, Dungeness crab, and sushi and sashimi.
The seafood may be chilled, but the dance floor will be hot, hot, hot. Doc Fingers and his jazz band will strike up a lively atmosphere, but easy going enough to settle into conversation with one of Araxi’s hand-pressed fruit martinis.
Bubbles is sort of the anti-Masquerave. The food and wine are the seductresses of the evening; nothing needs to be sexed up to wow guests, other than the donning of a great black cocktail dress and strappy heels.
The who’s who of the Whistler scene toast this beautiful, stylish evening pulled from an episode of Sex and the City.
From high living to a more bohemian one, artists rule the night at the Whistler Arts Council’s ARTrageous on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Brewhouse. Moroccan culture weaves itself into the self-portrait artist exhibit showcasing the work of 12 artists, including Alexei Lopez Villaseca, Bernd Vey, Bruce Rowles, Daniel Poisson, Jeff Heintzman, Kate Dutton, Lauren Ritz, Maria Sandner, Michelle Yamamoto, Natalia Vanessa, Vanessa Stark and Wim Tewinkel.
In addition to this creative showcase of watercolour, acrylic, ink, sculpture, pastel, mixed media and photography, the evening also includes live music from Soulstream, a Vancouver-based funk band of 10. Live art, body painting, dance shows, circus acts, and food and wine also bring colour and activity to this insane evening of locally-driven fun. Come meet the community at this event, a party definitely worth remembering and returning to.
A steal of a deal at $45 a person, with proceeds benefiting the local arts umbrella.
In the history of Cornucopia, this year wields more after-parties than ever before. It’s wonderful new restaurants stepped up to the challenge of hosting such monstrous celebrations this year. Will they live up to the sensation the Masquerave created? If not in stature, perhaps in fundraising. Again, another tall flute to fill. The Bearfoot Bistro hosted two benefit concerts during the festival, raising $1,500 for MY Millennium Place, $1,000 for the Whistler Arts Council and $600 for L'Ecole La Passerelle at Spring Creek Community School.
Whatever after-party you choose, make sure to take one moment out of your great evening to toast where it all began.
Santé Andre.
