I had a great time meeting Lisa Kadane, the Calgary Herald's Drinks Columnist, at the sneak peek party for JOEY EAU CLAIRE. Judging from her article this weekend, it sounds as though she loved the space (as well as a couple of new JOEY drinks). Read on here. And if you are looking for a great summer drink, here are recipes for Lisa's picks:

Aperol Spritz 1½ oz Aperol (Italian orange aperitif) 1/2 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice 2 oz Prosecco 1-2 oz soda Fill a large wine glass full with ice. Add the Aperol, orange juice and Prosecco, then top with 1-2 oz of soda. Garnish with orange wheel. Stir before drinking.

Blueberry Mojito 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 oz simple syrup 6 mint leaves 1 tbsp(15 mL) fresh blueberries 2 oz Smirnoff blueberry vodka soda In a mixer cup, muddle the lime juice, simple syrup, mint leaves and blueberries. Add vodka, fill the mixer with ice and shake vigorously. Pour contents into a large collins glass. Top with fresh ice, then top with soda. Garnish with a mint leaf.

— Recipes courtesy Geoff Boyd, Joey Restaurant Group

In Malwina Gudowska's first assignment as the new SweetLife Calgary Editor she blogged about the new JOEY EAU CLAIRE, a "restaurant that means so much to [her] as a Calgarian." Read her article here.

While we were in Calgary last week for the re-opening of JOEY EAU CLAIRE (after their fabulous renovation) Executive Chef Chris Mills went on BT Calgary to make sushi cones with host Jill Belland.

Here is the recipe for the cones. Note: the soy wrapper is what makes these cones extra special. And the tempura prawns. And the daikon sprout. And the roe. And the Sriracha mayo. OK the whole thing is fab!

Most of the ingredients can be bought in Chinatown or at an Asian grocery store such as T&T. The soy wrappers can be bought online, but you can also use Nori, the dried seaweed sheets, which are more widely available.

Ingredients: Cooked Sushi Rice (cook according to package instructions) ½ cup Rice wine vinegar 2 Tbsp Sugar 3 tsp salt Store-bought Tempura batter ½ cup Flour Prawns* Oil for frying Toasted sesame seeds Fish roe (if desired) Daikon radish sprout or julienne daikon radish Cucumber, cut into 2-3 inch strips, leaving skin on, no seeds Soy wrappers (available online) or Nori Tube of wasabi Store-bought Sriracha Vietnamese Mayonnaise

* To vary the cones, instead of using tempura prawns you can also use seared salmon, poached prawns, or raw tuna.

Directions: While you are cooking your sushi rice according to the package instructions, begin making a brine. Combine sugar, salt, and rice vinegar. When rice has cooked and is cooling, season rice at a ratio of about ¼ cup of brine per cup of rice, or to taste.

Chill your store-bought tempura batter so that it is ice cold. Pour batter and flour into two separate bowls. Dredge each prawn first through the flour and then through the batter. Deep fry in a shallow fryer (frying pan or wok) for 60-90 seconds until golden brown. Set aside.

On one half of a 3”x 6” sheet of soy or Nori layout the ingredients. Start with some rice, followed by sesame seeds, cucumber, daikon, mayonnaise, one prawn, a dab of wasabi and a piece of pickled ginger.

The folding is a bit tricky to explain, but it is much easier than it sounds. We suggest that you watch the video for Chris’ tips!

Take the bottom left corner and fold it up until it is touching the middle of the top of the sheet. Holding the bottom centre, roll it around the remainder of the sheet to form a cone. Crush a kernel of cooked rice with your fingers and use it as ‘glue’ to hold the cone together.

Serve with soy sauce

It was great to see the ladies from City Style and Living at our JOEY EAU CLAIRE Sneak Peek party last week. Click here for their blog post about the evening.

It has been a long time coming, but JOEY EAU CLAIRE is getting a facelift. The restaurant has been undergoing extensive renovations since it closed in early May. The newly designed space will pay homage to Eau Claire’s industrial past through the use of salvaged and reclaimed materials. The restaurant will reopen on June 1.

...because the sun is shining and today Nimby Burger officially opened for the summer at Kits Beach. Go to Nimby for your summertime fix of a classic beach burger, fries, and a shake.

Corner of Cornwall & Yew at Kits Beach

Looking for the perfect beer to pair with your bbq? The Globe & Mail's Beppi Crosariol has some tasty suggestions, including Great Western Brewing Company's Original 16 Canadian Pale Ale.

Media attending the Banff Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival over the weekend were treated luncheon at Saltlik Banff, where JOEY Restaurant Group Executive Chef, Chris Mills, unveiled the steakhouse's latest menu. Saltlik (with locations in Calgary and Banff) just recently joined the JOEY Restaurant Group Family. Check out this post from Calgary's City Style & Living magazine for the scoop on the new menu items.

Read the whole story here.

Read beer expert Jordan St. John's article about Original 16, which ran over the weekend in the Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto Sun newspapers.

Elettra Communications is offering a six to eight week Public Relations internship. This is an ideal position for someone who would like to gain valuable experience working in the field of PR, and is currently enrolled in, or has recently completed, a Public Relations program or a degree in Communications, Arts or Business. It will provide the chosen candidate with a general overview of the industry, as well as relevant skills and experience. The intern will be responsible for assisting with the following: • Drafting media releases and other materials • Creating media lists • Preparing PR campaign recap documents • Conducting research • Coordinating aspects of events, including working with suppliers and sourcing materials • Administrative duties

Requirements: • A keen and demonstrated interest in the field of public relations. • A high level of interest in the media and current events. • Excellent written and verbal communications skills. • The ability to multi-task.

Hours: 9am-5pm. Position will likely be four days per week, however, this is TBC. Occasional evenings and weekends may be required.

About Elettra Communications Elettra is a communications agency based in Vancouver. Our services include: media relations, media training, product launches and openings, community relations & CSR strategy, events, promotions, and issues and crisis communications.

Our clients include: Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR), JOEY Restaurant Group, Vancouver magazine, Great Western Brewing Company, Larco/Morgan Crossing, Noise Digital, and Meetingmax. http://www.elettra.ca

Please send cv and cover letter to: Gwen Hardy Elettra Communications gwen@elettra.ca

Shaw TV's The Express checked out the 22nd Annual Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards. Watch part one and part two of the show.

Bloggers have been tasting Great Western Brewing's Original 16. Click the links below for the latest blog posts: Jason Foster's On Beer review.

Regina Leader Post's Irene Seiberling in Anything & Everything.

Stephen Beaumont's World of Beer.

And Tory Burtch talks to Great Western's Brewmaster, Viv Jones, on the Great Canadian Beer Blog.