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Photo courtesy May Management

Photo courtesy Free Bird Table & Bar

Photo via Britbox Canada

Our City Tonight

By Jim Gordon and Leeta Liepins

Published 2:21 PDT, Fri August 30, 2024

Last Updated: 2:21 PDT, Fri August 30, 2024

Spotlight on more viewing, a snack, a cocktail

THE DISH – Luxardo Black Sambuca Prawns

Shayne May of May Management, a Vancouver based hospitality consulting company offering services in all areas of the restaurant / bar / lounge sector, knows his way around the kitchen, and he has shown that for many years in the service industry—and on Our City Tonight TV. So it made sense to approach him for a delicious appetizer that’s perfect for the remaining patio season. “Luxardo Black Sambuca Prawns is an easy dish to make at home,” May tells as we watch him prepare this appetizer he created when he and his family owned Rossini’s Pasta Palazzo restaurant in Kitsilano, circa 1992 – 2010. “The dish became so popular at Rossini’s, and the recipe was in hot demand with customers,” May says, and we can see why as we devour the delicious appetizer. “It pairs well with sliced Focaccia or Tuscan bread, along with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio,” he says, “and the garlicy, licorice essence can only be achieved using Luxardo Black Sambuca.” This delicious dish is a simple sauté of the garlic and butter (2 tbl spoons), add in the 6 prawns, and sauté until the prawns are almost cooked. Then add in a generous splash of the Black Sambuca (1.5 oz) and flambé, reduce until the sauce thickens slightly, add parsley and serve. maymanagement77@gmail.com

THE SIP – Yuzu Death Drop

As summer starts to wind down, we start to count the remaining patio days, where summer cocktails can be sipped and enjoyed with friends. With that in mind, we turn once again to Richmond’s Free Bird Table & Bar for a suggestion. General manager, Steve Lobsinger, is not one to disappoint when it comes to cocktails and for his latest suggestion, that streak continues. He offers the “Yuzu Death Drop”, a slightly tart but refreshing take on a lemon drop, with vodka, Cointreau, yuzu juice, and a splash of simple syrup with a spicy sweet rim of sugar and chili. “This cocktail is in honour of Phillip Kim aka “Phil Wizard”, a local Olympian and Gold Medal winner in ‘Breaking’ (formally Break Dancing) at the recent 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” Lobsinger tells us, “and that’s why we top this cocktail with a few edible gold flakes.” It’s a nice touch and tribute to Phillip Kim, and we certainly don’t mind sipping this wonderful summer cocktail as part of the tribute. executivetablegroup.com

THE VIEW – Grace

This British crime drama first caught our attention back in 2021. Four years and four TV seasons later, and we’re still hooked. Set in the southern, seaside city of Brighton and Hove, Grace follows Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, who leads his dedicated team in solving cases. In each season of the show, Grace—despite a great record on case solving, often in different and unconventional ways—continues to be haunted by the disappearance of his wife, Sandy, several years previously. The show is written by the critically-acclaimed screenwriter Russell Lewis, from the bestselling novels by Peter James. The cast is superb, led by John Simm in the title role, and character actor, Craig Parkinson (one of our favs). Each season has no more than four-90 minute episodes, so binging is doable over a weekend, with a fifth season coming in 2025. The first four seasons are available on streaming. britbox.com