One of Whistler’s favourite long-time restaurants, Uli’s , have lived up to their name and done a flipside. Two in fact. In the village, they’ve gone Spanish with a whole new tapas and vino venture and in Creekside, they’re set to make a comeback.
Casa Tapas and Wine Bar
is the rustic yet sophisticated replacement over Uli’s village location. The old Uli’s décor, menu and wine list has been completely revamped. The spruced-up space has become a funky uber lounge with cherry wood tables and chairs, a wide open bar, leather couches, 42 inch plasma screen TV and acid jazz music flowing freely.General manager of Casa and Uli’s , Derek Pasenow, thinks the facelift fills a village void.
"There’s really no place like this in town and we think it’s something both locals and tourists will go for," he said.
The tapas fuse Spanish, Mexican and Asian flavours. Plates range from $3-$14. They’ve beefed up the wine list too, with more than 20 tasty offerings by the glass. Manned by ex-Sushi Village boss, Dean Mawson, the lounge bar will offer a full menu every night from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. (midnight on Sundays). Lunch will be offered from mid-December.
The original Uli’s Flipside is moving back to Creekside, where the now-defunct Las Margaritas used to be. After a minor renovation. Uli’s will re-open in the Whistler Creek Lodge in mid-December. Pasenow promises the menu to be "the same favourites plus thin crust pizzas."
So next time you’re scouting around for Uli’s Flipside in the village, pull up a funky pew at Casa instead or take a bus to Creekside.
Southern recognition
In a year when B.C. wineries have received more than 900 awards, folks in Georgia have bestowed one of the highest honours on Gray Monk Estate Winery.
The Okanagan winery received the 2002 Generation Award at the Atlanta International Wine Challenge last month. The Generation Award is a new honour that recognizes family owned and operated wineries that distinguish themselves at the International Wine Challenge. Gray Monk is operated by the Heiss family.
The Atlanta International Wine Challenge has been around for 20 years. It was the first annual international wine competition held in the U.S. and remains one of the largest outside of Europe.
"This award adds to the fantastic year that our industry has been experiencing and provides further evidence that British Columbia’s wine industry is doing something right," said Gray Monk proprietor George Heiss.
