A local businesswoman is helping to bring the "pop-up" restaurant craze to New Westminster.
Melissa Balfour of Pretty Up Parties and travelling baker Ashley McLean of Sprout Vegan Bakery are transforming Coming Home Café for two sittings of a Sinfully Divine Dessert Experience.
"We wanted to challenge ourselves to create our very own restaurant within an existing one," Balfour said.
"We've got about three hours to create a completely different atmosphere as well as set up all the food.
It's going to be crazy-hectic, but fabulous at the same time."
Balfour will remove some of the café's furniture for the evening, hang some fabric, change some lighting and bring in a few pieces to add some extra glam. Guests will be treated to a personal dessert buffet consisting of black forest cake, tiramisu, cheesecakes and other mouth-watering confections.
"McLean does not mix any animal products into her wares," said a press release about the event. "Using partly chemistry and pure talent, celebrated bakery owner McLean has perfected the art of baking culinary masterpieces without dairy or eggs."
Balfour and McLean are sure their guests will adore experiencing two hot trends in the culinary world - pop-up restaurants and vegan dining.
The Sinfully Divine Dessert Experience will take place on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Coming Home Café at 753 Sixth St. Two seatings (6 to 7: 30 p.m. and 8: 30 to 10 p.m.) are available and tickets cost $38.
Reservations are required. For info, visit www.prettyupparties.com.
EVA'S LEGACY LIVES
Eva Markvoort's heartwrenching story about cystic fibrosis and organ donation will be told on the Oprah Winfrey Network this spring.
The New Westminster woman touched people around the world through her blog and the documentary film 65 Red Roses,, which chronicled her battle with cystic fibrosis and her wait for a life-saving lung transplant. Markvoort received a double lung transplant in 2007, but sadly passed away in March 2010, after her body rejected the new lungs.
According to the 65 Red Roses blog, the documentary has been updated to include documentation at the end of Markvoort's life and will be aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network this May.
A number of products are now being sold on the film's website - www.65redroses.com - and the proceeds go back into the campaign for the film and Markvoort's movement for organ donation.
