Dine Out Vancouver Food Festival - January 18 - February 3, 2013

When Tourism Vancouver debuted Dine Out Vancouver back in 2002, the focus was primarily on restaurants: participating restaurants throughout Vancouver offered three-course menus of $18, $28 and $38 as a way to attract new diners. In the last few years, Dine Out has flourished, transforming into an all-out food festival that not only features the great meal deals at local restaurants, but also hosts multiple special foodie events, including food tours, culinary "road trips" and the awesomely-popular Street Food City.

Top 5 Dine Out Vancouver 2013 Special Events*

1. Plated & Paired at the Public Market - Enjoy the Granville Island Public Market after-hours with foods from the Market paired with BC VQA wines. January 18, 2013
2. Urban Tea Merchant's 'Tea Flight' Service - Learn all about tea from Urban Tea Merchant's Tea Connoisseurs and Tea Sommelier while sampling teas and enjoying a sumptuous tea service. January 19 & 26, 2013
3. Vancouver Street Food City II - Street food festival outside the Vancouver Art Gallery (North Plaza), with street-food carts galore, heated areas for dining outdoors, and live music. January 23 - 27, 2013
4. Le Bon Gout: High Fashion at Bar None - Yaletown's trendy Bar None hosts an evening of tapas and high fashion with cocktails, dancing, and two fashion shows from local designers. Febuary 1, 2013
5. Off the Eaten Track - Take foodie tours of Vancouver's East Village and Railtown (the northern tip of the Downtown Eastside). January 19, 26 & February 2 for the East Village; January 25 & February 1 for Railtown

*I would have included the Secret Soiree, but it's already sold out! Move fast if you want to join the ticketed events. Buy tickets online here; Street Food City is free, open admission.

Of course, just enjoying the wonderful Dine Out menus at your favourite restaurants--or, even better, trying a restaurants you've never been to before--are still the best parts of Dine Out. Browse participating restaurants at the Dine Out site, or check out my Best $18 Dine Out Deals.

Dine Out Vancouver 2013 runs January 18 - February 3, 2013.

_{Image Courtesy of Tourism Vancouver}