Let the chips fall where they may - especially when it comes to poutine.  Local food fanatic and blogger Jen Reiher has been roaming Victoria's kitchens and restaurants for over a decade, writing and talking about what she has tasted and seen.  The founder of the recently launched Tastebud Guides, the local foodie saw a gap "What this city really needs is a fun guide to where to find the poutine of the moment, depending on where one's tastebuds are on a particular day. When The Empress is serving Curry Poutine as a menu item for special events, you know the hot, gooey mess has culturally arrived."
 
The mix of chips, a gravy and cheese is truly a Quebec invention.  There is a tug of war between a couple of communities as to who was the first to serve it up, but it is a Francophone gastronomic bomb. 
 
And here on the West Coast?  “Fusion poutine is not necessarily a West Coast invention, but I think it is done particularly well here” said Reiher.
 
Reiher is in touch with local poutine support groups such as rogue twitter group #Pouteam and relied on them to help contribute poutine sightings and tasting to her new guide.
 
She is planning the first annual Poutine Challenge in 2013 and will include a dessert category. 
 
Her family were plain-jane eaters and Reiher didn’t know it was possible to make good food at home.  But now she knows.  She’s on the board of Slow Food Vancouver Island and is currently taking a Beer Judging course.
 
When not day-dreaming about Poutine, she works for the BC Initiative for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education.

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Photos and review copies available

Media Contact:
Joan Athey
(250) 294-6040
[email protected]

For Immediate Release

Summary: Local Flavour is the first of a series of food guides launching in Victoria, BC from Tastebud Guides. The guidebook is available as an eBook and recommends 20 breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink establishments in the city. 

LOCAL FOOD EBOOK LAUNCHES IN VICTORIA
VICTORIA, BC - June 9, 2012 - Local Flavour: Victoria 2012; eBook; $3.99

Victoria's first eBook food guide recommending only locally owned, independent restaurants is now available from online eBookstores. "Local Flavour" makes 20 recommendations of local restaurants that offer a consistent dining experience an unparalleled value, celebrating the vibrancy of the local food scene in the city. Some recommendations in the guide are obvious, such as family favourites like Ferris' Oyster Bar and the world-famous seafood at Red Fish Blue Fish. Other recommendations reveal hidden gems and rising stars of Victoria's culinary scene, such as Spiced Water, the new coffee shop started by the founders of Jagasilk. 

This is the first of a series of eBooks that Tastebud Guides plans to release over the next year. Future guides will be written by other local food writers and bloggers with a focus on specific dining trends, such as coffee or microbreweries. "The idea of Tastebud Guides is that they are 'field guides' to fantastic food," says Jen Reiher, founder of Tastebud Guides and author of the first guide, "Visitors to Victoria now have a portable, cross-reference resource to help them explore food experiences in our beautiful, delicious city."  

Tastebud Guides presents restaurant recommendations in a format that allows for quick reference as well as more detailed decision making. Detailed information about the restaurant's history and ambiance are included to help discerning diners decide which restaurant is the best fit for them. Suggested menu items are highlighted with photographs and bolded for quick reference, and nearby and similar restaurants are cross-referenced at the end of each review.

To buy a copy of Local Flavour: Victoria 2012, search for "Tastebud Guides" on your eReader's bookstore or use the links below to buy the guide on your computer and transfer it to your device:
apple • kindle • kobo

Tastebud Guides is an eBook food guide publishing platform to help guide food lovers to fantastic local food. Guides are written by members of the local food community with a deep knowledge and passion about their topic. Information is presented in a user-friendly, crossed referenced way, making use of the features of eBook technology. 

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Photos and review copies available

Media Contact:
Jen Reiher
jen~@~tastebudguides~.~com
1-888-503-8386
www.tastebudguides.com