Lifetime Achievement
Sid and Joan Cross anywhere people lovefood and wine, and you tell someone you’re from Vancouver, thecommon response is, “How’s my friend Sid?” or “Please say hi to Joan for me.” Long before you couldn’t visit a restaurant without a smartphone in tow or have ameal without “reviewing” it online, there was but asmall cadre of people who dedicated themselves to seeking out and celebrating those pioneering folks who were changing the way wewere eating and drinking. And in thethen-provincial town that was Vancouver, there were two who stood out above all others: Sid, a high-powered lawyer at Ladner Downs by profession but an oenophile with an encyclopedic knowledge of the world of wine by passion; and Joan, a cook book editor and tester who shepherded many a culinary tome from idea to fruition. Together— and even after almostve decades, they’ re always together—they not only raised the bar for what was possible for B.C.’s hospitality industry, they also used their frequent travels to preach the gospel of this up-and-coming city on the Pacic to chefs, wine makers and producers throughout theworld. They’ve judged almost every event worth judging in B.C., and the awards and decorations that are the result of these eorts are notable: Sid is an ocer of France’s prestigious O rd red uMé rite Agri cole( Jacques Pep in and Jacques Chirac are onlyknights) and the only Canadian to be inducted into Bordeaux’ s L’ Ac adémie du Vin, and both have received the highest honour from the International Food and Wine Society. We now proudly add the Vancouver magazine Lifetime Achievement Award to that list.