Looking for a bit of humour? The Snowed In Comedy Tour is happening February 11th at the York Theatre it might just be what the doctor ordered. This is a Canadian comedy tour which liken themselves to the Tragically Hip touring across Canada. The show features comedians Dan Quinn, Craig Campbell, Paul Myrehaug a recent winner of the $25,000 Great Canadian Laugh Off and Pete Zelacher. They are billing this comedy tour as the “Better Than The Just For Laughs Tour”, but they do boast some standing ovations so there might be something to their gloating. Tickets for the show are $35 and available online via The Cultch. Note, this event is for audiences 19+.
Archive | January, 2017
Snowed In Comedy Tour At The York Theatre February 11th
30 Jan
Bodegas Lustau Sherry Tasting Experience At Cabrito Tapas February 28th
27 Jan
Do you love sherry? Granted this libation isn’t for everyone, or maybe it’s just the ones you’ve tried. Either way, if you would like to learn a bit more about sherry, than Cabrito Tapas on The Drive has an event for you. If you don’t know Cabrito Tapas, well you are missing out, it is a delish spot on the Drive serving Spanish tapas. On February 28th, they will be hosting their first ever Sherry Experience. They will be featuring 7 different sherries from Bodegas Lustau in Spain. Not only will you get to experience the sherries, but Chef Alex will be pairing them with tapas to highlight both the food and the sherries. Cost of this event is $75 which includes tax and tip. To register, visit Cabrito Tapas.
Photo Credit: Cabrito Tapas
Share this:
Portraits In Motion At The Cultch February 24-26, 2017
25 Jan
A very unique show, Portraits In Motion, is back by popular demand. If you love photography, this is the show to see. Volker Gerling is a photographer and animator that uses flipbook to show you intimacy in motion. His work consists of rapidly taken photos of people which he projects onto a screen to create a moving image while recounting stories behind the images. His aim is to show you a glimpse of the human persona. It can be an awkward embrace, the end or beginning of a smile, something sad or you may see a recognition of something that’s happened in your own life. Volker Gerling has walked over 3,500 miles of Germany, showing his “thumb cinema” to people and gathering new portraits for it. Portraits in Motion has toured internationally. Portraits In Motion is on now at The Cultch with a post-show talkback this evening. Show runs for 65 minutes, no intermission. Tickets are available online from The Cultch.
What people are saying about Portraits in Motion.
“In Volker Gerling’s tiny flipbooks, great things emerge from small candid portraits of strangers that offer fascinating glimpses into the human soul” –
Broadway Baby
“Uniquely heart-warming” – The Times
Photo Credit: Franz Ritschel
Share this:
The Uncommon Café Offers Sweet Classes This February
23 Jan
With Valentine’s Day approaching, our friends at The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, are hosting a few delicious classes this February and if location is an issue, we see one of their upcoming classes, Eclairs and Cream Puffs, will be held at the Trout Lake Community Centre on a Sunday afternoon. Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple will be leading the various classes they have lined up which include learning how to make eclairs and cream puffs, the secrets of working with chocolate or making that perfect Valentine’s Dinner. We invite you to check out their upcoming classes.
Eclairs and Cream Puff: Choux Pastry Basics – Sunday, February 5, 2017
Valentine will teach you the basics of the new pastry craze from France, Choux pastry pronounced “shoo.” If unfamiliar with the term, they are a family of dessert, big and small puffs, all made with the same dough base. In this class, you will learn to make:
- Profiteroles filled with vanilla whipped cream and covered with warm chocolate sauce
- Chouquettes with are a simple little puff simply covered with crunchy sugar bits
- Eclairs – the long version of the choux, filled with cream
Bring a container(s) so you can take some of your creations home. If you don’t have baking experience, no worries, it is not required. They assure us no fancy equipment is required either and you can easily make the items yourself at home. This class runs Sunday afternoon at Trout Lake Community Centre from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
Chocolate Lovers Class – Wednesday, February 8, 2017
If you love chocolate and want to learn how to make easy decadent desserts, than this class is for you. Whether you wish to impress guests, or that special someone this Valentine’s Day. What you will learn to make in this class is:
- Chocolate Mousse
- Lava Cake
- Chocolate Truffles
- Chocolate Sauce to Drizzle
This is a demonstration cooking class after which you will get to enjoy your Lava Cake along with a glass of sparking wine. The rest of the goodies you get to take home with you.
Valentine’s Couple Cooking Demo & Dinner – February 10, 2017 SOLD OUT
This class is designed for pairs, so whether that be a romantic couple, or maybe you want to bring someone on a first date, or you bring your mom or best friend, the field is wide open. During this demonstration class, Valentine will show you how to make some delish French dishes which we’ve set out below. After the demonstration, you get to sit down and enjoy the prepared meal in their restaurant with a glass of wine with candlelight if you wish. What you will learn to make includes:
Tarte flambée: Thin flatbread made right before your eyes, covered in onions, bacon and cream and cooked really high for extra crispiness. Served with green salad.
Aumoniere de Saumon: Salmon wrapped in purse shape phyllo dough served with a traditional white wine sauce
Lava cake: The ultimate dark chocolate indulgence served with vanilla ice cream.
Now if you like the idea of this class, but your prefer a different date, they are offering another class on February 14th, with a bit different menu. Price for the demonstration cooking classes are $75 per person. Keep an eye out for early registration offers which reduce the price by $10. To register, click on link above which takes you to the Eventbrite page for each class. Bon appetit.
Share this:
Let’s Do Brunch On The Drive
20 Jan
We are often asked where is a good place to go for brunch, coffee, dinner, live music or drinks in East Van. We started our brunch series with setting out some of our favourite spots in the Hastings Sunrise area. Next up we’d like to feature some very delish spots along Commercial Drive, some we’ve tried and some we’ve heard great things about through our grape vine.
Bandidas Taqueria, 2781 Commercial Drive
Brunch 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
We confess we have not tried this spot. We have noticed that it is a rare occasion that this spot is not busy, no matter the time of day or night. Bandidas Taqueria serves brunch daily from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm as well as breakfast all day. Most of their items are gluten free and we like that they get their gluten free bread from local fav spot, East Village Bakery. Eggs, beans and guacamole are featured heavily on their brunch menu, but we have our eye on the Cornbread Muffin Tops with honey butter. Bandidas Taqueria will make any breakfast vegan. This spot is certainly on our list to try not only because of the food, but their focus on minimal impact to the environment and their of support local smaller distributors. Bandidas Taqueria is located just North of 12th Avenue on Commercial Drive. Just a 5 minute walk from the Broadway Skytrain Station if you are travelling from elsewhere in the City.
Café Deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial Drive
Breakfast 8:00 am – 3:00 pm Weekdays + 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Weekends
You can’t miss this spot for the colourful mural outside. Cafe Deux Soleils is a long standing business on The Drive having been there for over 20 years. Here you will find eggs, but you won’t find meat if that’s what you are looking for. You will though find Veggie Ham or Veggie Sausage and lots of other great items as well as a kids menu. It’s a popular spot day and night as this spot includes a stage where you will find many local performers whether comedy, music, poetry and much more.
Havana is a great spot for many reasons, people watching from their patio is certainly one of them. It’s always a busy hopping spot that offers modern Latin fare and Caribbean cocktails. It is another long standing business that has been on The Drive for 20 years now. Havana serves breakfast 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm with some great offerings including a Pulled Pork Breakfast Taco. Another thing we love about Havana Restaurant, is they are a great supporter of local arts. They have a small gallery in the back next which is situated next to a small theatre which features some great local theatre groups. It’s a great intimate space if you haven’t checked it out already. We recommend it.
Biercraft Tap & Tapas, 1191 Commercial Drive
Brunch Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
On the Drive since 2005, Biercraft Tap & Tapas is another long standing business on the Drive. Everyone has their own unique spin on brunch on the Drive, as does Biercraft with Bangers and Mash, and Stovreji Hash browns topped with Belgian beef stew, blue cheese crumble and two poached eggs for those with a hearty appetite, but we like the Eggs on Cornbread and for those coming with kids, they have a kids breakfast menu for $6.00.
La Mezcaleria, 1622 Commercial Drive
Brunch Wednesday to Sunday Until 3:00 pm
This is a fun lively spot at any time serving delish Mexican fare including breakfast as well as a great selection of mescal and tequila should you wish to go there. They have some creative dishes, but what we have a hankering for is the Pan Frances which is Brioche French Toast topped with bananas, dark rum, salted caramel sauce, candied pecans, strawberries and gooseberries. If that doesn’t sound like a bite of heaven, we don’t know what does.
Tangent Café, 2095 Commercial Drive
Breakfast 8:00 – 3:00 Saturday – Tuesday & 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Wednesday to Friday
Although this spot is home to great live jazz music on Thursday and Sunday evenings, they also have a good breakfast menu. If you are a meat lover, you will find several options here, but if looking for vegan options, they have that too including a Malaysian Vegan Scramble.
The Dime, 1565 Commercial Drive
This is not a spot we’ve tried, but local historian Jak King and long time resident of The Drive swears by this spot. He says “it is nothing much more than a bar with background music, TVs on most walls, heavily tattooed staff (giving great service), and good cheap food.” Seems they offer a breakfast menu during week and a brunch menu on the weekends we couldn’t locate the latter, but Jack tells us Chorizo Hash Skillett is a good way to go. “It is a good plateful of potatoes and onions and peppers, a fried egg, with enough chorizo to give it a kick, and served with a form of hollandaise that is to die for.” Kicker is all dishes on the menu are $5.95.
Prado Café, 1938 Commercial Drive
As of Monday, June 19th the purveyors of kick ass coffee, have launched a full brunch menu at their Commercial Drive location. We’ve seen some pics on social media and have to say the dishes look great. If you head one block up the street North, you can also check out their sister restaurant Spade at the corner of 3rd Avenue. They have a small breakfast menu but are open at 8:00 am daily.
While you are in this part of East Van, there is so much else to see, do and taste while on The Drive. Whether it’s coffee, gelato, pasta, art, bookstores, cheese, licorice or chocolate. If it’s cheese you are after, La Grotta Del Fromaggio is our go to spot. We recommend one of their sandwiches to go, or if you’ve built up an appetite wandering, they are delish. If you love licorice, a stop at the Licorice Parlour is a must. If you aren’t a licorice fan, they also have handmade chocolates. If you are looking for beer after a wander, Biercraft offers quite the range of Belgian beers. If it’s whiskey, then a stop at Fets Whiskey Kitchen would be in order and side note they do serve brunch as well.
For coffee, well we can’t just pick one, there are so many places offering great coffee, you can’t go wrong whether it’s Continental Cafe, Joe’s Café, Moja’s, The Drive Coffee Bar (you will find Cartem donuts here though) or any other café. If it’s a muffin and coffee you are after, JJ Bean at 6th Avenue. Their muffins are legendary. Gelato, there are a few offerings which you can’t miss if you are walking The Drive, but if are looking for pastries, our personal favourite is Fratelli Bakery which an amazing selection of sweet treats. And more recently, there are so new delish offerings including The Bench Bakehouse in the Il Mercato and Livia Sweets at Kitchener Street. If you find you’ve done a fair bit of walking on the Drive and want a light bite such as pizza, take your pick, Famoso Pizzeria, Lombardo’s, Marcello’s or a quick wander over to Via Tevere on Victoria Drive. Of course, if you wish to pick up some pasta to cook later at home (fresh or frozen), we recommend Bosa Foods just off Commercial Drive at 562 Victoria Drive. We could keep going as this area has so much to offer from Venables to 12th Avenue and a bit beyond on either side of that. If we missed your favourite brunch spot that you think should be included, drop up us a line ILiveInEastVan@gmail.com and tell us why it should be included.
Share this:
Fireweed – Art Show & Fundraiser At Bandidas Taqueria On January 20, 2017
18 Jan
No matter what your politics, we respect those that speak up for what they are passionate about. Speaking up is certainly nothing new to East Vancouver residents who are politically minded and do voice their opinions whether it be in a traditional or not so traditional way. Which brings us to an interesting event we stumbled across happening at Bandidas Taqueria on January 20th. They are hosting an event called Fireweed which is a community art show and fundraiser to raise funds for a “variety of organizations which serve people and environments most vulnerable to policy changes that are likely to result from a Trump presidency.” They have chosen a number of organizations to support including the ACLU, NAACP, Planned Parenthood, League of Conservation Voters and are open to suggestions from the community as they plan to choose 10 in total. If you come for dinner on January 20th, you can vote for which organizations you’d like to see receive funds. Bandidas Taqueria will be donating 100% of their profits from the sale of food and drinks on January 20th. They also have a line up of visual artists that will be displaying art in response to the US election. The art will stay in place for a month after the event in the event you can’t make it out on January 20th.
Outside of the art, there will be lots of great food throughout the day. Being that East Van has some politically minded folks, they are expecting a bit of a wait, so we hear that Hardbite Potato Chips has donated plenty of snacks for those waiting for a table. Plus, lets hope for no rain, as there will be sidewalk chalk so you can turn their front sidewalk into a community art piece. During the evening, there will be musicians and performing artists and 3 DJs spinning tunes. For dessert, you can expect an Earnest Ice Cream scoop counter from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. All proceeds from ice cream sales will also be donated alongside Bandidas’ profits. If you want to be a part of the event, but don’t have time to sit and eat, you are invited to grab a burrito for take-out. The event runs all day from 9:00 am to 1:00 am so lots of time to stop by and support.
We quite like the symbolism of the name of this event. Fireweed we’ve learnt is a vibrant plant and one of the first species to grow after a forest fire or environmental devastation. Its appearance is one of the first signs of regeneration and rebuilding. Bandidas Taqueria states “We want to act with our community to build hope, defend the marginalized, use our privilege to effect social change, and work towards prevention of further crises. Because we want to focus on regrowth rather than despair, we’ve dubbed the event ‘fireweed.'” If you are interested in having your art displayed or wish to support the event generally, you are invited to contact bandidastacos@gmail.com.
Share this:
Mouthpiece At The Cultch January 31 – February 5, 2017
16 Jan
An interesting show that has our attention is coming to The Cultch January 31st. It’s called Mouthpiece. The show features what goes through a woman’s mind during the course of one day. Here you will see the push and pull, the past and present, the progress and regression along with all the inner conflict that exists within a woman’s head. Interwoven within the show is a cappella harmony, text and movement. Mouthpiece is a ‘harrowing, humourous and heart-wrenching journey into the female psyche’. The show hails from Toronto where it had a sold-out run. It comes to The Cultch on a national tour and is presented with the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. The show opens January 31st at 8:00 pm and runs till February 5, 2017. If you are interested in an Artist Talkback evening, that will be held February 1st. Tickets are available online at The Cultch.
Photo Credit: Joel Clifton
What people are saying about Mouthpiece:
“It’s an engrossing and virtuosic performance, layered with meaning…”
Toronto Star
“Mouthpiece holds you transfixed until the very end”
Scene Changes
★★★★ (out of four)
The Globe and Mail
“…a sophisticated, nuanced, complex portrait of the woman’s voice. It offers an incisive, humorous, thoughtful, afflictive telling of a narrative that is undeniably true, yet criminally underrepresented”
Espace Musique
Share this:
Call For Aboriginal Artists To Exhibit Their Work
13 Jan
The Britannia Art Gallery regularly exhibits art work, but each June they exhibit work of an aboriginal artist(s). They are now seeking submissions from aboriginal artists wishing to showcase their work. The Britannia Art Gallery is located within the Britannia Library thus is a dual purpose space which is also used as a Reading Lounge. In June, the gallery will host a reception for the chosen artist(s) and publicize the event. The artist will receive a small honorarium of $200 in total, shared if more than one artist. The artists are welcome to sell their work, but responsible for their own sales. If you wish to apply, visit the link for Aboriginal Artist Exhibition Submission. Deadline to apply is March 30, 2017. If you would like more information or have questions, you can contact the Curator, Haruko Okano by email at harokano@telus.net.
Share this:
Rescue Me: K.D. & Lange – Two Chihuahuas Looking For Their Forever Home(s)
11 JanWelcome to the next installment of Rescue Me in which we feature pets waiting for adoption at the Vancouver BC SPCA. Today we would like to introduce you to 2 lovely little Chihuahuas. They are K.D. and Lange and came together to the Vancouver SPCA through a cruelty investigation. These two girls are 7 and 8 years old respectively. It would be nice to see K.D. and Lange go to a new home together, but their friends at the Vancouver BC SPCA think they would both adjust to being adopted separately with some love and understanding from their new pet savvy guardians. Both girls would be able to go to a home with another dog as long as it is a calm, patient and confident canine, but neither would be suitable in a home with young children. The girls are a bit nervous, but gaining more confidence with the help of the staff and volunteers at the Vancouver BC SPCA, so much so they are now wagging their tails when it’s time for their walk. They are not fully house trained yet, but staff and volunteers have been working with them. Both K.D. and Lange would love a lap to curl up on and each would smother you with kisses. The girls are hanging out behind the desk with the staff at the Vancouver BC SPCA Branch, so feel free to stop by and say hi to these two lovely girls. You can see them at 1205 East 7th Avenue or if you have questions, you can contact the Shelter by telephone at 604-879-7721 or by email at vancouver@spca.bc.ca. As always, we thank you in advance for sharing this information to help these lovely girls find their FURever home.
Share this:
Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2017 Happens January 20 – February 5
9 Jan
Dine Out Vancouver, Canada’s largest restaurant festival gets under way January 20th for its 15th season with over 280 restaurants participating. For the restaurants participating in Dine Out, they will be offering 3 prix-fixe menus, $20, $30 or $40. As in past years, there are also a number of special events as part of Dine Out. The gang at Off the Eaten Track Tours is offering a few delish tours including Sip, Savour & Shop Main Tour, Discover Railtown Culinary Tour and Discover The East Village Culinary Tour. Vancouver Foodster’s Richard Wolak will be doing two brunch crawls in East Vancouver. First up, will be the East Village Brunch Crawl on Saturday, January 28th followed by the Commercial Drive Brunch Crawl on Sunday, February 5th. If you wish to participate in any of the special events during Dine Out, we recommend purchasing tickets promptly, many sell out quickly. If you have a particular restaurant, you wish to try again make your reservation early. Many fill up quickly and reservations open Monday, January 9th (today). For a full rundown of all the participating restaurants and events, visit Dine Out Vancouver.
ILiveInEastVan.com 