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Sunday School Wine Education Is Back At Vancouver Urban Winery

22 Jan

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Starting this Sunday, January 26th, Vancouver Urban Winery’s Sunday School is back with some wine education classes.  This weekend’s class is “The Price is Wrong”.   They will help answer what price has got to do with it when choosing wines.  The hosts will take you through a series of blind tastings of both inexpensive as well as some more expensive wines. To keep things fair, the wines will be from the same grape and the same country, just a different price tag.   You decide what you like best, as in the end, it all comes down to taste and what you like.  Classes run from 7:00 – 9:00 pm, doors open at 6:00 pm and you are invited to stay post class for a mix & mingle from 9:00 – 10:00 pm. Tickets are $40 and available from Vancouver Urban Winery, 55 Dunlevy Avenue. If you can’t make this week’s class, upcoming classes include:

February 16:              France vs the New World

March 16:             Sommelier Smack Down: the Rematch (SOLD OUT)

March 30:            Sommelier Smack Down (Bonus Class Added)

April 20:               Food Fight: The Great Beer vs. Wine Showdown

May 18:                 BC vs. the World: Round III

June 15:                The Cider House Rules

For more information or to purchase tickets visit EventBrite, or email the winery at info@vancouverurbanwinery.com or call them at T:  604.566.9463.

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Reasons To Be Pretty On Now At Havana Theatre Until Feb. 1st

21 Jan

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The play by Neil Labute titled the “Reasons To Be Pretty” is now on at the Havana Theatre until February 1st. This is a love story about the impossibility of love.   You will be introduced to Greg who adores his girlfriend, Steph. Greg also thinks Steph has a few physical imperfections which he casually mentions. As you might imagine, all hell breaks loose after that.  Reasons To Be Pretty is a hopeless romantic drama about the hopelessness of romance.   The play runs until February 1st with pay what you can shows on January 21st and 28th, tickets on January 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th are $15, and shows on January 24th, 25th, 31st and Feb. 1st are $20.  Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets. Show is at 8:00 pm each evening.

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Gluten Free Expo At The PNE Forum Building January 25th & 26th

20 Jan

GlutenFreeExpoVancouverIn case you missed the recent news story in the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver is the gluten free capital.  Organizers of last year’s Gluten Free Expo held at the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre expected some 3,000 to 5,000 visitors, but instead 25,000 people showed up. This gives you some sense of the level of interest in gluten free living in Vancouver.   This year’s Expo will be held at the PNE Forum Building, 2901 East Hastings Street on January 25th & 26th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Whatever your reason for your interest in gluten free living whether medical, allergies or just general health, you will find a wealth of information at the Gluten Free Expo.  As well as a long list of exhibitors, a number of Speaker Series have been scheduled. Topics include: 

– Successful Strategies for Living Gluten-Free

– Allergen and Gluten Free, Plant-Based Living

– Using Immune boosting Gluten Free Grains

– You’re What You Absorb: Eat to support digestive wellness

For a full rundown of the Speaker Series and their times, visit their website at Gluten Free Expo Vancouver. Advance tickets are available online for $12 or you can purchase them for $15 at the door (cash only).  Children under the age of 10 are free.

If you are unable to attend the Expo this weekend, but wish to learn more about gluten free living in Vancouver, I invite you to check out Gluten Free Vancouver.

Also, why not check out some of the these local East Van bakeries offering great gluten free foods:

THE GLUTEN FREE EPICUREAN is a great bakery that offers light lunches as well as having a take & bake section. They are located at 633 East 15th Avenue (Fraser & Kingsway) and are open Monday to Saturday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm and Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.  They have a great selection of cakes, muffins, cookies, bars, pastries, cranberry pecan or olive fig artisan crackers, a frozen food section with items to take home including vegan pizza dough, pie crusts sausage & veggie rolls and precooked pot pies & quiches.   Did I mention donuts! Lots of vegan offerings as well.

EAST VILLAGE BAKERY, 2166 E. Hastings Street. This is another great spot with delicious cookies including coconut macaroons, chocolate lava, rosehip thumbprints and pistachio lemon.  But their specialty is bread, baked fresh daily. The Gluten Free Buckwheat Seed Loaf is their most popular.  They also have some great vegan options including a vegan raspberry pecan bar.   They are open Wednesday to Friday 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and closed Monday & Tuesday.

ITALIA BAKERY, #104 – 2828 East Hastings Street, recently announced that they are now carrying some gluten free and vegan cookies, muffins and banana bread. They are open Monday to Saturday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday 9:00 – 5:00 pm.

Do you know of a place in East Vancouver that has a great selection of gluten free products? Feel free to share and add to the comments section.

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Eastside Flea At The Wise Hall Saturday, January 18th

17 Jan

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The ever popular Eastside Flea is back at the Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac Street, this Saturday, January 18th.  Like past events, you will find an array of items from many local vendors. You can expect to find collectibles, records, antiques, vintage clothing, books, local artists such as RISH Jewelry with some handmade rings and, of course, so much more. The Flea gets under way at 10:00 a.m. and goes till 4:00 p.m. All ages welcome. Admission is $1.00.  If you miss it this weekend, the next scheduled dates at the Wise Hall are February 22nd, March 8th & 22nd and April 12th.

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East Van: Powell Street Self-Guided Tour – Odd Society Spirits, Parallel 49 Brewing Company & More

15 Jan

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I recently had the pleasure of some wanderings with friends exploring Powell Street at the foot of Commercial Drive.  This is a unique area with lots to tantalize the taste buds. I will make the bold prediction that this will be a destination location on a foodie/culinary tour before long. This is an area I highly encourage you to visit.  Why you might ask?   Well lets see, there is the Michelin trained chef at Kessel & March, the distillers of East Van Vodka at Odd Society Spirits with a beautiful Tasting Room and a Crème de Cassis that’s absolutely delicious. Then there are the brewmasters at Powell Street Brewery, Coal Harbour Brewing, Parallel 49 Brewing and Storm Brewing.  If that wasn’t enough, there is now the Bistro Wagon Rouge, sister restaurant to the Red Wagon Café, which serves up delicious casual French fare.

You can check out any of these spots at your leisure, but we’ve set out some recommendations so you can do your own self-guided tour:

  1. Breakfast/Brunch at Kessel & March located at 109 -1701 Powell Street, the Vancouver East Village calls it “ simple and sophisticated eats in an intimate and classy environment”.   Mia Stainsby of the Vancouver Sun says it “has the soul of a fine French bistro”. Great spot to start out for breakfast or lunch. Kessel & March is open Saturday and Sunday for brunch starting at 10:00 am.Parallel49RubyTears
  2. Need to walk off brunch?  Take a short walk from Kessel & March (3 ½ blocks) to Parallel 49 Brewing Company located at 1946 Triumph Street (at Victoria Street).  You can try a flight of 4 beers for $3.50, a sleeve for $3.00 or a tasting glass for $1.00.   Parallel 49 is open from Noon – 9:00 pm daily.  Don’t forget to check out their special infusions for the day.  Also, if you are try this spot closer to dinner time, don’t be surprised to find one of the City’s many great food trucks outside.
  3. Another short walk from Parallel 49 Brewing Company (1 ½ blocks) will take you to Powell Street Craft Brewery located at 1830 Powell Street. They also have a Tasting Room and showcase some local art.  They have a Brown Porter the brewers say will “shock your senses with an explosive bomb of flavor”. It’s said to have a deep roasted malt character with hints of caramel, toffee, chocolate, and nuts.  Oh, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this little brewery won big at the Canadian Brewing Awards this past year with Beer of the Year for its Old Jalopy Pale Ale.  This nano-brewer beat out 764 entries. Obviously, they are are doing something right. Powell Street Craft Brewery is open Wednesday to Saturday 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
  4. Coal Harbour Brewing is in the neighbourhood located at 1967 Triumph Street, but as yet no Tasting Room, but I hear Kessel & March carries their beer.
  5. Storm Brewing Company is located at 310 Commercial Drive.  This is a small craft brewery open Tuesday – Saturday with Wednesday being ‘brew day’ if you wish to watch that process. They offer informal tours anytime during business hours which I believe is until 6:00 pm. Best to call the brewery directly for their hours if you wish to make this part of your tour. UPDATE: Starting April 6th, 2014 Storm Brewing will be open Sundays from 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  6. Take a short walk from Storm Brewing Company (2 ½ blocks) to Odd Society Spirits, located at 1725 Powell Street, to taste some East Van Vodka and Crème de Cassis, gin to be coming soon. They have a beautiful Tasting RooEastVanVodkam and the hosts are happy to share how they became distillers and what they are working on now.  From what I gather, they love to experiment.  Tours run regularly at 4:00 pm. Friday, Saturdays and Sundays.  Tasting Room hours are Thursday to Sunday from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. If you want to learn a bit more about the great minds behind this operation, check this recent write up in Eat Magazine.
  7. Now it’s probably time for some food. For that, take a short walk (1 block) over to Bistro Wagon Rogue located at 1869 Powell Street. This is casual French food with lots of daily specials written up on the chalk board as well as their regular menu.   Many of the dishes are perfect for sharing. TheBistroWagonRougey also have a very nice wine selection and great service. To learn more about their delicious dishes, check out the most recent review in the Georgia Straight. Bistro Wagon Rouge is open Tuesday – Saturday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
  8. If you aren’t ready to call it a day, you can always make your way over to the Princeton Pub at 1901 Powell Street which often has live music.

Some of the craft breweries and Bistro Wagon Rogue are not open Sundays, so you may wish to pick your days as to which spots you wish to visit, or break them up into a couple of visits. Regardless, how you do the tour, this is a great spot for exploring.

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21st Century Flea Market At Croatian Cultural Centre Sunday January 19th

14 Jan

21st Century FleaMarketMay26th21st Century Flea Market is holding a flea market this Sunday, January 19th at the Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive. There will be 175 vendors on hand with a variety of items including antiques, collectibles, memorabilia, jewellery, pottery, postcards, records, retro furnishings, dolls, toys and so much more.   Should you be in need of having an item appraised, they will be holding ‘drop-in appraisals’ from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on a first come first served basis.  They do ask that the items be small enough to carry, with a maximum of three items per person.  The cost for a verbal appraisal is $10 per item or $25 for 3 items, cash only.   The drop-in appraisals will be conduct by Gale Pirie, an independent accredited member of the Canadian Canadian Personal Property Appraisers Group.   The market runs from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. General admission is $5 at the door. There will also be a special early-bird admission for $20 from 7:00 am – 10:00 am for those wanting a jump on things. Children under 13 are free with adult admission.

Should you wish to have a coffee and/or lunch before or after your shop, consider Commercial Street Café for something close by. It’s a great little hidden gem tucked away a few blocks down the street from the Croatian Cultural Centre. Open Sunday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm and located at 3599 Commercial Street, at East 20th Avenue. Of course, going North up the Drive after the market, you have a whole host of great coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants to choose from.

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Indie I Do Wedding Show at Heritage Hall January 25th

13 Jan

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You are invited to attend the 6th Annual Indie I Do Wedding Show taking place at the Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Saturday, January 25th. This is billed as the sassiest wedding show in town.   The event which is a production between Lotus Events Inc. and Blue Olive Photography brings together over 30 local vendors.  This is much more than your traditional wedding show think edgy and original.  If you are looking for something a little off beat, same sex or a wedding with some personality, this is where you will find it.  Some of the vendors that will be on hand include:

Blue Brocade | Blue Olive Photography | Carmen West Creative | Chris Ronald Music

Delish General Store | Delovely Creative | DJ Veronica Events | Everlovin’ Press | Fiesta Creative Catering

Foe and Dear | Green With Envy | Heirloom Magazine | Hera Films | Images by Bethany | Jennifer Jones Jewelry

Kayla English Creative | LanaBetty Designs | lotus events inc. | Honeybee Centre | Photobooth Vancouver

Planit Weddings | Sarita Mann Design Studio | Something Nice! | The Seasonal Experience | Stone Photo

[stu-di-o] by jeanie | Sweet Thea Cakes | Whisper Jewels | Young, Hip and Married

Tickets are available online with a guaranteed swag bag to the first 70 online purchasers.   Note, there will also be 30 swag bags for the first 30 couples through the door on January 25th. Tickets are $15 each or $20 each at the door. The Indie I Do Wedding Show kicks off at 11:00 a.m. and goes till 5:00 p.m.

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East Side Brunch Crawl January 26th

9 Jan

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Dine Out Vancouver, Canada’s largest restaurant festival gets under way January 17th with another fun event in East Vancouver, the East Side Brunch Crawl.  This event is being presented by Vancouver Foodster (Richard Wolak) and the Drive Business Improvement Association.  The event will take place on Sunday, January 26th and begins at 10:00 am at LaLa’s, 1748 Commercial Drive. Here you will pick up your “passport” which is your guide to 8 restaurants on Commercial Drive.  From there, you begin your food crawl which includes fresh juices, smoothies, coffees, eggs benedict, pancakes, French toast, omelettes, meats, desserts and more.  Some of the participating restaurants include Timbre Restaurant, Dolce Amore, Yolks Breakfast and Turks Coffee.  Outside of your passport, we do recommend you bring your appetite. Cost for the East Side Brunch Crawl is $40 and includes all food and beverage samples at participating locations. Note, tax and gratuities not included. To purchase your tickets for the East Side Brunch Crawl, visit Tickets Tonight.

 

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Tipper Restaurant & Review Continues Saturday Night Supper Series

8 Jan

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The Tipper Restaurant and Review Room continues their Saturday Concert Series in 2014. On deck this Saturday night is Neighbourhood Night with hosts Andrea Smith and Barbara McGeough.  Hopefully, Andrea will do a song or two for everyone. This woman has an amazing voice with the looks of Meryl Streep and bit of the devil may care attitude that seems to go with both these women.   Then on Saturday, January 18th, The Tipper Room welcomes Just Duets and on Saturday, February 1st, the local bluegrass band, Highrise Lonesome.

Each of the evenings, music begins at 8:00 p.m., but doors open at 7:15 p.m. Reservations are not available, so either come early for dinner and grab your seat, or come and have a drink while you watch the show.  Cost of show is $10 at the door or pay what you can.  The Tipper Restaurant and Review Room is located at 2066 Kingsway at Victoria Drive.

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An Evening With Fidel At Havana Restaurant From January 8th – 11th

7 Jan

FidelCastroYou are invited to An Evening with Fidel in the theatre at Havana Restaurant, 1212 Commercial Drive.  This is a play that will be performed in two acts by way of Bravura acting.  The play created and performed by Tim Perez will recreate scenes from the life of one of the most complex characters of our times. Tim Perez will use Fidel’s own words, gleaned from interviews, speeches and personal recollections.  The play will also incorporate historic film footage and mixed media set design.  The play runs from January 8th through to January 11th at 8:00 pm each evening. Tickets are available online through Brown Paper Tickets at a cost of $20, or are available at the door (cash only).

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