You are invited to a special event by our friends at Dogwood Brewing which in case you don’t know are the City’s only organic brewer. They will be hosting a delish night of beer & BBQ with Fire & Feast on Saturday, December 10th. The event will feature an indoor fire pit where you can get cozy with your friends or make some new friends and nosh on delish BBQ while enjoying some locally made beverages. The BBQ will be catered by Memphis Blues BBQ House with the option of BBQ chicken, ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork or double-smoked farmer sausage. We hear veggie options will be available. For refreshments, they will have a limited release of a S’more Stout befitting the occasion as well as mulled wine and cider. Tickets for this event are a very reasonable $28 which includes your meal and two drink tickets. Advance tickets are available through Eventbrite.
Fire & Feast – Beer & BBQ At Dogwood Brewing December 10th
1 Dec
Delish Holiday Classes At The Uncommon Café This December
22 Nov
The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, is hosting some delicious classes which will help you with your holiday entertaining and/or gift giving. Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple will be leading classes this December perfect for holiday entertaining . You can learn to make Eggnog Cream Puffs and Orange Cranberry Almond Shortbread just to name two of the goodies. These sounds so good, you may not want to gave them away as a gift, but stash away for yourself. We’ve set out below two of the upcoming classes and what they will cover.
Eclairs and Cream Puff Holiday Special – Saturday, December 10th 6-9 pm
Valentine will teach you the basics of Choux pastry and how to decorate them with cheer while, of course, sipping on Champagne. The fillings she will teach you will be sweet and savoury and include Candy Cane Eclairs, Eggnog Cream Puffs, Savory Gougeres (Cheese Puffs). You are asked to bring containers so you can take some of creations home, that is if you don’t eat them all. This class is $65 and runs from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To register, visit Eventbrite. Register early and save $10.
Ultimate Holiday Baking Class With Champagne Wednesday, December 21st 6-9 pm
In this holiday baking class, Valentine is going to teach you how to make some amazing holiday treats which make great gifts. In this class you will learn to make Peppermint Meringue, Chocolate Truffles, Orange Cranberry Almond Shortbread and Coconut Macaroons dipped in chocolate. They all just happen to be gluten free. During the class, you will be served champagne and canapes. Now this is how one prepares for the holidays. Again, bring those containers so you can take your creations home. This class is $65 and runs from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To register, visit Eventbrite. Register early and save $10.
No baking experience? No worries, the recipes are easy, Valentine will walk you through it and make it fun.
Bon appetit!
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Eastside Culture Crawl – Bits, Bites, Beer & More On The Crawl
18 Nov
For all those participating in this year’s Eastside Culture Crawl which is taking place November 17- 20, 2016, we have a few thoughts on where to stop to refuel. We know from first hand experience all that walking on the Crawl makes you hungry and thirsty and the opportunity to put your feet up for a bit, is a welcome one. With that in mind, we thought we would set out some delish spots to check out for a bite, refreshment or more. As the Crawl covers a great deal of ground, we have set it out by geographic area. Since our experience has been to pick a general area to concentrate on and stop in at a number of artists within walking distance.
Hastings Sunrise
In Hastings Sunrise, there is no lack of choices along the stretch of East Hastings. Some great options include Roundel Café, Jackalope’s Dive and Red Wagon Café for brunch for starters. For coffee, we’d hit Platform 7 Coffee. Of course, for lunch or brunch, Tacofino Commissary is a no brainer anytime. If you have a hankering for something sweet, well a couple of great options include Black Rook Bakehouse and East Village Bakery.
Grandview Woodlands
If you are wandering in the Grandview Woodlands area, you could start with breakfast or lunch at Scandillious at 25 Victoria Drive. Looking for coffee? We’d hit Pallet Roasters. If it’s a stop for beer or a cocktail, check out Parallel 49 Brewing, Doan’s Craft Brewing, Storm Brewing or Odd Society Spirits. Looking for something sweet, well the Pie Shoppe on Powell Street at Victoria has that covered off with a selection of handmade chocolate from Melt Confections on hand along with their amazing pie. If you are looking for dinner after the Crawl, Bistro Wagon Rogue that has casual French fare and it’s located right next to the Pie Shoppe on Powell Street.
Commercial Drive
On Commercial Drive you have a plethora of options whether it’s coffee, cocktails or a bite. We couldn’t even begin to name them all, but a few that come to mind include Moja’s Coffee, Continental Coffee, The Drive Coffee Bar and Turks. For the perfect sandwhich to go (and big enough for two in most cases), we recommend La Grotta del Fromaggio. While there, we highly suggest a stop into Fratelli Bakery next door. If it’s brunch you are looking for, Havana Restaurant and is one of many great spots on the Drive. Just up the street you have Biercraft which also serves brunch and a great selection of beer. Of course just a quick walk from The Drive down Venables is Uprising Breads for a great coffee and snack spot. Oh and we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention a favourite spot for licorice lovers, the Licorice Parlour. If you are looking for pizza on The Drive, there are a few options Famoso, Lombardo’s, Marcello’s and just off The Drive on Victoria Drive is a personal favourite Via Tevere Pizzeria.
Strathcona/Railtown
Well there are some delish stops in this general area including the Settlement Building in Railtown which is a great spot for brunch before you start or a glass of beer or wine during or after. Les Amis du Fromage is hosting a Pop Up Shop with the Salty Cookie Company this Saturday, November 19th. So if you have a sweet craving, we do encourage you stop by. If you are looking for dinner after Ask for Luigi is in the area as is the MacKenzie Room directly across from Oppenheimer Park and The Heatley not far down the street. If you wish to make a stop for coffee, the Wilder Snail in the heart of Strathcona is a quaint option.
Clark Drive
This is a developing area which we expect will be changing more in the coming years. Right now it’s home to Strange Fellows Brewing which is featuring Moving Art as part of the Crawl, so beer and art under one roof. For coffee, check out Agro Roasters at Frances Avenue on Clark Drive. For sushi and something quick and reasonable, Fujiya at the corner of Clark and Venables. Of course, Yolks Breakfast at East Hastings has breakfast all day to fuel you and if it’s beer you are after Callister Brewing just off Clark on Franklin Street is a collaborative brewery which always has some great art on hand all year long.
Which every way you slice it and where you decide to Crawl, get out and see some great art!
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20th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl November 17-20
15 Nov
The Eastside Culture Crawl is back for 4 days starting Thursday, November 17th. This is a special year as the Crawl celebrates its 20th anniversary. This 4 day arts extravaganza features over 500 artists in and around the heart of East Vancouver. Artists with a variety of mediums open their studio doors so you can see first hand their working space, their creative process and of course meet the artisans. On the Crawl, you will meet painters, jewelers, sculptors, textile artists, furniture makers, weavers, potters, printmakers, wood carvers, photographers and so much more. The event grows each year and now comprises over 80 buildings from Main Street to Victoria Drive and First Avenue to Powell Street. This year, the Crawl has a couple of new artists joining the event.
Engelbert Romero does fine arts photography and digital art and is located in Octopus Studios at 393 Powell Street. Engelbert is a fine arts photographer originally from Venezuela. His pieces a
re based on architecture-inspired images. He uses a digital camera to take photos of buildings, lines and patterns while keeping an eye out for unique shapes and forms. He likes to capture images not evident to the naked eye. We invite you to check out his work at Octopus Studios which we note is a hop skip and jump from the very popular McKenzie Room. We have featured one of his pieces below.
Aurelia Bizouard paints with tempered glass and plexiglass is located at 321 Railway Street in Railtown Studios. Aurelia works in GLASSISM which is not easily defined but is a 
type of art working on glass and acrylic as a medium. She came up with the word GLASSISM, a visual art movement made out of paint on glass. We invite you to check out urelia’s beautiful pieces at Railtown Studios. She’s located a hop, skip and jump from Ask for Luigi. Of course, the Settlement Building is close to both these studios which offers bites, beer and wine.
While on the Crawl, we invite you to check out a very cool event happening at the Charles Clark Gallery located in Strange Fellow Brewing, 1345 Clark Drive. It is the 3rd Annual Film and Video Projection Series called Moving Art. This event takes place daily from November 17th – 20th from Noon to 11:00 pm. Moving Art features evocative, art-based, contemporary silent films. So pop in and sample some great beer and check out art at the same time.
What we love about the Eastside Culture Crawl is that there is no set schedule. You go where you want on The Crawl for as long as you want. There are of course so many great spots to stop for a bite and drink along the way. Whether you are in Strathcona, off the Drive, Railtown, Hastings Sunrise, Downtown Eastside or off the growing stretch off Clark Drive, there are countless options for coffee, beer, food and wine. To help guide you through some of the art available, the Eastside Culture Crawl has a great rundown of all the artists on their website including a printable .PDF map to help you find your way. The Crawl runs November 17th and 18th from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 19th and Sunday, November 20th from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. See you on the Crawl.
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Anna Olson Book Signing At Gourmet Warehouse November 1st
25 Oct
If you love Anna Olson, you may wish to head down to Gourmet Warehouse on November 1st. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, Anna Olson is a professionally trained pastry chef among many other talents. She hosts Bake With Anna Olson on the Food Network and has written a new cookbook Bake With Anna Olson which has more than 125 recipes for booked goods from her popular Food Network Canada show. On November 1st, you will have the opportunity to obtain a signed copy of her newest cookbook and meet Anna while sipping on a glass of wine or prosecco and nibbling on some sweet treats. Tickets for this event are $45 and include a signed copy of her new cookbook. The event takes place at Gourmet Warehouse from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Tickets are available online and are non-refundable, but if you aren’t able to make it, you can send someone in your place.
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Winter Markets In East Vancouver
19 Oct
Vancouver Farmers Market host two great markets during the winter months. We’ve set out the dates and times below, but both have some great additions to entice you to join them, rain or shine, in January and February. Hastings Park is showcasing some new vendors that can only be found at Hastings Park including The Smallflower Gluten Free Bakery, Tempea Tempeh, North Pacific Kelp & Wild Foods, Cedar Isle Farms, Georels Smokehouse, Lita’s Mexican Foods. This February Food Truck February is back at both markets, Nat Bailey Stadium and Hastings Park with the biggest line up ever of food trucks. Purchase a Food Truck Passport and get it stamped at each stop and you have the chance to win a Food Truck Golden Ticket which means a free food truck meal every week for a year! Just a little extra entice to get out and support local.
Nat Bailey Stadium – November 5 to April 22 / 10 – 2
The biggest Winter Farmers Market is at Nat Bailey Stadium, 4601 Ontario Street on Saturday November 5th and runs each Saturday until April 22nd, 2017 save for December 24th and 31st. The market will run each day from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Hastings Park – November 6 to April 30 / 10 – 2
If you prefer heading to the farmers market on a Sunday, then be sure to check out the now popular market at Hastings Park. This farmers market will run every Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm until April 30, 2017 save for December 25th and January 1st. The market is located on the PNE grounds by the Hastings Skatepark.
Photo Credit: Deborah Waller
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Great Line Up of Delish Pop Up Shops at Former Pie Shoppe Gore Street Location
19 Sep
The French sisters, proprietors of The Pie Shoppe, who are known for making fabulous pie have moved their pie making expertise to their new larger location at 1875 Powell Street. This means their former location on Gore Street in Chinatown will be home to some food inspired Pop Up Shops over the coming months. We’ve learnt what some of those delish edibles will be and set them out below. We invite you to stop by and support these budding entrepreneurs.
September 17 – 23, 2016
Hey, Dumplings! with Chef Heather Johnston. She will be making fresh handmade sweet and savoury dumplings from 11:00 am each day until they sell out. You are welcome to eat-in (although a very tiny space, or take out). Cost is $12 a bowl. If you wish to follow Chef Heather, you can check her out on Instagram at @heydumplings. Or if you wish to learn how to make your own delicious dumplings, Chef Heather is offering workshops this week. Check out her website at HeyDumplings! for dates and times.
September 24 – October 2, 2016
ULAM with Chef Josie Heyland. Chef Josie will be making French inspired Filipino meat and veggie bowls with local and fresh ingredients. Prices range from $5 – $15.
October 11 – 31, 2016
Melt Confections with Pastry Chef Kate Mathewson. She will be making delicious chocolates and other confectionaries from $3 a piece.
November 2 – April 30, 2016
Sweet Boy Cream Puffs with Chams. These we heard were being sold by way of tricycle and we hear are absolutely delicious. Chams will be making seasonally inspired cream puffs and confectionaries. He will be also be serving coffee and a selection of some of his favourite things. Prices will start at $4. You can follow him on Instagram at @sweetboycreampuffs to see what’s new or where you might find him before November.
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Vancouver Fringe Festival Brings Festa! To The Portuguese Club of Vancouver September 8-18, 2016
6 Sep
The Vancouver Fringe Festival is happening in and around Vancouver September 8th to 18th. There is one show with a very decidedly East Van twist to it, that is Festa! which takes place at the Portuguese Club of Vancouver at 1144 Commercial Drive. This show speaks to us on many levels and we think it will to many others who grew up in East Vancouver. Having parents that immigrated from Europe, our neighbourhood was about as multi-cultural as you could get. It was and still is one of things I loved most about growing up in East Van. It felt like you were celebrating different cultures every day but didn’t really know it at the time. It’s only in looking back you can fully appreciate it. This is what makes Festa! so unique. It was created and will be performed by two Portuguese ladies, Maria J. Cruz and Sandra Medeiros. Maria and Sandra grew up in East Van and met at Charles Tupper Secondary School. They both have fond memories of growing up in East Van. Maria we learnt used to troll the alleyways with her grandfather with a scythe to collect grass for their bunnies whereas Sandra remembers growing up surrounded by hippies and people of various cultures. We hear Sandra even participated in the Miss PCOV Pageant as a teen. We learnt these ladies felt there was a bit of stigma living in East Van, but that it made them tough, scrappy and resourceful. We think this applies to many of us that grew up in East Van. We asked them what they loved most about growing up in a Portuguese family. “The food was always amazing! We have the ability to laugh and joke around, even when you don’t have much. Knowing that your family is fiercely protective and will always have your back. Portuguese families are tight knit and loving, even while driving you crazy!” Now getting back to the food, like many cultures, this is a big part of theirs and experiencing the food is an option while you watch Festa! As this show will be taking place at the Portuguese Club of Vancouver, the Club is offering a special Festa! Menu for $25 which includes:
Calde Verde o Salada Mixta –
Portuguese Kale Soup or a House Salad
Bacalhau a Casa o Feijoada Vegetariano –
Traditional Cod with Fries or Veggie Bean Stew
Pastel de nata o Arroz Doce –
Portuguese egg tart or rice pudding
We are inclined to go for the egg tarts alone. There are not many places left in Vancouver to find them. Tickets for the show are available in advance for $14 through the Vancouver Fringe Festival and $5 for the membership, the Festa meal is of course separate and available once you arrive at The Club. This is one show we plan to see. Hope to see you there!
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Foto Friday – For The Love Of Pie
2 Sep
Last Sunday we checked out the new digs of The Pie Shoppe’s new Powell Street location at the foot of Victoria. They had a soft opening this past Saturday, August 27th. This is bright white beautiful space with reclaimed wood tables and dotted with plants and an amazing selection of records. It is situated in great company, with neighbours like Bistro Wagon Rogue right next door and Doan’s Craft Brewing across the street, not to mention Scandillious just around the corner. So one could easily do their own food and beer walking tour with a number of other breweries within easy walking distance such as Parallel 49 Brewing. Last Sunday though we came for the pie and the Pie Making Workshop which was a lot of fun. The Pie Shoppe is run by two sisters, Stephanie and Andrea French, who truly are the masters of pie, specifically the pie dough making it look well, easy as pie. Anyone that’s made pie dough knows there are some variations and it takes some practice to get that crust just right. We left our workshop with a perfect pie which was filled with peaches, nectarines, a few cherries a bit of vanilla bean syrup, cinnamon and cardamom. It was truly an amazing pie which earned us rave reviews from family and friends. Whether you wish to learn how to make your own pie, sweet or savoury, or just stop by and taste a slice, do check out The Pie Shoppe on Powell Street. The French sisters have a couple more workshops coming up this month and if you can’t make those, more are planned as they settle into their new space.
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Gourmet Warehouse Offering Delish Cooking Classes This September
29 Aug
The Gourmet Warehouse has another round of delicious cooking classes lined up for this Fall. These classes are a great way to spend an afternoon and meet some like-minded food lovers. Personally, we like the shopping after the cooking class as participants are offered a 10% discount for purchases made the day of your class. We have set out below some of the upcoming classes that caught our eye. For a full line up of all the classes Gourmet Warehouse is offering visit Cooking Classes.
Sushi Workshop – Saturday, September 17th 11:00 am ($69) SOLD OUT
In this hands-on class, Chef Cindy Low is going to teach you how to make sushi. You will learn to make vinegared sushi rice, how to mix wasabi, how to prepare a variety of fillings including seafood, vegetarian, tofu and eggs. As well, Chef Low will teach how to make sushi rolls, cones and a variety of shapes as well as tips on how to host your own ‘do it yourself’ sushi party. Some of the sushi you will learn to make include:
• California rolls (crab, avocado, cucumber, rolled “inside out”)
• Futomaki (thick roll with vegetables, omelet, Japanese pickled vegetables)
• Hoso maki (thin rolls, with various fillings, such as salmon, tuna, cucumber)
• Inari sushi (stuffed tofu pouches)
• Temaki (cones, with various fillings)
• Nigiri sushi (rice with a sliced topping)
• Gunkan sushi (rice wrapped with seaweed with various fillings)
• Onigiri (rice triangles)
• Miso soup with tofu
Taco Night– Saturday, September 24th 11:00 am ($65)
In this demonstration cooking class, Chef Cindy Low is going to teach you three different ways to make very tasty tacos. She will also teach you how to make homemade salsa and Mexican brownies. These really are simple the dishes to make, so for the novice wishing to learn a few skills, you won’t be disappointed. Some of the delicious dishes you will learn to make include:
• Classic Tex-Mex tacos – crispy taco shell with ground beef, tomatoes,
cheese, lettuce, sour cream, avocado
• Chicken fajitas – marinated chicken breast with bell peppers and onions wrapped
in a wheat tortilla
• Salmon tacos with papaya salsa, soft corn tortilla
• Easiest ever homemade salsa, served with tortilla chips
• Mexican brownies
Flavours of Vietnam – Sunday, September 25th 11:00 am ($65)
In this demonstration cooking class, Thompson Tran is going to teach you how to make classic Vietnamese dishes. He will focus on family budgets, what’s local and in season all in the pursuit of our favourite thing, delicious food As always, you are encouraged to come hungry, you will be eating the items made in class. Thompson has chosen three Vietnamese dishes that are simple, inexpensive quick and healthy. What you will learn to make includes:
• Appetizer: “CHA GOI, NUOC MAM PHA” (Gluten free spring rolls & Nuoc Cham)
• Main: “Ca KHO TO, COM VA SU XAO TOI” (Caramelized tilapia with scented
jasmine rice and garlic chayote)
• Dessert: “CHE XOI NUOC” (Mochi dumplings in coconut ginger syrup).
If you are interested in any of the cooking classes, be sure to register early to avoid disappointment, classes do sell out. Bon Appetit!
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