Liberty Merchant Company presents the Best of Craft BC tasting event on Wednesday, August 17th at the Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac Street. The event will feature craft beers, cider, mead and spirits from all over BC. There will also be some tasty samplings from Commercial Drive food purveyors. This event is also a fundraiser for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society which helps provide food for up to 25,000 people in need each week. All ticket sales and draw prizes directly support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. Tickets are $24.99 each plus a food donation (canned tomatoes have been requested). You can purchase tickets at all Liberty Wine Merchant locations. In East Vancouver, visit them at 1622 Commercial Drive or call them at 604.633.1922. The event gets under way at 7:00 p.m. and goes till 9:00 pm.
Best of Craft BC At The Wise Hall August 17th
10 Aug
The Uncommon Café Offers Basic Choux Pastry & Basic Canning Classes
8 Aug
Our friends at The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, have lined up some more fun classes this August. The classes are led by Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple. Valentine was born and raised in France and is a chef that has worked in hotels in Paris, Singapore, New Orleans and Toronto. She now works with The Uncommon Café, a commissary and café located just across the street from Oppenheimer Park. This great spot now has a lot of great company with Ed’s Daily, The Heatley and The MacKenzie Room just minutes away. We’ve set out below the classes they have lined up this August which are a bit shorter, 2 hours, so you can maximize your time outdoors.
Basic Choux Pastry – August 10th 6-8 pm
This is one of their most popular classes in which you learn to make basic choux pastry. Although this class is a bit shorter, you will still learn the basics of making cream puffs and eclairs. You will also get to pipe your own pastries, fill and decorate them, before taking everything home to devour. The cost of this class is $50 per person, but if you book one week in advance, you save 15%. You can book your spot online via Eventbrite.
Basic Canning – Keep Summer In The Jar – August 17th 6-8 pm
This is a new class that will introduce you to the basic techniques of canning. With all the summer fruit that’s now on hand, this is certainly a way to keep some of those summer flavours handy. This is a demonstration class and Valentine will show you how to make blackberry jam and as well as dill pickles. She will also talk about how to can fruits, salsa, pate so you leave with some great tips to work with at home.The cost of this class is also $50 per person, and again if you book one week in advance, you save 15%. You can book your spot online via Eventbrite. 
If you haven’t already checked out their classes, we encourage to pop down and give them a try.
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Fundraiser At Stateside Craft August 15th for Pediatric Transplant Research
2 Aug
You are invited to Stateside Craft on Monday, August 15th for a burger, fries and refreshment of your choice, being beer, wine or a highball. This event is hosted by Sheena & Adam Lee, Elaine Yong and Aaron McArthur. The inspiration for this event is a lovely girl named Addison who had a heart transplant at 3 weeks old. Addison recently celebrated her 5th birthday or ‘heart-iversary’ and is doing well. The facts are that the long-term survival rate for transplant receipts is only 50% at 10 years. There is more awareness in recent years of organ donors and the need for them, but that is only part of the equation. Research is needed to ensure transplant recipients lead long and healthy lives. All of the funds raised on August 15th go directly towards the great work BC scientists are doing in this area. There are 175 tickets to be sold at only $25 for such a great cause. Kids are welcome to join you. Did we mention, there will be a raffle with some great prizes on hand? You are asked to RSVP by registering for free through the Eventbrite page and organizers will contact you with details on how you can pay for your ticket. If payment is collected through Eventbrite, there is of course a fee. They would like to see every penny go to transplant research. Come out and support this worthwhile cause.
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Wine & Cheese Tasting At les amis du Fromage
25 Jul
If you haven’t stopped in at les amis du FROMAGE on 843 East Hastings, you are missing out. If you love cheese or want to learn more about cheese, this is the place to go. This fall they will be again be sharing some of their vast knowledge of cheese and offering some great classes in store including:
Wine and Cheese 101 – September 14th 6:30 – 8:30 pm $60
One of the owners Allison Spurrell will provide you with a roadmap for matching various cheese types and the wines that best suit them. Allison will introduce cheese basics, including milk types, textures, flavours, how to care for and serve fine cheeses. You will learn how best to pair wine with cheese. And yes, of course, there will be samples so you can discover what is perfect for you.
Vive la France – October 26th 6:30 – 8:30 pm $65
Allison will take you on a tour of taste with a selection of French cheeses and the many regions they come from. This tasting we hear will will feature some of the best France has to offer and will include wines from the Alsace, Loire valley and Bordeaux.
If you hadn’t heard les amis du FROMAGE has been voted “Best Cheese Shop” by readers of The Georgia Straight, The Westender and The Courier. They have another location in Kitsilano, but the tasting events are being held at the East Van location. Tickets for these are available online. Although these classes seems a little ways off into the future, note these classes do sell out quickly. So if interested, we suggest you reserve your spot(s).
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Self-Guided Food & Culture Tour Around Mount Pleasant
21 Jul
We recently organized a group walking tour in Mount Pleasant which included a bit of food, some libations as well as some local culture. We thought we’d share with you some of the spots we hit and in what order for those that wish to replicate some or all of the spots we hit in whatever order you see fit. Geographically, we started South on Main Street and worked our way North down the hill. We have listed out below all of our stops along the way with some alternate suggestions for those that wish to customize the list to their personal preferences. We had a blast on this tour and, of course, the local businesses, loved new faces being introduced to the products/services they offered. 
So enough of the preliminaries, let’s get touring. Our first stop was at 49th Parallel/Lucky’s Doughnuts at Main Street & 13th Avenue for great coffee and donuts. We were a group of 10, so lots of space on their outdoor patio for a larger group as well as inside. After coffee, we headed to Bird On A Wire Creations which is packed with so much great stuff by BC artisans and local makers. If you need to find a gift for someone, there’s a good chance you will find something here. If you are at Bird On A Wire on a Saturday, you may find Bouquets by Mary which is a floral pop up within Bird On A Wire Creations. While at Bird On A Wire, we encourage you to pop into another great store literally next door, Much & Little. Much & Little has some very cool items including 
clothing and accessories. Our find, coveted pens that write on glass and plates aptly named Wine Glass Writer. Next stop took us to Sips Cocktail Emporium where one of the owners Darcy is always on hand with advice and suggestions on how to make the prefect cocktail. Next up we headed for lunch and libations at Chicha Restaurant which features delicious
Peruvian food and delicious pisco sours which was a perfect spot for a late lunch/brunch before carrying on. For dessert, we headed over to French Made Baking where you can find an amazing array of macarons, flaky croissants and a variety of sweet treats. Next stop was Dandelion Emporium which again if you are looking for gifts, this is another spot with unique gift ideas. Then of course, right next door was Pulp Fiction Books which had a great selection of books. Next up was some stops across the street to check out a couple of the vintage shops on or near Main Street, F as In Frank and Scout Boutique (MOVED) whilst another group stopped into RX Comics. After that everyone got thirsty, so we made our way to Brassneck Brewery which was a great spot, but as a larger group, we did have to wait for a bit which we were fine with, but it’s a popular spot for those not wishing to wait. As many may know, there is quite a hub of craft breweries in this area, so there are a number of other great options including 33 Acres Brewing, Main Street Brewing & R&B Brewing which will soon also be an ale and pizza house. Our next intended stop was Beta 5 Chocolates which if you didn’t know makes world class chocolates and hosts Ice Cream Socials on the weekends in the summer months. We apparently spent some time hanging out in the brewery, so they were closed by the time we were ready to go. So we carried on to other two sweet spots. Firstly, Cartems Donuts which was literally a few feet from Brassneck Brewery and then down to Earnest Ice Cream at Quebec & 2nd to finish things off. Of course, if you prefer gelato, Mario’s Gelati isn’t far at 1st and Quebec. For those trying to figure out timing, we started our day about 11:30 am and finished up about 6:00 pm, but it was a leisurely day of wandering and catching up with friends and introducing them to some of the things I love about East Van. We invite you to do your own self-guided tour and visit as many of the spots noted above, they are all worth stopping in to see.
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Learn To Make The Perfect Pie With The Pie Shoppe
19 Jul
In case you hadn’t heard the news, Grandview Woodlands has a delicious new spot coming in the next few weeks. The second location of The Pie Shoppe will be situated next to Bistro Wagon Rouge at 1875 Powell Street. This delicious shop is the work of two sisters, Stephanie and Andrea French. They opened their first store in Chinatown in all of 300 square feet just around the corner from The Union, Crackle Crème and a few other great spots. So now they have a much bigger space and along with serving great pie and coffee, they are offering to teach you how to make the perfect pie. Having done a fair bit of baking, I’ve found pie ‘relatively’ easy to make, but the key (for me) is the pie crust and getting it just right. Here, Stephanie and Andrea will help you master flour and butter what works, what doesn’t. After the class, you will be able to use all that beautiful summer or fall fruit and make some amazing pies. We have set out below some of their upcoming classes. Note, there is class size limit of 12 for all classes. You will be provided with all the things you need for the class including aprons, rolling pins, pie plate and we hear some good eats. Added note, for those that have issues with gluten, this facility is not gluten free.
Now, for those that don’t want to make pie just eat it, I expect they will have a pretty delish selection on hand which will change with what’s in season. Having said this, some of the delicious names that could be on hand include Raspberry Rhubarb, Blueberry Lemon Streusel, Walnut & Bourbon, Salted Honey or Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Chess. Of course, if you prefer classic Peach Pie, they just might have that as well. If you can’t wait for the opening of their Powell Street location, you can visit them Tuesdays to Sundays 11:00 am to whenever they sell out at their Chinatown location at 721 Gore Street. If you wish to book a baking class, give them a call at 604.338.6646 or drop them an email.
Pastry & Dough Fundamentals 101 – August 29th 6:30 – 9:30 pm ($65.00)
The Pie Ladies will teach you how to make dough and give you fool proof recipes you can adapt to your needs whether you wish to make sweet or savoury pies. Best part, love these types of classes, while the pies are baking, snacks and drinks will be served. One gets thirsty baking, speaking from experience here. At the end of the night, you get to leave with a perfect pie, made by you, a booklet of recipes and tips.
Stone Fruit Pie Making – August 28th 3:00 pm– 6:00 pm ($75)
For this afternoon pie making workshop, The Pie Ladies will teach you how to make delicious fruit pies using Okanagan summer fruits. They will be sourcing out local and organic ingredients for this class. For this class as well, you can expect to walk away with great pie, new recipes and maybe some new friends to share your pie with.
Apple Pie Workshop – November 6th 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm ($65)
You are invited to another great afternoon of pie making where the Pie Ladies will talk apples meaning which are best for pies. They will also discuss sugars, starches and creating the perfect flaky crust (butter vs. shortening). You will also learn how to make those beautiful decorative edges and tops with pie dough. Again, they will be sourcing out local and organic ingredients, serving snacks and drinks while those apple pies bake. Of course, you will leaving class with your perfect apple pie.
Reminder, there is a class limit size of 12 per class. To register, we encourage you to contact the The Pie Shoppe directly or pop in once their new location on Powell Street opens. We will be sure to announce it here once they are up and running. We are looking forward to checking out this delicious new addition in the Grandview Woodlands area.
Photo Credit: The Pie Shoppe
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Pizza & Beer August 17th At The Italian Cultural Centre
18 Jul
In case you hadn’t heard the news, The Italian Cultural Centre now has it’s very own outdoor brick pizza oven which had its inaugural run on June 17th. The pizza oven is located at the Italian Cultural Centre’s outdoor space which is adjacent to Beaconsfield Park. Within easy view is their still fairly new community garden and a playground for the wee ones. So we were pleased to hear about this collaborative event coming on August 17th called Good Grains which incorporates many things we love. The event is being billed as a celebration of pizza and beer and is a collaboration between FarmFolk, City Folk, the Bauta Initiative, the Italian Cultural Centre and East Van’s newest brewery, Luppolo. The evening event will give you an opportunity to meet local grain growers, hand-mill flour, take a peak at a demo size brewer and best of all eat and drink local. This is a family friendly event that gets under way at 6:00 pm. Early bird tickets are available for $20 (until July 21st) after which they will be $25 person, save for children which are $5. Tickets are available directly the Italian Cultural Centre at 604.430.3337, or you can purchase them online.
Photo Credit: Italian Cultural Centre
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Workshop: Gardening for Bees At Homestead Junction July 28th
14 Jul
On Thursday, July 28th, Homestead Junction is hosting a workshop that will take you through what you need to do this fall to ensure your bee garden blooms next year. They will take you through which bulbs, seeds and shrubs are best planted in the fall. You will have actual hands on experience processing seeds for planting and you will get to take seeds home to use or share with other gardeners. If you have specific questions on how to support/encourage bees in your neighbourhood, you are invited to bring your questions with you. The class is led by Lori Weidenhammer who is the author of Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving The Bees. Class runs from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, July 28th at Homestead Junction and costs $15. A small price to pay for helping encourage our bee population.
Photo Credit: Sauli Lepola
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Taste of East Van – An Outdoor Long Table Dinner July 21st
4 Jul
The Italian Cultural Centre is hosting a delicious outdoor long table dinner on Thursday, July 21st called The Taste of East Van. This evening is a collaboration with Slow Food Vancouver and will showcase local, organic and sustainable produce and cuisine. You will also have an opportunity to learn more about local growers and producers. The evening runs from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Tickets are $45 and are available online or by calling the Italian Cultural Centre between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at 604.430.3337.
Photo Credit: Italian Cultural Centre
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The Uncommon Café Offers Another Great Line Up Of Cooking Classes
30 Jun
Our friends at The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, have another set of fun cooking classes lined up for the summer. The classes are led by Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple. Valentine was born and raised in France and is a chef that has worked in hotels in Paris, Singapore, New Orleans and Toronto. She now works with The Uncommon Café, a commissary and café located just across the street from Oppenheimer Park. This great spot now has a lot of great company with Ed’s Daily, The Heatley and The MacKenzie Room just minutes away. We’ve set out below their next series of classes which we expect will be delicious and fun.
Dinner & Demo: Summer Appies & Desserts Without Heat – July 6th 6-9 pm
This is a demonstration cooking class after which dinner will be served to all the class participants. Some of the delish dishes you will learn to make include Hummus, Gazpacho, Ceviche, Panna Cotta and Sorbet. The cost of this class is $75 per person, but if you book in advance (one week prior), the cost is $65. You can book your spot online via Eventbrite.
Cooking Class: Brioche Making – July 13th 6-9 pm
This class was offered in June and was so popular, they are doing it again! In this class, Valentine will teach you how to make Brioche. Once you have the basic dough mastered, she will teach you how to make a Basic Brioche Loaf, Braided Brioche, Brioche Cinnamon Rolls and Brioche BBQ Pork Buns. What I love best about their classes, you get to enjoy a class of wine while brushing up on your kitchen skills. The cost of this class is $65 per person, but again if you book one week in advance, the cost is $55. You can book your spot online via Eventbrite.
Choux & Champagne: Eclairs Cooking Class – July 20th 6-9 pm
To celebrate Tartine & Maple’s one year anniversary, they are hosting a class that will be about Choux Pastries. The evening will also include a cocktail party with champagne as well as samplers of some of the best dishes prepared in their cooking classes such as Tabbouleh, Quiche, Brioche and Mmmmm … Chocolate Mousse. The cost of this class is $60 per person, and again if you book on week in advance, the cost is $50. Visit Eventbrite to book your spot.
As you can see, signing up early guarantees you a spot at a reduced rate. If you haven’t already checked out their classes, we encourage to pop down and give them a try.
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