We popped into the newly opened Mocktails on Commercial Drive this weekend. If you want some alcohol free refreshments for yourself, or to serve your guests, this is the place to be. This boutique style shop, created by Angela Hansen, features a wide variety of alcohol free offerings including wine, spirits and beer. You can also expect to find a great variety of non-alcoholic mocktails including bellinis, margaritas, whiskey cola, gin and tonic. They do offer tastings on select products in store which was well underway when we stopped in Saturday afternoon. Mocktails is located at 1250 Commercial Drive across the street from Grandview Park. They are open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 am into the evening most days. Next time you are on The Drive, pop in and check out all the refreshments that we are sure will make for great sipping on the patio and beach this summer.
This weekend we had the pleasure of checking out the newly opened To Live For Bakery located at 1508 Nanaimo Street at Grant Street. This is the brain child of Vancouver based vegan food blogger and business owner, Erin Ireland. Erin has had a passion for plant based cooking and baking for some time. You may have seen her vegan banana bread, then named To Die For Banana Bread, which was a part of her ongoing business evolution. Erin operated her bakery business from a commissary kitchen and supplied over 150 cafes. Erin has taken the next logical leap and embarked on a bricks and mortar vegan bakery which opened last November in East Van. We’ve been hearing good things, so we stopped by this weekend to check it out. We had the added pleasure of chatting with Erin herself who was handing out samples of carrot cake to those waiting in line. We can attest that the carrot cake was light, flavourful and oh so delicious. We also sampled the hazelnut mousse cake, only available to the end of the month, croissant and cinnamon bun.
To Live For Bakery has lots to offer including coffee, sweet and savoury treats, bread and beautiful cakes. Erin has chosen a bright white modern décor accented by natural wood. There is seating inside, but fair warning this is a busy spot, so be prepared for a short wait. The line moves fairly quickly and the samples certainly help, but the short wait allows you to view all that’s on offer. In good news, more seating is planned for the outdoor space in the summer. We love seeing these community spaces pop up in East Van neighbourhoods and wish Erin nothing but success and look forward to our next visit. To Live For Bakery is open 7 days a week from 7:00 to 5:00 pm. Stop by and check out this great new local spot.
We recently had the pleasure of coming across a delish new business Two Brothers Toffee that landed in East Van this past September. Not only do they make some amazing toffee with a range of delicious flavours, the story behind it is inspirational.
Two Brothers Toffee was created by 3 partners Nicholas, The Inventor, Dominic – The Innovator and Nastasia – The Taste Tester. In 2005, Nicholas Genova created his first batch of classic almond toffee which he worked on perfecting and selling over the next 15 years while also donating proceeds to charity. This was all while working in law enforcement which he still does to this day.
Dominic and Nastasia Genova left the hustle and bustle of corporate jobs after Nastasia went through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. They wanted more balance in their life and made the decision to create a family company. In 2019, Dominic worked with Nicholas’s classic almond toffee to create new possibilities and flavours. With no formal training, Dominic learned the craft and created truly unique flavours including White Cranberry Toffee and Chai Toffee. Some other flavours that caught our attention were Espresso Toffee, Cherry Toffee, Fireball Toffee which is in a class by itself. A must try! For those seeking vegan options, those are available as well, so there’s something for everyone.
Not only does Two Brothers Toffee make some absolutely delicious toffee, they are very focused on making a positive impact in their community and giving back to those in need. They do this by supporting a number of local organizations, but also by providing their toffee just to brighten someone’s day who is struggling through a challenging time. Two Brothers Toffee does not have a storefront at this time, but all of their products are available online and they are fulfilling orders quickly for the holiday season. If you happen to be making your way to the North Shore to see any of the local sights or lights, they will be Ambleside Holiday Market in West Vancouver on Saturday, December 4, 11, 18, 2021 from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. If you wish to purchase in person, you can find some of their products at Vegan Supply and if you wish to do some holiday baking, check out their recipe for OOEY GOOEY SMORES SQUARES TOFFEE. We bet this will soon become a family favourite.
This holiday season, you can satisfy your sweet tooth while at the same time giving back. We invite you to visit Two Brothers Toffee online to see their full selection and join us in supporting local business.
We are pleased to share there’s something fun and super chill you can now do in East Van. That is, visit the Bunny Cafe which is now open at 1696 Venables Street near Commercial Drive. This space is the first of its kind in North America and is the mastermind of Michelle Furbacher. She is the owner and founder of Catfé, which was the first cat cafe in Vancouver. During a time when Michelle did not have any cats for the cafe, she brought in rabbits for a pop-up event and it turned out to be a huge success. Thus the idea was born for a new concept of rabbit rescue, adoption and advocacy. We had the pleasure of checking out this new space just before its official opening and got to spend time with their 22 rabbits and Michelle.
The Bunny Cafe is a beautiful open space that same may recall was previously Venables Laundry. They have renovated the space and divided it into 2 distinct spaces. One is a glassed in room in which the bunnies roam free, eat hay and hide if they so chose under various benches and other spots. The idea being that if the rabbits don’t feel like being social, they can just hide out and chill. The other half of the cafe is a retail space with everything bunny you can think of including t-shirts, pillowcases, tote bags, mugs, tea towels, rabbit food and the best bunny slippers we’ve ever seen. The future intention is create an actual cafe in the retail space which would allow visitors to sit on stools and overlook the windowed room where the bunnies roam. Due to Covid this aspect of the cafe was put on hold for the time being.
So how does it work if you wish to spend time with the rabbits? You are asked to book online at BunnyCafe.ca where you can pay and book your time. Each time slot is for 1 hour and the space is open between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm with nap time for the bunnies between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm. The cost is $15.95 per person including children who must be over 5 years of age. You enter the windowed room with the bunnies with a volunteer and you are requested to wish your hands and then given some greens to feed the rabbits and a few instructions. Speaking of greens, if you are an avid gardener near the Bunny Cafe and have extra greens and carrot tops, the Bunny Cafe would love to connect with a few locals who have any extras to offer.
All the bunnies in the Bunny Cafe are available for adoption. If interested in adopting a rabbit in their care, adoptions are handled through Rabbitat Rescue. If you wish to check out the Bunny Cafe on social media, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok. This is a super chill and relaxing space we invite you to check out.
2020 was a year of challenge and change for many and 2021 continues on that same vein. The pandemic has many people pivoting to earn an income from a new source. Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Franzen who did a complete 360 and created Loved & Local. Jenn was a self-employment travel agent for 15 years. As we all know, with the current travel restrictions, planning trips isn’t first and foremost on people’s mind nor will it be for some time. So Jenn pivoted and created Loved & Local.
Loved & Local is an online store that features gently used clothing and accessories for women, men and children. Loved & Local also carries items from local artisans including Oona Clothing, Mosaic Earrings, beeswax food wraps by Etta & Olive, candles by Grain & Honey and knitted toques by Littlee Lambs Boutique to name a few.
Loved & Local carries a wide range of items and yes they deliver! They offer free delivery on orders over $20 within a 10 km radius of Loved & Local which is located in Hastings Sunrise. If you are interested in trying on a specific item, feel free to reach out to them directly. They have also just added a weekly auction on Facebook and Instagram that runs from Thursday to Sunday with a starting bid of $1.00. For those wishing to give back to charity in an easy way, Loved & Local supports some local charitable endeavours including Victory House Mental Health Facility. They are currently selling Valentine’s Day cards made by residents. 100% of the sale proceeds go back to Victory House.
We invite you to visit Loved & Local online and give them a follow on Instagram where they post many of their newly acquired items. As always, support local when and where you can.
Mike Jackson is a long time small business owner in Vancouver with a loyal following. To learn more about his now 30 years in business, check out our previous feature on what he did to celebrate 30 years in business. Today, we want to tell you about how Mike has reinvented himself one more time. I’d say this is his swan song, but with Mike you just never know. Mike’s been pretty busy, these last 6 months creating Jackson’s General Store which officially opens any day now at 1490 Kingsway (at Dumfries) at Knight. It’s located right next to the White Spot you can’t miss it. Some of you may remember this space as Franks Y Parts & Service. We got a sneak peak of this totally reworked space and we have to stay it’s pretty darn cool. It is a general store in the front with a focus on supporting small independent businesses. The majority are Canadian and local and throughout the store you will find some of the coolest vintage items. We were particularly fond of the working PayMaster Ribbon Writer. Many will recognize some local East Van businesses including Sriracha Revolver, ChopValue coasters and Plenty + Spare soaps and skincare. You will also find wallets, t-shirts, ball caps, sunglasses, mugs, totes and some very unique books. There is a cooler section not yet fully stocked, but we did find some Kaylin & Hobbs Pickles. For kids of all ages, there is a great retro candy counter, think Popeye Candy Cigarettes, gum in the Gold Rush bags and candy necklaces. If you are looking for fun unique gifts, there is lots on offer at Jackson’s General Store with a distinct East Van flavour. Show some East Van love and stop in and say hello once they officially open. We’ll give you a heads up as soon as that happens. In the meantime, you can also find Mike on Facebook and Instagram.
If you love cheesecake, you will want to check out this newly opened spot, Oh Sweet Day! located at 1706 East 1st Avenue just off the Drive. The force behind this sweet space is Fanny Lam, a self-taught home baker who turned her love of baking into a blog, then a cookbook then a storefront. Outside of running a popular blog, writing a cookbook, Fanny has been selling her cakes for 2 years at farmer markets around the Lower Mainland. Lucky for us you can now find her signature cheesecakes as well as mousse cakes, ganache drip cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, shortbread tartlets and cookies at this sweet space off The Drive. If you are looking for gluten free or vegan options, they’ve got that too. We invite you to stop by and check out this new space. Alternatively, you can drool over the photos on her website at Visit Oh Sweet Day! online or in person. Their hours are currently Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 10-6 and Friday and Saturday 10-7 and closed Tuesday. You can also find Oh Sweet Day! at farmer markets throughout the Lower Mainland.
We had the pleasure of popping in to check out the new Finfolk restaurant in East Van during their recent soft opening. This is a unique space that we expect will be a happening spot in East Van’s Craft Beer District. Finfolk has a Nordic inspired menu which was created by Jeff Bobyk, his father Karey Bobyk and their partner and Executive Chef Darren Brown. If you are unfamiliar with the name, you will remember the food. Chef Darren Brown has worked in a variety of kitchens including CinCin, Horizon’s and Whistler’s Quattro. So you can expect some unique high quality food but in a casual relaxed setting.
The menu is simple and straight forward, but will be evolving over the coming weeks as they get ready for the official opening in early May. Right now the menu includes pizza, one of which is named Hildaland which comes with lamb, potatoes, truffle cream and rosemary (pictured below). They will also be serving fresh Fanny Bay Oysters which will be delivered every Friday along with fresh organic produce from North Arm Farms in Pemberton. If you wish to nibble, they will have some truly Nordic inspired grazing plates. Finfolk brines and smokes all their own meats and pickles their own vegetables. As they do it all in-house, you can expect a bit bigger portions than you might find on your average charcuterie plates around town.
Last but not least, the beer! Here they are doing something a little different we like. There are many more craft breweries popping up in other parts of the Lower Mainland making a name for themselves including the stretch in Port Moody and Four Winds in Delta. Finfolk will be bring a variety of different beers on top from other breweries to East Van. So you don’t have to travel to Port Moody to try Twin Sails beer, you can try it right here in East Van. We understand the selection will be rotating, so expect it to change. This is definitely a spot worth checking out. We will be keeping an eye out on their evolving menu as they gear up for their official opening. In the meantime, stop by Friday, Saturday or Sunday 11:00 am to 11:0 pm. They are located at 1600 East Franklin Street, just 1 block North of East Hastings. To check for updates on their update, new menu features, follow them on Instagram.
Did you catch the Pop Up Plant-Based Boutique on The Drive for 2 weeks this past December? If not, you are in luck. They are back in this bright beautiful space for the next 6 months. The Plant-Based Boutique is located at 1206 Commercial Drive (at Williams Street) across from Grandview Park. Their focus is on health, wellness and self-care which is 100% plant-based. They have curated products from across North America which include skin care, organic oils for the face and body, candles, plant-based cookbooks, soaps and much more. They are also now serving organic tea and snacks and have added a seating space in store. You can catch them daily from Noon to 7:00 pm. Stop by and check out this great space.
We recently had the pleasure of checking out The Bench Bakehouse located in the Il Mercato, 1641 Commercial Drive, at 1st and Commercial Drive. This is a sweet spot that just opened 2 weeks ago. It’s located near the entrance of Super Value facing 1st Avenue. The Bench Bakehouse isn’t visible from Commercial Drive, but we encourage you to walk through the Il Mercato or the few feet from the Drive along 1st Ave. to check it out. They have lots of baked deliciousness including a great variety of freshly baked breads which are naturally leavened sourdough. They also offer a great array of the sweet stuff including brownies, brioche, croissants, a coconut mango cake we were tempted to walk out with, and shortbread cookies big enough for sharing. Did we mention all this sweet stuff is made with 100% real butter. The duo behind this new space know what they are doing having trained in Paris, France at the prestigious Ecole Gastronomique Bellouet Conseil. The Bench Bakehouse is open 6 days a week and they have a couple seating areas if you want to park it and kick back for a bit.
Mike Jackson
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