Do you love beer? Have a partner that loves beer? Not yet made plans for Valentine’s Day? The good folks at Vancouver Brewery Tours have a fun event for you. Their popular For The Love of Craft Beer Tour is back for Valentine’s Day which in case you missed it falls on a weekday this year, Tuesday, February 14th. One of their knowledgeable guides will tour you to 3 breweries starting with Brassneck Brewery. Next up you will head over to Storm Brewing where we hear they have some special Valentine’s Day-themed brainstorm beers. After that, your guide will take you to Big Rock Urban Brewery & Eatery for beer tasting and dinner. The tour guides are filled with fun facts about the Vancouver beer scene, so bring any questions and your thirst. This tour runs from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Cost is $89.99 per person. If you are not a beer lover, or don’t drink alcohol, but wish to go with someone that does, ticket cost for you is $70.00. To book your spot, visit Vancouver Brewery Tours. There is limited seating so book quick if you want to share a fun experience on Valentine’s Day.
For The Love Of Craft Beer Tour is Back For Valentine’s Day
3 Feb
Snowed In Comedy Tour At The York Theatre February 11th
30 Jan
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+.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Learn Something New – Workshops Galore In 2017 In East Van
6 Jan
We are big fans of trying and learning something new. With the New Year, we tend not to make resolutions but instead sign up for a class or workshop. We also start each year with a list of new places to check out whether it be a new coffee shop, brewery or restaurant. In recent months, we’ve learned to make the perfect pie crust with the French sisters at The Pie Shoppe, we also learnt how to make some great new appetizers from Caren McSherry at Gourmet Warehouse and most recently learnt how to make chocolate at The Soap Dispensary of all places. We recently featured some DIY classes by The Wood Shop which are now sold out until March, so lots of you are looking for things to do/make yourselves. With that in mind, we’ve set out a variety of workshops/classes coming up this New Year in case you wish to take a stab at trying something new, or just brushing up on something you haven’t done in a while. There’s lots going on close to home. Here’s some of what we found in and around East Vancouver:
The great group at The Uncommon Café in Strathcona regularly has a great line up of classes whether cooking or baking. Their upcoming demonstration cooking classes will help you brush up on your cooking skills whilst enjoy a glass of wine. You do get to try everything that was made. Their next classes include:
Jan. 18: Stock, Soup & Stew – Learn To Do From Scratch
Feb. 5: Eclairs & Cream Puff – Choux Pastry Basics
Feb. 8: Chocolate Lover’s Ultimate Cooking Class
Feb. 14:Valentine’s Couple Cooking Demo & Dinner
Homestead Junction continually offers an array of classes all year long. Their aim is to bring self-sufficiency into the mainstream. So whether it’s making your own soap, yogurt, bread or foraging in the woods, they will have interesting classes at reasonable prices. Some of their upcoming classes include:
Jan. 10: Veggie Based Soaps 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Jan. 22: No-Knead Sourdough – Tartine Style 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Feb. 1: Sea Salt Soaps 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Feb. 9: Salve Making 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Mar. 4: Plant Foraging Walk 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
The French sisters know how to make the perfect pie crust and they are offering more workshops this January to teach you how to do the same. These are fun informal hands on classes where you can bring your questions. Their new location on Powell Street is a great bright space to work in and they have some great classes lined up including
Jan. 15: The Apple Pie 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Jan. 17: Gluten Free Pie Crust 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Jan. 24: Pastry Fundamentals 6:00 – 9:00 pm
If you prefer working with yarn, Baaad Anna’s in the Hastings Sunrise area regularly has a great line of classes on knitting, crocheting, spinning, felting and weaving. They, of course, also have a great selection of supplies and a wealth of knowledge to share. Some of their upcoming classes include:
Jan. 9: Beginner Knitting
Jan. 10: Beginner Knitting
Jan. 14: Intro to Loom Weaving 9:00 – 11:00 am
Jan. 15: Intro to Crocheting 2:00 – 4:30 pm
Interested in learning stand-up, improv or sketch comedy? You may wish to check out Instant Theatre on East Broadway. They regularly offer classes throughout the year and we are quite sure they offer you opportunity to test out your newly acquired skills.
Some other great spots for classes include Tiny Finery if you are interested in jewellery making, Vancouver Tool Library offers classes periodically for the do-it-yourself home projects, The Soap Dispensary has a variety of classes as does Bird On A Wire Creations if you are looking to be crafty. Note, some of these have not yet posted their offerings for 2017, but do check back with them further into the New Year.
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The Fighting Season At The Cultch January 10-21, 2017
30 Dec
Vancouver based theatre company Bleeding Heart Theatre is bringing The Fighting Season to the Culture Lab at The Cultch January 10- 21, 2017. This show is written by Vancouver playwright Sean Harris Oliver. His inspiration for this play came from his father who was deployed in Afghanistan as a field medic. The story is told through his father’s eyes and that of a recovery room nurse. This show played to sold out audiences at the 2015 Vancouver Fringe Festival and was awarded the Georgia Straight’s Critics Choice Award. The show previews January 10th with opening night kicking off on January 11th and running to January 21st. A couple of matinees are offered January 15th and 21st. Tickets are $20 and available online from The Cultch.
Photo Credit: Emily Cooper
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Dine Out East Village Brunch Crawl Saturday, January 28th
21 Dec
Dine Out Vancouver, Canada’s largest restaurant festival gets under way January 20th and runs to February 5th. Each year the line up of delicious events gets better and better. One of many that caught our eye was Vancouver Foodster’s East Village Brunch Crawl happening Saturday, January 28th in the Hastings Sunrise area. The event will begin at The Waldorf Hotel, 1489 East Hastings Street, with registration which takes place between 9:30 am and 10:30 am. You will pick up your “passport” which is your guide to a number of restaurants in the Hastings Sunrise/Grandview Woodlands area. Some of the delish foods you will enjoy include fresh juices, smoothies, coffees, eggs benedict, pancakes, waffles, omelettes, brunch pizza, meats, seafood, hash browns, baked goods and a few more goodies. Some of the stops we hear include Nonna’s Table, Gourmet Warehouse, Italia Bakery, Platform 7 Coffee and Di Oliva Tasting Bar with more to be announced soon. Outside of your passport, we do recommend you bring your appetite. We don’t expect you will leave this event hungry. Cost for the Dine Out East Village Brunch Crawl is $52.50 and includes all food and beverage samples at each participating location. To purchase your tickets for this Brunch Crawl, visit Tickets Tonight. The event runs from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. If you’d prefer to do a brunch crawl along Commercial Drive, that one is happening on Sunday, February 5th which kicks off at Federico’s Supper Club. For more information, visit Vancouver Foodster.
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