La Mezcaleria, the popular Commercial Drive eatery, has opened a second location in Gastown in the old Nicli Next Door space at 68 East Cordova.
Tractor Foods is finally set to open their latest location in the Olympic Village at 1751 Quebec by next week. Look for the same healthy meals for lunch and dinner as at the other locations in Kitsilano and downtown.
Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar has opened on Main Street near Terminal, and it might be the best thing on the strip. Chocolate, ice cream and coffee are all the stars at this collaborative shop that features artisan chocolates from local chocolatiers, including owner Lisa Gardin, as well as handcrafted ice cream, floats, and ice cream sandwiches.
Ice cream, frozen yogurt and other cool desserts are certainly on a role. In addition to newcomers like Lik and Dip, we now have 17°C Dessert Café on Kingsway near Nanaimo, which specializes in “ice bowls” served with fresh fruit, ice cream, shaved ice infused with milk, and various toppings.
In other cool news, Richmond’s Snowy Village Dessert Café has opened up a second location, this time on Robson Street.
Thai Confusion, which was opened in Gastown by the owner of Bob Likes Thai Food in January of this year, has closed its doors.
Are you ready for a real Reuben? Mensch. Jewish Delicatessen will be running a summer pop-up deli at 666 East Broadway (at Fraser) through to Sept. 9. The house-brined and smoked pastrami sandwich will be on a lunch-only menu that also include beet-cured lox on a poppyseed bagel, a classic Reuben, and egg salad on challah. There will even be kugel for your sweet tooth. Open Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm.
Provence Marinaside is once again holding its Lobster Fest for the month of July. The three-course menu is $56 (optional BC wine pairings $22) and includes options such as lobster salad with tomatoes and asparagus, lobster bisque, lobster Thermidor, whole Atlantic lobster, and dessert.
Nick Devine, a partner in the Cascade Company group of restaurants and Main Street Brewing, has launched Ascot Beer Cocktails. A well-known figure in the bar world, Nick started out behind the bar in his hometown, the famous horseracing town of Ascot, going on to tend bars around the world from London to San Francisco, until settling in Vancouver. The first two products to launch are the No. 1 Mojito, with mint leaves muddled with cane sugar and fresh lime juice, then blended with premium craft beer, and the No. 2 Paloma, which mixes fresh pink grapefruit and lime juice, organic blue agave syrup and a pinch of salt with premium craft beer. The bottled cocktails are available exclusively at Main Street Brewery.
On July 14, in honour of Bastille Day, Les Amis du Fromage is offering 10 per cent off all French cheeses at both their Kitsilano and East Hastings locations.
On July 14, Wines of Argentina will be hosting free consumer tastings of more than a dozen wines 2:30pm-6:30pm at the BCLDB 39th and Cambie liquor store, served with traditional empanadas from Panaderia Latina Bakery.
On July 16, make the trip out to Abbotsford’s BC Hop Co. for the first annual BeerBQ festival. This outdoor event pairs top local brewmasters with champion pitmasters for a barbecue and beer extravaganza. Be the judge of the more than 20 competitors and take a tour of the facility while you’re at it. Tickets $27.50 including free parking, farm tours and live entertainment. Food and drink tickets available on site.
ICYMI…Yew Seafood & Bar still has spaces left for their Sunday Crab and Lobster Boil supper series on July 17 and 24. Enjoy the summery sangria, along with a three-course meal that begins with Little Gem lettuce salad, followed by whole steamed lobster and Dungeness crab, sided with asparagus, green beans, heirloom tomato confit, steamed new potatoes, and warm mini-loaves of brioche. Dessert will be seasonal fruit pie served à la mode. Tickets $89 per person.
On July 18, the next edition of Latab’s Colab, a monthly collaborative supper series, will take place. This month, guests David Jackman (atelier nomadique), Jay Drysdale (Bella Wines), Camille Flanjak (Museum Eats) and Latab chef Kris Barnholden will work together to create a stunning and wild six-course meal. Tickets $75 (through Eventbrite) including tax and gratuity. Wines available by the glass.
Outstanding in the Field is back on July 20 and 21 for two pop-up dinners in B.C. On July 20, join chef Kristian Eligh of Hawksworth at North Arm Farms in Pemberton ($210 USD per person). On July 21, chef Ryan Reed of Nomad will be cooking at UBC Farm in Vancouver ($200 USD per person). These multi-course meals are about celebrating farmers and what they produce. OutstandingInTheField.com
On Saturday, Aug. 6, Ballet BC is teaming up with The Social Concierge for a magical evening of dance, verdure, cocktails and canapes. Babylon will see the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza be recreated as the legendary hanging gardens of Babylon. Floral cocktails and bites can be enjoyed amid the improvised and site-specific choregraphy of Ballet BC’s dancers. Tickets ar $55 and include a welcome cocktail.
On Aug. 11, learn how to cook sustainable seafood from four of Vancouver’s top Ocean Wise chefs at the Vancouver Aquarium’s Fin to Tail. Chefs Ned Bell of Vancouver Aquarium, Jonathan Chuy of La Mezcaleria and Clement Chan of Torafuku, along with Fresh Ideas Start Here (F.I.S.H.), will all be doing live cooking demonstrations. You will get to taste each creation, along with Whitehaven wines and Red Truck beer, for $90 per person.
