These days we've got earlier sunsets and chilly wet days to contend with, on top of the ongoing stress of life in a pandemic. Going out to dinner might not be on the table for you and your household, but for those nights when you'd prefer to skip the cooking and support a local restaurant, the options for bringing home fantastic prepared or heat-and-serve meals keep getting better and better.
We're also seeing more pop-ups, 'ghost' or 'cloud' kitchens - concepts without their own storefronts running out of established or shared kitchens across the city - putting out excellent menus for take-out or delivery. There are even some spots that are really branching out and jumping into the take-home game like never before - literally because they've never done it before! - and making it even easier for us to continue supporting the restaurants we want to stick around so much at a time when dining out might not be something we can do.
As always, when possible, order directly from a restaurant by phone or their own web platform, as opposed to third-party delivery apps that charge high fees. If you're looking to add some wine or cocktails to your evening, see if the restaurant is doing liquor sales with food - you can spend with the restaurant rather than at the province's big stores, and do more to support local small businesses.
Here are five Vancouver restaurants doing take-out and delivery to put on your list to check out soon.
Homer St. Café
Homer at Home is the new take-out/delivery menu from the Yaletown restaurant, designed to let you savour your favourite Homer Street dishes at home, as the menu focuses on its best and most popular dishes. Plus the restaurant has added on several new bake-at-home dishes. Look for house favourites like the HSCB Burger, Kabocha Squash Gnocchi, Half or Whole Rotisserie Chicken, and Maple Glazed Pork Belly, or its three oven-ready, heat-and-serve, family-style offerings: Mac ‘N Cheese, Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie, and Lasagna made with a slow-simmered pork and beef ragu. Order via Tock.
Yasma
Yasma is a new take-out only restaurant in Vancouver that serves traditional Syrian and Lebanese food. Photo courtesy YasmaThis new pop-up venture is offering traditional Syrian and Lebanese food for take-out based out of Dark Table in Kitsilano. Diners can expect dishes like kibbeh (a bulgur meatball stuffed with a mixture of minced lamb, nuts and fragrant spices), housemade lamb sausages, yalandji (rice-stuffed and rolled grape leaves), and more - including fresh hummus and bread. The menu at Yasma also features a number of dishes that work for a variety of diets, including plant-based, vegetarian, halal, gluten-free, or simply dairy-free. Right now they are also offering some family feasts (Lamb, Pescatarian, Vegetarian) via Tock. Designed to feed three to four people, these meals include mains, salads and sides, pickles, olives, breads, and dips. Their Pescatarian option features a show-stopper crusted salmon main that is beautifully tender and flavourful, and a smoky eggplant muttabal that will have you going back over and over again to dip your flatbread for more.
Pidgin
Photo via PidginGastown's Pidgin has launched its new program for premium packaged meals called Carrier Pidgin. The restaurant says its goal is to take all the difficulty out of creating a complex multi-course meal. You simply have to finish and season a few items to have a restaurant-quality meal at home to enjoy. The Carrier Pidgin kits contain directions for assembling the meals, as well as a link to more info and videos, including details about the farmers, products with step-by-step instructions. The meals are available via FromTo.ca and take-out by calling the restaurant at 604-620-9400. Additionally, Pidgin says its happy to work with you if you want to order the meals and are outside the FromTo delivery radius, particularly if you're doing something like a Zoom cooking or holiday party. You can give them a call or email carrier [at] pidginyvr.com to make arrangements. The Carrier Pidgin meals are in addition to Pidgin's menu of take-out and delivery fare from their regular menu, available to order via FromTo, too.
Farmer's Apprentice
Take-out from Farmer's Apprentice, and sibling spot Grapes & Soda...say it ain't so!? Oh, but it is. For the first time, these South Granville side-by-sides are giving us the option to order dishes to enjoy at home. The menu of seasonally-inspired fare changes regularly, but is available to order via Tock. Kick your ordering-in night up a significant notch with items like Cropthorne farm Red Kuri squash gyozas, Charred Cabbage with Rendang and Smoked Coconut, and pan roasted halibut with basa gede chickpeas and fresh radishes in a tamarind shellfish broth.
Café Medina
Photo by Leila Kwok/via Café MedinaBuilding on the success of its popular new ‘Medina After Dark’ dinner services, beloved downtown institution Café Medina has added an evening Table d’Hote To-Go option for guests to enjoy in the comfort of their own home. Available for advance or same-day pre-order with pickup times beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, the Medina After Dark takeout dinner menu offers a choice of four menu items for $62 per package plus tax and gratuity. Add-on items are also available, including a vegetarian menu for two option comprising two vegetable courses, Shakshuka and Hummus Pitryot for $62 as well as a comprehensive list of Mediterranean-inspired wines available by the bottle. Orders must be placed via Tock a minimum of one hour before pickup times starting at 5 p.m.
