Moving On

I've decided to no longer post on this blog, and instead to focus on writing content for The Vancouver Vantage, my partner's wonderful website all about interesting happenings in our great city. I've been syndicating EVR postings there for a while now, and it makes sense to just write there directly from now on. Please go there now to check out my review of Blind Date at the Cultch!

Thanks to my friends, family and all those random Urbanspooners worldwide for reading my posts this past year and a half. I hope they made you smile and helped you make great decisions about what to see, eat, drink, do and buy in East Vancouver!

Good Timber

It's been a while since we visited the Firehall Arts Centre, and last night's performance of Good Timber made us happy to be back. We've come to expect multi-talented ensemble casts at Firehall shows, and Good Timber fits that mold to a tree. The show features six actor/singer/musicians from The Other Guys Theatre Company performing Robert E. Swanson's logger poetry mostly set to music.

There isn't really a sustained narrative, but each song and poem tells its own story, all against a backdrop of wonderfully curated archival photos and video. Sometimes it was difficult to decide whether to watch the cast or the screen, especially when said screen featured images of handsome, strapping young lads from days gone by.

You might think this production has a fairly limited target audience, and certainly those with any kind of connection to forestry will find it especially gratifying. That being said, anyone with a penchant for rousing folk harmonies will enjoy the show. A caveat for the logging lay people: read the glossary before the show starts, lest all of the jargon sail over your head like a falling widow-maker.

Fat Dragon

With a gloriously open summer evening on our hands, we decided to check out something new to both of us and walkable. Enter Fat Dragon. As a reformed vegetarian, I had been hesitant to check this place out, but a quick perusal of their menu online assured me that, barring anyone ordering the half pig's head, I should be fine.

We arrived to see a gorgeous space, which was disappointingly empty. After tasting the food and experiencing the service, we concluded that many people must still be apprehensive about venturing to these parts. There are other relatively new signs of life on this strip of Powell, but this place is certainly a longer term investment. Now, on to the food and drink!

I started with a delicately sweet Junmai Sour, which was so delicious that only my budget stopped me from ordering at least three more. There are several beers available on tap and by bottle, both local and otherwise. M enjoyed his SpeedSpitter from Parallel 49 Brewing Company.

We ordered a selection of dishes to share, and were only disappointed by the crispy cauliflower. Unlike other bloggers, I enjoyed the method of cooking, but the lemon flavour was too dominant, and made it far less delicious than say Najib's Special at Nuba. The lightly smoked tuna was fantastic, as were the complimentary noodles the kitchen sent us (thanks!). We thought we might have to order additional Bao Buns at the end of the meal, but we were suitably stuffed with no room for dessert, savoury or otherwise.

Fat Dragon deserves more of an audience than it seems to have, (at least based on last night), and I hope the hungry masses start coming!

The one where I get Sweet Revenge on my diet

Last night, M and I checked out the opening of JG Mair's Thought Control exhibit at Little Mountain Gallery. The space lives up to its diminiutive moniker, and after a few minutes, we'd already enjoyed all of the very intriguing text based sculptures. We realized we would need a supplemental activity to make our jaunt to Riley Park worthwhile. Enter Sweet Revenge, a tiny patisserie to match the petite gallery across the street.

As someone with a formidable sweet tooth, I'm surprised I'd never heard of this desserts/evenings only spot, which has been around for over a decade. Better late than never, though, and in we went. The randomly Victorian decor is beguiling in the extreme, and I didn't even mind (too much) that we had to sit side by side on a narrow banquet crammed against the front entryway. The old-timey music playing softly in the background adds to the considerable charm.

We overheard the server explaining that there was one remaining "CSI: Vancouver" chocolate sampler for two, so we decided to go all out. The CSI  is normally only available Monday-Wednesday, and this being a Thursday, ours had clearly been waiting in the fridge for at least a day. The cakes were a little too cold and hard, and much to my dismay, the chocolate shavings and raspberry drizzle garnish were, by this point, solidly attached to the plate. That being said, we could taste the homemade goodness through the oldness, and I'd like to go back to soak up the atmosphere and try something a little more fresh.

Breaking Good

Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

Last night a small group of us went to see IZM at the Cultch's beautiful Historic Theatre. We left with the distinct (and true) impression that the dancers in this troupe are all way cooler than us. I wasn't sure how they would create an entire show around b-boying/girling, but the resulting production is really wonderful.

The choreography is equal parts clever and joyful sprinkled with a healthy dash of narrative. Many of the moves don't even make physical sense, and the athleticism is literally breathtaking at times. M was almost constantly resisting the urge to Shazam all the amazing music.

On top of all that, the eye candy is plentiful no matter your gender or orientation. You'll probably be inspired, (at least for the rest of the evening), to start going to the gym.

The show runs four more evenings, and tickets start at just $16!

Via Tevere Pizzeria

Vancouver, as compared to American cities like Seattle and Portland, is definitely lacking in the neighbourhood restaurant category. Here, your odds of stumbling on a little gem of a place tucked in an otherwise largely residential area are as slim as the crusts on the city's now-ubitiquitous Neapolitan pizzas. Enter Via Tevere, which seems to have continued the trend of victory against archaic liquor licensing laws!

I drive up Victoria frequently, and I've noticed a queue pouring out of this pizzeria ever since it opened on March 23rd. (Take note, potential restauranteurs...there is a huge demand for neighbourhood joints!) D, E, and I decided to check it out two Friday evenings ago. When we were finally seated, we immediately ordered the litre of house wine ($30!) over which we had been salivating outside for the past hour. I do wish they would accept some reservations, because I can't see myself waiting an hour for a table every time, though I'm beyond pleased that they're so busy.

Our server was friendly, attentive, and apologetic for our long wait. I'm not sure if that's why they gave us a free dessert, but if I were eating sweets this month (which I'm not), I would have been very grateful for it! D and E certainly enjoyed the sweet fried balls of dough.

The vegetarian pizza options are Marinara (no cheese, no thanks), Filetto (not a fan of cherry tomatoes), Margherita (boring), and Quattro Formaggi. I went with the four cheese. It was a little overcooked, but the non-blackened parts were very delicious. I wish there were a more loaded vegetarian option, because even if you start with the $11 Margherita, adding a few vegetable toppings at $3 a pop will quickly make your pizza untenably expensive. I think $3 each for vegetable toppings is a bit unreasonable. Just saying.

At any rate, the charming and convenient location of Via Tevere means it didn't have to knock my socks off to ensure a repeat visit. I'll definitely be back, but I'd love it even more if they tweaked the menu a bit, and pulled the pizzas out of that gorgeous turquoise tile oven just a few moments sooner!

Ubuntu (The Cape Town Project)

Last night we enjoyed the opening night performance of Ubuntu (The Capetown Project) at our favourite little theatre, the Firehall Arts Centre. Somewhat uncharacteristically, I didn't do much research before the show, so all I knew going in was how much I liked to yell the word "Ubuntu!" As it turned out, I liked the play itself just as much, if not more.

The stage boasts three walls made from very cleverly deployed old trunks, which had M and I marveling at the set designer's ingenuity throughout the play. The excellent choreography similarly managed to get the point across and keep the action moving (across the Atlantic and back!) without resorting to elaborate props or extended scenes.

I am not one to (try to) figure out the story before it's finished being told, so I enjoyed the plot's twists and eventual tying up of loose ends. The talented cast mostly refrains from overacting, which must be difficult when dealing with such big themes and emotions.

Produced in partnership with Kamloops' Western Canada Theatre and Toronto's Theatrefront, Ubuntu runs evenings with some matinees until April 21, and tickets are still available!

Eat, Drink & Perch at the ARC Cafe

Recently, M and I were thinking of a very East Van place to take Kits friends on a double date. When I found out the lovely wife had a gluten intolerance, I knew exactly where we would go. I've been to the little cafe usually known simply as Perch several times since their Groupon last summer, but I kept forgetting to blog about it. Dear readers, that is about to change.

Apparently, one generally pays through the nose for gluten free pizzas. Not at Perch, my friends, not at Perch. The (generously) individual sized pizzas are one for $11, or two for $20. It being a Friday, we took advantage of the $14 pizza and pint weekly special. As always, the pizzas were delicious, whether or not you're used to eating gluten free. I can't speak to the rest of the menu, except for the tofu nuggets with maple sauce, which are quite tasty as well as ironically shaped. The service can be a bit spaced out, but I take it as part of the experience.

Judging by the numerous rule explanation signs they've taped up recently, there have been some issues with noise, smoking, and alcohol on the patio. I hope they can resolve whatever has been going on; it'd be a shame to lose this little gluten free neighbourhood gem.

Goodness

Last night M and I headed to the Firehall Arts Centre to check out the premiere of Goodness, which runs until March 11. It's not exactly the feel-good production of the year, but nonetheless, we both enjoyed it thoroughly.

Weaving together themes of genocide in an unnamed country, the Holocaust, and good old fashioned divorce-induced heartbreak, Goodness certainly packs an emotional punch. At times, the set up of the theatre brings the action a little too close for comfort, but this is by design. Goodness is a play written to make you question what you would do in similarly intense circumstances.

The acting is uniformly focused and crisp, which kept the audience glued to the proceedings. I purposely maintained a bit of distance because the subject matter was so horrific, and I feared making a scene of my own. I especially enjoyed the hauntingly beautiful songs sung by the cast throughout the play.

Goodness has been brought from Toronto as part of the Chutzpah! Festival, which showcases and celebrates Jewish performing arts of all kinds. There are only five performances left, and very reasonably priced tickets are still available!

Chelsea Hotel

Librarians citywide must be noticing an uptick in requests for Leonard Cohen CDs. After seeing Chelsea Hotel at the Firehall Arts Centre on Friday night, I've certainly placed more than a few holds myself! My Cohen knowledge used to be (rather pathetically) limited to the much covered "Hallelujah," and "I Can't Forget" (the latter only because of a Pixies rendition). I'm excited to explore the rest of his oeuvre.

I'm guessing this will sound obvious to many people, but I just didn't realize how deeply sad, sexy and romantic Cohen's songs are. They're all the better when used brilliantly here to form an emotional and stunning-in-every-sense-of-the-word performance piece. The cast is amazingly multi-talented, and the set, costumes and props are gorgeously evocative of the words and music. 

It goes without saying that Chelsea Hotel is not to be missed by Cohen fans, but I'd bet any music lover would enjoy it immensely as we did. The play runs nightly until March 3, with Wednesday and weekend matinees. There are even three more talkback performances where you can share your questions and feedback with the cast. Tickets are reasonably priced, and the Firehall Arts Centre has no bad seats!

Fray

E and I needed a great place to celebrate the end of our extremely difficult and rather pointless month off wheat and most alcohol, otherwise known as January. I wasn't eating anywhere very interesting due to these restrictions, which partly explains my extended blogging absence. Also, my computer died. Enough with the excuses, and on to the food!

I have been wanting to check out Fray for a while now, so we resisted the doughy siren song of Nicli Antica for the time being and headed to parts relatively unknown.

Happily, (especially since I bought a social coupon for a later date), Fray was everything I hoped it would be. The zany kookiness has the faintest whiff of trying too hard, but I won't fault them for wanting to bring something new to the table, (pun intended). Our server was genuinely, heart-meltingly sweet, and everyone, customer and staff alike, seemed to be in similarly good spirits. The cozy space was buzzing with friendly energy.

The comfort food with an emphasis on local and organic ingredients was delicious, though E's mac and cheese (how could she resist?) lacked some flavour. Its perfectly soft creaminess almost made up for the blandness. My mushroom ravioli was heavenly, especially after the month of deprivation. We shared farmer's flatbread to start, and each reveled in our own slice of chocolate silk pie to wrap up a truly lovely Friday evening out.

Palki Restaurant

I've been in the market for a good Indian place nearby for a while now, so when Palki Restaurant invited me to try them out, I told them I'd stop by the next time I had a craving for curry.

My family is nuts for Indian food, so when they arrived on Thursday, we headed pretty much straight to Palki. The facade is rather dark and unassuming, which explains why I've never noticed it before. It used to be a Turkish place called Rime, which I remember visiting in my pre-blogging days. Palki's interior, done up in shades of purple, has a lovely feel which belies the reasonable prices on the menu.

Said menu has the usual suspects, along with an impressive array of other options. We all enjoyed everything we tasted. Our only complaint was that some of the naan was a bit overcooked. My sister thought the bathroom was a bit unkempt, and not in keeping with the rest of the place. I forgot to check it myself, but they may want to keep a closer eye on it. The service was super friendly and prompt.

The five of us were absolutely stuffed, some of us were tipsy, and we had substantial leftovers, so we were surprised that the bill came to less than $200 including tax and tip. I am all about cheap and delicious eats in my neighbourhood, so I'll definitely be back to Palki!

Founders' Lounge @ The Cultch

The other night E and I had the great pleasure of seeing the Christmas Carol Project at The Cultch. The show, billed as "Western Canada's hippest holiday tradition," features a talented cast of Albertans making music in the voices of Dickens' classic characters. In buying our tickets, we noticed that on show nights, the Cultch's Cafe and Wine Bar is now a small restaurant called the Founders' Lounge run by the folks from Two Chefs and a Table and Big Lou's Butcher Shop. I'm a total sucker for a three course $30 fixed menu, so we booked a reservation before the show.

We enjoyed a past dinner at Two Chefs, so we had relatively high hopes for the Founders' Lounge. I'm not sure what the kitchen set up is, because our mains (coq au vin) were not quite hot enough. That was our only quibble with the food, which was delicious and well prepared, (wherever it happened). Our server was obviously new and trying to do things by the book. He was rather endearing, and the kinks will work themselves out with a bit of time. E and I both agreed that we'd like to eat at the Founders' Lounge before every performance we see at the Cultch!

The Pourhouse

Having a friend in town for the weekend is the perfect excuse for dinner out. Ensemble last night was nothing special (my company excluded!), but my first dinner at the Pourhouse on Friday lived up to its promise. I have been there a few times for their expertly made cocktails, and it turns out the food is equally delicious and satisfying.

I tried to order a Blood and Sand, since I had first learned of it there, but apparently they no longer carry one of the ingredients. In its stead, I enjoyed a Pisco Sour, for the first time in a while. (There seemed to be a months long pisco shortage at Vancouver bars earlier this year.) For dinner, I started with perfectly turned out albacore tuna on a bed of butter lettuce and artichoke, followed by grilled cheese on brioche and cream of cauliflower soup. The three of us split the generous apple tart for two while tipsily puzzling over exactly how many fractions of dessert we were each consuming. Try it; it's harder than you think.

The atmosphere is warm, dark and cozy, all especially welcome attributes at this time of year. I have half a mind to go there tomorrow on my day off for lunch!

Hume Atelier

A little more than two months ago, A's boyfriend J approached me with his plans to propose. After quickly bringing E in on the exciting news, we set about helping him find the right jewelry designer. Yes, E and I flanking him on the laptop as we searched through Vancouver jewelry designers online was just as much fun as it sounds.

We happened upon the very attractive website of Hume Atelier, a husband and wife team of custom jewelry makers in Gastown. The combination of local craftsmanship and ethically sourced materials was obviously appealing, so J made an appointment for the three of us to meet Kevin and Genevieve for a consultation. This, of course, was also an extremely good time!

Of course, this wasn't exactly my show, but J gave me the okay to give Hume Atelier the glowing review they deserve. They struck a perfect balance between offering their expert opinions and allowing J to make decisions in the scope of his budget. The ring is as pretty as can be, and A was justifiably thrilled to receive it.

As it happened, A saw an email she wasn't meant to very soon after the wheels were set in motion. I'll spare you the convoluted details but E and I were forced to play double agents for two months until the ring was ready and J was able to pop the question on her birthday. I'm definitely relieved that my life no longer resembles a rom-com farce ("She doesn't know that he knows that she knows!") So begins the planning of a beautiful East Van wedding to take place next July!

Halloween at the Waldorf

After a recent spate of somewhat epic nights out, I find myself enjoying a quiet evening at home. One of these nights took place at the Waldorf Hotel last weekend, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to finally weigh on this 'cultural oasis in the middle of nowhere.'

In three words: I love it. That doesn't make much of a blog posting, however, so I'll delve a little deeper. I have (happily) eaten at the Waldorf's Nuba location too many times to count over the past year, and I have spent several evenings soaking up the atmosphere in the famed tiki bar. Despite an earlier promise to appear, however,  I had yet to attend one of their already legendary parties.

To remedy this sad state of affairs, I joined a small crew of friends for the Friday portion of their four night Halloween extravaganza. It was certainly extravagant: haunted hotel rooms (one of which sent me literally diving out into the hallway in fright), a classic (and rather naughty) carnival midway, and an incredible flash performance by the House of La Douche dance crew, to name just a few of the party's perks.

Our group's only complaint was the fact that we had to pay extra for certain aspects like the drop of doom ride, and the holographic burlesque show. The other issue was that E and I had bought early bird four day passes under the mistaken assumption that they included the Dinner for the Dead, so we ended up shelling out quite a lot for what turned out to be one evening's festivities. In light of that clarification, all four day pass buyers were offered a refund, but without a guarantee of available Friday-only tickets, we decided to swallow the extra costs.

These details aside, it was certainly one hell of a party. It wasn't necessarily as dramatic as the house party I attended in Victoria the next night, where a drunken Fiona smashed a glass goblet on an equally intoxicated Shrek's head, but you can only curate so much, right?

The people running the Waldorf and its many artistic machinations are insanely creative, and I think it definitely lives up to the hype. Though they won't be spinning 'Monster Mash' the next time, I'll definitely be back to the tiki bar on an upcoming Friday night to dance again to that awesome mix of 50s/60s rock 'n' roll!

Grandview Tire & Auto Centre

There's nothing more disheartening to someone on a budget than feeling a distinct and loud chugging in the engine of one's car. I had this unfortunate experience on a late night last week, and since my usual mechanic is way out in Langley, I got to googling. Happily, I found Grandview Tire & Auto Centre with their online appointment booking system and many excellent reviews from non-car people like me. Lo and behold, there was a spot open the very next day! Fearing that my two year old "purely cosmetic" front end collision damage was coming back to haunt me, I braced myself for sticker shock.

The guys at Grandview Tire were very friendly and, after a short test drive with a technician, during which the problem finally manifested again, I left Fitzie in their capable hands. When I came back a short while later, Ed the shop manager began explaining the problem to me using diagrams on the computer, but then just took me into the shop to peer into the engine. Through no fault of his, I didn't really understand the problem, but I certainly appreciated the attempt at explanation before I agreed to pay for the repairs!

The final tally was about $360; still not a pleasant surprise, but not exactly the budget sinking behemoth I had feared. I will definitely return to this shop the next time I need a mechanic, though I hope it's a while from now.

St. Augustine's

I am what I describe to servers as an entry-level beer drinker. Becoming a beer drinker has even been one of my New Year's resolutions. That same year I vowed to train myself to do the splits. Sadly I am still not very flexible, but my taste for beer has slowly but surely begun to take off. And in what better time and place than 2011 Vancouver, with its beyond burgeoning craft beer scene?

Near the front of the charge is St. Augustine's Craft Brew House and Kitchen, named after the patron saint of beer. I've been to this temple of barley and hops in many contexts now: lunch with friends, game night with a group, on a date, and even for a volunteer envelope stuffing event. A live beer menu listing their rotating selection of forty taps is on the website, and on screens in the pub itself.

I can't say that I enjoy the proliferation of televisions beyond the beer menu screens, but St. Aug's is a sports pub, so it's not really a legitimate complaint.

The focus is on the brews of course, but in my experience, the food is nothing to sneeze at either. The servers are friendly and patient with my likely inane questions about the "intensity" of certain beers. I won't be enjoying a Storm Black Plague Stout anytime soon, but I definitely like me some Howe Sound Pumpkineater to go with those incredibly delicious fries and garlic aioli!

Specials on a Sunny Saturday

This past weekend I volunteered again for the Vancouver Special (House) Tour. We were blessed with what was surely one of the last really nice days for a while. I hate to be pessimistic, but…

The tour houses were all in East Van, and though I didn’t have time to visit the rest, I definitely enjoyed having a look inside my appointed house at 608 Union. It's actually one of the Joe Wai Specials that were designed particularly for Strathcona in the aftermath of the (mercifully) failed freeway proposal. 

I recognized one of the other volunteers’ names, but it was only when we were stationed together at the front door that I pried a bit and found out why. For about an hour, I was happily ensconced in conversation with Michael Kluckner, longtime Vancouverite (aside from sojourns in Langley and Australia), author, artist, and local historian. What a treat for both the librarian and Vancouver lover in me! We chatted about our mutual love of East Van, and he mentioned that Grandview now is what Kits was back in the day. Very interesting stuff.

I was eventually (and reluctantly) reassigned to a post in the master bedroom, where my greatest entertainment was when people asked if this was my house, and I got to sigh “alas, no.”  But anyway, the tour is fascinating, both for those with a genuine interest in vernacular architecture, and those whose tastes run to simply looking through other people’s houses! Check out the Vancouver Heritage Foundation for all kinds of information and tours.

Community Thrift and Vintage

A couple weeks ago, my very stylish sister was visiting from Calgary. She wanted to go shopping, so rather than hit mall standbys on Robson at a seven per cent premium, I suggested we poke around in Gastown. Of course, with the gentrification, there are designer shops aplenty, and even more stores that are just slightly too rich for our blood. Imagine our delight when we stumbled upon Community Thrift and Vintage at 41 West Cordova. The store, which opened several months ago, has been beautifully renovated in a cozy Gastown style.

In high school  I wore almost exclusively vintage and I still pepper my wardrobe with secondhand bargains on a regular basis. It is exceedingly rare to find this kind of handpicked selection at these perfectly reasonable prices. Better yet, the store is a social enterprise which offers jobs to “women with barriers to traditional employment…and…[donates] all profits back into the community through key programs of the PHS Community Services Society.”

From now on, when I feel that familiar longing for something new (to me) to wear, Community will be my first stop. Check the website for how to donate your used clothing in good wearable condition.