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!

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.

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!

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!

Pizzeria Farina

After spending almost a whole workweek daydreaming about their Miele pizza (apples, honey, ricotta, oh my!), I cannot overstate how disappointed I was to arrive at Pizzeria Farina last night to find it removed from the menu, for lack of interest. What is wrong with you Vancouver? How could you let something as surely delicious as this pizza must have been slip through your fingers? The cool and friendly staff (owners?) were sympathetic, but what could they do? The people had spoken. I can only hope they bring it back as a daily pizza speciale sometime that I happen to be there.

Calmed somewhat by the loaf of bread A bought (to make me happy; she knows me so well), I settled in to wait for my funghi pizza. As far as consolation prizes go, this one was a winner. The arugula was fresh, abundant, and perfectly complemented the delicate flavours of the mushrooms and onions. E proclaimed her finocchiona the best pizza she's ever had in Vancouver. And the crust! So good that I took A's crust scraps home with me for later. You just don't throw away crust that good.

I was charmed by the spare red and white decor, and special touches like side by side taps offering free still and sparkling water, butcher paper for those leftovers not quite warranting a box, and the mostly communal dining set up. The very cute pizza chef certainly did not go amiss. The only thing lacking is the vino, but a liquor license is in the works!

Save-on-Meats

It's no secret that I think Mark Brand is the second coming, and his latest outing has proven to be another safe bet for dining on the East Side. Happily, Save-on-Meats is a lot easier on the wallet than my favourite arm of his multi-pronged business. After two visits, I now feel qualified to comment on the diner side of things. I can't speak to the other aspects of the reborn Save-on-Meats, but my trust in Brand runs deep, so I'm sure they're great.

For reasons I can't quite pinpoint, the food here is almost secondary. It's certainly good enough, and you simply can't argue with the prices. Save-on-Meats is more about the experience and the atmosphere, and they've nailed both. A, E and I had a collective girl crush on our server Kelcie, and we would have been happy to have her hang up her metaphorical apron and sit a spell with us. A friendly fellow behind the counter let us sample a bacon chocolate chip cookie before we committed our dessert calories elsewhere. The space is airy and spare, save for the many charming old-timey posters by local artist Dan Climan.

Biking there and back to work off the large portions topped off a truly perfect summer evening. I hadn't been to the original, but I think this incarnation deserves at least as long of a run.

Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie

As one of the buzziest new restaurants opened in the past couple of years, Bao Bei has long been calling my name. My parents were in town recently and they are both very into all types of Asian cuisine, so I figured the time was right. Like a gift from the universe, the four of us (E joined us) were seated straightaway in a cozy round booth, arguably the best seats in the (gorgeously designed) house. It helped that we were there on a Tuesday evening, since Bao Bei is a reservation-free zone.

My previous pescetarianism was what held me back from visiting in the past, since even the tofu has ground pork sprinkled on top. There is not a lot on the menu for vegetarians or even picky pescetarians such as myself who don't like shellfish. Their website notes that they can easily adjust many menu items to be vegetarian/vegan, but I always hated to be that person.

For better or worse, the constraints on my eating have increasingly fallen away over the past year. The four of us shared one of practically everything on the menu. I sat out the beef tartare and prawn dumplings, and standouts for me included the steamed vegetable dumplings and Shao Bing. Everything was well-received with extra points for creativity and presentation.

E and I each enjoyed a craft cocktail, which we can only assume was what protected us from the stomach upset my parents both suffered the next day. My mom was unfortunately turned off from eating at Bao Bei again, but my dad, nonplussed as ever, said that he would go back because "it was really good." I'm going to give them a mulligan and side with my dad on this one!

Campagnolo Roma

You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I’m not really one for Italian food. A, however, newishly transplanted from the West End, has been missing Nook, her favourite little pork-infused hideaway. On a rare evening when the three of us were available (after ditching our boyfriends and coworkers respectively), A, E and I headed to the cozy confines of Campagnolo Roma with our hopes held high. We were not to be disappointed.

The room has been beautifully renovated and you have to look hard for any trace of the strange Jamaican pizzeria that was the previous occupant. I am somewhat sorry that I never made it there, but I'm told I wasn't missing much.

The whipped ricotta appetizer was a revelation that I'm still wistfully phantom-tasting today. No sooner had the first bites passed our lips than we ordered another round. The fresh and simple pastas are priced reasonably, striking a balance between the obvious quality of the ingredients and the sensibility of the neighbourhood. A charmingly forgetful bartender who said he was only moonlighting and our shy but sweet server rounded out the equation.

CR, as I will henceforth refer to it in text messages, is a welcome addition to the burgeoning neighbourhood foodie scene. We will be back, sans car and plus wine.

Paparazzi

I am a rather ardent fan of Groupon and all its many, many copycat enterprises. In the year and a half that I’ve been wise to these deals, I’ve saved a bundle on everything from windsurfing to wine making, and dog sitting to dinners out. Sometime last year, I bought a Groupon offered by Blue Olive Photography, an outfit whose work I had much admired in a previous lifetime when I was in the market for a wedding photographer. The deal was $75 for a 30 minute photo shoot, with 3 prints of your favourite image.

A&E, though loyal fans of America’s Next Top Model, and far superior “smisers” than I, were wary of being included in the photo shoot. As is my custom, I insisted, and Reilly made sure we had a fun time. Murphy the dog was less accommodating, but I think he did his best. It was definitely awkward walking around Gastown and fake laughing while being trailed by a photographer, but the end results were worth it.

Of course, they’re counting on you to purchase products beyond that, and purchase we did. The image here is my favourite, and it’s the one I chose for our free prints. If Blue Olive ever offers another of these deals or if you can swing their regular fees, by all means, take advantage of their talent and friendliness. You’re guaranteed to have a great time and you will love your photographs!

Big Brother is Watching You

Last night I had the great pleasure (and terror!) of attending a performance of Andy Thompson's new stage version of George Orwell's 1984 at the Cultch. It's billed as a multimedia adaptation, and it's a joint production of The Virtual Stage and Langara College's highly regarded Studio 58 program. E and I were blown away by the script, acting, and production values alike. I'm no theatre expert, but in my humble opinion, this performance was head and shoulders above the star-studded production I saw on Broadway a couple weeks ago. Seriously. You should go. (A few) tickets are still available here. And now I have to go read the book, because I'm ashamed to admit I have yet to do so!

My very favourite nightspot in Vancouver, and beyond

It’s no surprise that a single girl in Vancouver with a mortgage and a costly commute isn’t left with much in the way of disposable income. My disposable income, such as it is, is consistently funneled to two of my best friends (besides A&E): my aging dog and The Diamond.

I try to stay away for stretches here and there, so they don’t get tired of me hanging around, but the place exerts some sort of magnetic pull. Owing to my recent travels, it has indeed been a while, but a shortly upcoming visit is written in stone on my Google calendar!

When I describe the Diamond to friends, I often use the phrase “wonderland of beauty.” Truly everything is beautiful here: the staff, the filament bulbs, the stag's head chandelier, the exposed brick walls, the view of Maple Tree Square from the windows (especially when it snows!), the craft cocktails, and even the exquisite vintage glassware. Happily, it's an old-timey and warm type of beauty that was obviously not conceived in a Toronto boardroom, unlike the contrived corporate esthetic of certain other places. It’s just so easy to lose yourself here, and I’m always eager to show it off to someone who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of an evening at the Diamond.

I’ve never been here for an actual dinner, since the Asian fusion concept is more small plates than anything, and the drinks are so strong that it’s unwise to go on an empty stomach. That being said, what I’ve nibbled on while lingering over cocktails has always been wonderful: olives, nuts, gyoza, subs, and panna cotta. The drink prices run high ($10-12), but we're not talking watered down rum and cokes. The booze forward cocktails are nonetheless so eminently drinkable that it took E making us journalists at our own New Year's Eve pre-party for us to realize just why we often end up unexpectedly blitzed at the Diamond.

A small selection of beer is available, but as I once unwittingly asked someone who turned out to be Mark Brand, "How can you drink something like that in a place like this?" PBR has its charms, I'm sure, but I remain immune to them.

The service is such that I felt like a regular on my very first visit, and by this point, I actually feel among friends. Impeccably dressed, attractive, sociable, and skilled friends who make consistently incredible cocktails from memory, (I'm talking to you, Donnelly Pub Group), and don’t tease me (much) when I’ve had a few too many. What more could a single girl ask for?

Back in Lotusland

Well, we arrived home bright and early on Monday morning. I've had a couple days to recover and now feel up to posting about my trip, bootcamp this morning notwithstanding!

It was a jam packed week, but we managed to spend some time relaxing in our gigantic hotel suite. Thanks for the mysterious upgrade, Salisbury Hotel!

I didn't avoid shopping entirely, but A&E held me back from doing any serious damage at Century 21. I did spend a glorious sunny morning checking out Park Slope in Brooklyn, picking up some sweet vintage deals (hello $35 Frye boots!) at Beacon's Closet, and a handknit scarf at Flirt.

Of course, we ate a wonderfully diverse array of cuisines, including Venetian at Osteria Laguna, wine and cheese at the Drunken Horse, and Persian at Persepolis. Modern American cuisine was well represented by The Red Cat, Stonehome, and 508, and those onion rings at the Heights Cafe can't be beat.

We added a few things (like MoMA) to our original itinerary, but most notable was riding our rental bikes through Central Park and Harlem, which was one of the highlights of my life. I still haven't made it to the Tenement Museum, but perhaps the third time will be the charm!

Our raison d'being there was for E to compete in her fifth straight American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. She made us very proud by placing 34th overall (out of 680!!!), and sweeping the foreign division handily.

All in all, a truly memorable vacation with two of my very favourite people in the entire world.

Taking a bite

Tonight I'm heading to New York City for a girls' week with my two besties, A&E. We'll be doing lots of eating and sightseeing, of course, and if I learned anything from last month's trip to Orlando, the most you should probably expect is a name-dropping post upon my return.

We've got big plans, including the Museum of Sex, the Museum of Natural History, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and That Championship Season, for starters. Then there's what may well be the pièce de résistance of our visit: the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the partying that is sure to ensue.

With the support of my non-shopping friends, I will try to resist the lure of Century 21. The plan is to spend all the money I would have spent shopping at eateries like Eataly and The Red Rooster, and, in my case anyway, copious numbers of black and whites. I'll let you know how it goes!

Dinner and a movie with a twist

Tonight promises to be one of those perfect East Van evenings…dinner at El Pulgarcito and Hey Rosetta! at the Rio Theatre. E and I are big fans of El Pulgarcito, after having eaten there many a time. It’s not much to look at, but the food is delicious and plentiful. I usually get the chicken enchiladas with salsa verde, while E prefers the same dish with less spicy mole sauce. Try the pupusas; you won’t regret it! I’m also madly in love with their horchata, which is available in either the Mexican and Salvadoran styles, both equally creamy and excellent as hangover cures. It’s a two person show, but the service is always cheerful and prompt. I spent some time "studying" in Mexico during university, and this is the type of place that comes as close to an authentic experience as you can get this far north. The prices ($7 or $8 for a main with all the fixings) are also reminiscent of Mexico, which is much appreciated.

I’ve never been to a concert in a movie theatre before, and I am definitely excited to see how it’s done. I’ve read that Hey Rosetta! is one of Canada’s most underrated indie bands, particularly in terms of pure musicianship, but we must be on top of things here, because both their Vancouver shows are sold out!