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Ensemble Tap

Dishing With a Real Housewife of Vancouver

Reiko Mackenzie, of The Real Housewives of Vancouver

Where The Real Housewives of Vancouver’s Reiko Mackenzie Shops, Eats and Plays

By Caitlin Dawson

If variety is the spice of life, then Reiko Mackenzie is hot as habañero. Not only is The Real Housewives of Vancouver star an über-glamorous housewife and mom of two with a minivan, she’s also a martial artist with a collection of luxury cars.

Following in the Prada-clad footsteps of Orange County, New York, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, New Jersey and Miami, The Real Housewives is a no-holds-barred peek into the lives of five of Vancouver’s most affluent women. In true Housewives style, Mackenzie has a personal chef, but she lists Vancouver stalwart Don Francesco as her top spot for eats. Why? “They treat us like family,” she explains.

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Hot Dining: Beer Spots in Vancouver

Ensemble Tap photo by KK Law

Good brews abound but you have to know where to look to quaff them. Top Chef Canada winner Dale MacKay wasted little time in opening Ensemble Tap (pictured), a casual spot and the ultimate sports haunt, with an eclectic global menu including tastes such as a house-made sausage trio with grainy mustard, and decent draught to go along. Alibi Room serves arguably the city’s best selection of BC brews, in a cozy heritage room on Gastown’s eastern edge. CAMRA-awarded The Whip Restaurant Gallery pours some of the best real ale in the west and taps a local cask every Sunday. St. Augustine’s on Commercial Drive sports a live feed of what’s still left to drink of some 40 beers on tap from here and a few from abroad—should you be homesick.—Tim Pawsey