Edible Canada's Granville Island Market Tour
Foodies, unite! Edible Canada takes inquisitive—and hungry—guests on tasty and informative tours around a couple of the city’s most popular areas. Reserve a spot on the Granville Island Market Tour (pictured) or book the longer Sample and Shop Tour. Check out various landmarks and food shops on the guided Chinatown walk, and be sure to stay for the optional dim sum lunch.—Jennifer Patterson
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.
Kids craft at Make on Granville Island
Budding da Vincis and Michelangelos love designing their own buttons and t-shirts at Make on Granville Island. Staff can personalize lots of other items, too: printing meaningful text onto a pillow, transferring a family photo onto an apron, laser engraving a favourite quotation onto a leather journal. The colourful store definitely gets creative juices flowing, with its assortment of unique wares running the gamut from ninja-shaped cookie cutters to Scrabble-tile jewellery to stylish but sturdy bags made out of old bicycle tires. Make sure to check out the fun section devoted to toques—practical at this chilly time of year.—Sheri Radford
By Caitlin Dawson
Vinyl Vaudeville at Performance Works. Photo by Justin Eckersall
Roll up, roll up, ladies and gentlemen, and prepare to witness the jaw-dropping performances of Vinyl Vaudeville—a dinner cabaret at Performance Works on Granville Island (to Feb. 18).
If you’re new to the concept, vaudeville was a popular art form in the US and Canada at the end of the 19th century, lasting until the early 1930s. Jugglers, dancers and comedians rubbed shoulders with magicians, acrobats and instrumentalists on one diverse bill, offering an exhilarating display of varied showmanship. (more…)
Dockside tempts with pan-fried chilli squid (front) and sauteed tiger prawns (back). Photo by KK Law
The burgeoning beer scene here yields no shortage of hop-friendly dining.
1 Dockside (pictured) Discover Granville Island’s “other” brewery and dine in vista-kissed surroundings.
2 Howe Sound Brewing Take a 45-minute trip to Squamish to sample Howe Sound Lager with seafood chowder or ale-braised pork sliders.
3 Steamworks Enjoy freshly brewed quaffs, such as Lions Gate Lager, in a brass-trimmed, wood-panelled Gastown pub overlooking the harbour.
4 Yaletown Brewing Grab a glass of Downtown Brown along with a steaming bowl of sliced beef tenderloin tip stroganoff in this red-bricked Yaletown haunt.—Tim Pawsey
"24 West" by Carolyn Mount
Examine our emotional attachment to structure in the etchings and prints of Relational Spaces at Dundarave Print Workshop and Gallery (Jan. 9 to Feb. 5) Carolyn Mount’s “24 West” (pictured) is a reductive relief print, created by carving a single block, or stamp, in several different stages to build up colour.—Kristina Urquhart
Get inspired by the decor at Livingspace
Urban Inspiration
The up-and-coming Armoury District, just west of Granville Island, is a go-to spot for hot home shops and even hotter coffee. Livingspace (pictured) thrills decor and design aficionados with its recently opened multi-level location. Mint Interiors stocks cool collectibles and eye-catching light fixtures. And next door’s Café Bica offers an inspired setting to sip frothy lattes and nosh on freshly baked pastries.—Jennifer Patterson
More information:
LIVINGSPACE INTERIORS 1706 W. 1st Ave. 604-683-1116. www.livingspace.com
MINT INTERIORS 1805 Fir Street. 604-568-3430. www.mintinteriors.ca
CAFE BICA $. B/L (M-Sa). 1809 Fir St. 604-733-8818. www.cafebica.com
Photo by David Hills/istockphoto.com
Vancouver brewers celebrate Halloween early with a bevy of pumpkin ales. Taste the best of the season at Steamworks Brewing Co., Granville Island Brewing Taproom and Central City Brewing Co. in Surrey. Or try them all by the flight at St. Augustine’s Pub on Commercial Drive, which also boasts no less than 40 beers on tap.—Tim Pawsey (more…)
Circle Mirror Transformation photo by David Cooper
What’s all the hoopla at the Granville Island Stage? The 2011-2012 season kicks off with the Canadian premiere of Circle Mirror Transformation (to Oct. 22), an Obie Award–winning play by 29-year-old Annie Baker, a rising star in the American theatre world. This sharply funny but poignant comedy of secrets focuses on connections between individuals.—Sheri Radford
More information:
CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION When Marty gathers four locals for the first-ever drama class in a small Vermont town, she has no idea how an injection of hula-hooping and wacky acting games will change their lives—including, most unexpectedly, her own (to Oct 22). M-Sa 8 pm. Matinees W and Sa 2 pm. $29-$49.
Granville Island Stage, 1585 Johnston St. 604-687-1644.
www.artsclub .com
Edible Canada photo by KK Law
Head to Granville Island to discover Edible Canada, a sleek bistro, wine bar and retail store that celebrates all things comestible and Canuckish. Nibble on crispy, bronzed, Fraser Valley duck fat fries; slurp richly flavoured West Coast seafood bisque; or savour BC birch syrup and kasu-roasted sablefish, all from a menu that includes plenty of vegetarian and gluten- and dairy-free options. Refreshments range from hard-to-find Okanagan and Vancouver Island wines to “eastern” beers such as Steam Whistle and Propeller, for homesick Torontonians and Haligonians.—Tim Pawsey
More information:
EDIBLE CANADA AT THE MARKET Full-service bistro celebrates the best in BC and Canadian cuisine, with fresh ingredients and artful presentation. Take-away window, patio and demo kitchen. Also a retail space with artisanal foods and unique kitchen wares. Sign up for a culinary tour. $$. B/L/D (daily).
1689 Johnston St. 604-682-6675. www.ediblecanada.com
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Stay, Dine, Do
