Alison Mazurek and family welcome us in to their highly functional small space.
SHOP HOP
These Vancouver jewellery stores are all extremely charm-ing.
SO FUN CITY
Jokes Please has been delivering the laughs for more than a decade.
THE HAUL
Illustrator Hiller Goodspeed welcomes us into his studio to share a few fave supplies.
MADE IN VANCOUVER
Where the founders of Banquet Workshop like to shop.
AT ISSUE
Can the Granville Strip return to its former glory?
KNOW-IT-ALL
Why are the side streets of Mount Pleasant and Fraserhood so bumpy?
Photography by Clinton Hussey
styling by Lawren Moneta
styling by Kristin Morawski
by Holt Renfrew
Chez Céline brings the casse-crôute spirit to Western Canada. WINE
Our favourite bottles of the past year.
How to find your signature scent, according to the pros.
Bite Me
Our 25 Things to Eat feature includes these delectable aburi salmon nori tacos from the Pacific Rim’s Lobby Lounge. For more treats, savoury and sweet, turn to page 29.
25 THINGS TO EAT AND DRINK NOW
Get your stretchy pants out and start hunting down these must-try dishes to set 2026 o on the right foot. These are the dishes, drinks, desserts and irressistible condiments our editors are obsessed with right now.
CEOANDGROUPPUBLISHER Ryan Benn
GROUPVP , PUBLISHINGANDOPERATIONS Nina Wagner
EDITORIAL
VICEPRESIDENT , CONTENT Anicka Quin
EDITORS - IN - CHIEF Stacey McLachlan ( Vancouver ), Darcy Matheson (BCBusiness), Anicka Quin (Western Living)
SENIOREDITOR Mihika Agarwal (BCBusiness)
MANAGINGEDITOR , FOODANDCULTURE Kristi Alexandra
MANAGINGEDITOR Dani Wright (on leave)
ASSISTANTEDITOR Kerri Donaldson (Vancouver, Western Living)
WINEANDSPIRITSEDITOR Neal McLennan
CONTRIBUTINGEDITORS Frances Bula, Melissa Edwards, Alyssa Hirose, Matt O’Grady
EDITORIALINTERNS Valentina Barrera, Ashley Kim EMAIL mail@vanmag.com
Angus An, Maenam; Patrick Barron, Telus; TC Carling, Covenant House; Victoria Emslie, Nicola Wealth; Peter Jackman, Terminal City Club; Carol Lee, Vancouver Chinatown Foundation; Carol Liao, UBC Peter Allard School of Law; Matt McClenaghan, Edgar Developments; Jennifer Murtagh, Maturn; Gary Pooni, Pooni Group; Audrey Plaskacz, Bosa Properties; Greg Zayadi, Rennie Group
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VICEPRESIDENT , SALES Anna Lee
SENIORMEDIASPECIALISTS Brianne Harper, Mira Hershcovitch, Cathy Huynh, Sheri Stubel (on leave)
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TEL 602-432-4868 EMAIL lesley@hayesmediasales.com
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GROUPVP , EDUCATIONANDADMINISTRATION Jane Griffiths
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EXECUTIVEASSISTANT + EVENTPRODUCER Julie Fisher
EVENTSANDOFFICEMANAGER Julia Jarman
PRODUCTIONMANAGER Kim McLane
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PRODUCTIONSUPPORTTECHNICIAN Ina Bowerbank
CUSTOMERSERVICE Kelly Kalirai
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GROUPVP , FINANCE Conroy Ing, CPA, CMA
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EMAIL sales@canadawide.com
We love our city, but we’re also aware there’s room for improvement. Writer Sara Harowitz scours the globe for inspiring solutions.
TRUST THE PROCESS
It’s a detective show trope so common that it borders on parody: a wall plastered with surveillance photos, maps and mugshots, all connected with zig-zagging red twine that re ects the tangled narrative overtaking the mind of a frazzled investigator (and/or conspiracy theorist).
Something similar appeared on the walls of our o ce boardroom in the weeks leading up to the production of this issue: managing editor Kristi Alexandra was pulling out all the stops to gure out which dishes and drinks would make this year’s 25
Things to Eat list. An elaborate grid of colour-coded sticky notes and a system of highlighters were her preferred tools for helping our editorial team solve the big mystery at hand—namely: what’s delicious right now?
Kristi’s meticulous visual breakdown was key to helping us crack the case, inspiring some enthusiastic editorial debates and plenty of additional taste-testing (tough research!) that would lead to this year’s list of food recommendations, starting on page 29. And to continue the crime-show analogy, we think they’re all killer.
That being said, in a city this delicious, it’s no easy task to narrow the choices down to just 25 recommendations. For every ube latte we included, we had to sadly axe a beloved strawberry iced matcha; the fact that only one pasta could make the cut in a place with such a vibrant Italian scene felt downright criminal. Every dish that made it onto that Post-It grid or was popped into our months-in-the-making longlist spreadsheet deserved a mention, and we would happily eat it again and again. Choosing this year’s top contenders among so many worthy nominees was a struggle—but what a great problem to have.
Here’s another great problem: this issue is full of so many fun stories that you might not know where to start. On page 56, writer Sara Harowitz proposes some internationally inspired solutions for Vancouver’s biggest issues; small-spaces specialist Alison Mazurek takes us inside her own highly functional townhouse on page 9; the principals of Banquet Workshop share their fave local shopping spots on page 18—and on and on. Yes, it’s a lot (in a good way, right?!), so if you need some help organizing your plan of attack, we’ve got you covered: Kristi’s happy to share her stack of sticky notes.
STACEY MCLACHLAN
EDITOR - IN - CHIEF
SMCLACHLAN
Coming Up Next Issue
The Power 50
Our annual ranking of the movers and shakers who power our city—from board room big shots to inspiring activists and artists, these are the people shaping and energizing Vancouver now.
In the End
What happens when we approach death with presence instead of fear? We go inside the groundbreaking ABE (A Better End) Project, which dares to reshape our approach to death and dying.
behind the scenes
Model Behaviour
We asked our colleagues to pull a shift as hand models (and taste testers) for this month’s cover shoot. Here, events and o ice manager Julia Jarman gets bejewelled and posed by stylist Kristin Morawski in photographer Clinton Hussey’s East Van studio.
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CULTURE
ink Small
The Mazurek family knows how to live big in 900 square feet.
BY Stacey McLachlan PHOTOGRAPHSBY Tanya Goehring
Her blog is still called 600 Square Feet and a Baby, but Alison Mazurek’s life looks a lot di erent from when she started documenting her passion for small spaces 10 years ago—but, to be fair, “900 Square Feet and Two Tweens” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
Since 2021, Alison and husband Trevor, an occupational therapist, have lived in a 900-square-foot split-level apartment in Kitsilano with 12-year-old Theo and nine-year-old Mae. “We were great in 600 square feet, but in the pandemic, we lost all of our third spaces—I couldn’t go to the cafe to work, we couldn’t go to Science World, we were just in the apartment on top of each other all the time,” Alison explains.
Despite the extra room to breathe, it’s still close quarters for four people (including an enthusiastic young breakdancer), but after years of practice in their cozy Mount Pleasant one-bedroom, no one is better equipped to optimize every square inch of this one-bed-one-den-one-bath home for both function and style.
With its white-and-wood Scandinavian-chic palette (“I know there’s a backlash against white spaces right now, but I stand by it; I like the blank canvas,” laughs Alison) and clever space-saving solutions, the home feels comfortable and uncluttered—though certainly not devoid of personality. Paintings from Canadian artists hang on the wall, as does a oating bookrack displaying the family’s favourite reads. The living space transforms throughout the day to accommodate di erent needs: you might nd Trevor exercising here, Mae playing the keyboard, or guests crashed on the deep custom
Multi-Purpose Magic
A mobile from the Finnish Design Shop hangs in the high-ceilinged primary bedroom. When the wall bed is folded up, the kids can pull beanbag chairs into the room and use the projector to play video games.
The sofa in the living room is custom. “I got an Ikea twin mattress upholstered, and then got back cushions made to match, and then we made the couch frame to fit the twin,” Alison explains. “If there are two guests, someone has to sleep on a mattress on the floor, but sometimes our friends still like to snuggle.” The low wooden frame even has a built-in side table... though it’s bruised a few shins over the years, Alison admits. “I get criticized for that ledge. Everyone’s hit it once or twice.”
Sweet Dreams
Child’s
Play
Though they used to share bunk beds, the kids now each have their own side of a long, rectangular room, split by a shelving unit. (“It’s the only open shelving in the house, because I find open storage can get so visually busy,” says Alison.) On Theo’s side, you might find him working away on his Chainsaw Man costume at his desk, while over in the Mae zone, she displays her stu ed panda collection with pride.
Mix Master
Around the Skagerak dining table (“We’ve had it for years; it can take a beating”), Alison has paired Hay Rey chairs in icy baby blue with a low bench and mismatched stools from Vancouver brand Sundays. A painting by Rubeena Ratcli e is on display.
Blank Space
Contrary to what most small-space dwellers would do, the Mazureks removed existing shelving around the living room fireplace. The blank wall here is where the family watches movies with their projector, which has strong enough lumens to work well even during the day. (The other big renovation when they moved in: pulling up all the mismatched flooring to put in engineered whiteoak boards.)
What’s Cooking?
The kitchen got a light makeover, too. Cabinets were refaced and the glass mosaic backsplash was replaced with mattewhite square tiles. Local millworkers made circular maple cabinet pulls that keep the cabinet faces flat but add both visual interest and function.
sofa that Alison commissioned to t an Ikea twin mattress. It’s also the spot for movie nights, when the family res up the projector to play on the white space above the replace.
Down the narrow stairwell, Alison and Trevor sleep on a wall bed from Resource Furniture that folds away to create an open playroom when the kids’ friends come over. Through the French doors, there’s a long, low-ceilinged den space that’s been converted into a shared room for Theo and Mae; the kids’ private spaces are separated by an Ikea shelving unit. Sure, the set-up means that the family shares a clothes closet (and one busy bathroom), but they’re happily making it all work, with minimal kid complaining along the way. (“I want to be able to see my clothes!” pines Mae.)
Though design is Alison’s domain, in a space so cozy, every decision is really a family a air. “I have functional ideas and then they have to pass through the lter of design,” says Trevor, “but it usually takes some time for it to seep in.” Jokes Alison: “He’s got a great idea every now and then.”
Charmed, I’m Sure
Why settle on one piece of jewellery to represent your dynamic persona when you could let five or six individual charms do the talking? BY Kristi Alexandra
Leah Alexandra 75 W 7th Ave., 1038 Canada Pl., leahalexandra.com
A less permanent (but still fun) version of a tattoo. You can book “spark” appointments here, where your chain is welded together to make your chosen piece a little more permanent.
With pearls on-trend and birthstones being timeless, the Pearlescent birthstone pendant ($95) brings the two together in a charm that’s both beautiful and self-reflective.
Amara Blue 1409–207 W Hastings St., amarabluedesigns.com
jMost of Amara Blue’s pendants and charms are hand-illustrated signets or delicately carved designs—go for a handmade feel.
If you’re a charm lover, you’ve already established that you’re eclectic—keep ’em guessing by swapping out your charms: the sterling silver Ouroboros snake charm ($85, complete with blue sapphire and tsavorite eyes) hinges open and closed.
Melanie Auld 2077 W 4th Ave., melanieauld.com
Experience the luxe treatment. These highend pieces have a bespoke vibe. Engraving and welding is also available by appointment.
This 14K gold vermeil Mediterranean-style Sardina charm ($115) with a cubic zirconia stone is sleek and playful, and definitely belongs in a scene from Mamma Mia! (We mean that as a compliment.)
jWolf Circus 49 Dunlevy Ave., wolfcircus.com
hip shops around the city, but you’ll get to paw
Get the cool-kid statement piece here. You’ll find the brand’s demi-fine jewellery (hand-fabricated here in Vancouver) in all the hip shops around the city, but you’ll get to paw through the full line at the Railtown studio.
No factory-stamped lettering here—Wolf Circus’s alphabet charms ($65 each) are made-to-order, and the hand-drawn, bubbly font certainly shows it. These letter initial charms come in 14K gold-plated brass and sterling silver (or solid gold for $389).
Shayelily Jewelry 73 Water St., shayelilyjewelry.com
Shayelily invites group bookings of one to five people to participate in a onehour jewellery design session where you can mix and match charms and beads on a necklace or bracelet in her Gastown studio.
Ten oh-so-sweet enamel fruits and vegetables fit on this 6.5-inch stainless steel Fruit Punch bracelet (which, by the way, is made-to-order, so each one is totally unique), giving your wrist a punch of colour ($85).
Please Please Me
For 12 years, Jokes Please and its a able host Ross Dauk have been reminding us that when the world feels heavy, a small room full of laughter can still lift it.
BY Kerri Donaldson
When Ross Dauk launched stand-up comedy showcase Jokes Please (stylized with an exclamation mark on the posters he plasters around town) a dozen years ago, it wasn’t about legacy. It was about getting some reps in. “When you’re starting o in stand-up comedy, the whole issue is you’re trying to get stage time so that you improve,” says Dauk. “I started my own show to try to get better.”
The early years at Little Mountain Gallery’s former Main Street location were scrappy, often co-hosted with friends like Ben McGinnis and Ivan Decker. But the consistent practice paid o (a show or more every week for 12 years will do that) and Dauk’s impish, mile-a-minute hosting style became a draw in itself—it was the glue that held each night’s lineup of all-stars and newbies together, and that cemented the show’s loyal audience happily in place.
“At every show, I sort of say: If you enjoy the show, please tell your friends. If you think that Vancouver needs an a ordable place to go where it’s low-key, please tell your friends,” says Dauk.
At the door, he often hears the same line: A friend told me I had to come
Over the years, Jokes Please has hosted an impressive lineup of comics. Juno Award winners Jacob Samuel and Sophie Buddle sharpened their acts here; indie comedy darling Maddy Kelly added her sharp Gen-Z wit to the mix. Local veterans like Graham Clark and the late Kathleen McGee all have graced the stage. And on special nights, international headliners surprise the crowd—including Marc Maron, whose visit coincided with a period of grief in Dauk’s own life. “He had been talking actively about grief because he had lost someone very important in his life. And I had lost a parent in a very surprise thing,” says Dauk. “At the time, comedy seemed less important to me, but the shows really lifted me up.” It was proof that laughter can be cathartic even (or especially) when the world feels unbearable.
Each week, at the always-packed Cambrian Hall (on Fridays) or the Russian Cultural Centre (on Saturdays), Dauk treats the host spot like a pace car. “I do want people already to sort of have their money’s worth before I’m o the stage,” he says. He
books comics who “care about comedy, care about getting better at comedy, and sort of respect comedy.” And in addition to fostering community with the regulars who come out to laugh together, Jokes Please functions as a clubhouse for comics: “Almost all the jobs at Jokes Please are lled by stand-up comedians. The door person’s a comedian, the bartender’s a comedian... and then a second later [they’ll be] destroying on stage.”
Laugh Factory
An impressive catalogue of comedians have graced the Jokes Please stage(s), including Juno Award winners Jacob Samuel and Sophie Buddle, local legend Graham Clark and even Marc Maron. Host Ross Dauk (below) emcees.
THE DEETS
Every Friday in Mount Pleasant and Saturday in Kits.
Party Like It’s 2026
New year, same you—but with better plans. RSVP your way into 2026. BY
Kerri Donaldson
THE MASKED ZINGER: A WONDERHEADS CHRISTMAS CAROL
WHEN Until December 14
WHERE BMO Theatre Centre
COST From $39
It’s Dickens, but bigger—literally. Huge heads, zero dialogue and A Christmas Carol that’s more trippy than tinsel-strewn.
MIAMI NICE: TRIBUTE TO MIAMI SOUND MACHINE AND GLORIA ESTEFAN
WHEN December 5
WHERE Fox Cabaret COST $25
The Susana Williams Band powers through Gloria Estefan’s catalogue. The rhythm is gonna get you (probably in the knees).
POP ROCKS: STRUMBELLAS
WHEN December 7
WHERE Commodore Ballroom
COST From $60
Singalong indie anthems from Canada’s folk-pop sweethearts.
CLASSY CLAUS: A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS
WHEN December 21
WHERE Orpheum Theatre
COST From $52
The VSO does carols, crescendos and Christmas cheer big enough to drown out your relatives’ vocal political views.
CONTACT HIGH: CONTACT WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
WHEN December 26 and 27
WHERE Pacific Coliseum
COST From $210
Canada’s largest indoor EDM festival brings top electronic DJs to Van for two nights of thumping beats and noise complaints.
PANTOMONIUM: EAST VAN PANTO: WEST VAN STORY
WHEN Until January 4
WHERE York Theatre
COST From $35
The Panto’s back, this time flipping West Side Story into an East Van fever dream.
HIGH-FLYING: NITRO CIRCUS
WHEN December 18
WHERE Rogers Arena COST From $70
Rogers Arena briefly transforms into a gravity-challenged playground—expect BMX, FMX, scooters and contraptions defying logic. Proof you can turn concussions into entertainment.
ISN’T HE LOVELY? SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE: A TRIBUTE TO STEVIE WONDER
WHEN December 7
WHERE Hollywood Theatre COST From $35
Krystle Dos Santos channels her inner Stevie (complete with all his chart-toppers) for a night of soulsoaked swagger—because holiday carols are fine, but Stevie Wonder is finer.
BUDDY COMEDY: ELF IN CONCERT
WHEN December 19 and 20
WHERE Orpheum Theatre COST From $32
Watch Buddy the Elf on the big screen while the VSO supplies the sugar rush.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: BEVERLY GLENNCOPELAND AND ELIZABETH GLENNCOPELAND
WHEN January 16
WHERE Chan Centre
COST From $30
Singer-songwriter Beverly GlennCopeland and creative partner
Elizabeth (author, theatre artist and educator) share an evening of luminous music and reflection.
For even more fun to-dos around town this month, check out the online events calendar at vanmag.com/events
11 12
AUSSIE FEELS: DEAN LEWIS: EPILOGUE WORLD TOUR
WHEN January 20
WHERE Orpheum Theatre COST From $50
The Aussie hitmaker gets emotional at the Orpheum. May cause you to text your ex “just to check in.”
GREEN ROOM
ANTICS: TOM GREEN’S STOMPIN’ COMEDY TOUR
WHEN January 23
WHERE Vogue Theatre
COST From $54
Comedy chaos courtesy of Canada’s weirdest export.
CIRCUS CIRCUS: PARADISUM
WHEN January 21 to 24
WHERE Vancouver Playhouse COST From $41
If your New Year’s resolution was to take in more ethereal new music experiences—first, weird! Second, Hungary’s cirque dance company Recirquel’s choral and dance piece that blends heavenly vocals with innovative staging should do the trick.
STORYTIME: LEANNE BETASAMOSAKE SIMPSON
WHEN January 29
WHERE Chan Centre
COST From $30
Story and song from a brilliant voice in Indigenous art and activism.
ABOUT TIME: CATCHING UP TO THE FUTURE OF OUR PAST
WHEN January 30 and 31
WHERE Scotiabank Dance Centre
COST From $30
James Gnam and Natalie LeFebvre Gnam’s time-bending dance piece with a side of cosmic whiplash.
HEART AND HOME: YOU’RE JUST A PLACE THAT I KNOW
WHEN Starts January 21
WHERE BMO Theatre Centre COST From $29
A new theatrical concert about memory, migration and love. Get ready for feels in real time
DITCH THE DISHES: DINE OUT VANCOUVER FESTIVAL
WHEN January 21 to February 8
WHERE Various COST $20 to $50
Three weeks of prix-fixe feasts that make Dry January bearable—and Wet February all the more delicious.
TALK BACK: BIJURIYA
WHEN January 28 and 29
WHERE Annex COST $49
Drag, song and theatre collide as Gabriel Dharmoo converses with his alter ego Bijuriya in this Push Festival performance. Insightful, campy, unmissable.
THE PLAYLIST
A queer musician, drag performer and co-producer of drag-andmusic events via Sleepy Queers Productions, Dust Cwaine shares their pop culture obsessions. Their sophomore album, Twin Lakes, is out now.
THE ON-REPEAT SONG “Out of a Dream” by Connor Nelson It hits the rawest rejection feelings in me. Connor’s a gifted rising Vancouver pop star—a must-watch.
THE BINGEWORTHY SHOW Hacks I gobble it up. The comedy writing is so sharp. Jean Smart guzzling a Diet Coke in a bedazzled “GIRL” hat? She stands on business!
THE UNDERRATED DRAG ARTIST Pickle Spears
Pickle Spears is a truly compelling drag king who renews my love for drag. Book drag kings! Also, my sister Nora Vision, who makes stupid look sexy. Being better than everybody else should not hold a person back!
THE FAVE FILM Pretty Woman
It’s been my favourite movie since I was eight years old. Julia Roberts is my queen. Plus, it features the song “King of Wishful Thinking” by Go West—a pop-rock classic that deeply inspires my music.
Supply Chain
1. Colorful Standard Crewneck Sweater
A few years ago I had the realization that I look good in a sweatshirt, and I like to throw something on. I keep a few in my closet for when I’d like to be wearing something comfortable. Black is classic; I have some colours in rotation as well. $95, gravitypope.com
2. Pegboard
My partner Erin sourced this pegboard for our home earlier this year and it has been in constant use since its installation. When you’re in the midst
It’s not really a surprise that Hiller Goodspeed’s favourite things include so many art supplies—he’s a working artist and illustrator, after all, whose most recent book, Double Buddy (available from Lucky’s Comics on Main Street), is a meditative collection of weird, sweet drawings contemplating productivity, feelings and TV dinner. You can’t put together all those collages, zines and mini comic books without a solid suite of tools (and, insists the Florida-born Goodspeed, a lot of coconut water).
of creating, it’s important to have your most-used tools at the ready and this board does a great job of that. $395, klolab.com
3. Our Man in Paris Reissue by Dexter Gordon If I’m listening to music I love, I will create great work. It’s always been this way. Recently I’ve been a fan of the Blue Note reissues: there are so many great records in their catalogue that can now be easily purchased, and the record store is the perfect destination when out enjoying a nice day. $43, audiopile.ca
comics, you have to read comics, and my favourite activity is to lose myself among the stories that unfold in Moominvalley. These tales come in many forms, but the comics have always been my favourite. I picked up this volume at Lucky’s Comics, a Vancouver institution. $75, luckys.ca
5. Penco Tape Dispenser I kept tape in my drawer for years until I determined that it was a tool that needs to be
I am particular when it
accessible at all times. I am particular when it comes to items displayed in my studio. This tape dispenser is a simple and elegant answer to the question “but what will hold the tape?” $38, assemblyoftext.com
6. Panasonic KP-110 Pencil Sharpener I have a collection of handheld sharpeners for my pencils, though when I’m at home I have this plugged-in and by my side. It keeps pencils brilliantly sharp, and gets the job done with little fuss. $20, ebay.ca
7. Tombow Mono 2B Pencils I would be remiss if I didn’t include at least one pencil in this list. Pencils have been my tool of choice for most of my life. I could talk about them for longer than most would care to listen. These 2Bs are an everyday carry and resilient classic. $2.50, opusartsupplies.com
in its utility, especially once you begin to employ experimental methods. $35, sortdays.com
8. Ellepi Klizia 97 Stapler If you have experience in self-publishing, you know that a stapler you can trust is absolutely crucial. A standard desktop stapler is great
9. Rollbahn Notebook I’ve used a lot of notebooks over the years. They are a great spur-ofthe-moment pickup and their purchase is easily justified once you convince yourself that they are creative tools. Finding a notebook that works for one’s specific needs takes time, and once you find the right one you hang onto it forever. $28, sortdays.com
WE LOVE LOCAL
Prints Charming
Banquet Workshop’s delightful illustrations and typographic designs adorn everything from greeting cards to comfy tees. BY
A
few of Tammy Lawrence and Sarah Edmonds’s favourite Vancouver haunts.
SUNJA LINK
3761 Main St. sunjalink.com
“Everyone we know that uses the house line looks better,” says Lawrence.
That “Chips & Dip” tote you see everywhere? That’s Banquet Workshop. But if proclaiming your devotion to snack food isn’t your speed, the Vancouver brand has got plenty of other delightful o erings: cheeky greeting cards, vibrant ower-print tees, hats embroidered with “Read More Books” in a charmingly wobbly font and throw pillows decorated with a pattern of neon-pink moths. Though founders Sarah Edmonds and Tammy Lawrence have found an international audience, everything is made right here in the city with the help of three team members. “Our cards are our bread and butter, but we get excited about the weird new things,” says Edmonds. The apparel in particular brings moments of joy to the team of friends. Adds Lawrence, “I’ll see someone carrying a tote bag on the Drive, or wearing a hat at the farmer’s market, and it’s so exciting. It’s like we won a prize.” 1249 Cartwright St., banquetworkshop.com ”
THE BLOCK
350 W Cordova St. theblock.ca
“They bring in nice European lines, like Henrik Vibskov—just things you can’t get anywhere else,” says Edmonds.
COLLAGE COLLAGE
3697 Main St. collagecollage.ca
“It’s things parents want to buy for their children, but also that kids want to buy,” Lawrence says.
WET COAST WOOLS
2923 W 4th Ave. wetcoastwools.com
“We always have a sweater or something on our knitting needles,” says Edmonds.
T S I O T IS TIPS O OSTIN THE BEST FAMILY PIZZA NIGHT
What better family activity than a homemade pizza night? Choose your favourite toppings and bake made-to-order pies for a slice of saucy goodness in the comfort of your own kitchen. Here are three tips to take your family’s pizza night to the next level and get restaurant-quality pizza at home (think: crispy crust, cheesy centres and authentic ood fired flavours) ith the ne Frigidaire Stone-Baked Pizza Oven at Trail Appliances.
PREP YOUR INGREDIENTS AHEAD
A family grocery run to pick out ingredients is part of the fun. After you prep your dough, sauce, cheese and toppings, Frigidaire’s new range makes set-up easy. The Frigidaire Gallery Range with Stone-Baked Pizza is the only range designed to reach temperatures as high as 750°F to make authentic restaurant-quality pizzas at home. You’ll be
range has over 15 ways to cook, like air fry, steam bake, air sous vide and bread proof, so you can create any other tasty snack to complement your pizza night.
ENJOY THE PROCESS
ready to cook with the Stone-Baked Pizza Shield, which has the 15"x15" stone and pizza peel already included. Plus, the shield and stone are designed for fresh pizza dough, creating a brick oven atmosphere to bake dough in as little as two minutes.
GET CREATIVE WITH TOPPINGS
The best part of a DIY pizza? Adding all your favourite toppings. Get creative with the endless pizza possibilities, from mushrooms, olives and blue cheese to honey drizzle or pineapple (which we absolutely approve of). For dessert, try a s eet pi a made ith cinnamon, brown sugar and apples. Along with the stone-baked pizza feature, Frigidaire’s
Sure, dozens of delicious pizza slices are a worthy reward, but making memories is easily the best part. The new pizza oven feature makes dinner convenient and fun for everyone. Focus on family without worrying about overcooking your pizzas: the oven’s temperature probe monitors your pie and notifies you when it’s reached the desired finished cooking temperature. ids can eat first, too, ith the no-preheat option. Simply place your food in the cold oven and get to mealtime in no time. The range also makes cleanup easy, with the redesigned, wider Store-More® torage ra er to fit the pizza shield and stone. Let the oven clean itself at the
end of the night on a quick, 30-minute steam clean cycle, or choose a longer clean on the 2-, 3- or 4-hour self-clean cycle.
Experience pizza night like never before with the Frigidaire Stone-Baked Pizza Oven, available now at Trail Appliances—B.C.’s family-owned and operated appliance experts. With an incredible selection of top brands, a price-match guarantee and thousands of appliances ready for fast delivery, Trail Appliances makes it easy to save, shop and bring home better living.
Say goodbye to greasy takeout—family pizza night at home is now a breeze. Shop online at trailappliances.com or stop by any of their 13 locations across British Columbia. Connect with Trail Appliances on @TrailBCStores | @TrailBC | @TrailAppliancesBC
Saving the Strip
Where does the Granville Strip go from here?
BY Sara Harowitz
I used to work out of an o ce on the Granville Strip, and the thing I remember most isn’t the way that my employer gave the second- oor space a So-Cal living-room vibe (so chic). It’s also not the o ce’s proximity to stores like Sephora (take my money!) and Nordstrom (RIP). It’s not even all the smoothies I bought from Vitasave (read: many). It’s the robberies.
One morning, my laptop was mysteriously missing from my desk. Others’ were too. We were a little spooked, but we got over it.
Until, that is, it happened again a month later. And again the month after that. And the one after that. Each time, we upped our security—and each time, the thieves found a way in.
For decades, the Granville Strip was the beating heart of Vancouver. Starting in the middle of the 20th century, this downtown stretch of Granville Street was where people went to be entertained: rst it was the rise of live theatre, then the onset of the moving picture and, nally, the proliferation of bars and clubs. I look back fondly on my early 20s, when every weekend revolved around which spots we were going to hit up on the Strip. Sure, it had a layer of grime to it even then, but it was still the most exciting
place in the city to be on a Saturday night.
These days, it’s no secret that the Granville Strip is a shell of its former self, with one Reddit user referring to it as an “absolute disaster.” (That post got 700 comments.) Many storefronts sit boarded up and empty. Martin Moriarty, senior managing director for commercial leasing and sales company Marcus and Millichap, says Granville Street is currently operating at about a 30 percent vacancy rate, compared to an average of ve to seven percent in other key shopping areas, like Alberni and Robson. “Generally speaking,” he says to me, “there’s de nitively more vacancy on this section of Granville than
other parts of the downtown core.”
The shops that are still there, meanwhile, are subjected to frequent break-ins and vandalism. Some businesses, like luxury consignment store Mine and Yours, left the area altogether because of the near-constant crime.
Hospitality tra c is also reportedly down 60 percent, with local business owners suggesting that the area is in record-poor shape. Alan Goodall has seen this rsthand. The owner of Granville’s Aura Nightclub is constantly dealing with expensive damage caused by the single-room occupancy (SRO) project that sits above his business. “I’ve dealt with well over 200
oods,” he tells me. “As many as four times on a weekend within a 36-hour period. Just within the last month, I’ve had my ceiling caved in three di erent times.”
Still, when I talk to Goodall, there’s an air of hope in his voice. On June 12, city hall announced that it would be moving three supportive housing projects—including the one above Aura—out of the Granville Strip.
“The city is going to be relocating them elsewhere,” Goodall says, “with proper amenities for the residents.” It’s a move that has been celebrated not just by business owners but also by the city’s police o cers and re ghters—who have responded to
Street Fight
Though it’s still the heart of Vancouver’s nightlife (left), the street is desolate during the day (below), with increased security presence (bottom) as the city launches a 20-year revitalization plan.
for better amenities and better mental health care.
The news came hot on the heels of city council’s June 4 approval of the Granville Street Plan: a 20-year revitalization project with the goal of transforming Granville into a “safer, more vibrant
is important, and we should preserve as much heritage as possible, but a street can’t be a time capsule,” says Chris Fair, president and CEO of Resonance, a placemaking consultancy that released a report on the future of Granville Street in 2021. “It’s kind of what’s
thousands of calls to only a handful of SROs. The relocation plan involves providing city-owned property to build purpose-driven supportive housing projects, which will be capped at 40 units—allowing
destination.” Among the priorities are adding new hotel and residential developments, creating incentives for new and existing entertainment businesses and improving transit o erings. “Heritage
happened to Granville Street. So the rst step, and this is being addressed in the new Granville Plan, is allowing for increased density and redevelopment to happen behind and above some of these heritage, historical buildings.”
He thinks the plan has good bones, but is hesitant about the intention to completely remove vehicles from the area. “I’m not sure that pedestrian-only is the right move to support redevelopment based on the way we’re living in cities today,” he says. For one thing, DoorDash and Amazon deliveries are the new normal.
Another factor, Goodall notes, is safety: people leaving the neighbourhood’s nightclubs late at night (especially
women) should be able to hop directly into an Uber or taxi. But while it might not be perfect—and while it probably should have been started a decade sooner—the overall sentiment for the Granville Street Plan is one of hope.
“Absolutely,” Moriarty says when I ask him if Granville can be saved. “This is a step in the right direction. It is late, but I’m fully supportive that change needs to happen.”
Even with the plan years away from being completed, anchor tenants are slowly coming back to the area. The Rec Room—Cineplex’s popular game-bar concept—opened on Granville in December of last year. For Kevin Watts, Cineplex’s executive vice-president of exhibition and location-based entertainment, the location was a no-brainer.
“Bringing the Rec Room to Granville Street in downtown Vancouver was really attractive to us,” he says. “We believe that the Rec Room concept is really a great downtown concept. It provides a lot of space and a lot of opportunity for people to gather—particularly people who may be living in the downtown area who don’t have big places to go into.”
He says that the reception has been incredibly warm— from both residents and nearby businesses.
“We’ve had a great reception from other venues along the Strip,” says Watts. “Everyone’s been coming over to welcome us, and is really excited about us all working together to have this great entertainment destination for people in the Greater Vancouver area to come to.”
Why Are the Streets of Fraserhood So Lumpy?
The wavy, wobbly side streets on the eastside of town are infamous.
If the PNE’s legendary wooden roller coaster isn’t giving you thrills anymore, may I suggest turning your car eastward o Main Street down East 19th Avenue? There, the highs and lows and twists and turns of the bumpiest roads in Vancouver are sure to get your adrenaline pumping and your heart pounding. And, like on a roller coaster, you may even
nd yourself screaming—oh, no, wait, that’s just the sound of your car’s undercarriage scraping against the aggressive concrete ridges of the streets.
Listen, I’m not trying to shame anybody about the quality of the tumultuous side streets found in that lumpy Bermuda Triangle between Mount Pleasant, Fraserhood and Riley Park. As Dame Judi Dench once said, “pobody’s nerfect.” It hardly seems fair to expect a road to be awlessly at when I can’t hang a picture straight on the wall, even with the help of a level, a frustrated spouse and tons of time because I didn’t bother to fact-check that Dame Judi Dench quote. But on the other hand, should we really be going all “gentle parenting” with the people in charge of our tra c infrastructure? If a road intended for the operation of motor vehicles isn’t, technically speaking, “good” or “drivable,” should there perhaps be some consequences for the people who created that surface (e.g., taking away their screen time)?
these treacherous roads isn’t the only act of violence in the neighbourhood’s history.
Eventually, everyone agreed that the only thing in life more fun than shooting defenceless birds was the sport of real estate, and the bog was lled in with peat soil so building could begin. Weirdly, a bunch of swamp goop and grouse carcasses doesn’t exactly make for a sturdy building base. Today, the roads and sidewalks here degrade at an accelerated rate because of the soil’s high water content and compressibility. The peat shrinks, compacts and settles as it dries out, causing the pavement to rise and crack above. Add to that the impact of recent extreme weather and the everyday stress of vehicles bombing through to get to Fraser Street for the block’s signature selection of guns and jerky, and you’ve got a recipe for some pretty dramatic damage.
BY Stacey McLachlan ILLUSTRATIONBY Ane Arzelus
Before we start throwing Vancouver’s civil engineers into time-out, however (or “quiet contemplation time with your calming glitter jar,” whatever you want to call it), it’s probably worth uncovering why the road is lumpy. As it turns out, it’s not just city sta ers acting out for attention: the road was unfortunately built on top of a peat soil bog decades ago. The swamp was once teeming with wildlife, and was a place settlers liked to hunt for grouse—looks like your attempt at parking your Evo on
While the city has recently repaved some of 19th Avenue and has plans to make over other nearby residential roads (they’ve even experimented with rubber sidewalks in the area, which can weather the ongoing terrain shifts), the fact is that street rehabilitation funds are limited. If we really want to see those roads improved, it may take a community-driven, grassroots e ort to fundraise. Luckily for the residents of this concrete jungle, many of the houses are so aggressively tilted that neighbours can easily chat with each other about a possible game plan from their nearly touching balconies.
We’ve been chatting with our BC community, and here’s what we learned
DINING HABITS: DID YOU KNOW THAT 72% OF VANCOUVERITES DINE OUT 1-2 TIMES A WEEK ?
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES:
We love the great outdoors! WALKING is Vancouver's favorite outdoor activity ( 87% ), followed by HIKING ( 53% ) and PICNICKING ( 39% ).
WHAT MATTERS TO US:
Vancouverites are passionate about the cost of living , healthcare , and affordable housing . Are these topics important to you too? Now we have a question for you! What generalizations or stereotypes do people make when they find out you're from British Columbia?
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THE ISLANDS OF TAHITI ARE AN ADVENTURER’S DREAM
Swimsuit? Check. Hiking boots? Check. Ready for adventure and relaxation? Check. Pack your bags for a bit of everything in French Polynesia—it’s more accessible than you think.
The Islands of Tahiti aren’t just a honeymoon destination. The remote Islands of Tahiti, scattered across the outh Pacific Ocean, are home to some of the world’s most stunning wildlife and natural environments. Made up of five archipelagos that include over 118 islands, there’s so much more to this paradise destination than just luxury resorts. And it’s only a three-hour time difference and one connecting flight a ay from Vancouver. Island visitors are invited to feel the mana, the sacred force that connects all living beings and nature, experienced in the Polynesian peoples’ traditions and relationship to nature. Every island has its own unique culture and history, with an
abundance to explore and marvel in. French Polynesia is the dream destination that will leave you wanting to come back for more.
BLOOMING BIODIVERSITY
The Islands of Tahiti are home to biodiverse, breathtaking natural beauty with unique flora and fauna both on land and in the sea. Feel the preserved sense of paradise in every moment, whether you’re relaxing on the white sands of Matira Beach in Bora Bora, scuba diving among sea turtles in the clear turquoise lagoons of the Tuamotu Islands or hiking to the Fautaua waterfall near Papeete. Immerse yourself in the intersection of history and nature by visiting the three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The Fakarava
Biosphere Reserve, known for its renowned marine ecology the Taputapu tea marae in Raiatea, widely considered the birthplace of Polynesian culture; and the Marquesas Islands, where jagged cliffs meet the ocean to produce one of the last wild marine areas in the world.
The Islands of Tahiti are working to protect this paradise through sustainable tourism practices. Whether it’s protecting endangered marine life through educational tours with the Manta Trust in Bora Bora or preserving the ancient ma’ohi culture at the marae of Taputapu tea, the Islands encourage responsible tourism alongside creating reserves and protected zones. Locals are also actively involved in
continuing traditional, centuries-old practices that respect this relationship with nature through mana, as seen with agriculture, traditional Polynesian medicine and fishing practices.
TAKE A HIKE
This preserved environment is a haven for those seeking a deeper connection to nature through adventure: the Islands of Tahiti are a hiker’s dream in the outh Pacific. From majestic waterfalls and high mountains to sweeping valleys and verdant forests, there is a wide variety of hikes and sites across the 118 islands and atolls to explore.
There’s something for everyone, with accessible hikes for all ages and skill levels,
including kids or explorers seeking new heights. Take a guided hike to the caves on the limestone cliffside of Rurutu in the Austral Islands, or trek to the top of Mont Taitaa and take a photo of the panoramic view of Tubuai Island. With picturesque views and unmatched photo opportunities, any hike in French Polynesia is sure to be breathtaking (and without non-native species like snakes and spiders—a definite plus).
WONDERS IN THE WATER
The Islands of Tahiti are known for some of the world’s best diving and snorkelling destinations. Whether swimming or observing from a distance, you will experience an
abundance of sea life that’s unmatched. Think: hundreds of colourful fish, manta rays, sea turtles, coral reefs, dolphins, sharks and whales. Beginners and experts alike are sure to be amazed. Thrill seekers can drift among the grey sharks in Fakarava in the Tuamotu Islands, officially designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, or even explore the Nordby shipwreck in Raiatea.
West Coast surfers will feel at home in the Islands of Tahiti, also known for some of the world’s best waves (Tahiti even hosted the surfing competition in the 2024 Paris Olympics). Novices can learn to surf in the turquoise waters, and pros can try their hand at the world-class Hava’e Pass at Teahupo’o on the island of Tahiti. No matter the activity, the warm, clear waters of French Polynesia welcome you.
GET CRUISIN’
One of the most popular ways to travel around French Polynesia is by boat. Most of the region’s surface area is water—99 percent of it, in fact. Hop on a catamaran
with the family or take a cruise from Papeete to travel from island to island and see the destination from a different perspective: on the water. You can even try a Polynesian canoe, or va’a, and experience the thousands-of-years-old traditional means of fishing and travelling.
Getting around French Polynesia is also made easy with inter-island airlines like Air Tahiti and Air Moana. The region stretches thousands of kilometres, both on land and across the sea. Inter-island ferries are also a popular way to explore, including the Vaeara’i Ferry, Aremiti Ferry and Terevau Ferry, which travel between Tahiti and Moorea, or the Apetahi Express and Vaeara’i Ferry, which connect the Society Islands. Whether it’s boating or flying, there are plenty of affordable and accessible options to get around the Islands of Tahiti.
LIKE A LOCAL
The memorable experiences from The Islands of Tahiti will last a lifetime, but what stays with visitors long after they leave is the welcoming people and rich culture. Tour and expedition guides are locals, leading a range of experiences that include diving trips, waterfall hikes, island exploration and cultural immersion from an authentic perspective. There is a genuine welcome from islanders to share and teach visitors about the ma’ohi culture and heritage. Take the time to learn about the Indigenous Polynesian culture and history as it’s expressed through dance, dress, tattoos and artistry. Through it all, you’re invited to slow down and see the Islands of Tahiti like a local.
A Taste of French Polynesia
Raw natural beauty, vibrant cultural experiences and exciting adventures aren’t the only reasons to visit the islands—foodies eat well here, too. The islands have a layered and interesting culinary scene, with a blend of Indigenous Polynesian food, French influence and even more recent Asian influences. This culinary melting pot offers a truly unique experience, featuring standout ingredients like fresh raw fish and flavourful tropical fruits. Here are a few must-try dishes and culinary experiences in the Islands of Tahiti.
Poisson cru au lait de coco
Considered the national dish, poisson cru au lait de coco (raw tuna marinated in coconut milk) is a popular staple of Polynesian gastronomy. Nearly every restaurant serves the dish, which is made from fresh fish often caught the same day. Poisson cru au lait de coco, or i’a ota ha’ari, can also include tomatoes and cucumbers, and has a slight tang with lime juice.
Po’e
Another classic dish is po’e Made with fruit, coconut milk, tapioca flour or corn starch,
the dessert dish can feature banana, pumpkin, taro, papaya or guava as the basis for one of its many varieties.
Fafaru
For the adventurous foodie, try the delicacy dish of fafaru Fafaru is made with raw fish (typically tuna) macerated in seawater and fermented with local freshwater prawn heads, then spiced with peppers, garlic or ginger. The taste is very different from the strong and pungent smell, which leads most tourists to avoid it. Instead, fafaru has a succulent and spicy flavour.
Food from an ahima’a
Enjoy a traditional festive Polynesian meal served from an ahima’a earth oven. At a tama’ara’a (a festive meal), the menu includes roast pork, fish, chicken with spinach and coconut milk (known as poulet fafa), plantains and taro, all cooked in an underground oven for hours (meals are generally wrapped in banana or tea tree leaves).
Visit a roulotte—or food truck
Food trucks, or roulottes, are popular with the locals for a quick and affordable meal. There’s something for everybody at the different roulottes, from chow mein to crepes to hamburgers to poisson cru. Found throughout the Islands of Tahiti, there are a few permanent installations at Vaipoopoo Park or Taapuna Park in Punaauia, and in Vaitape in Bora Bora.
BONUS TIP: while you’re on the islands, don’t forget to take home some Tahitian vanilla to remember the iconic flavour of the Islands of Tahiti.
Experience the spirit of mana yourself in The Islands of Tahiti Visit tahititourisme.ca to learn more and plan your trip to paradise.
Year after year, our editors try to hit as many spots as possible—high or low, front-street entrance or hidden speakeasy, breathtaking view or windowless (but just as deserving!) eatery—to find out where all the best dishes in the city are currently being served. We are the home of the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, after all: it’s our sworn duty to eat, and eat well. If you’re already done working your way through 2025’s bucket list of must-eat dishes, we’re ready for you with another 25 things we think you’ll want to eat and drink as we round the corner into 2026.
EDITORS
Hype Chocolate’s matcha bar p.32
Elem’s lamb skewers p.31
Meo’s French toast p.30
Folietta’s Vipera cocktail p.30
Fanny Bay’s tuna tataki with kelp noodles p.31
The Paci c Rim’s aburi salmon nori taco p.38
PHOTO BY CLINTON HUSSEY
When you think of French toast, a savoury appetizer isn’t what usually comes to mind, but Meo gives us the unexpected. Torched foie gras mi-cuit, house jam and fresh chives top the cocktail bar’s French toast ($32)—this treat is rich with a hint of sweetness and is a lovely bundle to eat in one bite (or savour in two). meochinatown.com
This bright, red-hued cocktail decorated with black sea salt is striking—and, yes, that’s definitely meant as a double entendre. Folietta’s Vipera cocktail ($18) is made with pineapple, mezcal, tamarind, lime and firewater: the perfect amount of bite. folietta.com
VIPERA COCKTAIL FOLIETTA
PHOTO BY MARK GIBBON;
MELANIE AULD
Lamb-believably Good
GRILLED LAMB SKEWERS
ELEM
Adorned with crispy puffed buckwheat and pickled radishes hand cut into flowers, the marbled lamb skewers ($38) at Elem are too pretty to eat— almost. Created with cured lamb belly, they are confit for 16 hours before being pressed overnight and subtly lacquered with a sticky sweet medjool date glaze. There’s a good reason that chef Vish Mayeker’s inspired dish, served atop a bed of zesty ginger labneh, has become a must-try at the buzzy eatery. elemvancouver.com
Move over zucchini noodles— there’s a new gluten-free pasta in town. One of our favourite seafood joints sets their fresh, juicy and tender tuna tataki ($21) on a bed of bouncy, salty kelp “linguine” that’ll give you a shot of sea-harvested vitamins, minerals and protein. We recommend going all Lady and the Tramp with a fellow seafood lover on this one.
fannybayoysters.com
TUNA TATAKI WITH KELP NOODLES
FANNY BAY OYSTER BAR
25 THINGS TO EAT AND DRINK IN 2026
Purple Clouds
Rain or Shine is an ice cream institution in Vancouver at this point—and one that never fails to churn out unique, flavourful scoops. But we can’t deny that the classic malted milk chocolate ($4.50 for a single), packed with homemade honeycomb, has a soft spot in our hearts. (It’s indeed a “keeper,” as the menu says.) With a sweet milk-chocolatey base, just the right amount of honey drizzle and a satisfying malt crunch, this iconic ice cream is an absolute crowd pleaser. rainorshineicecream.com
If Nick Lachey turned up and asked us to settle down with just one chocolate bar for the rest of our lives, this matcha bar ($13) would certainly be in our top picks. Earthy matcha meets just a hint of vanilla in a delicately balanced creamy chocolate bar. Sure, Hype does tons of fun limited-edition bars that are worth stocking up on (the multicoloured, multi-flavoured banana split bar, anyone?), but this mainstay is definitely relationship material, if you know what we mean. hypechocolate.com
“Hidden gem” is somewhat of an overused term on social media, but Namì’s unexpected location in RBC Place downtown holds some lovely surprises—one being its ube foam latte ($7.50). A classic Vietnamese co ee topped with coconut cream and a cloud of ube milk foam, it’s not only a beautiful shade of purple, it’s also a well-balanced drink. It’s sweet and creamy with some nuttiness and plenty of ube flavour. namivietnamese.com
PHOTO
MATCHA BAR
UBE FOAM LATTE
MALTED MILK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
A Warm Hug
At Zab Zaab, tofu takes a turn in the spotlight with their panaeng curry ($20)—a velvety, sunset-coloured sauce that clings like silk to every golden cube. Fragrant with makrut lime and roasted peanuts, it balances lush creaminess with a slow, creeping heat. Crowned with fresh Thai basil and a scatter of crisp veggies for snap, the dish is a technicolour reminder that comfort food can still thrill. zabzaabthai.com
Meat Cute
MANTU DUMPLINGS
ZARAK 9.
Zarak’s hand-wrapped mantu dumplings ($21) have become a favourite comfort food. Stu ed with cumin-spiced beef, they’re served with lentils, Afghan char masala (the signature spice blend of owner Hassib Sarwari’s mom) and homemade chaka, a garlic-infused yogurt. Sarwari promises they pass the “Afghan Test” with his mom and grandmother, with guests (like us) raving that they are the best dumplings they’ve ever had. zarakvancouver.com
TOFU PENAENG CURRY ZAB ZAAB
PHOTO BY MARK GIBBON;
The wildly colourful can for Strathcona Beer Co.’s latest edition of its rotating Love Buzz sour line is as delightful as the brew inside (priced at $16 for a four-pack): made with a generous pour of pear juice and elderflower tea, it’s unapologetically fruit-forward, but a touch of lactose gives the high-proof beer (10 percent ABV!) a pleasingly creamy quality that balances the tart finish. Raise a glass to toast the brewery’s big win for Best Fruit Beer at the 2025 Canadian Craft Beer Awards. strathconabeer.com
Consider this a jailbreak from bagged-lunch purgatory. Jo’s Italian sandwich (from $10) proves the humble sandwich can headline a meal. It’s a proper sub: thinly sliced deli meats layered with crisp shredded lettuce, juicy tomato and sharp onion, then finished with parmesan, a swipe of mayo and Jo’s zesty house vinaigrette. All of it tucks into lightly toasted ciabatta that holds the stack without collapsing and tastes better than anything you’d make at home—because you didn’t. jositaliandeli.com
From the powerhouse behind Italian restaurant Ask for Luigi comes Mercato di Luigi—and the Carolina Street location serves up co ee, fresh pasta and a breakfast sandwich ($10) that’s a balance of buttery and crunchy, containing flu y scrambled eggs, fresh prosciutto cotto, caciocavallo cheese, arugula, pesto and mayo, all stacked within a crispy cornetto. Bring out the napkins because you’ll be licking your fingers when you’re done with this one. mercatodiluigi.com
Eggs? Check. Chicken? Check. Potatoes? Enthusiastic check. Anything savoury you can think of, you can probably put Tocha’s Original tomato spiced sauce ($12) on it. And we say you should. If you like spicy—both the heat and the flavour—then one bottle of this versatile tomato curry sauce with an umami finish is for you. It’ll last you a while, too (even if you use it a lot, like we do). Our favourite meal to use this spicy condiment: breakfast. It has just the right kick to get your day started. tochafoods.com
Any seafood resto’s going to have a ceviche somewhere on the menu—but none quite like Oddfish’s snapper ceviche ($26). Some sort of magic is at play with the Peruvian-inspired marinade (leche de tigre): somehow bright, spicy and creamy and infusing fresh snapper and side-stripe shrimp (and sweet potatoes—gotta get that veg) with a citrusy heat that’s second to none. oddfishrestaurant.com
25 THINGS
TO EAT AND DRINK IN 2026
PHOTO BY MARK GIBBON; ACCESSORIES BY MELANIE AULD
When Cartems closed last year, it left a hole in the doughnut scene here in Vancouver—pun very much intended—and Neate has stepped in to fill it, delivering boxes of colourful treats to most JJ Bean locations around the city, at whatever time they get around to it each day. (Does our frequent encounter of an empty case and “the doughnuts are on their way!” sign in the door make us want them more?) While seasonal flavours and fillings like mango coconut and passion fruit curd are must-tries themselves, start with a quintessential raspberry glazed ($18 for six). Pretty in pink, it looks like a cartoon doughnut and hits that perfect not-too-cakey, not-toofried middle ground, thanks to a long-forgotten family recipe from the grandparents (“Gumpy and Granny”) of the founders. neatedonuts.com
Dream Crumb True
That Saan Saan even exists—an entirely gluten-free Hong Kongstyle café—feels like a dream. Is it possible for the gluten-challenged to have such delicious treats without worry? Thankfully, the cute little boîte on Main Street is fully planted in reality, and its black sesame caramel cookie ($5) is just one of the perfectly executed baked goods. A little savoury with toasty black sesame paste, soft and chewy thanks to sweet caramel and just enough of a crispy edge to keep it interesting—this is the perfect afternoon cookie to pair with a cup of their specialty yin yeung (half co ee, half tea and evaporated milk, all delightful). saansaan.ca
A daily co ee to-go is nothing new, but the micro-roasters at Prototype have reinvented the ritual. The cold oat milk latte (from $6.50) comes in a recyclable glass bottle, filled with creamy, oaty “milk” and featuring a near-floral note of locally roasted espresso that eases one into the day. prototypeco ee.ca
There are some desserts worth ruining an outfit over, and the banana danish ($9) by Dope Bakehouse (the bakery behind Nemesis Co ee) is one of them. Banana pastry cream, banana caramel, tonka ganache and banana and passion fruit confit all fit into in a flaky danish crust that absolutely falls apart at first bite. This pastry deserves to be eaten with both hands and caution thrown to the wind (but first, marvel at the beauty of the whipped daisy design). nemesis.co ee
Swirls of pink falsa foam topped with flakes of crackling blue pop rocks are contained in a cooling copper vessel in Peya’s Mumbai mule ($19). The drink is a riot of flavours and textures as electric as the city it’s named for: Ketel One veers o course immediately with Odd Society cassis, lending a dark berry richness that plays beautifully against tropical guava. Then comes the unexpected: a whisper of Szechuan spice tingling at the edges, lime cutting through with sharp acidity and ginger adding that signature mule zing. peya.ca
Matcha slushies are one of our top drink trends of the year, but there’s a secret ingredient that separates this one from the rest: coconut water. The flavour pairing of coconut and matcha was something we didn’t realize we were missing; earthy yet tropical, the matcha slush (small, $7; large, $9) is a perfectly balanced drink on the sweet-tobitter scale. Plus, it’s a gorgeous shade of green (so it’s a great contender for your main grid). birdsandbeets.ca
BLACK SESAME CARAMEL GF COOKIE
RASPBERRY DOUGHNUT
MUMBAI MULE
BOTTLED OAT MILK LATTE
BANANA DANISH
MATCHA SLUSH SAAN SAAN
NEATE DONUTS PEYA
BAKEHOUSE BIRDS AND THE BEETS
TO EAT AND DRINK IN 2026
Something to Taco ’Bout 21.
ABURI
SALMON NORI TACO FAIRMONT PACIFIC RIM
Though the vibe of the sleek, marble-clad lobby of the Fairmont Pacific Rim may be pure sophistication, you’ll somehow still find plenty of finger food on the menu—a high-low mix that is really Vancouver in a nutshell. But even the more casual dishes are executed with some of the best seafood in town by Lobby Lounge’s chefs: the aburi salmon nori taco ($11) o ers a perfectly seared piece of salmon folded inside crisp, well-seasoned seaweed along with fresh avocado, sushi rice and an artful drizzle of miso aioli. Casual elegance at its finest. lobbyloungerawbar.com
PHOTO
Fishing for More
Sweet, salty and completely addictive, jwipo ($13) is a popular Korean dried filefish street food snack that Nui has kicked up a notch. It’s grilled with kombu butter paired with gojuchi mayo and served warm, so the texture is soft and chewy. The more you chew, the sweeter it gets—and the more you eat, the more you’ll want. nuivancouver.com
Thought
An apple a day—at Five Sails—would be so divine, it might border on forbidden. This spot’s famous apple ($18) dessert is a marvel of temperature control and precision, made with a sable Breton base, vanilla mousse and filled with fresh apple—all sitting in a pool of luscious vanilla chantilly cream. Heavenly, if you ask us. glowbalgroup.com/five-sails
It’s viral for a reason. Not only does June’s signature rectangular ravioli sheet—Pasta for Rachel ($40), named after chef Connor Sperling’s wife—beg for Instagram documentation, it also hits all the carb-tastic comfort-food notes you crave from a pasta dish. Each little pocket is packed with compté cheese and black pepper; the pasta perfectly tender, the dollop of Normandy butter on top the indulgent finishing touch. juneoncambie.com
Colonel Sanders gets a run for his money with the deep-fried, bitesized laab wings ($22) at Song. These “wingettes” are tossed in the spot’s spicy, tangy Northern Thai house spice and garnished with fried-up curry leaves. Finger-licking good if flavour, heat and spice are major staples in your diet. songyvr.com
JWIPO
PASTA FOR RACHEL APPLE
LAAB WINGS
FIVE SAILS
(BY KIN KAO)
Chef
“The Hot Table to Book in Whistler” #33
in
Authentic Vietnamese. Creative cocktails. Local wine.
CRAB HOT LAU
Experience the authentic traditional flavors of Northern Vietnam.
2141 KINGSWAY, VANCOUVER, BC V5N 2T4
PHONE: (604) 423-3633
2192 WESTERN PKY, VANCOUVER, BC V6T 1V6
PHONE: (604) 336-2828
2993 GRANVILLE ST. VANCOUVER, BC V6H 3J6
PHONE: (604) 558-1818
crabhotlau.ca
ITALIAN
EIGHT IDEAS TO CHANGE VANCOUVER
We searched far and wide for fresh, exciting solutions to tackle some of Vancouver’s most critical issues. By Sara Harowitz
#1
There are so many great aspects of our city. One might even say that the mission of this very magazine is to talk about them. But there is plenty that we can improve on, too.
The biggest issues facing Vancouver today all trace back to one central idea: community. From a ordable housing to mental health support, what we need more of are holistic, progressive approaches to taking care of our people. To inspire ourselves (and hopefully you), we scoured the globe for innovative answers to some of our most pressing problems, and then asked local experts to weigh in on what we can learn from them. These aren’t silver-bullet solutions, of course— but they do illuminate some possible paths forward.
THE LOCAL ISSUE A CULTURE OF LONELINESS
THE FARAWAY INSPIRATION CHATTY CHECKOUT LANES (THE NETHERLANDS)
SOCIAL ISOLATION is a major concern among Vancouverites: a 2019 Statistics Canada survey found that, throughout British Columbia, nearly 40 percent of people feel lonely sometimes, while nearly 13 percent feel lonely often or always— numbers that have likely ballooned since the pandemic. As high-rises grow taller, community spaces shutter—and as the cost of living rises, many are left without a sense of belonging.
To combat loneliness in the Netherlands, countrywide grocer Jumbo introduced what it calls “chat checkouts,” which are exactly what they sound like: checkout lanes that invite customers to socialize with cashiers as they’re ringing up their groceries. It’s been so popular—especially with the country’s older population—that Jumbo has rolled out the initiative to over 120 stores.
“As a concept, I think it’s wonderful,” says Mitchell Reardon, a director of urban planning at Vancouver-based consultancy Happy Cities has tried these checkout lanes himself. “Actively enabling this signal that this is a good place for social connection is important.”
Before the naysayers pipe up, let’s be clear: these “slower” checkouts won’t have you waiting for 15 minutes to pay for your bananas while the person in front of you spills their life story.
“From what I saw, it was probably adding two to three minutes,” Reardon says. “In a grocery store, when you have a cashier, you might say, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ and then the conversation is probably going to end. This was basically: as bags were getting packed, you were still talking.”
Reardon thinks it’s a nice idea that could be rolled out here, but his bigger takeaway is actually around the types of stores that we prioritize in the city.
“Locally owned grocery stores are e ective at enabling the social connection and encouraging the ability for people to interact with one another, while also delivering more a ordable food than a lot of the chain stores,” he says, mentioning places like Donald’s Market in East Van. “They just have cashiers, and you talk to each other because you live in the neighbourhood and it’s nice to interact.”
No Place Like Home
Belgium’s Savonnerie Heymans features 42 housing units, a daycare, communal space and more.
THE LOCAL ISSUE DERELICT SOCIAL HOUSING
THE FARAWAY INSPIRATION SAVONNERIE HEYMANS (BELGIUM)
SOLVING VANCOUVER’S housing crisis is not as simple as building new homes. We need density, sure, but we also need housing that is actually a ordable, not to mention intentional—especially for low-income residents.
Savonnerie Heymans is a social housing project in a converted soap factory in Brussels. What sets it apart is the thoughtfulness here: it’s not slapped-together shipping containers (or worse: derelict SROs) that make its residents feel embarrassed about their living situation, further marginalizing them from the rest of society. Rather, it’s a beautiful, design-forward public housing complex complete with amenities like an onsite courtyard, playground, daycare and library.
so thoughtful in how it counts for people and how they’re going to live in the space,” says Reardon, who has actually visited Savonnerie Heymans himself. “You get a sense of pride; I talked to a few people, and they were proud to live there.”
With local real estate prices what they are (the average home in Greater Vancouver is around $1.2 million), straight-up replicating the Brussels project here might not be the move. But Reardon thinks there is something to be said for the idea of taking the city’s unused buildings and turning them into housing projects—though, in this case, he’s not talking about former factories.
THE LOCAL ISSUE CORPORATE BURNOUT
THE FARAWAY INSPIRATION FOUR-DAY WORKWEEKS (UNITED KINGDOM)
WHAT IF WE MEASURED SUCCESS not in hours worked, but in productivity and output? That’s one of the ideas behind the four-day workweek. A 2022 pilot project in the U.K. saw 60 businesses experiment with letting their sta work only four days—without decreasing their pay. The results were positive: average revenue increased by 1.4 percent, 55 percent of employees noted that their work abilities improved and 71 percent of employees felt less burned out.
It’s a cause close to the heart of Vancouver-based HR consultant Klaryssa Pangilinan. “Getting that extra day o per week is very good for people’s mental health and their overall well-being,” says the founder of Kultura Consulting. “And that can lead to increased productivity. Anytime employees are feeling a little bit happier at work, they’re going to be more productive and bring more to their workplace.”
It sounds great, but it does raise the question of how to handle salary. Pangilinan outlines three main options: reduce hours and reduce pay to match; pack the four workdays with more hours to account for the third day o and keep salaries the same; reduce the workweek to four days and still do not reduce pay. “I’d like to see the option where your pay stays the same, but you just work less hours,” she says. “It may not work for all companies based on their business model, but I don’t think pay should just be based on hours. It’s productivity and output.”
“We sometimes get hung up on the numbers of units, floor space and most e icient number of bedrooms, and this project is
Many of the companies that participated in the U.K. trial have continued with the four-day workweek. As for Vancouver, Pangilinan says there’s no reason companies here can’t adopt the model. She suggests starting with a three- or six-month test to see how it goes.
“I think the biggest opportunity in this city is around commercial space and o ice space,” he says. (Vancouver’s o ice vacancy rate is currently around 11.5 percent.) “There are challenges, of course, with converting o ices into housing”—find them outlined over at vanmag.com in a previous story—”however, if you can convert a soap factory from the late 1800s into one, then you know there are solutions to do so.” #2 #3
A Sense of Play
A former distillery has been reimagined as an arts-and-culture hub: Taiwan’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park.
THE LOCAL ISSUE DISAPPEARING ARTS AND CULTURE SPACES
THE FARAWAY INSPIRATION
HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK (TAIWAN)
VANCOUVER IS HOME to so many creatives and artists, but community arts spaces are becoming harder and harder to come by. Perhaps we could pick up an idea or two from Taipei’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park: a former distillery that has been converted into a thriving cultural hub. With a mix of food vendors, shops, studios and rotating arts programming, Huashan is a true third space: a community-minded place for people to gather and connect around culture. Such permanent spaces are not easy to find in Vancouver, but Reardon argues that perhaps permanence isn’t what we should be seeking.
“It’s really hard to work with, say, private-sector developers to deliver this,” he says. “That art space is rarely going to be the highest and best use in terms of the retail rent.”
Taking inspiration from the type of arts programming and retail residents at Huashan—as well as Vancouver’s own City Centre Artist Lodge—Reardon suggests that we transform more empty, to-bedeveloped urban spaces into temporary arts and culture centres.
“Giving artists the space to be able to do these creative things, ideally with opportunities for the public to see and interact with the artists and their spaces as well—to me, that would feel like a more applicable approach here in Vancouver,” he says. “It would be, at least, a more practical way to unlock more spaces for artists that are not currently being used.”
#5
THE
LOCAL
ISSUE WE STILL DON’T HAVE ENOUGH DOCTORS
THE
FARAWAY INSPIRATION
TEAM-BASED CARE (THE NETHERLANDS)
IN B.C., THERE ARE CURRENTLY 400,000 residents without a family doctor—about six percent of the population. It’s a multifaceted issue, to be sure, but one of the solutions proposed by working doctors in the province is team-based care, which is already implemented—and successful—in countries like the Netherlands.
Team-based care involves multiple people coming together—doctors, nurses, pharmacists, assistants—in order to take some of the strain o of physicians and thus better serve patients. Currently in B.C., doctors essentially work alone, even if they are part of a clinic with other physicians: each one has their own regular patients, with maybe a little bit of support from a receptionist. In the Netherlands, meanwhile, family clinics are set up with other workers such as practice assistants, who help ease the load on MDs.
“In the Netherlands, almost everyone has a family doctor, but it’s because primary care is organized in a very di erent way,” says Goldis Mitra, an MD in North Vancouver and a vocal advocate for bringing team-based care to the province. “They’ve created robust teams in most family practices that help support that full spectrum of care, so that the family doctor leads the team that actually cares for a much larger number of patients.”
Right now, Mitra says, physicians are bogged down with administrative work, along with smaller tasks such as taking out stitches or dressing wounds—things that could reasonably be done by trained primary care nurses or physician assistants. This would help with physician burnout, and would also allow doctors to see more patients—and to focus on the more complex needs of those patients.
As for how we get there? Mitra says it needs to start with the province. “We need a real commitment by the government to develop highly e icient teams in primary care practices,” she says. “We then need to study those teams to understand what specific team members, team structures and workflows allow for the increased capacity to care for more patients, and to provide all the patients with high-quality, guideline-based care.”
#4
#6 #7
THE LOCAL ISSUE THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
THE FARAWAY INSPIRATION IRATION
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF SWEDEN
(SWEDEN)
IN A GIVEN YEAR, 19 to 26 percent of British Columbians will experience mental illness. And of the estimated 84,000 children and youth in B.C. with a diagnosed mental disorder, less than one-third are receiving mental health care. Our current system, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, waits too long to provide adequate access to services and care, which exacerbates the problem—and costs our province an annual $6.6 billion. But preventative care works—not just for our minds, but for our wallets, too. According to the World Health Organization, every $1 spent on mental health treatment results in a positive return of $4.
Perhaps we should take cues from Sweden, where a progressive, holistic, multifaceted mental health approach has been widely celebrated—and successful. The Nordic country’s proactive strategy includes government-supported digital resources (such as apps rooted in cognitive behavioural therapy), school-based programs that focus on early intervention, the integration of mental health care into the primary care system and the reduction of social stigma through campaigns and education.
“I noticed that there was a focus on community based care [in Sweden], and I thought that was really powerful,” reflects Mitra. She points to North Vancouver, where one of Sweden’s strategies—integrating mental health into primary care—is already starting to take root.
“Our primary care network has a number of mental health clinicians, who are essentially allied health providers with a background in social work or counselling and who I can refer to as a family doctor to provide short-term, free mental health support,” she says. “It’s counselling, how to do mindfulness-based meditation—but also an understanding of how to navigate other mental health supports. They work in a team-based model with our o ices, and they have been incredible.”
As for why it’s not more widespread in Greater Vancouver, Mitra opines that resources are tight. “We are stretched for funding across our health care system,” she says. “The key here is going to be doing the research to understand what interventions in communities are having a significant positive impact on patients and their trajectories, and spreading and scaling those interventions. From the experience of many of the physicians working in my community, this would be one of those types of interventions.”
QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR AGING POPULATION
THE FARAWAY INSPIRATION SAN SEBASTIÁN’S AGE FRIENDLY CITY (SPAIN)
B.C.’S SENIOR POPULATION is growing; it increased by 41 percent from 2013 to 2023. As more and more residents move into older age, we need to do more to ensure that all of our citizens have what they need to stay involved and integrated into society.
In the coastal Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián, a wider project called San Sebastián Age Friendly City includes a heavy focus on its older population. This comprehensive strategy covers everything from housing and accessibility to medical care—but, crucially, it also includes facets for leisure, culture and social interaction.
“What was neat about this was ensuring that seniors had opportunities to interact with one another, and interact with multi generations and share their experiences,” says Reardon. “They also had a steering committee that included seniors, organizations that support seniors, and municipal and regional sta . Enabling
this policy and directing it together with the people who are a ected by it—I think that’s really, really valuable.”
For Reardon, that multigenerational connection is the biggest concept for Vancouver to adopt.
“I think it’s really good for intergenerational connection to occur,” he reflects. “It’s a way to build empathy among young people. It’s a way for seniors to have a sense of purpose, which is really good for your long-term health and well-being. There are so many values to the intergenerational elements; I think there is space for more support within that realm, particularly when thinking about broader social goals.”
Regardless of our age, we’re all growing more isolated, more addicted to our phones, more insular. Reardon is convinced that looking up and out—looking at each other—is the path forward.
“All of these initiatives are helping to foster culture and connection in communities,” he concludes. “Sustaining and strengthening the community is one of the most important things that we could be doing as a city right now.”
THE LOCAL ISSUE THE RISING COST OF GROCERIES
THE FARAWAY INSPIRATION ISLA VISTA FOOD CO-OP (U.S.A.)
INFLATION HAS HIT every aspect of our lives, but perhaps nowhere more noticeably than in our grocery stores, where the cost of food is seemingly ever-rising. In Santa Barbara County, the Isla Vista Food Co-op is combatting this with its community-led, community-first approach. By working with local growers, advocating for proper access to healthy groceries and actively engaging in its neighbourhood, the co-op is an inspiring case study on food sovereignty.
Of course, building a co-op is no easy feat—especially in Vancouver, where land is scarce and pricey. “Co-ops are hard,” says Happy Cities’ Reardon. “It takes a lot of time and e ort from a lot of people, and that in itself can be a challenge. Then you add in the cost of retail space, or real estate
if you’re going to buy something, and these become real barriers to any sort of community-driven approach to creating a food co-op in Vancouver.”
Still, Vancouver can be inspired by Isla Vista without copying it. For Reardon, this means encouraging more small, independent businesses in the food space. “With anything that we can do to support local business within our communities, the benefits are extensive,” he says. “Being able to encourage local grocers, and making it easier for them to enter the market, I think, is really important.”
He also mentions making it easier and more accessible for people to grow their own food, even if it’s just in a raised garden bed on a small strip of grass between a building and a sidewalk.
“Imagine,” Reardon says, “if that was the norm.”
NOURISH is here in time for the holidays!
the perfect gift
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Food, at its core, is beautifully simple. Good quality, whole ingredients can be transformed into something wild and magical when flavours collide. It awakens the senses, transports us through space and time, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. It taps into our deepest emotions and reminds us of who we are and how we love.
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TASTE
Chez
This holiday break, we’re getting cozy at Vancouver’s first elevated cassecroûte, a French-Canadian concept by Chef J-C Poirier that serves up glossy poutines, dazzling share plates and a buzzy atmosphere (yes, CanCon playlist included). We’re also cruising the city’s most intruiging new rooms and hyping up the year’s best wines. Let’s eat.
CanCon Cuisine
Céline does a Canadian spin on French cuisine, including beef tartare and anchovies.
THE DEETS
Breaking Bread
Canadiana connects the masses at this French-Canadian casse-croûte.
BY Kristi Alexandra
When I showed up to Chez Céline on a rainy Friday evening in August without a reservation, the line of diners waiting for tables shot me looks that said, “Well, that’s ballsy.” And, to be honest, it was—but luck was on our side. It was clear that you’d typically be hooped if you didn’t make a reservation at this 48-seater in Fraserhood, so being turned around and put on the waitlist seemed generous, not punitive.
The corner eatery was well into its evening service by the time we were beckoned back to the restaurant via text. Lively music punctuated livelier conversation, wine was being free-poured into glasses, dishes were being delivered to tables and met with squeals, oohs and ahs. Despite having only been open for three months at that point, Chez Céline felt like it had been here forever.
And though the sheen of a new restaurant gives itself away—the space is clean, bright and welldesigned, with marble tabletops, scalloped light fixtures, textured ceiling tiles and little hints of the restaurant’s chien motif (a little dog ornament placed on a shelf, on a tabletop and so on)—the atmosphere itself seems to signal that this spot has a natural-lived in confidence. It’s chummy, it’s familiar, it’s energetic—like being wrapped into a tight, excited hug upon seeing an old friend.
Open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner; weekend brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
clink glasses with your fellow diners before you’ve even exchanged names.
That hug extends to the layout: tables are so close together you can practically rub shoulders with your neighbours. It’s not the siloed experience that notoriously cold Vancouverites are wont to seek out, so it feels almost radical. And yet it works—a little proximity warms everybody up. You overhear recommendations, swap opinions and even
Servers glided through the room with wine bottles in hand, recommending pours based on nothing more than a quick chat about what the guests like. I, in particular, am partial to natural orange wine—and, judging from the eclectic collection of bottles lining the room on live-edge shelves, I could tell this was exactly the place I could find something interesting. Of course, they had just the thing: a 2022 Palavani Khikhvi Qvevri dry amber wine from
Georgia ($14 by the glass) that’s mineralesque in taste and deceptively easy to drink. It’s crafted in the ancient Georgian way, my server explained, in a qvevri—a large clay amphora—which is then buried.
4298 Fraser St. chezcelinerestaurant.com
Then, the food. We started with the housemade Boursin ($10), creamy and fragrant, followed by beef tartare bright with herbs, served alongside a rustic bread— bannock-like in texture, perfect for breaking the crust and ripping apart with glee.
And while we’re on the topic of breaking the crust, the concept behind Chez Céline is just that. It’s the sister spot to Michelinstarred restaurant St. Lawrence by Chef J-C Poirier, who runs the new eatery alongside Margaux Herder and David Lawson. Chez Céline models the Quebecois-style cassecroûte (translating to “breaking the crust” —a quick snack): relaxed but lively snack shacks popular in French Canada for their poutines, burgers and maple treats.
Francophile Food (Clockwise from top left) Chez Céline’s buzzy interior; beef tartare and anchovies; triple crème brie with brioche and honey; cavatelli with mushrooms and tru le butter; maple crème caramel; baked oysters Florentine.
Of course, Chez Céline is a little more elevated than all that (though they do boast a killer side poutine), which can be seen right from their starter menu.
The oysters Florentine ($18), for example, is two plump oysters cooked gently under a buttery, spinach-laced blanket—made for an ideal two-top date bite.
Our main, the cavatelli with mushrooms ($29), was earthy and rich, its tru le-kissed butter clinging to perfectly textured noodles. On the side, the celebration salad ($12), sourced from Glorious Organics Farm, was unexpectedly dazzling: 17 varieties of lettuce arranged in a simple, cloud-like mound. The menu is spare and clean— but what they do, they do well.
For dessert, the triple crème brie with brioche and honey ($15) leaned savoury, almost cheekily so. But the maple crème caramel was the real showstopper: a soft, custardy flan bathed in syrup so pure I swear I started hearing The Tragically Hip’s opening ri to “FiftyMission Cap” revving up in my head. So often, “Canadian cuisine” gets lazily reduced to maple syrup. Here, it’s done with intention.
Even the bathrooms keep the Canadiana theme alive, with kitschy French-Canadian iconography— including fighting shots of the Montreal Canadiens—that remind you where the heart of this place lies. That’s a conversation piece you can bring back to your fellow diners—you know, the strangers you’re suddenly rubbing shoulders with. Yes, on arrival, you jump into the energy of visiting an old friend; but on leaving, you might walk out with a few new ones.
Pasta Party
Sometimes the most simple of ingredients make for the most memorable dishes, and Giusti ’s elevated simplicity is proof of that. Rustic share plates (like four di erent types of bruschetta, including an unmissable whipped ricotta and beet sott’olio) will have you reconsidering what you think you know about cuisine from the boot-shaped country, boosted by vegetable-forward starters and delicate handmade pastas. giustivancouver.com
Opened October 2025 | 209 E 6th Ave.
Word Has It
Behind an unassuming blue door with a menu scribbled on it, this mysterious Mount Pleasant spot serves up breakfast, along with a lunch that features rotating sandwiches (like Welsh rarebit and niçoise). On weekends, Murmur expands its o erings to three- or five-course prix fixe dinners (like a Sunday chicken roast). murmursandthings.com
Opened July 2025 | 235 E Broadway
Taking Pause
A pause before (or after) the day is the concept behind Ellipsis , a co ee bar that transforms into a cocktail spot come afternoon.
Located in the late Canadian architect Arthur Erickson’s Waterfall Building, the spot’s design stuns but so, too, does the fare—including peach burrata, roasted heirloom tomatoes and shareable pastas. ellipsis.ca
Opened August 2025 | 205–1540 W 2nd Ave.
THE WINE LIST
BY Neal McLennan
Top of the Year to You
It hasn’t been our habit to round up the “best” wines of the year, in the same way we’ve avoided giving wines scores. We’ve always tried to celebrate what’s unique and compelling such that we think sourcing a bottle would be a happy adventure. And yet, people invariably ask for recommendations for things that knocked our socks o and—who’s kidding who—it’s the first question wine writers, somms and other oenophiles always ask each other when they get together: “Drank anything cool, lately?” Well, we have, so with no formal ranking or numbers, we nonetheless present the bottles that blew us away in 2025.
1 2
Martin’s Lane Simes Vineyard Riesling 2022, $66
This wasn’t exactly an out-ofleft-field choice. Martin’s Lane has been at the very pinnacle of Canadian winemaking since the day they opened the the nicest winery in the Okanagan. Their pinots are among the best in the country, their rieslings among the best in the world—and I still don’t think they get their due. Even with that, this bottle, daringly done in an o -dry style, still took my breath away with its power, balance and plain freaking deliciousness.
Domaine Thibert PouillyFuissé 2018, $62
There may be no better deal in white Burgundy (a phrase that is darn-near an oxymoron) than that stalwart of the 1970s Pwee-Wee Fwee-Say. Its former popularity means that the cool kids sometimes snicker at it as a wine from the past, but in the bottle, it is the magic of chardonnay—all enticing mouthfeel brought to bear with supremely focused acidity—at a reasonable price point. That we can find bottles from this small scale, family-run operation (which is so flipping precise in its execution) almost brings tears to my eyes.
Ailm 2021 Blanc de Blanc, $65
The future of the Okanagan is bubbles. Our grapes, with their abundant natural acidity, react well, to the methode traditional (i.e., champagne) way of making sparkling wine and there are a handful of B.C. bottles that easily eclipse some of the mass market champagnes that everyone so adores. This new winery from Quails’ Gate is serious about making serious bubbles—these are fine moussed bubbles, crisp delivery of ultra clean citrus and a bit of age to round things out and toast it up a bit. In five years, this has an excellent chance to be the standard bearer in the Okanagan.
Castelo di Ama Chianti
Classico 2018, $45
Oh yeah, red wine. Chianti, you have my heart, but sometimes you’re the Goldilocks and the Three Bears of the wine world. The low-end bulk is fine, the high-end Gran Selezione is still finding its elevated place but in the middle, bottles likes this vivid, bright, juicy wonder are so just right. A touch of age gives it a much more august finish to boot, and it’ll still be singing in 2035. In our markets, chiantis in the $30 to $50 range are as sure a bet as you’ll find at the BCL.
How to Find Your Scents of Self
Perfuming pros share the best strategies for discovering your signature spritz. BY Alyssa Hirose
You don’t just want to pass the sni test—you want to exude a fragrance so alluring, so magnificent, so undeniably you that everyone in your smell-radius is jealous. So, just for you, we asked the experts. There’s Irina Novak-Calki, co-owner of Scentrique, a downtown perfume store focused on niche brands. There’s Trang Lam, a DIY fragrance specialist at Aromatears Floral Co., where the scent-curious can take classes to make their own perfumes and di user oils. And there’s Matthew Meleg, a Calgary-based self-taught perfumer known for bold, distinctive products. Together, they’ve mixed up some aromatic advice. Smell ya later, hopefully.
Let the world waft to you. Meleg’s advice for those new to perfumery? “Smell everything—fruit, spices, flowers, leaves, soil.” Learn how to identify (and describe) your favourite scents. “Perfume appreciation is like learning a new language,” he says. “The more you practice, the richer it becomes.”
Sni before you buy. Novak-Calki cautions against influencer recommendations. It might be tempting to purchase a cute bottle that’s going viral on TikTok, but without olfactory smartphone technology (get on it, scientists!), there’s no way to know if it will work for you IRL.
Reset your smeller. Shops will sometimes o er co ee beans for you to smell between products, but, really, you should get out. Literally. “Nothing works better than fresh air,” says Lam—bask in a breeze to make sure you’re not confusing your nose.
Don’t just nose it—know it. For a truly unique product, look beyond big names to find a niche maker that really resonates with you. Meleg recommends educating yourself about small brands and their stories. “Perfumers are artists, composing with scent the way painters use colour or musicians use sound,” he says.
Mind your notes. Fragrance 101: top notes (citrus, green, fruity) are your first impression, and last from a few minutes up to an hour. Middle notes (florals, light woods, powders) emerge later and last for one to two hours. Base notes (dark woods, musks) last the longest. “A fragrance is never just one scent; it’s an evolving journey on your skin,” says Novak-Calki.
Toss the tester papers. While sample cards can be useful for narrowing down your search, our experts agree that the only way to reliably test a new smell is on your skin. “Skin chemistry plays a huge role in how a fragrance projects,” says Lam. Eau de parfum can be altered by your eau naturale.
some say it ruins a fragrance’s top notes). Lam says that products last the longest when sprayed on clothes and hair, and Novak-Calki suggests using a fragrance-free lotion pre-spritz to help lock it in.
Breathe in some backup. Ask for help from your local perfume shop. Our experts say to look for someone who is knowledgeable, has a variety of products and won’t pressure you into buying anything—guidance is great, but you should explore at your own pace.
Think inside the box. All three aroma aficionados agree that perfumes and colognes are best stored in a dark, cool, dry place. “Original boxes are excellent for preserving stability and prolonging shelf life,” Novak-Calki adds—so don’t trash your perfume’s packaging, it’s specifically designed to keep it safe.
Smell better, longer. Spraying perfume on your wrists and rubbing them together is a waste of time (and money—
FRAGRANCE EN FRANÇAIS
Each level of concentration of fragrance oil in a given product has its own term.
Eau fraiche 1% to 3% Eau de cologne
to 5%
de toilette
to 15%
de
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