A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

On Butterbeer, Trump Cake And Scarfing Sustainable Seal With Zeal

25146213314_12ae56a2b1_k

by Talia Kleinplatz | It’s only a few days after Trump’s inauguration and already concerning questions are swirling about what his presidency will mean for the future of food policy in America. Topping the list of concerns include minimum wage, food safety and migrant farm workers.

And speaking of concerning policy changes, one restaurant owner shares her very personal experience with the Affordable Care Act and laments the very real possibility likelihood that soon she and many others in the service and hospitality industry will be left without coverage.

Related: the jokes on you, Mr. President! After a bizarre story broke that the inauguration committee requested that a Washington-based bakery recreate the exact same cake served at President Obama’s inauguration, it came out that said bakery donated all proceeds from the cake commission to The Human Rights Campaign – one of the largest LGBT Rights advocacy groups in America. Badass!

It’s all in the way you handle it! The Seattle Times’ Bethany Jean Clement explains why it’s important to send food back at restaurants and how to do it in the least awkward way possible.

Alex Gill shares her mixed feelings about a recent visit to Kitsilano’s Raisu in Van Mag.

Eater shares their picks for the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2017, including Seattle’s JuneBaby (set to open in February) and a yet-to-be-named cocktail bar in San Francisco from that folks that brought you Lazy Bear (set to open this summer).

What happens when you put a bunch of aspiring chefs in one place together and ask them not to drink, smoke or do drugs? A lot ot drinking, smoking and drug use, that’s what! Confessions of a culinary school student (aka a lesson on how to break every rule in the book and still graduate and go on to be a successful chef).

With all this rain and cold weather, it’s prime ramen season in Vancouver. To help you make the best noodle decisions possible, Scout readers have ranked the top spots in the city.

Looking for a sign as to what to eat tonight? Perhaps your food horoscope can help point you in the right direction!

An important reminder from The Globe & Mail’s Corey Mintz on why bringing outside food to a restaurant is never ok:

“Just as you shouldn’t bring your own drill to the dentist or sing your own songs at a Broadway musical, you should expect to eat (and pay for) the food on the menu when you patronize a restaurant.”

While there are many things to consider when creating a balanced cocktail including acidity, sweetness and bitterness, Food Republic’s Naren Young reminds us that the proof of your base spirit should always be considered.

Food & Wine rounds up a list of the best croissants in America, including Seattle’s Inès Pâtisserie and Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Portland.

Attention all Harry Potter fans! Want to try a chocolate frog or pumpkin juice? Meet the man who brought Butterbeer and the rest of the wizarding world’s delectable treats to life.

In an interesting reversal of policy, doctors are now recommending that you give your kids peanuts early and often in order to avoid the development of serious allergies down the road.

The Georgia Straight sits down with The Shameful Tiki’s Shea Hogan to chat about best drinks, outstanding bars and signature cocktails.

A seal ragu dish offered on Edible Canada’s Dine Out menu this year has a number of people up in arms. Edible Canada’s Eric Pateman states he made the decision to include the dish based on the sustainability of the controversial ingredient.

Juice Truck gents Zach Berman and Ryan Slater share their picks for the three albums that have shaped their musical preferences. The list includes Kanye West’s My Dark Twisted Fantasy and Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man.

Eating via Instagram honours this week to go YVREats and quite possibly the prettiest dessert plating that gives me hope for spring!

Looking for work in the industry? Check out who’s hiring!

Field Trip: Tagging Along for a “Glorious” Tomato Appreciation Feast

Inspired by their love of tomatoes and everything that farmer Mark Cormier and his farm crew put into growing them, the team from Say Hey Sandwiches head out to Aldergrove on a mission to cook a feast for the Glorious Organics team...

Reverence, Respect, and Realization: What The Acorn Taught Me

At 21 years old, I'm still just a kid and relatively new to working in restaurants, but I grew up umbilically tied to the hospitality industry. My father was a food writer, and my mother is a photographer. Their careers meant that most of my early years were spent in kitchens and dining rooms instead of on playgrounds and soccer fields; consequently, I learned my table manners before I could count past one hundred.

Amanda MacMullin Talks Seeking New Challenges and Becoming a ‘Grizzled Old Bartender’

Rhys Amber recently sat down with The Diamond bartender to catch up, swap 'war stories' and discuss the minutiae of the crazy, hospitality life.

On Expensive Hobbies, Title-Chasing & Getting ‘Rinsed’ in the Kitchen, with Josh Stel

The veteran Vancouver pan jockey and recently appointed Chef de Cuisine at The Mackenzie Room possesses a slew of attributes harder and harder to come by these days, so Rhys saw it fitting to reach out and see what makes him tick.