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

On the Trouble with Food Festivals and the Conspiracy to Drug Donald Trump with Soda Pop

Really people? Do we really need Pumpkin Spice cough drops? Has the PSL latte taught us nothing!?

Vancouver chef Andrea Carlson takes part in the C3 Journey from Cambridge Bay to Kugluktuk as part of the celebration for Canada 150.

Have you a sworn enemy who loves to eat? Consider gifting them a selection of terribly useless kitchen ware such as a thick cutlery set or hourglass salt & pepper shakers.

The Employment Standards Tribunal recent ruling against the Fraserhood’s Crowbar opens a can of worms regarding working conditions and renumeration in Vancouver’s restaurant industry. Update: Crowbar responds on Instagram:

I am a small business owner in East Vancouver. I live a few blocks from my work. I love what I do. I’m also generally a fairly private person, but now find myself in the public eye and I need to tell my side of the story. CBC has published a rather controversial article regarding fair wage practices and I have been placed at the centre of it. I made the mistake of hiring two chefs whom I had considered friends. I started this business with the intention of addressing many of the industry problems which I am now being accused of perpetuating. This mess has nothing to do with the issue of fair wages. The problem is actually much more mundane. Chris Scott was simply not able to discharge his responsibilities and was let go (with severance). In an act that I can only speculate was based on revenge, he filed a false claim against me and my partners. Chris was responsible for the food menu, he wrote it, which determined how much he worked. He was also responsible for hiring his team, which determined how much he worked. Chris was unable manage himself or the kitchen, and that is why we were forced to let him go. The story of his claim, now being regurgitated in the media, is full of untruths. Separately, Scott Korzack has corroborated Chris’ story with inaccurate documentation and statements. Scott Korzack was let go the same time as Chris Scott for the same reasons. I understand the industry needs to change. I’ve worked in hospitality for almost two decades. I’ve seen real abuses first hand; this is not one of them. I believe in fair compensation. At no point did I direct or require Chris to schedule the extra hours that he now uses against me. I intended for him to work a reasonable schedule, but I could only do so much when he was the one responsible for his own time. The time sheets he has submitted are false. You can see them on the Employment Standards website. This ‘unpaid hours’ issue only arose after he was dismissed. Until then, there was no communication from him about any problem of this nature. As I said, I considered him a friend. He could have easily just told me of any stresses he was feeling at any time during his employment. I do admit that openi

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If you weren’t already worried about the disappearance of bees, this article on the relationship between the world’s most important pollinators and your morning cup of joe will put you on high alert.

You know that food festival you were planning to attend? Eater makes a solid case for why you should skip it.

“…..the reality is that these festivals are rarely worth the cost or the time if you’re in it for the food. They’re often crowded. Lines are sometimes long for vendors and often the food most worth trying typically has the longest wait. All this eating in one place is also part of the depressing cultural shift toward acquiring food instead of dining.”

If you love cats and you love booze, pick up a copy of Distillery Cats – a chronicle of distilleries across America and the feline friends that live in them.

Looking to end the summer on a high note? Consider grabbing tickets to the September 30th Farmer’s Apprentice/Savio Volpe dinner on Salt Spring’s Foxglove Farm.

Now that the storm has passed, Florida farmers are surveying the damage left in the wake of hurricane Irma and fearing the worst for their crops.

A vertical farm out of New Jersey has received a million dollar grant to grow their model for sustainable, urban farming.

BC wineries Gray Monk, Tinhorn Creek and Black Hills have been sold to Ontario-based wine producer Andrew Peller Ltd. for a combined $95 million.

Floating his latest cuckoo conspiracy theory, InfoWars’ Alex Jones explains that Donald Trump isn’t actually an idiot who is woefully unqualified for the job. It’s just that his daily Coca-Cola is being poisoned by people who don’t want him to succeed. Sounds legit!

Imbibe Magazine shares their picks for the best wine, beer and booze books out this Fall, including the aforementioned Distillery Cats!

And speaking of books, chocolate journalist Megan Giller is releasing her latest book on the chocolate revolution in America. But it begs the question: How does one become a chocolate journalist? That sounds incredible…

Food Republic discusses the precarious future of the hamburger and whether or not the American classic is on its way out.

Elementary students are being schooled in the food of the future at a recent bug-eating festival in Brooklyn.

Making the case for a national school lunch program in the face of high food insecurity among Canadian students.

Eating via Instagram honours this week go to @yvreats because in the final weeks of summer you’ve just gotta eat all the ice cream.

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

On Believing in Chef Nicolas Cage and Hospitality Workers Living Decently

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds salmon in trouble and patrons who should just stay home.

On Menu Prices Going Up and Customers Fighting Amongst Themselves

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds fewer cooks in the kitchen and Portland lauded for its pizza.

On Suddenly Taking More Tables and Toiling Away in Potentially Lethal Temperatures

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds another chef being a jerk and the labour shortage grinding on.

On No More Takeout Cocktails and Chefs Worrying About the Rising Cost of Food

In her latest read of the food and drink headlines, Talia finds food security woes and new spots getting good reviews.