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

On Prison Ramen, Queer Food and Paying Too Much for Small Batch Bourbon

Civil Eats breaks down the story of cabbage through history (told through a series of stunning photos by David Bacon).

Think you know everything there is to know about food? Chances are you don’t. For confirmation, check out this list of 68 terms that will put your knowledge to the test.

Vinepair introduces us to the 50 year old restaurant in Tampa that all steakhouses want to be when they grow up:

“The restaurant lives and breathes in its own, singular past, present, and future. It’s utterly bucket list-worthy, yet inured to the Instagram age — its magic surpasses filters and humblebrags, and the lack of natural lighting makes Snapchats a challenge. Closed off to the world, Bern’s makes us sentimental for a man we never knew, a life we never had, and wines no one has tasted.”

The Smithsonian does a deep dive on everyone’s favourite part about camping: the delicious S’more.

Good question: In cooking, why is female creativity seen as “grounding” and “nourishing” and male creativity as “refining” and “elevating”?

Eater takes a closer look at the important impact the queer community has in shaping food culture, both past and present.

“It is less about what is literally eaten, but it’s more than just the presence of queer people at the table. Queer food is the food of a temporary utopia, one where unexpected eating styles and culinary creativity thrive, where things that seem too weird to work actually do.”

We are smack dab in the middle of a cocktail revival and Food and Wine looks at the critical moments that brought us here.

A bartender reflects on all the bar brawls he’s witnessed over the years:

“There’s a moment right before all hell breaks loose in a bar?—?be it a tray of broken glasses, a pub crawl strolling through the doors, or you know, a fight?—?when everything around you grinds to a halt. Your feet and your heart stop. And all sound is sucked out of the room?—?the murmur of conversation at nearby tables; the music spinning from the restaurant’s score of speakers; the clanging of pots and pans from the kitchen; and even the chatter inside your head. When it breaks, however, the next thing you hear is very, very loud…”

Have you been paying a premium for “small batch” bourbon? Munchies gives you a good reason to think twice before dropping big bucks on your next bottle.

Or perhaps you haven’t been paying at all. Bloomberg tells the tale of a Buffalo Trace employee’s bad five-finger discount habit.

Chicago is home to one of America’s oldest liquor stores and the folks at Punch are bringing you an inside look at its legacy.

Read this fascinating essay on instant ramen supplanting cigarettes as a de facto currency in prison, and one ex-con’s mission to make it healthier and more delicious.

It seems that restaurants housed in Trump hotels across the US are taking a hit on account of their namesake’s putrid politics.

Eating via Instagram honours go to @jacquelinechui for capturing the perfect drinks-to-taco-to nacho ratio:

Food and Wine names 10 folks in the spirits and bartending world that are leaving their mark and changing the industry for better.

EAT! Vancouver will be here before you know it and Scout has the goods on all of this year’s events and speakers.

How much would you pay for a sandwich? Because one restaurant in New York is banking on folks dropping a cool $185 for their new Waygu katsu between two slices of bread.

The intriguing story of one Spanish soccer team and their good luck charm- the garlic clove.

This week in food and politics, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was denied service at a restaurant in Virginia.

And a couple of days later, the manager of the Teahouse in Stanley Park refused service to a customer wearing a MAGA hat.

Of course, faithful Yelpers had something to say about it on both sides of the aisle.

An all-you-can-eat restaurant promo in China backfired when everybody showed up and ate everything they could:

“Hoping to attract a loyal following, the restaurant allowed diners to buy a $25 all-you-can-eat card giving them unlimited access to the buffet for an entire month. Upon learning this, Chengdu residents lined up to take full advantage of the offer, forming lines in front of the restaurant each morning. After gorging themselves, the diners decided to optimize their investment even more by passing the card on to friends and family, creating utter chaos inside the dining room and sending over 500 people through the buffet line (multiple times, of course) each day.”

In loving memory: Scout pays tribute to Vancouver’s fallen restaurants over the years.

Following the lead of other major cities, Seattle has decided to ban plastic straws as of July 1st.

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.