Seen In Vancouver #325: “The Window Community Art Shop” Opens On The DTES

The Portland Hotel Society throws down with yet another community-building venture. This one, located at 9 West Hastings (a few doors east of Save On Meats), is called The Window Community Art Shop. The non-profit is a place where local artists and designers can flog their wares without forking over huge commission fees. And don’t roll your eyes yet. Just because it’s not-for-profit doesn’t mean it’s full of itchy, ill-fitting sweaters and lacy lavender pillows. This is a really cool retail/studio space where people can buy, sell and create arts and crafts. Think of it as Etsy or Cargoh in 3-D with a little bit of DIY on the side. Scout popped in the other day to have a browse and this is what we saw:

The not-quite-ready-website might be here one day. For now, hook up with The Window on Facebook and note well that the grand opening goes down from 5pm to 8pm on December 2nd.

Tuesday – Saturday | 10am-6pm | The Window Community Art Shop (9 West Hastings)

EVERYTHING SEEN IN VANCOUVER

How To Help Out Hungry Local Kids Over Thanksgiving Without Spending Any Money

This Thanksgiving, we’re asking Scout readers to do something for disadvantaged kids in our community without spending a dime. The Vancouver Inner-city Backpack Food Program runs out of the Strathcona Community Centre and provides nutritious snacks and meals for food-insecure children (elementary schoolchildren and their siblings) on the weekends when they aren’t assured nourishment at school.

Inner-city children face food insecurity on a regular basis, which affects their behavior in the short term and their overall health and development in the long-term. Children who are hungry or undernourished are more likely to become sick, miss school, exhibit behavior problems, and fall behind in class. By offering a weekend food program for children, we will be able to provide many benefits including: increased ability to participate in recreation, close the gap of food insecurity over the weekend, help improve attention span and behavior during the week in school, mentoring interpersonal and communication skills to the children who received the backpacks, providing leadership and pre-employment training to youth volunteers.

The program is looking for funding from the Aviva Community Fund to purchase food that cannot be obtained from a food bank (think dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables). In order to secure that dosh, they need your vote. That is all. Many thanks, Happy Thanksgiving, and be sure to pass this on.

GOODS: Everything That You Need To Know About This Halloween At The Waldorf Hotel

The Waldorf Hotel is located at 1489 East Hastings in beautiful Vancouver, BC | 604.253.7141 | WaldorfHotel.com

The GOODS from The Waldorf Hotel

Vancouver, BC | You’ve been asking for it so here it is… the lineup for our four-day, property-wide Halloween bash. Aside from top entertainment in multiple rooms, your ticket to any of these nights gives you access to all the other goings on at the hotel… Read more

Chambar Veterans Eleanor Chow & Slavita Johnson Opening “Cadeaux” On The DTES

by Claire Lassam | With big name bakeries like Thierry opening up downtown it takes no small amount of confidence to open another beside the Number 5 Orange strip club on the DTES, but that’s the plan for young, first timer owners Eleanor Chow and Slavita Johnson. The Chambar alumni have big ideas for 172/178 Powell Street (at Main). It’s a new building in an area that’s quickly changing (see Big Lou’s and Two Chefs & A Table), and their plan – with me as their assistant – is to change up French classics with local ingredients (think perfect French macarons with cranberries, cakes seasoned with fresh herbs and more). They want to make the place feel cozy, clean and warm, and with the help of designer Craig Stangetta (see Revolver, Meat & Bread, Pizzeria Farina), that’s unlikely to be a problem.

Slavita has already started collecting cake stands in her apartment, and in less than 3 months they hope to debut the room with its huge glass counters displaying everything from cookies to wedding cakes. The most important thing, Eleanor says, is “to make food that we want to eat.” That means unfussy and unpretentious but still executed with the techniques she and Slavita learned from working desserts and pastries at places like Lumiere and Blue Water Cafe.

They’re hoping to include the greater community by naming ice creams after friends and local celebrities, and to make it a spot that people commuting downtown from anywhere east of Main St. can grab their morning coffee or pick up dessert on their way home. If all goes according to plan, expect a pre-Christmas splash. In the meantime, I, their trusty assistant, will continue making pastries (sold at the Dirty Apron Delicatassen) and getting excited for opening day.

ALL ANTICIPATED RESTAURANTS

Claire Lassam is a baker, blogger, and freelance writer based in East Van. She has been cooking and baking her way through the city for nearly five years, working in restaurants ranging from Cioppino’s to Meat & Bread. She currently toils at the soon-to-open Cadeaux Bakery in Railtown and runs the baking blog  Just Something Pretty.

VANCOUVER AT WORK #7: Multimedia Mastery At Gastown’s “Sharks + Hammers”

Reader “A.U” | Sharks & Hammers | Gastown | 3:45pm

“Designing take out chopstick packaging graphics while listening to a YouTube playlist of Charles Bradley.”

With Vancouver At Work, we invite Scout readers to send in photos of their work spaces, be they home offices, corporate cubicles, artist studios, fishing boats, bars or kitchen lines. It’s a lot like our View From Your Window feature, only you tell us your initials, your title at work, your place of work (optional), the neighbourhood, and the time the photo was taken with “Vancouver At Work” in the subject line. Photos and info should be sent to scoutmagazine [at] gmail [dot com], and need to be as high res as the sender can manage. Cell phone shots will do if they are no smaller than 588px wide. Now get snapping!

DINER: Josh Pape And James Iranzad To Open 115 Seat Restaurant On Hastings

by Andrew Morrison | Good news, gluttony fans. Local restaurateurs James Iranzad (Abigail’s Party, Cartel) and Josh Pape (former Bartender of the Year, co-owner of The Diamond) have picked up the voluminous, 2,400 sqft space at 120 Hastings across from the Woodwards complex with plans for turning it into a new restaurant and bar by February 2012. They’ve only just signed the lease on the newly renovated (read: empty) location, but trades have nevertheless made their assessments and the keys are in hand. The board is set. The pieces are moving. I can’t wait for this one. Read more

GOODS: Main Street’s “Latitude” Offering In-Depth Tequila Tasting This Saturday

Latitude, featuring wine and food of the Americas, is located at 3250 Main St | 604-875-6246 | latitudeonmain.com

The GOODS from Latitude

Vancouver, BC | Join us for an in depth Tequila tasting and informative journey into the rich culture and history surrounding the national spirit of Mexico with Canada’s National Tequila Examiner, Mr. Eric Lorenz. The afternoon event includes a guided tasting of five ultra-premium Tequilas, with a surprise Extra Anejo not found in Canada. Light appetizers will also be provided by Latitude. Details after the jump Read more

Johnny Taylor “New Pages” Show At Save On Meats This Friday, September 30th

Local artist Johnny Taylor is doing an open studio exhibit of recent work done over the course of the last 9 months on the 4th floor of the Save On Meats building on Friday, September 30th (ie. tomorrow):

This is a unique studio. In it, I feel part of a community, involved in the buzz all around, the creative energies and emerging identity of this neighbourhood. That external presence had a direct influence on the energy of the work.

This work is a showcase of small scale pieces on vellum and paper.

The physical use of paint is immediate and loose, full of gesture – washes of thinned down paint, scratches and dents into the paper then filled in with wax, wax is layered up and scraped away, then more wax over top – finger swipes of thick paint, smudges of oil sticks knifed away rubbed out and done again.

Compositionally, the pieces are focused and restrained with a sketch-like quality, fusing elements of architechture and written language. Parts of the surface are left untouched and empty, drawing you in with sharp perspective lines towards deeper hushed activity.

Check the flyer for details after the jump… Read more

DINER: Habit & Cascade Folks To Open New Southeast Asian Restaurant, “The Union”

by Andrew Morrison | I made mention of The Union in an “opening soon” piece for the paper many, many months ago (285 days ago to be exact), but work on it was delayed due to the typical snafus associated with brand new buildings. The restaurant, due this December (fingers crossed), is located at 219 Union St. at the foot of the new V6A building where Strathcona connects with Main St. on Union St. at the southern reach of Chinatown (next to the Jimi Hendrix shrine). The crew behind it are the same folks that brought us Habit Lounge and The Cascade further up Main, namely Nick Devine, Wendy Nicolay, Nigel Pike, David Nicolay and Rob Edmonds. Read more

GOODS: “Just Like Dinner At Nonna’s” Set To Return To Campagnolo On Main Street

1020 Main St | 604-484-6018 | campagnolorestaurant.ca | 1944 West 4th | 604-288-7905 | refuelrestaurant.com

The GOODS from Campagnolo and Refuel

Vancouver, BC | Just like Dinner at Nonna’s, a series of home-style Italian meals offered Tuesday nights at 6:00pm for $19, returns this fall to warm your heart, body and soul. On every Tuesday night starting October 4 and ending November 15, Main Street diners can look forward to a hearty meal made from quality seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers and purveyors, paired with a pint of R&B Brewing Company’s finest, for an affordable price ($19) at Campagnolo. Menus after the jump… Read more

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