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

Cheeseburgers, Beer And Freedom From Bullshit At Parallel 49

You don't have to be long immersed in Vancouver's food and drink scene to remember a time when mention of a food truck operating inside a brewery would seem a ridiculous fantasy. Perhaps in Portland, you dreamers. But here? The no fun nabobs at City Hall would laugh the idea off the permit track.

Hawksworth’s Korean Fried Cauliflower Next To A French 75

Given its consistency, its textural trip (crisp to soft) and its bright flavour kick that keeps on kicking, I reckon the KFC is one of the most satisfying of the countless snacky share plates currently on offer in Vancouver...

Portable Pad Thai From Angus An’s New ‘Sen Pad Thai’

The counter-service eatery is located in the Net Loft section of the island, with a menu loaded with Pad riffs (eg. Pad Ki Mao, Khao Pad, Pad Ga Pao, Pad Pu Sen Chan, among others).

Summery Mint & Pea Tagliarini At ‘Osteria Savio Volpe’

Few things confirm summer's arrival more convincingly than these two ingredients, their bright flavours sending the signal loud and clear to my brain.

Longtail Kitchen’s Curry With Prawns & Pepper Squid

Bring a friend and share the hell out of it with some palate-feisty pepper squid and then mop the rice studded remains up with freshly hand-pulled roti -- an affordable (not to mention Skytrain-accessible) holiday on a tray!

Gastown’s PiDGiN Makes Fried Mantou Buns Very Happy

Rather than stuffing the eggplant with its best friends (garlic, onions, tomatoes, various spices), they make a spread of it with miso and garnishes the resulting smear brightly with marinated tomato and olive oil.

Pork & Goat Cheese Ravioli Icarus At ‘Cibo Trattoria’

Everything about the dish reminded me of what I'd just been writing about -- of spring being hesitant of summer, of all the attempts and feints towards the real thing.

The Final St. Lawrence Pop-Up Preview Before Opening

If the dinner I enjoyed last night was any indication of what Vancouverites can expect of the 45 seater when it opens in June, I think we're in for a real treat...

Hummus In Delicious Variety At South Granville’s ‘Jamjar’

You set yourself up for few surprises when you dig into a dish with a recipe that is almost a thousand years old.

Going Off the Comfort Food Deep End at ‘Ruth & Dean’

Put Ruth & Dean solidly in the 'must try' column on your next Victoria visit. Bonus: excellent cookies and cakes of legend.

Cadeaux Bakery’s Superb S’mores Cookie Sandwiches

The magic starts with two soft Belgian chocolate chip cookies. These are dreamy in and of themselves, but when you connect them by loading up the space between with a creamy nugget of decadent chocolate ganache hidden by a ring of toasted Swiss meringue...

Joe Pizza’s Return Includes New, Improved ‘Al Taglio’ Pies

I always find it useful to try the weird stuff first when assessing a pizza joint for the first time. Why? Because while big, bold flavours can help mask shitty doughs and thin sauces, they also test the reach of good doughs and great sauces...

Brandy-Soaked Mincemeat Pies From The Pie Shoppe

The mincemeat tarts are 100% vegetarian and loaded up with apricots, raisins, dried blueberries, figs, prunes, dates, candied orange and grapefruit, apples, cranberries, a spice mix that includes ginger, close, nutmeg and cinnamon, and a whole lot of Clovis brandy

Locally Made ‘Brine Adams’ Pickles Cut Like A Knife

I just enjoyed my first Brine Adams pickle this afternoon (with a grilled gouda and red wine prosciutto sandwich) and it was crunchy and fragrant with a long, pleasantly dilly aftertaste...

The Sneaky Good Fried Chicken At Kitsilano’s ‘Lucky Taco’

The $6 beauty starts with a gluten-free El Comal tortilla, which stands firm to a sweet and spicy onslaught of crunch, chew, repeat.

Escaping The Rain For The Perfect Dish At Hawksworth

We're talking perfectly pan-roasted scallops and plump, pumpkin-stuffed agnolotti flavoured with sage and garnished with crumbled hazelnuts and thin shavings - whispers, really - of pine mushroom.

First Taste Of The Arbor — Coming Soon To 3941 Main St.

I don't usually surrender to faux trickery, but wow...

‘Stranger Wings’ Pizza At Chinatown’s New Virtuous Pie

Pizza is like a beautiful planet subject to a clockwork system of divine decadence orbited by the delicious likes of mozzarella, capicola, prosciutto, burrata, parm-reggie, and sausage. It might suffer the occasional asteroid or meteor (eg. melanzano, funghi, pesto, tartufo), but the impacts are absorbed, never resulting in absolute extinction.

Torafuku’s Hickory Smoked & Miso-Buttered Corn Pucks

Chef/owner Clement Chan splits a cob into pucks, smokes them with hickory, drenches them in clingy-thick miso butter (which pools fantastically at the bottom of the bowl) and attacks them with crispy tempura bits and green onions before dropping a few spice-tossed pieces of popcorn on top for giggles.

Harmony In A Bright, Busy Bowl At Ed’s Daily On Powell St.

Ed's is a bit out of the way on a quick-moving stretch of a one-way street, but it's a wonderful little midday hideaway. The kitchen knows what they're doing, even if they allow you to do some of the doing yourself.

Thick-Cut Pastrami Reuben At The Fraserhood’s Mensch

It was a little on the fatty side (more pronounced with a thick cut), but don't take that as a negative; it just means more flavour...

Brunching It Up At ‘Campagnolo Roma’ On East Hastings

Of note was the "Tutto" plate of housemade sausage, baked beans, mushrooms, roasted potatoes, two fried eggs, and toasted bread; and the Frittata alla Patata...

Chambar’s Mainstay Sure Thing Breakfast Of Champions

Slow-cooked braised beef served in a skillet with balsamic cipollini onions, applewood smoked cheddar, watercress, potatoes and sunny-side up eggs -- I had forgotten just how filling and satisfying this meal is...

Off-Menu Burger At Crowbar Might Be Vancouver’s Best

The flavour of the beef is amplified rather than masked, and it fits nicely in the hand, maintaining its structural integrity from first bite to last...

A Perfect Summer Feast At JoieFarm’s Idyllic ‘Picnique’

If you find yourself exploring the Okanagan this summer, aim here and take your sweet time...

Fresh Taste Of Summer At ‘Burdock & Co.’ On Main Street

Chef Andrea Carlson and her team create dishes that are beautiful and immediate reflections of BC's bounty, and most deliciously so in summer...

Goodness Rolled Tight & To Go At Gastown’s Burrito Bar

Filled with crispy karaage-style chicken, guacamole, rice, shredded cabbage, cilantro, black chili mayo and sriracha, these beauties are pretty damn satisfying...

An Early Summer Night’s Tomato Dream At ‘The Acorn’

Via Tevere’s ‘Saltimbocca’ Pizzawiches At Farmhouse Fest

Biercraft’s Garden Veggie Burger With Bacon And A Beer

The Elusive Tortillas At The Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market

Medicinal Properties Of Kin Kao’s Sour Cured Pork Ribs

This Double ‘Wild-Style’ Currywurst At Chinatown’s Bestie

Pizza With Pancetta And Smoked Mozzarella At Miradoro

Flatbread With Sunflower Yogurt, Beets, Honey At Latab

Juicy Pollo Anticuchos At Mt. Pleasant’s Peruvian Chicha

Tableau Bar Bistro’s Buttermilk Fried Cornish Hen & Gravy

Cauliflower Truffle Soup + Sausage Arancini From Cioffi’s

Hot & Sour Tom Kha Noodle Soup At Chinatown’s Fat Mao

Chef Juno Kim’s Cheeseburger Masterpiece At 33 Acres

Chocolate Punctuaction Of A Balvenie Feast In Gastown

Homer St. Cafe’s Decadent Nutella & Banana Sandwich

Tableside Brandy-Flambéed Steak Diane At Hy’s Encore

A Steaming Won Tun Soup At Five Elements On The Drive

Chambar’s Applewood-Smoked Cheddar Croquette x Six

A Big Plate Of Corn Porn At The DTES’ “The Mackenzie Room”

Tagliatelle With San Marzanos & Veal/Pork Ragu At Cibo

Aussie Pie “Peaked” With Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Gravy

Poached Lobster, Carrot, Snap Pea Risotto At “Ancora”

A Creamy, Bright Burst Of Summer At Campagnolo Roma

Al Fresco “Farmacie” Dinner At Klipper’s Organic Farm

Japanese Pork Ribs That Bring Balance To The Universe

First Bites Of The Acorn’s New Weekend Brunch Service

Delicious Expressions Of Yesterday At “Grapes & Soda”

Tucking Into Escapist Moules Frites @ Bistro Wagon Rouge

Marrow & Pea Risotto With Roasted Lamb Sweetbreads

Rainy Day Pho Ga At Hastings-Sunrise’s “Mr. Red Cafe”

Nasturtium Soup & A Gorgeous Spring Hash At The Acorn

Every Damn Thing So Far At Kitsilano’s Excellent Annalena

Cauliflower Burger From The Local Omnivore At 33 Acres

Orange Blossom Honey Over Soft Serve Frozen Yogurt

Succotash “Harvest Plate” At The Acorn On Main Street

“Sai Woo” Staff Tasting On The Night Before Opening

Great Bang For Buck Sushi At The West End’s Sushi Mart

The Intense Arroz con Pollo at The Sardine Can in Gastown

A Pile Of Brown Butter Gems From The Salty Cookie Co.

A “Perfect” Cookie At Elysian Coffee On West Broadway

The Greasy Spoon’s Pastrami-Cured Duck Confit Hash

The Last Of The Winter Risotto At Burdock & Co. On Main

Restorative Lunch At “Nicli’s Next Door” On E. Cordova St.

Decadent Dirty Twixter Treat From The Dirty Apron Deli

Big Rocky Road Tart From Railtown’s “Cadeaux Bakery”

A Broiled Oyster With GP & Hazelnut Pesto At “Shelter”

Absurdly Delicious “Ham Grenades” At Mamie Taylor’s

Shroomy Potato Oysters With Truffle Aioli At “West”

Mjadra & Fresh Saj Bread At The Drive’s New Jam Jar

A Puzzle Of Delicious Pork Schnitzel At “Wildebeest”

Dreaming Of Jerk Chicken At Victoria’s Meat & Bread

Sausage, Tots, And Country Gravy At Wolf In The Fog

A “Dirty Burger” Above Campagnolo On Main Street

The First Bennywurst Brunch At Chinatown’s “Bestie”

Proper Pizza & Polpette At East Van’s “Via Tevere”

An Earthy, Indecently Tasty Omelette At ‘The Oakwood’

The Big Rangeland Game Burger At Robson’s Forage

A Sweet Summer Camp Dessert At “Blacktail Florist”

Balls & Bowls At Bowen Island’s “Shika Provisions”

A Chicken Fried Brunch At Chinatown’s Mamie Taylor’s

Doses Of Rainy Day Medicine At ‘Les Faux Bourgeois’

A Perfect Spaghetti Pomodoro At Main’s Campagnolo

Super Hot & Bubbly Queso Fundido At “La Mezcaleria”

Arrival Of Spring Finds Confirmation At “The Parker”

Pidgin’s Shroomy Spring Delight Of Colour/Texture

Fairmont Pacific Rim’s 100% “Ocean Wise” Raw Bar

A L’Abattoir Brunch Of Burrata Benedicts, Rosti, & Donuts

Golden Frites (Steak Optional) At Tableau Bar Bistro

Is The Best Burger In Vancouver At Hawksworth?

A Sweet Lunch Set At New Basho On East Hastings

The Best Brunch We’ve Ever Had (Inside A Brewery)

The Best Fish & Chips In Town At “The Fish Counter”

A Blizzard Of Gizzards & BBQ Duck Buns At Bambudda