LOOKCITY: “Eugene Choo” On Main Street Expands With New “Annex” Shop Next Door

Great news for Vancouver fashion lovers! Eugene Choo has opened a new store – dubbed Eugene Choo Annex – right next to the original shop at 3697 Main. From our inbox:

The annex will feature a wider selection of shoes, bags and accessories than the original store, allowing [owner Kildare] Curtis to bring in smaller, harder to find shoe labels to compliment Eugene Choo’s growing stable of great quality shoes.

Look for new labels such as: A detacher, The Office of Angela Scott, Le Botte Gardiane and Armando Cabral alongside Belle by Sigerson Morrison, New Balance and Florsheim.

Even though he has more space to play with, Curtis wants to keep the selection tightly curated. “I really wanted to focus only on the shoes I know my customer will love. I don’t want them to have to wade through hundreds of shoe styles to find the one pair worth having. We wanted to take the guesswork out. Every pair of shoes are shoes that I, or a member of the staff, picked and would wear ourselves.”

Eugene Choo Annex carries shoes, bags and accessories for both men and women and is located at 3697 Main Street.

It’s not yet two days old, so go take a look, try on some shoes, and tell Kildare (interview) that we say hi.

Seen In Vancouver #364: Heeled “Shoefiti” Bomb Above Main St. Between Union & Prior

Evidence of “Shoefiti” – the act of tying a pair of shoes’ laces together and throwing them like a bolas up and around a telephone wire so that they hang down as decoration – is everywhere in Vancouver. More often than not, the ones we see are just the result of a new pair of shoes. But sometimes they’re used as markers. They could advertise the presence of a drug dealer, or a memorial, or a skatespot, or countless other things. You may have even heard tell of entire graduating classes throwing shoes up en masse around their campuses, or construction workers tossing them up to mark a completed project, or of soldiers painting their combat boots yellow and hanging them outside their respective bases whenever they come home from tours of duty, but the point of the “bomb” on the West side of Main between Prior & Union is lost on us. It’s just a few blocks away from our office, but we’ve only just noticed it. All of the shoes are high heels, which makes it – as far as we know – one of a kind in this town. Is it new or old? Is it an expression of memorial for missing women, the late night consequence of a ladies night that got out of control, or a meaningless pile-on? We’ve asked around and found no reference to it on the web, so we have no proper clue. Spill the beans if you know the score…

EVERYTHING SEEN IN VANCOUVER

DINER: 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters & Lucky’s Doughnuts Opening At Main & 13th

by Andrew Morrison | We’ve been sitting on this for a while (construction began three months ago), but with the new neon sign going up yesterday, the cat’s out of the bag. 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters is opening a new location on the southeast corner of 13th & Main (formerly Pinky’s Drycleaners). Does Main St. need another coffee shop? Sure it does! And one with Kees van der Westen machines, a 16 seat cupping table, 2 garage doors leading out to a patio, a fireplace, a wrap-around booth, and plenty of tasties aside from coffee (namely 13 different ringed wonders from Lucky’s Doughnuts). It’s a big space – much bigger than the original in Kitsilano – and D-day is penned in for the first week of June, with crossed fingers. Here’s more from a press release that will be making its way into the media ether next week:

FORTY NINTH PARALLEL COFFEE ROASTERS TO OPEN NEW MAIN STREET LOCATION

May 2, 2012; Vancouver, B.C.: Local boutique coffee roaster, 49th Parallel has announced that it will open a second café location next month, located on Main Street at the corner of East 13 th Avenue. The new café will also be home to a Lucky’s Doughnuts counter, representing the company’s first foray into food.

The 2,800 square foot café joins the company’s original West 4th Avenue location in showcasing 49th Parallel’s own range of small-batch roasted coffees. In addition, the much bigger new location will include expanded space for single-cup preparation, a 16-seat communal table that can be used for group cuppings, a 30-seat patio on the East 13th Avenue side, and garage-style doors that create an open-air space during warmer weather.

“It feels good to get back to our East Vancouver roots,” says owner Vince Piccolo, who grew up not far from the new café location. “We’re really looking forward to the extra space giving us the ability to offer cuppings and educational sessions for the general public. We’re excited to share our passion for coffee with the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.”

Bringing together the classic pairing of coffee and doughnuts to the Main Street café is the launch of Lucky’s Doughnuts. Authentic, hand-crafted and genuinely delicious, Lucky’s Doughtnuts are made fresh throughout the day using the highest quality natural ingredients. With all components made from scratch including jams, glazes and fillings, the company also strives to source locally and seasonally. A selection of 13 different doughnuts—six yeast varieties, six cake varieties and a French crueller, will be available each day, with varieties changing with the seasons. More information about the doughnuts will be available at www.luckysdoughnuts.com.

The new 49th Parallel Café is located at 2902 Main Street (@ East 13th Avenue), and is slated to open during the first week of June. Hours of operation will be Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 10 pm; and Sunday, 8am to 8pm.

ALL ANTICIPATED RESTAURANTS

Seen In Vancouver #360: “This Is East Van II” Community Photo Book Starts Taking Shape

Remember the 2011 awesomeness that was THIS IS EAST VAN? The project’s creative directors, Erin Sinclair and Rob Forbes, are busily making a second book, again based on photos submitted by community members who are keen to share their individual visions of East Vancouver. Following the “making of” process on Twitter has been great, but we’ve asked them to keep us updated with images as well (without giving too much of the finished product away). These are the first 14 shots that they’ve sent over, with captions. More to come…

GOODS: “The Cascade Room” On Main Street Is On The Lookout For A Full-Time Line Cook

The Cascade Room is located at 2616 Main Street in Vancouver, BC | 604.709.8650 | www.thecascade.ca

New from Scout supporter The Cascade Room

Vancouver, BC | The Cascade Room at 2616 Main Street requires one hard working full time Line Cook for evening line shifts, and daytime prep shifts. We are not looking for part time line cooks or prep cooks. Candidates should be experienced, intelligent, and pride driven, culinary training is an asset. Experience in a systems oriented kitchen, and a willingness to learn new methods and techniques is a must. Applicants must have their own knives and basic tools. We are a hard working kitchen preparing real food from fresh raw ingredients. Please email resumes to Travis@thecascade.ca or apply in person by buzzing the back door between 11am and 4pm. Thanks for your interest in our team. Learn more about The Cascade Room after the jump… Read more

VANCOUVERITES: 5 Minutes With Scissoress Sarah Stach Of TRiM Salon on Main Street

by Jenny Bachynski | A couple weeks ago, I made my way to TRiM Hair Salon at 3851 Main Street to cut off a significant amount of my hair. In the last five years of living in Vancouver, I’d yet to commit to a salon that I loved. The space was comforting, warm, and decorated in a way I would want my home to look. With brick exposed walls, antique framed mirrors, and potted plants placed around the salon, it gave off an atmosphere very different from the other salons I had been to. All of the stylists have pretty impressive resumes, so I was unsurprisingly excited about my new haircut. Afterwards, I asked the owner, Sarah Stach, about her business and the art of styling hair…

Tell us a bit about yourself and how TRiM came to be? Born into a family of entrepreneurs, I decided at a young age that bossing myself around was clearly the only option for me. I have been in the hair industry for 7 years and last year, when I decided to go on my own (i.e. my fiancé Richard convinced me to just go for it), I wanted to create a unique and unpretentious space where people could feel at home and comfortable with their stylist. Once we found the location, we really had no choice because it chose us.

In your opinion, what makes a great haircut? A happy customer is the most important part of a haircut. If the haircut and color properly reflect my clients’ lifestyle, and we are able to work together in deciding what length/shape/style will work best for him or her, then we will have reached this goal. A great haircut needs to compliment the person wearing it and, fingers crossed, be complimented by the people seeing it.

I really loved the feel and design of the space. I found it to be very different from most salons. What was the theme or atmosphere you were going for when you created the space? Thank you! When creating the space, we wanted to make the salon feel welcoming and comfortable for our guests. We decided that the combination of natural wood, re-claimed doors and windows, plants, adding a brick wall, and a few favourite antiques from our grandparents’ homes would set the scene for a warm and inviting space.

Was it important for you to be located on Main street? If yes, what attracted you to the area? Absolutely! When we were looking for a place to call home, our radius was Main and 2nd to Main and 33rd. Our community is jam-packed with friendly boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and smiley people. The neighbours have a strong support for each other and it attracts people from all over Vancouver because of its uniqueness. Living on Main, and now working on Main, is such a beautiful combination. There is nowhere else we would rather be.

Working in a group setting on a daily basis must create a unique balance. How do you try and nurture the stylists talents and strengths? We take pride in our family of stylists. Not only because of their individual ability to create amazing haircuts, but also [because] they each bring a warm and friendly personality to TRiM. We nurture our unique group by bringing education into the salon to keep them up to date, and we send them off to any interesting hair cutting/styling classes that happen within the City so that they are always ‘on trend’. We also host family dinners with our staff every few months, and we support them in each of their lives outside TRiM.

What should you never do to your hair? Always do to your hair? You should never forget about your hair. Hair is a major part of our identity and should be maintained. Even if you have a ‘low maintenance’ hairstyle so that on a day-to-day basis it’s a breeze, you should keep it healthy-looking by trimming the ends every 12 weeks for long hair, and every 8 weeks for short hair. Don’t be afraid of change – a new do is the best way to change your look, and it’s never permanent, because it will always grow back.

What is one tool you could not work without? Scissors.

Are there any Vancouver hair trends surfacing this year? 2012 trends for men have more length on top with side parts….think Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love. For the ladies, we are seeing more messy styles and less manicured looks, and also casual buns with added accessories (Pearls, Feathers, etc)

How do you stay inspired as a stylist? My inspiration is influenced by education. Every time I take a class, whether it’s for cutting, styling, or color, I leave feeling inspired. The more we learn as stylists, the more versatile we are and the more we can help our guests find what they are looking for.

If you could cut any ones hair, whose would it be? If I could cut anyone’s hair, it would be Steven Tyler’s…enough said….or my 3-year-old niece Ella because she is the most adorable client in the world!

Thanks Sarah! To find out more about TRiM visit www.trimhairsalon.com.

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Jenny Bachynski was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. In her teenage years she packed up her bags and headed to Vancouver to pursue further education in fashion design. In 2009 she started her own small business Jenny Andrews Recycled Leather Goods, as well as her blog Jenny Loves. After starting her blog, Jenny discovered that one of her greatest joys was stumbling upon beautiful and interesting things, and sharing them with anyone who would listen.

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GOODS: “Just Like Dinner At Nonna’s” Series 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

Vancouver, BC | Just like Dinner at Nonna’s, a series of home-style Italian meals offered Tuesday nights at 6:00pm for $19, returns to Campagnolo Restaurant. Starting March 13 and ending April 3, every Tuesday night Main Street diners can look forward to a hearty meal made from quality seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers and purveyors, paired with a draught beer from R&B Brewing Co., for an affordable price. Take a look at the menus after the jump… Read more

VANCOUVERITES: With Rebecca & Brandy At “The Regional Assembly of Text” On Main

by Jenny Bachynski | Rebecca Dolen & Brandy Fedoruk are the co- owners and designers behind The Regional Assembly of Text at 3934 Main Street. The charming store is filled with beautifully designed stationary, books, and other items that delight. With text being the theme and driving inspiration behind the store, the result is a gorgeously curated space filled with vintage filing cabinets, typewriters, and high school lockers. The Regional Assembly of Text instantly gives you feelings of nostalgia that are strong enough to make you want to ditch your laptop and pick up a pencil again. Being a bit obsessed with typography myself, I was very excited to hear from the experts and learn about the details of their growing business…

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Tell us a bit about yourselves and how The Regional Assembly of Text came to be? We met at Emily Carr while doing our Visual Arts degrees. Sharing similar aesthetics and entrepreneurial desires, we teamed up to create The Regional Assembly of Text in 2005. We both did a lot of book making and screen printing and opening a store (and studio) where we could focus on designing and making things sounded like an idea worth pursuing.

The interior of your store is so beautiful and has a very lovely vintage atmosphere. What was the process of putting the store together like? We loved coming up with the décor of our store. We salvaged a lot of the furnishings from an old high schools that was getting torn down, as well as from surplus auctions and thrift stores. We often talk about opening another space, just so we can design and renovate.

Would you say the majority of the items in your store are The Regional Assembly of Text brand, made and designed in house? We try to design as many products as possible. All of our cards and wrapping paper and gift boxes are done in house. We also do some screen printing and book making and lots of assembling. We do carry products from other companies that we love as well.

The two of you started out at Emily Carr University of Art and Design together. How has owning a small business changed you as artists? Most of our time for the past 7 years has been dedicated to The Assembly of Text and it’s needs. Our art practices have turned into a lot of design work for the store, which is fun and rewarding. As for other projects, we both still enjoy publishing a silly artist book or two a year.

Co-owning a successful business often means finding the perfect balance. How do the two of you collaborate and develop your strengths and talents? We do a lot of brain storming and problem solving together, but work pretty independently. Business tasks get divided by our strengths. Rebecca gets quite a rush from balancing the books, and Brandy types at lightning speed and answers emails with ease. The rest of our tasks we learn as we go, and get better over time.

What is another local business in Vancouver that you admire? We sure do love Collage Collage.

You started the Letter Writing Club in 2005, which I think is such a unique idea. Can you tell us a bit about that? When we opened, we knew we wanted to have a monthly event open to the public. Letter writing seemed like the perfect fit for our store, especially since we both love writing and receiving mail. It is nice to think that we are responsible for thousands of letters going through the mail system. It has become quite a popular event and we get a lot of press because of it…which we are grateful for.

What has been the biggest highlight for The Regional Assembly of Text since opening its doors? The biggest highlight for us has been that we can continue to do what we love, and more recently, when Stuart McLean became a member of our “one book a month club”.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, what would be your top gift idea for someone running into the store last minute? One of our sweet and thoughtful cards perhaps, and a custom button to proclaim your love.

If Vancouver was a font, which one would you be? We can’t speak for Vancouver, but a couple of our favourite fonts these days are Typo American and Commercial Script.

Find out more about The Regional Assembly of Text at www.assemblyoftext.com.

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Jenny Bachynski was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. In her teenage years she packed up her bags and headed to Vancouver to pursue further education in fashion design. In 2009 she started her own small business Jenny Andrews Recycled Leather Goods, as well as her blog Jenny Loves. After starting her blog, Jenny discovered that one of her greatest joys was stumbling upon beautiful and interesting things, and sharing them with anyone who would listen.

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The View From Your Window #121

Reader “H.P.” | Main & 5th | Vancouver, BC | 10:00am |  SHARE YOUR VIEW

We love posting the photographs that reveal the views from our reader’s windows. Whether it’s a back alley in the fall or a sandy beach in high summer, we’re always stoked to see what you see from home, work or while on the road. Some of our all-time favourite reader submissions below… Read more

GOODS: Main Street’s “Campagnolo” Is Now Taking Bookings For Valentine’s Day Feast

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

The GOODS from Campagnolo

Vancouver, BC | Chef Adam Vaughan and Bar Director Giovanni Giardino plan a menu designed with couples in mind, in celebration of “la festa di San Valentino” – the festival of Saint Valentine at Campagnolo. Guests are encouraged to show their affection over a sumptuous 4 course dinner, available on one day only, Tuesday February 14. Giovanni will loosen things up with a thoughtfully prepared aperitivo while Adam prepares a romantic Italian dinner for two. Get details and the menu after the jump… Read more

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