OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: “Much & Little” Shop On Main Looking For Sales Associate

Much & Little is located at 2541 Main Street in Vancouver, BC | 604-709-9034 | www.muchandlittle.com

The GOODS from Much & Little

Vancouver, BC | Much & Little is looking for someone very special who can join our team as a part-time sales associate. This post is for a long-term position covering two to three shifts per week. Saturday availability is a must, plus one or two days during the week. The flexibility to fill other shifts occasionally (especially over the summer) is highly preferable. We’re an intimate shop with a huge emphasis on service, connecting with our customers and product knowledge – personality and attitude are key to this position. Requirements and further details after the jump… Read more

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: “Pizzeria Farina” On Main Street Hunting For Counterperson

Pizzeria Farina is located at 915 Main Street in Vancouver, BC | 604-681-9334 | www.pizzeriafarina.com

The GOODS from Pizzeria Farina

Vancouver, BC | Pizzeria Farina is looking to add a new counter person to their team! If you have customer service and restaurant industry experience, love working in a fast paced environment and are passionate about great pizza, send you resume to info@pizzeriafarina.com. Learn more… Read more

DINER: Charlie’s Little Italian Opens Up In The Old Habit Lounge Location On Main St.

by Andrew Morrison | Charlie’s Little Italian has just opened up at 2610 Main Street in the old Habit Lounge spot. It’s the same owners/designers as before (Nicolay + Edmonds + Pike + Devine = Cascade, Union Bar, El Camino’s), so it is clean, tightly wrought, and pretty well representative of the direction that the Mt Pleasant neighbourhood has gone in the last decade. The drinks from Nick Devine are typically flawless (dig the house sodas and his “Gianfranco Zola” cocktail), and the menu is pretty approachably priced. Regarding the re-design, I think it was smart of them to move the bar up front and center and to turn the rear area into a cozy series of nests. It looks right and feels better than Habit’s two previous incarnations (pre-fire and post-fire). The service – befitting a room that was just a few days old – was air tight and enthusiastic.

The food appears to purposely beat a retreat away from the Italian authenticity that has been trending up in Vancouver for the past few years (eg. regional specificity, Neapolitan stamps of approval, etc), and bewilderingly back to the mangicake styles of old. At least I found this to be the case with the pastas. To wit, there was nowhere near enough black pepper, pork fat, and Pecorino in the carbonara, the tomatoes were woefully weak in the bland pomodoro, and the bolognese was red and dry instead of brown and wet. Of course, that’s exactly what Vancouverites had gotten used to during the 20th century, but in the 21st each pasta can now be had in all their authentic glory at places like Campagnolo, Campagnolo Roma, La Buca, La Pentola, La Quercia, and Cioppino’s (among others). The proper ones just taste better, and making them isn’t rocket science, so I’m at a loss as to why Charlie’s went in for such middling versions, that is unless they are indeed aiming for mangiacake as an exercise in irony, as if it were some sort of comfort food retro Anglo-Canadian thing, an expressed yearning for the proto-typical Cipriano’s of yore, the kind of place where Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra were on a CD shuffle with Louis Prima and Rosemary Clooney (the red and white table cloth motif adorning the wall is a dead giveaway). If so, then Charlie’s is absolutely on the right track.

And I kind of get it, too. Personally, the usually well repressed food snob side of me was a little glad to see Vancouver move away from these sorts of treatments of Italian food, so I was more confused than disappointed. For others, it might be like slipping on a pair of comfortable shoes. What’s more, the bread was certainly delicious and the burrata was…well…burrata (the cheese of God), and there’s a lot more to the menu than the few bowls that had me blinking like a pup. And who knows? Maybe the pastas were total misfires by a kitchen guy on his first day (the place is less than a week old). But even if it is as Italian as a £5 note, that’s the way the cuisine was always done in this city. And today, with so much of it replaced by the real deal, there’s probably a lot of room for the “Mambo Italiano” milieu to be revisited. I mean, it’s not like it was never fun, right? My advice: have a couple of drinks and don’t think so much. Salute!

Charlie’s Little Italian is open for dinner 7 days a week from 4pm. | www.charlieslittleitalian.com

ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS

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Andrew Morrison is the editor-in-chief of Scout and BC’s Senior Judge at the Canadian Culinary Championships. He contributes regularly to a wide range of publications, radio programs, and TV shows on local food, culture and travel. He live and works in the vibrant Strathcona neighbourhood, where he also collects inexpensive things and enjoys birds, skateboards, whisky, shoes, many songs, and the smell of wood fires.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: “The Acorn” On Main Street Is Looking To Hire A Bartender

The Acorn is located at 3995 Main Street in beautiful Vancouver, BC | 604-566-9001 | www.theacornrestaurant.ca

The GOODS from The Acorn

Vancouver, BC | We’re looking for a bartender to join our team. The successful applicant will be exceptionally organized, charming and professional with strong wine and mixology knowledge. A natural desire to engage with guests while making both classic and signature cocktails is a must, as is experience in high volume, upscale/fine dining restaurants. Strong respect for vegetables also essential. You will be joining a fun team at a progressive upscale vegetarian restaurant. E-mail cover letter and resume in confidence to shira [at] theacornrestaurant.ca or apply in person after 5pm, Wed-Sat (note that only successful applicants will be contacted). Learn all about The Acorn after the jump… Read more

GOODS: The Original BC Spot Prawn Boil Returns To “Campagnolo” This Wednesday

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

The GOODS from Campagnolo

Vancouver, BC | One of the most exciting seasonal ingredients to grace the beautiful city of Vancouver is the B.C. spot prawn. They are here for a good time, not along time arriving in May and usually not available past the first or second week of June. In honour of this local delicacy, chefs Robert Belcham and Ted Anderson bring their annual B.C. spot prawn boil to the Campagnolo Supper Club. In their 6th year of preparing this highly anticipated boil for Vancouver diners, they will host the event every Wednesday in May, starting May 8 in the upstairs private dining-room at Campagnolo.

Guests will spread out along communal tables and share in a massive boil of spot prawns, Sawmill Bay clams, house-made chorizo sausage and seasonal vegetables. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves and dig-in kind of affair. R&B Brewing Co. is making a cask conditioned beer for each dinner, and beer is included. In addition, guests can bring their own wine selections with no corkage fee attached, or they can choose from the incredible reserve list of rieslings for an additional cost. Details after the jump… Read more

LOOKCITY: Victoria’s “Still Life” Boutique Opening Soon In The Heart Of Mt. Pleasant

One of our very favourite stores in Victoria is coming to Vancouver! Yup, the good folks at Still Life have taken over the old Lark spot at 2315 Main Street and plan to open their 3rd store there in mid-July. If you’ve never heard of it before, Still Life is something of an institution on Lower Johnson St. in Victoria, having opened way back in the 1980′s. It expanded across the street in September 2011, dedicating the original to men’s fashions and the new space – which is slightly larger – to women’s. Owners Matt and Kim Jensen – who bought the store from the original owners 7 years ago – have brought Vancouver’s Meghan Paterson on board as the operating partner. Meghan is an awesome person; you’ll probably recognize her from Beggar’s Banquet. Paterson informs us that the 2,100 sqft space will include both men’s and women’s fashions all under one roof, with many of the same lines/brands that we’ve come to know and love in Victoria. Nice score, Mt. Pleasant!

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKCITY

YOU SHOULD KNOW: About The 2400 Court & Vancouver’s Idyllic Post-War Car Culture

by Stevie Wilson | On a Kingsway drive out towards the ‘burbs, it’s easy to miss the scattering of unique older buildings – particularly because there aren’t too many of them left. One vestige of the Kingsway Corridor’s heyday (before it was simply a conduit to and from Metrotown) is the familiar 2400 Court, conveniently located smack-dab en route to The Big City. Boasting a freestanding vintage neon sign, famously plain stucco exteriors, and manicured lawns straight out of the ‘60s, this Streamline Modern oasis reflects the booming car and motel culture that pervaded many cities in the middle of the last century. Built in 1946, the three and a half acre site houses 18 detached buildings with 65 single units. It was originally envisioned as a home-away-from-home for tourists and visitors keen on taking advantage of their newfound motor mobility.

In its prime, 2400 Court featured hot water heating, a “chesterfield suite”, writing desk, mail service, Simmons mattresses, electric range, and more; basically “everything that goes to make your visit inviting, pleasant, and enjoyable”. Flash forward a few decades later and it’s a landmark for many generations of Vancouverites, an icon of post-war travel culture that is seen by many but recognized by few. It’s situated on what used to be the primary route into the city, and has, fortunately, received some significant care and upkeep over the years. A few famous guests (including special agents Scully and Mulder) have helped maintain the former Ma-and-Pop-run establishment as a point of interest for heritage buffs and tenants alike.

As a byway, Kingsway dates back to the 1870s, when it was then known as Westminster Road. Its abundance of gas stations, restaurants, and parks built from the 1920s into the 1940s presented it as an ideal thoroughfare to and from major destinations in the Lower Mainland. The completion of the Patullo Bridge in 1937 paved the way – so to speak – for a new crop of accommodations along a stretch that united towns and facilitated travel south to and from the US. For families living in the relatively comfortable post-war economic boom, a trip to nearby Wally’s Burgers and a stay at 2400 Court was likely a really swell time.

By the early 1960s the term “Motel” was introduced in place of “Court” to reflect a trend towards single, multi-unit hotel buildings as opposed to open, bungalow-style auto courts. As many historians and heritage experts have noted, the site is a truly pristine example of post-war car culture aesthetic amidst a sea of lackluster modern developments. A few years back, the future of 2400 Court was threatened by the development of the Norquay Neighbourhood Centre Plan. As of March 2013, it appears as if City Council will be moving forward with new zoning which will repurpose the entire area as “a medium density centre of shops, services and community spaces”, including high-density housing. Currently, the Motel sits in the Vancouver Heritage Society’s Top Ten List of Endangered Sites, with plenty of public support for its continued maintenance. The City purchased the area in 1989, so it remains to be seen what will become of it (hey, remember the El Dorado?).

The truth is, the sprawling design of the 2400 Motel can’t compete with more space saving modern developments. Inside, it’s outdated without much to offer any luxury-seeking tourists. Despite its visual appeal to mid-century enthusiasts and value as a reflection of post-war architecture, it’s simply not a contender in the hotel game these days – and it sits on prime real estate. And so the eternal question remains: what do we do with heritage that stands in the way of development? Is something “old” worth saving if we don’t have a use for it? That’s a tough call to make, to be sure. In the meantime, read more on the site’s heritage values in Birmingham & Wood’s Statement of Significance for the City, and maybe take a closer look next time you rush on by!

YOU SHOULD KNOW EVEN MORE

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Stevie Wilson is an historian masquerading as a writer. After serving as an editor for the UBC History Journal, she’s decided to branch out with a cryptic agenda: encouraging the people of Vancouver to take notice of their local history and heritage with You Should Know, a Scout column that aims to show you the things that you already see. Just nod your head and pretend you’re paying attention.

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DINER: “Habit” On Main Street To Close On Sunday, Re-Open As Charlie’s Little Italian

by Andrew Morrison | Main St. fixture Habit will be closing its doors for good after dinner service this Sunday, April 14th after 8 years in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The owners – the same folks who brought us Cascade next door, El Camino’s to the south, and The Union to the North – will launch a new concept, this time Italian, before the month is out. They’ve just sent me the following note:

Habit has changed throughout those 8 years, but it’s always stood as a hub to the community and has had a strong, loyal following. We felt the time was right for a shake-up, and after much thought and deliberation over what we feel the neighbourhood needs, we decided on what will be known as “Charlie’s Little Italian”.

So, what to expect from “Charlie’s Little Italian”? A fun, lively, old school, affordable pasta joint for the neighbourhood, evoking memories of a bygone era of the type of place where you’d go with your family: red & white gingham tablecloths, oversized peppermills and tableside parmesan service, but now in a fast-paced, hip, cafe environment.

Chef Tristan Burley and his team are putting together a fantastic, value-driven menu featuring a great range of traditional pasta dishes, antipasti, salads and hand-tossed garlic breads. Don’t worry, we’ll still be doing brunch!

The bar will be relocated to the front of the restaurant, where you can expect a tight little wine list, classic Italian cocktails, sodas, beers, espressos. The team at Habit are really excited to bring this new concept to the neighbourhood that has supported us for so many years.

So, with the clock ticking on the last days of Habit, we invite you to come down and say goodbye with some great specials from the kitchen and a tiki cocktail or two. We look forward to welcoming you back in mid-April, (expected re-opening date Monday, April 22, 2013).

I always had a soft spot for the redesign after the late night fire on December 7th, 2008 destroyed the first incarnation. And my god…the brunches! Still, this sounds like a fair trade, and I’ll gladly take it.

ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS

GOODS: “The Acorn” On Main To Launch Their (First Ever) Spring Menu This Friday

The Acorn is located at 3995 Main Street in beautiful Vancouver, BC | 604-566-9001 | www.theacornrestaurant.ca

The GOODS from The Acorn

Vancouver, BC |  Chef Brian Skinner has created a new menu to kick off The Acorn’s first ever Spring season! The launch this Friday night will see Rodney Graham and Jeremy Schmidt deejaying and include new dishes such as Grilled Asparagus Salad with pickled radish, house-made ricotta, hazelnuts, and lemon; gluten-free Stinging Nettle Gnocchi with morels, peas, mint, pine nuts, and crème fraiche; and back by popular demand: Lavender & Honey Crème Brulee! Of course, guests are also welcome to slip in before Friday to enjoy the last days of our Winter menu! Details about the restaurant after the jump… Read more

GOODS: Upstairs Campagnolo Supper Club To Present A Nose To Tail Feast On April 17

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

The GOODS from Campagnolo

Vancouver, BC | Campagnolo Supper Club presents Get Cracklin, a nose-to-tail feast of whole roasted suckling pig to be held on April 17. Chef Ted Anderson is preparing an array of seasonal sides to be served family style and shared at communal tables to complement the pig. There are only 30 seats available, so get cracklin! Details after the jump… Read more

SEEN IN VANCOUVER #437: Progress Video From Mt. Pleasant’s “33 Acres Brewing Co.”

In his Barley Mowat column, Scout beer writer Chuck Hallett recently gave us an update and look inside at what was happening with Mt. Pleasant highly anticipated 33 Acres Brewing Company. Now you can pair that intel with a cool, refreshing video that is making our office thirsty:

Two years ago the idea of building a family run microbrewery began to unfold. Enlisting the help of a few friends, slowly the plans began to materialize. A space in Mt. Pleasant was chosen as our home, this is a look at what?s been happening around here since signing on the dotted line.

EVERYTHING SEEN IN VANCOUVER

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: “The Acorn” On Main St. On The Lookout For Server & Host

The Acorn is located at 3995 Main Street in beautiful Vancouver, BC | 604-566-9001 | www.theacornrestaurant.ca

The GOODS from The Acorn

Vancouver, BC | The Acorn is looking for a professional server and host with exceptional experience in a fast-paced upscale dining environment. You will be comfortable waiting tables, serving wine, hosting gracefully under pressure and charming the pants off our customers. Fine dining experience an asset. Strong respect for vegetables a must. Late nights and part time to start, full time on the horizon. You’ll be joining a fun team at a progressive vegetarian restaurant. Apply in person to Shira after 5pm. Read more

GOODS: Campagnolo On Main Street Lines Up Series Of $19 “Nonna” Suppers For April

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

The GOODS from Campagnolo

Vancouver, BC | On four consecutive Tuesdays starting April 2nd, Campagnolo Restaurant will host Nonna’s Dinners in the back wine lounge. Each hearty meal costs $19, includes a draught beer from R&B Brewing Co., and is served at 6pm sharp. Advance reservations are required (for this event only). Call 604-484-6018 to book and get Nonna’s full Spring calendar (with menu details) after the jump… Read more

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