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

On Rallying to Spread Stupidity and Restaurants Jealous of Food Trucks

The Intelligence Brief is our weekly compendium of food and drink news sourced from outlets all over the world, including right here at home.

On Friday health officials announced 1001 new cases of Covid-19 in the province as well as a decrease in hospital admissions for the first time in three weeks. Despite a small glimmer of hope, new regulations were announced last week including an increase in travel restrictions and a continued ban on indoor dining until at least the May long weekend. As the industry treads water through at least another four weeks of indoor closures, we continue to cover how bars and restaurants are managing through ongoing challenges.

First up, the success of local food delivery platform FromTo is being met with even more demand than anticipated.

“Currently, there are 350 drivers working on the platform, which has 44 restaurants signed up and more than 250 waiting to join.”

Corduroy restaurant is once again making headlines as the owners held a rally this weekend in protest of current public health orders.

Meanwhile Mayor Kennedy Stuart is contemplating legal action in response to the owners’ disregard for current regulations.

Discussions are already taking place in BC about introducing digital proof of vaccination to access reopened dining rooms. This new Scout poll wants to know if you support the idea of vaccine passports…

The timing of this third wave is posing unique challenges for restaurants across the country as they would normally be in the process of hiring for a busier summer season.

DownLow Chicken Shack owner Doug Stephen shares how he has been managing his businesses through the pandemic while still planning with hope for a more stable future.

And speaking of the future, the highly anticipated launch of Miantiao restaurant is something we can look forward to later this spring.

How some laid off restaurant workers set up shop on Instagram as a source of income.

“Out-of-work cooks used the platform for pop-up cooking projects and bakeries. But the former front-of-house hospitality workers behind accounts like @cute.sips, @doubles_tennis, @paint.and.nip, and @softvelvetboy have set up shop on the social media platform, leveraging its built-in audience to make money during the pandemic and focus on personal interests outside of restaurant work.”

To-go slushie versions of Bao Bei’s Pina Colada might just be the thing to get us through the next four weeks.

Tensions are on the rise in Steveston: A local food truck has been the topic of discussion at a recent Richmond City Council meeting as members debate cancelling their licence for seemingly no good reason at all.

This week in food and podcasts: check out CBC’s Unreserved where host Falen Johnson explores how Indigenous people are using food to connect and strengthen their communities.

In a follow-up to last week’s story about the great boba shortage of 2021, it appears bubble tea will be impacted well into the summer.

Alexandra Gill explains how local restaurants are pivoting their offerings once more to suit the palates of a population seeking comfort food over fine cuisine.

New research out of SFU finds that while there is significant food wasted from BC farmers, it is policy rather than farmers that is to blame.

“Some of the main problems, Soma says, include the lack of appetite for “ugly” fruit and vegetables, a global food system that creates unstable, rock-bottom prices for produce, and a lack of incentives to giving away free food that would otherwise go to waste.”

Finally, New Yorker food writer Helen Rosner shares the words of folks recently vaccinated to illustrate what the vaccinations has meant to the city’s residents.

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.