Contributor: Thalia Stopa
Thalia moved from Winnipeg to Vancouver as a vegan, wannabe art student, and a beer and wine naif. Over a decade later, she is now an omnivorous, beer- and vini-vorous food and culture writer. She is in her most natural state perched at a local bar or brewery, with a pen or book in one hand and a pint in the other.
Head to Beaumont Studios for ‘Coffee, Treats & Hangs’, July 19th
This Sunday some of Vancouver's most empathetic coffee lovers are leading 'The Playdate', a tasty, pro-kid and parent-forward gathering open to the public.
Pepino’s is Marking Their Seven-Year Milestone with Pasta and Wine Specials, June 23rd & 24th
In honour of the occasion, the popular neighbourhood Italian joint is spreading their good fortune for two days only, pretending like it's 2018 all over again.
Mæst Food is Celebrating Eight Years with a Special Summer Solstice Dinner, June 22nd
Join Chef Tomoko Tahara for a five-course Japanese-inspired meal honouring the transition of seasons, and raise a glass to the milestone occasion!
We Want to Jetset to Montreal for the Menu Extra & Dan Climan Pop-Up This July
This summer the Montreal artist, who sports cred as an Emily Carr School of Art + Design graduate, is growing his food-art relationship with a series of lux, collab pop-up we can only dream of attending. Time to buy a lottery ticket!
Hit Jericho Beach for a Floating Music and Community Festival on June 27th
Hitting the beach and soaking up some early summer rays, while being serenaded and surrounded by cool, community-minded people - AND helping to support a good cause? That sounds like the perfect summer activity to us.
Scout Book Club, Vol. 25: Spring Edition, Part 2
From stories about time travel and post-apocalyptic futures, and settings including a German Spa town blazing with wildfires, and a village in Uganda simmering with homophobia, here's the latest rundown of new Spring releases that we’ve recently read.
Italian-Inspired ‘Folietta’ Restaurant is Now Open in East Van!
The latest concept from Wentworth Hospitality Group, drawing inspiration from the Italian word for "foliage" (foglietta) and its neighbourhood's lush surroundings, has officially opened doors at 1480 Nanaimo Street.
Lila is Commemorating One Year of Business with Two “Clay Collab” Dinners, May 28th & 29th
The restaurant brainchild of Shira Blustein and Meeru Dhalwala is marking one year of serving modern Indian food in Mount Pleasant this month by reviving the popular dinner series concept harkening back to the restaurant's previous life as The Arbor.
Time Warp to Jazz Era Vancouver with ‘Shanghai Speakeasy: Chinatown Confessions’, May 31st
There are few things more enticing than the illicit-seeming premise of a good speakeasy. For this event, bank on a night of retro music, mahjong, cocktails and dumplings. We're so down.
Head to Strathcona This Saturday for a Special Group Artist Exhibition and Kick-Off Event
Two local artists already deeply invested in our arts community - Anna Kasko (Kasko Gallery) and Dan Siney (Doing&Doing Fine Art) - are upping the ante with their new collaborative project, launching at Kasko Frame Works on May 17th. Show up, Vancouver!
New Monthly ‘Dress Rehearsal’ Pop-Up Dinner Series is Kicking Off on June 14th
Chef Lina Caschetto and This is Wine School are joining forces to deliver Vancouver their "mildly posh and maximally fun" monthly pop-up dinner series, playing out across four "acts". Get stoked!
Paella Guys are Returning to ¿CóMO? Taperia, Beginning May 25th, and We Can’t Wait!
This year's Paella Patio series will be landing in Mount Pleasant for a total of eight Sundays, stretching throughout the summer: May 25th, June 15th, June 29th, July 6th, July 20th, August 3rd, August 17th, and August 31st. Get your tickets now!
From Nighttime Anxiety to Food Whispering, with Pepperoni Pizza Dreams Podcast Host, “Julie G.”
We reached out to the woman behind the one-of-a-kind sleep podcast in order to find out more about her and her special sleep-inducing abilities, armed with only her voice and a selection of restaurant menus to read from. Warning: this interview contains super-sleepy (and appetite-inducing) content!
On Wanting and Fearing, Staring at the Wall and Smashing the System, with Eddy Boudel Tan
In anticipation of the release of Boudel Tan’s third novel, on April 29th, we posed a list of questions to him – about his book, of course, but also about (surprise, surprise) food, which plays a not-insignificant role both in book and its author’s personal life.
Scout Book Club, Vol. 24: EXCESS
Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.
Scout Book Club, Vol. 23: Spring Edition
Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.
From the “Buy Local” Comeback to the Ultimate Foodie Island Roadtrip, with Don Genova
Whether you already know the local writer and broadcast or not, now is the time to get (re)acquainted, since a newly revised and updated version of his 2014 guide book, titled 'Pacific Palate: Food Artisans of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands', is dropping on April 8th!
Get Fired Up for ‘Incandescence’, Screening at VIFF Centre This April
Filmed in the Okanagan region, the fiery new documentary by local filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper is all about fires, firefighting, their aftermath, and the people and animals who experienced them first-hand. Brace yourself for a screening by reading our new Q&A with one of the co-directors.
We Want to Quench Our Thirst for Spring with KPU’s New 桂 Reverie Beer
Our appetite for tasty and creative craft beer is bottomless. So the moment news of what students enrolled in the Diploma in Brewing and Brewery OperationsKwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) have been brewing up lately landed in our inbox, we got awfully thirsty...
From Food as a “Catalyst for Connection” to the Magic of Cats, with Franz Seachel
The brand new "multidisciplinary arts space focused on wellness through the arts", located in the Railtown neighbourhood, is part retail shop, part venue, and aiming to be wholly accessible. From what we know so far, we love what this community hub is all about. Find out even more in our new interview its founder.
“Bad Summer Camp” is Back on the Sunshine Coast, August 22-24
For the second year running, the Bad Academy is once again taking over the The Stonewater for a three-day weekend of outdoorsy adult fun. And the time to sign up is now!
On West Coast Anxieties, “Mennonite Chickens”, and the Power of Comedy, with Georgia Toews
Full of characteristic wry wit and dark humour, the Toronto-via-Winnipeg author's new sophomore novel, "Nobody Asked For This", drops today (March 25th, 2025). Ahead of the release, we pinned down Georgia for a chat about writing, Winnipeg, and comedy, among other things…
Scout Book Club, Vol. 22: Whisky & Words Edition
In honour of the Vancouver Writers Fest's 'Whisky & Words' event (April 25th, 2025), we’ve solicited book and spirit pairing recommendations from a handful of this year’s participating distilleries - as well as VWF Artistic Director, Leslie Hurtig - so that you can facilitate your own private reading-and-sipping event at home.
A Key Selection of Quebecois Wine, Beer, & Cider That We Hope to See Migrate to BC Shelves
We honed in on five different brasseries (breweries) and vignobles (wineries/vineyards) from our neighbours on the East Coast that we hope to see migrating onto our West Coast liquor store shelves in the near future. Because a little “wishful thinking” (and drinking) never hurts!
On Taking Up More Space, Nourishing Yourself, and “Shaking the House”, with Roza Nozari
We recently connected with the Toronto-based polymath about participating in an interview for Scout – in part about her new memoir, but also not skimming over her obvious love and connection with food.
The 11th Annual Curry Cup is Returning to Mt. Pleasant Next Week!
If you aren't already on board with the Chefs' Table Society event - and you love curry and the local F&B industry - then trust us: you definitely don't want to sit this one out!
We Can’t Wait to Drink Up Botanist’s New Water-Inspired Experiential Cocktail Menu
Spring calls for new experiences. One way for all you adventurous Vancouver cocktail enthusiasts out there to tap into the season is with 'The Water of Life (Eau de Vie)' cocktail menu's four new creations. We're so down.
We Want to Spend the Height of Spring at a Climate Readers’ Getaway on Cortes Island
This Spring, the cool, community- and book-loving folks at Upstart & Crow, along with Hollyhock retreat centre, have conspired to create one helluva unique experience, designed to bring together "people with a passion for climate and democracy to work through ideas and solutions for their communities". Consider us in.
