Commercial Drive Archives

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11 Places
Picking Grapes / Commercial Drive

Picking Grapes with Chef and Wine Pro, Vish Mayekar

The Head Chef of Caffe La Tana and Pepino's, and certified wine professional, shares his wealth of grape knowledge and passion for BC wines...

Commercial Drive

Caffè La Tana Finally Becomes The Wine Bar It Was Always Meant To Be

Caffè La Tana expands hours, and menu to operate evenings as the wine bar it was always meant to be.

You Need To Try This / Commercial Drive

You Need to Try One of the Most Interesting Cocktails on Commercial Drive

Bartender Felipe Torres of La Mezcaleria has created a line-up of drinks with one that stands out for its street food inspiration.

You Need To Try This / Commercial Drive

You Need to Try This Delicious Handheld at East Van’s New ‘Vennie’s Sub Shop’

The meatloaf in this Livia potato bunned beauty is classically glazed and smeared with a sauce reminiscent of Triple-O's.

Track and Food / Commercial Drive

TRACK & FOOD // Local Chefs Talk Collaboration, Pandemics and Delivery Apps

In this episode, Jamie and Mickey speak to chefs Doug Stephen and Phil Scarfone about working their way through weird times.

You Need To Try This / Commercial Drive

You Need to Try These Delicious Chocolate Cookies on Commercial Drive

We're usually down for their little cream-filled doughnut rounds but these cookies are just the right thing on a cloudy day.

Restaurant Graveyard / Commercial Drive

Remembering the Commercial Drive Restaurant Where All the Cooks Liked to Hang Out

While it did attract many off-duty cooks, bartenders and servers, to the neighbourhood at large is was like a second living room.

You Need To Try This / Commercial Drive

You Need to Try This Hot Mexican Chocolate Cream-Filled Pastry on Commercial Drive

The thing is positively loaded with the stuff (really the volume of a cream puff), thus warming the palate without mercy.

Vancouverites / Commercial Drive

INTERVIEW // Livia’s Bakery Manager, Sabine Thorson, on Living Life Covered in Flour

As the flour was settling on a busy week of Valentine's Day prep, Thorson found a bit of time to talk with us about life and work.

You Need To Try This / Commercial Drive

You Need to Try This Soul-Warming Bowl of ‘Fagioli’ on Commercial Drive

A star on the regular menu at Livia, this little bowl packs big punches of flavour and warmth on cold winter days.

5 Places
Take This Out / Commercial Drive

TAKE THIS OUT // What to Order at Jamjar, Savio Volpe, PiDGiN, Published and Bandidas

In the stressed out space between today's bubbles and tomorrow's vaccines, good take-out is increasingly easy to find.

You Need To Try This / Commercial Drive

You Need to Try These XO Sauce-Tossed Egg Noodles on Commercial Drive

Each chewy string is an umami cheat code that tastes of oiled up prawn brains slow cooked in a pot made entirely of cured pork.

Opening Soon / Commercial Drive

Inside the Imminent ‘Mogu Fried Chicken’

The 34 seat Japanese food truck turned brick and mortar restaurant will be ready for its first customers this week.

Cool Things We Want / Commercial Drive

We Want Some of Livia Bakery’s Canned Cherries, Blackberries and Huckleberries

The popular Commercial Drive establishment is just about to release a sweet line-up of summer deliciousness...

You Need To Try This / Commercial Drive

You Need to Try the New ‘Lee’s Honey Dip Fried Chicken Sandwich’

The new sandwich is a collab between Granville Island's Lee's Doughnuts and Commercial Drive's Downlow Chicken Shack.

Seen In Vancouver / Commercial Drive

East Van’s Rio Theatre Is Evidently Having Fun Working on Its Reopening Plan

As the iconic East Broadway venue shares a much needed laugh as it prepares to reopen with socially distant protocols.

Opening Soon / Commercial Drive

‘Lunch Lady’ (Almost) Ready on The Drive

The highly anticipated Vietnamese street food restaurant on Commercial Drive is 99% finished. Take a look inside...

Comfort Food / Commercial Drive

The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Cubano Sandwich at Havana

Joining our ever-growing list of Vancouver's greatest comfort foods is one of the best sandwiches available in East Van.

View From Your Window / Commercial Drive

The View From Your Window #228

We love posting photos like this that reveal the views through the windows of our readers. We hope you'll consider sharing yours!

Seen In Vancouver / Commercial Drive

Thieves Smash Window, Burgle Organic ‘Eternal Abundance’ Grocery on Commercial Drive

This is so gutting. The folks at this store are some of the kindest, sweetest, most well-meaning people in the community.

Comfort Food / Commercial Drive

The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Pepino’s Signature ‘Spaghetti & Meatballs’

There are two big meatballs per order, and these are made with a combination of beef, pork and three cheeses (pecorino, grana, ricotta).

How To Cook Vancouver

We Tried to Recreate Pepino’s Sublimely Delicious ‘Chicken Piccata’ at Home…

The latest in this cooking series focuses on a classic Italian-American staple that is done to perfection on Commercial Drive.

Comfort Food / Commercial Drive

The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Nashville Hot Chicken Sando at Downlow

The heat typically comes from cayenne, but its Scoville levels can be upped to an insane, face-melting degree.

Opening Soon / Commercial Drive

Bourdain’s Beloved ‘Lunch Lady’ Opening New Vietnamese Eatery in Vancouver

The Tran family is turning their Five Elements Cafe into a new Vietnamese restaurant with some help from a famous friend...

TBT / Commercial Drive

This Popular Commercial Drive Restaurant Opened Exactly Five Years Ago Today

For this week's edition of #ThrowbackThursday we go back exactly five years to the launch of popular Thai restaurant, Kin Kao.

How To Cook Vancouver

We Tried to Recreate Havana’s Delicious ‘Cubano’ Sandwich at Home

The latest in this cooking series focuses on a humble but mighty sandwich that comes from Commercial Drive by way of Florida.

Opening Soon / Commercial Drive

Oca Pastificio Ready to Launch on Commercial Drive

Oca - which translates as "goose" in Italian - is the first restaurant from La Quercia veterans Greg Dilabio and Antoine Dumont.

The New Breed / Commercial Drive

The Commercial Drive Restaurateur Who Once Kept a Bottle of Wine as a Pet

Van Doren Chan is a veteran of Vancouver's hospitality scene and the FOH force behind the critically acclaimed Ugly Dumpling restaurant.