We’re a pretty satisfied bunch, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t covetous. Sometimes we see things out there that we just must have. Cool Things We Want is an archive of those earthly desires.

Emily Carr School of Art + Design (nowadays, Emily Carr University) graduate, Dan Climan, might be born-and-raised in Montreal (where he’s also currently based), but despite the long-distance situation, the bond between the painter and Vancouver is still intact. Both here and there, Climan has managed to eke out a special place in the F&B community; a former case in point: Gary’s on Twelfth, where a painting from his A Familiar Change series holds place of prominence in the space, thanks to another highly-lauded restaurant where his art can be spotted on the walls, Mon Lapin (where Gary’s owners, Bailey Hayward and Mathew Bishop, first discovered his art, back in 2019). Also notable, Climan is Partner & Creative Director at Restaurant Le Violon (Best Restaurants 2025 No. 11, Canada’s 100 Best), which he co-designed with Atelier Zébulon Perron – and which features not one, but two of his large scale paintings, natch.

Fast forward to this summer, and Climan is growing that food-art relationship with six pop-up meals in collaboration with the Menu Extra crew (a high-brow Montreal “ghost kitchen” concept), spread across three days, July 9-12th. The kicker? It’s all happening on the opposite end of the country, of course. That being said, the set-up sounds so dang dreamy – a six- or eight-course seasonal menu inspired by Climan’s work, featuring ingredients like sea urchin, veal fillet, Jerusalem artichoke, chanterelle mushroom, and melon; enjoyed in an all-white, bright and airy gallery-like space (Studio Giovanelli) offering sweeping views of the Montreal cityscape – that, budget-permitting, we’d seriously consider planning a Quebec summer getaway around it. (Tickets for the experience alone range from $225-300 per person.) Time to buy a lottery ticket! And Climan, if you’re reading this: Isn’t it about time you paid your Alma Mater city a visit? Preferably, one involving a similarly styled dining situation… DETAILS