After it looked like the end of the road for Vancouver’s better-than-the-rest-of-the-world fireworks display, The Celebration of Fire Lights Festival, The Keg has stepped in to save the day. Details aren’t known, but apparently the old sponsors have signed back on as well, making it look a lot like they were previously willing to pay some, but not all of the pricetag, and the addition of The Keg’s support made it more feasible for all sponsors. So, get out your beach blanket, and fire up the police helicopters, the fireworks will be back this August!

Yeah, me either.

And yet Mayor Gregor Robertson is in trouble for proposing to turn some of the municipal HQ’s lawn space, which is currently lined up for improvement, into a community garden.

It might be just me, but isn’t turning it into a garden an improvement, and a good one at that? And also, it seems a little hair-up-the-nose to pick a procedural slapfight over a chunk of land none of us have ever really considered let alone enjoyed.

Coming on the thematic heels of Herb’s recent post, in a town filled with community gardens, isn’t it a good idea to promote the idea on the most high profile lawn around? And do we really want the mayor spending even a half hour debating this in council session, all things considered? Which is to say, isn’t this a non-issue?

One of my most favorite places to get local produce is the Two E’s Farm at 16411 Fraser Hwy in Surrey. They grow a lot of their own organic fruits and vegetables. More importantly, they try to keep all of their food local whenever possible.  They’re the only place that I know of that actually tells you where the food came from, which is a big plus. They have their own farm on site, so a lot of the staples people eat (broccoli, Green Onions, Lettuce) are grown there as well. Tried Kale from Two E’s for the first time last year… very sharp flavour.

Did I mention that they don’t charge you an arm and a leg for their food? Yes, even the organic stuff.

Great produce, and great value… but make sure you pack your paid for produce in their bags… otherwise they’ll think you didn’t pay for them when you go outside. Also, no Credit Cards Either.

If you know of any other places around Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley to get reasonably priced, high quality food, leave a comment. Currently, I’m looking for both an egg supplier, beef and milk source. Sometimes Safeway and the regular chain stores  can get quite expensive.

Don’t knock it - my first post title was an SCTV reference, “Cabbage rolls and coffee”, but that’s never sounded appetizing to me.

I’ve heard of this monthly event over and over, year after year, and I’ve never been. But I’m thinking about this Friday. By all accounts, you won’t find a more satisfying Ukrainian dinner in town, and you can’t beat the price - two things that have turned this quiet little event into a must-try for those in the know in Mount Pleasant.

Here are the details for the dinner, including a menu, which happens the first Friday of every month (This Friday, Feb. 6th, as it happens.) Also of interest is that besides the vegetarian-friendly varieties of perogy, they also have vegetarian cabbage rolls as well.

1) All you people lining up outside Anton’s on Hastings in Burnaby: stop it. Go next door to Bombay Bhel and enjoy some very nice tandoori dishes. The bane of tandoori is creating dry, stringy meat (the Indian equivalent of overcooking calamari), and they just don’t do that here. It’s moist and lovely and flavorful, just as it should be. The platters are good value, and there’s no wait.

2) It’s hardly a secret anymore, thanks to the Straight’s Best of Vancouver issue,, but Sweet Revenge on Main street is a lovely little room to eat dessert in. I had the pear bread pudding and would not recommend it (it was small, bland, and expensive), but my lovely bride had the zucotto, and it was a treat. We will go back.

Just, you know, not for the bread pudding.

Here at Metroblogging Vancouver we do a fair amount of food blogging [mbv], but we’re certainly not what you would term a food blog.  Increasingly though people who are in the know, meaning my fiancee Lydia [iatl], are telling me that there’s some pretty good local food blogs that I should be paying attention to.  I have to admit I was a bit skeptical, I like writing about food but from my (granted limited) experience of food journalism most of it’s lazy, repetitive and cliche.

Surprisingly though there are some really good Vancouver food blogs, and after the jump I’ll talk about two.

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Vancouver is definitely a foodie’s paradise. With some of the biggest variety in cuisines and restaurants that offer top notch renditions, we are constantly in the spotlight.

It’s about time another world class culinary star is opening a restaurant here.  I mean we have Iron Chef Feenie with his restaurant.  David Hawksworth formally of West opening up his namesake restaurant Hawksworth at the new Hotel Georgia in 2009. Now, we’ve got Jean-George Vongerichten opening up his restaurant at the new Shangri-la.

That’s right it’s the same Jean-George behind Jean-Georges, Spice Market, & Perry in NYC and Cafe Martinique at the Atlantis in the Bahamas, Rama in London, as well as other world renowned restaurants.

Apparently it will occupy the vast majority of the entire third floor of the Shangri-La when it opens in 2009 so there is still a bit of waiting to go.

Hopefully it’ll inspire other amazing stars in the food world to open some amazing dining establishments here in Vancouver that offer consistently good food.

YUM!

It’s not something many of us have experienced - picking fruit straight from the source and digging in. I remember blueberries and strawberries, fresh from the plant. Oh sure, I had to pick a few boxes as well, but I was always gently reminded that my parents did the same thing every Summer for a pack lunch and an ice cream. Also, the sun was only two miles off the ground and school was uphill both ways. But I think I’m digressing. Yes. Yes, I am.

The point is, fresh anything, as the ads tell us, is better - only, we’re very disconnected from fresh. But not entirely, if you know where to look. As pictured, Vancouver has a lot of blackberry bushes growing out to where any sidewalk pedestrian can get at them. The photo is just off of 12th ave West, but I remember one massive bush that was slowly taking over an empty lot where Georgia twisted into the park - every Summer, people would appear in the evenings with Tupperware to gather a bounty.

I’ve heard of kiwi trees successfully growing in backyards. Lemon trees. Figs. Rhubarb. Apples. Oranges. And so on. This is Vancouver. With a little work, most anything will flourish.

LA has a by-law that says anything hanging out into the sidewalks and streets are fair game to all, resulting in online maps of where to find what. And maps of where to find what if you were brave enough to trespass. And I wonder - how many Vancouverites have take advantage of the climate? Anybody gather some freebie succulents? Any one gained from having a neighbour with a flourishing tree of something? Any surprise fruits out there you wouldn’t think could grow here?

One of my favorite drink places when I first moved to Vancouver was the Crime Lab, and I’ve missed it since it’s closure back at the start of 2006 [mbv]. Walking around the seawall the other day Lydia pointed out the sign for the new Crime Lab, which seems to be focusing more on the restaurant aspect. 

Restaurant or not the Crime Lab was always a nice and relaxing place to head after a day of work, and I’m glad to see it opening again even if its new location on the corner of Denman and Bayshore Drive has kind of become the last resting place for a number of failed eateries in the last couple of years.

I went to the fireworks on Saturday, which are a bit of a pain - I’m not big on sitting on the ground, as it usually results in injury causing numbness. But I went for two reasons - to see friends I haven’t seen in awhile, and to have a Fat Burger. I don’t often eat Fat Burger, but do enjoy them. Until Vancouver gets an In & Out (and what are the chances of that?), I enjoy a yearly Fat Burger treat.

Only, they close at 9 on Fireworks night. Which means that at quarter to, they lock the doors. Which means that at ten to, I’m pissed off. If I can’t come through your door and order, you ain’t open. Your sign, it lies.

Grumpy, I slog through the evening, but later one of those aforementioned friends suggests I try Japadog. It is, any way you look at it, a hotdog stand. It makes all the normal varieties of hotdog stand hotdogs - but what makes it are it’s “Japa Style” specials, which are all beef hotdogs made with Miso Mayo, Teriyaki Mayo, or Oroshi dog, which has radish on it. You wouldn’t think it, but it’s got a nice bite to it.

Corner of Burrard and Haro (just outside the Sutton Place Hotel - you can imagine the number of famous faces they’ve racked up), if you’re still into hotdog (and I know some aren’t), you might want to consider this breath of hotdoggy air. Besides, how many hot dog stands have websites? That’s can’t be a long list.