DECEMBER 21-28 // 2017
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GRANT LAWRENCE SAYS GOODBYE +
THE BEST RESTAURANTS OF 2017 +
THAT’S A WRAP FOR REEL PEOPLE
1949-2017 What do we lose when a newspaper closes? Readers and staff weigh in for our final edition
INSIDE THIS WEEK News 3
Your memories of the Westender
Eat & Drink 7 The top 10 most memorable dining experiences of 2017
End of a Terminal City romance Final Shakedown: It was a dream come true to write for theWestender Grant Lawrence Vancouver Shakedown
@GrantLawrence
Arts 8
Listings for the best New Year’s Eve parties PUBLISHER GAIL NUGENT GNUGENT@GLACIERMEDIA.CA EDITOR KELSEY KLASSEN EDITOR@WESTENDER.COM ASSISTANT EDITOR JAN ZESCHKY JAN@WESTENDER.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT TESSA VIKANDER TESSA@WESTENDER.COM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SABRINA FURMINGER, AILEEN LALOR, GRANT LAWRENCE, ANYA LEVYKH, VERONNICA MACKILLOP CREATIVE MANAGER TARA RAFIQ TRAFIQW@WESTENDER.COM 604-742-8671 DISPLAY ADVERTISING MATTY LAMBERT, AARON BUCKLEY SALES@WESTENDER.COM 604-742-8677 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 604-630-3300 CLASSIFIEDS@VAN.NET CIRCULATION 604-742-8676 CIRCULATION@WESTENDER.COM WESTENDER 303 WEST 5TH AVENUE VANCOUVER, BC, V5Y 1J6
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ON THE COVER
Boxy, the Westender mascot, at Vanier Park. Dan Toulgoet photo
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Shocked. That’s the only way I can describe my feelings when editor Kelsey Klassen called last week to inform me that this will be the last issue of the Westender. Ever. How could that be possible? This is an arts, entertainment and community newspaper that has been serving our city over a span of 68 years. 68 years! Doing the math, that means this venerable little mission launched in 1949, back when someone named Louis St-Laurent was our prime minister, a guy named Boss Johnson was our premier and Chuck Jones was our mayor. You’ll recall that Newfoundland became our 10th province in 1949, but did you know that in the same year the largest earthquake in Canadian history struck off of Haida Gwaii, and the first tree was planted in what
The 2000 issue of Westender featuring Grant Lawrence’s band The Smugglers. would become Queen Elizabeth Park? Back then, this fledgling Westender weekly represented a neighbourhood on the downtown peninsula comprised of mostly single detached homes. Imagine that. Over the decades during which the Westender reported, the neighbourhood would morph and tower into one of the most densely populated and diverse in North America. At one time or another, most people who have called Vancouver home have lived in the West End, myself included. The Westender was our welcome portal into the
comings and goings of that crazy, transient and ever-bustling neighbourhood. Opening the Westender’s rustling pages each week, I loved the Rants and Raves, the theatre and movie reviews, Rob Joyce’s wildly verbose real estate ads, and the utterly voyeuristic Our Digs column (created by former editor Carlyn Yandle, whose column did what we all secretly desired: peek inside other people’s apartments). Former editor Tom Zillich slapped my band the Smugglers on the cover of the Westender back in 2000 for our first-ever headlining gig at the Commodore Ballroom. It’s an honour I’ll never forget. I landed on the cover myself in 2011 for a story on CBC Radio 3 by former Westender writer-turned-music journalist-turned-author Andrea Warner, who now works at CBC Music. Three years ago, it was former editor Rob Mangelsdorf who invited me to become a columnist for the Westender. It was a dream come true for someone who religiously read this paper ever since moving into that shitbox ground floor apartment at the corner of Haro and Broughton. Together, Rob and I created Vancouver Shakedown.
Ever since, I’ve had the distinct privilege of sharing your stories, not only from the West End but from every pocket of the city, rich or poor, for better or worse. Some of my favourite subjects were dishing the dirty truth on Vancouver real estate, challenging the slave trade-like practices of our soggy circus sideshow otherwise known as the Vancouver Aquarium, parenthood from the perspective of an Old Dad™, building East Van’s ultimate backyard rink during our record cold snap, blowing smoke up the history of West 4th Avenue’s hippie heyday, and sharing the story of my friend who’s been on more than 200 dates in two years. I hoped it would never end. (This column, not Ashley’s dating… I wish her true love, stat!) Therein lies one of the ironies of our human condition: We love routine, but change is constant, and for the Westender, after 68 valiant years of routinely reflecting who we are and who we’ve been, change is now. I just wish I had written about the cows-in-Burrard Inlet story. Another time, another place. Until we meet again. It’s been my honour to be part of this Westender legacy. Thank you for reading. W
Starting January 1, we’re improving bus service. It’s all part of the biggest transportation expansion in nearly a decade. Find out what improvements TransLink is bringing to your neighbourhood at translink.ca/servicechanges
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NEWS // ISSUES
Saying goodbye to the ranters, ravers story in and of the city – they would have been, and will be, weaker for this loss. A few years after I stopped freelancing, started focusing more on comedy, I made it onto the cover of the Westender with several of my comedian friends.With what I’d learned from writing for the paper, I’d been able to get somewhere worth writing about in the paper. I have money for cookies now, even tickets to plays. I made good friends writing for the Westender, people whose writing I still love, and will have to try to find elsewhere now, scattered across the internet. I’ll miss holding their work in my hands.” —Charles Demers
FROM CURRENT WRITERS “It’s with a heavy heart I say goodbye to the Westender, which for 68-odd years has been delivering arts and entertainment news to Vancouver. It’s a sad day for those of us who love print media and it’s a dire situation for ever-diminishing arts coverage, including theatre criticism. In the heyday of newspapers, playwrights, directors and actors stayed up all night after opening night just to catch the early edition reviews. Newspapers ruled! Even after much of the reviewing went online, publicists were always wrangling for reviews to go into the print edition, as if, somehow, it was more legitimate. An actor could carry the review around, read it over coffee, tuck a clipping into a wallet, send it to his/her grandma inYellowknife. Criticism is not dying; indeed, it’s proliferating.What is disappearing, however, is criticism in print media, as well as the ‘professional critic’: one who earns a living from writing criticism and who sees almost every show in town – the good, the bad and the ugly – and is prepared to sit down and write 650 words or less week in, week out. I have had the privilege of being that person for the Westender for the last six months and, before that, for the Vancouver Courier for more than 20 years. And so while the Westender staff have been shuffled into jobs with other Glacier community papers, the freelancers have been cut loose. Arts coverage will be spread even thinner and that, in a city that calls itself ‘world class,’ is a travesty.Who will pick up the pieces?” —Jo Ledingham “I’ve been writing for the Westender for more than five years and reading it for decades.While it has gone through several editors, the vision has remained consistent: to put out a paper that high-
Above: Dianna Carr in the newsroom, circa 1981. Left: Comedian and former theatre reviewer Charles Demers (middle back, with friends) on the cover of a 2011 edition. Right: Former editor Kevin Dale McKeown (eating cake) with Bob Mercer, 1982. Contributed lighted the incredible arts, culture, food and fashion scenes that make the West End – and the rest of Vancouver – such a vibrant, exciting and interesting place to be. In writing about local restaurants, chefs, bartenders and sommeliers, I have seen firsthand the great value that the newspaper had for the hospitality industry, especially as local print coverage diminishes daily. It has been an honour and absolute pleasure to be part of such a dedicated and talented team, hear readers’ feedback (good and bad), and read my fellow writers’ often thoughtprovoking and always-entertaining words.” —Anya Levykh “It’s heartbreaking to see another local news source vanish from our city, especially one that’s been around as long as the Westender has. No one reports on the everyday stories that affect our lives like local newspapers do; as they diminish and disappear, a little bit of our history does, too, and along with it, a whole lot of accountability. More than anything, the Westender did a great job of covering food, drink and lifestyle seriously and thoughtfully
in a city that is obsessed with all those things.What a sad loss this will be for Vancouver. I’ve been privileged to write the Westender’s weekly Alchemist column over the last year. I’ll miss it, and hope you do, too, but more than that, I’ll miss everything the Westender brought to the table.” —Joanne Sasvari “For as long as I have lived in Vancouver, Westender has been my weekly snapshot of what is going on in the city. When I founded a small business offering public wine tasting events, I became part of that landscape. I was always grateful to the coverage Westender provided and have particularly fond memories of doing a photo shoot for the cover of the Christmas issue in 2012. A couple of years later, Westender found a place for me as its wine columnist. Besides being a pleasure, writing for Westender has played a crucial role in keeping me rooted here and connected to my local industry as I travel. A huge and heartfelt thank you to Robert Mangelsdorf and Kelsey Klassen, who were the editors during my tenure, as well as to the rest of the dedicated staff.” —Michaela Morris
FROM FORMER STAFF “My very first regular, professional writing gig was as a theatre, film, and occasionally book reviewer for the Westender in my mid-20s.This was a time in my life when I was living on dust bunnies and hand-outs (when, years later, I did my back taxes for the year before my first byline in the paper, Revenue Canada had no record of me having made literally anything), but I was still dumb enough to believe that a cultured life of the mind was my birthright whether or not I had money. The small sums that I received for my reviews admittedly didn’t do much to change my overall financial picture, but cashing those little cheques was better than paying out of pocket for an education in the arts, which is what I was getting. For several years, I got to watch, think through, and pick apart movies and plays, brilliant and terrible, sort out in my own words what made them fail or succeed, not only on someone else’s dime, but for a few quarters of my own that I could rub together. As it happens, as I remember it, I started writing for the Westender in the same year that
I met the love of my life; the woman with whom I recently celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary; the woman who is downstairs right now trying to get some sleep across the hallway from our almostfour-year-old daughter while I write this in my home office; the woman who watched me aghast on an early date when I shoplifted bulk section cookies because hey, who had money for cookies? And if there was no money for cookies, certainly there was no money to show a good time to a very smart, attractive prospective partner. Only I had a ticket to nearly every new show in town, with a plus one; we would go to the theatre, sometimes to a film (although usually, the movie screenings for critics were in the morning; keep that in mind next time you’re reading somebody’s pissy deconstruction), our courtship expensed for by way of my exceedingly parttime employment, and then after our dates I would go home and try to write down thoughts compelling and interesting enough to prove that it was worth overlooking that time I stole cookies. Newspapers die, and it’s always sad, but this one cuts deep. My city, my own life
“Many of the writers and artists who worked at the Westender (then called the West Ender) came of age in the late 1960s – that turbulent and transformative period of youth: peace, love, rock ‘n’ roll.The 1970s saw the counter culture continue with its love-ins, interest in the paranormal, and questioning everything, shifting into Trudeau (senior), the end of the Vietnam War and oil shock. In the 1980s, Kitsilano grew up and moved to the West End and continued to challenge the establishment. We covered the community’s desire to rock the boat – from bucking city hall on issues like commuter traffic, which was ruining liveability, to [exposing] landlords who were evicting long-time tenants, to addressing social issues, such as the exploitation of children for sex. West Enders had a strong social conscience, but these grown-up hippies also had energy, jobs and no kids. It was party time. Great food – Fresco’s, Hamburger Mary’s and dozens of other restaurants, simple and sophisticated.Which came first – clubs or coke? Who knows, but there was a nightclub for interests from grunge to glam; curiously the biggest splash – two floors of glitter and cocktails (I think it was
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NEWS // ISSUES
and cookie thieves in our midst called Viva or Club Viva) – has gone without a trace. The brilliance of the editor Kevin McKeown is, I think, that he hired a mix of people – young and old, experienced and novice, gay and straight, and directed them to cover the West End like a rash.We covered politics and entertainment, but also wrote about schools, parks, local authors, family reunions and small socials. In those days, the proof of a newspaper’s connection with readers was the size of the classified section and the length of community calendar. TheWest Ender had the community calendar and drag queens, naughty classifieds and church services. It was black and white and read all over.Then it was all over.” —Kate Trotter “One particular WE story worth noting had a major political impact on the city and eventually the province: reporter James Oakes had been doggedly covering notorious landlords Zen & Aquilini, who owned many West End apartment buildings.This was leading up to the mayoral election, in which incumbent Jack Volrich was being challenged by an upstart city councillor by the name of Mike Harcourt. As I recall,Volrich was in the lead, until our intrepid in-house paparazzo, Franco Citarella, who never missed a social occasion, especially in the Italian community, was at some banquet where Mr. Aquilini was seated at the head table next to the mayor. He got a good shot of them together looking to be the best of friends, which appeared in the next edition, just before the vote.Volrich lost the West End and therefore election. Harcourt did a good enough job as mayor to later become B.C.’s second NDP premier.” —Mark O’Neill “The Westender was my life in the 1990s and early 2000s, so the newspaper’s death today hurts my heart. I was a young beat reporter and entertainment writer in
those early days, fresh out of journalism school, and a new arrival from the wilds of Aldergrove. I learned the ropes at the old Davie Street office, on the third floor in the building behind where Joe’s Grill is today. I interviewed a pre-stardom Sheryl Crow in that restaurant, just after she’d finished a stint as backing vocalist with Michael Jackson’s band. Agnes Thom, editor in the late 1980s, hired me, and my first day on the job was Boxing Day 1989. I went on to spend many years on Ted Townsend’s editorial staff along with Janet Smith, Mary Frances Hill, Doug Shanks and others. Later, with CarlynYandle in the big chair, the good times (and good publications) continued. I covered the Vancouver music scene when grunge and “alternative” rock exploded, and I practically lived at bars like The Town Pump, Starfish Room and, of course, the Commodore Ballroom, when Drew Burns ran the place. I still tell stories of seeing Nickelback’s first ever concert in Vancouver (Town Pump), the Tragically Hip at the Railway Club, the Foo Fighters’ debut at the Commodore during the Music West festival, and also that time they opened for Radiohead at a record label’s party at the old Expo site the Rage, and so on.Those were exciting times on the entertainment beat. I remember covering city council when Gordon Campbell was Vancouver’s mayor. Plans were drawn to build massive residential towers in Yaletown, which was then just a seedy warehouse district, and also create an “entertainment district” on Granville Street. How’s that party zone these days? I rarely make it there, having moved to the ’burbs with wife (Wendy Caul, a former Westender sales rep) and children many years ago. In 1994, I missed the so-called Stanley Cup riot, only because I was so sad the Canucks lost the big game, I went home to bed early that
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that they are likely the same challenges we face, too. And the hardest part is that some solutions seem really close. Which makes it all the more frustrating ... and somehow worthwhile. The best thing you can do to keep an alt-weekly alive is to stay engaged with them. Click, read and share their content all the time. It really helps drive up metrics, which is what advertisers are interested in. And those advertisers are the ones really keeping the lights on.” —Sean Minogue The Westender team on stage with their hardware at the 2017 B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association Awards. night.The next morning, I awoke to news of the riot. I scrambled to the office, which had moved to Kitsilano by then. On deadline that day, we pulled together an all-riot edition that later won an award. Funny. Like that riot coverage, a lot of my Westender work was written and published pre-internet, so I guess much of it is just… gone.That’s sad. I have a few clippings of stories in a box somewhere, a reminder of my 14 years at a newspaper that meant so much to me. Today, I work at the Surrey Now-Leader – still on the entertainment beat, for the most part. It’s good – a great job, in fact – but nothing like working the Vancouver scene in the 1990s, let me tell you. So long, Westender, and thanks for so many great memories.” —Tom Zillich “Very sorry to hear that you’re stopping publishing. Although I haven’t lived in Vancouver for several years, I still read the online edition from time to time and will certainly miss it. My wife Carrie and I are former employees of the Westender and worked there in the early ’90s (back in the days of publisher Ken Wood). I worked in display advertising and Carrie started as the receptionist, and then moved to the classified advertising department. Shout out to
Gail, who may remember us. To make a long story short, Carrie and I met at the Westender, became friends and then fell in love.We moved in together before moving onto other publications – myself to Richmond and Carrie to the Courier.We eventually left Canada and moved to Europe. However, our relationship will be one of the lasting legacies of the Westender – after meeting in 1991, and then getting married in 1995, we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in 2020 – along with our daughter, who was born 14 years ago. All the best to all of you at the Westender and good luck in your new positions.” —Hans Phillips “Sad to hear about Westender shutting down.When I first arrived in Vancouver in 2004, I remember brazenly walking into their offices with pitches for anyone who’d listen.They ended up publishing something small from me, which snowballed into a bunch of opportunities, like publishing a piece in The Tyee, then interning at Vancouver Review (also RIP). All of which led to me covering film and TV for Georgia Straight for three years. Now I’m at one of the few remaining alt-weeklies left in Canada (Now Toronto), trying to keep the lights on. I dunno the specifics of the challenges the Westender folks were facing, but I do know
FROM READERS “Heartbreaking.The Westender was always the Prince Harry to the Georgia Straight’s Prince William.The cheeky, ginger brother who seemed to be having a better time.You will be missed.” — Andrew Templeton “I am so sorry to hear you will no longer be publishing after Dec. 21. I am new to your paper, only five years a reader as that was when I moved to the West End. From the start I loved reading the Westender every week – it gave me a connection to my neighbourhood on a personal level that made me feel part of a caring, wonderful community that the West End is.TheWestender provided information on local business, who was going, who was coming, traffic pattern changes, wonderful local events and personalities – all touching anyone who cared about this home we call the West End.You will be very much missed.” —Lynda E. “Way back in 1984, I was a RN at St. Paul’s Hospital and feeling rather disheartened. I had come out a couple of years before this and tried to find that perfect someone, to no avail. Friends of mine had no problem either picking up someone or being picked up and couldn’t understand why I was always left alone at the end of the night! In talking to
my “counsellors” while sitting at the coffee bar in Little Sister’s, they kept saying I might want to place an ad in the Westender. One never knows what may happen.The more they insisted, the more I realized that I better put in the ad before they took matters into their own hands! I spent many hours writing, re-writing, editing, re-writing the revisions, agonizing over what to say. What do I put into an ad, how truthful should I be, what was I really looking for, etc. On Nov. 9, 1984 I walked into the Westender office and nervously handed over my ad. Then waited...and waited! A few days later I again walked into the newspaper office to see if there were any responses. Holy crap! I got 17 letters! Racing home I read each one and sorted them out in little piles: must meet, might meet, not interested.There were seven that were really interesting, and only one that was typewritten. Choosing the best three (including the typewritten letter) I took my life and future in my hands and went to see the Little Sister’s gang to get their opinions. Jack and Bruce weren’t there but Jim read all three, thought about it for several seconds and said, ‘This one. Phone him or I will!’ as he thrust the typewritten letter at me. Next, I went over to the hospital to meet a very good friend and have him read the letters. Don didn’t take very long to decide that the typewritten letter was “the one.” So I hurried home, butterflies in my stomach, heart racing a mile a minute. I mean, I had never done this before. I left a short message and then waited. Sure enough he phoned back, we talked on the phone about two hours, realized we have quite a few things in common, went out for dinner the next night, and before I knew it I was moving into his place. That was 34 years ago and we have been together ever since.Thank you, Westender!” —Ross Arnot W
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Correction Notice In the ad beginning December 26, 2017, the two Gift with Purchase offers on page 2 were printed with incorrect valid dates. The correct valid dates are 12/26 – 12/28/17. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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PRECISION COSMETIC DENTURES, STANDARD DENTURES, PARTIALS, RELINES & EMERGENCIES
Westender covers through the years: 1. In 1979, the paper paid tribute to Fire Captain John Graham, who died in a West End apartment tower fire. 2. The week before the 1980 civic election, Vic Bonderoff’s illustration shows it was down to Jack Volrich and Mike Harcourt for mayor. 3. One week later, Harcourt was the last man standing. 4. As one of the first news teams on the scene, the paper produced award-winning coverage of Vancouver’s 1994 Stanley Cup Riot.
Black and white and read all over KELSEY KLASSEN @kelseyklassen
How does one say goodbye to the paper that established their career and served as a family and second home? I guess by acknowledging that it was never really mine to begin with. The Westender belongs to the city, and, more specifically, the West End. Even in silence, it will also always belong to the countless readers, staff and former editors that I’ve heard from this past week. It’s so easy, when the press is rolling, to just keep on after the next story; but I’m entirely thankful, now that we’ve
reached the final page, to have had an opportunity to look back and learn more about us. Like any good origin story the details are murky, but the Westender was born in the late ’40s and ran as the voice of downtown until the ’70s. According to former editor Kevin McKeown, the owners at that time wereTom and Sarah Kelly, a UBC professor and coffee shop owner, respectively, and the office was located in what is now a sushi bar on Denman. By 1979 the paper was dormant, but Buy & Sell owners Mike and Meagan Abbott were soon talked into reviving
the name, creating the paper you hold today. In that initial decade, the paper held tight to theWest End while giving its eclectic team of former war-time reporters, teenage illustrators,TV personalities and ace journalists the freedom to pursue politicians, sleazy landlords and any local story with a pulse. By the ’90s, owners had changed and editorTed Townsend began a notable shift to more arts and entertainment coverage. By the 2000s, editor CarlynYandle and co. were continuing that work while taking on the entire city under a new name, WE
Vancouver, which reverted back to Westender in 2014, under editor Rob Mangelsdorf’s and my watch. The message from everyone this week as been clear, though: no matter who owned us, what we were covering or what we’ve been called, the paper has always reached higher and deeper than its small, scrappy size would belie. In fact, McKeown told me the Westender was once referred to by a writer for a rival outlet as “a community newspaper of dubious gender.” Whatever you interpret that to mean, we still take it as a compliment. W
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BEST BUY - CORRECTION NOTICE NEWSPAPER RETRACTION FOR THE BEST BUY December 15th CORPORATE FLYER Hamilton Beach Thermal Coffee Maker In the December 15th flyer, page POP 1, the Hamilton Beach Thermal Coffee Maker (Web Code: 10425529) was advertised with incorrect price. Please be aware that this product is available for $69.99, save $20. Please see a Product Specialist for complete details. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our valued customers.
To:Me From:Me
The weather outside may be frightful, but your feet will feel delightful. And after years of winter slush and country muck, your Blundstone boots will look and feel even better than new. It’s a gift that’s worth it, thank you very much.
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Thank you Westender for many great years!
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STYLE // DESIGN
Holiday party gifts that are sure to please hosts Aileen Lalor Style File
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plan of what wines they’re pairing with food so they won’t want to open yours, or they’ll snaffle your good bottle and serve you plonk. In the unlikely event
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Model: Nikita Graham
@AileenLalor
The typical gift to bring to a get-together is a bottle of wine – but it’s not necessarily the best. Some people don’t drink alcohol. Others have a
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that we ever get it together enough to have a dinner party, we’d like gifts that fulfil William Morris’s criteria: Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. And since you’re bringing them to our home, we’d love them to be locally made too.
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1. SAJE POCKET FARMACY
If guests show up with this gift for the morning after, we know what kind of night before we’ll be having. The set of five remedies contains Eater’s Digest and Peppermint Halo for those who’ve indulged too much in the food and booze. There’s also Immune, Stress Release and Pain Release remedies, all of which we can see coming in handy over the holidays. $99.95, at Saje NaturalWellness and saje.com
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2. LA GLACE ICE CREAM IN SPICED GINGERBREAD
It doesn’t matter what your host has prepped for dessert, ice cream will go with it – particularly if it’s creamy and sweet with a delicate hit of ginger, and comes in this gorgeous glass jar. $15 for 500ml, at La Glace (2785W. 16th Ave.)
3. BARTER SHARING BOWL
Kenny Torrance, a craftsman who is based on the Sunshine Coast, creates beautiful objects for the home, like these handmade bowls, which come in five shades, glazed and unglazed. $20 for small bowls and $40 for large ones, at barterdesign.ca
VANCOUVER 4360 Main St. • 778-379-6263 www.justjewelleryinc.com *Some exceptions apply. All sales final. No Christmas exchanges.
FRESH CHOICES
Makito Inomata photo
RD Cane photo
4. THE ODD SOCIETY SALAL GIN
We’re saying no to bottles of wine, but if a guest rocks up with a bottle of gin, they are welcome at our gaff. Gordon Glanz, co-founder of East Van distillery The Odd Society, used salal berries from the Sunshine Coast,Tofino and Cortez Island in his take on sloe gin.The result is sweet like blueberries, tart and green, and can be drunk on its own, on the rocks, or with lemon and club soda. $30 at Odd Society Spirits
Distillery (price may vary at private liquor stores)
5. HARVEST COMMUNITY FOODS HOLIDAY BOX
Your host is feeding you, so why not return the favour? These boxes contain goodies made in house at Harvest, including organic bread and butter pickles, heirloom apple compote and cocoa nib almond granola, plus a gift certificate for one of Harvest’s famous bowls of soup. $45 at harvestunion.ca W
Check back each week for exclusive Fresh Deals. For even more savings, don’t forget to view our full page ad in this newspaper.
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EAT // DRINK
The 10 best restaurants of 2017 Anya Levykh Nosh
@FoodgirlFriday
The nostalgia quotient is high while I write this. It’s my last column for the last edition of this paper, which I have been honoured to contribute to over the past five-plus years. When I started preparing this piece, I was thinking only of restaurants that opened within the past year. But I then realized that some of my most delicious experiences were at places that have been around for longer. So, why set limits? Here are the restaurants, both new and established, that delivered memorable dining experiences this year. May many delicious meals be in your future.
1. ST. LAWRENCE
This cosy corner space in Railtown serves up mindblowing dishes that boast high butter ratios, a multitude of sauces, adventurous cuts of meat and flavours that solicit multiple groans of delight. Chef/owner JC Poirier has taken the dishes of his Quebecois childhood and given them exuberant life. One of the best dishes of the year for me was the deboned and stuffed quail in a ring of puff
pastry, filled to bursting with veal sweetbreads and foie gras. stlawrencerestaurant.com
2. DOSANKO
Chefs/owners Aki and Nate Lowey have taken the concept of homey, yoshokustyle Japanese food and made it sustainable.The star dish here is the pork tonkotsu, a breaded and fried cutlet, using either belly, shoulder or loin.The pork comes from a local producer and the whole animal is butchered in house, with every part being used. Try it with the Japanese curry rice, with its meaty sauce and melted cheese. For dessert, the matcha “milcrepe” is delightfully creamy and light, a modern take on a classic millefeuille. dosankorestaurant.ca
3. MERCHANT’S WORKSHOP
Chef/owner Doug Stephen regularly works the room here, greeting regulars and newcomers alike.The evolving menu has included hits like black garlic and pork agnolotti with caramelized onions and manchego, while the hot fried chicken – available with or without the spice – has become an industry byword.The peanut butter and chocolate pie is the purest expression of a Reese’s peanut butter cup I have ever tried – and the most addictive. merchantsworkshop.ca
Cucina Italiana
4. MAK N MING
It’s pretty ballsy to open a fine-dining restaurant offering only set menus on Kitsilano’s “beach row,” but husbandand-wife chefs/co-owners Makoto Ono and Amanda Cheng make it work.Whether you go with the three- or six-course option, you’re guaranteed an unforgettable and adventurous menu that ranges from Cheng’s stellar “milk brioche” with seaweed, black sesame and salt, to Ono’s Humboldt squid with rutabaga and seaweed. maknming.com
5. CACAO
Chef/owner Jefferson Alvarez is not afraid to throw caution to the wind and play with his food.The results can be mixed but, like all good chefs, Alvarez learns from his mistakes and rises to take on new challenges. It’s this that makes eating at his pan-Latin restaurant such an adventure each time. From tiny, fresh arepas stuffed with mushrooms and soffritto, to the whole kampachi, pan-seared and dressed in tomato consommé, each dish offers something new. cacaovancouver.com
6. NIGHTINGALE
Chef/owner David Hawksworth is well known for his eponymous, high-end restaurant, but Nightingale deserves its own set of kudos
for the ever-improving menu (and it was solid to start with) and the great vibe that lasts into the late hours.The lamb sausage pizza with Macedonian feta and mint is a keeper, as are the gnocchi and Arctic char. hawknightingale.com
asYuwa, a more casual, and traditional, restaurant. Perfect tempura, stellar udon and Ocean Wise nigiri. yuwa.ca
10. SEN PAD THAI
Award-winning chef Angus An has done it again. A small
counter-service eatery in Granville Island’s Net Loft building may not sound very impressive, but just try the pad ki mao chicken with holy basil, or the Thai omelette with crab and sausage. senpadthai.com W
7. MONARCH BURGER
This one’s not really a restaurant, I admit. Campagnolo chef/owner Robert Belcham has taken his infamous Dirty Burger and planted it at The American, a fun pub with cheap drinks and pinball machines. Belcham’s singleanimal burger is “dirty” only in the use of processed cheese. It’s the simplicity of the ingredients – bun, lettuce, tomato, meat, secret sauce – that gives it a hedonistic and revelatory character. monarchburger.com
8. BURDOCK AND CO.
Definitely not new, but still one of the city’s most fantastic meals. Chef/owner Andrea Carlson takes a plant-based focus on her constantly changing menu, but there’s no lack of proteins to enjoy, like the mouth-watering fried chicken with dill and pickles, or chawanmushi, a savoury custard made with sea urchin and fish roe. burdockandco.com
9. YUWA
A restaurant reboot can be as significant as an opening. In this case, Zest, a high-end bastion of contemporary Japanese cuisine, has reincarnated itself
ITALIAN MASTER CLASS SERIES
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FEBRUARY 13: WINE & FOOD PAIRING
From North to South Learn how to prepare the most delicious vegetablebased Italian dishes: Antipasti, Main, Soups. Teachers: Chef Giovanni Trigona & Chef Laura Trigona
Learn about the best grapes to complement your favourite Italian dish. Teachers: Chef Giovanni Trigona & Sommelier Tyler
JANUARY 30: ALL ABOUT PASTA
Learn about the history of Gelato, differences between Gelato, Ice-Cream and Sorbet and the Gelato Gourmet. Teachers: Chef Giovanni Trigona & Chef Giorgio Barassi
Learn about, prepare, and sample regional pasta delicacies. Teachers: Chef Giovanni Trigona & Chef Sergio Cinti
FEBRUARY 6: ALL ABOUT PIZZA Learn the techniques and experience yourself the preparation of an authentic pizza, from the dough to the oven. Teachers: Chef Giovanni Trigona & Chef Giuseppe Cortinovisi
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In each workshop you will: • Experience, first-hand, the preparation of fine Italian cuisine • Prepare and sample delicacies from various regions of Italy • Learn how to recognize and use authentic Italian DOP and IGP products • Learn about typical dishes from various regions of Italy • Receive a Certificate of Completion
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New Year’s Eve listings DEVIL’S ELBOW NEW YEAR’S EVE 2017 It’s the ’80s dance party of your dreams, complete with an allyou-can-eat barbecue buffet, champagne and party favours, while DJ IAMELECTRO spins classic tunes. 7 p.m. at Devil’s Elbow (562 Beatty St.). $25-$75, clubzone.com
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LOUD Update January 2018 LOUD Business (formerly the GLBA) is a not-for-profit association founded on our three pillars: Networking, Community and Philanthropy. Lots of info at LOUDbusiness.com, or join us at one of our events. Come and meet some great people. JOIN US! All of us at LOUD would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to every single person at The Westender for your friendship, professionalism and ongoing support through sponsorship. And of course printing our Annual LOUD Directory. We look forward to working with you all in your new roles. Wishing everyone Peace, Prosperity and LOUDlove for 2018!
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NEW YEARS EVE CRUISE Ring in 2018 aboard the luxurious Pride of Vancouver, with canapés, live entertainment
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trucks, fireworks, a midnight countdown and live performances by Cold Specks on the Jack Poole Plaza Terrace, and other performances by Good For Grapes, The Tourist Company, Peach Pit, Sam the Astronaut and The Peak House. Street party at 7 p.m. on Canada Place Way, indoor ticketed party at Vancouver Convention Centre West. NYEVan.com
In addition to our online presence, our Annual Print Directory is circulated in the spring. Special rates for LOUD Members always. www.loudbusiness.com/membership
2018 LOUD SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED UNTIL JAN 31ST. Who do you know in BC that deserves $2000? Who do you know that could help spread the word? www.loudbusiness.com/philanthropy
NEED A TAX DEDUCTION FOR 2017? HELP US ASSIST EVEN MORE STUDENTS. In addition to our LOUD Scholarships, you can also contribute to specified funds: Jim Deva Memorial Fund, AIDS Vancouver Fund, and the Pride Youth Fund created by Vancouver Frontrunners and Vancouver Pride Society. Thank you also to the sponsors of the named scholarships; Javier Barajas, Kasey Reese, Gina Best, and Adriaan DeVries. www.loudbusiness.com/donate Have a special or recurring business or community event? Post your FREE listing on our website. www.loudbusiness.com/events
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ARTS // CULTURE and dancing spiced up by the romance of the sea and set against the spectacular Vancouver skyline. Boarding 8 p.m. at Bayshore West Marina (450 Denman St.). $145, clubzone. com NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE HOTEL VANCOUVER A massive multi-room party takes over an entire floor of the hotel. Each ballroom will be transformed into a glamourous pop-up nightclub, with live performances by Tainted Lovers (playing dancefloor anthems from the 1970s and ’80s), Smalltown DJs, Wmnsstudies, Waspy, Kenny Mac as well as Zynth & Co. and more. 8 p.m. at Hotel Vancouver. From $99, eventbrite.com NEW YEAR’S AT THE FOX CABARET Ring in 2018 with a glamourous evening of performance and parties, featuring East Van’s own jazz outfit the Rossi Gang, DJs Trevor Risk, Abel and Phil David, as well as the impromptu stylings of the Bad Performance Dance Troupe. 8 p.m. at Fox Cabaret. $25, eventbrite.com A NEW YEAR’S EVE AT WAYNE MANOR Inspired by the mysterious world of Batman and DC Comics, Geekenders is hosting an immersive theatre bash at Brock House Restaurant. The event is a semi-formal dinner and dance where the hidden secrets of Wayne Manor and its many residents are uncovered. Attendees are invited to explore the old house, from whose dark corners actors will emerge to perform Gotham City-inspired scenes. 7:30 p.m. at Brock House Restaurant. From $192, picatic.com RAISE ’EM UP NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY This country music lover’s shindig goes down on the biggest dancefloor in Vancouver, with a show by Blackjack Billy and Rollin’ Train Wreck. The event promises to be an unpretentious, boot-stomping, beer-slinging New Year’s party. 9 p.m. at The Roxy Cabaret. $65, ticketfly.com
Ring in 2018 with LGBTQ+ pride VERONNICA MACKILLOP @vamackillop
Say goodbye to 2017 with one of these LGBTQ+ parties in Vancouver. • Start out your festivities the night before at XYYVR with XY Saturday PreNYE with DJ Jeremy Khamkeo on Dec. 30. If you can’t go out on New Year’s Eve, or if you just want to party two days in a row, this event is the perfect kickoff to end the year. • Head down to The Cobalt early in the evening on Dec. 31 for MAN UP x Queers & Beers: New
PARQ VANCOUVER’S NEW YEAR’S EVE DINING EXPERIENCES The new casino and hotel complex Parq Vancouver is featuring special dinner menus at its many in-house restaurants, with live music at both D/6 and Honey Salt, and champagne toasts at midnight. Parq Vancouver (39 Smithe St.). Prices vary, reservations recommended. MAMIE TAYLOR’S NEW YEAR’S EVE PIG ROAST An all-you-can-eat, family-style pig roast with a three-course meal including mac and cheese, buttermilk biscuits, devilled eggs and apple pie. Vegetarian options available. 8 p.m. at Mamie Taylor’s (251 E. Georgia St.). $110, mamietaylors.ca THE RIO: PATRICK MALIHA’S 5TH ANNUAL NAUGHTY LITTLE NEW YEAR’S EVE Long-time Vancouver comic Patrick Maliha emcees an evening at the Rio Theatre that is seemingly all over the
Years Eve! Queers and Beers starts at 6:30 p.m., so enjoy a pint of one of their 26 beers on tap, plus snacks from food trucks. The first part of the drag show starts at 10 p.m., the second part starts at 11:15 p.m. Following the show is a countdown and balloon drop, then at 1 a.m. the moonlight glow-whip set by Madam Lola will start, followed by dancing until 3 a.m. Get your tickets online, or wait until 12:30 a.m. to get latenight tickets if you’re party hopping. • For a late-night disco party, check out the Backdoor NYE at the Villa, hosted by
place: live music, burlesque, comedy and even a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. The show’s headliner is 604 Records artist Shirley Gnome, who’ll be joined by comedy troupe the Fictionals, burlesque performer Barbara Beall and a fire dancer. Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). $29 in advance, $45 at the door, riotheatretickets.ca. ANZA CLUB: GEOFF BERNER OR EVIL BASTARD KARAOKE, BOTH WITH PIZZA AND CHAMPAGNE In case accordion, punk rock and pizza isn’t enough, this show will also feature guest spots by Mint Records’ Carolyn Mark and multi-instrumentalists Hank and Lily. Champagne and pizza are included in your ticket price. 8 p.m. at the Anza Club (3 W. 8th Ave.). $30 in advance, $35 at the door, brownpapertickets.com. If you’d prefer to pay a little less, there’s the “Evil Bastard Karaoke Experience” in the basement room, suggested $10 donation at the door. W
Vancouver Art and Leisure. The Villa is being transformed into an “illustrious dreamscape” for New Year’s Eve. The show is hosted by Berlin, and features several DJs to ring in the new year. The party actually starts on Dec. 29, with the first of four parties to wrap up 2017. • If you’re looking for a formal gathering, the Vancouver Outdoor Club for Women is hosting a women-only dance party at the Cultch 8 p.m.-1 a.m. The party is open to non-members, and will serve light snacks and Champagne. • If concerts are more your
thing, head over to the Wise Hall & Lounge for In the Midnight Hour: NYE w/ DJ Slade & Queer As Funk! Tickets are now sold out for the show, which will feature two live sets by the band, followed by an all-night set by DJ Slade. • Celebrities Night Club is hosting one of the largest New Year’s Eve events in Vancouver, NYE 2018 at Celebrities. DJs Yurie, Johnny Jover and Seb C will be there, playing some of the biggest hits of 2017. The party runs 10 p.m.-3 a.m. • Celebrities Underground will also be home to an
event: RUFF Black New Year’s Eve. The party will be presented by STEAMWORKS Baths & RodRozen Designs. It will start at 9 p.m. and feature gogo dances by the five Mr.RUFF title holders. • For a New Year’s Eve burlesque show, check out Patrick Maliha’s 5th Annual Naughty Little New Year’s Eve! at the Rio Theatre. The show runs 911:15 p.m. and will be followed by a midnight toast as well as lots of drinking and dancing. Shirley Gnome is headlining, and the show will have a lot of featured performers for the night. W
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December 21 - December 27, 2017 W 9
ARTS // CULTURE
Reel lessons learned from local scene Sabrina Furminger Reel People @Sabrinarmf
In the parlance of the film and television industry: that’s a wrap for Reel People. I’ve been sharing these screen scene stories with you for five years now, four under the Reel People banner. The aim has always been to pull back the curtain on Vancouver’s multi-billion-dollar film and television industry and reveal its beating heart: the people who power it. After five years of soulchurning conversations, I can say with utter certainty that I’ve been changed by the reel people I’ve met and the stories heard and told – and so, for this final outing together, I share with you some of the lessons I’ll be carrying with me as the end credits roll.
Human stories fuel screen stories. Strip away the visual effects and the explosions and the marketing machine from the film industry, and what you’re left with are human beings telling stories for other human beings. I’ve come to understand that the space between a storyteller and the stories they tell is minute, and the most powerful stories and performances are fuelled by real life – like Inconceivable, the hilarious web series about a surprise pregnancy that is based on filmmaker Joel Ashton McCarthy’s deep dive into parenthood, and Down River, Ben Ratner’s profoundly moving feature film about three women wading through grief that was inspired by the loss of his friend, industry legend Babz Chula – not to mention the countless instances where a performer has made bold acting choices based on their off-screen life.
Screen stories can impact larger conversations. My search for the story behind the screen story has led to articles about pregnancy loss, reconciliation, depression, poverty, sexism, racism, ageism, grief, #metoo, murdered and missing Indigenous women, what it means to be an outsider and a newcomer, and all manners of love. Film is community-driven art that can drive change – and thoughtful filmmakers can take a difficult and sprawling topic and distill it so it’s less intimidating for audiences. Examples: Charles Wilkinson’s housing crisis documentary Vancouver: No Fixed Address; A Better Man, in which filmmaker Attiya Khan converses with the ex-boyfriend who abused her; and On the Farm, Rachel Talalay’s searing feature about the women preyed upon by Robert Pickton, and the systemic racism that supported his years-long murder spree.
Making the law work for all of us.
In order to crash through glass ceilings or heal from profound trauma, we have to understand how we arrived where we are. Carefully crafted films contribute to that understanding. Even when the service side is slow, film and television workers shine bright. Reel People was born during the hungry days of the #SaveBCFilm campaign, when the service side of the industry dried up and studios around town sat empty. But even though American money was in short supply, local artists used the down time to create independent works. Down River, Afterparty and innumerable web series and shorts were created during the slowdown – so many that the Vancouver International Film Festival launched its wildly popular B.C. Spotlight series to showcase these stories.Today, the service side is busier than ever, but those dark days revealed that our screen scene workers don’t need a ton of money in order to tell stories that matter.They just need the will, the community and the space (but seriously, money helps). Ideas of success change over the course of a career. It’s one of my favourite interview questions to ask – “What’s
• Family Law • Fertility Law • Same sex immigration • Human rights
Sabrina Furminger with an array of columns. Wendy D photo your idea of success now, and how has it changed over the course of your career?” – because it really does change. Many actors say they got into the industry to make it big, but that line of desire can’t sustain a career, especially when you get what you wanted in the first place. As Chelah Horsdal (Man in the High Castle) said in 2015: “[My idea of success] 10 years ago [was], ‘This is it, I’ve booked a guest star, this is success.’ Now, that’s just a part of my career. I think success now is space in my life for the rest of my life to happen while my career continues.”The journey is usually the reward – or, as Aleks Paunovic (War for the Planet of the Apes) told me in October, “Success is working and being present in the moment and doing what you love with great people.”
Local stories matter. I’m passionate about the Vancouver screen scene in general –and the independent scene in particular – because local stories matter.They matter because they hold a mirror up to who we are, and because it’s healthy and important to peer into that mirror and face the beauty (and ugliness) therein. It’s the only way we grow. Local stories for your watch list: Meditation Park; True Heroines; Shut Up and Say Something; Luk’Luk’I; Bad City; The Road Forward; Greece; For Dear Life. • Reel People is wrapped, but my journey as a purveyor of film and television stories continues with a new project launching Jan. 8. Follow @sabrinarmf – and, from my heart, thank you for reading Reel People. W
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GNOME MATTER WHAT IT IS... People love a bargain!
$2850 Toyota ECHO A/C 2002 $2850 Honda Accord EXL 1998 $2850 Focus SE 4dr auto 2005 $2850 Accent GSi HB a/t 2003 $2850 Grand Am SE auto 1997
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NORM 604-841-1855
With our thanks for your business all year long! YourYour Classifieds Team Classifieds Team at theat the
604-630-3300 | classifieds.wevancouver.com
TODAY'S PUZZLE ANSWERS
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COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKER
SUDOKU
AUTOMOTIVE
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HANDYMAN Reno, kitchen, bath, plumbing, countertop, floors, paint, etc. Mic, 604-725-3127
Or call to place your ad at
December 21 - December 27, 2017 W 11
MERRY CHRISTMAS Prices Effective December 21 to December 27, 2017.
100% BC Owned and Operated PRODUCE
MEAT Stem and Leaf Mandarin Oranges from Blue Jay in California
Organic Baby Spinach from Earthbound Farm 454g (1lb) package
Whole Turkeys Specialty or Choices’ *RWA Free Range
7.69kg
1.81kg (4lb) package
4.98
100% Grass Fed Ribeye Steaks or Roasts Aged 21+ Days from Australia
BC Grown Organic Ambrosia Apples from Clapping Chimp ORGANIC PORK
BC Grown Organic Red and Yellow Pugly Potatoes
BC
1.36kg (3lb) bag
2.27kg (5lb) bag
2/5.00
3.98
at our Kitsilano, Kerrisdale, Cambie, North Vancouver and South Surrey locations
value pack
Organic Lean Ground Beef value pack
19.82kg
28.64kg
8.99lb
12.99lb *RWA – raised without antibiotics
GROCERY
DELI Fraser Valley Butter
Tofurky Vegetarian Holiday Roasts
salted or unsalted
product of USA
454g product of Canada
4.99 Gravy 397g 10.99 Roast 737g 24.99 Feast 1.6kg Earth’s Choice Organic Cranberry Sauce whole or jellied
assorted varieties assorted sizes • product of Canada
3.29 to 6.79
Stahlbush Island Farms Sustainable Frozen Vegetables assorted varieties
284-400g • product of USA
2.49 Barbara’s Natural Cheez Puffs
Nature’s Farm Omega-3 Eggs
4.49
348ml • product of USA
2/5.00
150g • product of Canada
4.99
2/6.00
assorted organic varieties 24-40g • product of USA
Silk Fresh Dairy Alternative Beverages
assorted varieties
155-198g • product of USA
Simply Organic Gravy or Sloppy Joe Mix
1.49
Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps
assorted varieties
assorted varieties• product of USA
t i Departmen Let Our Del e m ti e m so u help save yo ese as, with th this Christm dishes: al on as se delicious wn r, Choices’ O Turkey Dinne east Br ey rk Tu fed Specialty Stuf : gs in fix e th with all tatoes • Mashed Po uce Sa ry er • Cranb vy ra •G d Ham • Maple Glaze s et Be d te as • Ro • Stuffing ot Vegetables • Roasted Ro
1.99
Creamers 473ml
3.99
Dairy Alternatives 1.89L
Stash Organic Tea assorted varieties While quantities last. Not all items available at all stores. We reserve the right to correct printing errors.Product may not appear exactly as depicted.
11.00kg
4.99lb
3.49lb
9.98
Specialty Roasting Chickens
18 Tea Bags • product of USA
Woolwich Goat Chevrai Cream Cheese and Crumbles
Liberté Classic Yogurt assorted varieties
assorted varieties
2/7.00
113g product of Canada
750g • product of Canada
2/6.00
3.49 Theo Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Bars
Canadian Heritage Organic Maple Syrup
Nature’s Path Organic Frozen Waffles
assorted varieties
assorted varieties
assorted varieties
85g • product of USA
1L • product of Canada
2/7.00
BAKERY Party Size Cakes Decorated for Holiday Entertaining ( including no egg or dairy cakes ) 540-600g
10.99
210g • product of USA
19.99
2/6.00
WELLNESS Nutra Sea Omega-3 + Vitamin D Fish Oil Supplements
Vega Proteins & Greens assorted varieties
select varieties
29.99
assorted sizes
586-618g
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
20% off Regular Retail Price
Weleda Body and Baby Care Products
Santevia Alkaline Water Pitcher
assorted varieties assorted sizes
assorted colours
On behalf of the staff, man agement and ownership of Choices Mar kets, we’d like to wish all of our customers and community members a happy holiday. No matter what festivities you celebrate at this most wonderful time of year, we hope that it is filled with the people you love and the joy of a fantastic meal.
20% off
Regular Retail Price
Kitsilano
2627W 16th Ave,Vancouver 604.736.0009
Cambie
3493 Cambie St,Vancouver 604.875.0099
49.99 Kerrisdale
1888W 57th Ave,Vancouver 604.263.4600
Yaletown
1202 Richards St,Vancouver 604.633.2392
Commercial Drive
1045 Commercial Dr,Vancouver 604.678.9665
Burnaby Crest
8683 10th Ave, Burnaby 604.522.0936
Burnaby Marine Way
8620 Glenlyon Pkwy, South Burnaby 778.379.5757