Le So.Cial at Le Magasin - Deli

Le Social at Le Magasin
Custom Butcher Shop & Deli
332 Water Street
Vancouver BC, V6B 1B6
Ph: 604.669.4488
map
Neighborhood: Gastown

Price: $

Gastown’s Le Magasin is a collection of shops and restaurants, housed in the style of the building’s arcade origins. After shopping at Button Button, I spied a deli on the back side of the posh oyster bar, Le So.Cial. Inside, I found a great Gastown lunch option (one on the gourmet, spendy side of ‘cheap eats’). For $5.95, you can get a small sandwich (basically a hand-sized triangle). These aren’t just any old sandwiches. Le So.Cial’s deli has a selection of local and organic custom cut meats, house made charcuterie, terrines, sausages, bacon and a delicious assortment of condiments. If the deli is too crowded, you can sit in Le So.Cial’s swanky lounge. There are a couple stools and a counter inside the deli which is itself done up in the Le Magasin’s 1911 style with high, pressed-tin ceilings, rustic floors and grand windows. There’s even a tree (dead or fake?) in the middle of the room. Just beware of the cranky butcher...

Button Button

Button Button
422 Cordova Street West
Vancouver, BC V6B 4K2(604) 687-0067

There is something so deliciously old school about a store that sells only one, very specific type of item. Vancouver has several of these: Drexoll for board games, a pen shop downtown but my very favorite is Button Button for, you guessed it, buttons. The store sits on a quiet corner in Gastown; a giant spool of thread marks its entrance. And because its inventory is only buttons, the range available is mind boggling. There are vintage buttons of porcelain, resin and wood to new plastic ones, and for lovers of kitsch there are those shaped like bananas, monsters or cobs of corn. I need buttons because I make crafts; I love buttons for their tiny punches of flare.

Daiso - $2 Store

Daiso

Unit 1080, 2030
Aberdeen Centre

4151 Hazelbridge Way,

Richmond, BC, Canada V6X 4J7

Tel: 604-295-6601

http://www.daisocanada.com/

So it seems the rainy season is inching its way back into Vancouver. This time, to thwart any possible weather-inflicted depression, I’m starting to prepare a cache of rainy day activities to lighten my mood. My first find is Daiso – the Japanese $2 store. Located in the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, Daiso is a crazed superstore of Asian goods and of course, everything is priced $2. In my first trip, I bought fake eyelashes, placemats, dishtowels, a pot holder, and cute containers to hold loose coffee and sugar. Yet, the two floors contain so much more and many items have the kawaii aesthetic that many of us are drawn to. The Aberdeen Centre is an interesting mall in itself – other Chinese and Japanese stores offer candies, teas, clothing and dried goods. Needless to say, it’s a popular spot so try and go early on in the day so you have plenty of room and patience to marvel at the exotic selection.

Kadoya Japanese

Kadoya Japanese
1063 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC
Map
Neighborhood: West End
Price: $

Editorial Review - Kadoya Japanese

We’ve heard sushi in Vancouver is unbeatable. So we’ve gone out every Thursday night (right before The Office) to try new sushi places. After 4 months, we fell in love with a place only a few blocks away—Kadoya. Kadoya is in the midst of Davie Street and small (why are sushi restaurants always so small!). You may have a short wait for a table but it’s worth it—totally affordable, totally yummy sushi. We love the Sakura Roll—a specialty roll with spicy tuna and scallions. The portions are generous; most rolls come in 10+ pieces. The service can be slow at times but it is always pleasant.

Sai Z

Sai Z Japanese Resturant
3116 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
604.732.7249
Map

Neighborhod: Kits
Price: $-$$

There's so many restaurants on West Broadway, and so many Sushi joints in particular, it's hard for the uninitiated to know where to start. For those of us going simply on looks, Sai Z presents a swanky façade that delivers where it counts. A pleasant wood-beamed interior and a jazzish piano player offset the candle-lit ambiance. The food is presented in similarly meticulous manner (we had the yam tempura appetizer, which came out looking like jenga puzzle). The maki and sashimi were supple and tasty and for a price that defies everything about the place: one maki combo for $8 turned out to be a long platter of food that would comfortably fill anyone. An "A" for Sai Z. - daenalus

Maxine's Hideaway

Maxine's Hideaway

(formerly Balthazar)

1215 Bidwell Street
Vancouver, BC
Map

Neighborhood: West End
Price:$-$$

Tucked away beside the busy Davie Street corridor is Balthazar, a pleasantly gaudy, peacefully tacky oasis in the gauntlet of tourists and bikinis that is English Bay. The dark windows of this residential-looking restaurant piqued Vancouverist's interest for months until we were finally lured in by half-price brick-oven pizza Thursdays. Inside an open space of plush red greeted diners who enjoyed specials while sunbeams flitted into the dining room through a small terrace. The pizza was tasty, the beer cheap, and the service friendly. Balthazar transitions at night into a performance space for comedy nights, as well as karaoke, and where the specials continue in abundance. - daenalus

(UPDATE 4/02/08: changed names, maybe even management, seems to be "burlesque-themed" now. have not reviewed since this change)

The Whip

The Whip Gallery
209 East 6th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Map
604. 874.4687

Neighborhood: SOMO (South Main)
Price: $-$$

We were driving down Main Street after a disappointing trip to the Richmond Night Market last night when I caught sight of The Whip's red lights on a side street. It was a great summer night with a cool breeze and it begged to be enjoyed with a drink outdoors. Their outside seating was packed so we chose one of the two empty tables inside. We sighed with relief. Finally, a place

with historical detail mixed with modern charm that's not in Gastown. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Six Acres but a notch down in pretension. This was exactly the kind of place we East Coasters had been looking for in the last 5 months. We got drinks - reasonably priced and an interesting range. We didn't order food but the choices looked great. Yam Frites, Eggplant chips, etc. for Tapas. The entree list had the choices of Protein, Sauce, Vegetable and Carb all laid out for a customized plate for dinner. Many tables were enjoying plates of deserts. I can't wait to go back and get a Sangaria pitcher of try out their brunch.

Lolita's South of the Border Catina

Lolita's
1326 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC
Map
604-696-9999
www.lolitasrestaurant.com

Neighborhood: West End
Price: $$

Finding tasty Mexican fare in the Pacific Northwest is no easy task. My cravings weren’t satisfied with Taco del Mar so I was tickled mole to find Lolita's, a fun and appetizing cantina on Davie Street. As with most places with atmosphere in Vancouver, Lolita's space is cramped. The décor is Latin festive without oozing maracas and piñatas. Lolita's service is friendly but a wee slow. We enjoyed a raspberry mojito (!) and a standard margarita – it’s a fine place for just drinks. We ordered the ceviche and the chili relleno – both indulgently good. The prices are also indulgent – over my budget for a casual dine but damn deserving of a special occasion. I had regulated myself to a life of sushi. Vancouver just got a little more interesting.

Six Acres

Six Acres
203 Carrall St.
Vancouver, BC
Map
604 488 0110
www.sixacres.ca

Neighborhood: Gastown
Price: $

Six Acres rocks. Tucked away next to the Irish Heather on Carrell Street in Gastown, Six Acres is the kind of unassuming that demands respect. I can only attest to the quality of a few tapas but for a drinking hole, Six Acres wins hands down. Six Acres is respite from the Vancouver condos of new and the gortex of the active. It feels great to relax with a drink in a space that smacks of a little history and where the patrons are energetic yet calm and cool not haughty.

Whineos

Whineos
1017 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC
Map
604-669-9463

Neighborhood: Granville
Price: $$

This strip of Granville seems to cater to those I would never hang with in college - gel-coiffed jocks and ladies in tight pants. That's why Whineos is so refreshing. Whineos is, of course, a wine (not whine) bar. On the night we went - a Saturday night around 10pm - it was packed with big parties. The scene was on the cheesy side of upscale but the venue has great atmosphere - narrow, brick and wood with a little secret room you can inhabit if you get there early enough. Whineos's wine list is upscale as well but that's why you'd be drinking here and not on your couch. Food is available as well.

Clove

Clove
2054 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
Map
604-255-5550

Neighborhood: The Drive
Price: $$

Clove does Asian fusion well and I'm grateful, because there are many many nights when I can't determine if my craving is for Indian, Thai or Korean. For those East Coasters, Clove would fit perfectly in Brooklyn or the lower east side. After living in the West End, I'm always exited to experience the posh yet real side of the commerical drive strip. Clove feels exotic and lively with its vibrant colored walls, bamboo accents and down tempo soundtrack. Great place for just drinks but our food was tasty as well.

Kingyo Izakaya

Kingyo Izakaya
871 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC
Map
604-608-1677

Neighborhod: West End
Price: $

Kingyo is a great place for Japanese tapas and endless sake. The staff cheerfully greets each patron arriving and leaving this izakaya and the room is a warm, wooden and well-designed space. Specials like kobe beef and fesh salmon are so tasty that your bill will rack up as you'll order more and more dishes. Kingy is great for out of town guests as it showcases Asian cusine at its most social and savory.

Finch's Tea & Coffee House

Finch's Tea & Coffee House
353 West Pender
Vancouver, BC
Map
604.899.4040

Neighborhood: Gastown
Price: $

This little coffee shop, teetering on the edge of Vancouver’s skid row, is an oasis. Patrons are soothed by Finch's lace curtains, genuine distressed wood floors, light green tin-like ceilings and just the right smattering of vintage details. Tendrils of hanging plants frame the floor to ceiling windows and chalkboards tell of Finch’s beverage and food offerings. Highlights include baguetted sandwiches of brie, pears and avocado, free range egg salad crispy salami, proscuitto and vine tomato salads, chowder soups, and a tempting collection of fresh baked desserts. Cat Power and Bob Dylan play on the speakers and with one of Finch’s coffees or teas in hand, another rainy day spent indoors becomes more than tolerable. Seating is limited but that’s why it’s quaint.

The Alibi Room

The Alibi Room
157 Alexander Street
Vancouver, BC
Map

Neighborhood: Gastown
Price: $$

The Alibi Room is the epitome of Gastown cool. An old structure repurposed into a bar and restaurant with fanatic architectural details. Weeknights are calm but on Friday and Saturday, the Alibi Room is quite sceny. The crowd vacillates between noir-clad professional to designer-grunge art folk. Your night can be made or broken by which is at the neighboring tables. _