Granville Island Brewing Peach Sample Shop

Granville Island Brewing Company is hosting a 10 day peach themed pop-up in celebration of the release of their newest hoppy creation, the Peach Sour! In partnership with the Vancouver Food Bank and Lee's Donuts, the Sample Shop is open from 12pm - 5pm from May 14 to 24, 2021 at 45 Water Street Vancouver. If you are strolling through Gastown, this immersive peach themed sample shop is tough to miss. Now I LOVE Peaches, so I could not miss this. 

Scroll down to see me show off my peach 

What I Miss from Before COVID-19 Restrictions

I live in Canada which is currently in the midst of its third COVID-19 wave. The interesting part is knowing there are countries in the world that have resumed normal life, but unfortunately, the province I live in, British Columbia, is still in a state of emergency. March 18, 2020, was when the original state of emergency went into effect and has since been extended and is still in effect over a year later. Needless to say, I never imagined COVID-19 having such a profound effect on the world, on my life, and everyone's life. The most frustrating part is being restricted in terms of activities and overall my "usual" way of life. 

So this is my list of activities, tasks, random things that I took for granted pre-covid and seriously miss. 

Imagine Van Gogh Vancouver is a Must Visit

Imagine Van Gogh is an immersive art experience that is currently open for viewing in Vancouver. When I first purchased my tickets - over a month ago! - I thought this would be a typical Art Gallery show in which original Van Gogh paintings would be on display. Definitely not a stereotypical art experience. They really take the immersive aspect to a whole new level. 

In his career, Van Gogh painted an staggering 900 pieces of work which is even more impressive considering he passed at the age of 37. Unfortunately many artists including Van Gogh did not gain fame until after their passing. His work is now valued millions of dollars. What I did not know was Van Gogh struggled with mental illness and spent a large part of his life in and out of hospitals. The exhibit starts with panels of information from which I learned so much about Van Gogh. 

Maxine's Cafe & Bar is Vancouver's newest brunch obsession

Vancouver was in desperate need of a Europeanesque bistro and Maxine's Cafe & Bar has finally filled that void. Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space with natural light that bounces off the marble counters, deep walnut-toned wood, and metallic brass accents. What particularly caught my eye is the stunning art-deco arched shelving above the bar that is lined with premium liquor. As soon as I saw the pictures and press releases for Maxine's, I knew I had to visit them. 

Since I am obsessed with brunch, it only made sense that I swung by on a Sunday morning. We were seated out front on Maxine's makeshift patio, as the actual patio undergoes completion. I love the white & red woven bistro chairs because in my head I picture these chairs being used for seating in cute Parisienne cafes! 

I Made a Fruit Sculpture for the Nakano Knives Contest

I love working with my hands, being creative, and making beautiful creations. Nakano Knives reached out to me to be an ambassador for the Fruit Sculpting Contest. 

Please vote for me! 

I thought it would be easy since I have seen it done many times on the Food Network. If Aarón and Chris can do it on Chefs vs. City with no training, then I should be able to carve a piece of fruit into a wicked sculpture too! 

Chefs vs. City was probably one of my favourite Food Network Channel shows! It ran for two seasons airing from 2009 to 2010. Chefs Aarón Sánchez and Chris Cosentino travel go head to head with two chefs from the city they are competing in. Sort of like the Amazing Race that you go to the city, compete in games for clues, racing around the city to the finish line. Each episode has several challenges that are centered around the local food culture in the city! I do not remember the exact episode, but maybe you can find it!

Indoor dining in BC temporarily banned March 29th to April 19th, 2021

The announcement of all indoor dining being suspended effective midnight Monday March 29th came as no surprise because the Covid-19 cases in BC have surged. Unfortunately, the ban on indoor dining, group fitness classes and Whistler Backcomb ski resort negatively impacts a huge number of small businesses in BC. The current emergency closure is in place until April 19, 2021, and there is very good possibility that it will get extended. 

In my opinion, the "circuit breaker" as put by BC health was not well implemented. Restauranteurs and employees hardly had any time to plan or make alternative arrangements. Literally they had less than 12 hours notice! The restaurants with patio and outdoor seating are lucky because the health order specifically prohibits indoor seating, not outdoor or patio dining. However, since BC is a temperate rainforest, we get several months of dreary rainy weather, so it is understandable why many restaurants only have indoor seating. 

Douce Diner scoops out Banana Splits in a retro 50's aesthetic space

My craving for the 1950's diner experience is real! The era was all about the bright hued interiors, penny tiles, cushioned booths, neon signs, and Roc'n Roll. Douce Diner has brought the classic Americana vibe north of the border to the North Shore and needless to say, they nailed the 50's era vibe! 

Douce Diner checks off so many boxes for me with their Pink, Mint and Yellow colour palette, to the intricate penny tiled flooring and the neon pink "Hello Sunshine" sign that overlooks the space. Douce Diner have struck the perfect balance between contemporary and retro.