Méli-Mélo September 2024
A milestone anniversary
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Chambar, one of Vancouver’s best-known restaurants. Highly regarded as a destination that provides an affordable fine dining experience, serving unique and highly sophisticated dishes without the high cost, Chambar is also praised for training some of the city’s most noteworthy hospitality professionals.
“Vancouver has a plethora of exceptional talents within its culinary scene, and we are both proud and excited by its evolution,” says Karri Green-Schuermans, who coowns Chambar with her husband Nico Schuermans. “The culture of Chambar is one of our greatest assets, it's what I'm most proud of. It's the people that make this place, and we are so grateful for the many personalities that have and continue to contribute to Chambar's success.”
”The first half of Chambar's history was about growth and expansion, the second half was about honoring the knowledge of enough, about what really matters, our family, our happiness, our integrity. This business has been a creative practice, a way to physically manifest our values in the world, and a place to build community.”
In celebration of this milestone, Chambar is kicking off a series of events and special programming throughout the year. Earlier this spring, Chambar offered a nostalgia menu that showcased some of its original menu items at 2004 pricing. Additional events can be found through Chambar’s social media and newsletters.
Chambar
568 Beatty St., Crosstown, Vancouver
chambar.com | 604.879.7119 | @chambar_restaurant
A barley-based gathering place
Opening soon, The Patch Brewery is a welcome new addition to the backroads of Maple Ridge.
“The idea was to create a community gathering space. We felt like Maple Ridge didn’t have somewhere where families and friends could bring together a large group of people,” says co-owner Rebecca Laity.
Located across from the city’s beloved Laity Pumpkin Patch — a local and tourist hotspot — The Patch offers food, coffee and in-house brews all under one impressive roof. With seating for 100 people indoors, and more than 200 outdoors, there is plenty of room to gather and socialize in groups small and large.
“We are trying to cover everyone,” Laity notes when discussing the inclusive menu. In addition to offering 10 of its own beers on tap, including gluten-free and non-alcoholic choices, they also offer customers local ciders, wines and kombucha — even sparkling water — on tap. Artisan food options, including mouth-watering wood-fired pizza, will also include gluten-free and plant-based options.
Uniquely growing and processing 100 per cent of its own non-GMO barley, The Patch has successfully elevated local, specially curated flavours while also working toward its goal of self-sustainability and sourcing farm-to-table ingredients.
The Patch is a one-stop shop for customers: a place to grab your coffee on your way to work, or stop by for a crisp beer and pizza on your way home. “We are giving people a destination [and] this can be the spot that people return to.”
The Patch Brewery
12745 Laity St., Maple Ridge
thepatchbrewery.com | @thepatchbrewery
'Tis the season of pumpkin spice
As we enter the season of pumpkin spice and apple cider, coffee shops around B.C. are embracing the crisp weather with limited time fall treats.
Here are a few local locations to check out this autumnal season: In Vancouver, Cadeaux Bakery and Platform 7 Coffee are worth a visit. In the Fraser Valley, you can satisfy your warm, spicy and sweet cravings at The Nut (Maple Ridge), Stomping Grounds Cafe & Bistro (Pitt Meadows), Everbean Café (Surrey), The Plant Parlour by Down 2 Earth (Langley), Oldhand Coffee (Abbotsford) and Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters (Chilliwack).
Authentic Middle Eastern cuisine with an inspiring twist
Looking for authentic Middle Eastern cuisine? Located in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood, Tayybeh is a women owned and -operated company whose inspiring mission to “empower [Syrian and Middle Eastern] newcomer women and offer opportunities for employment, financial independence and social integration” is highlighted through its authentic menus.
Starting as a catering service in 2017, Tayybeh has expanded its ventures by opening a restaurant earlier this year.
Founder Nihal Elwan explains “we have spent the last eight years catering and delivering our delicious food all over the Lower Mainland. Those experiences have allowed us to learn which dishes are most popular with diners around the city and these are the items we have added to our restaurant menu.”
Kibbeh, described by Elwan as “the culinary jewel of Syrian food,” is a delicious option for meat eaters; and plant-based choices such as Yalanji — vine leaf rolls filled with rice, herbs and spices topped with a pomegranate molasses sauce — are available to vegan diners.
Tayybeh’s recently released Middle Eastern brunch menu is now available every weekend from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features eight popular items such as foul and chickpea fatteh, manakeesh mhammara, falafel, labneh and maamoul cookies with your tea or Arabic coffee.
Tayybeh
2836 W 4th Ave., Vancouver
tayybeh.com | @tayybeh.syrian
Innovative app tackles food insecurity
The Food Link by United Way B.C. is a newly introduced food donation app, currently piloting in the Surrey, Chilliwack and North Okanagan areas. Through the click of a button, nonprofits can place community food-need requests and be matched with food-supplying organizations for donations.
“Not all communities have the same food needs, but everyone has the right to healthy, nutritious, culturally preferable food,” the mission statement notes.
Volunteers transport the food donations to those in need. Community members can sign up to volunteer through the app, and commitment is flexible — volunteer regularly or just once. This innovative and mission-driven app is uniquely tackling food insecurity and integrating community members and organizations into the process.
The free app is available for download on both iOS and Android.
Amici means Friends
Located in Historic Downtown Abbotsford, Amici Italian Wine Bar & Osteria is a modern Italian osteria featuring a selection of handmade pastas and focaccia, a curated list of Italian wines and a menu of mouth-watering cocktails.
“We are proud of our hand-made pasta plates — notably [the] Lemon Ricotta Tortellini, Mushroom Gnocchi, Cavatelli from the Garden, alongside the housemade ‘House of Focaccia’ menu,” says founder Josh Vanderheide. Its daily features highlight the creativity of the culinary team by offering something new and exciting for the customer's every visit.
“The Fraser Valley is known for its rich agriculture and so we took a trip to Italy in 2018 to see how local agriculture can be translated 'to the plate' and we were inspired by Italian culture of how food connects the community,” Vanderheide says.
After adapting an old heritage building into three unique spaces — a casual Italian family-style dining room, downstairs wine bar lounge and stunning courtyard patio — Amici officially opened its doors in April and news around town has quickly spread among locals.
More recently it has expanded its offerings and has opened Caffè Gelato by Amici in the neighbouring building. After a meal, pop by next door and indulge in the wide selection of authentic Italian gelato or peruse the affogato menu for an extra special treat.
Amici Italian Wine Bar & Osteria
33724 Essendene Ave., Abbotsford
amiciwinebar.com | @amici.winebar
A slice of heaven
In absence of a curated tour or easy-to-follow app that guides us to all the best sourdough bakeries, here is a starters lists of local hot spots offering the tangy, naturally leavened loaves. Whether you're gluten-free or vegan, there are options for everyone to enjoy.
- A Bread Affair (Vancouver)
- To Live For Bakery & Cafe (Vancouver)
- Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery (Van.)
- Bâtard Boulangerie (Vancouver)
- Tommy’s Whole Grain (Vancouver)
- Purebread (multiple locations)
- Gratia Bakery & Café (Maple Ridge)
- Benanna Bakery (Chilliwack)
