Méli-Mélo is an edible hodgepodge to help you stay on top of the hits and happenings in Vancouver and beyond. Get the latest — from the this-just-opened and give-backs, to new bites, libations and don’t-miss events.
A Creative City of Gastronomy
With more than 500 restaurants, 40 wineries, 800 farms and a flourishing craft beverage scene, Kelowna has become a popular destination for culinary enthusiasts. Recently, the city’s status was elevated when it received the prestigious designation as Canada’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, which is part of the Creative Cities Network. The network has several different categories and now includes 408 cities across more than 100 countries, including four Canadian cities — London for music, Quebec City for literature, Montreal for design and Toronto for media arts.
Applying for the designation was a collaborative effort between the City of Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna, Okanagan College, Westbank First Nation and various industry partners.
“Becoming a city of gastronomy will attract new visitors, events and conferences, and is something very special to be proud of as residents,” says Lisanne Ballantyne, president and CEO of Tourism Kelowna. “Kelowna’s distinct food and drink story begins with the land — its beauty, its bounty, and the way it connects us. Our unique terroir and microclimate inspire chefs, winemakers, brewmasters, cidermakers and farmers to create experiences deeply rooted in place and community.”
“The designation affirms what we’ve been doing all along and highlights the work and trailblazers from the past who have built this valley and this city up to what it is today,” says Mark Filatow, executive chef and sommelier at Waterfront Wines. “It’s good for restaurants, wineries, hotels, breweries, honey producers and others. It will help raise the profile with locals and tourists.”
Tourism Kelowna | tourismkelowna.com
City of Kelowna | kelowna.ca
The New Knotty Trend
The Knotty Brew, Canada’s first crochet café, opened in Abbotsford last fall. Bea Davila built the business around community, a love for crochet and an appreciation for a really good cup of coffee (and its signature matcha).
“We wanted to create a space for anyone who enjoys creating in general,” Davila says.
She’s excited that there’s been an increase in people coming in to knit and work on other crafts. “We’ve had multiple crafters such as embroiderers, cross-stitchers; we’ve even had people come in with their colouring books and scrapbooking projects.”
And the knotty community is growing — at the café and online with their Instagram account reaching more than 26,000 followers in less than six months. This fits with what some are calling a “cozy comeback” of traditional crafting hobbies.
As well as providing space for people to craft together, the Knotty Brew offers a series of beginner and intermediate crochet and knitting workshops and a boutique that sells yarn and crafty creations from local vendors.
Davila plans to expand the current menu and add more community events/workshops, but encourages everyone to stay tuned as, “There’s still more brewing in the background.”
The Knotty Brew
33723 Essendene Ave., Abbotsford
theknottybrew.com | @theknottybrew
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) in Vancouver wants to help train the next generation of budding culinary professionals and is prepared to get them started young. PICA is offering a spring break cooking camp later in March, as well as summer camps in July and August for youth ages 10 to 16. The week-long cooking and baking camps are completely hands-on, led by professional chef-instructors.
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts | picachef.com
Something’s Brewing in Penticton
As much as the Okanagan is known as a food and wine destination, it also has a vibrant craft beer scene. With more breweries per capita than any other Canadian city, Penticton was deemed “Canada’s craft beer capital” by Lonely Planet. Proudly embracing the designation, the beer-forward city has seven craft breweries known as the Penticton Beer Blocks (part of Penticton’s Ale Trail) and hosts three popular festivals: Beer Week in October, Penticton Beer Run in June and the Okanagan Fest of Ale.
“We are looking forward to the 29th Annual Okanagan Fest of Ale at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre to celebrate craft beer and cider from B.C. on April 10 and 11, 2026,” says Michael Stokker, vice president of the Okanagan Fest of Ale Society. “We will be looking at bringing in some great bands… and kicking it up a notch.”
Operating as a volunteer-run non-profit society, the festival supports and promotes the craft brewing industry while raising money for local charities. The festival offers tastings from B.C. craft breweries and cideries, along with great food and live music. It also recognizes B.C.’s top breweries with the annual Fest of Ale’s Awards.
Each year, the Okanagan Fest of Ale donates the event’s net proceeds to local organizations such as Penticton Soupateria, Breakfast Club and Discovery House addiction recovery homes. Since its inception in 1996, Fest of Ale has donated more than $850,000.
Okanagan Fest of Ale | festofale.ca
Penticton Beer Blocks | pentictonbeerblocks.ca
Penticton Ale Trail | bcaletrail.ca/ale-trail/penticton-ale-trail
Sakura Days
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is hosting a two-day Sakura Days Japan Fair in partnership with the Japan Fair Association of Vancouver at VanDusen Botanical Garden on April 11 and 12. Prepare to be immersed in Japanese culture with traditional tea ceremonies, Japanese food and drinks, and a range of cultural performances, all while surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms.
vcbf.ca/festival/sakura-days-japan-fair
New Space, New Vibe
After two years in Kitsilano, Tayybeh not only has a new home in Mount Pleasant but an updated look and a lot more space. Known for offering traditional Syrian cuisine through its catering services, restaurant and retail products, the social enterprise will continue to offer those services, but on a larger scale.
“We can now grow,” says Nihal Elwan, who founded Tayybeh nine years ago as a catering company that provided employment for newcomer Syrian and Middle Eastern women chefs. “In our new location, we can now embrace our vision of becoming a community hub. One that is cozy, comfortable and welcoming,” she says.
With more than 70 seats inside and 10 outside, and a large commercial kitchen, Tayybeh has an expanded menu, increased catering capacity and new retail products. There’s live music on weekends and room to host a variety of private and public events, including viewing the FIFA World Cup Series. Two large TV screens have been installed and there is a full bar with beer on tap.
Tayybeh continues to offer Syrian brunch on weekends, serving savoury favourites — falafel, fatayer and foul — and house-made sweets. Daily Middle Eastern High Tea offers “a slower afternoon ritual with handcrafted sweet and savoury bites, served with aromatic Arabic tea or traditional coffee.”
Tayybeh
151 W Broadway, Vancouver
tayybeh.com | @tayybeh.syrian
