SPOTLIGHT | Maddy Kelly Live x Just For Laughs x Fox Cabaret

"Consent is not a big part of tickling, historically."

His Parents Never Taught Him

Mount Pleasant—(February 18, 2026) Vancouver's very own Maddy Kelly, the now New York City-transplanted stand-up comedian, came back to town for another reliably sharp stage performance. Her latest set of jokes mostly delighted the familiar hometown crowd inside the Fox Cabaret music venue located at the nexus of Main Street and Kingsway as part of the city's annual eleven-day Just for Laughs Vancouver comedy festival.

WANDER | Lego x 'Artemis Space Adventure' x Science World x False Creek

"Think like NASA engineers, problem-solve like scientists, and dream like explorers."

False Creek—(June 25, 2025) Experience Science World's brand new, out-of-this-world featured interactive exhibition, Artemis Space Adventure with Lego Bricks, a transformative display of space travel to the Moon and beyond, employing the popular interlocking Danish construction toys.

IMBIBE | Good Thief x Rebellious Vietnamese x Riley Park

"It's a venture into the unexplored territories of flavour and design."

Riley Park–Little Mountain—(July 25, 2024) From co-founders/siblings Vincent and Amélie Thuy Nguyễn, the same "older brother and sister" duo behind the award-winning, authentic Vietnamese restaurant slyly named after themselves, Anh and Chi (since 2016), comes their hotly anticipated, recently opened next door culinary side project, the cheekily named Good Thief—a name purposely evoking a modern day Robin Hood.

IMBIBE | Zarak x ¿CóMO? x Tocador x Vancouver Cocktail Week 2024

Mount Pleasant—(March 5, 2024) In its third year, the annual Vancouver Cocktail Week continued its libatious celebration of the art of the cocktail through a variety of bartender-forward events, tastings, and dinner pairings across the city. Among many of the thirsty day trips offered, I was invited to one of VCW's neighbourhood jaunts, the Main Street Cocktail Crawl, visiting three of the hottest restaurants for a drink and snack at each stop.

WEEKENDER | Street Party x Vancouver Mural Festival x Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant—(August 10 to 14, 2023) I spent the weekend wandering around the Mount Pleasant Street Party as part of the annual ten-day Vancouver Mural Festival (since 2016) on and around the grounds of the City Centre Artist Lodge—the remnants of the old City Centre Motel, since converted into seventy-nine units of low-cost studio spaces for local artists.

IMBIBE | Patio Season x The Boxcar x Tacofino x Strathcona

Strathcona—(July 5, 2021) The Boxcar is already well on its way to having a fine summer thanks to its narrow but awesome carriageway space—sandwiched in between the old Cobalt venue and Pizzeria Farina—leading into a pretty vibrant outdoor backlot patio tucked away off a back alley near the gates to Chinatown on Main Street.

KAFFE | Aperture Coffee Bar x Riley Park–Little Mountain

Riley Park–Little Mountain—The photography-themed Aperture Coffee Bar's second location on Main Street feels much more unassuming than it actually is.

IMBIBE | Chickadee Room x Juke Fried Chicken x Chinatown

Chinatown—(July 12, 2020) As a result of BC's Phase 2 reopening COVID-19 protocols, the team behind Juke Fried Chicken established The Chickadee Room run by bar manager Sabrine Dhaliwal—you can usually spot her safely behind the plexiglass-protected bar in a full face shield—as a separated cocktail spot and cozy dining room offshoot to their takeout counter located in the adjacent space (now separated by a spiffy new black and pink wall).

GRUB | TV Beer Dinner x Brassneck Brewery x Mount Pleasant

"Grab a tray. Settle in, you're all set."

Mount Pleasant—As a byproduct of the now weeks-long coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown, Brassneck Brewery had the fun idea to sell their own various prepackaged takeout TV Beer Dinners in the meantime, while their tasting room is closed.

GRUB | New in Town x Old Bird Chinese x Riley Park

"Chinese food with attitude."

Riley Park–Little Mountain—(February 4, 2020) Old Bird Restaurant's new Taiwanese and Shanghainese street food dining concept is quietly trying to establish itself—taking over Nomad's old location on Main Street. The elevated Chinese restaurant boasts an impressive pedigree from a trio of women headed by owner Sophia Hin, Executive Chef Deseree Lo, and GM Shawn Jones.

WANDER | Lego x 'Towers of Tomorrow' x Science World x False Creek

False Creek—(January 23, 2020) Science World unveiled its latest first-of-its-kind, limited-engagement exhibition, Towers of Tomorrow with Lego Bricks, to much excitement and interest. Visitors of all ages are invited to step into a larger-than-life Lego wonderland showcasing twenty of the world's most iconic and astonishing skyscrapers and towers in the form of specially built toy brick replicas—proving a real treat to see.

GRUB | ¿CóMO? Taperia x Spanish Tapas Bar x Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant—Vancouver's newest Spanish tapas restaurant ¿CóMO? Taperia, located just off 7th and Main in the still yet to be completed Ellsworth Building, certainly opened with high expectations, lofty ambitions, and a sterling pedigree to live up to.

IMBIBE | Science of Cocktails 2019 x Science World x False Creek

False Creek—(February 7, 2019) The sold-out Science of Cocktails, Science World's fourth annual charitable cocktail fundraiser, continued its strong streak of cocktail fun again in assembling over two-dozen of Vancouver's most talented bartenders and mixologists to entertain its 1,500 attendees in support of the Class Field Trip Program.

GRUB | Funky Brunch x Rumpus Room x Mount Pleasant

chicken and waffles (with gravy, maple syrup, and green onions)

Mount Pleasant—(September 22, 2018) The reopened Rumpus Room, which took over the old Foundation location earlier this year with much of the same decor and welcoming appeal from owners Rachel Zottenberg and David Duprey. Their funky weekend brunch service is just in line with the rest of the homey eatery.

FEAST | Torafuku Modern Asian x 3rd Anniversary x Strathcona

Strathcona—(July 23, 2018) The team behind Torafuku's funky and modern pan-Asian eatery located near the gates of Chinatown just off the North end of Main Street celebrated their third anniversary in style with a twelve-course, family-style dinner pairing, debuting a new menu of dishes and an array of specialty cocktails.

TREAT | Candy Town x Yum Sweet Shop x Riley Park

Riley Park–Little Mountain—The newly opened Yum Sweet Shop on Main Street is full of colourfully ornate decor and a deep menu of throwback treats.

IMBIBE | Science of Cocktails 2018 x Science World x False Creek

False Creek—(February 8, 2018) Science World's third annual charitable cocktail fundraiser, Science of Cocktails, topped itself once again in bringing together over thirty of Vancouver's finest bartenders and mixologists alongside 1,500 attendees to support their Class Field Trip Program.

SOUND | Tennis Music x The Cobalt x Strathcona

Strathcona—(December 2, 2017) Denver-based husband-and-wife indie pop duo Tennis brought their trademark 1970s throwback aesthetic to The Cobalt in support of their latest EP, We Can Die Happy, and excellent fourth album, Yours Conditionally—both released earlier this year.

WEEKENDER | Vancouver Mural Festival 2017

Mount Pleasant—(August 12, 2017) The second annual Vancouver Mural Festival (previously known as the Autumn Shift Festival before that) and its accompanying street party took over the closed-off Main Street this past weekend, showcasing many talented artists across East Vancouver.

GRUB | Monarch Burger x The American x Strathcona

Strathcona—The new Monarch Burger concept has launched permanently at the recently opened The American pub on Main Street after initially being only a (successful) one-off pop-up collaboration. Essentially a repackaged version of the famed "dirty burger" served nightly in limited quantities down the street at Campagnolo Upstairs from Chef Robert Belcham, the new burger service aims to please similarly but to a bigger crowd every night.