Christine "Real Housewife on the Prairie" R.'s Profile

This place has only been open a few months, I'm told, and it looks amazing. It's smack in the middle of Chinatown, so they've taken a few design cues there, from the mural that runs along the entry staircase (I felt a little like I was going up to Andy's friend's funky apartment in Pretty in Pink) to the big round reddish lights at either end of the room that reminded me of the Japanese flag.

I was there early in the night for an event, so it was very chill with DJs playing and lots of space to lounge around on the banquettes and chat. Bartenders, coat check staff, and door staff - all very nice and friendly, too. And would you look at the size of that dance floor! I'm going to have to start staying up later.

PS No beer on draft here, only bottles. But reasonably priced.

Sometimes when a one-stand operation gets successful and starts opening multiple locations, quality take a nose dive (cough...Cupcakes...cough). Happily, this is not the case with Memphis Blues, whose barbecue platters are just as eat-with-your-hands tasty high up in the nosebleed section of North Van. I 'd like to nominate the Elvis Platter to National Treasure status, that's just how good it is... sausages, brisket, pulled pork, fall-off-the-bone chicken and ribs, with vegetables safely confined to potato salad (not my cup of BBQ sauce, but looks authentic enough) and a surprisingly good coleslaw.

I didn't much care for the "authentic" unsweetened ice tea, and I do think the booze prices are a bit high, even if one of the owners of the chainlet is a sommelier and has gotten lots of raves in the foodie press for pairing wines with barbecue. A cheap-and-cheerful selection of vino would be appreciated.

But back to that Elvis Platter - with just two of us to pig out on it, there were plenty of leftovers to pack up, which is DIY, by the way. It's generally a self-service operation, but the staff is super-friendly; the young guy who busses tables was really cool and everyone gave us a warm welcome and goodbye.

By the way - who says decent places to eat on the North Shore are rare? Why I oughta.... a) beat your backside with a kayak paddle or b) make a Yelp list or c) play a continuous loop of the song "The Crawl" by Spirit of the West while we re-enact it. That'll learn ya.

This was my first time playing paintball, so I really have nothing to compare it to, but there's nothing quite like grabbing a bunch of friends, getting dolled up in quasi-military gear/grubby clothes, and running around in the mud shooting each other in the butt (or whatever we could aim at) with paintballs.

North Shore Paintball, located way down by the railroad tracks on the Capilano Indian Reserve (the site is leased from the band), is a super-fun place for your virgin paintball slaughter experience. The guys working there are really cool and fun, even making the obligatory safety-rule lecture kinda entertaining. Although you can't bring in outside paintballs (for both business and liability reasons), they do sell large packs of paintballs that can be shared among your group, saving a little cashola on buying individual packs o' balls.

The field itself is all hills and mud and dotted with a boy's dream assortment of forts and bunkers. Games run in 15-minute segments and vary based on what the referees say, from Zombie tag to Capture the Flag to War. In the summer, you can make private group bookings, but through the fall and winter, it's, as my sister called it, "public slaughter time", ensuring a mix of old and new paintballers playin' together, and providing maximum chances for you to shoot at least some of your friends. (Most games are team-based.)

After a few hours of this, I suggest repairing to a nearby pub or diner, like the Pemb or the Tomahawk, nothing too posh, and comparing battle scars. Mine took a week to heal, but I feel better for having had them. Yaaaahhhh.

Great stock and well-regarded deli counter, but not exactly the most shiny of shopping experiences. As others have mentioned, the aisles are narrow  and I constantly felt that I was jostling and being jostled by other shoppers (excuse me thank you sorry excuse me). Overall, it felt a little dingy and crowded, but they had multiple choices in everything that I needed - I never knew there were so many varieties of pita bread - and prices were excellent. So maybe I shouldn't be such a lookist.

How lovely it is to be able to get a cocktail without either putting on the pantomime of intending to order food or having to deal with the full pub experience - i.e., sports on TVs everywhere, Keno, and weird old men. The Libra Room is just a small, cozy lounge offering cheap-ish wines and astrological themed drinks. I went for an Aries Martini (you can order outside your sign) which was a citrus-y gin-based version of a Cosmo.

Alas, I had time for only one little drinky, but in that short time I was charmed by the bartender's friendliness. I concur that this is an excellent stopping-off place for a smart early evening drink when you're on your way to where you're going.

Just on beyond Bosa Foods is the Ethical Bean roastery and cafe. The cafe is gorgeous, modern yet cozy space, the baristas are friendly, and the coffee is beyond reproach. I probably don't need to list all the modifiers for you.

It's a little expensive, and the actual location is out of the way, unless I'm going to Bosa or, god forbid, Aircare/ICBC. However, I love seeing Ethical Bean handing out free coffee at so many community events, complete with their compostable cups, lids and stir sticks. I love you too, EB.

This place came highly recommended by a friend who's a total car nut, so we're glad we listened. Our car had a serious transmission problem (she ran, but in screeching protest), plus needed some brake work. These guys were honest, fast and competent - all good things in a mechanic. Not especially cheap, but that's to be expected. But it was a reasonable price for the amount and quality of work/parts required.

The only downside was the length of time we had to wait when going to pick up the car up. I really don't know what they were doing back there with all the paperwork... the guys are super nice, and they do like to chat, though. Which leads to another little downside - being totally disabused of my notion of owning one of those cute little Minis, like the one I saw in the shop. According to the  mechanics, Minis are prone to transmission problems - and for whatever reason, cost thousands more to fix than our Honda.

Which, incidentally, is purring like a kitten and stopping on a dime.

Bourbon cocktails? I wasn't sure on the idea, but trust in the power of Yelp because they were delicious. The atmosphere was chill and laidback but friendly. My plus-1 arrived somewhat before me (I had to bomb it from Burquitlam), but she had a great time, too, mingling and getting the drink on.

And having been something of a denizen of the old Sugar Refinery, I could not believe my eyes at the amazing transformation of this old hippie hangout/artsy space. From sipping bad wine in jam jars on old couches to revelatory bourbon cocktails while perched ladylike on high stools and well, pigging out on appies made with house-made preserves - there's no comparison.

I had an awesome time seeing many of my favourite Yelpers in person (swear to god, you guys are "the nicest kids in town") and meeting new ones. Great event as always Crystal, and I'm looking forward to the next edition!

Lovely, lovely, lovely. This is what a public garden should be - a gorgeous place to walk with surprises and intriguing little paths around every bend. It's big, but I didn't mind getting lost as my feet took me through a grove of young sequoias, a formal rose garden, the "cave" of ferns, and around the pretty ponds and lakes dotting the grounds. VanDusen is a true treasure.

I'm conflicted about giving this shop the "I'm a fan" rating because it's a vegan store and I'm an unrepentant meatarian, but for those of you on vegan, gluten-free or soy-free diets, this place is like a mini-superstore.

Karmavore is very small, with a boutique feel to it, yet they manage to stock items in every category of ethical, from leather-free shoes and bags, vegan condoms (!) and cruelty-free cosmetics to vegan chocolate bars, marshmallows (wow, those weigh a ton) and ice cream bars made with coconut milk. There's even vegan pet food, including what I'm told is the only vet-approved vegan cat food on the market.

They also carry gluten-free BBQ sauces and gravies (just in time for Thanksgiving) and dairy-free mac and cheese, among other prepared food items. I do like that they donate a portion of profits to animal charities such as the SPCA.

Yes, Karmavore Vegan Store is in the depths of New West - but almost everything in the shop is available in their online store and they ship everywhere.