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Cafés

Rainbow Play Cafe Creates a Hub For Kids and Parents To Connect

A new haven for parents and kids alike has become an ideal spot for a perfect playdate. Bordering New Westminster and Burnaby is Rainbow Play Cafe—a new business that offers stress-free playtime for kids and a sense of community for their parents. In addition to—of course—a fantastic cup of coffee. “My son, he’s my inspiration,” says Xanat Guiot, owner of the nascent cafe, which opened in May 2023.The mom-preneur’s vision for Rainbow Play Cafe was born from a need she observed in her own life—a space where parents could connect with each other over a cup of coffee, while their children engaged in safe and purposeful play. Having immigrated from Mexico about a decade ago, Guiot said she struggled with postpartum depression, felt isolated, and would benefit from a place to go and meet other moms. “I didn’t have that support network. In the beginning, when you have a baby…

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Family Friendly

National Every Kid Eat Healthy Week

April 25-29 is Every Kid Eat Healthy Week By Wade Kinley April 25 to 29 is this years’ National Every Kid Eat Healthy Week which encourages schools and families to improve the health and wellness of their kids and celebrates the link between nutrition, physical activity, mental health and learning. And while healthy eating habits begin at home, it’s nice to know that out there on-the-go on the West Coast there are plenty of options to not only eat healthy at local restaurants, but do so in a way that makes kids as happy as the adults in their lives. Goodbowl Goodbowl’s belief is that everyone deserves to have the best healthy-food eating experience. And that’s especially true for kids. At Goodbowl you can customize your own bowl of meat, veggies and sauce (often gluten and sugar free) on a bed of rice or noodles – and they have a…

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Where to Eat

5 Delicious Greek Spots in Metro Vancouver

Science has shown that the surest way to brighten one’s outlook is through the palate. This is why we like to have a few go-to options in our back pocket, seeing as Metro Vancouver is full of them. For particularly dreary days, taking a culinary journey to Greece never fails. So have a scroll down, and let’s take a tour through our favourite local spots that have us salivating for souvlaki and pita. Burnaby Sfinaki Greek Taverna Often voted as one of Burnaby’s best places for Greek, Sfinaki has been delighting Metro Vancouver diners for over 25 years with their homestyle recipes. A family business, each member of the flock helps out whether in the kitchen or front of the house, and that sense of tradition and ownership shows. With a menu that could be described as street food meets comfort food, this is a delicious gem to try. 4061 Hastings St,…

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Canadian/American

Raving Gamer in Langley Now Offering Take-Out and Delivery

By Brittany Tiplady Now more than ever it’s important to support and showcase local business. Although we are in the midst of a trying and complicated time, food businesses are still trying to operate within the recommended guidelines the best they can, offering takeout and delivery to feed hungry customers weathering the outbreak. The Raving Gamer in Langley is one of them. The Raving Gamer is a retail space and board game restaurant, “serving up food and fun in a funky, family-friendly full-service environment.” They have an impressive selection of over 600 table-top games for guests to play, while offering a robust and locally-sourced lunch and dinner menu, including a full-service bar. The bistro is a family affair: Kenneth Nishidate is the co-founder, owner and chef and his daughter Miyoko also helms the kitchen. Kathy Nishidate is the Raving Gamer’s administrator and Ken’s longtime friend Daniel Szukalow is the game…

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Festivals & Events

What to Eat and Drink at the Vancouver Christmas Market

By Kristi Alexandra Carousel rides, mulled wine, live trees, hand-crafted ornaments, and one-of-a-kind gifts can all be found at the Vancouver Christmas Market. Modelled after the European “Christkindlmarkts” of the old world, this Vancouver tradition draws hordes of locals to its home at the Jack Poole Plaza every holiday season. And those who frequent the market come for the biggest attraction: the food. Housed in huts that recall a true Bavarian experience, here are a few treats to try, from traditional German fare to modern Vancouver flare. Pretzel from Mr Pretzels No trip to a German Christmas Market (or anything German-themed, that is) is complete without a big, doughy pretzel. Twisted, braided, salted: whatever you choose, this wheat-filled treat goes best with spiced mustard and washes down well with a beer. Hurricane Potatoes from Das Kartoffelhaus Known sometimes as “tornado potatoes” or “hurricane fries,” this food originated on the streets…

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Farms

Mini Road Trip: Langley’s Pumpkin Patches & Corn Mazes

By Catherine Dunwoody Hop in your vehicles for a lazy, autumn drive through Langley in BC’s Fraser Valley to discover the prettiest pumpkin patches and most amazing mazes – of corn that is. The fall season in all its colourful glory makes for a lovely road trip, so load up the car with the family and make a day of it. Your first stop, near the Canadian border, is the city of Langley, where you’ll want to pull over to visit Eagle Acres. For the past 20 years this family-owned farm has grown to a whopping 20 acres of pumpkin patches growing 15 varieties, and 5 acres of animal displays in the barns and outside in pens – ideal for inquisitive city kids. The Pumpkin Patch is open daily from October 1 – 31, with covered hayrides out to the pumpkin patch to find that perfect Halloween jack-o-lantern, and included…

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Family Friendly

Foodie Feast in Downtown Langley

Calling all food aficionados, the annual Fork & Finger food festival returns to downtown Langley this Saturday, August 24, and you don’t want to miss it. Presented by the Downtown Langley Business Association, Fork & Finger is an opportunity to gather with fellow food lovers to celebrate and sample dishes from some of Langley City’s unique restaurants. And be sure to go hungry! Here’s how it works: stop by the DLBA table in McBurney Plaza to pick up your Fork & Finger Passport and a list of restaurants, or check out the list online ahead of time to figure out your plan of attack. Then, visit the $5 Sampler locations, and for each purchase, you receive a sticker for your passport. Collect at least 3 stickers and return your passport to McBurney Plaza by 4:00 pm to be entered to win over $1000 participating restaurants to purchase a $5 Sampler.…

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Canadian/American

The Not-So-Secret Burger Menu at Uli’s Restaurant in White Rock

By Brittany Tiplady “We love making people happy through food,” says Uli’s Restaurant owner Tyson Blume. “So any way that we can do that, we certainly try to and that’s what our burger program is all about.” If you’ve had the privilege of biting into one of Uli’s famous burgers, there’s a high possibility that you’re now an Uli’s burger fanatic. At least I know I am. I waltzed into the Uli’s stunning patio overlooking the White Rock strip and ordered the 4.0 burger off of their secret-not-so-secret menu (we’ll get into that later). Spicy BBQ sauce, goat cheese, pickled jalapenos, crispy shallots, garlic aioli, arugula, ordered medium rare, with a necessary addition of thick bacon, perched on top of the most perfect, pillowy bun. I pride myself in being a burger connoisseur, so trust that when I say that burger was one of the best I’ve had in all…

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Family Friendly

Five Healthy Local Picks for Family Meals

By Alexis Baran On May 15th, high profile chefs and culinary professionals from Vancouver will be peering into local kitchens to witness the talent that kids and families of BC put into their food. Better Together  has invited BC families and friends to showcase the way they prepare and share meals by submitting a video of their cooking. With talented judges such as Ocean Wise Executive Chef Ned Bell, registered dietician Anna Brisco, and Chef David Hawksworth who champion sustainable local products, participants will want to be sure to include local healthy ingredients that are also delicious. For some tips, we caught up with Sydney Massey, Director of Nutrition Education for Better Together and BC Dairy to share five of her top picks for local flavour. Apples There are seemingly endless varieties of apples grown in BC. Sydney “love[s] apples and these days, you can get a really good BC…

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Le Marché St. George, Vancouver, Canada
Cafés

Home and Away at Vancouver’s Hidden Gem: Le Marché St. George

By Wade Kinley On a late weekend visit to Le Marché St. George, we shared the long table with two women who gazed about the cozy interior as they cupped their lattes in both hands. “Imagine if you lived in this neighbourhood,” one of the women said. “And this was your spot.” Indeed, it is the way this café-cum-general store makes you feel. Like that bistro you stumbled into on your first morning in Paris, or that bodega on your last night in New York. Like you are out in the world and at home all at once. Tucked into the bottom of a two-story mismatched-shingled building at 4393 St. George St, the café has captured the hearts of its Kensington neighbourhood, in part by fostering a feeling it’s been here as long as its hundred-year-old building, not just a near decade. Dark green paint that’s chipping on corners and weathered…

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Festivals & Events

Re-Charge your Holiday Delight with Snacks at Glow in Langley

By Natalie Marcotte Whether you’re a fan of winter weather matters not at Glow, an immersive festive display of over 500,000 lights under the protective cover of a massive greenhouse in Langley. Work up an appetite exploring the light gardens and traversing the musical light tunnel, and then have your pick of food from the Christmas market, food trucks, and of course, a bar for the adults. A must-try for the kids is a festive lightbulb drink will re-charge the kids between a gift scavenger hunt and snowing bubbles, and allow you to explore the marketplace of boutique wears, decorations and locally made goods. Grab your flashing cranberry drink from Donners’ Bar in a re-usable lightbulb for $8. The outside food truck courtyard features wood-fired pizza, Greek food, tornado potatoes, kettle corn, mac n’ cheese and baked potatoes including a holiday dinner complete with turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce.…

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Farms

Meet the Animals Along the Circle Farm Tour in Langley, BC

Images by Michele Mateus Words by Alexis Baran The heart of local food that brings all the greens, grains, produce, cheese and meats to our plate isn’t often in our urban centres – it’s mainly found in the people and animals who work the fields and farms. There are several places within Metro Vancouver where you can bring the kids to meet the producers and see farm animals, and a scenic place to start is Langley along the Circle Farm Tour. At Milner Valley, a fifth-generation heritage farm, they specialize in a variety of artisan goat cheese. There is a whole crew of adorable goats to visit on Milner Valley’s farm, who are milked to create the cheese you can buy in their shop. All of the ogling, petting, and taking photos of the goats can get exhausting, so cool yourself with hand-made goats milk gelato, served up in the…

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Festivals & Events

Fridays on Front in New Westminster is an Outdoor Party You Don’t Want to Miss

By Anna Black If you’re looking for something fun and different to do in historic Downtown New Westminster, then be sure to check out Fridays on Front, a free family-friendly event. A brand new weekly community experience that launched July 7th, 2017, Fridays on Front runs every Friday from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm until August 27th along Front Street in New Westminster. The event takes place in the 600-block of Front Street, which has recently been transformed into a modern, pedestrian friendly walkway that still retains a sense of industrial character. The fully licensed event offers visitors artisan, farm, meat, baked goods, and dairy vendors from New West Farmers Market and New West Craft, live music from the New Westminster Arts Council, and food trucks from the fifth annual Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest (happening July 29th from 4 pm – 10 pm). This includes Vancouver’s first bar truck,…

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European

You’re One of the Family in Rocco’s Italian Deli in Coquitlam

By Nikki Hillman You’ll know Rocco’s is passionate about supporting local as soon as you enter the store. The seating area is dominated by two, long wooden tables, built by a company directly across the street, who salvaged fallen trees from within the area. These tables foster traditional Italian family dining and, if you’ve visited Italy, you will be familiar with this concept – and Rocco’s is definitely about family. The store is managed by Andy and Jana Mollica (a retired Air Canada employee) and their trusted employee, general manager and chef, Pat Toynbee. Stop by on a weekday afternoon and you could be entertained by their adorable children as they munch on pepperoni sticks from behind the deli glass. Rocco’s opened in August of 2015 and has quickly become the go-to place for coffee, meats, cheeses and treats. Most of the pastries are made in store; try a café…

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Family Friendly

Corn Mazes and Autumn Family Adventure in the Fraser Valley

Photos by Michele Mateus Words by Alexis Baran Goodbye summer heat, hello crisp morning air, vibrant sunsets, giant sweaters, hot apple ciders, and pumpkin spiced everything. Leave the long city shadows for a day and to head where the waning sun lights up expansive golden corn fields. Many of the kind farmers in the Fraser Valley will let you and your family run gleefully through their crop labyrinths – and they also have hot drinks (or cold craft beer depending on where you go), giant trampolines, and many things to climb, drive, and ride. If you are so inclined, they’ll even let you and/or your kids shoot produce out of cannons (yes, there are pumpkin cannons). (A full list of Fraser Valley corn mazes after the photo essay.) Maan Farms Open: August – October Activities: Daytime corn maze, flashlight corn maze (select October dates), haunted corn maze (select October dates),…

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Farms

Organic Eggs Rule at Richmond’s Rabbit River Farms

By Joanne Sasvari Photos by Joanne Sasvari As long as Steve Easterbrook can remember, he’s been fascinated by birds and, in particular, chickens. “It’s been a lifelong passion for me,” he says, remembering that when he was a young boy, he and a friend would visit a neighbor who raised chickens and game birds. “My friend and I became enchanted with poultry.” It’s not surprising, then, that Easterbrook became an egg farmer. Perhaps the only surprising thing is it took him until he was in his 30s to do so. That’s when he founded Rabbit River Farms, an organic egg producer in Richmond BC. (The company name is a play on his surname: Easter = rabbit; brook = river.) When Easterbrook started the farm in 1993, Rabbit River was the first certified organic egg producer in Canada – in fact, he had to write the country’s original guidelines for organic…

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Indian

Fill your Plate at Burnaby’s Indian and International Buffets

By Tim Pawsey Somehow, amidst the never ending tsunami of trends and the revolving door of openings and closings, the buffet endures. An array of tastes and flavours offered at a reasonable price is tempting to the eclectic diner and to parents of choosy children, but to really be a hit, a good buffet needs to not only offer variety but also be well tended, with dishes kept warm and replenished as needed. Perhaps because it remains a bastion of family dining, frequently served only on weekends, the buffet is the one holdover from times past that we not only tolerate but celebrate. In Burnaby, which neighbours Vancouver with a thriving community of families and multiculturalism, there are many to choose from, with a strong focus on international cuisine. In Burnaby, Indian buffets rule. Four blocks west of Metrotown, contemporary toned Saffron Indian Cuisine yields both lunch and dinner extravaganzas.…

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