Blacktail in Gastown has announced that it will be closing the restaurant at the end of this month due to its lease ending. Last day of service will be Saturday, March 26. On this day, the restaurant will be selling all liquor at 50 per cent off, so drop by, get your drink on, and say goodbye to chef Geoff Rogers and the rest of the staff.
In other Gastown news, chef William Robitaille of Notturno has announced that the popular restaurant-bar will be closing at the end of April and reopening a few months later as Kozakura, a Japanese-focused eatery. Famed bartender H will remain until Notturno closes.
One more Gastown revamp…Cork & Fin has closed its doors permanently and reopened as Ono Raw Bar. As the name might imply, the focus here is on fresh and raw seafood. According to the website, the name means “delicious, tasty, scrumptious” in the Hawaiian language. Takuya Motohashi, formerly of now-closed Shirakawa, is executive chef.
Nearby, in Chinatown…Bao Bei owner Tannis Ling has partnered with executive chef Joel Watanabe and sous chef Alain Chow to open Kissa Tanto next month. The new, 80-seat space on East Pender will focus on Italian-Japanese fare, with what is sure to be a solid cocktail program, run by veteran barkeep Wendy McGuiness (Chambar, Royal Dinette).
Across town, Commune Café has closed its doors permanently. Taking over the space will be Nero Belgian Waffle Bar. The popular Robson Street café will be expanding to this second location with a larger menu and a liquor license. Opening date still TBC, but hopefully soon.
Canada’s first zero-waste grocery is coming to Vancouver this fall. Zero Waste Market will be plastic- and packaging-free, and encourages consumers to bring their own reusable containers and bags for bulk goods and produce. In a series of pop-ups, the concept has already offered locally and ethically-sourced goods, as well as “ugly” produce sourced directly from local growers. For dates of the next pop-up, visit Facebook.com/ZeroWasteMarket.
Lucky’s Doughnuts will be offering a special Sakura doughnut in honour of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. The doughnut will be available March 24 through to April 14 for $5, and is a classic Bismarck infused with Japanese cherry blossoms and filled with housemade sweet red bean paste. Each doughnut is then topped with strawberry-Sakura glaze, matcha meringue and a mini Sakura blossom shortbread cookie.
Rocky Mountain Flatbread will be offering a special Easter brunch menu on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27, 10am-2pm. Enjoy an organic eggs benny with salmon in Kitsilano or cured ham, arugula and grape tomato scramble on Main Street. In addition, kids can make their own pizza and a bunny chef hat on Sunday from 5pm to 7pm at both locations.
On Sunday, March 27 and Monday, March 28, all of The Flying Pig locations will feature an Easter dinner special of maple-mustard glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, roasted organic carrots with spring peas, for $24.95 per person. Dessert of maple sugar pie available for an additional seven dollars.
On April 5, Yew Seafood & Bar will host Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars for a special wine dinner. The four-course dinner will focus on sustainable and seasonal seafood dishes paired to Blue Mountain’s reserve wines, including those no longer available to the public. Tickets $150.
Edible Canada has announced the second dinner in its Canadian Table series. On April 12, the restaurant will partner with popular Lebanese eatery, Nuba, for a multi-course dinner that will include a Lebanese-inspired cocktail, wine pairings by Okanagan Crush Pad, and a hand-selected artisanal gift from the Edible Canada retail store. Tickets $110.
On Sunday, April 17, the third annual Garagiste North wine festival will take place at Wise Hall in East Vancouver. The evening will feature local, small-lot wineries, food from Chicha Restaurant and live music from Chicken Like Birds. Tickets $49.
