Tis the season of giving, so why not give while you dine? Mamie Taylors has paired up with Not So Fast, a charity that promotes healthy food choices on the Downtown Eastside. Not So Fast has challenged chef Tobias Grignon to create a signature dish using frugal and healthy ingredients from a list of dried goods, high-protein nuts and legumes, and seasonal 
vegetables. Rising to the occasion, Grignons created sunchoke and goat cheese pierogies served on braised lentils with roasted kale and walnuts ($18). Now until December 14, $2 from the sale of each signature pierogi dish will benefit Not So Fasts Think Inside The Box Friday food program at the Strathcona Community Centre. Every signature pierogi dish sold translates into one dry goods starter box for a family in need. The foundation of a wholesome meal for four, each box contains rice, beans or lentils and a recipe that features low-cost, seasonal produce such as kale and root vegetables. Since the program began last month, over 150 Downtown Eastside families have been helped with Not So Fasts meal starter boxes.
Main Street Honey Shoppe opened with much buzz several months ago, and has now expanded its offerings to include honey-based baked goods from Cadeaux Bakery, as well as looseleaf teas, premium coffees, and, natch, local and international honey and honey-based products such as candles, bee pollen, skin care and more. Try the Tasmanian Leatherwood for a nice bourbon-y kick.
Aqua Sushi + Juice Bar recently opened in the Olympic Village area (1764 Manitoba). It serves only brown rice sushi with wild sockeye salmon and real crabmeat no imitation stuff here. There are lots of gluten-free options as well, and they try to keep things as local as possible on the menu. Freshly pressed juices are made to order.
Gastown startup Foodee has launched Lunchstarter. Using the proprietary Lunchstarter software, one person first picks a restaurant and delivery date, then emails an automatically generated menu selection form to the rest of the team. Once 10 people opt in and choose their dish, the lunch order is on and each person is charged individually online. No exchanging cash, no IOUs, no spreadsheets. Current restaurants include Tacofino, Meat and Bread, and Hubbub.
Shop and SaveFrom now until December 30 and available each night after 7:30pm, Siena Restaurant is rewarding South Granville shoppers with a 15 per cent discount when they show a purchase receipt from a South Granville merchant.
New Years DealsThe Fish House in Stanley Park is offering a five-course New Years dinner, complete with live music from The Werewolves and a glass of bubbly at midnight. $99 per person.
Forage is offering holiday lunches Wednesdays to Fridays through December 20. The $28 four-course menu must be booked for a minimum of four people, and reservations are required. Each guest also gets some of Chef Whittakers housemade cranberry preserve to take home.
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for over a decade. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio Ones On the Coast, follow her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and catch up at FoodGirlFriday.com.
