W e certainly got the short end of the summer stick this year (out of the playoffs in the first round, coldest June on record, et cetera), but no matter. Whats done is done, and its time to get down to the business of enjoying whats left of it. So lets say, hypothetically, that we enjoy one day per week of fine weather for the next 10 weeks. Be prepared for each of them with the following recommendations for cooling down...
Revolvers New Cold Brew | Cambies popular Revolver Coffee does a few ancillary things beyond the perfect coffee (like the occasional pop-up book sale), but the coolest among them is their brand-new line of bottled cold brew. The 250 ml medicine-style bottles are filled with one of the cafes better coffees and chilled for 12 hours. The result is ice cold, restorative refreshment, on the rocks or straight from the bottle, which you get to keep (they make for interesting vases). | 325 Cambie Street | 604-558-4444 | RevolverCoffee.ca
Mint Julep at Boneta | One of the simplest and most refreshing drinks (and one of my all-time summer faves) is the classic Mint Julep, made in a proper steel julep cup. All it is is bourbon, sugar, mint, and crushed ice, but the combo results in uncomplicated, aromatic, sweet refreshment with a serious kick. Get yours from award-winning barman Ben de Champlain at Gastowns Boneta. | 12 Water Street | 604-684-1844 | Boneta.ca
Soft Serve at Fat Dragon | One of the biggest and happiest surprises about Fat Dragon, the new Chinese BBQ joint on the DTES, is the kitchens soft serve ice cream machine. The staff have been getting inventive with flavours, but the one to really look out for is the kaffir lime. The quality and texture is superb and the taste is as exotic as it is sublime. Arguably the best soft serve cones available in the city. | 566 Powell Street | 604-558-0880 | FatDragonbbq.com
Chocolate Malteds at Moderne Burger | About two decades ago, we somehow lost our common affection for the chocolate malted, that Rockwellian staple of the soda fountain joint and roadside diner. It made parents happy because it quieted their kids in solemn, studied dedication, and it made kids happier because it was just plain delicious. The place to find them in all their cooling glory is Broadways nostalgia-heavy Modern Burger. | 2507 West Broadway | 604-739-0005 | ModerneBurger.com
The Gazpacho at Acorn | One of the most highly anticipated restaurants of the year opened last week Acorn on Main Street. Among their starters is a chilled soup that sings summer is one long, steady note. Chef/co-owner Brian Skinners gluten-free gazpacho of strawberries and heirloom tomatoes with creme fraiche and black pepper is one of the most delicious things Ive put in my body so far in 2012. Bonus: its friendly to vegans, raw food wonks, and those looking for gluten-free options. | 3995 Main Street | 604-566-9001 | AcornRestaurantTh.ca
Hibiscus Iced Tea at Bandidas | A good iced tea is a hard thing to find. My family has always bottled herbals from our own garden as a means to beat the heat, but we recently discovered the chilling, calming pleasures of the one made with hibiscus flowers at Bandidas Taqueria on Commercial. Its refreshing, mildly flavoured, and so delicately sweetened that it just begs for an ounce of gin. Weve tried making our own at home, but the original always proves superior. |2781 Commercial Drive | 604-568-8224 | BandidasTaqueria.com
Cadeaux Sundaes | The new Cadeaux Bakery on the DTES is where weve been stocking up on baked treats lately. Their cinnamon buns baked with bacon wrapped inside are things of gooey, salty, sugary wonder, but they added house-made, vanilla bean ice cream sundaes to their dance card a couple of weeks ago, and they are towering investments in self indulgence that are difficult to resist. Go for either the strawberry or the caramel. Both are spectacular. | 172 Powell Street | 604-608-8889 | CadeauxBakery.com
Flights from Vancouver Urban Winery | The recently unveiled, 7,700-sq.-ft. Vancouver Urban Winery in Railtown not only takes many of the best Okanagan wines straight from the source and puts them on tap for local restaurants, it also offers tastings to the public in a lounge area that makes for a perfect jumping off point for diners going on food safari in nearby Gastown. Lay into the whites on a sunny, late afternoon. | 55 Dunlevy Avenue | 604-566-9463 | VancouverUrbanWinery.com
Earnest Ice Cream | One of the most welcome discoveries that weve made so far this summer has been this passion project from Ben Ernst and Erica Bernardi. They have a selection of jars and ice cream sandwiches in the freezers at Strathconas Harvest Community Foods on Union Street and Woodland Commissary & Smokehouse at the foot of Commercial Drive. Be sure to also look out for their freezer-equipped bike at the Kits Farmers Market every Sunday. Best flavour to date? Salted caramel! | Follow them online @earnesticecream,
Gelato from La Casa Gelato | This is our after-dinner go-to in Strathcona (as it is for thousands of East Van families). There are over 200 flavours of gelato and sorbetto to be had, and they range from the traditional to the truly bizarre. For best effect, go ahead and double down with two scoops the bottom one a tried and true classic, like Spumoni or Rocky Road, and the top with an oddity, such as Gorgonzola or Curry. | 1033 Venables | 604-251-3211 |
