Beyond waffles and pancakes
If Sunday equals shopping, boost energy beforehand with the new Shaken: Not Stirred Sunday Brunch at Beyond Restaurant + Lounge in the Century Plaza Hotel (1015 Burrard Street). Pappadum-crusted salmon with preserved lemon and cardamom beurre blanc, and grilled watermelon with artisan olive oil are samples of the not-so-traditional side of the menu. Die-hards, relax. Omelettes, waffles, and other brunch faves are there too; $24.95 per person.

Eat for Shakespeare’s sake
Belly up to the breakfast bar and join the wags from Bard on the Beach in celebrating Shakespeare’s 444th birthday at Bill’s Birthday Breakfast, April 23 (7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) at the Pan Pacific Hotel (300–999 Canada Place). Tickets for the fundraiser are $40. All proceeds benefit the Bard on the Beach Endowment Fund. Reserve at 604-739-0559.

Hip watering hole
Part of a new wave of ultra-glam hotel bars, Yew Restaurant + Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver has been joined by teensy-weensy Uva Wine Bar in the Moda Hotel at 900 Seymour Street. Yes, it’s the old Dufferin with a spiffy Euro-inspired redo. Uva serves cocktails and beer, but wine’s the thing since one of the town’s top sommeliers, Sebastien Le Goff, has concocted its wicked wine list.

Fuel for the SkyTrain
Fittingly, Ethical Bean Xpress opens on Earth Day (April 22) at the Commercial Drive SkyTrain station. The coffee bar is carbon-neutral and serves Ethical Bean fair-trade, certified-organic coffee in compostable cups. Baked goodies from Uprising Breads come with biodegradable cutlery and bags made from recycled, biodegradable materials.

Fancy farm fare
A sure sign of spring, the shop at Vista D’oro Farms (20856 4th Avenue, Langley) reopens for the season Saturday (April 19). New farm-made yummies—hand-cut mango lime salsa and green walnut and grappa preserve—are enough reason to make the jaunt. Shop hours are Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Fridays, noon to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hoot of a dinner
Chef Lee Humphries of FigMint Restaurant & Lounge (500 West 12th Avenue) merges talents with chef Chris Vanhooydonk of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s Sonora Room Restaurant in a multicourse wine dinner next Saturday (April 26). No prizes for guessing the featured label. A deal at $89, plus taxes and tip; call 604-875-3312 or go to www.figmintrestaurant.com/ to reserve.

Cluck in the weekend
The fried chicken served Friday lunchtimes at Fuel Restaurant (1944 West 4th Avenue) is definitely not your usual sad-sack bird. These are organic Polderside Farms chooks cooked in buttermilk and then fried. Go-withs vary with the season. A glass of R & B Raven Cream Ale is factored into the $18 price.

Last taste of Lumiere as we know it
Feenie’s may be toast, but there’s still time to visit upper-crust sib Lumière Tasting Bar (2551 West Broadway) for a $40 three-courser, on until month’s end before they shut for renos. Choices include beef carpaccio, sake-and-maple-syrup-baked sablefish, and mango citrus pavlova with fruit salad and more. Reserve at 604-739-8185.