River District ready to party, Russell gets rootsy, Botanist welcomes San Fran, and two chicken legends team up
Ever ask yourself why it always has to rain in Vancouver in the summer? We do too. Here are four upcoming food and drink events to look forward to on yet another dreary and overcast day on the perpetually Wet Coast. Don’t forget to bring your umbrella just in case.
Riverside showcases waterfront living
One of the city’s true emerging neighbourhoods, South Van’s River District turns the spotlight on, well, itself on August 26 with its second Riverside Street Vibe celebration. Running from noon until 6pm, the celebration features free music (Krystle Dos Santos and Narai + Bungalow) and dance (performers from Studio North), as well as a beer garden and food trucks. Rolling up to the former industrial district turned residential hub on the Fraser River will be Salty’s Lobster Shack, BAK’d Cookies, Meet2Eat, Boketto Tea Bar, Rosie’s BBQ and Smokehouse, and more. The event is free and open to the public. The motivation behind Riverside Street Vibe? That would be showing Vancouver there’s more to waterfront living in the city than Yaletown, Olympic Village, and Coal Harbour.
When: August 26
Where: River District
Country for a cause
Consider it a dream night for those who like both kinds of music: country and western. On Saturday (August 12) local craft beer powerhouse Russell Brewing Co. hosts Russell & Roots at Softball City in Surrey. On the musical card are Locash, the James Barker Band, Meghan Patrick, Dane Bateman, and more—the one thing binding them all together is a conviction that few places on earth are more magical than Nashville. And on tap, of course, are the various offerings of Russell Brewing. More than an excuse to pull on your Tony Lamas, Russell & Roots also serves as a fundraiser for LIFTED, an initiative from the Dallas Smith Charitable Foundation. Founded in 2020, LIFTED works to make mental health support available to all through funding of local grassroots organizations. The big question is: how you get to Russell & Roots if you live in Vancouver and want to enjoy a beer or six when out for the night? Hello SkyTrain, Uber ,or old-fashioned pedal power, unless you want to spend Sunday morning working on a song about how your pickup has to pull over on Highway 1, and not because it was breaking down after your partner left for your best friend and your dog died in the corn field behind the barn.
When: August 12
Where: 2201 148 Street, Surrey
Rich Won. Steel & Oak hosts chicken kingpins
Two Vancouver fried chicken heavyweights join forces this weekend at Steel & Oak Brewing in historic New Westminster. Juke’n on the DL Part III brings together Chinatown’s Juke Fried Chicken and the Drive’s perennially lined-up Downlow Chicken Shack. On Saturday (August 12), from 11am to 7pm at Steel & Oak, fans of both restaurants can expect exclusive offerings like the Juke’n OG (Juke’s gluten-free fried chicken coated with DL signature hot spices with a limited-edition BBQ mayo). All menu items, from the The DLJ Ribwich Sando (grilled ground rib patty glazed with Juke BBQ sauce) to the Nuggie’z (fried nuggets with a choice of Juke Honey Mustard or DL Sweet n Sour for dipping) will be first come, first served until sold out. In no danger of selling out, thankfully, will be Steel & Oak's on-tap offerings like the passionfruit-and-lime ale Weekend Plans and the premium lager New West Cold.
When: August 12
Where: 1319 Third Avenue, New Westminter
Botanist welcomes Bay Area standouts
Continuing on the collabo front, Vancouver’s much-celebrated Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim teams up with two San Francisco giants at the end of the month. On August 30, the Bay Area’s two-Michelin-Starred Lazy Bear heads north as its chef David Barzelay gets busy with the Botantist’s Hector Laguna on a six-course tasting menu. Expect offerings like Wagyu ribeye with blistered sungold tomatoes and oysters with a redwood tip glaze. August 31 has the Botanist’s star mixologist Jeff Savage welcoming True Laurel, known as the Lazy Bear’s sister bar. Expect technique-centred cocktails from the menus of both liquor emporiums, with local and sustainable ingredients at the forefront. True Laurel and the Botanist will also collaborate on a special cocktail for the occasion. Named one of the top five international hotel bars by Tales of the Cocktail, the Botanist has in the past collaborated with the like of Hanky Panky from Mexico City, Odette from Singapore, and Overstory from New York. Sometimes when you can't get to them, it’s nice to know they’ll come to you.
Botanist X Lazy Bear/Bostanist X True Laurel
When: August 30 to 31
Where: 1038 Canada Place
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