This from the desk of @jacobrichler, Editor in Chief of the annual Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list, which will look a little different this year.

In a recent guest post in @menumagca, Richler writes that this compilation of the country’s best will eschew the usual ranking format and instead be a list of 100 things (and people) to celebrate in our Canadian restaurant industry right now.

“There are many good industry stories everywhere — from sensational, category-defining takeout programs to meal kits that enable inadequate home cooks to feel like they’re poised and ready to join the line at Maison Boulud.” He writes.

“There are chefs and restaurateurs turned campaigners for social justice in the industry, and others using their restaurants as grocery stores, just to keep their old suppliers in business for a happier future when business returns to something resembling normal. All these stories of industry resilience and resourcefulness are worth celebrating.”

Read the full piece at @menumagca.

Stand tall. Stay strong. Show love. Support local.

It’s National 🍔 Day!

To celebrate (and also give vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians a conscious and delicious way to mark the occasion), Vancouver West-End plant-based hotspot @beetboxveg is offering a New ‘Beet Mack’ Burger feature from today until Monday, May 31 exclusively.

It features house-made, plant-based patties, melted cheeze, special ‘Mac’ sauce and iceberg lettuce between a toasted sesame seed bun and is available in both single ($14) and double ($18) varieties guaranteed to test the bellies of even the hungriest burger fans!

Stand tall. Stay strong. Show love. Support local.

This from a piece published by News 1130 this week that focuses on the recent announcement that breweries, cafes and restaurants around the province are now permitted to re-open after the circuit-breaker restrictions expired on Tuesday.

Nigel Pike, Co-owner-operator of @mainstreetbeer, @thecascaderoom, @elcaminos and @theunionvan described Tuesday’s announcement of a four-phase reopening plan by the province as “bittersweet”.

“We’ve felt like we’ve had to open a restaurant multiple times, in multiple ways, it’s been really mentally devastating for staff, obviously, not knowing what’s coming on a daily basis,” he said. “On a positive note, it’s fantastic. On a challenging note, it is a struggle to find staff out there right now.

“We have lots and lots of friends in the hospitality business that have been hit so hard by the changes to the indoor dining because if you don’t have a patio that reduces your ability to have any revenue stream. So this is a massive shift to have people inside again.”

Each phase of the restart plan relies on case counts being low and vaccination rates being high, something Pike acknowledges could change.

“We’re just doing it one step at a time for ourselves because who knows what’s coming down the road. We’ve been at it for over a year and had changes thrown at us left right and centre,” he explains.

“I really don’t want to count on anything apart from indoor dining, that’s great. What’s next? Who knows?”

Read the full piece at the link in our bio 👆above.

Stand tall. Stay strong. Show love. Support local.