by TRISH KELLY
EAT IN
I discovered Rhizome Café during the civic strike. My group’s usual meeting place was behind picket lines, and we were looking for alternative locations. Rhizome is as much a community-gathering place as it is a restaurant. The night I popped in, a craft collective was being seated in Rhizome’s all-glass meeting room just as a group of antiwar activists spilled out after strategizing over pints. The menu is organic and local whenever possible, and offers very strong vegetarian options, but enough meat to keep carnivores happy. The coffee is fair trade, and though you won’t find a high-profile chef in the kitchen, Rhizome just oozes goodness. Make sure you get your meal to stay—creative energy is nurtured in this space, and it’s bound to get your juices flowing. Whether you’re brainstorming about the end of global warming or just looking for a great rice bowl, eating at Rhizome will make you feel like you’re doing something worthwhile. At 317 E. Broadway, rhizomecafe.ca.
CHECK OUT
Yves Potvin is a hometown hero, and Vancouver vegetarians have long built shrines to his culinary brilliance. His first company, Yves Veggie Cuisine, gave vegetarians back their space on the barbecue. With burgers and dogs close enough in texture to the real thing, YVC fooled cynical meat-eaters in a way the much-mocked Tofurky never could. Now Chef Potvin has a new line of meat alternatives called It’s All Good. The texture is dead on (if you’ll excuse the carnivorous metaphor), and the high-end flavours like Herb Dijon and Tuscan Tomato bring vegetarian wholesomeness to a new foodie high. First marketed to restaurants and food services, It’s All Good went retail in 2006, and this month launches two new flavours. Available at most grocery stores. More info: itsallgoodfoods.com.
EAT OUT
Hectic shopping malls and huge family dinners do not make for good digestion. Nor does agonizing over which part of your diet can be ditched till January. But eating during the holidays doesn’t have to stress you out. To find out how to enjoy the culinary delights of the season without the anxiety, register for Victoria Pawlowski’s “Mindful Eating Through the Holidays” seminar. Somewhere between a meditation and an education on tasting, Mindful Eating can give you something to hang onto during the strain of the holiday season. With a little encouragement, you too can learn to slow down, tune in, and enjoy the moment. Pawlowski is a registered dietician and nutritional therapist with more than 20 years’ experience. Pre-register with Pawlowski for the Dec. 13th seminar at the Roundhouse Community Centre—just a hop, skip, and a jump from at least two hectic shopping districts. More info: capersmarkets.com.
Trish Kelly lives and eats in Vancouver. She likes fooling meat eaters, meeting foodies, and changing the world one meal at a time. At her request, SharedVISION donates Trish’s freelance fee to a local food-focused non-profit organization. This month’s recipient is AIDS Vancouver’s Grocery Program (aidsvancouver.org), a dignity-based food program that addresses the dietary needs of people with low-incomes living with HIV and AIDS.
