When I do cook Italian, one of my go-to places is La Grotta Del Formaggio on Commercial Drive.

La Grotta is a small shop full of good things: extra virgin olive oil, San Marzano tomatos, vincotto and balsamic vinegar, pastas, coffee, anchovies, olives, Italian meats, and more…all at fair prices. I’ve seen olive oils at La Grotta for $10-15 less than what the gourmet supermarkets charge.

I recently visited and wrote about La Grotta Del Formaggio for Granville Online magazine. Read the full article here.

Terra Breads is a well known source for great artisan breads and available at many grocery stores. There are three retail locations, with two locations also serving up espresso, soup, and sandwiches.

My favourites:

• I went through a serious phase with Terra’s blueberry bread with white chocolate. I think I ate it every day for a month. Crusty bread, sweet & tart blueberries, and smooth white chocolate speckled throughout. So yum.
• Terra Breads makes some of the best granola ever. Mix that with some honey vanilla yogurt and your choice of blueberry or cherry compote and you’ve got a breakfast that keeps you moving.
• There are sandwiches, and there are sandwiches. Terra Breads sandwiches are a great reminder of how important bread is for a sandwich. Good bread makes anything better. My sandwich today is vegetarian focaccia – fresh vegetables and ripe avocado on light and crispy parmesean focaccia. The sandwich menu offers lots of variety, from roasted salmon, to lamb, to turkey, to hummus and cucumber.
• Each day of the week, they make up a fresh soup, which pairs perfectly with any sandwich
• And of course…it’s a bakery. Top off your lunch with one of Terra Bread’s excellent cookies. I have chocolate macaroons today.

The location on 5th & Manitoba is by far the biggest and most relaxed. The Kitsilano location on 4th is small, but the food is still good.

Terra Breads Bakery & Cafe

2380 W. 4th Ave (@ Balsalm) in Kitsilano
Open 7 days a week until 7:30pm

and

53 W. 5th Ave (@ Manitoba) in Mount Pleasant / False Creek
Closed on Sunday. Open until 6pm on weekdays, 5pm on Saturday

It’s hard to explain why, but when you go to Main St, you feel it. It’s a locals neighbourhood with excellent eating and shopping. It used to be the non-mainstream alternative, and it still is, but it’s definitely trendy. I’ll focus primarily on the “SoMa” (South Main) district here. If you are am ambitious, you could hit all the hot shopping spots on Main on one day (walking it all is doable, but long) , but I typically pick one of the following areas each time I’m in the area.

Main Street, between 7th ave and 10th ave

Two stores I make special trips for: Lark and Jonathan & Oliva.

Both stores carry local and international brands, but focus on designers you aren’t going to find in every store. You’ll find many beautiful unique pieces here. Neither of these stores are cheap, but I love looking at the clothes, even if I can only buy something once in a while.

Newer stores in this area:
Recently opened:

• F as in Frank, the Vancouver outpost of a popular Whistler consignment store that a lot of the Vancouver fashion blogs were very excited about.
• Forsya,  a boutique with lovely clothing, bags, and accessories exclusively featuring Canadian designers.

Break time : Gene Coffee Bar on Main & 8th is a great spot for coffee and snack.

Main Street, between 20th-24th ave

Here it is, the creme de la creme of Main Street shopping. For such a small area, you can put a lot of damage on your credit card here. I know from experience You’ll see a theme with these stores – indpendent designers, Canadian designers, and things you’d never find on Robson Street.

My favourites:

(West side of street)

Narcissist Design Co. – A go to emporium of flattering, travel friendly dresses. I went though a phase with this store and have about 14 of their dresses. They are known for the “Pamela” dress, which you can wear in about 12 different ways. I find the “Frenchie” and the “Celeste” are my favourites, with the most flattering cuts. The store sells other brands as well, but I’ve noticed their mark-up is high compared to other stores, so take note of that.

Eugene Choo – One of the first fashion stores to hit Main Street, this store continues to carry lots of independent and Canadian labels and beautiful clothes and shoes for men and women. My last purchase there was actually a plaid wool house coat for my husband.

Hum – Another store specializing in independent and Canadian labels. I’ve noticed they carry lots of Montreal designers as well like Valerie Dumaine and Second Denim Co. , which makes these incredibly comfortable “yoga jeans” at a very fair price (~$100).

Twig and Hottie - This store carries many Canadian designers and sustainable fashion lines as well. Great please for everyday clothes – think Fidelity denim with lots of options for unique tops and accessories.

(east side of the street)

Vancouver Special – Do you all remember our (un)remakrable architectural achievement, the Vancouver Special? Well, this store takes the name (and prints some great t-shirts) from a Vancouver Special, but the similarities end there. This is a design house, with books, furnitures, and housewares that you’ll want in your home.

Chef Claires - Chef Claires is a catering company with a store front. They make fresh and delicious meals and freeze them for people to buy and heat up at home. A gourmet (and healthier) option to the frozen dinner.

Smoking Lily – Smoking Lily originated in Victoria BC and they’re probably known in Victoria for having the smallest store ever! I can’t remember the exact size but it’s like 100 square feet, maybe. The store in Vancouver is a tad bigger, selling casual clothing and accessories. One of their more famous items is a line of t-shirts with Pierre Trudeau’s picture on them. A total conversation starter at parties when you wear this shirt.

Umeboshi Shoes – One of the few stores in town that can rival Gravity Pope for selection. Lots of lovely shoes, boots, and accessories for men and women.

Front & Co – Probably the most well-known fashion consignment store in the city. It’s big and you can get lots of finds at this store.

Regional Assembly of Text – Love stationary? Come to this lovely store, where they specialize in beautiful stationary. They even have a regular letter writing club as well! Snail mail is a celebration here.

Break time: Liberty Bakery and Cafe (3699 Main St – close to Eugene Choo) is a great spot for a light snack or coffee. The black bean soup? Awesome.

Main Street, King Edward Ave (25th) to around 30th

There are lots of good eats and antique shops around here, but one notable mention for…

Voltage – a great store specializing in crazy toys/collectables, accessories,  and funny t-shirts. Come by the store and peruse the t-shirt racks – you’ll find lots of witty prints that you’ll want to wear. People at my office have several shirts from here.

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I will continue to update this post as things open/close, but for now – enjoy Main St. There’s lots to see, eat, and shop.