There's an old adage in my family, "it's better to dance it off than freeze it off". As the snow continues to fall over our fair city, I've realized it's time to turn the ism into action. Fortunately, it's Saturday, which means that my dance possibilities are within grasp.

But can one really shake one's groove thing without contending with the mayhem of late-night Granville street? Oh, yes, my little sock hoppers, there is another way.

Tonight, Famous Lou & the Funky Brew will be taking to the stage at Dentry's.
Continuing in a well-received run of Saturday shows at the pub, Lou and the band will be offering up their personalized mix of funk and soul. With a few rock beats mixed in, FLFB conjures up some elements of garage. This hybrid musical style has a good nostalgic feel, and was designed to get their audience moving. Already, the band has amassed a faithful following.


On snowy days such as this, take comfort in knowing that there is a great opportunity for warming up at Dentry's. In a city where the indy live scene is still struggling to define itself, take this opportunity to see a local band. Which reminds me of another familial saying, "what's good for preventing frostbite is good for supporting the local indy scene". I never really understood that one until today.

10:00 p.m.
No Cover/19+
Dentry's Irish Grill
4450 W 10th Ave
(604) 224-3434

The cute faces of 2010 have arrived.
Their big smiles were the first thing I saw as I stepped out of my apartment this morning.
They haunted my lengthy, rain-drenched commute.
I stared at them as I stepped over last night's syringes, past the makeshift shelters in the doorways.
The artificial sweetness of the pending celebrations is giving me an aspartame headache.

Then, I stumbled across this bit of news from the fine folks at CBC Radio 3.
The cavities that Quatchi, Miga and Sumi are mining in my mouth hit a nerve.
A big, life-sustaining nerve.
It may have been my artistic soul.
All I know is, it's not ready to go without a fight.

As the noisy construction clamors on at the Woodward's site, plans for the finished building are taking shape. The rebuilt Woodward's building will include the Simon Fraser School for Contemporary Arts, housing, shops, and the Centre for Creative Technology and Community Arts. The centre, housed in a 9,400 square foot facility, will serve as a venue for artistic organizations and events in the Downtown Eastside.

Sunday Brunch is a sacred meal. Each week, I set out to find a new menu that represents the importance of eggs and toast. This Sunday, I explored new terrain at Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar. While the name may not suggest an appropriate brunch setting, the customer traffic suggested I had stumbled across a hidden gem.

Entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a casual setting, dominated by tastefully worn wood decor, and large landscape paintings. The atmosphere immediately set the tone for a pleasant morning, while the menu gave me much to consider. The food choices were well balanced and diverse, offering a dish for every palette. Our knowledgeable sever was able to guide me towards a meal selection of steak and eggs, while my guest chose a three sausage benedict.

With the cold winds of the first winter freeze, and the end of semester upheaval sweeping over the landscape, it's time for comfort food. While my foodie bits (and pride) never want to admit it, in times such as these, I just want a grilled cheese sandwich. On Monday night, I managed to stumble out of the lecture hall and onto Commercial Drive to find just that, at Timbre.

The menu at Timbre offers a fairly standard collection of pub fare classics, with a few delightful deviations. In my quest to experience some dressed-up childhood classics, I was pleased by the menus offerings. Included were a bison sloppy joe, and a re-invention of the grilled cheese sandwich involving smoked chicken and brie. The sandwiches were accompanied by salads of mixed greens, toasted almonds and dried cranberries, a good balance to my fried sandwich entree.

I have to applaud the redesigned grilled cheese sandwich. It balanced the delicate hickory flavour of the chicken against the rich creaminess of the brie, contrasted well by the addition of cranberry chutney. The bison, alternately, offered a very simple flavour. I would have liked to see some sauteed mushrooms and onions in the sandwich to provide a more diverse flavour and texture balance. But really, we're talking about grilled cheese and sloppy joes, so how critical can I be?

It's the end of November, which means, it's time to batten down the hatches and avoid the mall at all costs. Not that a routine trip to the megashops is part of my weekly repertoire. In the month leading up to the holidays, however, the avoidance of the concrete consumption complex is, in my books, to be more studiously observed.

Fortunately for the fine citizens of Vancouver, there are alternatives. Charlotte Hewson, and similarly minded artists have organized craft shows throughout the city in the weeks leading up to the holidays. Charlotte has helped organize five I Heart Crafts Bazaars, including this year's event. The show, which will take place on Sunday, November 25, is hosted at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre . I Heart Crafts showcases the talents of 25 artists, whose works include screen prints, handmade toys, pottery and baked goods. The wide array of available goodies promises to cross several gifts off everyone's list, while supporting local artists. While providing a delightfully unique experience, the I Heart Crafts Bazaar includes neither parking lot congestion, nor saxophone muzak drone.

The show will run from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm. Admission costs $2.
The Ukrainian Cultural Centre is located at 805 East Pender Street.
For more information on this event, and to preview the participating artists, visit the I Heart Crafts Bazaar website.

Image courtesy of Charlotte Hewson.