The glittering restaurants of Vancouver that speak of celebrity sightings and magazine back pages tend to be out of my price range. Of course, just like any other aspiring foodie, I pretend that I wouldn't be caught dead in any place masquerading as a Who's-a-wannabe-Who of the city pretties, but secretly I know that if the price point dropped a few bills I'd be a lot more interested in checking out a menu.

Lucky for me and other budget gourmets, a few times each year Vancouver restaurants set their menus and lower their prices. This month (until the 28th), the foodie spotlight is on Yaletown digs, with 21 neighbourhood restaurants offering $25, $35, and $45 three-course set menus.

It's embarrassing, but I'll admit it: I love hot chocolate. Hot, rich, dark... It's had me since childhood. I crave it, especially on the wet days of winter in Vancouver. Unfortunately, it's become less socially acceptable in recent years to order a cup of the stuff. While friends have moved on to the lattes and espressos of the world, I'm stuck ordering a 5-year-old's favorite (preferably with whipped cream and a cherry on top).

Enter Non's Drinks, a beverage oasis tucked away in the tourist-haven of the Granville Island Public Market. This one man show (Sherif Ahmed is founder, owner, and still chief mixologist) is determined to restore hot chocolate's rightful street cred, by creating drinks made of 100% organic Belgian chocolate, milk, and flavours Nestle forgot all about.