The Hidden Gem Soiree is a series of fun filled evenings taking place in Vancouver’s neatest cafes, wine bars, galleries and studios. each evening highlights works of a small group of talented local designers in fashion, jewellery, accessories and home decor. The next event takes place at Raw Canvas (1046 Hamilton Street) in Yaletown on Thursday July 8th from 5pm to 8pm. The featured designers include:
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Filou Designs – handcrafted sterling silver and 24K gold vermeil jewelry
Rosy Designs – sweet cards and prints
L’arbre Love - original wood jewelry
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Sip some wine, have tapas, paint on a Communal Canvas or paint one of your own!

Take advantage of the tax-free offer at BoConcept (1275 West 6th Avenue) this Canada Day Weekend. Shop their extensive collection of contemporary furniture and accessories and allow them to pick up the tab for the tax on all your purchases at the check-out. This offer is valid from Thursday, July 1 through Sunday, July 4, 2010. BoConcept stores are staffed with trained design consultants that are skilled in overcoming even the trickiest decorating challenges. So if you’re looking for help decorating your living space, call or stop by a store today and let them show you how they can help with your interior decorating projects.

Shopping, Shoes, Cosmopolitans, beautiful confident women. These things come to mind when we think about Sex and the City and its long awaited second installment…

When it comes to “concept dining”, my favourite way of eating food is definitely tapas style. Located in Blood Alley in Gastown, adjacent to Salt Tasting Room, Judas Goat Taberna is a 28-seat tapas bar which serves small plates influenced by Spain, Italy and France. Despite the foreign food pairings, the environment of Judas Goat reminds of me a family grocery store. A viewable food preparation station and high countertops close enough to make small talk with the patrons sitting beside you. Square yellow stools huddle around small tables.

Similar to its sister restaurant, The Salt Tasting Room, Judas Goat combines a variety of flavours and textures and teases the pallet with its small portions. I love the option of nibbling on a variety of food and sharing dishes. Between the two of us, we ordered 7 items, which included two “hot” dishes, two “pressed, potted, or cured” dishes and a salad. Agreeing with everyone I have spoken with, what you pay for the portions is not really worth the price; but then again, “concept dining” is about the experience of “trying something new”, right??

Hapa Izakaya Yaletown’s (1193 Hamilton)  patio is now open and the restaurant is serving lunch, Monday through Friday, from 12 pm straight through until dinner at 4pm. Plus Hapa Yaletown will open for dinner on Saturdays and Sundays at 4:00 pm all summer long. Hapa Izakaya Yaletown is the newest of the three Hapa Izakaya restaurants. For reservations, please contact Hapa Yaletown at 604.681.4272.