Sunday rather got away from me. I spent the weekend at the UBC Apple Festival, working on the Sea Cider side of things, and the writing had to wait. There is plenty to catch up on, though: a new Gastown restaurant, a goodbye on Main Street and a cookbook that gets into the reasons dinner tastes the way it does.
A weekend among the apples
The UBC Apple Festival filled October 17 and 18, with Sea Cider in the Cider Garden at UBC Botanical Garden. For readers who usually find me writing about what’s in the glass, this was the other part of my working life: I also work with Sea Cider. That connection is worth making clear when cider turns up here.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, and to the team who helped make the weekend happen. After the setup, pouring and packing up, getting this edition finished took a little longer than planned.
There was award news to celebrate, too. At the 2026 BC Beer Awards, Sea Cider’s Pomona took gold in Barrel-Aged or Specialty, while Kings & Spies earned silver and Wild English bronze in Traditional & Tannin-Forward. Those followed Canada Beer Cup honours: Pomona won gold in Ice & Fortified Cider and gold for Cider Best of Show; Ginger Perry earned gold in Spiced & Specialty Cider and silver for Cider Best of Show; and Pippins took silver in Heritage Cider. A lovely bit of recognition for the team behind the bottles.
My Thanksgiving visit to Kelowna was quieter than intended, too. I was sick, so there is no Okanagan dining report to deliver this time. I managed to visit my father briefly, outdoors, so not to spread any germs and it was rather sad for all concerned.
On the opening list: The Moon
The Moon opens Friday, October 23, at 59 Powell Street in Gastown, with a martini bar and a separate dining room. Felix Maristany, formerly chef de cuisine at Kissa Tanto, leads the kitchen. His background takes in Miami, Spain and Vancouver, which gives us rather more to investigate than a new cocktail list.
I have a visit planned for Sunday, October 25, so the account of what we actually eat will come after that. In the meantime, my VITA preview has the opening details.
A Main Street goodbye
Tocador has announced that it will close at the end of October, with Halloween described as its likely final night. That last date is still tentative. The Latin-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar at 2610 Main Street is bringing back favourite drinks for its remaining weeks.
It is a useful reminder to make the visit while a place is still there. Vancouver’s restaurant news moves quickly between the next opening and the next goodbye.
On the cookbook pile: Nik Sharma
This week’s book is Fundamentals of Flavor: 100 Recipes for the Science of Better Cooking by Nik Sharma, published by Chronicle Books. Sharma brings his background in molecular biology to a book organized around fire, earth, air and water.
The practical appeal is learning what a technique changes, so the lesson travels beyond a single recipe. That is useful whether you follow instructions precisely or tend to make dinner from whatever is in the fridge.
A recipe for the week
For this edition, I’m pointing you to Sharma’s Goan Meatballs in Tomato Curry, which he has shared from the new book on his website. Beef and chorizo meatballs meet a tomato curry with tamarind and curry leaves. He also explains the role of baking soda in helping the meat retain moisture.
You’ll find the full ingredient list, method and Sharma’s explanation at that link.
A Dalmore evening at Hotel Vancouver
The Dalmore dinner at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on October 15 was also on last week’s calendar, bringing Scotch and food pairings into the mix before the Apple Festival weekend. It inspited my women-in-whisky feature for Vancouver Is Awesome, looking at the people behind the tasting, teaching and storytelling.
In the driveway: Hyundai Kona Electric
Last week’s car was the 2026 Hyundai Kona Electric Preferred with the Ultimate Package, in Mirage Green. I didn’t have nearly enough time with it, but it certainly packed in more than I ever expected after tear down from the cider garden!
There are a couple of other reads to help with your own dinner planning: the fall menus at SUYO and UCHU, and Kavita’s first-anniversary plans. Kavita has staff-meal favourites coming November 1 and an 11-course reunion dinner with Mark Singson on November 17.
