Secret Vancouver: The Unique Guidebook to Vancouver's Hidden Sites, Sounds and Tastes

http://www.secretguides.com/secret_vancouver.html

Secret Vancouver's first edition of this unique guide for "travelers with a yen for the undiscovered and out-of-the-ordinary" finds much to reveal about the Drive:

• Secret African eateries at Addis Cafe (2017 Commercial Drive) and Harmabe Ethiopian Cuisine (2149 Commercial Drive) featuring traditional Somalis and Ethiopian fare.

• Secret Al Fresco patio dining "where life pulsates into the wee hours" from Havana (1212 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Alternative Media with the Vancouver Courier - check out it's monthly pullout feature on the character(s) of the Drive.

• Secret Aromatherapy, and a spa, at Escents Aromatherapy (1744 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Artisan Breads at the wheat-free Aran Foods (1692 Venables Street) offering spelt breads, cakes and cookies.

• Secret Bakeries from Fratelli Authentic Italian Baking (1795 Commercial Drive) making biscotti, dole, among other pastry.

• Secret Beach party at the children's beach, lifeguard patrolled, at Trout Lake (at 13th and Victoria Drive).

• Secret Billiards and Bowls at pool tables "long frequented by Italians and Portuguese" at Joe's Cafe (1150 Commercial Drive) and the five and ten-pin lanes of Grandview Bowling Lanes (2195 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Books sit at People's Co-op Bookstore (1391 Commercial Drive) "a member-run business ... doggedly supportive of local writers and social justice issues".

• Secret Breweries find "beer hounds" picking up "unfiltered ales" from Storm Brewing Ltd. (310 Commercial Drive) and Dan's Home brewing Supplies next door.

• Secret Buddhist temple at Tung Lin Kok Yuen Society Temple (2495 Victoria Drive).

• Secret CDs and Vinyl from the African continent at Highlife World Music (1317 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Cheap Stuff galore for hippies at Rastawares (1505 Commercial Drive), beaded curtain aficionados at Beckwoman's Folk Art (1314 Commercial Drive), and decorative home wares at Wonderbucks (1803 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Cinema for affordable first run cinema at Vancouver East Cinema (2290 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Clubs and Cabarets "well recommended by a city music-scene writer" for diversity is Silvertone Tavern (2733 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Coffee from the "granddaddy of coffee independents" at Joe's cafe, European roots at Abruzzo Cappuccino Bar (1321 Commercial Drive), the Portuguese Club of Vancouver (1144 Commercial Drive) and Cafe Roma (1510 Commercial Drive), or even "brazenly Italian" Calabria Bar (1745
Commercial Drive), and lastly pot to go with your pot of coffee kind of place, JJ Bean (2206 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Dance with Mr. Dance hosted Astorino's Ballroom (1739 Venables Street).

• Secret Farmers' Markets for the "oldest and best-know" go to the East Vancouver Farmers' Market at Victoria Drive and East 15th every Saturday morning, May to October.

• Secret Fashion includes Point In Time (1302 Victoria Drive).

• Secret Festivals for "the most visually interesting" look to Public Dreams Society and their signature event, Illumainares (Trout Lake) and the Parade of Lost Souls (Grandview Park).

• Secret Shoes for "those who know their shoemakers", Kalena's (1526 Commercial Drive) has the Italian shoes and boots for men and women to walk in style.

• Secret Hemp not far off Commercial Drive Hemptown Clothing (1307 Venables)

• Secret Home Stuff for the "few places with unusual offerings at modes prices" look to the Drive with Blue Terra Designs (1146 Commercial Drive) Indonesian and Moroccan ware, Dream Designs (956 Commercial Drive) natural fabrics and house-designs, and Great Pacific Furniture Galleries (2946 Commercial Drive) ultra-modern Italian imports.

• Secret Italian on the Drive (admittedly, this can't be all that secret :-) highlights La Grotta del Formaggio (1791 Commercial Drive) for fine deli selections of artichokes, oils, pastas, etc., and, of course, cheeses; and Nick's Spaghetti House (631 Commercial Drive) for "clattering plates, paper bibs, tightly packed tables, and all-round hustle"; or the reliable wood-burning oven of Lombardo's Ristorante and Pizzeria (1641 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Japanese Food is found by the shopping cart full at Fujiya Japanese Foods (912 Clark Drive).

• Recognizing that Commercial Drive "has long been the nexus for Spanish-speaking immigrants" look to the Cuban Havana 91212 Commercial Drive) or the Peruvian owned Latin Quarter (1305 Commercial Drive) and Mexican Tio Pepe (1134 Commercial Drive) for Secret Latin America.

• Secret Licorice has a loan entry, Dutch Girl Chocolates (1002 Commercial Drive) with over forty varieties of licorice.

• A Drive institution, Kevin Potvin's Magpie Magazine Gallery warrants a Secret Magazines entry for the range of selection from popular to hard-to-find.

• Same owner, two mentions for two Secret Pizza spots, the Pizza Garden (1042 Commercial Drive) and Mega Bite (1417 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Pot Culture is the members only The Compassion Club (Commercial Drive at East 14th Ave).

• Secret Poutine and also a lone entry because it's hands down the place of Belgian frites Belgian Fires (1885 Commercial Drive).

• Secret Sex (retail variety) looks to Womyns'Ware (896 Commercial Drive as the "heatlh-food equivalent of the sleazy sex-shop business" at the corner of The Drive and Venables Street.

• Secret South Asian focuses on the radical chic of Clove (2054 Commercial Drive) for fusion fare and the "accumulated good, inexpensive" fare at Thai Away Home (1736 Commercial Drive).

• "You can't go wrong "with the Secret Theater happening at Vancouver East Cultural Centre (1895 Venables Street) or the "Very Commercial Drive'ness of the sixty-seat theater at Havana.

• Secret Vegetarian nods go with the vegan Sweet Cherubim Natural Foods and Restaurant (1105 Commercial Drive) and organics next door.