Pyrohy Heaven

Went back to the Soho pub for wings a few days ago and was happy to not be sitting in the whiny waitress' section. We sat upstairs. An old friend came. I have known him the longest out of all my circle of friends. He is kind of like a big brother to me. He is house sitting for a friend on Main and 2nd Avenue.

Funny how Main Street has become the new hub of trendiness. The rent has skyrocketed in that area. New condos are fencing it in on Kingsway, Main and Broadway. New coffee shops, artsy places, trendy bistros, vinyl shops, and boutiques. Lots of nice hertiage houses and bungalows still surround Main Street. It is now being called SoMa: South of Main Area.

Recently, the Beatty Street area boarding the drug addicted poverty stricken area downtown is not being hailed as Crosstown. Crosstown is only six or eight blocks long. Maybe it is encompassing the additional areas on the other side of the Stadium Skytrain Station consisting of Tinsletown, new condo towers, T&T Market and the upcoming Costco. I am wondering if this neighbourhood trendy name was started by a new restaurant on Beatty Street. Funny how marketing gurus and cool hippsters give neighbourhoods their own personalities to get consumers flocking.


Yesterday, a group of friends and I went to the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Main and 10th Avenue for their monthly Ukrainian food night. I have always wanted to go and finally did. (Thanks to Squishelle for organizing the gathering!) Great deal at $10 for a regular perogy dinner, including perogies, cabbage rolls, sausage, and salad or sauerkraut. I skipped the Borshch (beet soup). I am partial Ukrainian and it felt neat to eat some real Ukrainian food. Good thing we went mid-way because they ran out of perogies. The members who served us were so friendly and warm.

After dinner, we sat outside in the sun relishing the last remnants of the rays (weekend called for gray and rain). I petted an English Pointer named Cleo that whined a lot for her family. She seemed to have abandonment issues.

We decided on gelato for dessert. It seems that a new gelato place is popping up on every block in major districts of Vancouver. I think the gelato trend is beating the coffee trend. I have been to this new gelato place on Main and 14th twice in one week. Unfortuately, my partner was severely disappointed with the lemon gelato. It tasted like cardboard. Last time, I enjoyed Banana and Coffee Crunch. This time I was equally happy with Apple and French Vanilla. The ice cream bar looks like a space pod. The Coke gelato looked funky with the gummy coke bottles on top.