'Dine Strathcona' Neighbourhood Culinary Showcase and Fundraising Event Returns November 17 to 30

Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA) is bringing back its popular Dine Strathcona culinary event from November 17 to 30, 2021 as 19 of the neighbourhood’s beloved independent restaurants, cafés and breweries come together to raise money in support of vulnerable community members within Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

First launched in 2019, the two-week community festival invites locals and visitors to savour special promotional dishes at food and drink hotspots in the vibrant neighbourhood — including The Mackenzie Room, Superflux, Strathcona Beer Company, Dosanko and The Garden Strathcona to name a few — with $5 from the sale of each Dine Strathcona menu feature donated directly to the festival’s 2021 community partner, HAVE Culinary Training Society.

Guided by a philosophy of Hope, Action, Values and Ethics, HAVE Culinary Training Society is a not-for-profit organization that provides accessible food service training and employment opportunities to members of the community who face barriers to employment such as poverty, homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges. Over the past 14 years they have successfully trained 1,200 students with over 75% of them gaining steady employment in the tourism and hospitality industry. Since March 2020, the kitchen at HAVE’s on-site café has been utilized to prepare over 1,000 meals per day for at-risk individuals who have experienced food insecurity due to the pandemic.

“For the third year in a row, the Dine Strathcona festival gives diners the chance to support a worthy cause while discovering the incredible culinary talents and community spirit that make Strathcona such a unique and special neighbourhood,” says Johanna Lauyanto, Manager, Communications & Sustainability at the SBIA. “The money raised during this year’s event will provide funding to enroll new students in HAVE’s culinary training program and help secure job placements for new graduates in Metro Vancouver restaurants.”

Nineteen neighbourhood establishments will be taking part in the 2021 edition of Dine Strathcona. Participating restaurants, cafés and breweries are as follows:

— RESTAURANTS —

Ask for Luigi

Fried Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Herbs and Aioli $17

Axum Ethiopian Restaurant

Vegetarian Combo $15

Dosanko

Wild Mushroom Doria $25 (or $35 for 3 Course Meal)

LanaLou's Restaurant

Empanadas $10

The Belgard Kitchen

Wagyu Bolognese $23

The Heatley

The Mushroom Bowl $12.50

The Mackenzie Room

Chicken of The Sea $20

VV Tapas Lounge

Flat Iron Steak $27

— CAFÉS —

Coastal Eden Cafe

Mortadella Sandwich $8.95

Harken Coffee

Handmade Pour Over and 40g of Whole Bean Coffee $7.50

Liquids & Solids

Heavenly Pesto Chicken Sandwich $10.95

Pallet Coffee Roasters

Pour Over and 100g Sample Bag of Coffee $7.50

Prototype Coffee

Honduras Buena Vista (Whole Bean Coffe) $18

Railtown Cafe

The Winter Kale Salad $14

The Garden

The Mushroom Bowl $12.50

— BREWERIES —

Container Brewing/Burdy

Chicken Parm Sandwich $12.50

Luppolo Brewing Company

Campo D'Inverno Pizza $21

Strathcona Beer Company

Hawaiian Pizza $22

Superflux Beer Company

Napa Salad $13