My Tiffany's: Lüt Boutique + East is East

Ok, I'll admit it: I want it all and I want it now.
Food, Music, Glamour, please!

Being able to kill a few free-range-organically-fed-birds with one stone makes me very very happy, which is why Main street in Vancouver rarely disappoints. Much the same way a Tom Cat has his safely guarded collection of prowls in his back pocket, I have my meanderings on Main down to a science.

One of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon on this hip-strip is as follows:

First stop is Lüt Boutique. Besides the adorable moniker (who doesn't love an umlaut‽), Lüt Boutique's lures you in with it's spacious and uncluttered layout, and keeps you there with their selection of men and women's clothes from forward thinking designers. Other delightful features include original t-shirts, hard to resist jewelry and reworked leather bags.

This recent addition to Main street's string of awesome boutiques gets it right: hand picked pieces mean you will not end up with an H&M cookie-cutter look, and it will be next to impossible to show up at a party in the same dress as someone else (gasp!).

Yet another fabulous aspect of this establishment is the rotating art on display. Local artists are featured on a monthly basis, complete with proper opening parties where hours are extended and clothes are mostly cleared except for a few gorgeous pieces. I have a deep appreciation for community building events such as these that also serve to support Vancouver's wealth of talented artists.

Most recently, the work of Emily Miles is on display. Her paintings offer compelling images that celebrate beauty while subtly embracing dark side of life.

Her latest collection is a series of large canvases featuring impeccable little birds in luscious tones. Her work draws attention to the negative effects of urban sprawl on wildlife.

I have my eye on the little gangster Hermit Thrush. I will fight you for it. But who am I to be so greedy?: I'm already lucky enough to be the proud owner of a very large Emily Miles canvass from her flora series: deep aqua bleeding hearts that change colour as the sun moves across the sky.












My next destination a few blocks south is dinner at East is East. One of two locations, East is East appeals to the secret & polished gypsy heart that I harbour.

I simply adore the silk-road aesthetic and accompanying cuisine: rich yet simple. Every gourmet's dream.

The free refills of the talis, and complimentary samples of spicy chai (including a soy version for us lactose intolerant types) make the Recessionista in me swoon.
And oh! the food...fresh, sumptuous, with options to please everyone from a Vegan to the most Paleo of carnivores. I leave pleasantly full and excited to return again.

The gentle atmosphere is often uplifted with live music. Tablas meet classical guitars, and sitars make an appearance amid heartfelt vocals. Just because you are a Recessionista does not mean you are cheap, so give a little when the donation basket is passed around. Musicians, like most artists, are chronically undervalued.

Main Street, so full of My Tiffany's FTW!

My Tiffany's: Gorilla Food

After hearing about the working conditions at Gorilla Foods, I cannot in good conscience keep a glowing review of this establishment up on my blog.
Kitchen staff are chronically undervalued and underpaid. It breaks my heart to hear that the same is true under Gorilla Foods' owner Aaron Ash.

Fuck.That.Noise.

My Tiffany's: Eternal Abundance

Let it be known: diamonds are not my best friend. I do not yearn for tennis bracelets or engagement rings. I am much more impressed by the sensuality of gorgeous food and fine wine. I delight in the intangible state of knowing you are truly loved, cherished, or admired. And as often as possible, I revel in the joy of being in a milieu which both fulfills and inspires my tastes, desires and passions.

Holly Golightly, an excruciatingly chic and adorable heroine, feels this way about Tiffany's. It's a place where she feels safe, a place where nothing bad could ever happen, a peaceful haven, an oasis. It isn't inherently so, but Tiffany's is absolutely all of these things to Holly.

I've been lucky enough to find many 'Tiffany's' in my world: my favourite yoga studio, Vancouver's seawall, a hug from my boyfriend. If The Sartorialist blog were a place, I'd hang out there often.

I also have a small but growing list of restaurants and grocery stores which grace this list. As soon as I step in the door of any of these establishments: BAM! I have arrived! Blood pressure drops, eyes dilate. Sigh.

I'm eager to share them all with you, but at the same time I'm curious to know: what's your Tiffany's?

First on my list: two in one! Eternal Abundance on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. They sell organic produce. No frills, no fancy displays, no 'organic' junkfood..just gorgeous organic produce. They are also home to the Truffle Cafe which serves up drool worthy RAW meals in the back of the store. The produce is kept fresh with filtered water from spray bottles, unlike big name health food stores that mechanically spray dubious tap water on all their lovely organic fruits and veggies.

J'adore!