Bard on the Beach performs under canvas all summer in Vanier Park
Maenam offers sustainable Thai cuisine
Dinner and a Show
Be prepared to applaud twice when you pair a live performance
with a pre-show dinner at a nearby restaurant by louise phillips
Downtown west siDe
VSO at the Orpheum Bard on the Beach
601 Smithe St., 604-876-3434
vancouversymphony.ca
Seating: 2,780
opened: 1927
Often used as a film set (Battlestar Galactica; Highlander:
The Series; If I Stay), the splendidly restored, former vaude-
ville palace is now a National Historic Site. It is home to the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and hosts all manner of
other concerts. For its 99th season, Bramwell Tovey’s last
as Music Director, the VSO continues its packed roster of
beloved Masterworks, light classics and pops. A further series
plays at Chan Centre on the West Side. From pianist Angela
Cheng and percussionist Evelyn Glennie to astronaut-explor-
er-singer-guitarist Colonel Chris Hadfield, the season is star-
lit. Visit the website for a full concert calendar.
Hawksworth
rosewood Hotel 801 W. Georgia St., 604-673-7000
hawksworthrestaurant.com
If you’re in a time crunch that won’t permit lingering
over Chef David Hawksworth’s haute cuisine, the restau-
rant’s varied lounge menu of “bar bites” is renowned for its
Korean fried cauliflower with sesame a nd cilantro, and the
Hawksworth beef burger with applewood bacon, cheddar
and pommes frites. Lounge space is on a first-come, first-
served basis; here you can indulge in more casual fare (under
$25) in the same elegant atmosphere as the restaurant’s, and
still make the concert, play, game or ballet on time. “Just
let your server know your time constraints,” says Annabel
Hawksworth, “and we’ll happily comply.”
Also Downtown Le Crocodile is a longtime favourite with
fans of fine French cuisine.
Vanier Park, foot of Whyte ave., 604-739-0559
bardonthebeach.org
The phenomenally successful summer Shakespeare festival
occupies several large tent theatres clustered in Vanier Park
against a backdrop of sea and mountains that often forms
part of the greater “set.” The 28th Bard season features four
Shakespeare plays imaginatively staged and often set in non-
traditional eras, and a short-run contemporary drama about
a modern Shakespearean actor. The lineup also includes
choral and opera nights. For a complete schedule visit the
website.
Playbill June 1-September 23, 2017
Much Ado About Nothing
The Winter’s Tale
The Merchant of Venice
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Shylock, by Mark Leiren-Young (September only)
Also on the West Side Jericho Arts Centre / Chan Centre.
Maenam
1938 W. 4th ave., 604-730-5579
maenam.ca
Restaurant of the year in 2016 (Vancouver magazine),
Maenam is not your typical Thai eatery. The menu riffs on
tradition but tries to keep dishes sustainable, organic and
locally sourced. In a group? The Chef’s Selection offers six or
more savoury share plates ($47 per person; $40 vegetarian).
For two, consider the hot and sour soup of halibut cheek.
Mains include staples such as pad Thai, and an adventurous
beef curry with kale, shrimp paste and shredded wild ginger.
Also on the West Side Noodlebox for Asian noodle dishes
and soups (casual) / Bishop’s for fine dining.
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