THE FRESH SHEET: Food & Drink Happenings (Nov. 20)

Piato, a modern-Greek restaurant, has now opened in the former India Grill location at 1835 West 4th (Piato.ca). On the Plate food columnist Andrew Morrison was in for a drink on its fourth night of business. “It’s a very bright, well-appointed room that has a Santorini-meets-ice-palace feel to it,” he reports. “Friendly bar, white linens; its sleekness is offset by many circa-1955 photos, blown up to poster size, of happy Greek families and friends.” He then added: “West 4th is freakin’ spoiled.” Expect a full review soon.

Quang Dang, chef de cuisine at C Restaurant, plated the gold-medal-winning dish at the SeaChoice Culinary Competition, held at the Jericho Tennis Club last Saturday (Nov. 15). The second-annual contest was held in alliance with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program, the Sierra Club of BC, and the David Suzuki Foundation. The event celebrates seafood that is sustainable and sourced off our own coasts. For more info, visit SeaChoice.org

Raw Canvas, a lounge/gallery hybrid, has just opened at 1046 Hamilton in Yaletown (604-687-1729, Raw-Canvas.com). From their website: “Beyond being a café where you can have a great coffee and do your work (yes, we have Wi-Fi!), and beyond being a lounge where you can have a glass of wine and get social, Raw Canvas is a full-service paint-on-canvas art studio. Come in and buy a canvas. We will provide paints, brushes, and all the supplies you will need to free your inner artist.”

Uva Wine Bar, in the Moda Hotel (900 Seymour, 604-632-9560, UvaWineBar.ca) is now open weekdays for breakfast and lunch, starting at 7 a.m. In addition to a full range of coffee beverages (made on one of only two Italian-made Synesso espresso machines in B.C.), the breakfast card includes a selection of fresh pastries, while lunch sees a short but exemplary list of soups, salads, and panini. (There’s take-out, too.) Check the website for a complete menu.