photos :: giovane one year tweet-up

Hello, there! We’ve just received photos from our one year tweet-up held in the cafe last month from our photographer, Francis Arevalo. We hope you enjoy ‘em!

hello there, tiger.

happy birthday to us!

scones & sugar buns galore.

To check out more photos, visit our page on Facebook!

merchandise madness :: calendars

It’s time again for Merchandise Madness, featuring our calendars!

store front: the disappearing face of new york

The Store Front Calendar features postcards from the book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”, by James T. Murray and Karla L. Murray. The postcards depict New York stores, past and present, within the city’s many neighborhoods. Through the neon lights and the various shop windows in the images, a sense of the city’s culture and heritage is shown. Each week has a new postcard, and the calendar easily props up on any desk.

dan witz accordion calendar

Another calendar features Dan Witz, an American artist who has been painting hummingbirds since the late seventies. His small paintings of hummingbirds are inspired by street art and graffiti of that era. The Hummingbird Calendar is an accordion calendar, with hummingbird paintings from 1979, 2000, and 2010. This calendar has its own stand to display a different hummingbird every month.

Come by Giovane, we will gladly show you the calendars!

Post by barista, Eva Bach.

giovane cooks, giovane’s cooks: cory malcho.

Always on time, always ready to power through the day with a positive attitude and will never say no before finding a way to give you what you request! He’s an incredibly driven individual, always curious and wanting to learn more about the cafe and hotel’s operations. It’s a pleasure to work with him.

{picture to come}

1. First Kitchen Job: where and when?
   The Church Restaurant in Stratford, Ontario. I was a steward in 1996 – it was my first job.
2. What drew you to Giovane’s kitchen?
   Pizza. I love pizza.
3. What is your favourite pizza, panini, and pastry in the cafe?
   Pizza: Bianco
   Panini: Ham and Cheese
   Pastry: Buttermilk Scone – try it warmed with some butter and our housemade preserves – it’s amazing!! Best scones in town, I kid you not.
4. Favourite foodie spots in Vancouver?
   Motomachi Shokudo, Sushi Mart, and Aki.
5. Where did you go to culinary school?
   Just started my apprenticeship. Everything I know has come from doing it day in and day out, reading, listening, and mostly observing.
6. What is your favourite part about working in a kitchen?
   Structure, timing, flow of movement, challenges, successes, and the smells! Oh, the smells! Love the smells!
7. Dream country to visit based on food – describe/list the foods you’d like and, if you’d like, the regions you’d like to get it from.
   Japan. In Kyoto – Kaiseki Ryori. In Osaka – Okonomi-yaki. In Hokkaido – Chriashi-Don.
8. Last meal?
   A cheese plate paired with a selection of wines. Glorious.
9. What food/flavours do you not like?
   Turkey bacon. I just can’t grasp it – doesn’t work for me! Go big or go home, I say.
10. What do you want people to know most about the food we serve at Giovane?
    We put our guests first when we prepare our food. We make our food with fresh ingredients as much as possible. We are progressive and passionate about what we do an who we are.

merchandise madness :: fog linen

Welcome to another edition of Merchandise Madness, featuring Fog Linen!

Fog Linen began as a secondary business when Yumiko Sekine was looking to expand her book importing business. She wanted to include linens, but could not find linens created at an affordable price for everyday use. After doing much research, she discovered that Lithuania has been producing and exporting linens throughout the world for centuries. She eventually had her own designs manufactured in Lithuania, and subsequently started Fog Linen, with a collection of only 7 items.

Fog Linen has been produced for over 10 years now, with linen products ranging from everyday house use to linen clothing. Her products are available worldwide, as well as online.

Giovane has a range of Fog Linen products, including:

napkin

kitchen cloths

tape mat

Stop by and ask a barista to show you the Fog Linen – you won’t be disappointed!

Post by barista, Eva Bach.

 

happy heart.

One Year Wiser

This past week has just been full of smiles, laughter, good food, and even better company.

Photo by www.rickchung.com

Last Thursday we held our first-ever Tweet Up! As the original home of the sugar bun and all things made with love, it was only fitting to celebrate with our nearest and dearest friends, old and new. It’s always nice to put names to a face and Thursday night was all about hanging out with good people around you and making new friends. To the Vancouver Foodie Community – you guys rock. Thank you for joining us as we celebrated this milestone event.

Rick Chung did a sweet review of our little get-together and Mijune Pack of FollowMeFoodie wrote up a humbling review on a trio of cakes she took home! We’d love for you to skip on over and take a peek for yourselves. There are some great shots of the pastries and party posted. Thanks Rick and Mijune!

Photo by www.followmefoodie.com

Matters of the Heart

We hope you all had a Happy Valentine’s Day! The cafe was buzzing with pastries and cakes flying out the door (no really. They might as well have had wings because we were wiped out by about 2pm). A BIG thank you to Gem Chocolates – our first 100 guests yesterday, with a coffee purchase, received a Gem chocolate with raspberry and chocolate ganache – so. good. It was a nice way to start off everybody’s day. Valentine’s Day is about more than just a bouquet of flowers and a beautiful cake. It’s about giving and receiving love and paying it forward again and again. We really felt the love yesterday seeing all the extra happy smiles with cakes and love notes in hand. We hope we continue to give a little bit of that joy on a regular basis with every latte and pastry made with love.

always made with love.

merchandise madness :: valentine’s day giveaway!

We are giving away a Gem Chocolate to the first 100 guests in Giovane on Valentine’s Day! These fair trade, organic Belgian chocolates are hand crafted and made of all natural ingredients.

Don’t worry if you aren’t among the first 100 guests – our baristas are more than happy to show you the three different boxes of Gem Chocolates that we always have available for you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Post by barista, Eva Bach.

merchandise madness :: gem chocolates

Welcome to the newest feature on our blog, Merchandise Madness.  We will introduce the many retail items in Giovane and tell you a bit about them. Our designers and retailers are mostly local, and the products range from stationary and books to jewelry and dishes.

This first edition of Merchandise Madness is all about Gem Chocolates, which are perfect for Valentine’s Day, a present, or just a treat for yourself!

box of 10.

Gem Chocolates are made from organic, Free Trade, and Rainforest Alliance certified Belgian chocolate. These beautifully designed chocolates are made by hand with all natural ingredients. There are over 20 flavours, including:

mango ya-ya (mango & pomegranate)

cha-cha (cherry & chili in dark chocolate ganache)

caramel creme

We offer three sizes of Gem Chocolates sets: the large box (10 pieces), the small box (5 pieces), and the duo. Be sure to check them out the next time you’re in!

Post by barista, Eva Bach.

a little phoenix in your life.

One of our favourites on rotation in the cafe. Everybody needs a little phoenix in their life

Fences by Phoenix.

giovane cooks, giovane’s cooks: kim serrano.

She walks into the cafe, comes up to say hi, asks how you are doing, and gives you that smile.  When she’s here, you know that everything will run smoothly. That’s Kim Serrano, for ya! She’s an amazing and integral part of our kitchen team as her calm demeanour grounds us all during our chaotic lunch rushes. If ever you’re around for some coffee or some lunch, be sure to ask for her. She’s a delight to have in our lives and we’re sure you’d feel just the same

ravioli ninja.

1. First Kitchen Job: where and when?
   Terminal City Club and La Belle Auberge – July 2008
2. What drew you to Giovane’s kitchen?
   Learning how to cure our own charcuterie – it’s one of the things I’m most proud of about our team.
3. What is your favourite pizza, panini, and pastry in the cafe?
   Pizza: Funghi Misto Bosco
   Panini: Ham and Cheese
   Pastry: Tiramisu
4. Favourite foodie spots in Vancouver?
   Guu, Japadog, and Tojo’s – Japanese cuisine presented in very different ways.
5. Where did you go to culinary school?
   Vancouver Community College
6. What is your favourite part about working in a kitchen?
   The adrenaline when it’s busy is addictive and in Giovane you are sure to get your daily dose! I also like that in our kitchen, it is all very hands-on. No short-cuts here.
7. Dream country to visit based on food – describe/list the foods you’d like and, if you’d like, the regions you’d like to get it from.
   Japan, Italy, and all of Europe! How can I choose?
8. Last meal?
   Braised or deep-fried pork belly and roasted bone marrow. Can you tell this girl knows how to eat??
9. What food/flavours do you not like?
   Yam and bitter melon.
10. What do you want people to know most about the food we serve at Giovane?
    We are very conscious of what we serve our guests.  It all has to be local, sustainable, and made of fresh ingredients!

save the date.

 

 

Thursday, February 10th, 2011
5PM-7PM

Giovane Cafe
1038 Canada Place

www.giovanecafe.com
@giovanecafe

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Join us as we celebrate our One Year Anniversary!