😭 Vancouver Italian Restaurant To Close After 30+ Years

Gooooodmorning there!

Welcome to the April 18th edition of Noms Mag weekly rundown!

The weather has been AMAZING this week, and it looks like it will continue to be nice and sunny for the next little while. That’s perfect if you’re planning on staying in the city and checking off some food spots you’ve been meaning to visit!

Well, in today’s weekly rundown:

• 🍵 Vancouver’s hottest cafe announces new location

• 😭 Longtime Italian restaurant to close after 30+ years

• 🍦 BOGO gelato scoops!

Let’s dive into this week’s rundown!

🌸 CHERRY BLOSSOM FOOD FEST KEEPS GOING!

It’s the second-to-last weekend of the festival.

This is your friendly reminder and perfect opportunity to explore and visit any of the vendors that you've been intending to check out.

And ofcourse, it is a good time to see how many Festival Passport stamps you’ve accrued and any Festival Missions you can complete. That way, you can gain the most entries to win amazing prizes!

Best of all, by attending the festival, you are supporting local food businesses! 100% of all festival item sales go directly back to the vendor!

🌟NEW & COMING SOON FOOD SPOTS

1.🐶 Cowdog expands to Kitsilano - The popular cafe will open a new location on West 4th by mid-May.

2.🥧 Casa de Nata opens first cafe - Get ready for fresh pastéis de nata in Gastown!

3.🍽️ Toptable Group spotted opening a new restaurant in Kits - A mysterious spot with an all-new culinary experience is coming this spring!

4.🍣 Aburi Market to open new store in downtown - Premium Japanese market arriving this fall with sushi, wagyu, and a new bakery.

5.🍩 Lee's Donuts opens first Burnaby location - Fresh honey dips and classic treats now available at The Amazing Brentwood.

6.🔥 Another self-serve Malatang hotspot opens - Grandjoy launched on Robson St, joining the hot pot craze!

7.🍽️ New experimental eats & global vibes at Bar Asra - Opens April 15 in South Granville!

👉 Check out 10 more new restaurants that have opened here.

🪦CLOSED & CLOSING SOON FOOD SPOTS

1.🍝 Longtime Italian favorite bids farewell - Zefferelli’s on Robson Street will close after 36 years in May.

2.🧃 Glory Juice Yaletown closes its doors - The popular juice shop has quietly shut down its Yaletown location.

3.🐌 Mama Rich calls it quits - Burnaby's longtime Chinese snail noodle spot has closed after nine years.

4.🍟 Popular fry spot closes unexpectedly - Potato Corner has shut down its Richmond location at Aberdeen Centre.

5.🐔 Local fried chicken brand closes East Vancouver location - Fighter Chicken has quietly shut its Renfrew and East Broadway outpost after 4 years.

👉 Or check out 10 more restaurants that have closed recently here.

💰 DEALS THAT MATTER

1.🎉 Passione Gelato's 6th Birthday BOGO - Enjoy BOGO scoops and $10 pints; available April 18 - 19; first 60 customers get VIG cards for 20% off next 6 months!

2.🧋 $5 1-Litre Super Cup returns At Chatime - Choose Tropical Green Tea or Slush; available April 14 – May 11, or while quantities last; valid in-store and mobile ordering.

3.🥟 $10 Happy Hour Deal At Chaomami Express - Grab 3 delicious baos, rolls, or mini pho for $10; Available daily 2-6PM; soft opening special!

4.👶 Free Children's Meal Challenge at Tai Er - Kids under 12 yrs old who win 2 rock paper scissor games over a Taier server wins a free children's meal! Available until May 8; participate in-store to win toys or juice.

5.🎉 April & May Birthday Discount Deal at Mui Ngo Gai - Your age = your discount % off; Valid for April, or May birthdays; reservations required 3 days in advance; special birthday menu applies. 🥳

6.🔥 Lunch Combo for Two at Gokudo Shabu Shabu - Enjoy a pot each with meats, veggies, and dessert for $39.99; available Monday to Friday, 11:30 AM - 4 PM; dine-in only; available at Burnaby & Richmond locations (cred. gudfoodnolai)

7.🍽️ 50% OFF Swe-dish Thursdays at IKEA returns - Enjoy 50% off main dishes! Valid from February 20 to June 5, 2025; dine-in only, valid after 11 AM; must present IKEA Family Card.

🗓️ EVENTS TO KNOW ABOUT

1.🌸 [FESTIVAL] Vancouver Cherry Blossom Food Festival 2025 (March 14 - April 27] - self-guided food festival featuring cherry blossom-inspired items from 20+ top cafes and bakeries; throughout Metro Vancouver

2.☕️ [POP UP] Hiyori Coffee Seasonal Pop-Up (Apr 19 - 21) - thoughtfully crafted AeroPress coffee paired with handmade Japanese sweets; @ Enishi Space, 269 East 6th Ave, Vancouver; 10AM–5PM; FREE

3.🎀 [EVENT] Easter Celebration at Dream Collective (Apr 19 - 20) - enjoy live painting, stamp rally, and sweet prizes; @ Dream Collective, Vancouver, BC; 11 AM - 8 PM; FREE

4.☕ [EVENT] Walk-in Coffee Tasting & 'Brewtorial' (Apr 3 - Jul 3) - explore a range of coffee flavors in a welcoming setting; @ 491 Sperling Ave, Burnaby; 11 - 11:15 AM; TICKETED

5.🐣 [FAMILY] Baby Animal Easter Days (April 12 - 20) - enjoy adorable baby animals and Easter egg hunts at the farm; @ Maan Farms, 790 McKenzie Rd, Abbotsford; 10 AM - 5 PM; TICKETED (varies by type)

6.🐶 [EVENT] Bark & Yap High Tea (Apr 19) - delightful high tea event for dogs and owners; @ milk + honey Richmond; 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM; TICKETED

7.🍏 [EVENT] Pottery Night x The Cider House (Apr 23) - create your own pottery while enjoying cider; @ The Cider House Vancouver; 7:30 PM - 10 PM; TICKETED

8.💌 [EVENT] MOD Kitchen Open House (Apr 26) - Celebrate the grand opening with food, drinks, and art; @ MOD Kitchen: 11151 Horseshoe Way #15, Richmond; 2-4PM; FREE

9.🌸 [POP UP] The Spring Has Sprung Market (April 26 - 27) - Support local small businesses with 50+ vendors; @ Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street; 11AM to 5PM; FREE ADMISSION.

11.🍄 [POP UP] UMAMI MUSHROOM – Pop-Up Dinner Series (Apr 29) - flavour-packed evening celebrating local mushrooms and bold creativity; @ 654 Nelson St, Vancouver, BC; 6–9 PM; TICKETED

🗓️ Check out more events happening in Metro Vancouver here.

That's all for now! Stay toasty and have a delicious long weekend :)

-Jason