Wondering what to give or where to take the kids for Valentine’s Day? How about taking them back to the 1950’s where the treats are sweet and the service is with a smile? If you think there is no such place – well then you clearly have never been to Cupcakes.

For all you moms out there who thought you couldn’t enjoy an elegant meal and killer view of the city without reaching for your babysitter’s number – put down the phone. There are six Boathouse restaurants around Vancouver, with the first one being the Coal Harbour location, which opened in 1981. Last week, we – four adults and two kids – headed off to the one in English Bay for an early dinner

If you’re sick of the cycle of guilt that deep-fried donuts bring you, head on over to Beard Papa’s. Beard what? That was my first reaction too, so first, a bit of background: Beard Papa’s has been a household name in Japan since 1999, when Yuji Hirota opened the first Beard Papa’s store in Osaka, Japan. With a few locations scattered around Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond, their West End location is probably the most “touristy.” That was, until I walked past a recently leased shop window on Robson and Seymour and saw that they were opening their second downtown location here.

On Wednesday night, Jesse and I had the first real date night that we’ve had since before our oldest kid was born. By “real,” I mean leaving the house before 6:00, going for dinner, taking in a show and watching a play – it felt like a pre-kid extravaganza! First stop: The Sandbar, finished off with an opening performance of It’s a Wonderful Life at the Arts Club.

“I wanted to teach them real skills real skills with real recipes,” says Hilit Nurick about the children who take courses at Culinary Kids, her company that offers children a place to learn to cook, bake and love food. “I decided not to treat the kids as kids…. I would not teach them to make sandwiches or hard boiled eggs with olive eyes.”