VM Mom to Follow: Claire of LIVIA Forno e Vino
Our VM Mom to Follow this month is Claire from LIVIA Forno e Vino. Claire owns a beautiful bakery on the corner of Commercial Drive, oozing with greenery and a window full of their daily featured sourdough bread; it’s a beautiful part of the vibrant community here in Vancouver.
Whether you’re coming in the morning for a coffee and a mouth-watering pastry or brunching on their Spaghetti Carbonara, it’s a welcoming place you want to visit. Claire is at the center of it all with her delicious taste and strong support for her community.
5 Favourite Places Claire Loves
As I live on Commercial Drive I rarely leave my immediate neighbouhood, but I often r go for walks over to Yama Cafe during the week. It’s the perfect little Japanese breakfast spot, and the couple that own it have an adorable son who’s always running around, which always makes me feel like if my kid cries a bit, or gets chatty no one will judge me! Their grilled mackerel breakfast plate is a favourite, as are their mochi muffins.
Then we usually go for a walk around Trout Lake.
Otherwise we love to head to North Van for breakfast at the Douce Diner and then walks throughout Lighthouse Park.
Weekends are made for dim sum- on rare weekends off work we walk over to Cindy’s Palace- it’s bustling and loud enough that no one cares if your kid is losing it. Plus dumplings It’s basically heaven.
Q & A
Q: You’ve built your own beautiful little corner of the world here in Vancouver off of Commercial Drive. Are there any local flavours inspiring your menu this summer?
Thank you so much for saying that! It has been such a tough year for farmers, everything is so far behind, and everything growing locally is just taking it’s sweet time this year. We just got our first round of strawberries in yesterday which is bringing me so much joy. Last night I just sliced some up into my glass of white and then spooned them out at the end of my glass. It was perfect. My heart belongs with simple food.
Q: Having a baby changes life so much, how have you been able to balance work life with motherhood?
I feel very lucky to have the support of my husband who is also my business partner. I work in the mornings and take my son in the afternoons, and he works the afternoons and spends mornings with Quincy. It has been a very dreamy situation, as I genuinely love my work. I have never wanted to be a full-time stay-at-home mom- I’m just not patient enough!- so I feel very fortunate. Coming up on a year and with many changes moving forward at the business we’re currently trying to find some childcare to offset some of the time spent at home, which I’m both excited and terrified for. It’s wild how much I crave time to work but then my body aches when I’m apart from my son, but I suppose that’s the usual paradox of motherhood.
Q: A community resource worth knowing?
East Side Family Place! They’re the best.
Thank you so much to Claire for sharing your time and for pouring so much yumminess into the community.
Fine Claire here:
IG: www.instagram.com/clairelivia
or
IG: www.instagram.com/liviasweets
Do you know a mother doing some really great things? Maybe it’s you! Contact us or tag us at #vancouvermom. See more of our VM Mom’s to Follow here.
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