Hannah Wallace

How to Be a Responsible Cannabis-Consuming Traveler

I wrote this for Conde Nast Traveler back in April. 

This is part of a collection of stories on the intersection of weed and travel, from Women Who Travel. Read the full guide—with practical tips, travel experiences to check out, and more—right here.

Cannabis tourism is on the rise. Nearly 20 percent of all adult Americans qualify as cannabis-motivated travelers, according to research done in 2020 by MMGY Travel Intelligence in partnership with Enlightn Strategies, an advisor in the cannabis space. Today, 18 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have all legalized weed for adult recreational use. (A dozen more have passed medical marijuana laws only.) But each state has slightly different rules and regulations, which can be tricky to navigate. 

 

Here are some tips to keep in mind for consuming responsibly in states where cannabis is legal.

Do your homework

Before setting off on a cannabis-themed adventure, research your destination. A great resource is the weed legalization map at Leafly, the go-to resource for all things cannabis. “They have a great overview of state-by-state laws,” says Jamie Evans, founder of the Herb Somm and author of Cannabis Drinks: Secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home. They also list nearby legal dispensaries. “They are the all-in-one resource of what’s legal.” You could also google: "cannabis consumption in X state” to get the local government’s up-to-date rules and FAQs.

It’s also worth noting that while you can barely walk down the street in Oakland, California, or Portland, Oregon, without seeing people vaping or smoking joints, even in states that have legalized weed, it’s technically illegal to smoke on the street everywhere except New York City and in other outdoor public spaces. Bottom line, it’s better to err on the side of caution and stick to private backyards or cannabis-friendly spaces like designated lounges or cafes. When considering where to stay, homeshare platform Bud & Breakfast is like an Airbnb for the cannatourist, listing cannabis-friendly accommodations worldwide. Some properties even include fresh buds and smoking paraphernalia.

Read the fine print

In some states, the total amount of allowable THC per single scored piece of chocolate (or caramel, or gummy) is five mg. In others it’s 10 mg. Get out your glasses and read the fine print. Dosing is very individual. “Some people are like rhinos—you can give them 50 mg and they’re like, ‘I’m sort of high,’” says Katie Stem, the founder and owner of Oregon’s Peak Extracts. (For context, 50 mg is considered a very high dose for most consumers.) Stem, who herself is sensitive to THC, advises always starting “low and slow.” When she started making brownies, she didn’t know until she tried a few that “10 milligrams of THC makes me feel like I’m melting off the stool.” For her, dividing a five mg gummy in half and then taking a bit off of that is the perfect amount. “Start with one to two mg of THC and wait an hour. That’s the Maureen Dowd tip—don’t redose until you wait two to three hours.” (Columnist Maureen Dowd famously ate too much of an edible and ended up comatose in her hotel room, later writing about it for the New York Times.)

Don’t drive stoned 

People are busted every day for driving while stoned, even though the testing methods are widely contested. (In some states, like Washington, the legal limit is five nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood, which can easily still be present in your bloodstream 48 hours after using.) Best bet: If you’re intoxicated, call a Lyft. 

Seek out lounges 

Some states and/or cities allow cannabis consumption in designated lounges, restaurants, or bars. MoeGreens in San Francisco has the feel of a speakeasy; you can purchase your products at the dispensary and then consume them in the chic Mid-century modern-inspired lounge. In New York City, Café Cannal is a women-owned cannabis-friendly cafe and lounge that serves CBD-infused beverages and pastries, and allows patrons to consume their own cannabis on site. And at the Artist Tree Studio Cannabis Lounge, which just opened in West Hollywood, there’s a smoking area and table-side services of edibles and joints. 

Ask a budtender 

Think of your budtender—that's the person working at the dispensary—as the concierge of your cannabis experience. They can give you the low-down on the best organically-grown weed, direct you to a local cannabis lounge, and, most importantly, help you find the right experience for your needs. Whether you’re looking for something to help you sleep or you want something to make you feel creative and energized, the budtender will be able to steer you to the best strain and method of delivery.

Herbacée, a new cannabis-infused rosé from Northern California

 Chris Greenwell

The mother-and-daughter team behind Make & Mary

 Natalie Gildersleeve

Women-owned cannabis companies

As the U.S. cannabis space grows, women are helping shape it, running everything from cannabis tourism agencies to premiere edible companies. Here are a few of the brands we're watching right now.

Front Row Travels 

Baltimore-based travel agent Ayanna Lawson keeps her finger on the pulse regarding cannabis laws, women-owned businesses, and more. She can plan your next cannabis-themed trip, whether it’s to Las Vegas or Jamaica.

 

Tokeativity

Tokeativity is a global cannabis community that hosts digital and IRL events and tours for women. Founders Samantha Montanaro and Lisa Snyder will be leading an East Coast Tokeativi-Tour, with visits to New York City, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, as well as a west coast jaunt from Oregon to California.

Empower BodyCare

Over a decade ago, Trista Okel made her mom a THCA-infused topical oil to reduce the arthritis-related pain she was suffering. Today, Okel’s Topical Relief Oil, which has a 1:1 ratio of THCA to CBD, has a cult following. You can order her CBD-only lotions, soaking salts, and topical oils online from any state, but the combination products you can currently only buy in Oregon dispensaries.

Greater Goods

The chocolates, gummies, and other artisanal CBD-infused confections that Carrie Solomon and her partner Jody Ake make are made from fair trade, organic ingredients. If you’re in Portland, Oregon try their THC-infused line, Leif Goods, which contains full-spectrum cannabis oils from respected local growers.

Green Muse

This Black-owned hip-hop-themed dispensary sells records as well as weed. The dispensary is based in Northeast Portland, and runs a workforce development academy to help primarily Black youth (aged 21 to 24) break into the legal cannabis industry.

Herbacée

You can find Jamie Evans’ new cannabis-infused wine in Northern California for now, but it’ll be available statewide next month. There is no alcohol in this rosé blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, just five mg each of THC and CBD to create a pleasant buzz.

Laurie + MaryJane

Laurie Wolf, called the Martha Stewart of marijuana, and her daughter-in-law Mary, make award-winning brownies, infused nuts, and cheese crisp crackers, sold at all the best Oregon dispensaries.

Make & Mary

Most of the items that Yvonne Perez Emerson sells at her expertly curated Portland wellness boutique are made by BIPOC folks. In addition to selling her own line of herbal products—from an exfoliating face mask to a lymphatic drainage CBD tincture—she sells self-help books, silk kimonos, and hand-dyed socks. She also holds workshops and events.

My Bud Vase

Marketing strategist and entrepreneur Doreen Sullivan finds vintage flower vases and turns them into artful bongs. You can buy them on her website or in dispensaries and wellness shops around the country from Chicago to Las Vegas, where the company is now based.

Peak Extracts

From THC-infused chocolate bars and tinctures to “Rescue Rub” (for sore muscles and joints), Peak makes potent plant medicine. Owner Katie Stem began using cannabis for her own medical reasons and still makes some of the best strain-specific chocolate bars in Oregon. 

Simply Pure

This Denver-based dispensary is owned by Wanda James and her husband, Scott Durrah, who together became the first Black couple in the U.S. to own a legally-licensed dispensary, cultivation facility, and edibles company. James, a former Navy Lieutenant, is also an outspoken champion for cannabis reform and racial justice in the industry.

Shop MaryJae

Though weed is still not legal in Texas, this Austin-based shop, which is LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and woman-owned, sells CBD-infused edibles, hemp flower, and cannabis accessories.

Yew Yew 

Founded by New York-based Jenny Wichman in 2017, Yew Yew aims to break the stigma around cannabis through its chic, minimalist smoking accessories that could easily be mistaken as a piece of stylish home decor. 

Great Escape: Oregon's Wallowa Mountains

I recently got to write about one of my favorite regions of Oregon: the Wallowa Mountains.  It may be a five-hour drive from Portland, but boy, this part of the state is utterly gorgeous.  I long to go back every summer to hike, camp, swim, and have a beer along the creek at Terminal Gravity. 

At the end of our long hike from the trailhead, we found the Minam River Lodge 

Here's my story, for Conde Nast Traveler. I'll give a tease here.  

Two hours into our hike through the Eagle Cap Wilderness, I looked up from the wooded path to see that the thick stand of Douglas fir was draped in a gauzy yellow-green lichen. “Usnea!” I called out to my husband, Don, who is used to me blurting out the scientific names of Pacific Northwest flora and fauna. The usnea—also called old-man's beard—looked ethereal in the dappled afternoon sunlight. I half expected to see a wood sprite spring out from behind one of the towering firs in this patch of old-growth forest.

I suppose you could say that Don and I had come to this far-­northeastern corner of Oregon to escape reality for a bit. After the year we'd had—cooped up indoors, our attention wandering from the pandemic to the protests, the wildfires to the election—we felt we'd earned it. The place's remoteness, a five-and-a-half-hour drive from our home in Portland, helps explain why, even though I've lived in Oregon on and off since the late '80s, I didn't visit Wallowa County until a decade ago. But when I first saw the wide-open Zumwalt Prairie Preserve, snowcapped mountains, and glacial lakes, I fell in love. I've been back a handful of times since to hike and ride horses.

Some refer to the Wallowa Mountains, a 40-mile-long range that extends into neighboring Union County, as Oregon's Alps, and the whole region does bear some resemblance to Switzerland. But it's also distinctly the American West. The Nez Percé were the first people to settle the area. They lived here for at least 11,000 years before being driven out by the U.S. Army in the late 1870s, in direct violation of the U.S. government's own treaty. Though the tribe is now officially based in Idaho, it still holds culture camps for Nez Percé kids each summer near Wallowa Lake.

An aerial view of Joseph, Oregon with Wallowa Lake in the background. PHOTO: LEON WERDINGER

There's something romantic about hiking into a place with everything you need on your back. Even better when the destination is a backcountry luxury retreat with no Wi-Fi or cell service where we could be blissfully ignorant of the news cycle. We were on our way to the Minam River Lodge, hidden in the middle of the 360,000-acre Eagle Cap Wilderness and accessible only by private plane, horseback, or foot.

Owner Barnes Ellis came here in his 20s for a family reunion. It was 1990 and the property—an old hunting lodge—had seen better days. The beauty of the wild landscape made an impression on him, though, and 20 years later he bought the roughly 126-acre spread. By then the lodge was a dilapidated wreck, but Barnes hired an architect and embarked on a multiyear, multimillion-dollar renovation. Since the Minam opened in 2017, I'd had it in my mind to visit and, specifically, to arrive on foot, even if that meant possible, if unlikely, encounters with elk, cougars, and bears.

The eight-and-a-half-mile journey in, mostly downhill, started at the Moss Springs Trailhead, high above the tiny town of Cove. We didn't have to trek far after leaving the relative civilization of the Moss Springs campground to feel totally enveloped by wilderness. We traversed steep scree-covered paths, passed hillside meadows, and scrambled across pristine creeks, all against the backdrop of evergreen-covered mountains.

By the time we arrived at the Minam, our feet ached and it was a challenge to stand upright under our packs. Our tent was more of the glamping than camping variety, with luxe linens and wide-plank floors. (The resort also has cabins and conventional guest rooms in the lodge.) After a quick rest, we ambled slowly to the main lodge, where chef Sean Temple, a veteran of New York's Jean-Georges and Portland's beloved Paley's Place, holds court at the restaurant. Most of the herbs and vegetables he uses are grown on the property, while nearly everything else is sourced from nearby farms, ranches, and wineries. It was a memorable dinner—and not just because it was one of the first, in a very long while, that we didn't have to cook ourselves. After a chicory salad studded with Jonagold apples and showered with Parmesan, Temple presented a perfectly seared grass-fed strip steak over a purée of grilled chanterelles. We heard laughter from a boisterous group on the outdoor patio, a balm after months of isolation.

To continue reading, see the full story here.  

 

FACTS

Hotels

The Jennings: This 12-room boutique hotel is self check in, so be sure to have your key code before arriving. A communal kitchen/library means you can brew your own coffee or tea and store snacks in the fridge. From the shared balcony, you can view the mountains. Doubles from $95 (with shared bathroom)

The Indian Lodge Motel: If you can’t get into the Jennings, the Indian Lodge Motel down the street is a spotless, quiet spot with good beds and free Wifi. Doubles from $125.

Restaurants

The Range Rider One of the only restaurants along OR-82 open on a Tuesday night, Range Rider is a western bar complete with old cowboy boots, fiddles, and a 100-strong collection of vintage ceramic Jim Beam decanters. The grass-fed Corriente beef burger from 6 Ranch (just a few miles down the road), is a delicious juicy mess. 

Blythe Cricket This whimsical café serves up six delicious english muffin sandwiches, a daily fritatta, waffles, and strong Nossa Familia coffee. Get the Deep Dark Woods—sautéed mushroom, onion, spinach, egg, and havarti, all slathered with red pepper aioli on a homemade english muffin.  700 N. Main St., Joseph; Serves breakfast until 11:00 a.m.

The Gold Room—JoMarie Pitino and Ross Effinger make naturally-leavened crusts with Oregon-grown wheat at this pizzeria, which also has excellent sides like wood-fired beets with coriander buttermilk dip and radicchio salad with sourdough breadcrumbs, pecorino, and a roasted garlic dressing. Don’t skip the habanada margarita. 100 N. Main St., Joseph; Opened Thurs.-Sun., 3-8:00 p.m.

Activities /Shops

Joseph Branch Railriders— If you want to see off-the-road scenery without the exertion of hiking, take a ride on these recumbent bikes, orchestrated to fit on the region’s decommissioned railroad tracks. Just be sure to empty your pockets of all valuables. As your guide will warn you, people who don’t have had their wallets, sunglasses, and phones crushed on the tracks.

From May-early October; jbrailriders.com

Sports Corral—This store has everything you need for your Wallowa hiking/camping/hunting expedition. City folk will pine after the $280 Stetson hats and gorgeous cowboy boots and might even snap up an insulated Hydroflask beer flask, a fishing rod, or…a bear horn. 401 N Main Street, Joseph

Wild Carrot—Who knew that the headquarters for this botanical beauty brand, which has a cult following, is in sleepy Enterprise? In addition to rosewood body lotion, Doug Fir lip balm, and neroli night cream, the store sells organic tea, greeting cards, and hand-stitched wallets. 112 W. Main St., Enterprise 

 

 

KEX: the Cool Icelandic Youth Hostel—Now in Portland

 The sun-filled dining room at Dóttir (Photo by Mikael Lundblad)

These days, it seems like a new hotel opens in Portland every week. I wrote about the latest one—which has a fabulous ground-floor restaurant/bar—for Conde Nast Traveler.

Portland, Oregon, might seem like an unlikely destination for the second location of an Iceland-based hostel. After opening the first Kex hostel in Reykjavik in 2011, Kex owner Kristinn Vilbergsson moved to Vancouver and began taking exploratory train trips to Seattle and Portland to figure out his next hostel location.

Vilbergsson enjoyed Seattle, but it was the Rose City that stole his heart. “It’s close to nature, outdoorsy—very similar to Iceland that way,” says Vilbergsson, who goes by Kiddi. The same day he arrived in town, Vilbergsson began fantasizing about a Portland outpost of Kex. A food writer had given him the number for chef Greg Denton (of Ox and Bistro Agnes), and before long Denton had put Vilbergsson in touch with Portland power player and restaurant backer Kurt Huffman. The two met for coffee, and discussed the proposition of partnering on an upscale hostel.

Seven years later, Kex Portland has opened at the Burnside Bridgehead, an area in the city's lively Central Eastside. The four-floor hotel has stylish accommodations that come with exclusive access to a basement sauna, as well as a splashy new restaurant and bar, Dóttir, helmed by top Icelandic chef Ólafur “Óli” Ágústsson and Ned Ludd alumnus Alex Jackson. (A rooftop bar will open in spring.) All of this is sure to be a hit with locals in this formerly industrial neighborhood, already a destination for its restaurant scene

The 15 shared rooms—some with bunk beds that sleep eight, others that sleep 16—don’t skimp on amenities, and much of it is locally designed. Mattresses are made by Suite Sleep (the same ones used at the Ace Hotel), pillows are filled with down, and each bed comes equipped with canvas privacy curtains and nifty storage bags (both handmade by local Portland craftsman Leland Duck at Revive). The industrial-looking bunk beds, designed in-house, were fabricated by Black Mouth Design in Seattle. Each bunk has its own electrical outlet and a sliding drawer where guests can securely lock their belongings. But for those craving a more traditional hotel experience, there are also 14 private rooms with queen or king beds. The whimsical wallpaper in the hallways is hand-drawn by Portland artist Melanie Nead.

                                                                                The whimsical wallpaper by Melanie Nead (Photo by Mikael Lundblad)

Kex's restaurant/cocktail bar, and killer design make it an appealing destination for locals. (Jeremy Fenske)

 

“This is not the first property of its kind,” says general manger and partner Sean O’Connor, referring to the popularity of design-forward hotels that merge a youthful hostel-like vibe with luxury amenities. (The Society Hotel, Freehand and Generator are just a few examples.) “But this style of travel is becoming more popular. And Americans are embracing it.” Couples who spend $38 per person on their bunk room at Kex (the winter rate in the 16-person room) may be scrimping on their lodging so they can splurge at dinner; say, the five-course tasting menu at Le Pigeon, a short walk away. “It’s about experience first,” says O’Connor.

 

Speaking of experience, Dóttir, on the ground floor, has already become a social hub for travelers and Portlanders alike. Icelandic designer Dáni Pedersen, a former Hollywood set designer, took great care to use repurposed items from the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. As a result, the space has a worn-in feel with bookshelves, a refurbished Douglas fir floor (salvaged from a train station at Fort Vancouver), and the façade from an old bakery in Cairo. There will be live music in the evenings, and much thought (and expense) was put into adding an acoustic sub-ceiling so that no sound will spill into the upstairs bedrooms.

 

Drinks maven Lydia McLuen (formerly of the Hoxton Portland’s Tope) has put a Scandinavian stamp on the seasonal cocktail list with drinks like Lady of the Mountain (raspberry-infused Reyka vodka, hazelnut orgeat, lemon, and skyr) and the Dagsson (George Dickel rye, Cocchi Torino sweet vermouth, Gammel Dansk—a Norwegian bitter—and Cynar). But don’t miss the wine. Because of O’Connor’s deep connections in the wine industry (he used to work at Antica Terra and Le Pigeon), he has access to some Oregon wines that you won’t taste anywhere else from gems like Cameron, Bow & Arrow, Ovum, Pierce, and Holden Wine Co.

 

As in Iceland, Kex brews its own beers in Portland. Pro brewer Carston Haney is collaborating with Stumptown on a “lactose porter,” with Gigantic on a “Viking Juice,” and with Mikkeller (the acclaimed Danish brewery that’s had a Portland pop-up since June) on a sour pale ale for the hotel. The Nordic-meets-Northwest menu at Dóttir is accessible—with plates small (chicken liver mousse, shrimp smorrebrod with caramelized root veggies) and large (roasted trout with sauerkraut, mushroom, and bacon; roasted duck breast and leg confit with roasted Brussels sprouts and smoked leek). It remains to be seen if the kitchen will offer a take on the kex—an Icelandic biscuit that's the hostel's namesake—for dessert.

Women in Weed

It seems to me that many of the most creative cannabis ventures in my home town of Portland are run by women. I was pleased, then, to be asked by an editor at Conde Nast Traveler, UK to write this story on the female entrepreneurs who are rebranding cannabis businesses. (Think chic lifestyle boutiques rather than the bro culture that's so often been associated with this intoxicating plant.)  

 

This article was first published in the June 2019 issue of Traveller magazine

 

Walk into Ladies of Paradise on Portland’s Division Street, and you’ll first be struck by the vintage fashion, the mid-century-modern, gold-chrome shelving and all the pink – from the walls to the cat-eye sunglasses. It might take you a few beats to realise that the hanging black sweatshirt is emblazoned with ‘Keep Blazing, Stay Amazing’; that the green, ceramic objets d’art are actually smoking pipes; that the facial serum is made with CBD oil; or that the gold triangle necklace doubles as a roach clip. As it turns out, this expression of fierce, retro femininity is cannabis-themed. 

Ladies of Paradise is a creative agency and shop, founded by stylist Jade Daniels and photographer Harlee Case (both pictured above) around the tenets of ‘women, weed, fashion’. Its Instagram – all candy colours and punky thrift-store glamour – has more than 40,000 followers, and its party-hard events, with themes such as Moroccan Nights or Cowboys vs Aliens, are big draws, taking place in Portland, Denver and Los Angeles. As well as helping to market mostly female-made cannabis products for other brands, the company has now launched its own, including Lady Jays, a line of strain-specific pre-rolled joints that come in Miami Vice-style pink-and-green boxes.

 ‘We wanted to bring some fun and creativity to the smoking lifestyle,’ says Case, who right now has purple-streaked blonde hair. ‘Everything we do is very extra; we want people to dress up and be themselves, and to mix cannabis with art, fashion and pop culture.’

She and Daniels met in Southern Oregon, when Case was running an online vintage shop and shot Daniels’s jewellery for its website. They bonded over their love of weed and eclectic, era-bending fashion, and soon found themselves photographing female cannabis growers in ball gowns. Things have developed quickly since they moved to Portland a few years ago, with Ladies of Paradise hiring a graphic designer, social-media editor and project manager. In 2018 the female-focused, smoker-themed store opened, and many of the items for sale are made by locals. ‘Our aim is to uplift people who are doing awesome things, and to get rid of stigmas,’ says Case.

Ladies of Paradise isn’t alone in what Case calls ‘this wild weed culture that’s driven by women who all really support each other’. As Portland becomes the USA's progressive cannabis-lifestyle capital, a diverse set of ladies have created everything from Aesop-like dispensaries to a Kinfolk-style magazine and a business course for female CEOs. They meet up in loft spaces and yoga classes, as high on get-up-and-go as they are on locavore marionberry gummies.

One of the scene’s pioneers is Cambria Benson Noecker, brand director at cannabis company Groundworks Industries. Noecker, who has a pomeranian-chihuahua mix called Gucci, was the driving force behind two of the state’s coolest dispensaries, Serra and Electric Lettuce. When designing Serra in 2014, she was adamant that she ‘didn’t want that tie-dyed Bob Marley vibe.’

Instead, her team created two airy, apothecary-inspired concept stores, one of which has a plant wall and a neon-blue sign that reads ‘Quality Drugs’. Little buds from high-grade Oregon growers such as East Fork Cultivars are presented worshipfully in glass cabinets, which also house an obsessively curated selection of paraphernalia, including Stonedware’s geometric porcelain pipes, designed by local artist Ariel Zimman, and Leif Goods organic CBD chocolate bars. The next outpost will open in LA.

 

Another figure who has defined Portland’s new feminine-cannabis aesthetic is Anja Charbonneau, the former Kinfolk creative director who launched female-staffed, visually lush Broccoli magazine in 2017 (broccoli is slang for weed). ‘Most of the existing publications were male and news-oriented,’ says Charbonneau. ‘We wanted something deeper that stimulates the senses.’ The first issue’s beautifully spare cover story was on Japanese ikebana flower arranging, but with cannabis plants; stories since have touched on everything from smoking etiquette to reproductive health for users. Next, it will hold a three-day festival called In Bloom at Portland’s sceney Jupiter Next Hotel.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, in the city’s Chinatown, The Commune is a brick-walled, Brooklyn-ish office and gathering space devoted to weed culture. Founder Amy Margolis, a high-flying lawyer, is also behind The Initiative, a business boot camp for women who want to launch cannabis-related businesses. Graduates include Yvonne Perez Emerson of Make & Mary, which produces CBD skincare and aromatherapy inhalers, and Meryl Montgomery and Valarie Sakota, founders of chic Barbari, a lifestyle brand and shop (Montgomery is also the partnerships manager at Broccoli).

Events are a big part of the scene. Everyone goes to bars such as Rontoms, with its fire pit and stage, and the Escape Bar and Grill, a queer, female-owned joint with karaoke and games. But the real fun is DIY, largely because pre-legalisation smokers got good at putting on house parties. Take Make & Mary’s Emerson, who hosts yoga sessions and workshops in her hangar-like Tillamook Station studio. There is a BYOW (bring-your-own-weed) policy, and meet-ups have included hemp-flower arranging, pipe decorating and abstract-art classes. Tokeativity is even more ambitious: the global ladies’ cannabis club, which started in Portland, now has chapters in Seattle and South Africa. Founders Lisa Snyder, a women’s rights activist, and artist Samantha Montanaro, also came through The Initiative, and facilitate regular functions, from Alice in Wonderland-themed parties to meetings for mothers. The early get-togethers often took place at Montanaro’s home: for the Witchy Woman social in 2017, rooms hosted tarot readings, mala-bracelet crafts and a spooky photobooth, where Case took the photographs.

What none of them are doing is lying on the sofa watching Cheech and Chong videos. ‘People used to say to me: how do you get anything done?’ says Case. ‘But that’s changing. No one would look at this bunch of women doing amazing things in Portland and call us lazy. 

Where to Eat in Fraserhood, Vancouver

A glass of Frappato and the menu at Osteria Savio Volpe 

A decade ago, the east Vancouver neighborhood now known as Fraserhood was mostly known for its Pho restaurants and cheap rents. But in 2007, Andreas Seppelt opened the French bistro Les Faux Bourgeois, and it became an instant hit. Chic coffee shops, co-working spaces, bars, and more restaurants (including the fabulous Osteria Savio Volpe, with its sexy vibe and handmade pastas) soon followed. In fact, this once-gritty area now has reputation as an emerging foodie enclave, anchored on one end by Bow & Arrow’s only Vancouver café, and on the other by one of the best restaurants in the city. Here, our shortlist of the best spots. 

 

One of the best farro dishes I've ever eaten, at Savio Volpe