Sometimes there's nothing more tempting than taking a joyride on a beautiful day and planning pit stops at interesting places along the way. We scoured Vancouver looking for some hidden gems, retailers, bakers and bars you've likely not heard of, but whose proprietors are doing amazing work and creating beautiful, sought-after products. Whether you want to pick up a few loaves of artisan sourdough bread, select an exquisite piece of handmade, one-of-a-kind jewelry, browse a lifestyle store steeped in Japanese tradition, or sit down for a classy cocktail and a plate of seafood, these are our top picks for pit stops on a drive around town.

Brilliant Breads

Tall Shadow Bakery was selling its breads in Vancouver farmers' markets four years before it opened its brick-and-mortar bakery and café. This is the place for sourdough lovers, with close to 25 different bread selections rotating, all crafted from sustainably grown, organic grains. Try the walnut rye sourdough, the jalapeno and cheddar sourdough, the olive and herb sourdough or the buckwheat and rye for some hearty, mouthwatering treats. The menu also features pastries, cookies, cream puffs, oat bars, and seasonal pop tarts, along with hot beverages and sandwiches.

Cocktails, Seafood & a Chic Vibe

If you're looking for a chic, vibey venue for great cocktails, coastal wines and incredible seafood, head to Bar Bravo. The family-friendly bar and restaurant was a dream for co-owner Jon Merrill. “I wanted to change the way people looked at seafood bars in this city, by using netter quality, ethically sourced products along with an excellent cocktail menu and a good wine list,” Merrill says.

When we visited Bar Bravo, there were king salmon from New Zealand and hiramasa from Australia's Spencer Gulf inside their dry aging machine. The 14-day drying period is an old Japanese technique for curing fish that retains the natural oils, and the king salmon we tasted had incredible taste and texture.

Japanese Beauty

ITSUMO Japanese store is an unassuming little store on East 6th avenue is filled with Japanese lifestyle items, carrying an array of unique-to-Vancouver products that are steeped in Japanese tradition. Need a Japanese broom? You'll find it here. Ditto for chopsticks, pretty bowls, towels, soaps, silverware, leather slippers, and pots and pans.

Owner Natsumi Akatsuka grew up in Osaka and Tokyo, and began sharing her favourite products at small gatherings in her apartment and pop-ups around the city. Her brick-and-mortar store, which is the Japanese word for always, everyday, continuously and forever, focuses on three elements: dress, eat and dwell.

Handmade, one-of-a-kind Jewelry

If you're looking for a really unique, handmade piece of jewelry, head to Stittgen Fine Jewelry in West Vancouver. The 1,200-square-foot store opened in 2003, and the majority of jewelry pieces it sells are hand-forged by an on-site master goldsmith who is constantly coming up with new designs. “It's become a really rare scenario in jewelry acquisition to talk to the designer that will handcraft your unique piece of jewelry,” says Selina Ladak, the owner. “We create jewelry the traditional way, forging it by hand and using time-honoured techniques.”

Read more about each Pit Stop in detail.

This story has been edited and condensed for clarity. Read the original version in the Fall/Winter 2023 edition of driver magazine.

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