INDEX Celebrations Pets NORTH SHORE NEWS COMMUNITY LIFE 1760 BLOCK WSARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER Garden of delights Jan-Christian Sorensen News Reporter orensen@nsnews.com THE 1700 block of Marine Drive in West Vancouver keeps its secrets, One of the best kept is Little Wall Street, an alley to the rear. of Richmond Savings. Ie’s the home of The Secret Garden, a spa that treats its patrons to shiatsu macsage, aromatherapy, reflexology and ear candling, among other ser- vices. The hidden gem has been a Little Wall Steet mainstay for four years now. Ear candling —— which isn’t nearly as dangerous as it sounds —is a process that safely removes old impact- ed wax from peop le"s ears. “As the candle burns the smoke that it creates goes down in the ear ge_and warms up the wax and debris in there and helps bring it out,” said Karen Jacobson, one oi the ovo staff shiatsu practitioners. Ear candling can also help clear up headaches, ringing in the ears and other sinus problems, said Jacobson. The staffis friendly and warm and the spa exudes an earthy, comforting | feel. An on-site aesthetician panipers clients with manicures, pedicures and exfoliating body treatments, LETTY Deigiteshh of La Miche Traiteur dis- plays one of the popular side dishes from the cafe’ 's ever-changing menu. Clussic Morris chair with leather The spa also touts the services of three counsellors that work out of an adjoining office. “Ivs oa very secluded spa and we really try to cater to an individual's needs and we really take our time here,” said Jacobson, who added that the spa caters to both men and women. “A lot of men think the spa is only for women, but we see a lot of men come in. They like the pressure mas- sage. A stone’s throw from The Secret Garden is the popular restaurant Chesa West Vancouver, where co- owners Michael Brown and Andy Butler serve up a wide variety of authentic West Coast dishes. Brown worked at Chesa for a year getting to know the clientele before taking over the reins in April of 1996. The former server — who worked at the Pan Pacitic Hotel to put himself through school. — also man- aged pubs, clubs and restaurants — Overseas for four years. He attracted rhe. services of award-winning chef Butler, who also saw time at the Pan Pacific, and the owo joined forces. Some menu changes were made, of course. “We moved from what Quality wood furniture in pine, oak, maple & birch - select your style & stain. Kitchen, dining, bedroom, entertainment units, home office & more. Upholstered furniture in your choice of fabric or leather. Matching stool $349 CHESA West Var:couver’s head chef and co- owner 4A:dy Butler, left, and co-owner Michael Brown always reflect good taste. we used to be to continental with a lot of West Coast influences,” said Brown. Some of the feature dishes on the eclectic bill of fare include herb- encrusted tack of lamb; pithiviers of exotic mushrooms and Brie; Pacific coast oysters; and the ever-changing yet always-delicious Chesa cheesecake. Chesa also sports a rotating seafood menu cach night, depending on what is available to the kitchen. Chesa has seating for 120 in its main room, private back room and patio and employs 15 staff members, most of whom have been at Chesa since the beginning of Brown's tenure. The restaurant also does a brisk business catering both small and large events. Just up from Chesa is La Miche Traiteur, a charming little restaurant and cafe that dees most of its business serving up quality take-home food. “A lot of workers take out food in the morning when they're going to work and then we get people coming from work who take out for their din- ners at home,” said Letty Dalgliesh, who works at La Miche. La Miche is owned by Michkar Chatti, who brings with her a wealth of experience in the European food service industry. Head chef Scott Rowe toils each day to prepare La Miche’s constantly New Stock Arriving Weekly. elassic -INlission NEWS photos Julte Iverson: ONE of the Secret Garden's Shiatsu massage specialists, Karen - . Jacobson, werks her magic on client Sally Wiens. rotating daily selection of dishes, including four different side dishes, seven salads and pvo daily features. The restaurant's fresh-prepared menu is also anchored by paninis, sweet and savoury crepes, falafels and pizza. La Miche is open Mondays through Saturdays from $8 a.m. to 7 Near the end of the block is: the Home Hardware, where brothers Azim and Nawaz Virani keep West Vancouverites well-stocked with a wide variety of home repair and gar- den products. The Viranis have been at the Marine Drive location tor 20 years. They bounced back from a devastating fire in 1993 that totally gutted the store. They re-opened in 1994 in a smaller space, because of local bylaw restrictions. Nothing has changed about the friendly and knowledgeable staff, though. The store fearuses everything from dashlights to paint scrapers to pewer tools, They also sell barbecues and lawnmowers, but cater mostly to homeowners looking for the smalt odds and ends they need to. make minor repairs. “Mainly we're geared toward householders,” said Azim. “A * Jot of people come in mostly to get the’ smail stulf.” Also on the 1700 block of Marine Drive in Wesr Vancouver: Travel Concepts; — Richmond Savings; Starbucks; The Lion’s Mark Antiques - and Estate Jewelry; Beauty Quest Coiffures; Sun Jim Produce... i Commercial Avenues is a monthly - feature of the North Shore News?’ bust- ness section. While it is by no means a comprehensive guide to any of the areas | it focuses on, it seeks to enpture a snap- shot of the dae-to-day life of businesses selected at raindom that call the street home. If vou have a business that is part of a unique or otherwise wortinehile _ block, ov know of any, please share it with us. Write to Canmercial Avenses, c/o Jan-Christian Sorensen, North Shore News, 1139 Lousdute Ave., North Vancouver V7M 2H4. E-mail , BS OAK & PINE Quality Home Furnishings Family owred & operated since 1989 Visit our 10,000 sq.ft. showroom 1389 Main Street North Vancouver (Near Second Narrows Bridge) 985-8460 Open 7 days a week ("<. . Ref ects the Spirit of Design the Quality yy of Construction SAISOERTE HE sore aon Ravel