We had a staff party at La Mezcaleria last year where they served this queso fundido and we’re still talking about it.

More than a cookbook, the Gastown Foodie—the third in the Foodie series from photographer Brad Hill and author Chris Dagenais—is a guided tour of the cobbled streets, red-brick buildings and bright tables that make up this historic corner of Vancouver. Dish recipes and cocktail how-tos from local chefs and mixologists run alongside atmosphere shots of Craig Stanghetta-designed rooms, historic photos of the turn-of-the-century neighbourhood, scenes of local street art in the alleys and dark, moody restaurant stills straight out of an Edward Hopper painting. It’s the story of Gastown, in coffee-table form, and that’s exactly what you need when you’re hunting for after-work cocktail ideas, locavore dinner recipes or ways to give out-of-towners a sense of the city. La Mezcaleria is just one such haunt featured in Gastown Foodie.

Click here to find the bubbling molten nirvana that is chef Mariana Gabilondo’s queso fundido recipe.