Now that summer’s approaching, we’re dreaming of a trip to the Mediterranean. Or at the very least, a trip to Davie Street.

The West End’s newest Mediterranean restaurant, Laziza, puts a modern twist on the traditional flavours of Lebanon, Morocco, Greece and Italy. We sampled the tender saffron prawns ($8), sipped a strong Turkish delight martini ($6), and stuffed our faces with the carbo-loaded vegetarian koshery ($10).

Turns out it’s easy to stick to the Mediterranean diet. —KD

Laziza, 1175 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-568-9777, http://www.laziza.ca

Vitamin Daily Vancouver reader Elizabeth wrote, “Hi there, I'm looking for a nice wine and champagne cooler or ice bucket for my boyfriend. Ideally, I'd be able to have it monogrammed. Do you have any suggestions as to where I should go? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks very much.”

Herewith, our picks for cool coolers at three different price points:

For the gadget guy who favours function over flash, the Vacu Vin champagne cooler comes with a removable, reusable insert that chills champagne in five minutes flat sans ice. $64.99 at Homewerx, 1053 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-682-2204, www.homewerx.ca

Liberty’s silver champagne bucket is perfect for the regal gent. The front features an elegant engraved crest with a spot in the centre for adding your own monogram. $149 at Liberty, 1635 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-682-7499, www.libertyinside.com

A mod man will love the slick and shiny stainless steel cooler by Alessi with room for more than one bottle and a bigger, bolder engraving. $336 at Inform Interiors, 50 Water St., Vancouver, 604-682-3868, www.informinteriors.com

Just because putting pencil to paper is antiquated doesn’t mean it’s outdated, which is precisely why we fell for The New Black pencils by Fred.

Clad in jet-black from eraser top to graphite tip, the pencils are imprinted with witty one-liners in white like, “Misspelling is the New Black.”

Split the pack up and it makes the perfect present topper for friends. “140 Characters or Less is the New Black” goes to that Twitter junkie you know.

$6.99 at Homewerx, 1053 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-682-2204, www.homewerx.ca

When it comes to Canadian pride, our cup runneth over right now.

And in lieu of winning one of Canada’s 26 Olympic medals co-designed by Aboriginal artist Corrine Hunt, we’re awarding ourselves Imm Living’s totem cups. Designed by Torontonian Rod Southcott, the set of four stackable porcelain cups pays homage to the artistry of our First Nations’ totem carvings.

Our cup of Tim Hortons coffee has never been so culturally cool.

$69.99 at Homewerx, 1053 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-682-2204, www.homewerx.ca