Eat Drink Vancouver

As well as choosing our fabulous hotel, Jude did an amazing job scouting out restaurants and making reservations prior to our arrival in Vancouver. Thanks to her, we were able to eat at some really great places. One convenience that she discovered was that Vancouver is on Open Table, listed under "other North American cities" (Canadians may not appreciate being lumped in with our cities, but we sure did!).

Here are the places where we quenched our thirst and sated our hunger:

Glowbal
neighborhood: Yaletown
Glowbal was our first stop in Vancouver, right off the plane. They have this snack time from around 3-6 and offer a limited menu of food, mostly from the satay bar - but as far as we were concerned, this was the best offering. We sat outside under heat lamps, and indulged in octopus, salmon, tuna, oysters, chicken, lamb...all delicious, with an array of dipping sauces. At night, Glowbal becomes a young, trendy nightspot - i.e., hard to get into and not worth it. Daytime is the best. We actually went one other time in the short time that we were in town - right before yoga when we were in need of some protein. Our server was one of the nicest people we met on the trip, and he not only gave us some free food, we got free champagne as well. Hi, Jamie Switch, we heart you!

Brix
neighborhood: Yaletown
Brix feels like it has been around for a while, because it has. It has the confidence and maturity of a place that has been doing well for some time. The decor showcases the beautiful red brick of Yaletown, the warehouse district, made romantic with low lighting and chandeliers. Additionally, Brix has something unique in it's layout, an open-air courtyard that is very romantic. Service is well-honed, and the food is good, and I have a feeling, also very consistent. We shared a lovely salad, mussles with a sour cherry/banana curry sauce, a seafood stew, and a pasta dish - all good. The crowd on Thursday night was a mix of after-work parties and dates.

George
neighborhood: Yaletown
Gorgeous bar, great place to grab a drink. From the Chiluly-like glass sculpture hanging from the ceiling to the beautifully glowing bar, you can't help but feel sexy here. Add to that bartenders that are very easy on the eyes, and a great cocktail menu, and you may find yourself staying longer than you intended. Perfect for people-watching.

Sophie's
neighborhood: Kitsilano
We stumbled on this eclectic diner while shopping on 4th Avenue in Kitsilano, across the bridge from downtown. This is the Haight-Ashbury of Vancover, and Sophie's fits in well. The first thing that you notice is all of the kitchy stuff all over the walls - action figures, collectibles, you name it. Then there is that mile-high apple pie on a stand. And the bright colors, accented with the animal-print window boxes. It was crowded when we went there, with a short line and I imagine that this is the usual state for this place. We bellied up to the counter (and, may I add, full bar, and had a delicious brunch. I loved my Greek Eggs Benedict. Not everything is classic or heart-stopping, and I would love to try the Middle Eastern breakfast. Maybe with a big milkshake on the side. Great cheap eats!

Plan B
neighborhood: Yaletown
We stopped in to Plan B for an appetizer and cocktail to start our evening on Friday night. It was enough to make us want to come back, even just to re-experience the exact dish and drink that we had! The Foie Gras Terrine, which came with Sauternes caviar and pear chips was DIVINE. Accompanied by a vanilla lychee marini, we were pretty much in heaven. Modern decor, exposed brick, shared plates place. Yum.

Chambar
neighborhood: Gastown
Chambar was definitely my favorite place that we visited during our trip. Fun, funky, cool, energetic, and with absolutely delicious food. It has the elements of a great Belgian restaurant: mussels and an impressive beer menu, but it is so much more. The cocktail list, for example, is amazing - really creative and interesting (and they taste as good as they sound). All of our food was excellent, and the presentation is more elegant than you might expect. We shared the Coquilles St. Jaques, and the Tortollini with Duck Confit (AMAZING), then a huge pot of mussels with bread and fries. Be sure to pick up a box of matches on the way out - very cool packaging, like the restaurant itself.

CHOW
neighborhood: Vancouver - across the bridge
We almost had second thoughts about going to Chow because it is on the other side of the bridge, almost in the suburbs. I am so glad we went - what a wonderful place! Everything about it is modern, including the attitude - they try to source everything from within a 100-mile radius of the restaurant. For that reason, and the excellent cooking, it is a great choice if you want to experience local, seasonal, and carefully prepared cuisine. Our favorite appetizer was the grilled octopus - a must-have. At the recommendation of our server, we had the roasted chicken, which was unbelievably moist and delicious. Also a place with an interesting cocktail menu. The clientele is hip, almost LA-like. It's a small place, about half of it given to the bar area and half of it for dinner tables.

Nu
neighborhood: Vancouver - waterfront
Nu is easy to find because it is right near where you get the Aqua Bus to go to Granville Island. It's located in a yacht club and has an over-the-top decor (less is not more at Nu). We went for Sunday brunch, and were able to enjoy all of the beautiful light and water views in the daylight. I loved the "amuse-bouche" which was a mini hot chocolate and mini scone. For breakfast, Jude had the Eggs Benedict which had a lovely buttery Hollondaise, and I sort of created a breakfast meal with the Poutine (with Foie Gras gravy and cheese curds!!) and two eggs. Decadent. Bloody Mary's there are spicy and good. Brunch was not crowded, so it's a good time to go.

Italian Kitchen
neighborhood: Vancouver - downtown
Modern Italian food in an upscale environment, in the heart of the shopping district of downtown. It was very lively even on a Sunday evening, so weekends are probably packed. Our pasta was fresh and very tasty, and after dinner we moved downstairs to sit at the bar and have our dessert in full view of the kitchen. This is the best place to sit, where you can see all of the action (and where we met the very handsome and talented executive chef!) It's a relatively new restaurant, owned by the same group that owns Glowbal, but it feels well established - very polished and buttoned-up. I would definitely recommend the ravioli filled with Dungeness crab and Lobster, in arugula pesto sauce.

Provence (Marinaside)
neighborhood: Yaletown
We weren't sure what to expect from Provence, a place recommended by our hotel for breakfast on our last day. The decor is a little bit hotel-like, and the first thing that the server did was present a copy of the restaurant's cookbook for us to look through. It turned out to be a lovely experience. You would do well even if you just ordered tea or coffee and the bread basket, which is chock-full of delicious pastries. We indulged in petit pain au chocolat, 2 different types of muffins, biscotti and a croissant (we actually took about half of it with us and ate it later). I had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, just to get one more taste of BC Wild Salmon, which was served on corn pancakes, which made it lighter than having a traditional English muffin. After all of that, I ended up buying the cookbook, which was rated as the #1 cookbook in Canada recently, and I am so glad that I did! If you are an early riser and want breakfast, this is a good place to go as they start serving at 8am.

Bring on the Fog

One of the things that we discovered in Vancouver was the London Fog. At first, we thought that it might be something that was a specialty of just one place, then we started seeing them everywhere.

A great hot drink for anyone who has switched from coffee to tea (*waves*), or tea lovers in general, it is simple, delicious, and has far less calories that what you'll find at Starbuck's.

Ingredients:
Earl Grey Tea
Vanilla Syrup (I used honey at home)
Frothed milk (skim works best)

I had to buy a milk frother, as the only one I had was attached to my old cappuccino machine (wah!). I found one at the grocery store for about $20 and it works fine - I'm sure there are even cheaper ones out there. For tea, I like the Republic of Tea "Earl Greyer". The tea may not be local, but the company is - based in Novato, my old stomping ground. The co-founders, Mel and Patricia Zeigler, have a long history in the Bay Area, and were also the co-founders of Banana Republic.
Remember when Banana Republic was a travel-based business? Those faux burnt-edged catalogs? The jungle-like atmosphere of the original retail stores? The company's roots are completely lost in the slick environment that you see today.

So in the spirit of the original Banana Republic, we travelled to Vancouver to find a London-inspired drink, and brought it back to our own (foggy) homes in San Francisco.

Cheers!

Vancouver is my new BFF!

I read recently that through travel, we are able to either get to know ourselves better, or escape from ourselves completely. Vancouver is the perfect place to do either one.

My first impression driving in from the airport was a sense of familiarity, but one that had been collaged together from different trips. The suburban houses reminded me of England. The high rises reminded me of many Asian cities. The waterfront surroundings and bridges reminded me of San Francisco. And those mountains...oh, those mountains! Perhaps the Swiss Alps.


The hospitality that we experienced is unique unto this city. I can't remember the last time I was around more genuinely nice and helpful people.

It definitely has a West Coast Vibe. Dress style is casual-chic, and everyone has a pretty rugged set of performance-wear clothing that they break out during the foul-weather days. No matter what, they are out in it - on the streets, on the water, at the market. Life goes on, and you sometimes get a little wet.

New construction is everywhere, and huge billboards promise one luxury modern high rise after the next. Buildings soar to heights way above what we are used to in San Francisco, but on the ground, there is an amazing amount of green spaces for the public to enjoy. People use them, too - walking, biking, or wheeling their progeny around in plastic-insulated strollers. Everywhere that we went was clean, clean, clean.


There is a definite food culture here, and it is going strong - ranging from inexpensive ethnic restaurants, to local chefs making their mark at high-end establishments. I was really impressed by the quality and inventiveness of all of the restaurants we went to. The organic and 100-mile radius movements are well-represented, almost to the point of becoming the norm for a lot of places. Wine production has a ways to go, and even though some are fiercely proud of the local offerings, imports from Europe and California still dominate on menus.


There are real treasures here - three of which are Stanley Park, Granville Island Public Market, and the UBC Museum of Anthropology. Each one is beautiful, well-maintained, and worthy of repeat visits. Just like Vancouver itself.

Heading North

So it's off to Vancouver with my friend Jude for a long weekend. Now that I am no longer traveling for work every few weeks, I look forward to getting on a plane and seeing something new. It will be a first for both of us to visit this city - and I have to admit that even though I have been to Montreal and Toronto, Canada remains somewhat of an enigma for me. I think that I keep wanting it to be one thing, when in fact, it is many things. Perhaps Vancouver is the San Francisco of Canada. What I am hoping to find, as I always do, is the character of the city, its people, and its culture.

What have I heard so far? Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Great restaurants, especially Asian food. A long suspension bridge. A huge park. A gaslight district like in Amsterdam, with legalized prostitution and "coffee shops".

Other than that? Not much. I think that both of us are excited, but not quite sure what to expect. We're staying in a great hotel, called the Opus Hotel, which will be a luxury. The forecast calls for a mix of clouds and rain, so we may be spending a lot of time there. A great hotel is a vacation in itself for me, so no complaints here.

I think it's kind of cool that we need our passports for a place that is only 2 1/2 hours away by plane. It's like going to Europe on hyper-speed.

Up, up and away we go!