Kayaksoup

I think i know where you mean and I thought the same at first. Now i am wondering if it is a sugar cookie-type dough - not very flaky pastry. I noticed the 1st and Cypress Bread Garden, right around the corner from me, tried to fancy itself up as well. Shiny new display cases and all.

Appollonia. Super tender hunks of meat.

I cook at home almost exclusively. Don't have the budget to eat the kind of food I want to in restaurants. Last night was halibut baked in parchment with fennel, shallot, lemon and butter. Thursday night, chicken with casabel chili rub, mint potatoes and salad. Wednesday was Pork chops with homemade BBQ sauce, white beans with spinach, sdt and bacon ( I know double pork It was just a little leftover bacon) and salad. I am having a bit of a low-rent week.

Reading these blogs is one of my guilty pleasures, but I was particularily excited to see a local one. And pictures of my second home - Granville Island! Looking forward to the rest of it....

Thanks to this thread, I stopped and really paid attention to the market yesterday. I know a lot of negative stuff has been said, but this is also highlighting the positives for me. Although the tourists are there, it seemed to me that the regulars were out in force yesterday. Granville Island has a real sense of community, something I will miss alot when I do finally leave. While on my lunch, a complete stranger tipped me off to a great recipe for lamb. butter, I concur that the indoor talent is of a lower quality than the outdoor, although there are some indoor musicians that I really like. The annoying busker parked by my store for 3 hours yesterday does not rank on my good list, though. Andy Lynes, thank you for sharing the images of that English market. I lived in England for four years. I was always in awe of our market in York - until I discovered Granville Island. It is sad to see the potential of places like that being wasted and wasting away.

I don't know kayaksoup, but as someone who worked the Market for a number of years, I can say two things: The buskers today are WAY better than they were 20 years ago Any busker can be annoying if they are parked by your stall for an entire day. We used to have the two Flamenco-guitar playing guys right by our stall (Longliner) avery Fri-Sun for an entire summer! If I hear "Guantanamera" one more time....!!! Best time to see buskers on GI? During the Comedy Fest! Best free entertainment in the city IMO! A. ← There are good buskers in the market. I even have a few favourites. But a little diversity (same guys, same sets, day in day out) would be nice. And I am sorry, if you think all the buskers we get are fabulous. I doubt that I am referring to your friends. There are buskers the market who have very little basic musical skill... Also, as DaddyA mentioned, its much worse when you have to listen to them all the time. I appreciate that it is free entertainment - except for the one who won't perform unless the kids "go get a loonie or toonie from mom & dad". So I can't be too picky. But that was my "wish list". And if I had my wish, we would have a bigger selection of buskers.

I really have enjoyed reading all the perspectives here. Its interesting to see things from the other side. My wish list of possible changes: -more options for getting on and off the island. I know we lost many older customers when the 51 stopped running from Granville and Broadway to the market. -better management of tour busses. Maybe a lot just offsite? -Better buskers -better promotion of events and hours -more diversity in the crafts sections. And Jamie, I can't tell you the number of times I have been asked about franchises. And I am proud of the product and the fact that the owners are unwilling to compromise quality in favour of the almighty dollar.

I wish I could say "our " place was somewhere fancy, but it isn't. For a date night, we most often head to Appollonia, score the table in the window and settle in for the night. Bottle of wine and a (very) generous meal later, we stumble the few blocks home laden with leftovers.

Very interesting to hear kayaksoup's literal insights (from what I think is still the top-grossing space on the Island on a psf basis, if not in all of Canada) and yours too eatrustic. I agree, as I mentioned at length above, that the Island Trust and management need to create more access for locals, especially by asserting the 'Best of BC', i.e. the satellite ops of top-drawer provisioners all available under one roof. More accessible hours might assist. ← I believe you are right about the top-grossing, although in all of Canada might be a stretch... But as eatrustic mentioned, staffing levels are a real struggle for us and other places inside the market. And that is with the current hours of operation. As it is, I will be working 6 days a week for the next three weeks, due to staff shortages. I know I said I wish there weren't so many tourists, but they are our major source of income in the summer, as locals disappear until September. But they don't contribute that much to the grocery type businesses - butchers, produce merchants etc. Some of us who work there are also leery as we had extended hours for Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, with little to no advertising and we had 1 customer between 4 and 6 on Christmas Eve. I will admit that my opinion is a lot softer than the owners of my store, but I could get shot for expressing the possibility that extended hours might just work

I feel a little nervous about responding here, but I feel totally compelled to. It has been interesting to read all of your responses. I work on Granville Island and I have for almost 6 years. I don't own a store, so I don't have a bias that way and I am leaving the market before the end of the year, so I don't care about having to work late hours. I would like to give a view from the other side of the fence. I'll circumvent the politics; there is lots of it and from all sides. How many of you would really shop there if it was open one hour later? I work right to close and there is hardly anybody in there for the last hour (by the way, we even serve people AFTER 6, no going home early for us). I suspect that the issues of parking and too many tourists would still get in the way. Come in the morning; 80% of the places in there are open by 8 am. Opening later would change the dynamic of the market. Those of you who shop there know that there are a lot of craft vendors in the market. They run their tables singlehanded from 8 or 9 until 6. An extension of the hours would be a challenge for them. Already, several pulled out this winter due to... politics. As for the other small businesses, you have a staff of 3 on at once, you are probably operating at a loss for that extra hour. We already do for the last hour before close in the winter. I would dearly love to see the island become less of a tourist trap. I really, really love the locals who shop in the market, and I wish I could see more of them. I don't think there will be a way to make this work for everybody. And I know that stuff is a little overpriced ( I have been known to blush when quoting a price), but that is the cost of doing business. It is not cheap to have a spot in that little market. You think the vendors make money hand over fist??? Check with CMHC, how much money THEY are making... Alright, I am drifting into politics. Slap on the wrist for me. I am going to shut up now. I hope I haven't stepped on any toes or crossed any lines of confidentiality. I hope the late hours work, because they are going to happen. edited for clarity..

Well, my first job that brought me into contact with food was, and is, at The Stock Market on Granville Island. I have no idea hope I got the job, I sold shoes for 5 years prior. You have to fill out a small quiz showing your food knowledge. The only one I got right was Arugula (because I saw it on Days of Our Lives ). But they hired me. Almost 6 years later and still going strong....

I appear to be doing some repetitive dining out... Last weekend, I hit Go Fish again, this time having the fish and chips, sitting in the sun. I swear it makes the food taste even better. Yesterday, i stopped into The Kolachy shop and my way to Urban Fair for a late breakfast. ( easily swayed by propaganda) I had a chicken club thing and it was ok, but not my favourite thing in the whole world. Lunch was a grilled baguette with bocconcini, ham, pesto, sdt etc, from Patisserie Le Beau. Delicious and I want to go back and try their sweet stuff.

I know I complain about overpriced South China Seas on Granville Island, but they carry orange flower water, rose water etc. I don't think they carry lavender water though...

I suspect everything at South China Seas can be found for much cheaper somewhere in the city. I only shop there because its easy, but i quinge everytime I get to the cash register. edited because I have typing issues

re:temple food I have eaten at a Sikh temple twice in my life. The most recent was about 7 years ago with my Sikh roommate, and we attended a service first. I have to admit that I felt hugely intimidated and out of place, despite the fact that I was with a group of "insiders" The food was also only so-so, very oily, and slightly cold. But it was free, so I shouldn't complain. About 15 years ago, I went with a school group in Nanaimo and we ate at the temple. Very good food, warm welcoming people. I don't think that I would repeat the temple experience, but it is an interesting and educational thing to do.

Do you mean Cippriano's (sp?) Used to LOVE that place, especially when the owner came out and sang opera! A. ← That's the name! The owner didn't sing, but he entertained us a great deal with his banter.

Its been a while since the last time I actually had places to post. The last three: This Italian place on Main St, the name escapes me. 8 of us went, order The Feast, with lots of screwtop bottles of wine and they served it up family style for us. Lot of fun, kind of homey atmosphere and WAY too much food. Stumbled down the street to the legion for some shuffleboard to work off the dinner. (Never been to a Legion before. It was....interesting) 9th Avenue Grill for a Sunday breakfast, Vegetarian hash and scrambled eggs while listening to the waitress and possibly the owners argue in the open kitchen. Go Fish, Saturday noon. Clear day, excellent food. Scored a seat on teh little deck which filled up really fast. Fish and chips for him, salmon sandwich for me.

Meinhardts also carries a great selection of salt. Not, I suspect, reasonably priced.

quote from the container: "Fleur de sel salt crystals, harvested in the Camargue region near Provence, form on the surface of crystallizers early in the morning with a little help from the sun. The salt master's art consists in patience and waiting for just the right moment to carefully collect this delicate gift of Mother Nature, since a gentle breeze is all it takes to blow away the fine flakes." How romantic.

Okay, i wouldn't call myself an expert by any stretch, but here is what I know: Fleur de sel is sea salt. Sea salt is not necessarily fleur de sel. Fleur de sel, at least the kind I have used, is an unrefined, hand harvested salt, usually from Brittany or Camargue. Very natural, with fairly coarse but light crystals. There are several brands out there, all of which are outrageously overpriced. I don't know if you need to have fleur de sel, but I have it because I have a salt fetish and it would just feel wrong to me that there is a kind of salt out there that I don't own. I like the results I get with it. Especially a little bit sprinkled on a fresh heirloom tomato.... Kosher salt is salt used for koshering, I think. I don't know a lot about it, but I do know that despite the fact that it looks like coarse sea salt, the two cannot be subbed in equal parts for each other. Coarse sea salt just packs way more salty punch. editing to add: obviously I type too slow and someone who knows what they are talking about has already answered your question. But I'll leave my answer anyway.

Though I don't post here often, I read avidly. *I have learned that I am not alone in my obsessions *I have learned the best (and worst) places to eat.. *I have learned about other food cultures through the food blogs *I have learned tips and techniques for working in the kitchen.

Finally, more to add: A couple weeks ago, Lunch at the Stonehouse Pub in Canoe Cove. Thai chicken Satay and Strongbow for me. Liver and onions with a Guinness for my mom. Very fine liver and onins, might I add. Last week, Lunch, Tangs Noodle house, Wonton noodle soup bowl. I was happy with it and will be going back there. Today, Sha-Lin Noodle house. Round noodles, vegetable and tofu soup. Boring.

Favorites: Roasting meat, rosemary, garlic, fresh bread, dark chocolate, cilantro, dried chilis, real vanilla Dislike: The smell of roasting bones on my clothes after a day at work, burnt anything, lobster stock, cooked oysters, almond extract.

Well, I work Thanksgiving weekend straight through. So my thanksgiving dinner for two will be on the friday. Roasted chicken, mole sauce, smashed sieg linde potatoes, pan roasted brussels sprouts, pumpkin pie. And lots of wine.

yes, they have the Polenta chips. i made a little excursion there Saturday. A curiosity, I'll probably go there for some of their bulk stuff. But I live 6 blocks from Capers, so .......