Granville Island Market

[barolo]

Is it only news to me that Granville Island is now open till 7pm?  I saw it on the side of a bus.  Feenie was right - transit is a great way to communicate.

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GI has been open until 7:00 pm since last July. I thought it was pretty widely discussed and covered in the food media, but it seems that it is still news to lots of people.

[*Deborah*]

Pretty sure it's all over this thread. Wake up, Lee!

[canucklehead]

Last I read was the big kurfufle over staying open until 5:30. Time to hit the snooze button again.

[Vancouver]

Last I read was the big kurfufle over staying open until 5:30.  Time to hit the snooze button again.

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Before you doze off, just scroll upthread to May 1, 2005. Apparently people are better at communicating quickly than the bus or egullet.

Cheers!

[barolo]

November 18 and 19 is the annual cheese festival on Granville Island:

Curds and Whey - The Granville Island Cheese Festival

Granville Island’s Cheese Festival is back with a new name and even more excitement! Be sure to check out our regular cheese tenants such as Dussa’s, Oyama, The Milkman, Duso’s, Zara’s and Kaisereck along with some of BC’s best producers such as Saltspring Island Cheese Company, Farm House Natural Cheese, Goat’s Pride Dairy and Carmelis Goat Cheese. We will also be cooking demonstrations and tastings at our Market Cooking Stage each day. Presentation topics will range from Easy Cheesy Appetizers, Cooking with Cheese, to tips on Pairing Wines & Beers with Cheese, among others.

[Sam Salmon]

An exciting addition to Granville island-Railspur Alley to be exact-is the Artisan Sake shop.

Still under construction just a kettle and a few paper signs for now.

[Vancitygirl]

An exciting addition to Granville island-Railspur Alley to be exact-is the Artisan Sake shop.

Still under construction just a kettle and a few paper signs for now.

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WHAT! Please tell me more. Is this just a fun name or is Sake involved. Please tell me the latter is true. Please?

[Sam Salmon]

An exciting addition to Granville island-Railspur Alley to be exact-is the Artisan Sake shop.

Still under construction just a kettle and a few paper signs for now.

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WHAT! Please tell me more. Is this just a fun name or is Sake involved. Please tell me the latter is true. Please?

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100% true but as I said there's a sign, a kettle, some pipework and little else.

It's just east of the only restaurant on Railspur Alley.

EDIT-OK the name kettle might be misleading-I call it a kettle but it's a large cooker of some sort-many hundreds of liters-not a still AFAICT.

Real sake of course is not distilled.

Edited November 22, 2006 by Sam Salmon (log)

[Anchoress]

Just an FYI: I know the stuff about what's broken on GI is old news by now, but I thought folks might be interested in THIS SITE, where in November, 2004, Granville Island Public Market was named the best neighbourhood in North America by the non-profit, international, PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES organisation.

[Mark Donnelly]

Stephen

I've just returned to Vancouver after 18 years in London. So a question for you is do you prefer Borough Market or Granville Island Market and why?

Two things I've noticed upon my return are (i) the incredibly restricted range of products (organic or not) that are avialable in Vancouver (nothing that even comes close to a Waitrose) and (ii) Vancouver everyday prices are much higher than London organic prices.

Still I'm thankful that I only have to pay $2 duty per bottle on my fine fine cellar.

[SBonner]

Stephen

I've just returned to Vancouver after 18 years in London.  So a question for you is do you prefer Borough Market or Granville Island Market and why?

Two things I've noticed upon my return are (i) the incredibly restricted range of products (organic or not) that are avialable in Vancouver (nothing that even comes close to a Waitrose) and (ii) Vancouver everyday prices are much higher than London organic prices.

Still I'm thankful that I only have to pay $2 duty per bottle on my fine fine cellar.

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Mark, Welcome back. Yes I miss Waitrose and the Granville Island market is a pale comparison to the Borough. The Borough Market is a "real" market which the Granville Island is not in my opinion.

Cheers,

Stephen

[annanstee]

Stephen

I've just returned to Vancouver after 18 years in London.  So a question for you is do you prefer Borough Market or Granville Island Market and why?

Mark, Welcome back. Yes I miss Waitrose and the Granville Island market is a pale comparison to the Borough. The Borough Market is a "real" market which the Granville Island is not in my opinion.

Cheers,

Stephen

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Really? Why is Granville Island not a "real" market? Curious.

Edited December 21, 2006 by annanstee (log)

[cafe queen]

Excuse me for jumping in here, but let's face it, the markets in England, France, Italy, (not to mention Asia) are quite a different animal. However, to Vancouverites GI is the real thing.

To put things into perspective, imagine a farmer's market not unlike our own beloved Trout

Lake about 4 city blocks long with no negative space between the stalls. One can buy fresh foraged porcini and 20 other kinds of wild mushrooms, organic heirloom anything, goats cheeses so fresh they have not yet set, 100's of artisinal breads and tarts, booze, gutted whole rabbits (with fur + ears), whole deer or wild boar, just about any kind of fish/shellfish known to man, seasonal fruits and produce in astonishing quantities, easily 50 to 60 different kinds of olives. Oh yeah, honeys from the apiary, oils from the regions, butter in varying degrees of saltiness cut off a 40 pound slab, vats of creme fraiche and hundreds of people shopping like maniacs. Oh, I forgot the linens, kitchen utensils, under-wear and clothing. And this is just the standard issue. It gets better in the different regions. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Granville Island and rely on it as a main supplier but The Borough Market (england) or almost any of the rotating street markets and actual market streets of France it is not. If you have not seen one, I highly recommend for a true culinary epiphany.

[SBonner]

Excuse me for jumping in here, but let's face it, the markets in England, France, Italy, (not to mention Asia) are quite a different animal.  However, to Vancouverites GI is the real thing. 

To put things into perspective, imagine a farmer's market not unlike our own beloved Trout

Lake  about 4 city blocks long with no negative space between the stalls.  One can buy fresh foraged  porcini and 20 other kinds  of wild mushrooms, organic heirloom anything,  goats cheeses so fresh they have not yet set,  100's of artisinal breads and tarts, booze, gutted whole rabbits (with fur + ears), whole deer or wild boar, just about any kind of fish/shellfish known to man, seasonal fruits and produce in astonishing quantities, easily 50 to 60 different kinds of olives.  Oh yeah, honeys from the apiary, oils from the regions, butter in varying degrees of saltiness cut off a 40 pound slab, vats of creme fraiche and hundreds of people shopping like maniacs.  Oh, I forgot the linens, kitchen utensils, under-wear and clothing.  And this is just the standard issue.  It gets better in the different regions.    Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Granville Island and rely on it as a main supplier but The Borough Market (england) or almost any of the rotating street markets and actual market streets of France it is not.  If you have not seen one, I highly recommend for a true culinary epiphany.

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That about sums it up...

Stephen

PS there is somewhere in this maze a whole forum on GI

[gingerpeachy]

Mark, I feel your pain. I'm a Londoner transplanted to Vancouver and feeling very homesick right now. Borough Market was in my manor, just as GI is now. There's no comparison. At Borough, I would go to the lamb man for my beautiful joints, buy pork sourced from organically raised rare breeds, have my Pata Negra hand sliced, walk across the street to the Neal's Yard outlet for my cheese...

At GI, I use Oyama and sometimes the butcher at the back (begins with A). Though I have a really good organic fruit and veg supplier, the inability to source top quality meat here is a constant bone of contention (and if someone can point me in the right direction, I'd be delighted). I'm fed up of paying high prices for only an okay product.

Les Amis du Fromages is good, but I miss the less clinical, smelly cheese stores...

Bah humbug.

Edited December 22, 2006 by gingerpeachy (log)

[seanw]

Gingerpeachy,

You can find very good beef at Bluegoose(north shore& i believe Stongs now have a small selection. Forget about Wholefoods). Dry-aged 21 days, complex beef flavour-the real deal. I have never really been satisfied with any of the GI butchers. Fish can be decent @ GI(for some months of the year) but i generally purchase in Chinatown, especially Ling Cod (whenever i'm back in the UK or europe i have to splurge on fish. Vancouver lacks diversity in fish.) Lamb & Pork can be a bugger to source & forget about mutton. I have managed to find decent Gulf Island lamb from IGA on the occasion & have resorted to buying frozen J-springs(?) lamb for braise pieces(shanks.....even a shoulder or two). i have had excellent pork from Sloping Hill farm on the Island (Crannog Brewery apparently are rearing some interesting breeds, not sure how you would get hold of them tho') If you ask John at Oyama he may be able to help. That's off the top of my head hope it helps. I lived really close to La Fromagerie(aahhh) in London so i understand the clinical point you make, same could be said of the butchers, bakers & candlestick makers.

[Sam Salmon]

Les Amis du Fromages is good, but I miss the less clinical, smelly cheese stores...

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There are places that smell worse?

[canucklehead]

Gingerpeachy,

                        You can find very good beef at Bluegoose(north shore& i believe Stongs now have a small selection. Forget about Wholefoods). Dry-aged 21 days, complex beef flavour-the real deal. ...

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Has Whole Food stopped stocking blue goose?

[seanw]

^Bluegoose is available @ Wholefoods, however they demand the product not to be dry aged, which is a necessary step for good, complex tasting beef.

[canucklehead]

^Bluegoose is available @ Wholefoods, however they demand the product not to be dry aged, which is a necessary step for good, complex tasting beef.

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Ahhh - I see. I think they dry age it themselves - and then charge the premium for it. Tricksy Hobbits!

[barolo]

An exciting addition to Granville island-Railspur Alley to be exact-is the Artisan Sake shop.

Still under construction just a kettle and a few paper signs for now.

←

WHAT! Please tell me more. Is this just a fun name or is Sake involved. Please tell me the latter is true. Please?

←

100% true but as I said there's a sign, a kettle, some pipework and little else.

It's just east of the only restaurant on Railspur Alley.

EDIT-OK the name kettle might be misleading-I call it a kettle but it's a large cooker of some sort-many hundreds of liters-not a still AFAICT.

Real sake of course is not distilled.

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Opening January 17th, according to the sign on the window. A little more background, courtesy of City Food

The restaurateur Masa is just about to bring forth the artisan quality local sake that he has been quietly brewing on Granville Island.

[eatrustic]

FYI - the market itself is closed Mondays in January (as it is every year) but the surrounding businesses are open - and get to take all the questions from annoyed locals and tourists as to why it is closed. The short answer is, among other things, preventative maintenance to keep some of the forces of nature that want to come in ...out.

[barolo]

Can anyone tell me about the latest changes planned for the Island? My friends in the world of craft tell me that there is a "new vision", their rents are going up - over 100%, the terms of their lease are changing, etc, etc.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention but I haven't seen any media on this. Will it affect the Public Market?

[eatrustic]

Can anyone tell me about the latest changes planned for the Island? My friends in the world of craft tell me that there is a "new vision", their rents are going up - over 100%, the terms of their lease are changing, etc, etc.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention but I haven't seen any media on this.  Will it affect the Public Market?

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Just heard an interview on CBC (AM) this afternoon about this. According to the CMHC (landlord) rep any increases in rent are based on ongoing costs to upkeep and maintain the island. Her comment was that the "Artistic Grapevine" was very ripe with conjecture that was not true (i.e. move existing artisans to bring in high end retailers).

There is no plan to remove or relocate any of the artists as this is an important part of the composition of the G.I. and CMHC very much wants to keep it that way.

[barolo]

Can anyone tell me about the latest changes planned for the Island? My friends in the world of craft tell me that there is a "new vision", their rents are going up - over 100%, the terms of their lease are changing, etc, etc.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention but I haven't seen any media on this.  Will it affect the Public Market?

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Just heard an interview on CBC (AM) this afternoon about this. According to the CMHC (landlord) rep any increases in rent are based on ongoing costs to upkeep and maintain the island. Her comment was that the "Artistic Grapevine" was very ripe with conjecture that was not true (i.e. move existing artisans to bring in high end retailers).

There is no plan to remove or relocate any of the artists as this is an important part of the composition of the G.I. and CMHC very much wants to keep it that way.

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Thanks, I'll have to keep an eye out for more information.