Culinary Tourist in Vancouver

[newbie]

I am going to be visiting Vancouver from April 1st - 3rd. My husband is going to be working the afternoons away which gives me free time to do as I wish.

How would you spend your days if you had no commitments, work or otherwise? What restaurants would you choose to spend a leisurely lunch? Which culinary shops would you visit? Would you spend your afternoon walking around the Granville Island market or spend it browsing through food related specialty stores? Which stores do you like to frequent that satisfy your love of food and cooking?

[shelora]

I recommend the talents of www.edible-vancouver.com to steer you wise and maximize your time.

s

[butter]

I'd do 3+ hours at Amarcord for lunch in Yaletown and Barbara-Jo's bookstore.

[nwyles]

I recommend the talents of www.edible-vancouver.com to steer you wise and maximize your time.

s

←

I second that. A planned route. As you have the possiblilty of 9 meals ( or 15 or more meals if you are Ling ), heaven forbid one of them is a bad one. LIfe is too short for that.

[snacky_cat]

If you have a car at your disposal and pocket money to spend, a trip to the Gourmet Warehouse is always fun. Mother of snacky_cat and I often hit this place on our mom-and-kid shopping trips. Lots of interesting products (including an awesom selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars) from around the globe, as well as some great cookware and cookbooks. It's not cheap, but many of the products do sell for 10-30% less than in the downtown boutique type joints (although some of the ethnic products can be had for a better price in the right neighbourhoods around town). Anyway, it's a good one-stop shop. Just cross your fingers and hope the chicken plant in the neighbourhood isn't in stink mode the day you visit. That stench will turn anyone off of food, even the snackiest of cats.

Their website has a map, as it's tricky to find.

[newbie]

I've been in contact with edible vancouver and am anxiously awaiting his recommendations on what to do while I am visiting. There is so much to see, do and eat, so little time.......

HSG is definitely on the agenda though. My husband is a great lover of beef, as am I, and I'm looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about with the G-pudding. Hopefully the price hasn't been jacked up by the time I get there.

snacky_cat, unfortunately I will not have a vehicle at my disposal and will be limited to what is within walking distance of the Sheraton Wall Centre. Thanks for the great link though, they've got some recipes on the site that I wouldn't mind trying out!

[jamiemaw]

I am going to be visiting Vancouver from April 1st - 3rd. My husband is going to be working the afternoons away which gives me free time to do as I wish. 

How would you spend your days if you had no commitments, work or otherwise? What restaurants would you choose to spend a leisurely lunch? Which culinary shops would you visit? Would you spend your afternoon walking around the Granville Island market or spend it browsing through food related specialty stores? Which stores do you like to frequent that satisfy your love of food and cooking?

←

I'm sure that you'll receive much sound cousel for dinner, but here are a couple of lunch suggestions:

1. Visit Barbara-jo's Books to Cooks on Mainland near Davie Streets in Yaletown, late morning. You might eevn see if she has a class on via her website. Afterward, walk north a block, and one block west to Hamilton Street and have the rotisserie chicken at Cioppino's Enoteca.

For another lunch, hop in a cab to Phnom Penh at 244 East Georgia Street in the heart of Chinatown. Take a walk around the produce and fish stores, but return for lunch: garlic squid, Chinese greens, hot and sour soup will do you.

Enjoy,

Jamie

Edited March 9, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[butter]

I'd do 3+ hours at Amarcord for lunch in Yaletown and Barbara-Jo's bookstore.

←

Here I am replying to my own quote. I posted about Amarcord based on comments from other people and decided that was wrong so I went to Amarcord yesterday for lunch. I now recommend you skip this one. Don't get me wrong, the service was top notch, the pastas were very tastey and nice texture, but I didn't really like the ambiance. It felt dated. Sorry, don't know how to describe it better. My husband loved the old traditional Italian songs (cancione??) playing in the background. Sometimes I think a restaurant should only be about the food, and this is a good place to get a plate of pasta, but for a visitor I think there are better options.

[newbie]

I'd do 3+ hours at Amarcord for lunch in Yaletown and Barbara-Jo's bookstore.

←

Here I am replying to my own quote. I posted about Amarcord based on comments from other people and decided that was wrong so I went to Amarcord yesterday for lunch. I now recommend you skip this one. Don't get me wrong, the service was top notch, the pastas were very tastey and nice texture, but I didn't really like the ambiance. It felt dated. Sorry, don't know how to describe it better. My husband loved the old traditional Italian songs (cancione??) playing in the background. Sometimes I think a restaurant should only be about the food, and this is a good place to get a plate of pasta, but for a visitor I think there are better options.

←

Thanks for the update butter. As Neil mentioned, I am only going to be able to have so many meals while I am visiting and am hoping to get a taste of what Vancouver has to offer. Only 23 more days! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it...is it lunch yet?

[Bubbalicious]

I COMPLETELY support the idea of Cioppino's for lunch. AMAZING. If the husband's got a fat per diem, then you can take him back for dinner. When you go for dinner ('cause if you go once, then you absoloutely will want to go back) then ask to sit at the bar. It's cozy, you get to talk to the always-entertaing bartenders and you can watch the show perched on some comfy stools on the sidelines. The owners can get hot and heavy with the clients and the staff, so it's safer at the bar. Service and food is truly phenomenal. Have the fresh -hand-made wide-noodle pasta with the veal cheeks. Heaven.

After lunch you gotta head down to Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks. Urban Fare is just around the corner and it's always fun to go see how the trim and superficial do their food shopping.

I would also go to Crocodile at least once for lunch. If you're there on a Friday ask to be served by Pierre. He's been there for 20 years and usually works evenings, but he's there on Friday days. Great French food a classic atmosphere. Filled with lawyers and judges (it's close to the courthouse) but don't let that stop you. They're too busy filling their muzzles to bite you. Ask for a quiet corner and people watch. Duck confit is good, but if you're not watching the waistband or the cholesterol then have to lobster ravioli with cream sauce. Yum.

Hot dogs and french fries are better when you're whale watching. Nowhere better than the Aquarium. It's in the middle of Stanley Park and it's the best place to spend a lazy afternoon alone. Seen Closer?

Rangoli is a fantastic Indian eatery, the kid sister to Vij's, a higher-end restaurant. Fun concept. By the time you arrive, the sun will be shining, and it will be warm enough that the patio will be an option. Shopping is very good, so plan on making your way back to the hotel with many bags filled with gifts for friends and more for yourself. The private galleries are very close by and you won't want to miss Martha Sturdy's shop.

If you're on Robson in the afternoon then have a quick lunch at Guu. It's a little Japanese garlic house with fun service and funner food. : ) Guu is on Thurlow, near Robson. Easy to find. When you're on Robson and you feel yourself SURROUNDED by Starbucks, then you know that you're at Thurlow. Head South (away from the mountains) and you'll find it tucked into a little nothing three-story office building across from a White Spot (burger joint). Open from 11:45 to 1:15 or something equally confusing so you have to make sure you make it there between 12 and 1. If there's a line, it's worth the wait. You must order one thing that scares you, one thing that you've never heard of and one that'll make you laugh. Tons of little plates to choose from and nothing more than 5 bucks.

Last word of advice: Bring spring clothing. You can always pick up an umbrella here if it rains, but it's already sunny 15 degrees here and who knows? We could be in full-blown summer by the time you arrive.

[dodger]

Bubbalicious...WOW...where have you been? Welcome to your newest addiction!!

(sorry Daddy-A...apparently sleep is more impotant than eG!!??)

Great recomms and maybe you should take the torch from EV and show 'em around town!

John

edited to add a few ?? after the off-handed Daddy-A remark....sorry man....I don't get a chance to welcome people to the eG experience very often...but my 3 1/2 month old is up and just can't wait to hear what "The Hype" has to say next.....or appreciator...she is a fan of both (not appreciator..my little girl!) Well, anyway welcomen!!

JB

Edited March 10, 2005 by dodger (log)

[aaustin]

Newbie, where did you end up going?

[skiter53]

Yeah, any updates and reports for us? I'm heading to Vancouver in July and would like to know what you found enjoyable.

Edit: I didn't realize this thread is over 1 year old!

Edited June 6, 2006 by skiter53 (log)

[newbie]

I believe I reported in the "Where were the last three places you ate" thread but now that I think about it, I should have reported back on this thread.

I arrived in Vancouver on a Friday and met up with Daddy-A at Go Fish for some fried halibut and fries. I've been back to Vancouver once more and it is a must do for me. I LOVE deep fried fish and Go Fish does it like no other, especially that delicious tartar sauce that they serve along side it. After all the deep fried goodness, I wandered around a few of the shops close by (Les Amis du Fromage and a few others that I can't recall) to walk off all those calories I just ate. Go Fish is located right next to the Granville Market so on my last trip to Vancouver, I shopped around there. A must do if you've never been.

I then met up with a few other e-gulleters at West for a couple of drinks and an appy. Unfortunately, I can't remember what I ate but do remember it was good.

I managed to hit Barbara's Books for Cooks but did not get to do alot of the other things I was hoping to. My husband wasn't as busy with his work schedule while we were there so we got to spend more time together than I had anticipated.

We did go to dinner on the Saturday night to the Hamilton Street Grill and had a fantastic time. With two small children at home, we don't get to go out to long leisurely dinners as much as we would like and the HSG did not disappoint. I had the hangar steak and the infamous Gingerbread Pudding for dessert. My husband tends to stick to the Keg when he is down there but LOVED the HSG and we will definitely be back.

I had hoped to hit Cioppino's Enoteca for lunch but things didn't work out and I wasn't able to go.

On my last trip to Vancouver, I went to a couple of different restaurants, both which I thoroughly enjoyed. I went to Sala Thai for dinner one night and Joe Fortes for lunch. I am definitely no expert on thai food but I thought the food was quite good and at Joe Fortes, I got to try my first raw oysters. We sat inside, but if the weather is good, I hear they've got a great patio, the perfect place to sit on a sunny day while sipping a nice cold drink and downing a few raw oysters.

Have a great trip in July!