Dining in Vancouver's West End

Here's the article I wrote for www.foodvancouver.com: http://www.foodvancouver.com/article.php?article=feature-westendpartone

Food Vancouver's Select Guide: West End Part One

In this issue of “Food Vancouver's Select Guide”, we will take you on a stroll of the region’s popular dining area, Vancouver’s West End which is one of the most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods in the city.

From west of Burrard Street, and bordering English Bay, Coal Harbour and Stanley Park, it’s home to many of Vancouver’s best restaurants from the very casual to the very elegant.
We start on Denman Street- the heart of the West End. Most restaurants are found between Robson Street to Davie Street and its here where you’ll find dining treasures there from around the world.

The diversity of the West End and its restaurants can be seen on any block of Denman Street. On just one block, between Robson and Haro, you’ll find African fusion delights at Simba’s, Mexican at Poncho’s, Thai at Khunnai Chang, Montreal-style rotisserie chicken at Rooster’s Quarters and mile-high cakes and pies at True Confections. And walk just on block down- to between Haro and Barclay and you’ll also find a taste of Vietnam at Vina and Indian at Desi Downtown.

Denman Street is also well known for its gelato and ice cream shops, which are even still busy in winter. Mum’s Gelati on Denman at Haro Street is the original. Don’t be surprised if you stop in and see them juicing lemons by hand for the lemon ice. Down the street you’ll find Mondo Gelato, which even has a sister location in Rome. Marble Slab Creamery is close to the beach, and mixes your choice of ice cream with your choice of fillings to create personalized favourites. And if you still need another sugar fix, try a cupcake loaded with decadent butter cream icing from Cupcakes.

And if you’re looking for Sushi, then Denman Street will also satisfy. Stop by Akira or Shima for a quick bite, or visit Tanpopo for an all-you-can-eat sushi experience. Black Tuna, just a block from beautiful English Bay, offers some creative sushi rolls for the more adventurous. And if Izakaya is more your style, try Kingyo on Denman at Barclay.

Legendary Noodles, which has had a successful operation on Vancouver’s east side for years, also now has a location on Denman at Comox. And while their noodles are really legendary, their dumplings are even better. And for even more noodle variety – and seafood, curries and roti – try Banana Leaf for a Malaysian experience just a few doors down.

Mr. Pickwick’s Fish & Chips is practically an institution on Denman, serving fresh halibut, cod, salmon and fresh-cut chips. They’ve been voted the city’s best fish and chips for three years in a row by The Georgia Straight. Follow it up with a stop at The Dover Arms to watch your favourite footballers at this neighbourhood pub.

The West End comes alive at night, and when it comes to cocktails try working your way through the Delilah’s martini list. Delilah’s, on Comox just east of Denman, made martinis very cool well before Carrie and the Sex and the City girls ever sipped their first Cosmos.
Around the corner is another West End favourite, The Central Kitchen and Euro Bar, on Denman and Comox. They serve what their chef describes as “European comfort food” at brunch and dinner.

The beach scene is one of the best parts of the West End, and you’ll find locals and tourists enjoying a walk on the seawall year round. Many an idyllic summer night has been spent watching the sunset at English Bay with friends while enjoying a burger from Vera’s Burger Shack. Fresh burgers cooked to order, toppings galore, and fries make this a year-round favourite.

Stanley Park is an absolute must-see if you’re in the West End and is a few short blocks west of Denman. This is where you’ll find The Fish House in Stanley Park. Nestled right in the park, and surrounded by gardens, it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of a large city. They’ve partnered with The Vancouver Aquarium to serve Ocean Wise seafood, so you can feel good about your choices.

Another west-of-Denman gem is the Parkside restaurant in the Buchan Hotel. Legend has it that the hotel is haunted, but you’d never know it from the success of the Parkside. Nestled in a quiet pocket of Haro Street near Stanley Park, it has one of the most charming patios in town. Enjoy unique creations in their intimate dining room.

Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, or grabbing a quick bite on your way to the beach, there’s something for everyone in the West End.

by Becky Solomon

Chef Meets Grape

Chef Meets Grape is the BC Wine Institute's competition where top Vancouver chefs create appetizers paired with BC wines.

You can find my article on the event at http://www.foodvancouver.com/article.php?article=chefmeetsgrape

Details about Chef Meets Grape can be found at http://www.winebc.com/chefmeetsgrape.php

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Our Daily Bread

"If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars in the heavens." - Robert Browning

That's the quote above the mill at the True Grain bakery. Frankly, I'm pretty blown away that this tiny bakery in Cow Bay mills their own grain, and even more surprised that the mill is tucked away in a side room where it could so easily be missed by city slickers like me in hurried search of baguettes and sourdough.

Every surface in the room is covered with flour, even the ceiling. The quote is painted high above the mill, and is partly obscured by it. Obviously, it's intended to be seen by the mill operator, rather than customers, leading me to realize that it's more of a quiet blessing over the flour than a marketing ploy. I've only come here in search of snacks so I don't have to resort to ferry food on my way home, and now I feel like a fraud. Kind of like assuming the Mona Lisa's the only thing to see in the Louvre, and racing past everything else. I mean, how can I think of my baguette as just a snack after seeing that someone milled the flour and then lugged it 20 feet into the kitchen? It's not just a baguette; here it's an act of love.

Bread has always been a transcendent food for me, and I have great respect for its ancient roots. I think of its use in solidifying bible-era contracts, of breaking bread with friends and family, of Jesus' loaves and fishes, and of how Jews fleeing Pharaoh's Egypt didn't have time to let their bread rise. We were pretty happy to leave Egypt, but no one's happy about matzo, "the bread of affliction". If you've ever made bread at home, you'll get what I'm talking about. (I'm pretty sure Robert Browning made bread, or he at least milled around when Elizabeth did.) There's something about the yeast action, the rising and the kneading that makes you connect with it, and understand that it's alive and needs to be cared for. I even know a chef who named his sourdough starter, and brings it home to look after it over the holidays.

I'm not sure if those are the thoughts and feelings my mom was trying to instill in me when we read the Little Red Hen, but they stuck anyway. Doesn't the Island Fresh sign make you think of that story? http://www.bres.boothbay.k12.me.us/wq/nnash/WebQuest/little_red_hen.htm

Those of you who read this far are avid readers indeed, and as such probably know that the Browning quote is slightly off (“in” should be “and all”). If you caught it, you have a better eye than I. Mine was fixed on the bread.

Best of Grand Central

Wow! What a view. If you look really, really closely you can just about make out the entrance to Grand Central Station, where must sees include the Oyster Bar and O&Co for olive oil. We go to both every time we visit.

www.oysterbarny.com

http://www.oliviersandco.com/