Pure water, home-grown hops, and a region of over 50 craft breweries make Canada’s West Coast the best place in Canada to drink beer by far. Featured in this video: Central City Brewers and Distillers, Deep Cove Brewing, Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks, Trading Post Brewing, Steel & Oak Brewing
By Kathy Mak These days, consumers wanting or needing gluten-free and vegan options do not have to miss out on delicious baked products, thanks to a growing number of specialty bakeries in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. But, the only decidedly all gluten-free and vegan bakery in the Vancouver area yet, is Two Daughters Bakeshop. They provide a large selection of oven-fresh, healthy products that are both gluten-free and vegan-friendly, without compromising on irresistible flavours. Tucked away in Lolo Lane, between 1st Street East and Esplanade Avenue, the cozy artisan bakery is located steps away from Lonsdale Quay on Vancouver`s North Shore. In 2012, Lisa Reichelt opened the bakery, dedicated to making gluten-free-vegan pastries, snacks, breads and desserts. It was inspired by her passion for baking and by her youngest daughter’s need for a celiac diet without eggs, dairy and gluten. Two Daughters Bakershop’s mission is to use the…
By Catherine Dunwoody “Fiddleheads should start popping up soon near Vancouver, and we’re looking for lady ferns Athyrium filix-femina and bracken ferns Pteridium aquilinum – those are the best in our area,” says Robin Kort of Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures. For those new to these wonderful, woodland edible plants, fiddleheads are the delicate, curly-cued, tip of the forest fern, and in season for a very short time. The taste is most often described as akin to a mix of asparagus and spinach. “Our foraging tours start in May,” says Kort. “Most of the tours are held on the North Shore as long as enough of the edibles are popping up there.” Some insider tips if you do hop on the foraging trail? “ Bracken ferns have carcinogens in them (but so does any char on a BBQ chicken),” says Kort. “I would cook all ferns, don’t eat them raw as the carcinogenic…
by Catherine Dunwoody Canada’s premier craft and micro-distillery festival, BC Distilled, showcased 27 BC-based artisan distilleries to nearly 500 fans of locally made gins, whiskies, liqueurs, vodkas and more this April. Clearly the show-stealer was The Woods Spirit Co.’s homegrown Amaro. If you’re the cocktail-culture type, or familiar with this Italian herbal liqueur because it’s been around for centuries (respect!) – you’ll likely be aware that Amaro in Italian means ‘bitter’ and brands like Aperol, Campari and Fernet-Branca are a few well-known names. Amari (that’s plural Amaro, folks) tend to be sipped straight up after dinner, soothing digestion with their balance of herbal, botanical, elixir-like properties. And in the land of classic cocktails? A Negroni would not be a Negroni, nor a Sprtiz a Spritz – without Amaro. Joel Myers and Fabio Martini, co-owners of The Woods Spirit Co. tell us the secret to their Amaro recipe is found on Vancouver’s…
By Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism North Vancouver’s iconic Lonsdale Quay Market opened during Expo ’86 as a carnival style marketplace. Almost thirty years later it has evolved into a culinary destination for those seeking fresh, local and unique foods. Recently a crop of new eateries has opened at the Quay, further cementing it as a great place to grab lunch or dinner. Check out The Bowen Island Pizza Company with their amazing thin crust pizzas made with local, organic flour and super delicious toppings. Try The Bite @ the Quay, is a new fusion restaurant with a view, featuring Cantonese and Chinese Dishes on an a la carte and tapas menu. The casually delicious Sandwich Shop has a menu of mouthwatering sandwiches loaded with juicy, fresh ingredients. At the Quay, you can pick up a bottle of wine or a growler of craft beer, bring home fresh seafood for dinner…
By Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Hidden away on a busy through street, just off of Marine Drive in North Vancouver, you’ll find a bright little shop where the walls are lined with stainless steel keg-style vessels and rows upon rows of bottles just waiting to be filled. What’s special about this shop is that you’re not filling the bottles with wine or beer, you’re filling them with olive oil. And not just any olive oil, oil with names like Harissa infused, Mild Manzanillo, Robust Picholine, Persian Lime and Butter (it really tastes like butter). This is Olives on Tap and these are not your run-of-the-mill supermarket olive oils. Opened by owner Andrew Cameron in 2012, Olives on Tap educates visitors about the complexities of olive oils and the balsamic vinegars that pair so well with them. All of the oils and vinegars are available for sampling, and tasting is encouraged.…
By Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Diners at Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar enjoy what has to be one of the most spectacular views of any restaurant on the North Shore. Located in Lower Lonsdale’s historic Victory Shipyards, the restaurant overlooks Burrard Inlet and the glittering towers downtown Vancouver. The heated patio is the perfect spot for enjoying a glass of wine while soaking up the evening sun and the dining room is warm, cozy, and perfect for savouring any of the memorable dishes on Executive Chef Matthew Phillip’s menu. The Pier 7 menu is seafood focused and emphasizes boat-to-table choices as well as seasonal, local fare. An Ocean Wise partner, they includes tasty sustainable seafood offerings including grilled west coast salmon and fresh-shucked oysters. Be sure to head down on a Thursday for “the boil,” an impressive seafood feast that includes Dungeness crab, snow crab, prawns, mussels, clams, grilled corn…
By Vancouver’s North Shore On the North Shore we take a lot of things seriously: hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and the weather to name just a few. We’re also serious about breakfast! It seems when someone finds a great breakfast joint, they do one of two things: they either tell all their friends or they keep it secret, for fear of not being able to get a table the next time they get a craving for eggs benny! Well, we’re going to share our breakfast secrets and let you in on the best spots on Vancouver’s North Shore. BLVD Bistro – North Vancouver BLVD Bistro is the new kid on the block, but they came out swinging with a delicious all-day breakfast menu. From unique eggs bennies and heuvos rancheros to pulled pork pancakes and a to-die-for steak & eggs, the menu is fresh, local and delicious. Location: 636 Queensbury…
By Kathy Mak When it comes to the Shipyards Night Market, the journey and the destination are both rewarding! Catch some of the best views of the city and the North Shore Mountains while cruising across the Burrard Inlet on the Seabus passenger ferry (between downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver). In the early evening, you can peruse the speciality shops in Lonsdale Quay Market on route to the night market, which is conveniently located next door. In contrast to other open-air night markets, the Shipyards Night Market is located on the waterfront with beautiful views of Vancouver’s skyline and setup at one of Canada’s Historic Places, the Burrard Dry Dock Company (Wallace Shipyards). You’ll be amused by the vibrant selection of amazing local food, drinks, music, arts, crafts and vendors, all the while watching the glow of the sunset fade over the city. Feast on fresh cuisine from…
By Nikki Bayley Vancouver’s street food scene is known as being one of the best in North America, with more than 100 trucks dotted around the city serving up a dizzying selection of cuisines from around the world. On any given day you could dine on Mexican tortilla stuffed with cactus, a Thai papaya salad, Polish homemade pierogi or even just a hot dog – Japanese-style –dressed with Teriyaki sauce and seaweed. The delicious twist with many of the trucks you’ll find around town is that they use seasonal ingredients right from the lower mainland, so you can taste something new and local each month as the fresh harvest comes in. You’ll also see Ocean Wise stickers on many of the trucks, which means that the seafood they serve is 100% sustainable so you can chow down guilt free. Find your new favourite truck with the handy StreetFood app. Start your…
By Joanne Sasvari Keep going. Over the train tracks. Past the North Shore Auto Mall. Towards the giant Seaspan crane towering above the North Vancouver shoreline. Through the industrial park and across from the high school. And there it is, chocolaty nirvana, in one of the most unlikely locations you could expect. This is the bijou little shop of master chocolatier and pastry chef Thomas Haas. If you’ve arrived after, say, 10 am, chances are good that there’s a lineup of people waiting for his croissants and cappuccinos and the gorgeous chocolates glittering in the glass case like cacao-scented jewels. Don’t worry, just get in line: everything here is worth the wait. If it’s really busy, Haas himself might pop out to visit. Perhaps he’ll hand around some of his rich, dark “sparkle cookies,” which have been named among the best in the world by Saveur, The Los Angeles Times…
By Joanne Sasvari Here on Vancouver’s North Shore, you could say the meat is, well, a cut above. North and West Vancouver are home to a number of butchers, meat shops and sausage makers who’ve carved out a high-quality niche, often specializing in local, organic, antibiotic-free, chemical-free and humanely raised products. Two Rivers Specialty Meats Technically, Two Rivers Specialty Meats is a North Vancouver-based wholesale distributor that sells meat throughout the Lower Mainland. But they’re much more than that. They’re a force for good – after all, they’ve done more than just about anyone to make local, ethically raised meats the popular choice for diners in Vancouver. You’ll find their products – from highly respected producers like Sloping Hills pork, Thiessen Farms chickens and Pemberton Meadows natural beef – on the best restaurant menus in Vancouver as well as in boxes from the SPUD organic food delivery service. Now Two…