Getting Funky in Vancouver: Five Alarm Funk

September 7, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for InsideVancouver.ca.

When it comes to great music, the Pacific Northwest has a lot to be proud of. Seattle was the birthplace of grunge, after all, giving rise to such legendary acts as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. And Portland has always been a hotbed for up and coming artists. Vancouver – at least in international terms – has never been quite as well known for its homegrown musical talent.

Not to say there aren’t plenty of great bands based in and around the city. In recent years, Vancouver has produced the indie success The New Pornographers, party pop favorite Hey Ocean and folk rockers Headwater. 

Photo: Remy Scalza

Music is subjective, of course. And it’s almost impossible to compare different style. But  I’m going to offer my pick for Vancouver’s best band. I’d say the current title goes to the 12-piece groove powerhouse Five Alarm Funk. Featuring a full horn section and a team of virtuoso percussionists, Five Alarm Funk combies funk, reggae and afro-beats in high-energy, unforgettable live shows.

Click here for the full post on InsideVancouver.ca.

Filed Under Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With band, five alarm funk, funk, Vancouver

Aboriginal Dining: First Nations Cuisine in Vancouver

September 4, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Photo: WhatDoVegansEat.blogspot.com

Finding authentic cuisine from around the world is rarely a problem in Vancouver. The city boasts the best Chinese food in North America, more sushi joints per capita than just about anyplace outside Japan and Persian and Indian restaurants that cater to the demanding tastes of the huge immigrant populations that call Vancouver home.

But Aboriginal cuisine – the traditional dishes enjoyed by Vancouver’s own First Nations communities – has always been hard, if not impossible, to find here. Bannock bread and candied salmon are sometimes available at special ceremonies (like at the Aboriginal pavilion at the Olympic Games), but – at least during the last few years – not a single restaurant in Vancouver has offered a menu dedicated to Aboriginal cooking. Until now.

Earlier this year, a new restaurant called Salmon ‘n’ Bannock opened on West Broadway, near the South Granville neighborhood. It’s run in part by members of Vancouver’s First Nations communities and the dishes served represent some of the staples of the traditional Aboriginal diet, from salmon to less well-known plates like wild deer stew.

Photo: SalmonAndBannock.net

Inside the restaurant, which occupies a small space on Broadway, the walls are painted bright red and decorated with First Nations paintings and carvings. Service is attentive and the menu highlights both the “greatest hits” of Aboriginal cuisine and dishes that many diners may be unfamiliar with.

The meat and fish served are either wild or certified organic. There’s also a selection of NK’Mip wines from the Osoyoos Indian reserve in the Okanagan Valley. Go hungry and you can try the tasting platter to start, which includes salmon mousse, Indian candied salmon, baked and fried bannock and clam fritters. From there, move on to the signature wild salmon burger or get a bit more adventurous with the wild deer stew or a wild buffalo burger. The menu itself isn’t that extensive, and prices aren’t cheap (the salmon burger is $15), but the restaurant has earned positive reviews on DineHere, Yelp, UrbanSpoon and the city’s other restaurant review sites. Plus, it’s filling a significant void in the dining scene by offering Vancouverites an option for authentic First Nations cuisine. Anyone else been to Salmon ‘n’ Bannock? What did you think of the First Nations food being offered? Can anyone suggest another option in the city for people interested in trying Aboriginal cuisine?

Filed Under Food & Wine, Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With aboriginal, cuisine, dining, First Nations, Food, Vancouver

In Search of Real Pizza in Vancouver

September 1, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for InsideVancouver.ca.

When it come to pizza, Vancouver might not have the storied past of a New York – with its signature big slices – or a Chicago – with its deep dish bragging rights. But that doesn’t mean the city is a pizza wasteland.

In fact, owing to Vancouver’s sizable Italian population (plus some unique contributions from its Greek community) good pizza is available all over the city, from mom ‘n’ pop joints on Commercial Drive to erstwhile souvlaki houses on Broadway and fancy Italian bistros downtown. But what I want to know is where to get great pizza in Vancouver. Not just a good slice but a phenomenal one.

I’d like to put in my own nomination for Vancouver’s best pizza: Bella, which has locations in Yaletown and the West End, plus a few branches in the ‘burbs. Now I know that any talk of pizza supremacy is bound to stir up controversy. Some people like thin crusts. Others like thick, doughy crusts. There’s the issue of toppings – from pepperoni to arugula and everything in between – which can make or break an otherwise decent pie. Not to mention the whole murky terrain of pizzas without cheese and pizzas without sauce and low-carb pizzas that don’t have any crusts at all.

Click here to read the full article on InsideVancouver.ca.

Filed Under Food & Wine, Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With pizza, Remy Scalza, Vancouver

In Search of Mexican Food North of the Border

August 28, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Wanted: Real Mexican Food

Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for InsideVancouver.ca.

While many ethnic cuisines from around the world are well represented in Vancouver, Mexican isn’t one of them. For anyone who’s spent time in Mexico – or who knows what a really good taco tastes like – the city can sometimes feel like a no man’s land.

Now there are, of course, a few Mexican places out there in Vancouver. You’ve got your burrito joints – Steamrollers and Red Burrito come to mind – which are great for a big fat tortilla loaded up with beans, rice and marinated steak or chicken. But this is more of a Californian take on Mexican cuisine, rather than the real deal. Then, you’ve got your sit-down restaurants, with the requisite sombreros on the wall and oversized margarita glasses, like Las Margaritas and Primos. Nothing wrong with these places either, if you’re in the mood for a slightly Canadian take on enchiladas or fajitas.

But when I think of the essence of real Mexican food – correct me if I’m wrong on this – I think of tacos. Not the crunchy, Taco Bell kind but soft corn tortillas – handmade and petite enough to fit in the palm of your hand. And inside: not just the standard stuff, but a whole range of savory meats, from pastor (marinated pork) to the delicacy which is lengua (beef tongue).

It’s not exactly rocket science, but – for whatever reason – it’s not easy to find real Mexican tacos around town. So, if you know of a good little taco joint, please spread the word and leave a comment below. I’ll start the ball rolling with a little discovery I made recently: Salsa & Agave, a taqueria in Yaletown (of all places).

Click here to read the full post on InsideVancouver.ca.

Filed Under Food & Wine, Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With Mexican food, Vancouver

A New Saudi Presence in Vancouver

August 25, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Photo: Vancouver Saudi Club

Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for InsideVancouver.ca.

Vancouver is a great city for challenging stereotypes. The city’s population is not only incredibly diverse but also mixed. Walk down any downtown street and you’re likely to hear a blend of English, Mandarin, Chinese, Farsi, French and at least a half-dozen other languages. With so much interaction, it’s hard to hold onto simple preconceived ideas about groups of people.

I was reminded of this recently when, on a Saturday night, I saw a group of young guys from Saudi Arabia partying it up on Granville Street. Perhaps no region in recent years has been the victim of as much stereotyping as the Middle East. More often than not, Saudi Arabia is talked about in the context of violence and extremism. In the absence of any real contact with Saudis, that’s all many people know.

But on Saturday night, I saw something entirely different. A small crowd had gathered outside near the corner of Granville and Robson Streets, where Arabic music was being pumped out of a speaker. In the middle of the circle stood about a dozen Saudis, all guys in their teens and twenties. Except for the fact that they were speaking Arabic, it could have been any group of guys. They had managed to plug an iPod into a street busker’s amplifier – the kind of random stuff that happens late at night on Granville Street – and had cranked up a popular Saudi tune.

Click here to read the full post on InsideVancouver.ca.

Filed Under Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With Remy Scalza, Saudi, Vancouver
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