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

Vancouver is earning a growing reputation as one of the world’s top culinary cities, with authentic international cuisine, daring fusion and restaurants that bring together fresh West Coast ingredients in innovative new ways. Often left off the list of the city’s culinary accolades, however, is its fantastic poutine.

For those unfamiliar with the dish, poutine traditionally consists of French fries topped with cheese curds and then covered with gravy. It’s good old-fashioned, down-home comfort food – not healthy in any sense but decadently delicious.

Now, I know that poutine originated in Quebec. In fact, the word poutine – according to some French fry scholars – traces to a French word meaning “hodgepodge.” But I’ve had some top-notch poutine over the years in Vancouver: thick fries, rich gravy, fresh cheese curds — the real deal. I’d like to hear what you think about Vancouver’s poutine scene? Do you have a favorite poutine joint? Maybe a cheap dive that’s open late, making a perfect end for a night of carousing? Or a restaurant that looks all prim and proper but actually serves up a mean plate of fries? Please help me out on my quest to find the city’s best poutine by leaving a comment below.

To get the ball rolling, I’ll make the case for an unlikely suspect: The Backstage Lounge on Granville Island. Now, the Backstage Lounge is probably best known as a bar and late-night music venue, not as a restaurant. Inside, the atmosphere is dark and welcoming, with that classic pub smell of spilled beer and nachos. The main bar area offers a great selection of craft beers on tap, and outside there’s a fantastic patio that overlooks the waters of False Creek and the Granville Street bridge.

Photo: Remy Scalza

The menu actually has a pretty diverse selection of burgers and pizza, but I’m here for the poutine. [Read the full post on InsideVancouver.ca]

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Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on the Inside Vancouver blog, as part of special coverage of the 2010 Winter Games.

Fans celebrate Team Canada's first goal inside LiveCity Downtown's beer tent.

You couldn’t have asked for a more fitting finale to the Vancouver 2010 Games – Canada vs. U.S.A. in a gold medal hockey game on Canadian soil.

I took in the action today at LiveCity Downtown, perhaps the best place in the city to see the game outside of Canada Hockey Place. As I made my way across town and toward the gates, a swirling roar of cheering was rolling round and round the city. Something special was in the air.

A raucous sea of red enjoys Canada's early lead in the men's hockey final.

Inside, LiveCity Downtown was filled to capacity. Gates were shut, leaving forlorn fans to enjoy the spectacle from the street, and those of us lucky enough to make the cut packed inside. I managed to make my way into the beer tent just as the first puck was dropped. Olympic fashions had been taken to new heights for the occasion. I saw Maple Leaf rain boots, bikini tops and underpants (though not all on the same person). Every other face glimmered with red and white paint, and Canadian flags were outnumbered only by beer cups, which were stacked everywhere.

The sea of red and white boiled and roared every time the Canadian squad put a shot on goal (Woe to the handful of U.S. fans in the room, timidly waving American flags at their peril). With the first Canadian goal, a wall of sound spread over the room – It almost felt like one of those sonic waves you see in the movies. From there on out, LiveCity Downtown was in full party mode.

Not an ounce of face paint was spared for the gold medal hockey game.

After the first period, I checked on the action outside. A thousand or so fans were packed tightly in front of the giant outdoor screen. Bodies pressed in on the sides struggling for a glimpse. Canada’s second goal unleashed a flurry of flag-waving and frenzied clangs of untold cowbells. The rout, it seemed, was on. Giant Canadian hockey players on stilts strutted through the crowd, jabbing at a lone American fan with their sticks.

Throughout the third period, a booming chorus of “Luuuuu . . . . . ” rumbled every time Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo stopped a shot. With just minutes to go and Canada up 2-1, the crowd was downright giddy. With each second, the crescendo of cheering and cowbells grew louder and louder until suddenly – with a mere 25 seconds left – the U.S. evened things up. Then, after a collective groan, LiveCity downtown fell abruptly silent.

Despite some tense moments, the sun would ultimately shine on Canada hockey.

But, of course, we all know that the story isn’t supposed to end that way. After all, this is Canada’s Olympics. And here was the Canadian Team going for gold in the sport that Canada had invented. As if to affirm that things were indeed going to be alright, the sun suddenly shone down on LiveCity Downtown after days of rain and clouds.

Canada celebrates hockey gold at LiveCity Downtown.

And, a few minutes later, it was over: the storybook ending to a magical Olympics in Vancouver. The instant after Canada’s Sidney Crosby took the game-winning shot in overtime, LiveCity Downtown erupted. Strangers embraced and high-fived. I’m sure that I saw several grown men with tears in their eyes. Little kids, almost frightened at the tumult, ran around waving flags. Then, in a spontaneous decision, the crowd poured out and began marching up West Georgia Street. Beyond lay Robson Square and probably the biggest street party Vancouver has ever known.

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Around Vancouver, several Indian bands are rewriting the book on Aboriginal tourism in the lead-up to the Olympic Games, moving away from tepee villages and kitschy gift shops and embracing more authentic and sophisticated experiences.  I checked out a few of the new Aboriginal offerings in an article for The Washington Post:

As hosts of the Vancouver Olympics, First Nations are ready to welcome the world

By Remy Scalza; Special to The Washington Post

It’s an Olympic first that has drawn few headlines. When the 2010 Winter Games open in Vancouver, B.C., in February, four Canadian Indian nations will be on hand — not as window dressing but as full-fledged hosts. “This isn’t just get out the drums and feathers for the Opening Ceremonies,” says Alex Rose, communications director for the Four Host First Nations, the society representing the four groups of Canada’s indigenous people who will host the Games. “Those days are gone.”

Largely gone, too, are the tepees, totem poles and tchotchkes that once defined aboriginal tourism in Canada. In their place has sprung up a new generation of indigenous travel experiences — from urban powwows to luxe native-owned wineries — aimed at courting the more than 250,000 visitors expected at the Games.

Click here for the full article on The Washington Post site.

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Vancouver's oldest microbrewery, Granville Island Brewing offers relief from Molson monotony with varieties like maple cream ale and honey lager.

While Canadian food, like poutine, may not be standard international fare, Canadian beer has found its way into refrigerators the world over.  Molson dates back to 1786 and now ranks among the world’s largest brewing companies.  Its importance to Canuck culture is such that “Molson muscle” has entered the Canadian lexicon as slang for beer belly.  But while Molson may be the most quintessentially Canadian brew (check out their I Am Canadian commercials if you’re in doubt), there are plenty of contenders for the title of best beer north of the border.

Vancouver, host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, is home to a thriving microbrew scene.  Considering the proud beer-making tradition in Pacific Northwest cities like Portland and Seattle, Vancouver arrived relatively late to the world of craft brewing.  The first microbrewery in all of western Canada opened in 1984 in the city’s Granville Island neighborhood, a one-time factory district reborn as a waterfront hub for bars and restaurants.  Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Granville Island Brewing built a reputation by offering full-flavored beers christened after local landmarks, like its English Bay Pale Ale (named after one of the city’s nicer beaches) and Cypress Honey Lager (named after the 2010 Olympic snowboarding venue).

Located beneath the busy Granville Street bridge, Granville Island Brewing is part of a pedestrian-friendly complex of restaurants, bars and markets clustered along the waterfront.

Despite its success in the local market, Granville Island Brewing has remained true to its humble roots.  I sign up for a Saturday brewery tour ($9.75) expecting a gleaming, modern operation, with bottles zipping off the assembly line.  Instead, I’m crammed into a dimly lit workshop that smells like baking bread with about a dozen other guests.  We munch on malted barley to find out where beer comes from, squeeze past leaky hoses to peer into the fermentation room and sniff fresh hops that, according to the knowledgeable guide, “smell a lot like cannibus” (This is British Columbia, after all).

While there are a few beer nerds in our ranks, anxious to show they know their Hefeweizens from their Dunkels, the group is pretty eclectic for a brewery tour, with older couples from China, a mom and daughter from Montreal and a couple visiting from Seattle.  And, overall, the feel is different from that of a slick, choreographed tour in the U.S.  After about a half-hour spent tracing beer’s epic journey from grist to mash to wort, we all pile out of the brewery for the tasting.

The tasting is held in Granville Island Brewing’s taproom, one of the more popular watering holes on the island.   The price of the tour includes four, six-ounce beers – a deal, especially with the two-for-one coupon on the brewery Web site.  I take a seat in front of  four full glasses, each tinted a different shade of amber.  After a few sips, any loyalties to Molson are wavering.  I try an IPA, a honey lager and a special edition bitter.  They’re all good, but one taste of Granville’s Maple Cream Ale and I’ve found a new favorite.  It’s smooth, with a strong body and sweet finish.  And the best part: It’s made with real Canadian maple syrup.

• Getting There:
  • Granville Island Brewing is located in Vancouver’s Granville Island neighborhood, a waterfront center of markets, shops and restaurants.  From downtown Vancouver, cross the Granville Street bridge to reach the island.
• Getting Around:
  • The brewery is housed in a modest warehouse at the entrance to Granville Island.  Parking can be hard to find, so try to arrive early on weekends and holidays.

• When to Go:
  • Tours ($9.75, including four, six-ounce tasters) are offered seven days a week at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and last for approximately 90 minutes.  Advance reservations are not taken, so arrive early to secure a spot.
• Tips:
  • Sign up for Granville Island Brewing’s VIP club on their Web site for a two-for-one tour coupon.

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As Canadian as maple syrup, poutine - fries topped with gravy and cheese curds - might be Canada's national dish.

With the possible exception of maple syrup, Canada isn’t really known for its contributions to world cuisine.  The Brits left behind a legacy of bland and boiled food that defined cooking here for generations.   In fairness, cosmopolitan cities like Vancouver and Toronto have embraced new flavors brought by immigrant groups, and both cities boast thriving Asian food scenes.  Finding a real, down-home Canadian meal, however, can be a challenge.

With millions of Olympic tourists about to descend upon Vancouver – many hungry for a taste of the “real” Canada – I decided to go looking for the classic Canuck meal in the city’s Granville Island neighborhood.  Technically a peninsula, Granville Island consists of a cluster of markets, shops and restaurants crowded onto a sliver of land jutting into a downtown inlet.  The main draw, apart from great views of the city and the mountains beyond, is the Public Market, where hundreds of vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables as well as gourmet meat, fish and cheeses.  But I’m looking for something a bit different.

In the shadows of one of Vancouver's busiest bridges, Granville Island is a factory district turned foodie mecca.

Just behind the market is the Backstage Lounge, a popular pub that smells like spilled beer even at two in the afternoon.   While the Backstage may be more famous for its live music than for its menu, it has earned an underground reputation for one particular dish: poutine (rhymes with “routine”).  French for “hodgepodge,” poutine is a Canadian take on cheese fries.  Deep-fried potatoes are sprinkled with fresh cheese curds, then drizzled with brown gravy and served in a bowl.  Though it originated in Quebec – where even Burger King offers a poutine option – the dish is now popular throughout the country.

My first bowl of poutine isn’t really a culinary awakening – fries are fries in any language – but I can see the appeal.  It’s high-calorie, comfort food:  perfect after a day of skiing in the mountains or – judging from poutine’s popularity in pubs – a night of drinking in the city.   And, with the Olympics around the corner, the best thing about poutine may be that it’s open to all cultures.  Popular alternatives to the traditional gravy include peanut satay, Alfredo sauce and curry.

So, anyone else have a high-calorie Canadian favorite?

P.S.  If gravy fries aren’t your thing, check out my post on Tourism Vancouver about the city’s authentic sushi scene.

• Getting There:
  • Vancouver’s Granville Island neighborhood is located just beneath the busy Granville Street Bridge, along False Creek inlet.  To reach Granville Island from downtown, cross the Granville Street bridge and follow signs to the Granville Island Public Market.
• Getting Around:
  • If arriving by car, get to Granville Island before noon to avoid trouble finding a parking spot.  The island itself, with its shops, restaurants and sidewalk performers, is best explored on foot. The Backstage Lounge – home to what many consider the city’s best poutine – is located on the water, just behind the Public Market.
• When to Go:
  • Most shops, restaurants and markets are open seven days a week.  Weekends and holidays are the best days for people watching and to catch free outdoor performances.
• Tips:
  • If you plan on trying the poutine at the Backstage Lounge, make sure to get a table outside.  The patio offers views of the inlet and the downtown skyline.

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