Like birthdays and anniversaries, Olympics tend to be the kind of thing that sneaks up on you.  Next Friday, the 21st installment of the Olympic Winter Games kicks off in Vancouver.  Now, I live here.  For at least the last five years, it’s been just about all anyone has talked about.  But I know that the rest of the world has had more pressing things to worry about than crowning the next Nancy Kerrigan.  The good news is that if you still want to come, there are plenty of flights, beds and tickets available (For a price, of course).  I broke it all down for The Washington Post.

Vancouver Snapshot: Last-minute travelers’ sprint is a quadrennial Olympic event

By Remy Scalza, Special to The Washington Post

So between slogging your way through the Great Recession and following the inaugural season of “Jersey Shore,” you haven’t had much time to think about the Olympic Winter Games starting in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday. But now, all of a sudden, those Morgan Freeman commercials for Visa — the ones with the slow-mo shots of Olympic glories past — have you in the spirit. You want in, front-row center, as the next generation of Apolo Ohnos is crowned.

Is it too late? Maybe not.

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

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Maybe Ben Franklin had it right.  Turkey booster until the bitter end, Franklin railed against the choice of bald eagle as America’s symbol.  “He is a bird of bad moral character,” Franklin wrote. “He does not get his living honestly.”  Up close, it definitely looked that way.  I had a chance to visit Brackendale, B.C., the world’s self-proclaimed bald eagle capital, while researching a story for The Washington Post.  A few eagles kind of looked like the majestic bird on the back of the quarter, but most were busy tearing into rotten salmon, which end up floating in the rivers after spawning is over.  One local lady called them nothing but big seagulls.  Still, it was pretty impressive to see dozens all in one place.

Vancouver snapshot: Bald eagles find a home in Canada

By Remy Scalza; Special to The Washington Post

The highway turnoff is easy to miss. On the rugged stretch of mountain road that connects Olympic cities Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., just past the midway point, is a small, handmade sign. Look hard and you’ll see a bald eagle in profile, beak painted a brilliant yellow, beady eye aglow.

Next stop: Brackendale, self-proclaimed World Eagle Capital.

“One year, we counted 3,769 bald eagles in one day,” says 40-year resident and avian enthusiast Thor Froslev. “You practically had to have a hard hat on to go outside.”

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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