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

Vancouver's got great restaurants, but what about its street food?

The secret is officially out on Vancouver’s food scene. Earlier this month, The New York Times declared Vancouver among “the best eating towns in the history of the Winter Games.” Gourmands and epicures the world over are – at this very moment – feverishly blogging about the city’s innovative restaurants and chic-chic bistros. But for me, a city’s culinary clout isn’t just about the gourmet stuff. To truly be a culinary capital, a city has to deliver on the low-end, as well. And it doesn’t get any lower end than street food – no waiters, no tables, not even a door. New York’s got great street food. So does Tokyo. But how does Vancouver stack up? The answer: If you can find street food in Vancouver, it’s bound to be good. But finding it is the tricky part. Stringent health and sanitation by-laws mean there are very few vendors actually selling food on city streets. There are plenty of hot dog carts, of course, but not the kind of cornucopia of sweet and savory treats you see in other places. However, what Vancouver lacks in abundance, it makes up for in diversity, novelty and sheer deliciousness.  [Read more...]