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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Photo: The Province

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

Vancouver is rightly known as a hockey town, and from October through April (and well beyond that on good years) the Canucks are the hottest ticket in town. During the summer, however, other sports take the spotlight. There’s football with the B.C. Lions, soccer with the Whitecaps and – believe it or not – professional baseball.

Although the squad doesn’t get a lot of attention from local press, the Vancouver Canadians is the city’s very own minor league baseball team. The Canadians are a farm club for the Oakland Athletics and play in the little known Pacific Northwest League from June to September. In the past, the Canadians were a prime source of Major League talent, with Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi and other big superstars spending time with the club.

In 2000, however, the team moved from the AAA to A division and now features mainly untested rookies still a long way from playing in the big leagues. But that doesn’t mean that a trip to the Canadian’s ballpark isn’t a thrilling experience. The team plays at Nat Bailey Stadium, a 5,100-seat field built in 1951 and located in the suburban neighborhood of Mt. Pleasant.

Surrounded by quaint residential streets and equipped with bleachers and wooden fences, Nat Bailey feels like an old-time ballpark. Plus, with general admission seats in the grandstand starting at $12.50, tickets are among the cheapest in town.

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

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Photo: Remy Scalza

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

From its modest beginnings, Vancouver’s microbrew scene has exploded in recent years, with dozens of craft brewers now operating in and around the city. For fans of Vancouver beers, there’s nothing more exhilarating than a brewery tour – getting an up close look at how our local brews are lovingly crafted and – ideally – trying a few afterward.

The only problem is that brewery tours are few and far between in Vancouver. Information on tours is hard to find and often sketchy. With that in mind, I’m issuing a call to to local beer fanatics out there: Do you know of any microbrewery tours being offered in Vancouver? If so, please share the wealth by leaving a comment below.

I’ll start things off by spreading the word about the one tour that I’ve been on myself, the Granville Island Brewing tour. Now purists will protest that GIB is no longer a microbrewery and is, in fact, owned by industrial beer giant Molson. True enough. However, GIB’s special seasonal beers are still made in small, hand-crafted batches at the Granville Island facility where the tour is offered.

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

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

Photo Credit: Salt Tasting Room on Flickr

Vancouver is at the cutting edge of a lot of culinary movements: the 100-mile diet, nose-to-tail dining, sustainable seafood and innovative fusion, to name a few. One trend that doesn’t get a lot of attention, however, is the phenomenon known as communal dining.

Think of communal dinners as summer camp meets the grown up world of fine dining. The traditional restaurant experience involves sitting at a table with friends and family. Each table is essentially an island unto itself and interaction is kept to a minimum.

Communal dining turns that formula on its head. Groups of strangers sit side by side, often at long, shared tables. In many cases, a single dish is served to everyone, enhancing the communal experience.

I got a glimpse of Vancouver’s communal dining scene at The Irish Heather, a relatively new pub in Gastown. [Read the full post on InsideVancouver.ca]

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

I know that malls aren’t for everyone. But the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond merits special mention. Richmond, which is only 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver on the new Canada Line, boasts one of the largest Chinese populations in North America. And the Aberdeen Centre, according to some accounts, is the biggest Asian mall outside of Asia (a confusing but impressive distinction).

In last week’s Georgia Straight, food critic Stephen Wong wrote an article about the incredible Chinese food on offer at the Aberdeen Centre food court. The appeal of Aberdeen, however, goes way beyond food. In no particular order, here are five reasons to check out Aberdeen Centre (just a block from the Aberdeen stop on the Canada Line).

1) The Daiso Store. Daiso is a discount store that has outlets throughout Japan and other Asian countries. Inside the branch at Aberdeen Centre, you’ll find two floors of unique and authentic wares, from Japanese snacks and candies to origami paper and ornate ceramic tea pots and sushi sets. Although prices are still marked in yen, most things in the store sell for $2. 2) Look So Real. Fans of kitsch and the absurd will love the Look So Real store, which sells – get ready – extremely detailed, 3-D replicas of popular foods and dishes. The replicas are used in restaurants that display their menu items in windows and on counters for customers to see. Inside of Look So Real, you’ll find life-like hamburgers, bowls of ramen, salads and everything in between. And the creations are truly works of art: I was admiring an assorted sushi platter that looked good enough to eat and retailed for $229. 3) The House Special at 8 Juice. This smoothee shack is located inside the justifiably famous food court at Aberdeen, which serves authentic Chinese fare to discriminating clientele who know their Szechuan from their Hainanese. Among the exotic smoothees made from freshly blended fruits and ingredients is my favorite, the #1 House Special: fresh mango juice with coconut milk, tapioca, fresh mango bits and pomelo (A small is $3.80).

4) Ultra-Pricey Ginseng. There are several stores in Aberdeen Centre specializing in dried herbs, meats and spices, all essentials for authentic Chinese cooking. What impressed me most was the extensive selection of ginseng, which features prominently in dishes and also has medicinal applications. Prices ranged from a few dollars a pound for common farmed ginseng to $680 a pound for wild gensing collected in the U.S.

5) The Steamed Pork Buns at Shanghai Shanghai. Also located in the food court, Shanghai Shanghai seems to specialize exclusively in buns and dumplings. Staff hand roll and cut the dough at the small counter, then fill the buns with a blend of pork and spices. Because everything is made fresh, expect to wait five minutes or so for your order to be prepared ($3.95 for six juicy buns). Any other favorites at Aberdeen Centre? Please let me know below.

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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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