Autumn – Vancouver
Nov 2014
It’s autumn in Vancouver, and the weather is most certainly showing it! If it’s not raining the days are clear and crisp, the sun is bright, the temperature mild (although dropping further everyday), and the autumn foliage glistens with shades of red, orange, and yellow.
While relentless rainfall is Vancouver’s standard weather forecast for the four months from October to January, Vancouver does experience some pretty spectacular (all be them limited) dry, sun drenched days.
Never knowing how long a dry spell will last, one really does have to make the most of the good weather. Therefore, when the rain eventually subsides, I always make an effort to head outdoors and take a stroll along The Seawall.
Fortunately for Nick and I, living in Vancouver’s downtown neighbourhood of Yaletown, we are only moments away from The Seawall’s 22 kilometre waterfront stretch. So as you can see, there is absolutely no excuse not to get out and lap up the city’s blissfully fine autumn days.
Living so close to The Seawall has meant that I have become quite familiar with it. During the summer months I walked along the Yaletown to English Bay Beach section a number of times a week, yet now that there is a change of season upon us the autumn foliage makes it feel as though I’m stepping out on to a completely different trail.
Seriously, what a difference a few months make. Trees that were once abloom with gorgeous greens are now ablaze with vibrant reds, golds, and oranges. Whilst most trees glow with these vivid ‘fall’ colours, others stand with hardly any leaves at all, a sure sign that winter is on the way.
It’s not just The Seawall that showcases the magnificent colours of the changing season, but also Vancouver’s urban parks — none more so than the city’s beloved Stanley Park. With woodlands, gardens, and towering trees, Stanley Park offers a phenomenal display of light and colour during October and early November.
Vancouver has an array of fantastic spots for taking in the changing colours, therefore if you’re visiting the city in the autumn make sure this seasonal treat is on your list of things to see and experience! Also, be sure to pack a good pair of walking shoes and of course your camera.
Purebread Bakery – Vancouver
Nov 2014
Purebread Bakery in Gastown is fast becoming my favourite go to spot for deliciously fresh and reliably good baked goods.
Located on West Hastings (near the corner of Cambie Street), Purebread bakes a tempting range of loaves, breads, and pies fresh everyday, as well as a number of sweet and savoury treats.
While the baked goods selection changes daily, patrons visiting Purebread are guaranteed a counter top stacked high with cakes, brownies, croissants, cookies, scones, and brioches.
With such outstanding variety the task of choosing something can be a little overwhelming, so much so that the thought of buying one of everything seems like a pretty good (albeit a rather extravagant) idea. If buying one of everything is not an option, take comfort in knowing that everything is as delectable as it looks.
I always find it impossible to resist one of the bakery’s signature scones. First of all they’re huge and secondly, they come in a range of temping combinations like apricot-vanilla bean, lavender-earl grey, ginger-cream, and buckwheat sour cherry.
Having eaten my way through most of the flavours, I can say with all honestly that my absolute favourite is the lemon-blueberry-basil ($3.50). A delightfully sweet and perfectly crumbly scone, that is sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth.
While the assortment of treats at Purebread Bakery is considerable the seating on the other hand is somewhat limited. With only a handful of tables and chairs, this is the type of place that you either take away or sit, eat and go, not sit for hours on end.
Having said that though, if you’re lucky enough to grab yourself a stool at the window you will have found a positively cosy nook to enjoy a pastry and coffee (made with Stumptown Coffee Beans), where it is easy to while away an hour watching the world and the colourful characters of Gastown go by.
Originally hailing from Whistler, Purebread makes all of its delicious offerings from scratch and on-site daily. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see the pastry chefs in the adjoining kitchen hard at work, baking up a storm throughout the day.
Since opening in October, Purebread has become quite the sensation with all who walk through the door. It’s often very busy, not surprising really, given the friendly, smiley service and more importantly the delicious and plentiful array of baked goods.
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm / Sat-Sun 9am-4pm
Address: 159 West Hastings Street, Vancouver V6B 1H5
Neighbourhood: Gastown
Meat & Bread – Vancouver
Oct 2014
Having had a succession of great meals in Sydney, as soon as Nick and I returned to Vancouver I was eager to continue my search for the city’s most delicious food. So one drizzly Saturday whilst out exploring and cafe hopping (working up quite the appetite), Nick and I joined a rather lengthy queue at Meat & Bread.
Located on Cambie Street in Vancouver’s historic Gastown neighbourhood, Meat & Bread serves up a selection of delectable sandwiches. With a total of four sandwiches on its menu, Meat & Bread offers three fixed sandwiches (Porchetta, Meatball, Grilled Cheese) and a daily rotating special, made using a range of meats, cuts and cooking styles. The menu also consists of a small variety of side dishes such as soups and salads.
While each sandwich offers something a little different it is the Porchetta — a crusty ciabatta roll stuffed with thinly sliced slow-roasted free range pork, crisp pork crackling and a house-made salsa verde topping — that steals the show. With mouthwatering ingredients like that, is there really any wonder?
The sandwiches at Meat & Bread are made-to-order. The meat is carved, chopped up and heaped onto lightly toasted rolls at order time. Therefore, patrons can expect a hot, fresh, soggy-free sandwich.
At $8 Meat & Bread’s sandwiches are great value. They are deliciously hearty and will leave you feeling truly satisfied. They will also leave you with a hankering to return again soon.
For those who eat-in, Meat & Bread’s sandwiches are served on wooden cutting boards with a dollop of house-made and if I may say so, the most delicious yellow mustard.
Chowing down all that meat and salty goodness is thirsty work, fortunately at Meat & Bread there are a selection of thirst-quenching drinks available. I recommend the ginger beer. It’s cold, sweet (but not too sweet) and the ultimate sandwich companion.
Everyday at lunch, without fail a line up of hungry eaters forms at Meat & Bread, but don’t let the line put you off. It moves swiftly thanks to the sandwich shop’s ordering system, which will have you served and seated within 10 mins or so.
In addition to a couple of individual seating options, there is a large wooden communal table. Stools can also be found at the main counter where the sandwiches are prepared. The communal dining really adds to Meat & Bread’s relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
As does, the specialised sandwich shop’s interior design. With a rather industrial feel (think exposed brick walls, thick wooden counter tops, and steel furnishings and fixtures) the Meat & Bread team have created a decidedly modern eatery with a casual and inviting vibe.
The ingredients used by Meat & Bread may be simple but boy what a sensational combination of texture and flavour they have achieved with their sandwiches.
With its memorable ambience and scrumptious eats I definitely recommend this place to everyone!
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-5pm
Address: 370 Cambie Street, Vancouver V6B 2N3
Neighbourhood: Gastown
Second location at 1033 West Pender Street, Mon-Fri 11am-4pm.
Cafe Medina – Vancouver
Aug 2014
Nick and I have been in Vancouver a little over three months now, and still our search for a local go-to cafe continues. While we’ve enjoyed quite a few meals thus far nothing has really stood out (thanks NYC and your wondrous array of cafes you have completely ruined it for every other city). That was until we visited Cafe Medina.
Known to locals as one of Vancouver’s top breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch spots, Cafe Medina blends enticing bistro fare, exceptional coffee, and a seemingly endless supply of fresh, hot Belgian waffles.
True to its reputation, Cafe Medina serves up some of the most delicious food in the town. A tantalising menu offers a range of incredibly tasty meals: granola topped with fresh seasonal fruit, house-made waffles, fried eggs with smoked salmon, poached eggs with spicy Moroccan lamb meatballs, chorizo summer vegetable paella, and a whole lot more.
Naturally, a menu featuring so many appetising dishes makes deciding what to order extremely difficult. On my first visit, after a lot of umming and arring I eventually opted for the Fricasseè — a delicious dish comprising of two perfectly cooked fried eggs (sunny side up), braised short ribs, roasted potatoes, caramelised onions, applewood smoked cheddar, and a slice of grilled focaccia. Served in a hot skillet and simply bursting with flavour, the Fricasseè had me savouring every single bite.
If you’re after something sweet or want to round off your meal with dessert, be sure to order one (or a stack) of the cafe’s perfectly crisp Belgian waffles with your choice of topping. My pick is the gooey salted caramel sauce, which is not only utterly divine but also just one of Cafe Medina’s many scrumptious options. The list includes: dark chocolate, milk chocolate lavender, white chocolate pistachio rosewater, raspberry caramel, peach and bourbon butterscotch, yoghurt, and maple syrup.
I really feel like you can’t go wrong with the brunch choices at Cafe Medina. Everything is made in-house and the ingredients used are super fresh. The food is contemporary, creative, and sophisticated with mainly French dishes influenced by Middle Eastern, Spanish, Italian, Moroccan, and of course West Coast flavours.
As to be expected, with so many wonderful dishes Cafe Medina is constantly packed. Therefore if you’re planning to turn up after 9:30am, you should prepare for the inevitable wait. At the weekend the line up for a table is occasionally so long that people can hardly move along the footpath. Having said that though, the line does move steadily and the host sees to it that everybody is accommodated. Tip: make sure you put your name on the list and that you’re not just standing in the line.
It’s not just the food, however, that keeps diners coming back time and time again, but also the cafes warm ambience and charming character. While the cafe’s interior has a modern fit out (think timber tables, galvanised metal chairs, and industrial lighting), the space itself is casual and inviting, thanks to the cafe’s high ceilings, thoughtful decorative touches, and bar and table seating.
The coffee also might have something to do with the cafe’s popularity. Using coffee beans from Vancouver’s own 49th Parallel, Cafe Medina’s talented baristas work incredibly hard behind a very retro looking aqua coloured coffee machine, pumping out coffee after coffee. Whether you order a cappuccino or a lavender latte you can expect a beautifully presented and great tasting drink. As the sign above the entrance says “Life’s too short for bad coffee.”
When a cafe is running at capacity you fear the food may not be as good as it ought to be. But not here. The food, which is reasonably priced is always exceptional and arrives quickly considering how packed the cafe usually is. So if you’re ever in Vancouver, make sure you drop by as brunch at Cafe Medina should not be missed.
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm / Sat-Sun 9am-3pm
Address: 780 Richards St (btw Robson & West Georgia), Vancouver, V6B 3A4
Neighbourhood: Downtown
Yaletown – Vancouver
Aug 2014
Once an industrial district dominated by warehouses and rail yards, today Yaletown is one of Vancouver’s trendiest and most sort after neighbourhoods, home to many of the city’s top bars, restaurants, and boutiques.
Walking around Yaletown with its urban landscape and rows of upscale stores, it’s hard to imagine that some 20 years ago this was nothing more than a derelict and weed infested site.
The area’s dramatic transformation began after the selling of the old expo grounds in the late 1980s, when a group of developers won the bid to design and develop the neighbourhood. And develop they did.
Today Yaletown stands as one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the city. Clusters of apartment blocks soar high into the sky. Yet, despite the area’s modern planning and residential development, Yaletown has held on to its 1900s turn of the century character and charm.
Running along Yaletown’s main two thoroughfares, Hamilton and Mainland Streets (where most of the action unfolds), handsome heritage brick buildings have been converted into loft-style apartments, while the old loading docks act as lengthy sidewalks lining boutiques, salons, bars, cafes, restaurants, and yoga studios.
There is certainly an abundance of places to eat, drink, and shop, which is convenient as ‘Yaletowners’ do these three things so well. In fact, Yaletown has a bit of a reputation for being a neighbourhood of eating out, seeing people and being seen, especially on the outdoor patios (a big deal here in Vancouver particularly in the summer months).
It’s also a neighbourhood that Nick and I are lucky to call home. Our little one bedroom apartment lays on the north border and looks back over the long line of low rise warehouses, with glimpses of the surrounding greater Vancouver area. We can even see Mount Baker (USA) from our bedroom window.
Exploring Yaletown over the past few months I’ve been delighted to discover a range of great places to eat, drink and shop at; The Distillery (swanky bar with delicious pasta dishes), The Parlour (exceptional pizza), The Keg (great rooftop patio), Rodney’s Oyster House (a fun nautical themed restaurant – try the clam chowder), Urban Fare (upscale supermarket), and the incredibly cute Woo To Meet You boutique (independent retailer).
Apart from taking advantage of the many food and beverage options Yaletown has to offer, I’ve also been keen to get out and about. Thankfully Yaletown’s proximity to the city’s beloved Seawall (a 22 kilometre path that lines Vancouver’s waterfront) is incredibly close, meaning that I’m out in the open air walking along the water every other day. Bliss!
Yaletown is not an overly huge place and is easily accessible by foot. It’s a short walk from the centre of downtown Vancouver or a quick ferry ride from Granville Island. If you do stop by on your travels, I highly recommend dedicating an hour or two to walking around this historic neighbourhood. Be sure to enjoy a beverage on an outdoor patio too.
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