Inside Vancouver

Cook the ‘Hood – Recipes from Vancouver’s Favourite Neighbourhood Restaurants

by Dana Lynch in Food & Drink on September 6, 2010

Cookbooks tend to be practical guides, manuals to help you prepare a traditional meatloaf or cook with less salt or diet your way to a slimmer waistline. But cookbooks can be so much more. Regional cookbooks and cookbooks with recipes from your favourite restaurants are recipe guides, too, but they can also be souvenirs of a wonderful night out or a fabulous vacation, of a great meal enjoyed with close friends, of the flavours that remind you of home.

I love collecting local cookbooks; I also think they make killer gifts. Last Christmas, I wrote about the Top 5 Vancouver Restaurant Cookbooks as a great Vancouver gift idea; the list includes the latest offerings from Vancouver culinary stars like Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar and West Restaurant.

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Cook the ‘Hood – Recipes from Vancouver’s Favourite Neighbourhood Restaurants

Plunge into the New Year – Vancouver Polar Bear Swim 2010

by Dana Lynch in Outside on December 28, 2009

: Crowds gather for the annual Polar Bear Swim in English Bay on New Year’s Day

Kick off the New Year with Vancouver’s crazy, beloved tradition of jumping into English Bay on New Year’s Day for the Polar Bear Swim.

Every January 1 in Vancouver, the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club leads a crowd of thousands into the chilly winter waters off English Bay Beach. Costumes encouraged!

To take the plunge, register in front of the English Bay Bathhouse 12:30pm – 2:30pm on January 1, 2010. The Polar Bear Swim happens at 2:30pm sharp!

Top 5: Le Gavroche & Vancouver’s Best French Restaurants

by Dana Lynch in Food & Drink on October 16, 2009

Vancouver's Le Gavroche restaurant

Every year for the last four years, my partner and I celebrate his birthday at a fabulous French restaurant in Vancouver; it’s become our tradition. (His choice; he loves French cuisine.) This year, we went to Le Gavroche.

Even though Le Gavroche is one of Vancouver’s longest-standing fine dining restaurants—it opened in 1978—we had never been. And we loved it!

The location is utterly charming—and rather unusual for downtown Vancouver: the dining room is on the second floor of a Victorian house in the West End (within walking distance of the lively Denman Street); their award-winning wine cellar is on the first floor.

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Top 5: Le Gavroche & Vancouver’s Best French Restaurants

Find a farmer’s market at Edible Vancouver

by Julie Ovenell-Carter in Food & Drink on September 16, 2009

The Big Yum
It’s harvest time in the Lower Mainland and there’s no better time to get your 100-Mile Diet on. Trouble is, where do you find the fresh fixin’s you need for tonight’s dinner?

Look no further than Edible Vancouver‘s handy calendar listing of local markets: just locate today’s date on the grid and you’ll find a listing of all current neighbourhood farmer’s markets, complete with addresses and maps. There’s sure to be one nearby, whether you’re in New West or the West End.

And when it comes to the appropriate wine pairing, you still won’t have to leave your own backyard: visit WineBC for a handy round-up of Lower Mainland wine shops selling VQA wines.

Exploring Denman Street – From English Bay Beach to Coal Harbour

by Dana Lynch in Town on June 16, 2009

The northern end of Denman Street

When I was writing about the Top 5 Reasons to love English Bay Beach last week, I made Denman Street Reason #3. But Denman is more than just an adjunct to the beach; it’s a destination worth exploring all on its own.

A vital part of Vancouver’s West End, Denman Street is the last major north-south arterial before Stanley Park. Because of its proximity to the park, it’s the place to get skate and bike rentals for use in the park or along the famous Seawall. (You’ll find the bike/skate rental shops at Denman’s north end, near the junction of Denman and W Georgia Street.)

Continue reading:
Exploring Denman Street – From English Bay Beach to Coal Harbour

Cook the ‘Hood – Recipes from Vancouver’s Favourite Neighbourhood Restaurants

Plunge into the New Year – Vancouver Polar Bear Swim 2010

Top 5: Le Gavroche & Vancouver’s Best French Restaurants

Find a farmer’s market at Edible Vancouver

Exploring Denman Street – From English Bay Beach to Coal Harbour

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