for the love of food

Beat the Heat ! Vancouver & Salt Spring Island

60 days of 100+ degree weather. it’s enough to make a girl go crazy ! august in austin is rough - and even more so this year.  a 10 day - cool weather - escape was in order. destination vancouver - then a jump over to salt spring island. here i share a few favorites from our trip.

it’s been 10 years since we were last in vancouver. besides cool weather we had fond memories of the mountain & ocean landscape - cosmopolitan city vibe - ethnic neighborhoods & great seafood. 

we rented a downtown condo (on homeaway ) in yaletown neighborhood. a walk to many parks-restaurants-coffee shops-markets and to the ferry - for a 5 minute ride over to granville island.

granville island is a mecca of art & culture & food. farmers market - food stalls - bakeries - a butchery and of course lots of fish. restaurants of all sizes - arts & crafts studios - high end galleries - a theatre company………and more. this is liam - he turned us on to some beautiful teas.

vancouver has a lot of public art - which i love to see in a city. the MOV  is surprisingly a very small museum ( 3 exhibits). but i guess one could say the art & culture is in the streets.

our first night we met up with friends from austin ( they have the right idea - 3 months in vancouver ! ) for dinner at Vij’s. anyone who knows vancouver will recommend this indian restaurant.  there is always a wait - but it’s part of the experience. we ordered a signature indian mojito and sat outside while servers circled with delicious snacks. unfortunately the restaurant was dark and my photography not a priority while we caught up with our friends - but we enjoyed dungesse crab ‘spoons’…samosas…goat curry…lamb ‘popsicles’….and spot prawns in coconut. yum.

waterfront lunch at C.  modern & on the mark. fried mussels & chorizo salad … onion & almond bisque with seafood-poached egg & black truffle…scallops with grilled corn & corn/foie gras puree…..pacific oysters on the halfshell …   washed down with BC rose bubbly ! we opted for the local wines from british columbia with most meals and were not disappointed.

hapa izakaya.  there are three locations and they are happening little joints - bar mostly with great food. we loved the hot stone bowl. filled with rice- minced pork - spicy miso & an egg yolk. it was stirred up tableside and left to rest a few minutes  while the hot stone crisps up the rice. makes for a creamy & crispy bowl of deliciousness. the pacific calamari is a real treat - very meaty & tender. also enjoyed some sashimi & rolls.

last stop on our way out of town was at meat & bread. with a name like that we had to stop and investigate. meat & bread offers 4 sandwiches - 1 soup - 1 salad & 1 dessert. beer - wine & cider. 1 long communal table & 1 long bar.  everyone eats off a cutting board lined with parchment. what a concept. what a sandwich ! we enjoyed these porchetta sandwiches on the ferry ride over to salt spring island   ( a  1 1/2 hour cruise ).

our first meal on salt spring island. fish & chips & beer !

bounty at the farmers market ! it was a treat to shop here knowing that most of our meals would be cooked at home. we were visiting our friend kim ( another smart austinite who owns a home here ). she is an avid salmon & halibut ‘fisherwoman’ so her freezer was stocked. we supplemented with the markets dungeness crab - sweet spot prawns & cockles. seafood never tasted so good ! seriously !

salt spring demands one to slow down & enjoy the natural beauty. this island offers many trails to hike - either along the coast or thru the pine & cedar forests. on our hikes we spotted a huge grey owl & sea lions & large fleshy purple starfish ! we also just relaxed with the views from the porch & inhaled the fresh air. salt spring is also a haven for artists. artist studio tours/open house can be spotted all over the island.

last views as we take a float plane back to vancouver ( a quick 30 minutes ) then back to austin. i carry a piece of this paradise with me back to the heat of austin !