Road Trip: Head to Vancouver for Taste of Yaletown

Visit our neighbor to the north for the 10th annual Taste of Yaletown foodie extravaganza

By Kari Lutcavich October 1, 2014

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I recently enjoyed a luxurious weekend getaway to the trendy Yaletown neighborhood of Vancouver, B.C., courtesy of the Yaletown Business Improvement Association. This 48-hour media trip previewed Vancouver’s 10th annual Taste of Yaletown (TOY), a two-week long celebration from October 16 – 30 that features specially prepared menu pairings at various predetermined prices from local restaurants. This culinary event takes place in the heart of Yaletown, an upscale neighborhood known for its shopping, easy access to transportation and recently renovated business district. It’s definitely a must do. A portion of each restaurants’ profits earned during TOY are donated to The Greater Vancouver Food Bank, which has successfully raised more than $100,000 since the first TOY began ten years ago.

Read on for a recap of my experience at some of the restaurants that will be participating in TOY and suggestions for places to check out in the area during your road trip!

After a quick, Sunday morning flight from Seattle to Vancouver, I jumped on the Canada Line (Vancouver’s rapid transit) from the airport and took it to the Yaletown-Roundhouse stop, which (hello, convenient!) was located across the street from my home for the next two days, the Opus Hotel (vancouver.opushotel.com).

The boutique hotel’s very friendly and helpful staff greeted me as soon as I walked through the doors. My executive suite was lavish; complete with a complimentary iPad and smart phone to use during my stay. For a slightly more budget-friendly option and just a short ten-minute walk from Yaletown, check out L’Hermitage Hotel (lhermitagevancouver.com), which ranks extremely high on Trip Advisor. Other nearby hotels to consider for your Taste of Yaletown adventure: The Four Seasons (fourseasons.com/Vancouver) and the Fairmont Pacific Rim (fairmont.com/PacifcRim), which are both roughly a 10-minute bus ride away from all the foodie action.


The Opus Hotel

After check-in, my friend and I wasted no time and began our very busy itinerary. First stop: manicures and pedicures at Yaletown Nails Spa (yaletownnailsspa.com).

Feeling fresh and relaxed, we walked just two and a half blocks down Hamilton Street to The Parlour for lunch (theparlourrestaurants.com). We started with a sampling of appetizers like stacked short ribs and salmon tartare. Our favorite: The ahi lettuce wraps with their superb combination of flavors. Then we opted for the Love Tips Benedict breakfast pizza (only available on its regular weekend breakfast menu) with roasted asparagus and crispy prosciutto. If you visit during Taste of Yaletown, the eatery’s special menu will include your choice of any two appetizers (save for the charcuterie board) plus one of its many pizzas, including the super popular Dirty pizza with meatballs, pepperoni and banana peppers.

Side note: I didn’t have the chance to check it out, but I’m told the Parlour turns into a popular, hip hangout at night with a DJ on weekends. 

Up next: A self-guided bike tour around Yaletown via bike rentals at Reckless Bikes (reckless.ca). This was the best way to see the city (not to mention a great way to work off all the food!) as we trekked towards Granville Island via Vancouver’s famous Seawall path, which wraps around the marina and various downtown parks. (Tip: If you stay at Opus, it includes complimentary bikes as part of your stay).


Me on the bike tour

Dinner was at Italian restaurant La Pentola (lapentola.ca) inside the Opus Hotel. We decided to dine alla famiglia style, which is a traditional seven-course Italian meal. Guests can choose to dine this way during TOY or there will be smaller lunch- and dinner-sized options from Northern Italy- and Southern Italy-inspired menus, including carne salada (thinly sliced, cured beef) and roasted Sablefish, respectively. Our favorites were off the regular menu: rapini ravioli with lemon and bottarga, the ricotta gnocchi and the yummy lemon cream dessert. Adventurous eaters take note: La Pentola encourages guests to leave their dinner selections up to the chef.

After your TOY feast at La Pentola, I suggest making your way to Yaletown Brewing Company (mjg.ca/yaletown) for drinks. It’s definitely one of the town’s cooler, sportier hangout spots with its pool tables and horse-hair bar stools. As a wheat beer lover, I really enjoyed the Hills Special Wheat.

Like me, you may find yourself feeling rather plump after all the food you’ll try at TOY, so we worked it off with a hot yoga class at Westcoast Hot Yoga (westcoasthotyoga.com). I was nervous as a first-timer to hot yoga but our instructor Coco took great care of us and I felt very refreshed afterwards. The best part: the cold towel Coco puts over your eyes during the final relaxation pose.

The last stop before heading home was lunch at English-style pub The New Oxford (donnellygroup.ca/locations/pubs/new-oxford). Chef Kyle Wainwright spoiled us with a hands-on presentation of his entire TOY menu, including quinoa salad, a sausage platter, pasta and a Guinness beer float to top it all off. We were especially impressed with the variety of tasty sausages (the banger and Mexican Chorizo) as well as his personal spin on Albacore Nicoise salad, which includes garlic poached potato, green beans and capers.

The one downside of the trip? Leaving. I only wish I could have spent more time in Yaletown. I’ll definitely return – I even told the Opus staff to expect me for my future bachelorette party someday. (I suppose I should get engaged first…)

This year’s Taste of Yaletown runs from October 16 – 30. For more details, visit yaletowninfo.com, where you can also find the complete list of all 26 participating restaurants.

 

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