I admit, I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to this kind of stuff, but I'm excited about the BC Studies Online Auction:
http://www.bcstudies.com/auction/
Last year I discovered their online auction by accident and somehow ended up winning 7 bids ( thus finishing my Christmas shopping early). There are some serious good finds there, including:
- Kumsheen River Rafting expedition worth $126 (currently priced at $20!)
- Vancouver Special, by Charles Demers
- Steve Nash Sports Club monthly passes
- surf lessons in Tofino
- Vancouver Art Gallery passes
- Vancouver International Film Festival passes
Plus, there are countless books about British Columbia - history, politics, geography, and so forth.
Oh, and the auction only lasts one week. It started this morning! So there you go.
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
R.I.P. Sophia Books & Elfsar Comics
It was the Granville Book Co. a few years ago.
Then it was Duthies.
Now it's Sophia Books.
Sophia Books goddammit!
The news spread around Twitter earlier this morning that beloved independent bookstore Sophia Books was finally closing its doors due to Vancouver's obnoxious rent rates. The Georgia Straight's now reporting that the owners are shutting down their retail business but will still pursue mail orders. However, Vancouver's losing a gem of a literary retail space, especially since it catered to a unique niche of foreign language books, import magazines, and art books.
Man, what a heartbreaker!
One of my favourite activities was to head down to Gastown and escape into their shop to just browse without any sense of purpose. Whether it was attempting to tackle Proust en français (and fail miserably), or simply peek at what Italian Vogue considered relevant, or heck - I lie. You'd often find me seeking cutesy Japanese "how to make felt animals" books or skimming through the graphic novels. And I'd often come back with a bag full of goodies. I really, honestly, thought they'd be able to stay afloat due to their unique market, but even that doesn't seem to do it anymore.
Book stores like Sophia added to downtown Vancouver's "spice" - its eccentricity. Shops like Sophia make downtown Vancouver interesting. However, every year we see more and more of these independent businesses close their door for another generic gentrified chain business to open in its place. If it sounds like I'm bitter, it's because I partially am. It's with sincere sadness to see it closing its doors. Apparently as of this very second they're having a 40% off *everything* sale.
Bah!
Oh, and get this. As I'm composing this little post, news is spreading on Twitter that Yaletown-based Elfsar Comics is closing. Is this some sort of cruel theme for the week? What next? No, I don't even want to joke about it. Sheesh! But seriously, what do you think's going to open up in that space? A yoga studio, doggy boutique, or a hair salon?
Then it was Duthies.
Now it's Sophia Books.
Sophia Books goddammit!
The news spread around Twitter earlier this morning that beloved independent bookstore Sophia Books was finally closing its doors due to Vancouver's obnoxious rent rates. The Georgia Straight's now reporting that the owners are shutting down their retail business but will still pursue mail orders. However, Vancouver's losing a gem of a literary retail space, especially since it catered to a unique niche of foreign language books, import magazines, and art books.
Man, what a heartbreaker!
One of my favourite activities was to head down to Gastown and escape into their shop to just browse without any sense of purpose. Whether it was attempting to tackle Proust en français (and fail miserably), or simply peek at what Italian Vogue considered relevant, or heck - I lie. You'd often find me seeking cutesy Japanese "how to make felt animals" books or skimming through the graphic novels. And I'd often come back with a bag full of goodies. I really, honestly, thought they'd be able to stay afloat due to their unique market, but even that doesn't seem to do it anymore.
Book stores like Sophia added to downtown Vancouver's "spice" - its eccentricity. Shops like Sophia make downtown Vancouver interesting. However, every year we see more and more of these independent businesses close their door for another generic gentrified chain business to open in its place. If it sounds like I'm bitter, it's because I partially am. It's with sincere sadness to see it closing its doors. Apparently as of this very second they're having a 40% off *everything* sale.
Bah!
Oh, and get this. As I'm composing this little post, news is spreading on Twitter that Yaletown-based Elfsar Comics is closing. Is this some sort of cruel theme for the week? What next? No, I don't even want to joke about it. Sheesh! But seriously, what do you think's going to open up in that space? A yoga studio, doggy boutique, or a hair salon?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Grocery stores in downtown Vancouver
Note: This blog post is slightly out of date, yet it's perhaps the most popular blog post I've ever written. Rather than let it sit stale, I've updated this blog post on my new blog: http://www.bcrobyn.com/?p=1709
Yes.
I actually made a map of grocery stores in downtown Vancouver.
You'll have to click on it to see it in its proper size, but I whipped up this map in Photoshop after reading numerous posts on travel forums about where to find grocery stores in downtown Vancouver.
Think about it. So many of the people who are visiting and working during the Olympics are staying in downtown condos. When you're staying downtown, you aren't going to bother with a car - you're going to rely entirely upon walking or public transit. And rightly so, people will be interested in the nearest, most convenient grocery stores.
So I figured, what the heck, why not make a map to visualize it?
Go on. Click on it!
The map features 12 different large full-scale grocery stores downtown Vancouver.* For more information on each individual grocery store, including hours, exact street address and a sense of what they offer, click on the name of the store to get to their website.
Otherwise, here's my quick and totally biased overview of these grocery stores:
1. Capers Community Market. It was recently purchased by Whole Foods but is still thought of as a Vancouver-based natural food store. Great for organic/health foods. They have a nice deli and fresh food items to go. I rarely shop here because it's on the other side of downtown, but I wouldn't hesitate to go here if you like quality items. I'd probably shop here more often if it was closer. It's much more convenient if you're in the West End or Coal Harbour, especially if you're based around the western blocks of Robson Street.
2. Choices Market. I shop here all the time because it's a block away from where I live. It's a local company and expensive for what it is, but it's another great option for organic/natural foods and for people who have dietary restrictions (ie: they have a rice bakery for gluten-free diets). It has a limited deli, meat/seafood selection (mostly pre-packaged items) but a fantastic organic and regular produce section. Also a good fair trade coffee selection and teas. It's kind of a yuppy grocery store, but it's convenient for those in Yaletown and it's short walk from the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station.
3. Costco. You'll need a Costco membership and a car to really take advantage of Costco. Of course, they're closing down the roads to traffic around here during the Olympics, so maybe not so convenient. Costco is Costco. It's cheap, it's behemoth, and it's all about large quantities. It makes sense for longterm stays or if you're feeding many mouths. It's only convenient if you're around Yaletown or Gastown and it's nextdoor to the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain station.
4. Granville Island Public Market. Open until 7pm every day, it's a foodie's best friend. Lots of artisan shops here and well worth a visit. It's not a tourist trap so don't avoid it even if it's on every tourist site's must-see list. Great for fresh produce, local seafood, fresh meat, fresh pasta, gourmet cheese, charcuterie, fresh breads & desserts, exotic spices, locally-roasted coffee, locally-made chocolate, fresh donuts, etc. It's the most fun you'll have grocery shopping in Vancouver. Take a water taxi to get here (fast and fun) or take the Canada Line to the Olympic Village station and then hop on the free street car that will b-line you right there!
5. H-Mart. It's easily missed as it's upstairs and you have to take escalator from a Korean frozen yogurt/dessert shop, but it's a full Korean grocery store (an international chain, apparently) with a produce selection, some unique take-out options (Korean sushi anyone?), and Korean items you typically won't find in regular grocery stores. Don't let that scare you - it also has regular North American items and an entire food court offering Korean and Japanese items (very popular at lunch time). It offers a nice alternative to the IGA a block away. It's really only convenient for people along the eastern blocks of Robson Street.
6. IGA Marketplace. These stores tend to be smaller versions of the IGA's found in the suburbs but they still include all the departments: the deli with takeout options, the bakery, produce section, bulk foods, fresh meat, etc. Good prices, nothing out of the ordinary, but IGA Marketplace is a good standby to pick up everything you'd need and therefore it's very convenient. The location on Smithe and Robson is larger (and has 2 floors) than their tiny location wedged in beside the Westin Grand on Robson and Richards.
7. Nesters Market. I prefer Nesters for convenience foods (pre-made sandwiches, quiche, etc.) and for their meat section - it's much more affordable here than most places downtown and the quality is typically good. The produce section isn't fantastic, but a it's good place for picking up drinks, desserts, breakfast foods and the basics. They often have sales, and again, for this BC-based chain of stores, it's usually good value for downtown. One location's in a relatively central location on Seymour and Nelson, which is convenient for those in or near Yaletown looking for something slightly cheaper and less specialized/yuppy than other Yaletown grocery stores. The other location's in the new Woodward's building which is really the only grocery store option in Gastown.
8. No Frills. Never shopped here (although maybe I should!) but it's bargain grocery shopping in the West End, cleverly hidden away in Denman Mall under the Coast Plaza Hotel. It's owned by Loblaw's which means they likely have No Name products (ie: dirt cheap store brand). It's only convenient if you're staying somewhere in the West End near Denman Street.
9. Safeway. A good all around regular grocery store with typically larger spaces compared to most downtown grocery stores. It has all the typical departments you'd expect: deli, bakery, meat, seafood, frozen foods, etc. They even have their own Starbucks counter (not like that's necessary in the land of thousands of Starbucks). They have a brand new store on Denman and Robson which is convenient for those in Coal Harbour, and a slightly older (but renovated) store on Davie in the West End by English Bay. I recommend only shopping here if you have a Safeway Club Card, otherwise you end up paying a lot more.
10. SuperValu. This place makes me nostalgic as it probably hasn't changed since the 1970's (or earlier) and it has an old fashioned feel to it. It's another bargain grocery store in the West End, but is stocked full of my favourite President's Choice brands. Yes, your money goes much further here than most other downtown grocery stores. It's a little bit scattered and a bit weird (or maybe that's the shoppers), but I quite like SuperValu. It is what it is - totally unhip but great value for downtown shopping. You expect "meh" quality, but it surprisingly has a lot of great items here. And if you're a senior, they even do free delivery! Only convenient if you're in the West End near Davie and Bute. Oh yeah, and they're open super late!
11. T&T Supermarket. This is the epitome of Chinese grocery stores, complete with live seafood in tanks, traditional Chinese produce, a full Chinese bakery, a "vivid" meat selection, and your standard authentic Chinese items - aisles of frozen dim sum, aisles full of rice, noodles, all kinds of sauces - you name it! It's fun to shop here because of the sights and smells. It's like they captured the essence of Chinatown and put it inside one gigantic grocery store! Chinese New Year happens during the Olympics, so it'll even be more festive than usual. It's located down the stairs from the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain station and convenient for those staying near Beatty Street, Gastown, or Chinatown.
12. Urban Fare. The ultimate Vancouver yuppy grocery shopping experience. It's a local gourmet grocery store chain with all three locations downtown. They have a good bakery, a good fresh meat counter, a fresh seafood counter, a good deli, a huge assortment of local and imported gourmet cheeses, exotic fruits, wild mushrooms, fresh pasta, bulk foods, and aisle upon aisle of imported and local artisan products like sauces, oils, spices, coffee, chocolate, candies, drinks, pasta, canned goods, and things you've probably never seen before. It's fun for specialty items but it quickly adds up if you're grocery shopping for regular every day items. Their in-store restaurant cafe is actually really good though, as are their takeout options. Use your "Save on Foods" card to take advantage of sale prices, but it's still worth shopping here even if you don't have one. Again, it's pretty much a must for foodies even if it's just to nonchalantly browse. Their stores are typically larger than other grocery stores downtown. There are not one but two locations at Coal Harbour and one location in Yaletown across the street from the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station.
* I did not include pharmacies like London Drugs or Shoppers Drug Mart even though a lot of them carry all kinds of food items like bread, milk, and frozen entrees. I didn't include convenience stores like 7-11 or Mac's even though they're open 24 hours and offer all kinds of convenience foods. I didn't include the mom & pop corner stores, produce stores, independent bakeries, butcher shops, deli's, etc. or my list would have never ended. I kept things to the downtown peninsula although I did include Granville Island even though it's technically not downtown. I did not include the larger grocery stores immediately outside of downtown like Whole Foods or Save-on-Foods, even though they're relatively easy to get to and the stores get bigger and cheaper once you head out of downtown. Okay, maybe not Whole Foods.
Yes.
I actually made a map of grocery stores in downtown Vancouver.
You'll have to click on it to see it in its proper size, but I whipped up this map in Photoshop after reading numerous posts on travel forums about where to find grocery stores in downtown Vancouver.
Think about it. So many of the people who are visiting and working during the Olympics are staying in downtown condos. When you're staying downtown, you aren't going to bother with a car - you're going to rely entirely upon walking or public transit. And rightly so, people will be interested in the nearest, most convenient grocery stores.
So I figured, what the heck, why not make a map to visualize it?
Go on. Click on it!
The map features 12 different large full-scale grocery stores downtown Vancouver.* For more information on each individual grocery store, including hours, exact street address and a sense of what they offer, click on the name of the store to get to their website.
Otherwise, here's my quick and totally biased overview of these grocery stores:
1. Capers Community Market. It was recently purchased by Whole Foods but is still thought of as a Vancouver-based natural food store. Great for organic/health foods. They have a nice deli and fresh food items to go. I rarely shop here because it's on the other side of downtown, but I wouldn't hesitate to go here if you like quality items. I'd probably shop here more often if it was closer. It's much more convenient if you're in the West End or Coal Harbour, especially if you're based around the western blocks of Robson Street.
2. Choices Market. I shop here all the time because it's a block away from where I live. It's a local company and expensive for what it is, but it's another great option for organic/natural foods and for people who have dietary restrictions (ie: they have a rice bakery for gluten-free diets). It has a limited deli, meat/seafood selection (mostly pre-packaged items) but a fantastic organic and regular produce section. Also a good fair trade coffee selection and teas. It's kind of a yuppy grocery store, but it's convenient for those in Yaletown and it's short walk from the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station.
3. Costco. You'll need a Costco membership and a car to really take advantage of Costco. Of course, they're closing down the roads to traffic around here during the Olympics, so maybe not so convenient. Costco is Costco. It's cheap, it's behemoth, and it's all about large quantities. It makes sense for longterm stays or if you're feeding many mouths. It's only convenient if you're around Yaletown or Gastown and it's nextdoor to the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain station.
4. Granville Island Public Market. Open until 7pm every day, it's a foodie's best friend. Lots of artisan shops here and well worth a visit. It's not a tourist trap so don't avoid it even if it's on every tourist site's must-see list. Great for fresh produce, local seafood, fresh meat, fresh pasta, gourmet cheese, charcuterie, fresh breads & desserts, exotic spices, locally-roasted coffee, locally-made chocolate, fresh donuts, etc. It's the most fun you'll have grocery shopping in Vancouver. Take a water taxi to get here (fast and fun) or take the Canada Line to the Olympic Village station and then hop on the free street car that will b-line you right there!
5. H-Mart. It's easily missed as it's upstairs and you have to take escalator from a Korean frozen yogurt/dessert shop, but it's a full Korean grocery store (an international chain, apparently) with a produce selection, some unique take-out options (Korean sushi anyone?), and Korean items you typically won't find in regular grocery stores. Don't let that scare you - it also has regular North American items and an entire food court offering Korean and Japanese items (very popular at lunch time). It offers a nice alternative to the IGA a block away. It's really only convenient for people along the eastern blocks of Robson Street.
6. IGA Marketplace. These stores tend to be smaller versions of the IGA's found in the suburbs but they still include all the departments: the deli with takeout options, the bakery, produce section, bulk foods, fresh meat, etc. Good prices, nothing out of the ordinary, but IGA Marketplace is a good standby to pick up everything you'd need and therefore it's very convenient. The location on Smithe and Robson is larger (and has 2 floors) than their tiny location wedged in beside the Westin Grand on Robson and Richards.
7. Nesters Market. I prefer Nesters for convenience foods (pre-made sandwiches, quiche, etc.) and for their meat section - it's much more affordable here than most places downtown and the quality is typically good. The produce section isn't fantastic, but a it's good place for picking up drinks, desserts, breakfast foods and the basics. They often have sales, and again, for this BC-based chain of stores, it's usually good value for downtown. One location's in a relatively central location on Seymour and Nelson, which is convenient for those in or near Yaletown looking for something slightly cheaper and less specialized/yuppy than other Yaletown grocery stores. The other location's in the new Woodward's building which is really the only grocery store option in Gastown.
8. No Frills. Never shopped here (although maybe I should!) but it's bargain grocery shopping in the West End, cleverly hidden away in Denman Mall under the Coast Plaza Hotel. It's owned by Loblaw's which means they likely have No Name products (ie: dirt cheap store brand). It's only convenient if you're staying somewhere in the West End near Denman Street.
9. Safeway. A good all around regular grocery store with typically larger spaces compared to most downtown grocery stores. It has all the typical departments you'd expect: deli, bakery, meat, seafood, frozen foods, etc. They even have their own Starbucks counter (not like that's necessary in the land of thousands of Starbucks). They have a brand new store on Denman and Robson which is convenient for those in Coal Harbour, and a slightly older (but renovated) store on Davie in the West End by English Bay. I recommend only shopping here if you have a Safeway Club Card, otherwise you end up paying a lot more.
10. SuperValu. This place makes me nostalgic as it probably hasn't changed since the 1970's (or earlier) and it has an old fashioned feel to it. It's another bargain grocery store in the West End, but is stocked full of my favourite President's Choice brands. Yes, your money goes much further here than most other downtown grocery stores. It's a little bit scattered and a bit weird (or maybe that's the shoppers), but I quite like SuperValu. It is what it is - totally unhip but great value for downtown shopping. You expect "meh" quality, but it surprisingly has a lot of great items here. And if you're a senior, they even do free delivery! Only convenient if you're in the West End near Davie and Bute. Oh yeah, and they're open super late!
11. T&T Supermarket. This is the epitome of Chinese grocery stores, complete with live seafood in tanks, traditional Chinese produce, a full Chinese bakery, a "vivid" meat selection, and your standard authentic Chinese items - aisles of frozen dim sum, aisles full of rice, noodles, all kinds of sauces - you name it! It's fun to shop here because of the sights and smells. It's like they captured the essence of Chinatown and put it inside one gigantic grocery store! Chinese New Year happens during the Olympics, so it'll even be more festive than usual. It's located down the stairs from the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain station and convenient for those staying near Beatty Street, Gastown, or Chinatown.
12. Urban Fare. The ultimate Vancouver yuppy grocery shopping experience. It's a local gourmet grocery store chain with all three locations downtown. They have a good bakery, a good fresh meat counter, a fresh seafood counter, a good deli, a huge assortment of local and imported gourmet cheeses, exotic fruits, wild mushrooms, fresh pasta, bulk foods, and aisle upon aisle of imported and local artisan products like sauces, oils, spices, coffee, chocolate, candies, drinks, pasta, canned goods, and things you've probably never seen before. It's fun for specialty items but it quickly adds up if you're grocery shopping for regular every day items. Their in-store restaurant cafe is actually really good though, as are their takeout options. Use your "Save on Foods" card to take advantage of sale prices, but it's still worth shopping here even if you don't have one. Again, it's pretty much a must for foodies even if it's just to nonchalantly browse. Their stores are typically larger than other grocery stores downtown. There are not one but two locations at Coal Harbour and one location in Yaletown across the street from the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station.
* I did not include pharmacies like London Drugs or Shoppers Drug Mart even though a lot of them carry all kinds of food items like bread, milk, and frozen entrees. I didn't include convenience stores like 7-11 or Mac's even though they're open 24 hours and offer all kinds of convenience foods. I didn't include the mom & pop corner stores, produce stores, independent bakeries, butcher shops, deli's, etc. or my list would have never ended. I kept things to the downtown peninsula although I did include Granville Island even though it's technically not downtown. I did not include the larger grocery stores immediately outside of downtown like Whole Foods or Save-on-Foods, even though they're relatively easy to get to and the stores get bigger and cheaper once you head out of downtown. Okay, maybe not Whole Foods.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Grocery shopping in Yaletown
Living downtown means that I typically live car free when I run my errands. When I go grocery shopping, I walk. In Yaletown there are 3 main grocery stores nearby:
Choices at the corner of Richards and Davie
Urban Fare on Davie east of Pacific
Nester's on the corner of Nelson and Seymour
Sure, there are more grocery stores if you want to walk a bit further: the Korean H-Mart and the IGA Marketplace on opposite sides of Richards and Robson, the IGA Marketplace on Burrard and Smithe, the Chinese T&T at Abbott and Keefer, the Safeway and SuperValu further west down Davie in the West End, and so on. This doesn't include Granville Island Public Market which is a short water taxi ride away, the many family-run produce markets, the Shoppers Drug Marts, or the slew of 7-11's.
But typically if I want to spontaneously run out and pick up some items, I have two choices:
Choices or Urban Fare.
Unfortunately for me, they're also two of the most expensive places you can go grocery shopping in the city - one of the draw-backs of living downtown.
Choices is a BC-based grocery store that features many health products and organic items in addition to every day items. In terms of organic produce, they really are the best, but if you're seeking organic anything, chances are they'll have it. If I just need to pick up milk and some generic items, I'll probably go to Choices as it's only a 2 minute walk down the block.
Urban Fare, which is Save-on-Foods's gourmet grocery branch, is where I go if I want speciality products. It's just over a 5 minute walk away from me. It opened up in Yaletown oh, about 10 years ago now, and I remember somebody joking around saying that it's "20,000 square feet of condiments".
It's true. They have jars of pretty much anything. All the different kinds of oils, olive oils, infused oils, vinegars, mustards, gourmet preserves, different kinds of salts and spice, and what have you. If I'm looking for specialty meat products, like duck legs, or if I need to pick up a loaf of brioche, that's where I go. If I need to pick up a stinky French cheese that's just oozing from its rind, or, heck, juniper berries - they'd have them.
At one time Urban Fare was locally known for flying in a loaf of bread from Paris every day. I wouldn't want to make a habit of doing my daily grocery shopping at Urban Fare, but if I'm seeking that one item that I'd otherwise have to drive to a specialty store to get, Urban Fare is where I'd go.
Last night we had a few of our friends over for some wine and cheese. Josh ended up picking up all the supplies at Urban Fare. Fresh cherries, raspberries, 7 different kinds of cheese (from that stinking melting French monstrosity to an aged Oka), a wild boar and apricot pate, prosciutto, Spanish Serrano ham, several artisan breads, Morroccan sun-dried olives, different kinds of hummus, and erm... yeah. We polished off 6 bottles of wine and still have enough cheese, bread, and meat to feed, oh... 40 people or so.
Guess who's eating cheese for dinner!
Choices at the corner of Richards and Davie
Urban Fare on Davie east of Pacific
Nester's on the corner of Nelson and Seymour
Sure, there are more grocery stores if you want to walk a bit further: the Korean H-Mart and the IGA Marketplace on opposite sides of Richards and Robson, the IGA Marketplace on Burrard and Smithe, the Chinese T&T at Abbott and Keefer, the Safeway and SuperValu further west down Davie in the West End, and so on. This doesn't include Granville Island Public Market which is a short water taxi ride away, the many family-run produce markets, the Shoppers Drug Marts, or the slew of 7-11's.
But typically if I want to spontaneously run out and pick up some items, I have two choices:
Choices or Urban Fare.
Unfortunately for me, they're also two of the most expensive places you can go grocery shopping in the city - one of the draw-backs of living downtown.
Choices is a BC-based grocery store that features many health products and organic items in addition to every day items. In terms of organic produce, they really are the best, but if you're seeking organic anything, chances are they'll have it. If I just need to pick up milk and some generic items, I'll probably go to Choices as it's only a 2 minute walk down the block.
Urban Fare, which is Save-on-Foods's gourmet grocery branch, is where I go if I want speciality products. It's just over a 5 minute walk away from me. It opened up in Yaletown oh, about 10 years ago now, and I remember somebody joking around saying that it's "20,000 square feet of condiments".
It's true. They have jars of pretty much anything. All the different kinds of oils, olive oils, infused oils, vinegars, mustards, gourmet preserves, different kinds of salts and spice, and what have you. If I'm looking for specialty meat products, like duck legs, or if I need to pick up a loaf of brioche, that's where I go. If I need to pick up a stinky French cheese that's just oozing from its rind, or, heck, juniper berries - they'd have them.
At one time Urban Fare was locally known for flying in a loaf of bread from Paris every day. I wouldn't want to make a habit of doing my daily grocery shopping at Urban Fare, but if I'm seeking that one item that I'd otherwise have to drive to a specialty store to get, Urban Fare is where I'd go.
Last night we had a few of our friends over for some wine and cheese. Josh ended up picking up all the supplies at Urban Fare. Fresh cherries, raspberries, 7 different kinds of cheese (from that stinking melting French monstrosity to an aged Oka), a wild boar and apricot pate, prosciutto, Spanish Serrano ham, several artisan breads, Morroccan sun-dried olives, different kinds of hummus, and erm... yeah. We polished off 6 bottles of wine and still have enough cheese, bread, and meat to feed, oh... 40 people or so.
Guess who's eating cheese for dinner!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Late night grocery shopping at Superstore
We're still in a post-Christmas chill-out mood, so we're not really socializing but we're hanging around at home tidying things up and doing a much-needed cleaning. Realizing our cupboards were absolutely bare, we decided to head out to Superstore at the foot of Main Street for a bit of grocery shopping. Being a Sunday at 9:30pm, I looked around online to see if it would still be open late, and sure enough, it would be open until 11pm. Sweet.
Superstore (aka: the Real Canadian Superstore) is a guilty pleasure of mine. I'll gladly go out of my way to shop there. It's not only because it's affordable, or that you're forced to bag your own groceries, but it's because of its international products and its President's Choice brand.
President's Choice is the store's own brand of products, but it's really top quality stuff. At least that's been my experience. I'm always tempted to pick up random items that I wouldn't otherwise need, like salsa verde, simply because I feel, "hey, it's President's Choice - it'll be good!"
And then I'll come across a mountainous display of potato chips, with flavours like like tandoori BBQ.
How can you resist tandoori BBQ chips? You can't! Well, they also had this flavour called "Greek" which I think was a blend of feta, oregano, and perhaps even olive. Well, that went into our shopping cart too. And then I saw their Portuguese peri peri sauce potato chips. Yup. Into the cart they went. And then a few moments later we passed by yet another mountain of potato chips. This time it was General Tao Chicken. This is why I love President's Choice! Needless to say, we bought a lot of potato chips tonight.
But late night shopping at Superstore on Sunday is great if you're looking to have the entire warehouse of a store to yourself. There were more staff members than customers, and at times, I was visualizing scenes out of Dead Rising or Zombieland. No zombies, alas, but our cupboards are no longer bare.
Superstore (aka: the Real Canadian Superstore) is a guilty pleasure of mine. I'll gladly go out of my way to shop there. It's not only because it's affordable, or that you're forced to bag your own groceries, but it's because of its international products and its President's Choice brand.
And then I'll come across a mountainous display of potato chips, with flavours like like tandoori BBQ.
How can you resist tandoori BBQ chips? You can't! Well, they also had this flavour called "Greek" which I think was a blend of feta, oregano, and perhaps even olive. Well, that went into our shopping cart too. And then I saw their Portuguese peri peri sauce potato chips. Yup. Into the cart they went. And then a few moments later we passed by yet another mountain of potato chips. This time it was General Tao Chicken. This is why I love President's Choice! Needless to say, we bought a lot of potato chips tonight.
One of President's Choice most famous products is their "Memories of..." sauces. It's just a clever marketing gimmick for international marinade and dipping sauces, but it's been around as long as I can remember, since the 80's at least. Not that I really needed more bottles of sauce, but sometimes you just have to tell youself, "what the hell... why not?" And this is what happens:
Monday, August 31, 2009
Richmond Night Market - one month left!
Last night, after several pitchers of Granville Island honey lager at the Pirate Pub downtown, a bunch of us decided it would be a great idea to head out to the Richmond Night Market. Being the last weekend of August and a gorgeous evening at that, it seemed appropriate enough. After all, we had spent the last few weeks talking about going and we weren't going to let the end of summer slip us by.
This year the Richmond Night Market is going under the new name of "Summer Night Market". A bit confusing since the old Richmond Night Market's website is still live despite being obsolete, and the old name is still what people are searching for. Nevertheless, Richmond's Summer Night Market, though under new management, offers the same thing at the same place at the same times:
- rows of Asian street food vendors
- stalls of cheap merchandise
- permeating smells of BBQ meat
- bright lights
- large crowds
- over-flowing garbage cans
The Richmond Summer Night Market has been a summer tradition of mine since the late 90's. Back then it was held at Richmond's Lansdowne Mall parking lot, with only a handful of vendors selling things like bubble tea and Asian stationery. It kept on expanding, however, and outgrew its location, eventually finding a semi-permanent home behind a warehouse north of Bridgeport Road's big box sprawl. Mention "it's just north of Ikea" and only then do locals begin to understand where it is.
The Night Market is best described as this surreal, frenzied, mish mash of cheap trinkets and rows upon rows of Asian street food, all in a night carnival kind of atmosphere. While not parallel to the epic night markets in Asia, it's about as close as it gets to Hong Kong night markets here in North America. Set your expectations accordingly.
Shrimp gyoza
Japanese scallop & octopus cakes
Spicy, crispy, deep fried chicken
Sesame red bean cakes
Spicy halal lamb
Deep-fried ice cream
While we arrived with only one hour to go, we managed to stuff ourselves silly. Next time, however, we'll be coming back earlier, and with an empty stomach.
Richmond's Summer Night Market is open Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm until midnight, and Sundays from 7pm until 11pm. It closes for the season on October 4, 2009.
For more information, visit: http://www.summernightmarket.com/
This year the Richmond Night Market is going under the new name of "Summer Night Market". A bit confusing since the old Richmond Night Market's website is still live despite being obsolete, and the old name is still what people are searching for. Nevertheless, Richmond's Summer Night Market, though under new management, offers the same thing at the same place at the same times:
- rows of Asian street food vendors
- stalls of cheap merchandise
- permeating smells of BBQ meat
- bright lights
- large crowds
- over-flowing garbage cans
The Richmond Summer Night Market has been a summer tradition of mine since the late 90's. Back then it was held at Richmond's Lansdowne Mall parking lot, with only a handful of vendors selling things like bubble tea and Asian stationery. It kept on expanding, however, and outgrew its location, eventually finding a semi-permanent home behind a warehouse north of Bridgeport Road's big box sprawl. Mention "it's just north of Ikea" and only then do locals begin to understand where it is.
The Night Market is best described as this surreal, frenzied, mish mash of cheap trinkets and rows upon rows of Asian street food, all in a night carnival kind of atmosphere. While not parallel to the epic night markets in Asia, it's about as close as it gets to Hong Kong night markets here in North America. Set your expectations accordingly.
I typically drive if I'm going to the Richmond Night Market. It's often less than a 20 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. Park for free on the streets by Ikea and walk 15+ minutes, or pay $5 in the Sear's lot to be closest. This year since the opening of the Canada Line, it probably makes as much sense to take the train to Bridgeport station and then transfer onto whatever bus that takes you to the Ikea at Bridgeport & Sweden Way.
Just walking to the Night Market is an event in itself. You end up walking behind the long-closed big box stores and trample through the brambles over railroad tracks before following the crowds through the darkness to a warehouse where you can hear music and lights coming from behind. It's all so mysterious and exciting, and not unlike a rave.
As far as I'm concerned, the only reason you go to the Night Market is for the food. The merchandise vendors come secondary. We're not talking about high end knock-offs, but cheap plastic trinkets, Sanrio-esque stationery, Vietnamese and Canto-pop DVD's, Samurai swords, "magic" bras and panties, and doggie outfits. This is a generalization, I assure you, but you get the idea. It makes for great entertainment moreso than great shopping.
So, for me, it always come down to the food. I wouldn't come here expecting gourmet foodie delicacies, but cheap and tasty Asian street food typically unavailable in this environment elsewhere in Vancouver. There's usually a decent variety, from BBQ meat and seafood on skewers to noodles, to the more traditional Cantonese style dumplings, to exotic desserts. It's all so very festive and half the fun is going around with a group of friends and trying new things together.
Highlights of our night:
Pork siu maiShrimp gyoza
Japanese scallop & octopus cakes
Spicy, crispy, deep fried chicken
Sesame red bean cakes
Spicy halal lamb
Deep-fried ice cream
While we arrived with only one hour to go, we managed to stuff ourselves silly. Next time, however, we'll be coming back earlier, and with an empty stomach.
Richmond's Summer Night Market is open Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm until midnight, and Sundays from 7pm until 11pm. It closes for the season on October 4, 2009.
For more information, visit: http://www.summernightmarket.com/
Monday, January 19, 2009
Granville Island
Last Friday my friend Heather called me up spontaneously and asked if I'd like to join her on a quick grocery run to Granville Island. Why, yes, of course!
Granville Island has always been one of my favourite places ever since I was little. I've always considered it one of Vancouver's must-see attractions and I'll always have it on my list of "things to see if you only have one day in Vancouver". It's an area that's unique to Vancouver - a formerly industrial site where all the warehouses have been converted into commercial buildings. It's also one of the few major attractions in the city that doesn't actually rely on the natural scenery to make it interesting - ha! And yet, Granville Island equally caters to locals as it does to tourists, and that's precisely why I like it.
Granville Island's not technically an island - it's a tiny peninsula underneath the south end of the Granville Street Bridge, across False Creek from downtown. It's really close to downtown - I can actually see it across the water from outside my apartment if I look down the road. I can take a water taxi there in 2 minutes, which is really fun. We didn't do that on Friday though - we drove. It took us 5 minutes to get there.
Granville Island's most famous for the Granville Island Public Market. Under one roof, the market is where local vendors sell all kinds of culinary delights like organic produce, gourmet meats and cheeses, fresh seafood, fresh pasta, artisan breads, imported teas, free trade coffee, fresh flowers, bulk foods, fresh Montreal-style bagels, gourmet chocolates, European pastries, and more. For a food-lover, the market cannot be missed.
Shopping for food at the market makes grocery shopping a special event. That's how I see it. I'd go broke if I did all my shopping at the market mind you, but for special items or special occasions, it really can't be beat. What I particularly enjoy are the delis. We first visited Zara's, an Italian deli, as Heather wanted to buy some fresh pasta:
While Heather was buying ingredients for dinner, I visited Oyama Sausage Co. - my favourite place in the city for fresh gourmet sausages. But they also have their own cured meats, dozens of imported and local gourmet cheeses, and all different kinds of pate: faux gras, terrine, you name it. And at Christmas time, they even make their own cassoulet - this fact alone made our French friend, Julien, take notice! I decided to try something I've never had before, so I bought some venison & blueberry sausages. I also bought some duck terrine (cooked in red wine with pistachio and orange). Their sign below doesn't lie!
Across from Oyama is Duso's, one of my favourite Italian delis in the market. They always have an impressive display of olives, spreads, and antipasto. I browsed over their fresh pasta and opted for some butternut squash mesalunas.
We then went over to Lee's Donuts and picked up some honey dip donuts. I'm actually embarrassed to mention, but that was my first time trying Lee's Donuts - they're somewhat of a Granville Island institution amongst locals! But I will certainly be back! :)
We then wandered over to the Granville Island Tea Company for a cup of tea to have with our donuts. In the past I used to walk right by this shop as it's merely a counterspace. They have tins of loose leaf tea stacked against the walls in a tiny space where there's only enough room for the two employees to stand. They have a counter to which people walk up to and order their tea from, but they also have some chairs set aside by the counter. What amuses me is that every time I've been there, there have always people sitting at the counter drinking tea and socializing with the staff. I always wonder if these people are friends with the shop owners, if they're simply regulars, or whether they're some sort of secret tea society! Either way, I like the community vibe!
But Granville Island is more than just the market. There are many different buildings along this 40 acre peninsula which are home to a variety of little one-of-a-kind boutiques. For example, there's the self-described Artisan Sake Maker. There's a shop that only sells hats and a store that only sells cookbooks. There's a boutique that features beautiful exotic South Asian fabrics and another store that sells beautiful paper products - I'm sure you get the idea.
Granville Island's also home to some popular restaurants, like The Sandbar and Bridges, which are known for their patios. For the beer fanatics, there's Granville Island Brewery and Dockside Brewery.
Aside from culinary attractions, Granville Island's known for its collection of locally-run independent theatres, including the popular Arts Club Theatre. While Vancouver lacks the large-scale theatre scene of London or New York, Granville Island's the heart and soul of the city's local small-scale theatre productions.
Then there's Vancouver's prestigious art college, the Emily Carr University of Art & Design, which makes its campus home on Granville Island. Not surprisingly, there are many art studios and galleries open to the public on Granville Island, including metalworking, pottery, printmaking, and woodworking studios. You can find one of my favourite art supply shops, Opus, there.
There's the Granville Island Hotel, a children's market devoted entirely to toy shops called Kid's Market, working boatyards and boat rental shops, a dock full of residential houseboats, False Creek Community Centre, surf shops, kayak shops, and who can forget The Lobster Man - a seafood store that sells live crustaceans and shellfish in massive tanks?
Needless to say, Granville Island's my favourite place for a day of nonchalant browsing.
Granville Island has always been one of my favourite places ever since I was little. I've always considered it one of Vancouver's must-see attractions and I'll always have it on my list of "things to see if you only have one day in Vancouver". It's an area that's unique to Vancouver - a formerly industrial site where all the warehouses have been converted into commercial buildings. It's also one of the few major attractions in the city that doesn't actually rely on the natural scenery to make it interesting - ha! And yet, Granville Island equally caters to locals as it does to tourists, and that's precisely why I like it.
Granville Island's not technically an island - it's a tiny peninsula underneath the south end of the Granville Street Bridge, across False Creek from downtown. It's really close to downtown - I can actually see it across the water from outside my apartment if I look down the road. I can take a water taxi there in 2 minutes, which is really fun. We didn't do that on Friday though - we drove. It took us 5 minutes to get there.
Granville Island's most famous for the Granville Island Public Market. Under one roof, the market is where local vendors sell all kinds of culinary delights like organic produce, gourmet meats and cheeses, fresh seafood, fresh pasta, artisan breads, imported teas, free trade coffee, fresh flowers, bulk foods, fresh Montreal-style bagels, gourmet chocolates, European pastries, and more. For a food-lover, the market cannot be missed.
Shopping for food at the market makes grocery shopping a special event. That's how I see it. I'd go broke if I did all my shopping at the market mind you, but for special items or special occasions, it really can't be beat. What I particularly enjoy are the delis. We first visited Zara's, an Italian deli, as Heather wanted to buy some fresh pasta:
While Heather was buying ingredients for dinner, I visited Oyama Sausage Co. - my favourite place in the city for fresh gourmet sausages. But they also have their own cured meats, dozens of imported and local gourmet cheeses, and all different kinds of pate: faux gras, terrine, you name it. And at Christmas time, they even make their own cassoulet - this fact alone made our French friend, Julien, take notice! I decided to try something I've never had before, so I bought some venison & blueberry sausages. I also bought some duck terrine (cooked in red wine with pistachio and orange). Their sign below doesn't lie!
Across from Oyama is Duso's, one of my favourite Italian delis in the market. They always have an impressive display of olives, spreads, and antipasto. I browsed over their fresh pasta and opted for some butternut squash mesalunas.
We then went over to Lee's Donuts and picked up some honey dip donuts. I'm actually embarrassed to mention, but that was my first time trying Lee's Donuts - they're somewhat of a Granville Island institution amongst locals! But I will certainly be back! :)
We then wandered over to the Granville Island Tea Company for a cup of tea to have with our donuts. In the past I used to walk right by this shop as it's merely a counterspace. They have tins of loose leaf tea stacked against the walls in a tiny space where there's only enough room for the two employees to stand. They have a counter to which people walk up to and order their tea from, but they also have some chairs set aside by the counter. What amuses me is that every time I've been there, there have always people sitting at the counter drinking tea and socializing with the staff. I always wonder if these people are friends with the shop owners, if they're simply regulars, or whether they're some sort of secret tea society! Either way, I like the community vibe!
But Granville Island is more than just the market. There are many different buildings along this 40 acre peninsula which are home to a variety of little one-of-a-kind boutiques. For example, there's the self-described Artisan Sake Maker. There's a shop that only sells hats and a store that only sells cookbooks. There's a boutique that features beautiful exotic South Asian fabrics and another store that sells beautiful paper products - I'm sure you get the idea.
Granville Island's also home to some popular restaurants, like The Sandbar and Bridges, which are known for their patios. For the beer fanatics, there's Granville Island Brewery and Dockside Brewery.
Aside from culinary attractions, Granville Island's known for its collection of locally-run independent theatres, including the popular Arts Club Theatre. While Vancouver lacks the large-scale theatre scene of London or New York, Granville Island's the heart and soul of the city's local small-scale theatre productions.
Then there's Vancouver's prestigious art college, the Emily Carr University of Art & Design, which makes its campus home on Granville Island. Not surprisingly, there are many art studios and galleries open to the public on Granville Island, including metalworking, pottery, printmaking, and woodworking studios. You can find one of my favourite art supply shops, Opus, there.
There's the Granville Island Hotel, a children's market devoted entirely to toy shops called Kid's Market, working boatyards and boat rental shops, a dock full of residential houseboats, False Creek Community Centre, surf shops, kayak shops, and who can forget The Lobster Man - a seafood store that sells live crustaceans and shellfish in massive tanks?
Needless to say, Granville Island's my favourite place for a day of nonchalant browsing.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Does Vancouver have outlet shopping?
In one of my first posts, I advised against Vancouver if outlet shopping's a high priority. I say this, not because I'm an outlet shopper, but because it's a surprisingly common question. I've read numerous forum postings where international tourists are hoping to take advantage of the outlet shopping when they come to Vancouver, but of course, there isn't any. I feel people should know this ahead of time.
Unlike the USA - a country known for its massive discount factory outlet malls - we don't have anything like that anywhere near Vancouver, and to be honest, it's not really a Canadian phenomenon.* We do have big box stores out in the suburbs (especially in places like along Richmond's Bridgeport Road or along Hwy 10 in Langley's Willowbrook), but they're not factory outlets, they're just regular-priced shops in oversized spaces.
Saying that, while we don't have factory outlet malls, there are some individual outlet stores scattered around, but they tend to be local brands and generally not international designers. There are a few exceptions, like Roots, which has an outlet store on Grandview and Boundary. A Google search for "Vancouver outlet stores" will give you a better picture of what else is out there, but you'll ultimately discover that outlet shopping is just not Vancouver's strength. Not only that, but they're not generally in convenient locations. Unless you were specifically seeking that one particular store, I wouldn't waste your time.
If you did want to go bargain hunting for designer clothing, again, Vancouver fails at that too. The only store that I can think of in Vancouver that comes close is Winners. Winners at first feels like a second hand store, until you realize that the merchandise is designer and new. The fact that it's often a fraction of its original price is also a nice bonus! But you do really have to pick through the clothing, hence my comparison to a thrift shop.
Otherwise, the closest outlet shopping malls are located in the USA along I-5 in Washington state. The best one that's close to Vancouver is arguably Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip. If you don't mind border line-ups and a two hour drive one way, that place can definitely satisfy an outlet shopper.
* Edit (Jan 8, 2009): After recently spending time in Québec, I noticed a sprawling outlet mall just west of Montréal. I should have known better than to generalize about Canada as often what one observes in one's region doesn't necessarily mirror what's happening in other regions. In this case, while outlet shopping isn't a Vancouver phenomenon, it certainly exists elsewhere in Canada.
Unlike the USA - a country known for its massive discount factory outlet malls - we don't have anything like that anywhere near Vancouver, and to be honest, it's not really a Canadian phenomenon.* We do have big box stores out in the suburbs (especially in places like along Richmond's Bridgeport Road or along Hwy 10 in Langley's Willowbrook), but they're not factory outlets, they're just regular-priced shops in oversized spaces.
Saying that, while we don't have factory outlet malls, there are some individual outlet stores scattered around, but they tend to be local brands and generally not international designers. There are a few exceptions, like Roots, which has an outlet store on Grandview and Boundary. A Google search for "Vancouver outlet stores" will give you a better picture of what else is out there, but you'll ultimately discover that outlet shopping is just not Vancouver's strength. Not only that, but they're not generally in convenient locations. Unless you were specifically seeking that one particular store, I wouldn't waste your time.
If you did want to go bargain hunting for designer clothing, again, Vancouver fails at that too. The only store that I can think of in Vancouver that comes close is Winners. Winners at first feels like a second hand store, until you realize that the merchandise is designer and new. The fact that it's often a fraction of its original price is also a nice bonus! But you do really have to pick through the clothing, hence my comparison to a thrift shop.
Otherwise, the closest outlet shopping malls are located in the USA along I-5 in Washington state. The best one that's close to Vancouver is arguably Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip. If you don't mind border line-ups and a two hour drive one way, that place can definitely satisfy an outlet shopper.
* Edit (Jan 8, 2009): After recently spending time in Québec, I noticed a sprawling outlet mall just west of Montréal. I should have known better than to generalize about Canada as often what one observes in one's region doesn't necessarily mirror what's happening in other regions. In this case, while outlet shopping isn't a Vancouver phenomenon, it certainly exists elsewhere in Canada.
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