Eating your way through Vancouver is a tall order, especially if you have only eight days, but every effort should be made to be successful. This is the 13th year of the annual EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival. This year’s festival runs from Sunday April 26 through Monday May 3rd.
The biggest challenge will be choosing from the thirty-five events that are highlighted, but here are some of my targets. First up is the Bella Gelateria Gelatini Workshop. The guru of gelato, James Coleridge, will give a tasty sampling and deliver a dynamic lecture on the joys of gelato. James has won many international awards and you will learn a lot from James’ new line of gelato cocktails and of course there will be samples! Trust me you will love it.
James has another hands-on workshop, this time focusing on pizza. You will learn about the history of Napoletana pizza and how to make your own. The highlight will be eating the fruits of your labor. There should also be plenty of sharing.
Along with a total of thirteen workshops one can’t miss event the Pastry Tasting and Panel Discussion. The art and science of sweets will be discussed by four locally famous pastry chefs and, of course, the best part will be sampling each of their signature pastries. I’m sure that a number of them will include chocolate!
Ready to burn off some calories? You can bike or walk while you enjoy the views of the mountains and bay at Stanley Park. A 6.2 mile bike ride or a walk around the park, with its views of the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park Rose Garden and the Lions Gate Bridge will definitely wake up your appetite!
Connected to Stanley Park is the Seawall, which lines the Vancouver waterfront. The construction of the Seawall began in 1917, and was completed in 1980 with updates in 2010 and 2011. It is the most popular recreation site in Vancouver and easily accommodates both foot travelers (walkers and joggers) and those who prefer wheels (bicyclists and in-line skaters) with two very clearly marked and separated lanes.
Need a bike? There are many places to rent bikes and some hotels, such as the Fairmont Waterfront, offer free bikes for their guests.
Time to replenish your food supply? The Canadian Flavours Gala on Thursday April 30th features foods from fifteen different restaurants (located throughout Canada) paired with the wines of twenty-four wineries from the Naramata Bench (along Okanagan Lake). Certainly an evening that you will not want to miss.
We are not done yet! There are over 10 other dining events featuring visiting and local chefs who provide food and wine parings at some of Vancouver’s top restaurants. The grand finale of events takes place at BC Place May 1 to May 3. This is a one-stop shopping extravaganza of ingredients, supplies, cook books, and tips from the experts. And don’t miss the World Culinary Travel Expo; where you can plan your next culinary adventure trip whether traveling far or near!
See you there and Bon Appétit!
About our guest contributor:
Michael Fagin is a freelance travel writer who has traveled across Canada and visited all the major Canadian wine regions. Mr. Fagin is currently touring the Pacific Northwest enjoying the wine country, dining, and hiking the region. While he is not writing Mr. Fagin is a weather forecaster for West Coast Weather, LLC forecasting weather for the West Coast of the US as well as on an international basis.
