There are few greater joys in life than the smell of freshly baked bread. Your nostrils seem to open just a little wider than usual to take in the sweet flour-filled air. Soft, fluffy, delicious carbs are my kryptonite. Oh, and cheesecake, that is also a weakness of mine. And for the record, anything with cinnamon also makes that list. Wash it all down with a little whiskey or a dark beer at the end of a long day of traveling and I will go ahead and accept that I have died and gone to heaven. With my version of paradise basically boiled down to a bakery/ distillery, a visit to Granville Island was impossible to resist.
Vancouver, Canada is known for catering to foodies. Granville Island just outside of downtown Vancouver certainly cements that reputation. A quick ride in the most adorable water taxi brings you to an oasis of baked goods, fresh fish and fancy cheeses. You better come hungry on this excursion. Your stomach will plead for mercy from being stuffed with so many delightful goodies. I need you to ignore it and soldier on.
To accompany all this food, your going to need an equally excellent beverage, preferably one with alcohol in it. Granville Island has a limited selection, but like a classy restaurant with only a few things on the menu, you know each of them will be good.
Let’s embrace your inner fat-kid and look at a couple of must-do things when visiting Granville Island. (P.S. I am not to be held responsible in the event you slip into a food coma).
Granville Island Public Market
Immediately upon entering the Granville Public Market, all of your sense are met with pleasure. Brightly colored fruits and veggies will hold your eye’s attention, as your nose fills with the steam of dark roasted coffee. You can touch and feel the scaly sides of salmon pulled right from the dock just a few feet away. Listen to the chatter of locals ogling over vividly colored macaroons.
If you want something a little less sugary, try a flaky croissant or the herbed focaccia bread from Terra Breads.
For lunch, consider a hefty bowl of homemade cheese stuffed perogies. If you come from a landlocked area and don’t typically have access to fresh fish, you might want to try some sushi.
There is no way you have room for dinner so let’s just skip that and move right along to dessert. Take your pick from dozens of options. Brownies, salted caramel chocolates, and my obvious pick, apple caramel cheesecake. You can’t go wrong with anything sweet in the Granville Island Public Market.
Liberty Distillery
Normally I am a beer guy. I love everything from a stout to an imperial IPA and everything in between. However, when presented the option to try some whiskey that is unbeknownst to my taste buds I have to indulge my curiosity.
With a full tummy, it is now time to get your drink on in a classy fashion. Walk over from the market to Liberty Distillery offering Vancouver’s first hand-crafted, premium spirits made from only 100% British Columbia organic grain.
To get the most out of your visit, choose from one of Liberty’s samplers. You can get a flight of whiskey or gin or a little bit of everything. The Liberty Sampler lets you taste their gin (which tastes like a pine tree but in a good way), vodka, white whiskey (a personal favorite), and their more traditional whiskey.
Visit Granville Island
You should leave Granville Island with a buzz and a full belly. There are plenty of neat little shops around the area if you want to walk off some of that food. The Granville Island Public Market should unquestionably be near the top of your itinerary when visiting Vancouver and a stop by Liberty Distillery is the icing on the cake (I can’t stop thinking of cake, someone please help me).
If for some reason you are still hungry while roaming the streets of Vancouver, your next stop should be the area known as Gastown. Click here to see what to eat, drink and see in Gastown.
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.