Tim Pawsey

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Hot Dining: Beer Spots in Vancouver

Ensemble Tap photo by KK Law

Good brews abound but you have to know where to look to quaff them. Top Chef Canada winner Dale MacKay wasted little time in opening Ensemble Tap (pictured), a casual spot and the ultimate sports haunt, with an eclectic global menu including tastes such as a house-made sausage trio with grainy mustard, and decent draught to go along. Alibi Room serves arguably the city’s best selection of BC brews, in a cozy heritage room on Gastown’s eastern edge. CAMRA-awarded The Whip Restaurant Gallery pours some of the best real ale in the west and taps a local cask every Sunday. St. Augustine’s on Commercial Drive sports a live feed of what’s still left to drink of some 40 beers on tap from here and a few from abroad—should you be homesick.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: Burger Meister

Chef Connor Butler shows off a British Columbia burger, at Max's Burgers. Photo by KK Law

The battle of the buns heats up with the arrival of Max’s Burgers, brainchild of maverick chef Connor Butler, who dreams up such temptations as the British Columbia, with applewood smoked bacon, bacon marmalade, cheddar cheese and toppings, or the Anna and the King Crab Po’boy, with king crab filets, tartar sauce and fennel-and-apple slaw. With tallow-fried Kennebec potatoes and local R&B ales on tap, this place looks like a winner.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: East Meats West at Dunn’s Famous

Smoked meat sandwich with fries and coleslaw, at Dunn's Famous. Photo by KK Law

Ever since iconic Dunn’s Famous dropped anchor downtown, next door to the Orpheum Theatre, smoked-meat fans have been ecstatic. The no-nonsense, casual deli uses the same hand-cut steamed brisket here as in hometown Montreal. Faves range from the legendary classic smoked meat on sourdough to the Reuben with sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese and a double stack of smoked meat. Also not to be missed: the diet-defying strawberry cheesecake and hot fudge chocolate sundae.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: The Poutine Scene

Poutine photo copyright LauriPatterson/Istockphoto

Poutine has arrived with a vengeance: West Coasters have fallen hard for Quebec’s favourite comfort food of French fries, cheese curds and gravy. Whether your tastes are traditionally inclined (Fritz or Dunn’s Famous) or you prefer poutine pimped out with truffle oil (La Brasserie) or lobster (Coast), chances are you’ll find some you like—especially if you’re staring down no less than 26 options at La Belle Patate. No frills here, but you can order everything from haché to Mexicana—although the Montreal smoked meat gets our vote.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: Heritage Flavours at The Flying Pig

Yaletown's The Flying Pig restaurant. Photo by KK Law

Once the town’s transportation hub and warehouse district, Yaletown has been transformed into a hotbed of great eats, often in funky surroundings. Go early to get a seat at newly landed The Flying Pig (pictured); try the skirt steak and don’t miss the homemade waffle cone. Nibble on sweet and succulent ebi mayo (tempura wild prawns) at Hapa Izakaya. Check in for the cheese and meat board at the Opus Hotel’s edgy pop-up Cento Notti. Or pop by down-east-style Rodney’s Oyster House for a dozen freshly shucked BC bivalves and a healthy serving of no-nonsense hospitality.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: 4 Tasty Taphouses

Dockside tempts with pan-fried chilli squid (front) and sauteed tiger prawns (back). Photo by KK Law

The burgeoning beer scene here yields no shortage of hop-friendly dining.
1 Dockside (pictured) Discover Granville Island’s “other” brewery and dine in vista-kissed surroundings.
2 Howe Sound Brewing Take a 45-minute trip to Squamish to sample Howe Sound Lager with seafood chowder or ale-braised pork sliders.
3 Steamworks Enjoy freshly brewed quaffs, such as Lions Gate Lager, in a brass-trimmed, wood-panelled Gastown pub overlooking the harbour.
4 Yaletown Brewing Grab a glass of Downtown Brown along with a steaming bowl of sliced beef tenderloin tip stroganoff in this red-bricked Yaletown haunt.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: Elegant Dining at Hart House Restaurant

Hart House photo by KK Law

In a welcome contrast to the bustle of downtown, elegant and romantic Hart House is set in manicured gardens on the tranquil shores of Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park. This Tudor-style home welcomes lovers and others to cozy up inside. Regional specialties range from grilled BC salmon to Yarrow Meadows duck breast with roasted beets, before dessert of chocolate terrine or espresso crème brûlée, all offered with well-chosen wines from an extensive cellar.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: Steak’s New Meating Place at Black + Blue

The bar and meat-aging cellar at Black + Blue. Photo by KK Law

Downtown’s newest steak emporium, Black + Blue (pictured) is a positive stunner with no shortage of buzz, wrapping prime beef and killer cocktails in a dazzling three-tiered setting highlighted by a glass-walled elevator. Uber-cuts from the Himalayan-salt-walled dry-aging room range from PEI Blue Ribbon and Canadian Reserve Angus to USDA RR Ranch and Wagyu, grilled precisely to taste and offered with a variety of sauces. Good sustainable seafood options cater to the less carnivorously inclined. Think high-energy protein palace…then multiply by 100. For a less contemporary though still very flavourful take on steak, wander down to clubby Hy’s Encore, established in 1962. For simple but flawless steak frîtes, and wines to go along, rendez-vous chez Bistro Pastis.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: Beyond Sashimi

The food at ShuRaku is as lovely as art. Photo by KK Law

Even though the city boasts countless sushi bars, the raw fish specialty is only part of the Japanese scene. Chef Masahiro Omori takes small plates to new heights at Granville Street’s ShuRaku Sake Bar & Bistro (pictured). Tucked away downstairs at Alberni and Thurlow, long-running Aki is a robata specialist. And nearby hibachi-style Kobe Japanese Steak House puts on a knife-whirling teppanyaki show. Warning: don’t try this at home.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: Great Steaks in Vancouver

The Shore Club photo by KK Law

Downtown Deluxe

With the feel of a luxurious ocean liner, The Shore Club (pictured) blends a striking mahogany-wrapped decor with the best cuts of AAA Alberta prime beef and West Coast seafood served simply and elegantly. Chill over a perfectly poured vesper martini or sidecar at the downstairs lounge before ascending the gracious, sweeping stairs to enjoy a porterhouse steak, filet mignon, plentiful bouillabaisse or macadamia-crusted halibut in an elegant setting in front of the bustling open kitchen. Other worthy haunts range from Gotham to Hy’s Encore to Black + Blue.—Tim Pawsey

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