Just back from a few days of meetings in Vancouver. Even when the days are spent in a boardroom, I always love my time there.

WED

I had an atrocious sleep and had to get up at 4am. I somehow dragged my ass to Pearson and got on my flight, watched Project Hail Mary, and landed in Vancouver before 9am. I threw my bag behind the Opus Hotel check-in desk (my room wouldn’t be ready for hours) and went out in search of coffee.

I found it at what would become a daily stop for the rest of my time there: Nine Bar coffee. (Not to be confused with Nine Bars, a long-closed frequent haunt of mine when I used to work at Yonge & St. Clair in Toronto.) I hung out on the patio and caught up on some work.

Eventually I needed some lunch, or rather, late breakfast. I wandered around a bit, eventually being lured in by the “wine bar” sign outside of Provence Marinaside. I had a chorizo scramble w/ piquillo peppers, marinated tomatoes, fresh herbs, gruyère cheese, and dutifully finished eating before ordering any wine. Their by-the-glass list was no joke though: I had a 2015 Chateau Montus Petit Courbu from Gascony, and a 2021 Comte Abbatucci il Faustine Rouge from Corsica. Neither were spectacular, but both were interesting, and that’s what I’m chasing the most these days.

By the time I finished up there my room was ready, so I walked back and promptly had a 2.5 hour nap. That never happens to me, but I was on a crazy sleep deficit. Lil nap, lil shower, right as rain.

I had an early solo dinner at Elisa, a Michelin-recognized steakhouse a block from the hotel. Fantastic meal, and a type of steak I don’t ever remember trying before.

• Appetizer
  • cured hamachi w/ preserved lemon, coriander and soba, celery leaves, micro cilantro, thyme, olive oil
  • glass of 2023 Domaine de Chantemerle Petit Chablis
• Main
  • 12oz holstein ribeye, USDA prime
  • fried brussels sprouts w/ brown butter, parmesan
  • glass of 2023 Brancaia No.2 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Dessert
  • glass of 2010 Chateau Monteils Sauternes

It was then I was glad that my hotel was nearby. I did take a little loop down by False Creek to get some fresh air and walk off a tiny bit of what I’d just eaten, but then wandered back to the hotel and crashed.

THU

Back to Nine Bar for coffee. Breakfast pastries from Faubourg. Work in the morning, meetings in the afternoon. Group dinner at Acquafarina, which I thought was pretty good.

• Appetizer
  • caesar salad: baby gem lettuce, parmigiano reggiano, house-made dressing
  • glass of Gavi di Gavi
• Main
  • cacio e pepe: rigatoni, pecorino romano, cracked pepper & dehydrated honeycomb
  • glass of Etna Bianco
• Dessert
  • twix aranciata: spiced caramel cream, milk chocolate ganache infused with orange zest, crunchy wafer, walnuts & almonds

Then a walk home, mercifully.

FRI

Nine Bar, again. Then all-day meetings. Dinner was at a place called Glowbal:

• Family-style Appetizers
  • house baked brioche bread w/ whipped brown butter, tomato jam
  • burrata w/ piperade, pistachio & potato crumbs, grilled focaccia, aged balsamic
  • fried brussels sprouts w/ pickled granny smith apple, lemon-tahini, grana padano cheese
  • crispy humboldt calamari w/ calamansi black pepper jam, scallion
    • Glass(es) of The Hatch Pinot Blanc from the Okanagan
• Main
  • 8oz Canadian Black Angus tenderloin
  • broccolini
  • glass(es) of Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc
• Dessert
  • glass of Auslese Riesling

I was glad to once again have a walk back to the hotel, because…holy moly. Someone get me a fruit plate.

SAT

Up at 5am for my flight home, but I didn’t mind. I thought of it like pre-adjusting to Eastern time. I watched Pressure on the flight.

This visit was way too short, but any time I can spend in Vancouver always feels a little magical. It feels like home, even though I never lived there.