After a long weekend spent skiing the sunny slopes of Whistler... I had a full day to explore Vancouver before my flight back to NYC. I ventured over to Granville Island, which was a short "Aqua Bus" ride away from our apartment in Yaletown. Here we strolled the aisles of produce and products at the public market and pondered the arts and crafts of many small local shops along the water.
After working up an appetite, my girlfriend and I took the recommendation of a good friend and pulled up a barstool to the open-kitchen dining at Edible Canada.
This incredibly inviting and lively bistro serves up authentic Canadian classics, infused with modern and ethnic influences. From Oxtail Poutine to Yukon Arctic Char, Edible Canada focuses on local, sustainable, and seasonal ingredients that showcase all that Canada's diverse cultures, farmers, and artisans have to offer.
Edible Canada opened its doors six years ago and operates as a full service bistro, an artisanal retail and online store, as well as a tours/events company.
The store, located near the back of the restaurant, is a foodie haven that offers the highest quality Canadian-made gourmet items that are handpicked by Eric Pateman (the founder) and his retail team. Products range from maple syrup and smoked salmon, to more exclusive products like Amola's bacon or truffle salts as well as custom gift baskets.
They also offer food tours in and around Vancouver including: Granville Island Market Tour, Worlds Best Food Truck Tour, as well as a Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour. In addition to these walking/guided tours, Edible Canada also offers monthly market dinners from cultures and chefs around the world including: Lebanon, China, Japan, and Peru as well as a Canadian dinner series serving local wines and fare.
For my lunch at the bistro, I started off with a glass of Pinot Gris from Naramata (as per the servers recommendation). I scanned the mouthwatering menu and stopped at the Northern Alberta Elk Tartare.
Now I'm not a huge meat person, let alone a raw red meat person... But once my interest was peaked I asked the server what was the most unique and daring choice, and she led me straight back to the Elk Tartare.
So naturally I went for it.
It consisted of hand-chopped raw elk, a truffle aioli, Biota mustard, and grilled bread. The meat was fresh, lean, and delicious. The combination of the truffle aioli, mustard, and quail egg on top created an explosion of flavors and textures with every bite.
After all that meat, I opted for a light salad that consisted of smoked sturgeon & salmon, a soft boiled egg, citrus, mint, sprouted pulses, grilled greens, spiced seeds, with a white miso vinaigrette.
I was so impressed by the food, atmosphere, and concept of this company that I absolutely had to write about it. Whether or not you are a foodie... The Granville Island market and Edible Canada is an amazing way to spend an afternoon discovering all that Vancouver and Canada as a whole have to offer.