Gastown Brunch Crawl

I am a night owl and there are not many things that would tempt me to roll out of bed early on a rainy Saturday morning and head into Gastown, but that is exactly what a friend and I did in order to take in the Gastown Brunch Crawl.

After checking in at Prado Café on Hastings to pick up our map and tasting passport, we decided to start at the furthest point and work our way back, even though the whole tour was within very easy walking distance.

We began at Rodney’s Oyster House at 52 Powell Street (http://rohvan.com/) where we ordered Crab Cake Eggs Benedict and a Smoked Salmon Croque Madame.

Both came with maple glazed breakfast potatoes. Both were very impressive and I can’t say which one I preferred. It was a little early in the morning for a Caesar or Mimosa, so we ordered tea. Rodney’s is a popular eatery for seafood lovers.

I plan to head back for dinner some night and tuck into some of their famous oysters, clam chowder and steamed mussels and perhaps a cool glass of Red Rooster’s Pinot Blanc to accompany them.

After this delightful start to our adventure, we walked across the street to The Birds & The Beets, 55 Powell Street (http://www.birdsandbeets.ca/).

A refreshing salad was just the thing to balance out the meal we had just had.

It was obvious that this eatery is a local favourite as there were many regulars there when we arrived. They serve a range of healthy sandwiches and salads, all made from locally sourced ingredients. The Birds & The Beets is open weekdays from 7 to 6 and weekends

9-5.

Since there was a long line up at Bao Down, just down the street, and because we needed a little exercise before indulging again, we headed to The Capilano at 221 Abbott Street ( http://www.thecapilano.com/ ). This teahouse is Indigenous-owned and plant-inspired. Their teas pair local foods like Juniper Berries and Nettles with global favourites including rooibos and green teas.  The Capilano is owned and operated by a mother-daughter family from the Squamish Nation.

After a refreshing cup of tea and some sweet treats, we headed back to Bao Down, an Asian Fusion eatery at 12 Powell Street (http://www.baodown.ca ). There was still a line up, but we were served quickly and enjoyed a Morning Glory Bao – sausage, bacon, chive omelet, cheese, mayo, hash browns, scallions and banana ketchup.

After a little mix up with an address, 47 West Hastings and not East Hastings, we found Smallflower Cafe & Bakeshop (http://www.thesmallflower.com/ ) where we sampled some tomato basil soup and a tasty tofu BBQ slider. Smallflower is a gluten free cafe and bakeshop. They offer fresh gluten free baked goods daily, ranging from bread and buns to sweets such as cupcakes, cinnamon buns, pies and cake. Their grocery section is 100% vegan and gluten free and stocks both basics like pasta and vegan cheese as well as snacks, chocolates and candy. I quite enjoyed the mini waffle cone on the way out.

Our final stop of the day was ZeroZero Pizzeria at 415 Abbott Street, (http://www.pizzeria00.ca/). This is the home for authentic Roman style pizza.

These are healthy gourmet pizzas that feature ingredients such as buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto and eggplant marmellata. After savoring a hearty tasty slice, we were very glad it was just a short walk back to the car and headed home for an afternoon nap.

One of the best things on this Gastown Brunch Crawl, was some delightful people I met from Whidbey Island who were visiting Vancouver and always enjoy opportunities to try new things, especially food related adventures. They mentioned that they like coming to Vancouver because they can find many food items that are not available at home.

Richard Wolak, and his Vancouver Foodster company offer up many creative ways for people to get out and discover great new eateries. Noodle Challenge, Grilled Cheese Challenge, Fried Chicken Challenge, neighbourhood Brunch Crawls – Gastown, Main Street and North Vancouver, among many others. For more, check out www.VancouverFoodster.com.