Good local food Vancouver/Victoria BC?

[bsbk13]

Will be in BC for 5 nights and am looking for recommendations for reasonably-priced, fresh local food.....love diners, dives, and other funky places as long as the food is really good.

Any help out there?

thanks!

[starlady]

My faves:
Aurora - Mon thru Thurs they offer a prix fixe menu 3 course, 3 wines for 49 bucks All local food and all BC wine list. It's upscale casual ( I go in jeans and a nice top)

Templton Diner DT - Brekky yum
Sunshine Diner on Broadway - they have mix nad match Benny's!!! Half of one half of another!

Salt - in Blood Alley (no lie) wine list is changed at least weekly if not more often, charcuterie and cheese, awesome foiegras pate, fennel salad. Nothing really "cooked" but damn tasty

Guu - there are 3 of them - Japanese "tapa" food cheap and good. 8 of us went out the other night to Guu with Garlic and ordered tons of food and paid 25 bucks each including tip and booze

Slickety Jim's Chat and Chew - Main street (my 'hood) - no reso's so there might be a line and they have V weirdly named dishes (one of my faves is "If Stalin had a Rubber ducky") but tasty.

Hope this helps!

[anewton]

I wasn't impressed with Aurora when I went there...I and all of the people in my party thought the food was undersalted and that some of the ideas (i.e. pork with apple crisp) were misguided.

I like Chambar (is that in Yaletown?) a lot. Modern Belgian cuisine, a lot of fun, good wine list, good beer list, and good cocktails. One of the best bartenders in the city. Also, prices are reasonable, portion sizes fair, and there are many local ingredients used in the dishes.

Vij's (or is it Viji's) for Indian on Granville and, is it 12th? No reservations, so expect a wait. Not a good choice Thursday-Saturday...better to go on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Considered to be one of the best Indian restaurants in North America. Again, a good emphasis on local ingredients.

Haven't been to West yet but haven't heard a single negative comment yet.

I actually live in Victoria. Matisse for well executed, classic French fine dining.

Brasserie L'Ecole for country French using the finest local organic ingredients. Everyone loves Brasserie, but you need reservations well in advance.

Zambri's for rustic Italian again using many organic, locally grown ingredients. No reservations at Zambri's...best to go early (Vancouver magazine picked it as best casual Italian in BC in 2005).

Outside of downtown, Paprika for upscale modern food featuring many ingredients grown in the proprietor's garden. Also, strong Hungarian influence as Chef Thomas Szasz is Hungarian.

For more of a "diner" type of place (although not really a diner), Ferris' Oyster Bar on lower Yates is a fun place. Not in the same league as the places listed above, but a whole lot cheaper!

Mo:le for breakfast. Great bennies there...again, lots of local organic ingredients.

Hope this helps.

[starlady]

It sucks that you had a bad experience at Aurora, I have been going there for years and have never had a bad time. Ahh well.

West is super expensive that's the only bad thing I have to say about it :)

LOVE brasserie l'ecole!!!!! Been going there since the day it opened! (used to live in Vic, now in Van)