517572 Fri May 09 13:05:56 -0700 2008 12 4 Pacific Northwest 0 3672613 We are two chowhounders and adventurers who are venturing on our first kidless vacation! We will be going at the end of May first of June and plan on spending about 5 nights in Seattle, 1 in Victoria, and 2 in Vancouver, but are up to other suggestions on different places to stay or islands to go. We will literally go anywhere for good food and ambience and love scenic drives and ferry rides. We are open to dives and definitely want AT LEAST 2 fine dining recommendations. Money is no option. We are literally going all out : ) We need breakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy hour options, as well as late night spots to go. I am counting on you all to plan this exciting week. Help me!!! No suggestions will be refused : ) Fri May 09 13:05:57 -0700 2008 109440 mtleahy 1 3672665 I also wanted to add that we would like a superb sushi experience while we are there. Something really innovative. We are from New Orleans so our sushi is pretty much run of the mill. Thanks : ) Fri May 09 13:20:49 -0700 2008 3672613 109440 mtleahy 1 3672723 Not a restaurant, but make sure you hit up Roger's Chocolates in Victoria. Their Empress Squares are a little bite of heaven. Fri May 09 13:36:21 -0700 2008 3672613 75732 mariannas 1 3672787 Chowhound will kick us out of this board for providng Canadian advice, but I'll try anyway: Vij's and/or Rangoli's in Vancouver. They're right next to each other and owned by the same person, Vij.. Vij's is nouveau Indian cuisine and, so far as I know, unique. Always a waiting line. Get there early. Rangoli's is a little cafe-open longer hours, more traditional menu. Very tasty and reasonably priced. CinCin is a lovely Italian restaurant with great service/great food/good wine list Tojo's is the premier Japanese sushi restaurant. Either sit at the sushi bar or order omakase. We go to Vancouver every year and eat at these places every time. Fri May 09 13:52:22 -0700 2008 3672613 19003 PAO 2 3674426 I too expect part of this thread to be detached and moved to the Western Canada forum. It should have happened by now....the moderators must be on an extended lunch break ;). I'll just post some of my standard reccs: High-end Sushi - Octopus's Garden, Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar High-end - West, Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar Regional - Aurora, Boneta Other faves - Chambar While we have good sushi here, I suggest going to an izakaya or two - Guu, Hapa, Kingyo, etc. Most of our izakaya are clustered at a high concentration at Robson and Denman St downtown....which makes it possible to do a "hashigo sake" or ladder crawl....going from one izakaya to another. In North America, this is something you can do only in Vancouver and NYC's EV. Along with over 20 Japanese izakaya, there are about a dozen Korean izakaya...it's really quite a great food scene. Have a look at my map from this thread http://www.chowhound.com/topics/478051 . Chowhound editor Lessley Andersen used it as a basis for her recent Chow article on Vancouver's izakaya scene (she, photographer Chris Rochelle, and I did a crawl in November): http://www.chow.com/stories/10980 . And of course you should not miss Vancouver's Chinese cuisine. For Cantonese dim sum downtown - Kirin, Sun Sui Wah. But the real action is in Richmond where you have more regional Chinese options. I'll post some standard reccs - Shiang Garden, Top Shanghai, Golden Szechuan (make sure to tell them to do it "proper" - or else you will get North American Sichuan food), Fisherman's Terrace, Sea Harbour. See you on the Western Canada Boards. Sat May 10 08:32:49 -0700 2008 3672787 145820 fmed 3 3674473 These all sound wonderful, I think I will try your Izakaya crawl, that sounds really fun, but I still need some Seattle recs too, as we will be spending more time there, then anywhere else. Sat May 10 08:50:01 -0700 2008 3674426 109440 mtleahy 4 3674479 I'll defer to the Seattlites on this board...but I did like Sitka & Spruce and Dahlia Lounge. Sat May 10 08:56:29 -0700 2008 3674473 145820 fmed 1 3674563 Will you be driving north from Seattle? I just want to make sure that you detour off of I-5 for Chuckanut Drive. You can hop back on I-5 in Bellingham. Chuckanut Drive is just gorgeous and in my book a perfect place for two parents on a getaway to watch the sunset and snag a kiss on your way to Vancouver. http://www.experiencewa.com/byways/Byway.aspx?bwid=2 www.chuckanutdrive.com I highly recommend the dives of Vancouver's Chinatown. Roast ducks in the window? No or few caucasians eating? Excellent! It's not a great park of town, so make the typical car precautions, but it's so worth a visit. I haven't been for a while, but one tea shop served me a jasmine tea that I cannot forget (or afford). Sat May 10 09:53:12 -0700 2008 3672613 64882 Vetter 1 3674745 We are going to ask that mtleahy start another thread on the Western Canada board for his Vancouver/Victoria recommendations, rather than discussing them here. Or someone else who has a Vancouver/Victoria recommendation could start that thread on his/her behalf. Please don't continue with off topic recommendations here. Sat May 10 11:35:01 -0700 2008 3672613 2 The Chowhound Team 2 3674907 Wow, I feel like I got in trouble from the principal : ) I did not realize it was a no-no to ask about Canada. Sorry : ( Continue to give me Seattle recs!!! Sat May 10 13:19:31 -0700 2008 3674745 109440 mtleahy 3 3675013 I've started a thread on your behalf mtleahy: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/517829 Go there for more Vancouver/Victoria reccs. Sat May 10 14:16:31 -0700 2008 3674907 145820 fmed 3 3675388 Steelhead Diner and Matts in the Market are local favorites. Also Maximillian's (behind Market Spice Tea). The restaurant has been around forever. Wonderful mussels, crusty bread. A lot of the traditional French fare without the very fattening heavy cream. A brat and potato stew is the winter is so satisfying for lunch. I really recommend this place. Sat May 10 16:57:54 -0700 2008 3674907 67600 firecracker 4 3676732 Instead of Maximillian's, you might want to go to Place Pigalle. I enjoyed my last meal there better than Maximillian's. That said, if I were dining in the market, I would go to Matt's for sure. Sun May 11 10:55:40 -0700 2008 3675388 10120 Lauren