Vancouver, Canada – day two

Started out with a walk over to Granville Island. It’s a cute little island near the downtown area that has a superb market where you can get anything from fish to flowers (similar to Pikes Market in Seattle). They also have shops and restaurants and serves as the art district with warehouses and an art school.

We stopped into Granville Island Brewery. Since it was a tap room you were able to get 4 samples or one beer and that was it. We decided to go the sample route. I had the Brockton IPA, Island Lager, Robson Street Hefeweizen, and the Shamrocker Potato Stout. I liked the Hefeweizen the best though that is not my usual go-to beer. The lager was the least impressive.

It was lunch time so we started scouring the island for a nice place to eat. One place that was kinda hidden and off the beaten path turned out to be everything that we wanted. The Sandbar had open air outdoor seating with great views up and down the inlet. They also had heat lamps to help keep customers warm while dining al fresco in April. We started out with Kumamoto and Kusshi oysters. They were both fantastic but I think we preferred the Kusshi just a bit more. We both ordered the seared tuna and it was to die for. Healthy, beautifully presented and the taste was amazing! We had a truly wonderful lunch at The Sandbar!

We checked out more of the island and shops before heading to Dockside Restaurant and Brewery. I had the Cartwright Pale ale and hubby had the Old Bridge Dark Lager. I gotta be honest here…I thought both were pretty disgusting. So off we went.

We took a boat ride from the island up False Creek to the Plaza of Nations. Boats and ferries are widely used for commuting in Vancouver.

From there we walked to Gastown. Gastown is the city’s oldest neighborhood and is the main hub for design, fashion, food, and culture.

After walking the streets in Gastown we took a large ferry that shuttles people across Vancouver Harbour to North Vancouver.

We walked through the Lonsdale Quay Market and low and behold found ourselves at Green Leaf Brewing Company. It was located in the market which was a bit odd but it had a nice set up. Since it was a tap room we were only allowed one regular sized beer. We both enjoyed the Bitter Leaf IPA. Very hoppy.

There was one more brewery that we wanted to check out for the day. It was a long walk through unknown North Vancouver neighborhoods but we had already come so far that we figured why not. Quite often we find that the best breweries are not the ones that are the closest and easiest for people to get to.

Black Kettle Brewing was tucked away in a warehouse and was very unassuming from the outside. The two guys that own the place were awesome. They were very knowledgeable and friendly. We talked to them for quite a while as we imbibed on their brews. We had the Pale Ale, the IPA, and the Red Ale. The IPA was quite the stand out for me with it’s hoppy aroma and malty backbone! All 3 of their beers that we sampled were delicious! They had only been open for 2 months and were surprised that we walked so far to find them. They gave us 2 pint glasses and we exchanged emails so that they could get in touch if they were ever in CO. This was the best brewery that we visited in Canada so if you’re ever in the North Vancouver area look them up!

We were heading back as the sun was finishing setting. The boat ride views were spectacular. It was hard to capture on the iPhone.

Now to find dinner. We hadn’t decided on where to eat so we were walking around near Canada Place and found Miku on the waterfront. It was a perfect meal! We had amazing sushi and the waitstaff was wonderful. The place was packed and we were lucky to get a table. We couldn’t have had a better end to an unbelievable day.

~ by willtriforbeer on June 21, 2014.