Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
presentation is also impeccable. Lunch (11:30am-2pm Mon.-Thurs., $20-22) and dinner
(6pm-9pm Mon.-Thurs., $26-32) are offered. The three-course set menus offered Monday
through Thursday are a bargain, and on Friday it's an extravagant West Coast seafood
lunch and dinner buffet. Desserts and pastries produced by the institute's bakery classes
are also tempting and are offered at the café-style
bakery
(9am-5pm Mon.-Sat.).
If the culinary courses interest you, contact the
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
(604/734-4488 or 800/416-4040,
www.picachef.com
)
. In addition to the 3- to 12-month
intensive courses, casual cooking and wine instruction classes are offered.
The main concentration of restaurants on the south side of False Creek is in Kitsilano,
along West 4th Avenue between Burrard and Vine Streets. This part of the city was the
heart of hippiedom in the 1970s, and while most restaurants from that era are long gone, a
few remain, and other, newer additions to the local dining scene reflect that period of the
city's history.
Cafés
Retro-hip
Sophie's Cosmic Café
(2095 W. 4th Ave., at Arbutus St., 604/732-6810,
8am-2:30pm Mon., 8am-8pm Tues.-Sun., $10-15) typifies the scene, with a definite cos-
mic look, but also provides a good value and fast, efficient service. Standard bacon and
eggsis$8.50,andomeletsarearound$11.Therestoftheday,checktheblackboardabove
the food-service window for dishes such as a nut and herb burger ($10.50). Expect to wait
for a table on Sunday morning.
Joe's Grill
(2061 W. 4th Ave., 604/736-6588, 8am-4pm daily, lunches $7-10), one
blockeastofSophie's,hassurvivedfromthe1960s,servinguptypicalgreasyspoonfareat
good prices. A breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hash browns is $7; the daily soup-and-sand-
wich special is just $7; the milkshakes are to die for; and coffee refills are free. In diner
tradition, seating is at tables or booths.
Paciic Northwest Cuisine
Cantilevered over a cliff within lofty Queen Elizabeth Park,
Seasons in the Park
(access
from Cambie St. at 33rd Ave., 604/874-8008, 11:30am-10pm daily, $14-37) is in a de-
lightful setting where views extend back across Vancouver to downtown and the moun-
tainsbeyond.Itisapopularspotwithtourgroups,butthehighstandardofservice,refined
atmosphere, and quality of food attract many locals. Diners have the choice of eating in
