VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 105

al game, with Asian flavors and ingredients, usually in a healthy, low-fat way. Vancouver
has no tourist-oriented, San Francisco-style Fisherman's Wharf, but however and wherever
it's prepared, seafood will always dominate local menus. Pacific salmon, halibut, snapper,
shrimp, oysters, clams, crab, and squid are all harvested locally.
DOWNTOWN
Downtown Vancouver has so many good dining options that it is a shame to eat in a food
court, but as in cities around the Western world, they are a good place for a fast, reliable,
and inexpensive meal. The southwest corner of the Pacific Centre (at Howe and Georgia
Streets, diagonally opposite the art gallery) holds a glass-domed food court with many in-
expensive food bars and seating indoors and out.
Cafes
I always struggle to find decent coffee in the heart of downtown, but Gastown does have a
few good options. Some of the best coffee is ground and brewed at Bambo Cafe (301 W.
Cordova St., 604/681-4323, 7am-7pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm Sat., 10am-6pm Sun., lunches
$8-10), which uses only organic, free-trade beans, but is equally desirable for its freshly
squeezed juices and inexpensive sandwiches, salads, and filled focaccia.
Although everyone has different coffee tastes, Revolver (325 Cambie St., 604/
558-4444, 7:30am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm Sat.) is generally regarded as one of the best
places in the city for coffee lovers. Although beans are not roasted in-house, the very best
roasts are sourced from throughout North America and rotated weekly. In addition to coffee
made to order, you can sample a flight of coffees brewed in different ways.
At Meat & Bread (370 Cambie St., 604/566-9003, 11am-5pm Mon.-Fri., sandwiches
$8-10), the art of sandwich making is taken to a new level, without going over the top. Each
sandwich is custom-made on a freshly baked ciabatta bun and filled with one of four daily
choices, then served on a wooden cutting board.
French
In Gastown, L'Abattoir (217 Carrall St., 604/568-1701, 5:30pm-110pm, $26-31) is within
a historic building beside Blood Alley and has exposed wood beams and brick walls. The
specialty is Canadian game and produce prepared and presently simply yet stylishly. Ad-
ding to the charm are generous portions.
For Vancouver's finest French cuisine, go to the small, intimate Le Crocodile (909 Bur-
rard St., 604/669-4298, 11:30am-2:30pm Mon.-Fri., 5:30pm-10:30pm Mon.-Sat., $29-46),
which has won innumerable awards over its two decades as one of Vancouver's premier