Some people might view Granville Island as one of the main tourist attractions in Vancouver. Take a stroll around the peninsula (it’s not really an island) on just about any day and you’ll be surrounded by out-of-towners snapping photos from the cameras around their necks. At the same time, Granville Island is also a treasured destination for locals too. We like to shop here. We like to eat here.
I’ve been going to the Keg location here for almost as long as I can remember and we took the opportunity to try out Bistro 101 at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts last year as part of the Dine Out Vancouver promotion. Earlier this week, we went out for lunch at another Granville Island eatery. Despite its name, Edible Canada at the Market isn’t actually attached to the famed Public Market; it’s across the street.
In addition to a small food store, Edible Canada also has a decently-sized bistro that’s open for brunch, lunch and dinner. Let’s have a look at what we had to eat.
Beer Flight ($8): Red Truck Lager, 33 Acres of Sunshine, Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale, Fat Tug IPA
While I’m not normally the kind of person to drink beer with lunch, I just couldn’t help myself here. It’s great when you can sample several of the local craft beers in one convenient flight. With the noted exception of Fat Tug IPA, which comes by way of Vancouver Island, the other brews provided are all local to the Vancouver area. I particularly enjoyed the 33 Acres of Sunshine, but I am partial to wheat ales.
Duck Poutine ($16): Duck confit, cheese curds, duck gravy, sunny eggs
Easily one of the best known dishes at Edible Canada, the duck poutine arrived in a cast iron skillet. The fries themselves were perfect and I really enjoyed letting those egg yolks run all over them. That said, I wished there was more gravy and more cheese. The cheese curds could have certainly been more curd-like too; they were too melty. Otherwise, this is some pretty great comfort food.
Mussels ($18): Duck fat frites, Red Truck lager, chorizo, peppers
Yes, more fries. For some reason or another, the duck fat frites served with the mussels were saltier than the ones that came with the poutine. As far as the local BC mussels are concerned, they were really fat and plump, chubbier than any mussels I’ve had before. I still prefer the moules frites at Chambar, which are richer and more complex.
Tagliatelle ($16): Pork shoulder ragu, basil, Kootenay alpindon cheese
Another bowl of comfort food, here is another demonstration of what can be accomplished with relatively inexpensive ingredients. The pork was surprisingly juicy and the ragu provided just enough sauce to perfectly coat the noodles.
Service was spot-on, the food was decent, and the location makes for some good people (and vehicle) watching. Having the opportunity wander around Granville Island before or after your meal is an added bonus. The adjacent Public Market is where we bought most of the ingredients for lunch the next day. You should check out Oyama Sausage in there. The bison and blueberry sausage is stellar.
The total bill for three (plus a baby) came to just over $75, including taxes and gratuity. This is hardly cheap for a lunch, but given the location and the tourist-centric positioning, it’s not exactly outrageous either. If you’re looking for another option on Granville Island aside from Sandbar, Bridges or the Keg, Edible Canada is worth a look.
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