Part 1 | Eating & Drinking in Vancouver, B.C.

A sales event took me up North to beautiful British Columbia, so naturally, I recruited Dylan to come along to explore the lovely city of Vancouver. We drove up two days early, rented a loft via aArbnb and ate our way through downtown. 

We went for a casual dinner the first night at Tap & Barrel in the Olympic Village. It was neat to walk around the village where the 2010 Olympic athletes lived for several weeks. Tap & Barrel is right on the waterfront featuring a great outdoor patio with lots of seating. 

Our seasonal beer sampler was refreshing with a raspberry IPA and a blueberry wit, both from local BC breweries. Dylan was a good sport and drank the fruity beers with me. :)

In addition to the 24 beers on tap, they also have 14 wines on tap. We found out that wine on tap in Vancouver is very popular. Check out my next post on the Vancouver Urban Winery and you will know what I mean. 

 

Fo dinner, I went out of my comfort zone a little and tried something unique on the menu - PB&J Burger! I did get the sweet potato fries though...a standard for me. The burger was complete with chipotle peanut butter, bacon jam and topped with a fried pickle! Dylan ordered the fish and chips after he saw it delivered to the table next to us. He gave it a thumbs up but said the cod didn't quite have as much flavor as halibut.

Check out one of their two locations for some pub fare and local craft beers! 

Tap & Barrel

open 7 days a week | 11am - midnight 

Olympic Village 

1 Athletes Way

Convention Centre

1055 Canada Place 

Chowing down in Bend

We joined the crowds and headed to Central Oregon for some Memorial Day Weekend fun in Bend. The great thing about my parents having an RV is the ability to take impromptu trips and this was definitely one of them. It was just four of us this time - my mom, dad, brother and me. 

Bend has grown into really fun town with lots of outdoor activities, restaurants and our family's favorite...breweries. We had every intent to participate in the full Ale Trail but opted to only visit about half them, including 10 Barrel Brewing, Worthy Brewing, Crux Fermentation Project and Good Life Brewing. 

After a weekend of drinking, we decided to soak up the beer by trying a popular brunch spot before the ride home. Chow prides themselves on their simple approach to food by sourcing products locally and practicing sustainability whenever they can. This eclectic converted-house has ample outdoor seating and a small outdoor garden. 

We waited outside with the Sunday brunch crowd but stopped by Backporch Coffee Roasters for lattes and americanos. When it was time to order, we started with a Pumpkin & Ginger Pancake to share and followed with our own entrées. I went with the obvious choice - Eggs Benedict. It was their daily special with pork, blue cheese hollandaise sauce served over brioche. Also, the Chicken Fried Steak exceeded expectation and I was pleasantly surprised at their version with caramelized onions and mushrooms. 

If you find yourself in Bend this summer, stop in at 10 Barrel for a pint of their seasonal sour beer and walk over to Chow for lunch. 

Chow 

1100 NW Newport Ave

Bend Oregon 97701

541.728.0256

open 7 days a week | 7am - close 

Heading North to Breakside Brewery

If you have been reading my blog, most of you know that I love breweries and almost any type of delicious new brew. I first came across Breakside Brewery when they appeared in last year's Holiday Ale Fest. So, naturally, when they appeared on a daily deal Web site - I bought the deal. My brother, a few friends and I made the trek out to NE Portland to find this new brewery.

The ambiance was right up my alley with large barrel based tables, dim lighting, candles on every table and chalkboards listing the daily beer selections. With a copper bar top and metal accents, I really loved every detail. It was casual but still classy.

I do have to say, I wish I would have gone hungry and not just thirsty. The food looked incredible! I was sold when one of the servers walked by with blue cheese waffle fries. If the food tastes as good as it looked, I recommend trying it out. Check out the menu here.

As for the beer, we decided to try a variety of the selections available. My favorite was probably the "Wit," which is no surprise because it is a lighter beer with flavors of orange peel and coriander. It is also a Belgium-style beer and usually you can't go wrong with a good Belgium. My brother and his friends liked the Aztec Ale, but decided it was best in small doses because it is flavored with serrano and habanero chiles. Not to mention, it is 9.4% ABV. There are a variety of seasonal and experimental beers so before you head over, check out there updated beer list.

The newest project for head brewer, Ben Edmunds, is his collaboration with local chefs to make a beer that is "restaurant specific." Each brew will be featured in the brewery as well as each's chef's restaurant. I think this is such an innovative idea and a new spin on pairing food and beverages. You can read more on this collaboration here.

A little fun fact: The bartender told us, "breakside" is a term used in Ultimate Frisbee and the owners/founders are big Ultimate players. I love Portland.

Drink up and enjoy!

820 Northeast Dekum Street

Portland, OR 97211

(503) 719-6475

@breaksidebrews