WESTERN CANADA’S GOURMET TRAIL
From the Pacific Coast to the prairies, British Columbia and Alberta offer an incredible array of tasty places to wine and dine
W estern Canada, once known primarily for its spectacular scenery, has become a vacation destination that boasts some of the most interesting eating and drinking experiences in North America. From the exotic Asia-Pacific fusion food of Vancouver and the fine wine produced in the Okanagan Valley to classic national park restaurants in the Rockies and the heritage of frontier food in Calgary and Edmonton, Canada’s far west offers a veritable buffet of culinary choices.
Perched on the western side of the Puget Sound, Vancouver has always served up great seafood. Yet beyond the daily catch, the B.C. metropolis didn’t offer much to attract globetrotting gourmands. All that began to change with an influx of Asian immigrants in the 1970s and ’80s.
Not only did they open first-rate Asian eateries— Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Burmese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Tibetan, you name it — they inspired a new wave of Canadian cuisine that blends fresh local ingredients with exotic spices and cooking techniques.
AnnaLena restaurant in the hip Kitsilano neighborhood and Brix Restaurant& Wine Bar in reborn Yaletown are typical of the trend, their menus spangled with dishes like tamari-marinated pork belly and ling cod with ginger coconut molé and tandoori crushed potatoes that reflect a true meeting of East and West eating traditions.
A four-hour drive west of Vancouver, the Okanagan Valley offers a dramatic contrast in both scenery and flavors. Located in the rainshadow of the B.C. coastal mountains, the 125-milelong valley boasts a hot, dry and sunny climate reminiscent of California. Given that geography, it’s not surprising the Okanagan has become Canada’s leading wine producer.
The valley has more than 130 wineries in 11 distinct grapegrowing districts, with a variety of soils and microclimates. Although the region was originally renowned for its white wines — in particular Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Blanc — the valley has become increasingly good at making Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, too.
Many of the wineries are still family affairs, small operations with a throwback feel to the way Napa was 30 or 40 years ago. Mission Hill, Painted Rock, Burrowing Owl and Quails’ Gate produce some of the region’s best wines. Kelowna, the valley’s biggest town, overflows with wine bars and restaurants touting local vintages. Between sips, visitors can explore the lakes, hiking trails and bike paths scattered along the length of the Okanagan.
The Rockies lie five hours farther east along the Trans-Canada Highway. And though the glaciers and snowcapped peaks are bound to take your breath away, the quality of food prepared at highland restaurants is the real surprise.
The dining scenes in Banff and Jasper blend traditional French and contemporary Canadian cooking with Mediterranean cafes, Irish pub grub and aprés-ski sushi bars.
Eden is an apt name for a Rimrock Resort restaurant in Banff that mixes new cuisine with spectacular high-country views. Their 10-course Grand Degustation menu might include vichyssoise and seared foie gras, terrine of partridge and halibut cheeks, Alberta beef and lamb.
Tekarra has been a Jasper culinary staple since 1952 when it opened in what must have seemed like the middle of nowhere. Marilyn Monroe once dined here with hubby Joe DiMaggio, as have John Travolta and the entire Edmonton Oilers hockey team. Even after all these years, the menu remains refreshingly inventive and surprisingly international, with dishes like juniper-rubbed sous vide bison, Canadian scallops with chorizo and salsa verde and smoked sockeye salmon with horseradish vodka foam.
Spilling down onto the prairies, Alberta’s big cities offer their own culinary treats. Once upon a time this was Canada’s Wild West, and it remains cowboy country — a land of rodeos, cattle ranches and chefs who know how to cook a piece of meat.
Both Calgary and Edmonton offer great selections of steakhouses, barbecue joints and restaurants that specialize in wild game dishes. Menus in Edmonton run a wide (and carnivorous) gamut from buffalo burgers and bison stroganoff to elk steaks and rack of wild boar. Both urban areas stage big culinary events each summer, like the Taste of Calgary from Aug. 13 to 16 and Edmonton’s Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival in late October.