Weekend Getaway: Westcoast Food Tour
I was recently invited on a whirlwind food tour of the Fraser Valley, Surrey and White Rock, all of which are part of the Lower Mainland, sitting just north of the U.S. border and south of Vancouver. A hop, skip and jump from Seattle, particularly if you nab a train and make yourself some cocktails in a jar for the voyage (who me?), the American dollar is strong compared to the Canadian dollar making for a budget friendly adventure. The best! I grabbed a friend, hopped on the train and spent two days on a
, eating a massive amount of food and learning. Here, a few highlights:
.The green goddess dressing (and entire menu) from Water Shed Arts Cafe in Langley. It was some of the best food I've had in a long time. Simple, healthy, delicious. Thank you to Tourism Langley for showing off your part of the world!
.A helicopter ride from
in Pitt Meadows, who are currently running an AMAZING deal you should definitely, immediately take advantage of.
.
who makes delicious, crisp, affordable and
refined
white, rose and red wines. I fell in love with their wines and I lugged home so many bottles that I now can't bring myself to drink because they're SO good, I'm waiting for a special occasion. (You can also take a
, btw!)
.Local Harvest Market in Chilliwack - a young farm run by a small, passionate family, they use earth-friendly growing techniques wherein they layer thick mulch (from local mushroom growers, and wood chippers) and minimize weeding, turn out amazing produce. Walking through the fields with the owner inspired me to get back into my gardens at home. This area is also home to several dairies and food producers, including Smits & Cow. Simply driving down a road will inevitably lead you to a tasting room or small store of food. Check out Tourism Chilliwack to learn more about this area and for maps to all the fab food finds.
.Tulip season is over, but I highly recommend a visit to Abbotsford Tulip Festival. Planted and managed by a young woman whose father owns the land, she did an AMAZING job laying out the fields and finding rare varieties. It was a fabulous visit! Stunning afternoon, even in the rain.
.
cafe in White Rock is perfect for a brunch for dudes, hungry people, anyone with a hangover, or anyone wanting to feel in with the in crowd. This modern, hip cafe is clearly a neighborhood favorite, offers hearty portions and makes delicious morning-appropriate cocktails.
.
in Surrey - if you love honey, you must stop here. I collect honey on any adventure, as the flavors tend to be something you can't find at home. Here, they offer jars of local honey (I chose the Blueberry Honey and sent a jar home to my family in NY, and the Dandelion honey for it's strong medicinal taste) and some rare, international finds. EXCELLENT SELECTION.
**This is not a sponsored post! My trip was hosted, but my blog, ideas and recommendations are 100% amyp**