Comfort Food
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // The Gently Spiced Spaghetti Vongole at Nightingale
This simple, classic Italian comfort dish sees a tiny but impactful upgrade in its recipe at Chef David Hawksworth's Nightingale.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // The Best Biscuit Sandwich in Vancouver Is Kind of Absurd
It's too much to ask of a biscuit to contain such a load and maintain any structural integrity, so embrace the mess.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Bells and Whistles’ Nostalgic Ballpark Chili Fries
This stuff satisfies nostalgic cravings for old ballparks, carnivals and other places that probably shouldn't be serving food.
Ceramicist Shuobi Wu Shares Recipe For Special ‘Homecoming’ Lotus Root Soup
"No matter how old I get, wherever I go, that one or two times every year that I went home, the first meal was always the Lotus Root soup."
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Arguably the Best Brownie Situation Ever Sold in Vancouver
The delicious and not too sweet things are dense, chewy and creamy at the same time, no doubt the result of some alchemic spell.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Hundy’s Tater Tots Dusted With Housemade Ketchup Powder
These are served hot and naked save for a dusting of ketchup powder that makes them glow ever so unnaturally and attractively.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Flourist’s Addictively Simple Hazelnut Jam Cookies
Bag up a couple of these beauties and nibble 'em as you wander this always interesting block of Commercial Street.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Fried Chicken ‘Kickass Rice’ at Torafuku
Eat the chicken first so as to allow you to cleanly chopstick the daylights out of the egg and cabbage, thus fluffing the rice.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Vij’s Lamb Popsicles in Fenugreek Cream Curry
This is one of the signature tastes of the city, right up there with Triple O sauce and a honey-dipped doughnut from Lee's.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Perfectly Pinched and Fried Pork Gyozas (With Cold Beer)
It's a tricky thing to muster the willpower to walk past Pender St.'s Gyoza Bar without slipping in and crushing several of these...
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // A Dozen Freshly Shucked Beauties at Fanny Bay Oyster Bar
"Everything was different now. Everything." was how Anthony Bourdain described the wake of his first slurp as a child, and I get it.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Pecorino Garlic Knots at Savio Volpe
I try to avoid preceding meals with a bunch of carbs, but I'll make happy exceptions when they're warm and loaded like this.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // This Is Why There Are a Half-Dozen Locations of Meat & Bread
The rolled-up beauty is hit with high heat to blister the skin, resulting in toothsome crackling that will make your knees buckle.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // The Onion Ring-Topped Bacon Cheeseburger at Hawksworth
Beyond the taste of the delicious thing, the appeal is sustained by an appreciation of consistently perfect presentation.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // The Overwhelmingly Decadent Milkshakes of Mt. Pleasant
My favourite sees chocolate ice cream mixed with peanut butter and pretzels, all topped with Nutella whipped cream...
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Cafe Medina’s Pillowy Liège-Style Waffles (With Caramel)
Pro tip: sitting at the bar alone is how to best avoid Cafe Medina's famous queue...plus you don't have to share.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // The ‘How Is This Even a Salad?’ Cobb Salad at Red Wagon
Including any kind of salad on our Comfort Food map might seem a little...er...wrong, but shut up and look at this thing.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // The Electric, Souped-Up Corn on the Cob at Beetbox
The effect of this treatment is bright and mildly spicy with a gentle acid tang, all up in a creamy texture reminiscent of melting butter.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // ‘Roni-Cup’ Pepperoni Slices at AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint
The thin layer of explosive flavour and crispy/chewy texture match all of my late night memories of New York City.
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Hot & Sour Pork Noodle Soup at Chinatown’s Fat Mao
I like other bowls at chef Angus An's Chinatown restaurant (not to mention the roti), but this one has magic restorative powers...
COMFORT FOOD GUIDE // Snappy, All-Dressed Wieners on East Hastings
The Chicago-style 'Wrigley Field' is my go-to at 'What's Up? Hot Dog!', but no matter the condiments the star is always the wiener.
The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: East Coast Lobster Roll at Popina
The restaurant's waterfront location adds some extra authenticity to the experience, even if it is the wrong coast!
The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Bikini Sandwich at Como Taperia
The original is from Barcelona, where street vendors have been selling versions of it for years outside the Bikini Concert Hall.
The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Cubano Sandwich at Havana
Joining our ever-growing list of Vancouver's greatest comfort foods is one of the best sandwiches available in East Van.
The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Prawn and Chicken Paella From the ‘Paella Guys’
The sublimely saffron-y rice feast is one of the world's most impactful food experiences, and this stuff is straight out of a Valencian sunset.
The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Arbor’s Southern Fried Artichoke Sandwich
Seasoned with paprika, cayenne, and onion/garlic powders, the artichoke chunks play tasty tricks on the teeth of fried chicken fans.
The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Pepino’s Signature ‘Spaghetti & Meatballs’
There are two big meatballs per order, and these are made with a combination of beef, pork and three cheeses (pecorino, grana, ricotta).
The Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver: Nashville Hot Chicken Sando at Downlow
The heat typically comes from cayenne, but its Scoville levels can be upped to an insane, face-melting degree.
