Vancouver Good

When I am traveling to a city, I look for something similar to what the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards are: a filtered and reviewed list of restaurants so I have some guarantee that the place won’t be a horrible, expensive tourist trap with frozen food imported from 3000 miles away.

Such a list also provides great search terms to find more foodie resources. Can you tell food is an important part of every vacation I have?

Now, here is the high level list from the 2009 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant awards, courtesy of Urban Diner.

While I don’t agree with all of these, it’s a great launching off point if you need some immediate direction! Definitely a resource worth returning to (as is Urban Diner).  There’s no place on this list I wouldn’t go to.

Restaurant of the Year
Cioppino’s

Chef of the Year
Robert Belcham

Best New Restaurant
La Quercia

Lifetime Achievement
Hidekazu Tojo

Green Award
Robert Clark

Best Service
West

Best Bar/Lounge
Bacchus Piano Lounge

Best Metro Vancouver Destination
The Pear Tree

Best Regional
Bishop’s

Best Small Plates
Cru

Best Formal Italian
Cioppino’s

Best Casual Italian
La Quercia

Best Other European
Chambar

Best Formal French
Le Crocodile

Best Casual French
Pied a Terre

Best Seafood
Blue Water Cafe

Best Formal Japanese
Tojo’s

Best Casual Japanese
Kingyo

Best Formal Chinese
Kirin

Best Casual Chinese
Chen’s Shanghai

Best Dim Sum
Kirin

Best Indian
Vij’s

Best Korean
Hanwoori

Best Thai
Salathai

Best Vietnamese
Phnom Penh

Best Other Asian
Spice Islands

Best of the Americas
Cobre

Best Steakhouse/Chops
Gotham’s

Best BBQ
Memphis Blues

Best Casual Chain
Cactus Club

Best North Shore
La Regalade

Best Whistler
Bearfoot Bistro

Best Victoria
Brasserie L’Ecole

Best Vancouver Island
Sooke Harbour House

Best Resort Dining
The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn

Best Okanagan
Waterfront Wine Bar

Best Winery/Vineyard Dining
Terrace at Mission Hill

Best Last Course
Thomas Haas

Sommelier of the Year
Andrea Vescovi

Bartender of the Year
Josh Pape

Premier Crew
Bonnie Fong
Frenchy Gagne
Massimo Piscopo
Lidia Ranallo
Pierre Rosso

Design of the Year
Ping’s Cafe

Producer/Supplier of the Year
Organic Ocean

Ingredient of the Year
Berkshire pig