Things that Make me Smile II

Hello world!

Let's continue with Part II of my Van-city re-cap . . . shall we?

On Thursday morning I woke up bright and early to take care of business (lol). It was a perfect day outside so I basically had to force myself to attend my meeting. The temptation to go outside and play was huge!! Instead I resisted and nibbled on some of the eats I had picked up at the local Capers Market (apparently owned by Whole Foods):


Yeah the pretzel bun is random but I had not eaten one since my trip to Munich in the fall of 2003. It was just as I remembered - yummy!

This trip also marked my first experience with the Bear Naked granola. Overall review of Bear Naked? Not very sweet which is a bonus in my books. Unfortunately, it seemed to be covered in a strange white film. Maybe that was the soy protein. I didn't love it.

And overall review of the KIND bars? Awesome! Not too sweet but chock full of nuts and protein. I loved them. They were however kind of pricey ($2.50/bar on sale) so I probably would not buy them again.

I spent most of my day in work-related activities. Once my obligations were taken care of I ran upstairs to my room, changed into running clothing, and headed out the door.

On three of the four days I was there, I ran . . .


A 6K loop from my hotel to the park and back . . .


I was not alone in my running. Lots of others were running too . . .


And really, can you blame us? These are the routes that make running a sheer joy!

I will miss those runs and I look forward to running the same paths next time I return to Vancouver (for a few days in late April).

While in Vancouver I also indulged in some serious eats!!! Here are the highlights - my tiramisu dessert at Joe Fortes:


The goodies I picked up at Capers before I headed back to the Rockies (special shout out to the my black truffle oil - be still my heart!):


My Cola Champagne at "El Rinconcito" Salvadoran restaurant on Commercial (2062). What can I say? It's all about the little ethnic moments. This was the pop of my youth:


But the ABSOLUTE highlight of my Vancouver eats was Japadog! What is Japadog? Think average North American hotdog meet Japanese ingenuity. The result is a crazy delicious meal that tastes like something from a really amazing Japanese Restaurant. Judging by the crowds, the wait, the media coverage (including in Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations"), and the newly opened second location Japadog is a runaway hit!


The menu is full of creations one would never expect to find at a hot dog stand. Okonomiyaki on a hot dog? Miso? Are you serious!?! I have to admit I was unsure just how yummy this hot dog would be. But all of these people either waiting or ordering (this picture was taken after the rush) couldn't be wrong:


As I got closer I was confronted with a myriad of choices. What was a girl to eat?

Intriguing. But the Okonomidog was not the winner. I found my hotdog on this list:


The Kurobuta Terrimayo had my name written all over it! Japanese pork, terriyaki sauce (which tasted nothing like any terriyaki sauce I had ever had before), seaweed, and fried onions. In the end it looked something like this:


And the taste? LOL Oh man was it good!!! You know in the Simpsons when Homer really likes something and tilts back his head, mouth open, tongue to the side, and makes a sound to indicate the utter deliciousness of what he's about to eat (see picture here) ? Well that was me! I had a little internal battle going on about whether or not I should go back for another one. I didn't but I wanted to. Bad.

Overall review of Japadog? Absolutely recommend it!!! It tastes like a meal, is utterly delicious, and of really high quality. I should mention I never eat hot dogs either. I don't like them. They generally make me sick. Not so with Japadog!

Clearly, I had an awesome time in Vancouver. I can't wait to go back to share some laughs with my girls and enjoy Stanley Park runs. And if you're looking for me you might just find me in line at Japadog.


Hasta luego bloggies!