I woke up to a bright and sunny day that beckoned me to get out and about. So off I went to the nearby Granville Island.

Not surprisingly, it was already packed with locals and tourists alike. My main destination was the Granville Island Public Market.

I saw what I assumed was the line to get into the market but turned out to be just for what was apparently the best donut shop in all of Vancouver.

The line actually moved pretty quickly and soon I was faced with a wondrous variety of donuts from which to choose. I opted for a glazed pumpkin donut (apparently one that people stand in that line for) along with a German chocolate and coconut donut.

I wandered around the massive main hall, which featured just about every type of food imaginable and was ultimately drawn to a small stand that featured both whole rotisserie chickens and carved sandwiches. I chose the chicken au jus with caramelized onions, lettuce and Dijon mustard on a pressed ciabatta roll.

This was a mighty fine sandwich, with the juicy slices of chicken blending perfectly with the lettuce and the tangy sauce. I ate it on a bench outside listening to a guitarist strum softly away mixed with the occasional outbursts of screaming kids running around.

I finished up my sandwich and decided to explore the rest of the island for a bit. For such a relatively small area, it boasted an impressive variety of stores, theaters and even a couple of breweries.

I had originally intended to go dinner at a spot on the island called Bridges, which I had gone to as a kid many, many moons ago. It had closed during the pandemic but had recently reopened as part of a local chain. I needed a beer break so instead of dinner, might as well go there now.

It turned out to be a wise decision as the restaurant had been complete gutted of its fine dining past in favor of what didn’t look like very good pub food. Fortunately, the local beer I had was quite refreshing, and I had a table with a great view.

The best and more economical way to leave the island was via one of the ferry services, in this case False Creek Ferries, which shuttled people up and down the coast. After waiting about 20 mins in line, I was soon puttering away towards my nearby destination- David Yam Park.

The park ran along the waterfront, which was filled with what I assume were very pricey condos. The weather continued to be perfect so I continued down the waterfront along the park, which was filled with people similarly appreciating the sun mixed with pleasant breezes.

My entire body indicated it was done with my strolling so I turned around and made the relatively short trip back to my place. After some rest, it was dinner time and fortunately my choice for tonight was very close by.

A local favorite celebrating its 20th anniversary, Nuba is a Lebanese restaurant in the trendy Yaletown neighborhood, only a few blocks from my place. The menu was heavy on garlic but fortunately one of their signature dishes – Najib’s special – didn’t.

It was a large bowl of perfectly fried and seasoned cauliflower with tahini and pickled red onions. Delicious.

I decided to stick to vegetarian and next ordered the grilled halloumi cheese with a grapefruit and arugula salad. This was another winner with the dense salty cheese nicely balanced with the tart grapefruit and the peppery greens.

I wasn’t originally going to get a dessert but a white chocolate crème brûlée was too good to pass up. With a perfectly crisp top and dense, luscious white chocolate with some hints peppermint, it was a very unique but delicious brûlée. Too bad I didn’t have anyone to share it with as the portion size was massive. I made the prudent choice not to eat the whole thing.

I had just enough energy left for a quick nightcap and the nearby speakeasy The Stock Room sounded like a cool spot. Hidden behind a burger joint vía as the name implies, a stock room, it definitely had a speakeasy vibe and I was soon seated at the end of the bar.

There were lots of intriguing options but my eye was drawn to one called Lost Luggage, which turned out to be one of my bartender’s favorite.

The drink was a fascinating mix of Havana Club 3 year, Campari, Aperol, Lime, Orgeat and toasted cinnamon. The lime counteracted the bitter notes and the rum with the toasted cinnamon sweet notes were in turn balanced with the bitterness. I enjoyed the deep house beats and the overall vibe of the room but I suddenly hit the wall, hard. It was time to go and catch some Zzzs to save up strength for my final full day.