Remember that scene in "Pulp Fiction" where John Travolta is shocked by the $5 shake at Jack Rabbit Slims? Better add River Maiden Artisan Coffee to his list of places to miss: The cafe serves up a $15 cup of Panama Esmeralda.
The ultra-rare beans that River Maiden uses are also available by the half pound for $100. One customer interviewed by CNN swears by the stuff:
It is very complex. It's wonderful. This one has some tropical fruit things coming through, notes of pineapple and a little bit of mango.
But not everyone's a fan. Another customer says she'd need a good reason to spend 15 bucks on a coffee:
Maybe if it was in Turkey or some place, but not off the streets here.
The city of Vancouver isn't just a great place to see celebrities or fly to Hong Kong any more. While the next Winter Olympics are two years away, Vancouver and nearby Whistler are already experiencing a construction boom, according to the New York Times, including an all-new light-rail line and several luxury hotels that will be ready to accommodate travelers in 2009.
Traveling to Olympic host cities before their big games is a great way to get a deal on a new, or newly renovated, hotel. The celebrities are just a bonus.
[Photo of Olympic mascots Miga, Quatchi and Sumi: stevenbuy_toy2005]
Cold, rainy fall days make for the best museum visits. So over the next few weeks we're mapping the latest shows worth seeing--and a nearby spot to nurse your art hangover.
The The Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival in Vancouver is a week-long celebration of the joy of reading (with a bit of French Canadian joie de lire thrown in, too). The festival is celebrating 20 years of presenting authors to their loyal followers. This year, more than 12,000 people are expected to attend. The event takes place on Granville Island, the high rise-filled plot of land located along False Creek across from downtown Vancouver's peninsula. In addition to the festival, organizers put together regular reading events. In November, they will bring in former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to the Granville Island Stage to talk about his (painfully titled) new memoir, A Passion for Politics.
After learning all about Chrétien's passions, you can cool down by grabbing a drink and maybe a bite along the waterfront at Bridges Seafood Restaurant. Until the Canadian cold makes it too unbearable, diners pack onto the deck at tables covered by bright yellow umbrellas. The most popular item on the outdoor bistro menu is the chilled seafood platter, a shareable plate that includes prawns (that's British for shrimp), crab, smoked salmon, tuna tartare, ceviche, oysters, pepper crusted tuna and mussels.
Traveling like a celebrity can be hard work, especially when you have to stop to say Jagshemash to all your fans along the way. The comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who instigated a nationwide rise in lawsuits last year as the Kazakh reporter Borat, was recently spotted relaxing with a chair massage at Vancouver International Airport. He no longer sports the bushy mustache of his alter ego, but fans spotted him anyway, according to the New York Daily News.
Of course, if Baron Cohen was handling his own luggage--as he is in the above photo, accompanied by actress-fiancee Isla Fisher--maybe he deserved that massage.
In this version, Sue Storm and Reed Richards are on the way to the altar when they're interrupted as the Silver Surfer and Galactus show up and you know, try to destroy the earth. Just like many weddings we've been to...Anyways, it's up to the Fantastic Four to deal with the damage.
As this one was shot in, yup, Canada. The above video, was shot from a Vancouver Marriott hotel room during the filming. Very cool. However, we have given you plenty of movie inspired Vancouver travel options in the past, so instead, we offer you some cool surfer related things to do around the world:
Where To Sleep: Hotel Surf: The Place, Mal Pais, Costa Rica Bring your board and check into Hotel Surf, located right on miles of beautiful uncrowded beaches with powerful, consistent beach, reef and point breaks. Rates are completely reasonable, topping out at $248 during the high season, and include breakfast. Rest assured evil doers aren't even going to be able to find you hidden out here.
Where To Learn: International Surfing Museum, Huntington Beach, CA Head to this surfer's history mecca, where you can see everything from the visual history of the ukulele to a collection of unique surf toys, to a visual history of the sport. Don't miss the Walk of Fame where both local and international surfers are honored for their sweet rides.
Where To Shop: Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu, HI Get outfitted at one of Hawaii's premiere surf shops, with everything from rashguards for the whole family to tons of boards to boards hooks to wax remover. You can test out your new stuff right around the corner, and be ready to deal with their "flexible hours".
Sending out an SOS! British trio The Police hit the road Monday night for their first world tour in 23 years, which kicked off in Vancouver, B.C. The concert began with a gong and ended with several encores, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, who seemed surprised that people under 50 have discovered the Police since their last road show. (Call it the magic of iTunes -- or one's parents playing "Every Breath You Take: The Classics" on cassette.)
Check out the full list of Police tour stops this summer, including Bonnaroo, at VH1.com. If your city's shows are sold out, consider a road trip: Time Out New York did a little math and found it's cheaper to see Gordon and the boys in Hershey, PA than in NYC -- even with hotel and car rental.
FYI, we are moving to Vancouver. As if the awesome weather and gorgeous environs weren't enough, Vancouver has now officially snagged long-haul budget carrier Oasis Hong Kong Airlines. According to Oasis, via the AP, non-stop flights from YVR to Hong Kong will commence in June. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, and the lowest fares ($255 one-way) will probably go like Tickle Me Elmos, so you best get those virtual kneepads ready for the battle.
OHK's competitors on the route are Air Canada and Cathay Pacific, the latter having a good reputation that often seems unshakable. Oasis was supposed to add Oakland, California, as its second destination, but plans to bless us Americans have since been complicated. And to that, we say: Blame Canada!
Vancouver is the place the be this 4/20, and no place within the city beats the Vancouver Art Gallery when it comes to smokey mass gatherings. The Gallery is best attended by mellow potheads who don't mix and match their drugs, as the crowd doesn't really lend itself to the paranoid. 'Tis a Vancouver tradition, and you don't have to worry about the cops. Get there before 4:20 p.m., duh.
High Times magazine also hosts a 4/20 party at Mansion in Miami tonight. It's a release party for an issue that features a "Top 10 Ganja Getaways" article. Apparently DMX is performing, though he doesn't have a very good track record for showing up for anything. More event listings are available at the magazine's website.
