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July 16, 2004
It's time for a kosher picnic
Vancouver offers different culinary options for greeting the sunny
weather.
KYLE BERGER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
As the dog days of summer come upon us, we get into the few weeks
of the year where Vancouver can honestly count on sunshine. (Statistically
speaking, of course.)
So before those dog days head to their kennel to avoid the rain,
start planning your outdoor activities. Something like the nice
picnic in the park you've been meaning to do for several years now.
The question is, what should you bring on your picnic? Well, you
probably want a couple of camping chairs, a portable radio, maybe
a Frisbee or a football. But let's not forget the most important
part of any picnic: food!
This is when most local Jews can be thankful that they live in the
Lower Mainland, which at least has the options of kosher delis to
choose from.
In order to make your picnic shopping experience a little easier,
the Bulletin decided to pay a visit to kosher establishments
that offer picnic-type foods and do a little comparative shopping.
Starting with the traditional main course – the stacked meat
sandwich – we started at Omnitsky's on Cambie near 41st Avenue.
With full deli service available, Omnitsky's is a great option for
anyone who just wants to keep it simple and order a couple of sandwiches
from the menu.
Offering every kind of sandwich meat you could want (including tongue
and chopped liver), a ready-made sandwich costs between $5.95 and
$7.95. A side of coleslaw, potato salad or a knish would cost an
additional $1.50 each. Add a couple of sodas to the list and a basic
kosher picnic for two would cost in the range of $22, including
tax.
Alternatively, you could make your own sandwich. The meat comes
in a wide range of prices, with cheaper meats like all-beef salami
selling for $19.80/kg and the more expensive ones like smoked turkey
breast for $38.48/kg. It is widely suggested that half a pound (approx.
225 grams) is enough for two or three people. So for a couple of
picnickers it could cost between $4 and $7 for enough meat for two
big sandwiches. Add some slices of bread and the necessary condiments
and it should cost just over half the price of ordering the same
sandwich from the menu.
While Omnitsky's can sell you freshly sliced meat, you can also
get a variety of sandwich meats from the Kosher Food Warehouse (KFW),
located at 612 Kingsway St. in Vancouver. (Parking and entrance
are at the back.) KFW's deli meat comes vacuum packed and is comparable
in price to Omnitsky's.
Of course there's always the "gourmet" way of doing things:
Pick up some frozen meat, cook it at home, slice it up and make
your own sandwich.
At either Omnitsky's or KFW, an entire cut-up chicken, enough to
feed three or four people as a non-sandwich main course, would cost
between $10 and $16 depending on the weight. One chicken will likely
make enough sandwich slices for at least a picnic for four. Much
cheaper, but you'd better start pre-heating the oven!
Sabra Kosher Restaurant on Oak Street near 19th Avenue also has
a freezer full of kosher meat with prices similar to Omnitsky's
and KFW. But Sabra also specializes in a few different made-to-order
sandwich-style options.
Sabra makes fresh falafel sandwiches (wrapped in pita bread, $4.95)
that include four different types of salad in each sandwich. You
can also get a lox and cream cheese sandwich for $5.95, a veggie,
non-dairy "cheese" burger for $6.50 or a smoked turkey
sandwich for $7.50. Sabra's meat sandwiches are served with coleslaw
and potato salad.
Sabra would also be an ideal place to pick up some dessert for the
picnic. Individual-sized cinnamon buns are $0.70 each or you can
get a pecan bar for $2.29. If you're hoping to have some dessert
left over, you can get a whole chocolate roll for $7.50. Then you
can skip the picnic, go home and eat it all yourself!
Whether you order a ready-made sandwich or save money by starting
from scratch with a frozen chicken breast, it's not going to make
you feel any better if you happen to walk into a Marketplace IGA
grocery store and compare their non-kosher deli meat prices.
A half a kilogram of pastrami, Montreal smoked beef or corned beef
would still cost close to $8. However, an equivalent amount of the
more expensive slices of roast turkey would only cost $12.66.
Whenever you do finally end up taking that nice picnic in the park,
be sure to take the advice of KFW owner Steve Hertzman. "If
you want to have a kosher picnic," he suggested, "stay
away from the non-kosher ants."
Top places to picnic
Successful picnics, like successful restaurants, start with good
food, but there is one other key component that determines success:
location, location, location.
Thankfully Greater Vancouver has an endless list of great places
when it comes to indulging in some outdoor munching. The Bulletin
picked a few of our favorite places to spend an afternoon with a
deli sandwich, a bottle of sparkling juice and some good company.
Kits Beach, Vancouver
There's the ocean, plenty of sand and there's even a public outdoor
pool. But possibly the best part about Kits Beach is the large patch
of grass that looks out onto the North Shore mountains, English
Bay and Stanley Park. While the area is certain to be busy on a
warm summer day, there's always room to be found on the grass, where
people watching is always great entertainment.
Spanish Banks, Vancouver
The further you drive away from downtown, the quieter Vancouver's
beaches become. This makes Spanish Banks the optimum location for
a sandy picnic without being overwhelmed by the sites and sounds
of the city.
Iona Beach, Richmond
Hidden next to Vancouver International Airport, Iona Beach is a
quiet, less developed area that overlooks the Georgia Strait. There
you can watch the tides come in and out at almost the same speeds
that the airplanes take off and land.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Though Queen E Park, as it's commonly known, is always bustling
with tourists in the summer, just south of the gardens on the west
side of the conservatory there is a nice grassy area for a quiet
picnic. There you can find a spot under a tree, watch the squirrels
enjoy their own picnics and occasionally find yourself in the middle
of a wedding photo session.
Fraser Park, Vancouver
This smaller park overlooks the Fraser River that divides Vancouver
and Richmond. Equipped with several picnic tables, this makes the
park a great place for, well, a picnic.
Golden Ears Provincial Park, Maple Ridge
It might involve a bit of a drive from the city, but the day use
area at Golden Ears is as breathtaking as anywhere in the city.
Enjoy your lunch, then take a dip in the crystal clear waters of
Allouette Lake. It will make you forget how close you are to home.
Peace Arch Park, Surrey
Located just before the Canada/U.S. border, the grass couldn't be
greener than it is at Peace Arch Park. Take a stroll around the
garden area or just sit, relax and watch the border line up grow
by the second. Then laugh.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
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