I had such a lovely weekend with four of my sisters and my sister-in-law up at Whistler. I hadn’t been up to this ski resort for 15 years, despite it being only a 90-minute drive from Vancouver — what a stunning drive, violet snow-capped mountains plunging to a dramatically blue sea, the summer-blue sky inviting picture postcard associations. Perhaps on another visit we might take advantage of the hiking and cycling trails that wander all over the mountains and attract so many visitors who know that the village plays as heartily in the summer as it does in the winter. . . .We rented a gorgeous 3-bedroom condo with a fully equipped kitchen and all the charms of home. But we didn’t spend much time in it as we were off exploring Whistler village, especially the spa at the Pan Pacific where we indulged in pedicures and massages and some time poolside. . . . We shopped and we gossiped and we laughed ourselves silly. We got up way too early for runs and went to sleep way too late (well, I tried, but the youngsters did much better than I). . . .
And we enjoyed a fabulous meal at the critically acclaimedAraxi. Somehow, we’d booked our table for the wrong night, but luckily we discovered this with enough time that we were able to get a spot on the terrace . . . for 5:15! Way too early, unless you plan to begin with oysters and wine, and to stretch out your afternoon/evening meal through several courses. . . . And still have time for shopping later (the stores accommodatingly stay open until 10 on a summer Saturday).
From the top, my small plates: a Foie Gras parfait with brioche slices — very rich, of course, which meant I was happy to share — and sisters were happy to test it out. . .
and then a gorgeous little platter of crepes, stuffed with smoked salmon and Dungeness crab, rolled and sliced up sushi style. So good. . .
And having stuck to small plates, I felt justified in ordering dessert of roasted cherries with a scoop of house-made Tahitian vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmm. . . .
Have I whetted your appetite? If your foodie self wants more yummy reading, I have a book recommendation for you over here where I’ve posted about Richard C. Morais’ novel The Hundred-Foot Journey, perfect summer reading if you like stories about family and food that settle you down in places you’d love to visit — Mumbai, Paris, London, and the world of restaurant culture. Let me know if you read it, and we can compare notes.
Gosh that does make me hungry!
I must get back to Whistler as it has been at least 10 years since we were up there.
I love the sound of your time with your sisters, it sounds perfect in every way.
Whistler's changed so much since the last time we were there — which must be 10 years also, or even more. . . and yes, the sister time was perfect!
You inspired me with 100-Foot Journey. I bought it on Kobo because I finished Excellent Women last night. I am in a reading mode where I just devour books. I went to a culinary event on Thursday that was hosted by Barbara Jo Macintosh. My sister had tickets. My daughter works in the Food Service industry and I am encouraging her to move into Food Management. Did you go to the VSO concert at Whistler?
Lucky you! That Barbara Jo Macintosh event must have been fun! My daughter used to cook professionally, my son-in-law still does, all three daughters have worked as servers or barristas as well while going to school, my daughter-in-law is a sommelier, so I'm alert to these issues as I'm sure you are. No, sadly we skipped the concert in favour of dinner and shopping — shameful, I know! đ
Lord, that food is awesome looking. The dessert is freaking me out with its fabulousness! Lucky you!
I know! And there was a madeleine I forgot to mention, topped with toasted almonds, a perfect complement to the cherries and ice cream. . . .
Roasted cherries? Munching on fresh ones as I type. May have to look into directions on how to do this. Nom.
'twas very Nom indeed. . . đ
Sounds wonderful.
I admit I thought that first plate was a pretend foie gras, like actually cake. Because that's how we'd do it in SF:)
Well, they did call it parfait . . . and my vegetarian sister across the table probably would have preferred that. . . đ
Time with sisters is precious. I get it only once every few years, as we live far apart.
Your Whistler meal sounds delicious – I love the small plates style – but then I like to taste lots of bits and bites.
It really is precious, and I'm trying to make sure I take the time for it while I can.
I'm the same way re small plates — they had a regular large plate menu as well, but I like to get a variety of tastes.
The plates are gorgeous! From your praise they sounded as delicious as they look. What fun to spend time with your sisters.