AS kids, many of us loved spotting planes overhead, imagining the passengers headed off to far-flung destinations, where they would visit museums, tour ancient ruins, or swing in a sun-faded hammock under a palapa.
The fun gets cranked up with a drive to Flight Path Park, located at the end of YVR's South Runway, which offers an up-close view of aircrafts as they fly overhead (insider tip: pack a lunch to eat at the picnic tables).
For my money though - and quite a bit of it is required - the best place for adults to go plane-spotting in this town is Jetside Bar, a comfortable arrangement of cushiony couches and low-slung tables all tucked behind floor-to-ceiling windows over the U.S. and international departure gates in the Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel. It's located before security, so you don't actually have to be jetting off to enjoy a cocktail and snack in the lounge, or a meal at the next-door restaurant, Globe at YVR. Enter at U.S. Departures and instead of crossing to the check-in desks, head up the escalator to the hotel.
We touched down last week for a different kind of date night, one with plenty of comings and goings.
The menu is considerable - surprising for a hotel lounge that could just coast by on its nut mix and a few appetizers.
Typical bar dishes, like salt and pepper calamari, chicken wings and a clubhouse sandwich (made with smoked turkey and caramelized onions), line up with more inventive fare: a charcuterie board with smoked ham rillettes, chorizo and duck salami; a handful of pizza options; and salads like the Globe at YVR Signature Salad, loaded with Ocean Wise seafood including seared albacore tuna and cold water crab, edamame, cucumber, carrots and tomatoes, all tumbled with mango soyginger vinaigrette.
Our organic stone ground nachos were thick with aged cheddar and gouda cheeses, juicy cubes of tomato, fat circles of sliced jalapeno, green onions and olives, though nacho connoisseur Big J wanted the toppings distributed a bit more deeply through the tortilla chips.
Duck tacos were a clever twist on Latin cooking: juicy slivers of duck with crunchy cabbage and Asian flavours served up in soft flour tortillas.
The drinks list is stacked with both Okanagan and global red and white wines, craft beer, select spirits, ports, and cocktails like the Canada Line Cosmo (blueberries, Stoli Blueberry, Grand Marnier, pomegranate juice and fresh-squeezed lime juice). We washed our appies down with a glass of silky Côtes-du-Rhône from M. Chapoutier (me) and a Stella Artois (Big J).
The bill for our jet set, smoothly serviced cocktail hour was $58.24, including HST. Offset that, and ride home safe with a complimentary Canada Line ticket when you spend $25 or more in Jetside Bar.
Also worth checking out on a special occasion: afternoon tea in the restaurant, Globe at YVR, served daily 2-4: 30 p.m. It includes exclusively blended Fairmont teas, petit sandwiches, tasty pastries and freshly baked scones with Devonshire cream.
