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Where the restaurateur goes for nostalgic Spanish tapas, the best Wagyu tartare and chicken skewers that have her saying “holy bananas!”
Powerhouse restaurateur Inez Cook (traditional name: Snitsmana) is originally from Bella Coola’s Nuxalk Nation, but she grew up in Vancouver and went on to spend 33 years in the airline industry, tasting her way around global cities (Paris, naturally, was a favourite). In 2022, Cook left airlines to dedicate herself full-time to running the wildly delicious Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro—Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant—as well as opening Salmon n’ Bannock on the Fly at YVR and penning two children’s books about her experience as a child of the Sixties Scoop. When she’s not busy hosting customers at “SnB,” this is where Cook’s dining around town.
1014 Main St. “My family and I have been going there for 40 years,” says Cook of the Vancouver institution, which opened its first location (La Bodega) on Howe in 1971 before it shuttered in 2014, reopening on Main a few years later. “I was there closing night,” reminisces Cook, who loves the fact that the tapas she orders at the new location are the same dishes as the original. “I don’t even look at the menu.”
1889 W 1st Ave. This Kits neighbourhood joint is beloved for their pescatarian delights, but Cook divulges the true star of the menu: “The fries! They are next-level. I was told to order them once and I behaved. They’re so delicious.”
566 Commercial Dr. This little taste of Italy on the Drive draws legions of faithful devotees to its dimly lit, shoebox-sized restaurant. “I just love that Wagyu Tartare with crostini. Chef Luke [Boswell] is killing it.”
1260 Commercial Dr. “Their squash pasta—it’s absolutely delicious. The flavours just burst in your mouth, it’s such a feeling of comfort. Antoine [Dumont] and his team… I just love them.”
4194 Fraser St. Cook has been to this seafood-forward spot a handful of times and, “it’s so funny because one of the best dishes I had there was salad! I was like, ‘how did they make this salad so delicious?’” Naturally, the rest of the menu is fabulous, too, she attests.
26 Powell St. “Holy bananas! This place is a must-go,” says Cook. “I usually get the chicken souvlaki plate with greek salad. Their fries are delicious too. It’s all very garlicky, so bring some mints for after. It’s easy on the budget and good in the summer when they have more tables outside.”
1079 Mainland Cook gets the same shareable order of plates every single time at this Cali-inspired Yaletown spot. “The carbonara, the spicy vodka pasta, the gem butter lettuce salad, and the bang bang shrimp—yum.”
1168 Hamilton St. For a comfort-food craving on a Sunday, and the “lovely” staff, this is Cook’s go-to. “The caesar salad is so good with crispy pork belly, and they often have a Sunday dinner type thing going where you can order your protein and a couple of sides and build it up.”
23433 Mavis Ave., Fort Langley “This is my friend [Sarah Meconse Mierau’s] cafe in historical Fort Langley. I was her mentor. It’s nice to see more traditional Indigenous representation in the city. She makes incredible bannock and plant medicine jams to go on it—the last one I had was, like a fireweed Saskatoon berry on fluffy fried bannock. Our bannock [at SnB] is baked, and hers is fried, but they’re both delicious.”
1401 Granville St. “I like a single cheeseburger there. I don’t support McDonald’s and some of the big names—I haven’t for a while now for various reasons—but Monzo is kind of like a homemade McDonald’s-style but it’s bougie, with real ingredients. It just hits. And their onion rings are perfectly greasy.”
1689 Johnston St. “I’m kind of a coffee snob and this place on Granville Island is one of my favourites in the city. A lot of cafes are bitter or chalky or acidic, but this is so smooth and has a nice punch to it.” Her order? “Americano with some brown sugar in it—just like in Paris.” (For Salmon ‘n Bannock on the Fly, she orders Indigenous-owned Spirit Bear Coffee beans. “They are as good as Petit Ami… That’s where I set the bar.”)
562 Victoria Dr. “I’ll get the arancini to tide me over if I’m running around and doing errands,” says Cook of this east-side Italian grocer. “I often pick up a bunch of sandwiches for my team. And the cans of cold sparkling espresso are delicious. I also went crazy at Christmas and bought like 15 panettone to gift to friends. The lemon ones are so good.”
675 Cambie St. “I like supporting local as much as possible, but of course some of the chains are there for a reason. I got reintroduced to Browns for Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, when we were going to, like, four shows a week. They did this potato crusted cod with fries and salad—next-level delicious. Plus they had a special on really nice bottles of wine for 50 percent off. They even had chablis!”
Bacaro (“Top Chef Canada-winning chef Chanthy [Yen] is so good”), Kissa Tanto (“that egg pasta… you know the one”), Guu Thurlow (“kimchi fried rice!”) and Fratelli Bakery (“I like going old-school and getting their chocolate cake—moist, yummy, delicious.”) and Fresh Street Market (“the jumbo cookies, which they serve warm”).
