Calhouns Bakery and Cafe (web site, map, 3035 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-731-7062) is a large barn-like restaurant in the Kitsilano neighborhood that is open 24 hours and serves a variety of pre-prepared entrees such as the Perogies (around $7.00, pictured below), desserts, coffee, and alcoholic beverages.

At Calhoun’s, pick out an entree from the deli-style refrigerated display case, and then pay first before eating. If they’re not too busy they’ll bring the food out to your table once they heat it up, or else they’ll put it on the counter beside the espresso machine.

Calhouns also offers a catering service (more details) to the Vancouver area. My office uses them sometimes for catering lunch meetings.

Calhouns has a bakery on site, and their sourdough bread is incredibly fresh. They make some of the best sandwiches in town, and I usually order the Shrimp Sandwich with Avocado ($7.50, also pictured below).  Every month I look forward to eating the shrimp sandwich after an evening of performing music with the Sybaritic String Band. Calhoun’s has live jazz music on Tuesday and Sunday evenings, and Latin dancing on Thursday nights.

Located near the University of British Columbia, Calhoun’s is a popular hangout and studying place for UBC students. They have Wifi internet access available.

For another photo of the shrimp sandwich, please view Part 1.

Perogies with bacon, sour cream and salsa ($7.00) from Calhoun's Bakery and Cafe in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Shrimp Sandwich ($8.00) from Calhoun's Bakery and Cafe in Vancouver BC Canada.

Looking for Live jazz in Vancouver? Check out the Geoff Peters Trio (click here for website with free music MP3 downloads).

The Naam (web site, 2724 W. 4th Ave. Vancouver BC Canada, phone: 604-738-7151) is a full service vegetarian restaurant that is open 24 hours and is popular for inventive organic and natural foods dishes. The Naam has won the “Best Vegetarian Restaurant” award for the last ten years in the Georgia Straight Magazine’s Golden Plate Awards (Reader’s Choice).

The Naam serves breakfast from 6am until 11:30 am on weekdays (and until 1:00pm on Saturday and 2:00pm on Sunday). I enjoyed the “Naam Special Breakfast” (pictured below, $9.50) which is two eggs any style, two whole wheat pancakes, veggie sausages or “Sam’s strips” (a kind of veggie patty) and home made potato fries. Yum!

For lunch and dinner, the restaurant serves tasty creations such as enchiladas, burritos, burger platters, curry, rice bowls, and wok dishes.

The Naam also features live music (mostly folk, jazz, and blues) from 7pm to 10pm every evening. Check out their web site for the upcoming schedule.

Video from the Naam:

“Naam Special Breakfast” ($9.50) – two free range eggs any style (pictured above, scrambled), two whole wheat pancakes and syrup, veggie sausages, and home made potato fries (which were very delicious, and totally not greasy!)

The Orpheum Theatre (web site, address: 884 Granville St., Vancouver, BC – main entrance at Smithe and Seymour) is a concert hall in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown Granville Street entertainment district (pictured below). It is the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Photo by Geoff Peters

Tom Lee Music (web site,  929 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-8471) is a great place in Vancouver to buy or rent musical instruments, sound and recording equipment or even take piano lessons or guitar lessons.

Tom Lee Music in Vancouver downtown

Cactus Club (web site) is a chain of really fun, trendy, and dynamic restaurants with outstanding food. Pictured below are the Soft Fish Tacos (around $11) which were delicious! The restaurant is also known for their steaks, rice bowls, appetizers and specialty drinks.

Cactus Club’s West Vancouver location (in Park Royal Village, at 855 Main Street, West Vancouver, BC, Canada, map, phone: 604-922-1707) is only about a 20 minute drive from downtown Vancouver (depending on the traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge).

If you’re looking for a great way to spend New Years Eve 2007, the West Vancouver location is putting on a special evening of live jazz by the Geoff Peters Trio. Be sure to give them a call for more info.

More photos: View Part 1, Part 2.

Sekoya (myspace) is a Vancouver based band which is pushing the boundaries of the jazz genre into the new realms of electronic soul. Their performance at the 2007 Vancouver International Jazz Festival was a high energy blend of electronic and acoustic beats with soulful vocals by Amalia Townsend and very jazzy horn lines by Alvin Cornista (saxophone/flute) and Kent Wallace (trumpet). You can listen to some of their recordings by visiting their myspace page.