Despite the fact that 2020 produced one of the most trying time spans for independent artists in recent memory, Vancouver-based singer Madison Olds managed to overcome the odds and is quickly transcending into a bonafide pop music sensation.
In addition to a series of highly successful singles that saw the Kamloops-born musician generate more than 1 million streams on Spotify alone, Olds’ radio hit “Best Part of Me” found its way into the upper echelon of multiple media charts, including a top 25 residence on Billboard’s Emerging Canadian Artist chart.
More recently, Olds was the recipient of the iHeart Radio Future Star of the Month, and over the past few months, her TikTok account has blown up to the tune of almost 500,000 followers. Although Olds’ star continues to rise, she maintains a genuine, down-to-earth authenticity, while utilizing her newfound stardom to advocate for important issues such as stem cell research.
We recently had a chance to chat with Olds, whose passion for music is only rivaled by her fondess for food, to find out where she likes to go for food and drink in her home base of Vancouver.
Breakfast
When I am not trying to worry about my figure and sugar overloading my body, the best breakfast, in my opinion, can be found at Lee's Donuts. They have a long list of elaborate flavours, but I feel like you can’t go wrong with their seasonal selection.
My personal favorite this last year was their pumpkin cheesecake donut. It was by far the perfect amount of sweetness and the dough itself was crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside. Now I’m drooling and feel like I need to make a quick trip down to Granville Island Market to get a few of those sweet, delicious donuts!
Lunch
For lunch, you can never go wrong with pasta and the best pasta ever is Anton’s. The vibe is so cozy and feels like you are walking into somebody’s home. It’s best to go with a few people so you can try more than one dish, but if you have to go by yourself and pick just one, go at dinner time and get one of their baked dishes like the Pasticcio di Rigatoni.
Any time my family has visited, Anton's is always the first stop we make. And if you’re feeling particularly hungry when you go, which I usually am, order a slice of the tiramisu when you first arrive to make sure you get some of the best tiramisu I have ever had.
Dinner
I am a huge sucker for ramen and Jinya Ramen Bar down on Robson has the ultimate spicy creamy vegan ramen. I’m sure their other ramen dishes are just as incredible, but I wouldn’t know because I’ve never ventured further because it’s complex and dreamy! It comes in a bowl that you could just about swim in and every bite has so much flavour in it.
And when they say served with thick noodles, they mean thick and filling. It’s my go-to meal when I am feeling a little cold and need something to warm me up from the inside out.
Drinks
Finishing my day off with a drink at Provincial Spirits has become more of a tradition in my home. Being that it’s just down the street from my apartment, it makes it very convenient to just walk over and grab a cocktail on tap. They have a wall of taps and all of their tasty drinks pour out of it. They have some amazing seasonal beverages, like their rum and brandy spiced eggnog and their plum, sage, lemon sour.
But my absolute favorite is the Vanilla Blood Orange vodka. The drink is incredibly refreshing served on ice and usually with an orange slice. It’s perfect because I can have a glass there and enjoy their back patio and then on my way out, I can grab a glass bottle of it to go and enjoy it on the sofa snuggling my pups!
