Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

🍔 A&W Rewards At-A-Glance Program: A&W Rewards (free to join in the A&W app) Earn Rate: 10 points per $1 spent (subtotal before tax) Where It Works: A&W restaurants across Canada, by ordering in the app or scanning your QR code in the restaurant Points Expiry: 12 months after you earn them Reward Tiers: 300, 600, 900 and 1,500 points Best Value: Regular A&W Root Beer (300 points), or the Mama Combo for a full meal (1,500 points) Prices Checked: October 1, 2026 at 450 Robson Street, Vancouver (pickup) I've tried most of the A&W menu over the years (the full list is at the bottom of this post). So when I opened the A&W app and saw 1,673 points sitting there, I got curious. Which A&W Rewards item is actually the best deal? For the record, I don't build up my points by paying full price. Most of ...

📍 Granville Island Public Market At-A-Glance Location: 1689 Johnston St, Vancouver (Granville Island) Ready-to-Eat Stalls: 24 stalls with menus and prices, updated for 2026 Price Range: Most hot meals run about $13 to $25, while coffee, sweets and snacks are roughly $3 to $10 (some stalls add tax at the till) Hours: Typically 9am to 6pm daily, but individual stalls vary (confirm before you go) Best For: Grabbing lunch, mixing cuisines, and waterfront picnic food Also Covered: Twenty more food and drink spots on Granville Island outside the Public Market, from Vancouver Fish Company and Tap & Barrel Bridges to Granville Island Brewing (two are opening soon) I worked in a building right near the entrance to Granville Island for almost five years, so this market used to be part of my everyday. So...