Kambolis Restaurants year in review; Dine Out early at Gastropod.
Details inside…
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Vancouver, BC… It has been quite a year for Harry Kambolis and his restaurants Raincity Grill, C Restaurant, and nu restaurant + lounge. From being included in Vancouver Magazine’s 101 Things to Taste Before You Die not once by four times (nu’s Fried Local Oysters with Granville Island Lager shooters, C’s Octopus Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Abalone and Citrus Salt) to his recent inclusion in Western Living’s Top 40 Foodies Under Forty and BC Restaurant Hall of Fame nomination, 2008 has been jam packed. Community seemed to be the name of the game, with Kambolis’ restaurants participating in Earth Hour, the Green Living Show, Dining Out For Life, the 2nd Annual Spot Prawn Festival, Chefs Table Society fundraising dinner, Chefs to the Field (benefitting Terra Nova Schoolyard Society), Feast of Fields, Passions (benefitting the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation), Growing Appetites (benefitting Growing Chefs), The Vancouver Aquarium’ s Toast to the Coast, and more.
For company Executive Chef Robert Clark the year has been just as busy and successful; Clark was named “Newsmaker of the Year” by Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News and the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals. His passion for sustainable seafood took him east twice in 2008, in the spring with Ocean Wise to help introduce the program to Toronto chefs and again in September for the first Canadian Chefs’ Congress at Eigensinn Farm in Singhampton, where he spoke on sustainable aquaculture to the group. When not travelling across the country, Robert Clark kept busy in Vancouver with his work with Growing Chefs, the Chefs Table Society and developing relationships with local farmers and suppliers.
For Raincity Grill General Manager Brent Hayman, 2008 saw him inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame, starting the ball rolling for awards and accolades. Chef de Cuisine Peter Robertson, alongside his team, took home the Green Cuisine award at the summer’s Chefs to the Field event, skillfully preparing four dishes not only featuring the secret ingredient (Pacific Sardines), but also fresh fruits and vegetables harvested by hand from the community gardens of Terra Nova Rural Park. Raincity Grill also took top honours in the WestEnder Best of the City Awards for West Coast-Style Dining and for Restaurant Wine List (Local Wines) in the Georgia Straight’s Golden Plate Awards, plus SILVER in the Best Regional category at Vancouver Magazine’s 19th Annual Restaurant Awards. Continuing to showcase the bounty of our backyard, 2008 marked the eighth year of Tomato Tasting Menus at Raincity Grill plus the return of the Regional Tasting Menu, highlighting the diverse regions of BC.
Nobody does seafood like C Restaurant, and that showed in 2008. Chef de Cuisine Quang Dang took top prize in the 1st Annual BC Sustainable Seafood Chowder Competition – look for his chowder coming to a soup aisle near you in 2009. Dang presented another winning dish at the 2nd Annual Sea Choice ‘For the Love of Fish’ Challenge while Chef de Partie Jonathan Boerboom won First Place at the Canadian Albacore Tuna Recipe Competition not only in the Entrée Recipe Category, but also in the People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice categories. The onslaught of recognition continued with C Restaurant winning the Best Seafood Award at the 13th Annual Where Magazine – Where to Dine Awards, and taking SILVER in the Seafood category of both the 19th Annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards and the WestEnder Best of the City Awards.
In 2008, nu restaurant + lounge not only hosted the First Annual Urban Diner Restaurant Awards, they won Best Room with a View. Throughout the year, nu hosted a plethora of parties – everything from “Love Bites – the Anti-Valentine’s Day Party” to the launch of vanmag.com. When not busy with on-site bookings, the kitchen at nu masterfully prepped and plated countless canapés for off-site events catered by C Catering. Some of 2008’s clients include: Nike Human Race Launch, Gap Robson, Montecristo, the media introduction to Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Market at the Shangri-La, and JC Studios, among others.
This year was clearly a successful year in terms of awards and accomplishments for Harry Kambolis and his trio of restaurants, and Hollywood’s elite have taken notice. Many VIPs and celebrities paid visits to Raincity Grill, C Restaurant and nu restaurant + lounge in 2008. Among them, Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, Martha Stewart, filmmaker and oceans advocate Rob Stewart, R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, Scarlett Johansson with husband Ryan Reynolds. We move onwards to 2009, looking forward to a prosperous year for all.
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“DINE OUT” A WEEK EARLY AT GASTROPOD
To help diners on tight post-holiday budgets, Gastropod will be launching its Dine Out Vancouver menu a week early and will be offering a special $38 three-course menu beginning on January 7.
The special menu features some of Gastropod’s signature items, including Oysters with Horseradish Snow, nori-wrapped Pacific Salmon, and Gastropod’s Chocolate Fondant … as well as some exciting new dishes created by Chef Angus An.
STARTERS
Sweet Onion Soup
smoked sweetbread, bacon, croutons
Organic Green Salad
marinated vegetables, shaved fennel, lemon dressing
Painted River Farms Beef Tartare
wild arugula, parmesan crackling, olive powder, sous vide egg yolk
Oysters with Horseradish Snow
fresh royal miyagi oysters, sauternes jelly, shallot reduction
[$3 supplement]
MAINS
Wild Pacific Chum Salmon
nori wrapped, citrus bulgar salad, wasabi sabayon
Sloping Hills Pork Shoulder
36-hour braised, truffle hollandaise, pomme puree, shallot, sesame jus
Painted River Farms Beef Ragu
house made gnocchi, roasted vegetables, shaved parmesan
Barley & Lemon Risotto
roasted vegetables, mascarpone cheese, confit lemons
Add Seared Ahi Tuna [$6 supplement]
DESSERTS
Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate
Gingersnap pumpkin ice cream sandwich
Goat Cheesecake
Okanagan goat cheese, Pink lady apple sorbet, elderflower syrup
Chocolate Fondant
earl grey syrup, raspberry sorbet
The menu will be available January 7 to the end of the Dine Out Vancouver event, February 1.
To make a reservation, click here.
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