The Le Magasin  space in Gastown has been through many reincarnations since its inception in 1911 and with the most recent, McLean’s, it appears to be going through several all at once.

The awkwardly named So.Cial at Le Magasin has been renamed and re-outfitted by former Vancouver Canuck hockey star Kirk McLean in a grey-on-white style accented with white roses and serving continental-inspired West Coast fare.

Like So.Cial, this restaurant ambitiously comprises the formal dining room, downstairs bar, sidewalk patio and sandwich shop and squarely occupying the “something for everyone” camp serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. The main dining room is fairly muted and formal, with a special area set aside for “Kirk’s table” where Kirk is able to communicate with the kitchen and his guests from an always reserved wing-back chair. But downstairs, “Kirk’s bar” is a schizophrenic mélange of antique books, flat-panel TVs, retro throw cushions, a back-lit Rampant Lion…and more white roses. In a small space below street level, it feels part attic and part rumpus room.

Mingling in this space over sangria and wine at a recent event it seems that this venue is best served as an after work drinks spot, where standing and nibbling would be on the agenda. We had Tuna tartare with avocado and nori chips, easily sampled with one hand while holding a glass of pinot gris in the other. The nori chips are a nice touch, both visually and flavour-wise and make a nice scoop for the tartare although the tartare could have used some more ponzu as the predominant flavour was bland avocado.

Fior di Latte, an appetizer size salad of fresh cow’s milk mozzarella was served with roasted cherry tomatoes and arugula tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The menu cites this dish’s ingredients as including fresh basil rather than arugula, so I’m not sure if the intention was to be more along the lines of a Caprese salad or if they’re making some last minute menu changes. Regardless, the way it was served positioned the bitter greens at one end of the plate and the bland cheese at the other, with only the dressing to join them. This dish could be greatly improved with a little tweaking.

The seared flat-iron steak tataki is done in a tangy Asian-style with citrus soy and grapes, garnished with flat-leaf and black sesame seeds. The grapes are an interesting contrast to the richness of the meat and I enjoyed both the flavour and crunch from it but the Humboldt squid with chorizo, lime and sansho pepper aioli was my favorite dish, spicy and full of flavour.

They seem to be trying to do some innovative things with the menu and with some more refinement and tasting, they might be able to sort out the inconsistencies in flavour and pull it off. However, they are open seven days a week and are virtually guaranteed to be busy with their fail-safe affiliation with hockey fame and location on Water Street.

~ Degan Beley

Yesterday, I attended a sit-down tasting and media preview of Chef Marc Thuet’s Conviction Kitchen Season 2 being shot right here in Vancouver at landmark restaurant Delilah’s in the Westend.

The premise: “What do you get when you take one of the countryʼs top chefs, throw in a kitchen crew of ex-cons with no culinary experience, and give them just weeks to open a high-end restaurant from scratch?”

Well, the obvious answer is a “reality” show that will no doubt produce the requisite drama needed to hook viewers into watching a whole season of highly-entertaining kitchen porn, but if you look a little deeper, there is also a very human tale of redemption that makes a meal at Conviction Kitchen both memorable and rewarding.

Chef Marc Thuet, a self-confessed former “…hard-drinking, drug-taking, unfaithful, bankrupt lowlife”, along with his “explosive…perfectionist” wife and business partner, the alluring Biana Zorich, are on a culinary mission of mercy. Over the next few weeks, they will be providing tough love and mentorship to a group of ex-cons looking for a fresh start and a new career, all the while helping re-open a popular restaurant that launched the martini cocktail scene in the mid-eighties, now on the verge of celebrating her 25th birthday.

Here are a few shots from the brilliant 3 course meal I enjoyed yesterday, prepared and served by the show’s participants:

^ Chef Thuet's charcuterie & terrine platter, pickled vegetables and garnishes

Chef Thuet’s Alsatian choucroute is legendary, with much of the famed charcuterie being flown in from his Toronto restaurant for the show; my favourite was the silky smooth liver terrine on some of his fresh-baked Petite Thuet breads.

^ City TV's Breakfast Television Host, the effervescent Dawn Chubai is ready to eat

^ Choucroute de poisson with white spring salmon and ling cod quenelle

^ Alsatian pflutta served with braised pork belly and lamb cheeks

^ Lindt chocolate tarte and cocoa gelée

Conviction Kitchen is being shot everyday in the restaurant until August 7th and the dining public is encouraged to come be a part of the show and experience first hand Marc and Biana’s warm hospitality and tremendous efforts to transform this group of ex-cons into skilled and productive members of Vancouver’s hospitality industry.

^ Owner, Daniel Frankel, Season 2 Kitchen Confidential ex-cons, Chef Marc Thuet & Biana Zorich

Season 2 of Conviction Kitchen will air on Sundays at 9pm on Citytv this fall.

Delilah’s Conviction
1789 Comox Street | Vancouver
Tel: (604) 687-3424
www.delilahs.ca

~ PK

Last week, I was invited up to stay at the Four Seasons Resort in Whistler to try their newly launched modern grill concept, Sidecut.

Named after the curvature on the side of a ski or snowboard, Sidecut is the resort’s main dining room. With views of the surrounding mountains, a large open fireplace, and an army of friendly well-trained staff, the warm and inviting space is both luxurious and refreshingly informal.

Looking to lure the affluent après-ski and summer tourist crowd, Sidecut is aiming to get an edge on the competition by setting the bar high. Using only top-quality meats such as 40-day aged Canadian Prime and imported Wagyū beef, they cook their meat using a state-of-the-art infrared grill that sears at 1800 degrees, sealing all the natural juices inside for arguably a tastier steak.

^ Caesar Salad - shaved parmesan, brioche croutons

Much of the produce on the menu is sourced locally in the Pemberton region and a selection of vegetables are grown in the resort’s own 2,700-square-foot rooftop garden.

^ Qualicum Scallops - celeriac, black garlic, tiroler bacon, crispy apple chips

Executive Chef Scott Thomas Dolbee and Chef de Cuisine Edison Mays have crafted a dinner menu of solid surf and turf classics, along with a few playful surprises. One of them that I almost regret eating is the Steakhouse Kobe Roll. It is the kind of dish that is so intoxicating and memorable that it will haunt you in your dreams, making your mouth water in your sleep and wake up with bites missing from your pillow. Gently seared melt-on-your-tongue Wagyū beef drizzled in sweet soy…brilliant!

^ Steakhouse 'Sushi' Kobe Roll - grilled rare, avocado, dried tomato, sweet soy

Each entrée comes with a choice of six custom rubs made in-house and is served with a presentation of six sauces.

^ Sauces - house steak sauce, yuzu butter, argentinean chimichurri, creme fraîche bearnaise, wasabi mustard, mushroom bordelaise,

My massive steak, rubbed in “Edison’s Medicine” – a complex mix of 14 whole-roasted herbs and spices inspired by chef Mays’ travels around the world, was cooked perfectly and was incredibly juicy, certainly one of the most delicious steaks I have ever had the pleasure of devouring.

^ 24 ounce Porterhouse Steak grilled medium rare at 1800 degrees on an infrared grill

^ Peace River Venison

There are also over 100 wines available by the glass at Sidecut. I asked wine director, Dave Foran (formerly of La Rua), to select a bottle to go with dinner and he picked a winner in the Kettle Valley Hayman Pinot Noir, a big ripe red with lovely plum notes and lots of French oak.

^ Pecan Pie - maple bourbon Ice Cream with candied bacon and caramel popcorn

During the summertime, guests will be able to dine outdoors on the restaurant’s heated patio as well as enjoy live music three to four nights a week showcasing Whistler’s homegrown musical talent.

Sidecut
4591 Blackcomb Way  (Four Seasons Resort) | Whistler
Tel: 604.966.5280
www.fourseasons.com/whistler/dining/sidecut

~ PK

The historic Alhambra Hotel in Vancouver’s Gastown has seen its fair share of tenants. Built in 1886, immediately following the Great Vancouver Fire, it remains one of the oldest standing buildings in the city. Over the years, it’s been home to a John Fluevog shoe store, an old French restaurant, a video store, heck, they even filmed part of the opening scene for The Neverending Story here.

General Manager Francis Regio, formerly of Tapastree, was even wowed recently when a 90 year old woman came in for dinner and informed him that she had once been a building resident, her bedroom having occupied the space lofting above the restaurant’s main floor.

The food and hospitality industry of Gastown has always been supportive of one another, which is precisely why Regio and Chef Elliott Hashimoto (also hailing from Tapastree) bypassed looking for locations in shark tank Yaletown, opting to open Cork and Fin along Carrall Street, where a deeper sense of community could be found.

What separates Cork and Fin from the rest of the oyster bars around town are the various dining options available beyond the simple Sauvignon and shucking concept: be it a prix fixe menu, a casual pint or an elegant dinner.

Fresh seafood towers are displayed on countless tables ($33 for the small, $55 for the large), and judging by the diverse demographic of diners, I’d bet my bottom dollar that more than one of these tables are here to use up their $17 “Groupon” that was on offer a few weeks back. (Regio admits that using this technique to drum up a little PR for the restaurant paid off in spades, having sold 633 in the first 24 hours of their release.)

We begin with a starter of well seasoned calamari, lightly coated with crispy cornmeal. It’s soft and tender with just a touch of chilli heat, but a squeeze of lemon and a sip of bouncing Prosecco bubbles in our glasses are the perfect foil for the salty black olive aioli.

Manila clams arrive steaming at the table featuring tomato concassé, flecks of fresh parsley and chillies. Another startling large steamer quickly follows, this time with hearty Salt Spring Mussels in cream, bacon and white wine. Naturally, we’ve ordered the Pommes Frites with a zesty lemon aioli, which altogether made for a perfect summer supper.

Regio certainly doesn’t waste any time, he’s already been sussing out his next locale, which if all goes according to plan, should see another new venture opening up by the end of the year in the emerging West End Davie Street area.

Cork and Fin
221 Carrall Street | Vancouver
Tel: 604.569.2215
www.corkandfin.ca

~ Katherine van der Gracht

Advance your token to Everything Café, Sean Heather’s seventh property on the quickly evolving Gastown and Chinatown Monopoly board.

Mr. Heather has been working hard of late to keep up with his ratio of two restaurants for every offspring, and now that baby number four is on its way, he’s recently been spotted around Gastown scoping out potential locations for what could soon be the eighth property to add to his ever expanding brood.

Krista Campagna and her all-female crew greet me warmly as I arrive at the café on a sunny Friday afternoon in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Enter the Heather eateries’ Executive Chef, Lee Humphries, under the dark cloud of his native England’s miserable scoreless draw against Algeria earlier that afternoon. I skip the customary World Cup chit chat and enquire instead about Mike Vitow, for whom Everything Café’s Reuben sandwich has been named. His face lights up as he describes the process behind Vitow’s Beethoven’s Corned Beef, where, you guessed it, all he produces is corned beef. (I was also tipped off that if you order in advance, he sells his premium product once a month at Granville Island.)

Al dente macaroni salad in a rich roasted tomato dressing with spicy arugula balancing the gentle brine of the feta and black olives, dainty shreds of colourful cabbages and cilantro tossed with a peppery sesame dressing that hits you right at the back of your buds, golden nugget potatoes delicately coated with bright green onions flickering amongst grains of rustic Dijon… and these are just the side dishes!

Lunch is served from 11am until 3pm, where Chef Lee and his team have specialized in the art of the sandwich, delivering slight twists on each of the classics. Smoked trout, lettuce, and tomato jam make up the T.L.T., and the Grilled Cheese oozes provolone, brie and caramelized onions.

Good news! Those tasty beef brisket meatballs of Judas Goat fame strike again in the Meatball Sub, which begs the question… if Tintin can make an appearance at each of Heather’s eateries (he collects busts of the adventurous Belgian cartoon character), then why can’t those magnificent meatballs?

A modern, clean décor features round tabletops running the length of the dimpled red leather banquette while cool aqua tones radiate from the neon Everything Café sign overlooking the Intelligentsia-fuelled coffee bar. Designed and built by Tony “Furniture” Milliares of Ûrthwûrks, all the wood paneling used in the café is heritage, with original beams salvaged from the Wing Sang Rennie Gallery, the oldest building in Vancouver’s Chinatown.

So next time you need your early afternoon brisket meatball fix, you know just where to go.

Everything Cafe
75 East Pender Street | Vancouver
Open 11:30 to 3 p.m.

If you haven’t been to Chinatown’s new brasserie on the block, Bao Bei, you’re a little late to the party. Word has spread like wildfire, so keep calm and read on for the inside scoop on which dishes will help you make up for lost time.

After last month’s third visit in a week, the joint was packed, revealing several familiar and friendly faces including some of the top brass of the Fairmont Hotel chain, in town opening up the new Pacific Rim.Welcoming you to the bustling bar are a series of wall-mounted silver serving trays, collections of clipboards, black and white family photos, and eclectic knickknacks, much of the décor and furniture reupholstered and  amassed from a year’s worth of scavenging thrift stores and kitchen auctions. (Here’s a little piece of trivia for you: the bar stools were just $1 each!)
Beyond the bar lies the dining room in all its flurry of activity. We’re greeted warmly by Chambar alumnae duo, owner Tannis Ling, and Paul Grunberg, stepping confidently into his role as maître d’ after his most recent stint with Market at the Hotel Shangri-La.
“Traditional character, rustic food, and lots of beer,” describes Ling, who has dreamt up a Chinese Brasserie with an old country chic setting. “But do not confuse it for a classic Chinese restaurant,” she adds. There’s not a blinding fluorescent light or lazy-susan turntable in the house, nor will you find even a trace of MSG let alone bulk bought foods in her kitchen.Sustainable, seasonal ingredients, free range eggs and hormone-free meats reign the menu. Using recipes hailing from Ling’s Mother’s own kitchen, Japanese French Chef Joel Watanabe creates modern interpretations of these passed-down dishes, but fusion it is not.
A gamut of childhood favourites can be found in the Petits Plats Chinois (Chinese small plates) section of the menu, offering specialties ranging from Sticky Rice Cakes (a Chinese version of rice-gluten pasta) with wood eared mushrooms and bamboo shoots, to Mantou steamed buns with braised short rib, pickled cucumber and roasted peanuts.
Tart slices of fresh pineapple served with chilli salt dip and the Warm eggplant with soy and spicy ginger help kick things off with a bang.
Ling swears by the hearty Duck Congee with its garnishes of fresh peanuts and salty preserved mustard root greens, and the handmade steamed prawn and chive dumplings are not to be missed. The to-die-for stir fried squid with pork belly and cooling baby bok choi balanced the sharpness of the ginger and red flecks of fresh chilli.

The careful consideration and selection of fresh ingredients is echoed on the cocktail list as well, featuring  the “Kai Yuen Sour” combining Makers Mark with dried Chinese plum syrup and bitters as well as, and I quote, “The Best F%$#ing Pina Colada You’ve Ever Had”.

And the price point is more than reasonable. Our first meal there, 6 of us feasted on a plethora of items plucked from all categories of the menu, which before wine, came to $18 per person and included two orders of the magnificent crunchy deep fried bananas with coconut lime sorbet.

Husband and wife restaurateurs, Justin and Lea Ault have recently opened their third Hapa Izakaya location in Yaletown inside the former Shiru-Bay space at 1193 Hamilton Street, right beside the Cactus Club, who interestingly held on to the space for over a year with an eye to expand their own room; luckily for us, they turned it over and the neighborhood scored big with the addition of a lively and well-run izakya that delivers the goods on all the important fronts: good food, fun atmosphere, and real value.

True to their winning form when I visited during just their second service last Thursday, the place was hopping and on my subsequent visit early the next day the restaurant was filling up at a solid clip right from the moment the doors opened. Bonzai!

The now widely popular Japanese izakaya format that the Ault’s helped pioneer in this city back in 2003 with the opening of their first location at 1479 Robson Street, followed by their second location at 1516 Yew Street near Kits beach, slowly continues to be refined. While many of the classic menu items can be found at all the locations (ebi mayo, tuna carpaccio, yakiudon), each restaurant has its own chef driven fresh sheet that gives some well-deserved creative freedom to each of the kitchens.

The new Yaletown room has a total of 75 seats with 65 dining seats and 10 at the bar. There is a 20 seat patio planned for the early summer.

Beer: 2 draft, currently Sapporo ($6.25 per sleeve $21.75 pitcher) and Okanagan Springs Pale Ale ($5.75 per sleeve or $19.95 per pitcher).

Wine: an eclectic selection of 18 (9 red, 9 white) local, regional and international wines ($7.50-$12.50). 12 wines by the glass all kept fresh using the Ver de vin preservation system.

Sake and Shochu: 20+ offerings by the glass($4.50-$9.00) or bottle ($19+) with a gradual expansion and desire to create the top sake list in Vancouver.

Cocktails: a total of 12 cocktails with a mix of a couple classics and some Japanese inspired creations ($5.75-$8.50)

Hours of Operation:
Sunday-Thursday 5:30pm – midnight
Friday & Saturday 5:30pm – 1 am
Last kitchen orders are taken one hour before the restaurant closes.

Hapa Izakaya (Yaletown)
1193 Hamilton Street | Vancouver
Tel: 604-681-4272
www.hapaizakaya.com

Congratulations on the new opening! ~ PK

After a devastating kitchen fire back in January of this year, Incendio in Gastown has successfully navigated the insurance labyrinth and risen from the ashes looking better than ever.

All the original tables and chairs, for a total of 50 table dining seats, were saved and have been refinished. In the summer, there will be 30 patio seats outside along the perimeter of the restaurant.The bar, looking rather Stella-esque, has 15 seats and extends around the open kitchen.The Incendio menu has also been slightly re-tooled as well with a more focused offering, keeping many of the tried and true pizza and pasta dishes, while adding a few new entrees to the mix. The beer program has 6 beers on tap with 25 bottles. Note to beer nerds, Incendio has an exclusive on Grimbergen (Abbey Double) on tap.

The wine program, of primarily BC, California and a few international selections, has expanded with 15 reds and 11 whites all available by the glass and half litre with no bottle over $45.Sadly, the wood-fired brick oven is gone as the City would not allow it to return and it has been replaced by a pretty sweet state-of-the-art copper gas oven.

Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri
Lunch 11:30 am – 3 pm
Dinner 5 pm – 10 pm

Saturday 5 pm – 11 pm
Sunday 4:30 pm – 10 pm

Incendio in Gastown
103 Columbia Street | Vancouver
Tel: 604-688-8694
incendio@telus.net
www.incendio.ca

Congratulations, it’s good to see you back in action!
~ PK

The Glowbal Group is expanding again. Right on the heels of their last big opening party for the re-imagined Coast in July, the sassy new baby in the family is called Society.

Come inside for a sneak peek.

The concept, executed by Box Interior Design, stays true to Glowbal form with another sexy one-two punch dining and lounge offering that syncs well with the fashionable and fickle crowds of Yaletown. Society is set to open in their old Coast location (1257 Hamilton Street) this Thursday, October 29th.The menu concept is “reinvented comfort food” – ie. Prime Rib Burger, Shake N Bake Chicken, Lobster Shephard’s Pie. Lunch items will range from $6.00 – $15.00
 with dinner items costing from $12.00 – $19.00. The main dining area has approximately 45 seats and the outside patio will hold another 40. Also, something to note, each white linen table is covered with brown paper before each seating, to accent the “easy-going” nature of the food and mood, a direct contrast to the elegant decor.The lofted upstairs of the restaurant is home to a very stylized bar and lounge with 55 seats, think 70’s future chic, a place where Captain Kirk might seduce his latest alien hottie over a few glasses of Romulan Ale. Fuchsia plush velvet couches, square golden ottomans, slick high-gloss leather chairs, simmering metalic draperies, and candle-lit hexagonal tables adorn the space.

The Main Players:
Restaurateurs | Emad Yacoub & Shannon Bosa Yacoub
General Manager | Dennis Pak
Executive Chef | Brandon Thordarson

Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday 11:30 am to 12:00 am 
Saturday and Sunday 4:30 pm to 12:00 am

Society
Tel: 604.629.8800
Email : info@society-grg.ca
www.society-grg.ca

~ PK

Mis Trucos (Spanish for “my tricks”) is a new modern Mediterranean inspired tapas bar that has just recently opened its doors for your dining pleasure. Be careful or you just might miss this charming little restaurant set within a 1920’s character house perched above a storefront on bustling Davie Street as I did; I literally walked right by it looking for the correct address only to turn around and see the manager smiling and waving at me from the steps above.

Once inside, the space presents a clean, simple, and comfortable aesthetic that immediately makes you feel like you’re being welcomed into someone’s private home to dine.

This quaint restaurant with 60 seats inside and a brilliant private 30 seat patio out back, is a labour of love of Kris Barnholden, a former sous-chef of Parkside (now L’Altro Buca) who is running his own kitchen for the first time, while the front of house is confidently managed by Eryn Dorman (formerly of Fuel). Jonathan James (former bartender at Uva) has put together a short and tasty cocktail list, all very reasonably priced at $8, while Kurtis Kolt (Salt Tasting Room) helped out with the wine list of very accesible Spanish and Portugues selections that range from $7-11 per glass. They also have local craft brew R&B Red Devil Pale Ale and Sun God Wheat Ale on tap for $5.

Chef Barnholden’s food menu “combines classic French, Spanish and Italian recipes with the freshest local ingredients and his own modern twists” or ‘tricks’ and will be seasonal based and quality focused.

Here are a few of the tasty samples dishes on offer at Mis Trucos:

^ Gilda – white anchovy, olive and hot pepper.

^ Bacalao brandade and crostini $7

^ Mortadella and anchovy coca $7

^ Heirloom tomato salad – pumpkin seed and arugula pesto, chestnut croutons, parmesan crisp $7 with Spanish Snapper cocktail $8.

^ Cured white sping salmon – beet-root, apple and creme fraiche $12 with Cohombro o Pepino cocktail $8.

Mis Trucos
1141 Davie Street | Vancouver
Tel: 604.566.3960
www.mistrucos.ca

Hours of operation: 5 pm until midnight 6 days a week (closed Mondays)

Congratulations and good luck! ~ PK

Today, we warmly welcome Granville Street’s newest restaurant, The Edge Social Grille & Lounge to the Urban Diner community. Take a look at their new listing here.

“We’ve gone from 300 to 700 seats on Alberni this week!” exclaims Patrick Austin, the Glowbal Group’s director of operations. After this Wednesday’s media/VIP party, and Thursday’s concierge party, the Glowbal Group will open its highly anticipated new Coast Restaurant to the public and add another  downtown location to their culinary collection, with the original Coast location in Yaletown being reborn as another, yet to be named restaurant from the group in the following year.

Fortunately, Urban Diner and yours truly were able to organize a behind the scenes shoot and interview just before the doors are to swing open.  The very gracious Kye Melchert, Beverage Manager of Coast, took us on a guided tour of the brand new restaurant and shared much enthusiastic commentary.

Concept: With its unique and sexy style, the new Coast Restaurant will offer hi-quality seafood (fresh oysters, shellfish and fish) while giving guests an extraordinary room to get comfortable in. Divided into two parts, Coast and O-Lounge has been designed to satisfy all that the downtown diner desires, with a strong emphasis on attracting business from the neighboring hotels.

The restaurant is staffed by both seasoned professionals and an array of attractive newbie go-getters in front and back of the house, who consequently have been training 8 hours a day, for 2 weeks straight with training consultant Darren Brown (F&B Manager of Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas).

Key Players:
Beverage Manager | Kye Melchert
Executive Chef | Josh Wolfe
Maitre D’ | Wayne Carson
Assistant General Manager | Mike Thomson
General Manager | Jan-Erik Wichman

Food: “Seafood, seafood, seafood!” says Chef Josh Wolfe when asked about the concept. Chef Wolfe is offering a monumental raw seafood program, using both local and exotic delicacies.

(Image of Chef Josh Wolfe courtesy of Glowbal Group)

A sample of his smoked fish chowder with sablefish, ling cod, and sockeye salmon was a welcomed treat, and delicious.

In Chef Wolfe’s raw bar, fresh oysters are shucked to order by the champ, Isaac Martin del Campo. On the long hot line, the Forno® oven sits at 500F bubbling up the most incredible homemade pizzas, in addition to a killer fish ‘n chips, superb clams, and mussels. For those who loved the chef’s table at the old Coast, don’t fret – the new Coast has an exclusive 6-8 seat kitchen bar past the hot line. “The focus on constant guest engagement from the kitchen makes food more exciting. Live cooking with interaction,” says Chef Wolfe with a huge smile.

Beverage: Draft beers are finally available at Coast – this will be the first time draft has been offered within their restaurants. The wine program showcases a 200 bottle list, including a whopping 100 wines under $100. This wine list is heavily focused on BC wines. Both Coast and the new O-Lounge share a list of classic cocktails, but most of the contemporaries offered are directly paired to the raw seafood bar located on the opposite side of the centre bar.

Design/Layout: The award winning Box Interior Design, the creative firm behind the Glowbal Group’s Kitsilano restaurant, Trattoria Italian Kitchen, were again chosen to breathe life into the new Coast. Neutral woods meet turquoise paints, shiny pearl accents, glass top tables, and crisp white linen – the theme of this design is no secret – it screams seaside elegance in every facet.

Passing through the middle of their 26 seat street-side patio through the front door, the giant O shaped bar/raw bar clearly becomes the focal point for the restaurant – it seats 25 around its circumference. Beyond the bar, the “Lido Deck”, stretches back along the length of the hot line – this area is mainly reserved for walk in traffic. The first landing on the left, the “Aqua Room” – seats about 20-25; second floor, the “Crow’s Nest” – a deuce that sits delightfully against the glass pane overlooking the raw bar below is completely solo; the “Observation Deck” covers the majority of the upstairs – including a 16 seat oval banquet table in the centre. The “Captain’s Quarters” is a unique private dining room, seating up to 36 guests, with various table arrangements, and an additional centre partition if dividing the room in two is required.

Downstairs on the main level, O-Lounge is a little different. Gold leaf plated steel tables sit amongst coral and orange lounge furniture. A couple of steps to the left, guests can enjoy the dim lights, upbeat tunes, and signature cocktails in the “standing room only” area, with pink stained glass fixtures and reinforcements – that oddly enough look a lot like octopus – keeping with the theme? Coast guests are unaffected by the O-Lounge banter once those dividing doors close after dark…

Congratulations to Emad and the entire Glowbal team. I look forward to visiting in the next week! ~ LM

All images, except noted by: Rick Green

Coast Restaurant
1054 Alberni Street | Vancouver
Tel: 604.685.5010

Hours of Operation:
weekdays from 11am to midnight
weekends from 4pm to midnight.

View pictures of the exclusive opening party: HERE

There is nothing better than a patio on a hot sunny day in the Okanagan and The Terrace at Mission Hill is a picture perfect example of just how refined al fresco dining in BC can be.

On this last visit to the Okanagan we tried the brand new Terrace tapas menu, which is now available from 3-5 pm on weekends until the end of June. The menu will be offered daily for both July and August and then will return back to just weekends for the month of September before the end of the season.

The new tapas menu is a mix of $10 small plates of fresh seafood dishes (mussels, oysters, prawns) and a smoked goose prosciutto with an option for larger sharing plates of charcuterie $27 or house made dips & roasted olives $16. There is also an excellent list of BC-made cheeses for $6 per selection along with a few decadent desserts ranging from $11-$13. 

The menu also continues the “Cuisine du Terroir” philosophy of the restaurant, selecting the freshest seasonal ingredients available locally in the Okanagan Valley, with much of it coming from their very own restaurant garden.  

Here is a small preview of some to the items we tried during our visit:

^ Spot Prawn Ceviche ~ basil yogurt, lemon olive oil sorbet, taro root chips, baby cilantro, and a compression of apple and cucumber $10. Smoked Goose Prociutto ~ vanilla poached white asparagus $10. Spiced Almonds ~ fennel & paprika $10. Artisan Bread Basket ~ caramelized Fleur de Sel butter $7. Glass of Reserve Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, each $10. 

^ Six Black Pearl Oysters ~ verjus pearl mignonette $10.

We enjoyed the cool and delicate textures of the spot prawn dish so much, we ordered it twice. 

After enjoying the excellent food and beautiful view of the surrounding vineyards and lake, Sous Chef Riley Bennett took us on an enthusiastically guided tour of Mission Hill’s Varietal Kitchen Garden at the back of the winery adjacent to the helicopter pad, which sits on the roof of the immense Oculus cellar.

click to enlarge

What I found particularly fascinating was that all the plants in the garden were arranged according to grape varietal, reflecting the natural food pairings for each wine. It was obvious talking with Chef Riley that he took great pride in the organic garden and appreciated working with food he helped grow from seed, and best of all it shows on the plate. I’ll be back! ~ PK

Coffee nerds rejoice! The 49th Parallel Roasters Cafe at 2152 West Fourth Avenue (named Vancouver’s Best Cafe at the 2008 and 2009  UD Awards) has just added the coffee syphon to their fine arsenal of brewing methods, which already includes espresso, Clover, and French press.

The syphon or vac pot brewing system was invented around the 1840’s with the first device being patented and made available to the public by a woman named Marie Fanny Amelne Massot of Lyon, France. This system of coffee brewing is quite elegant and simple and a favourite method among some of the top baristas around the world.

Basically, there are two sections, with water in the lower glass globe and fresh ground coffee sitting in the top chamber.  As the water is heated up with the very precise halogen heater (pictured above), some of it is converted into vapour and as it expands the mixture of gas and liquid needs more space and is thus forced into the top chamber where it mixes with the coffee grounds.

Once the coffee has brewed for the requisite amount of time and the heat is removed, the brew begins to cool and is drawn back down into the lower chamber via gravity through a cotton or fine metal filter. Voila! A very smooth cup of coffee brewed the steam punk way. I love it.

It took the 49th Parallel gang over two months to perfect their process to achieve the desired consistent quality results they demand for their cafe and after yesterday’s cup, I am ready for more. ~ PK

For more info, read the ultimate Vac-Pot FAQ on Coffeekid.com

The revitalization of the Granville strip continues, the latest restaurant to open their doors on this rapidly evolving stretch of downtown real-estate is Circa Restaurant & Lounge. Come inside for a closer look.

Circa Restaurant & Lounge
1050 Granville Street | Vancouver
Tel: 604-683-3311
www.circarestolounge.com

Hours of Operation: 5 pm – Midnight 7 days a week

Cuisine: Pacific Northwest

Bar Manager | Luck Sarabhayavanija
General Manager | James Brown
Executive Chef | Segue Lepage 

Wines: All BC selection, 12 by the glass with a list about 34 deep. 8 imported bubbles with 1 by the glass.

Beer: Bottled beer only. The usual macro suspects with Whistler Brewing currently being the only local micro being offered.

Cocktails: 14 classically inspired drinks with 2 oz pours using premium spirits.

Food: Chef Seque Lepage’s (formerly of Chow) menu, for the most part, plays it safe with an assortment of popular dishes that run the gamut of regional and foreign cuisines with options for small and large shared plates and a few entrees thrown in for good measure. 

The massive room has 40 foot ceilings and is a post-modernist mash-up marvel of old and new world design, taking many of its cues from classic Roman and Venetian architecture. The tables and the rest of the decor is the standard casual fine-dining fare of tried and true black leather, iron and stained wood. Much of the theme and design ideas for the room were by GM James Brown and the architect who worked on the space is named William Harrison. The room was built by PCD Construction.

Circa has a total of 192 seats and two bar/lounges (one upstairs and one on the main level) and there is also a private dining room adorned with etched gold leaf and elaborate woodwork that can comfortably seat 14-20 people.

Good luck everybody! ~ PK