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.

Boy, does Salt Tasting Room know how to throw a great sausage party! Mix in a healthy dose of exotic Spanish wines from the rustic to the refined, and you’ve got the makings of Saturday’s Spain Vinos and Tapas ¡Olé!, number 52 of an impressive 63 event line up at this year’s Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. (Just ask Harry Hertscheg, the festival’s Executive Director, he was at every single one!)

Harry Hertscheg, Festival ED, Pilar Randolph of the Embassy of Spain, 'Sommelier of the Year' Kurtis Kolt of Salt, Tony Beatty, Vice Chair, Wine Festival Board of Directors

The romantic strumming of a Spanish guitar envelops us as we make our way downstairs to Salt’s cellar room. Guests are greeted by recently crowned Sommelier of the Year, Kurtis Kolt, as he and his staff feverishly pour the first flight. Shouts of “salud” and the clanking of glasses fill the room as Festival Vice Chair, Tony Beatty, announces that Spain has just been selected as next year’s theme country. We listen on as Spanish natives Toni Batet of Miguel Torres and Gloria Collell Puig of Seguras Viudas melodiously describe their wines in those glorious accents of theirs, easily worth half the price of admission alone.

Two hands-on courses of do-it-yourself wine and food pairings are presented where we’re left to our own devices, choosing amongst saucisson sec, shaved smoked beef tenderloin, earthy tartufo salami, Oyama’s chorizo rioja, and a sweet toscano fig salami. And this is just the charcuterie! Spanish cheeses such as Drunken Goat, Valdeon Azul, aged Manchego and Mahon are perfectly displayed alongside the team of accompaniments made up of toasted hazelnuts, cornichons, Basque olives, quince paste, pickled Piparras peppers, sweet Cippolini onions, and grainy Guinness mustard. So we slice and spread and mix and match as we concoct perfect pairings of our own. I see I am not alone when it comes to the Drunken Goat cheese with quince paste to accompany the strawberry-hued sparkling Segura Viudas Brut Rosé D.O. Cava.

As we move on to the reds, the bittersweet cocoa and spicy black pepper notes with ripe tannins and red fruit make up the eye-catching Torres Celeste D.O. Ribera del Duero, its label featuring the smattering of constellations that can be seen from the winery at night. Scope it out in the liquor stores for a reasonable $24.99. But it was the 2007 Marques de Vitoria ECCO D.O.Ca. Rioja with its bright cherry colour, sweet tannins, raspberry and liquorice palate that took the cork for best value at a stunning $15.98 per bottle.

~ Katherine van der Gracht

“How many of you have tried an Australian Chardonnay? Well, this is the complete opposite end of the spectrum from that,” began Dan Shorrocks, Mark Anthony Brands’ Ontario Trade Development Manager. This taunting introduction to Burgundy’s Maison Louis Latour’s Chablis set a playful tone for the evening’s good food and great wine dinner at the Four Seasons Yew Restaurant, and made for a gentle kickoff to this year’s Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.Shorrocks, along with Portfolio Manager, Colin Pitkin, got the call late Sunday night to step in as the dinner’s host for International Export Director, Mark Allen, who like many winery principals, was grounded beneath the volcano ash-dotted skies of the Continent. Warmly rounding out the trio of gracious hosts was Mission Hill’s Aimee Johnson.Four Seasons Executive Chef, Oliver Becket, hit the mark with the evening’s highlight pairing of a moist halibut fillet with fresh morels, sweet peas and lobster froth served with the buttery and balanced high end 2006 Corton Charlemagne Chardonnay. Not to be outdone by a white varietal, the Maison Latour presented us with a special surprise course of their 2007 Gevrey Chambertin, full of dark cassis and white pepper notes, which accompanied a rich Carnaroli rice and beef cheek risotto.

~ Katherine van der Gracht

Did somebody say… pie? Meet Alan and Peggy Hoffman, the husband and wife team behind the latest square to be added to Gastown’s checkerboard of hot spots. For months, the duo have been working alongside Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts co-founder, Chef Walter Messiah, crafting up their good old fashioned comfort food menu and putting the finishing touches on their just-opened Acme Cafe at 51 West Hastings Street.

The moment I step into this darling little Mom ‘n Pop shop, I know it is destined to be the next go-to brunch and lunch nook in the city. Straight out of the pages of an Archie comic, it’s Pop Tate’s Chock’lit Shoppe meets American Graffiti’s Mel’s Diner. The breezy and charming space boasts 17 foot ceilings, custom tiling and other such retro stylings, where diners can choose from booths that seat up to 6 gabby gals or 4 foremen comfortably, or the u-shaped counter overlooking the open kitchen and coffee bar.Ovaltine jars, milkshake mixers and Alan’s Grandfather’s 1929 Berkel Model 7 meat slicer adorn the back countertops, sharing the space with pastry-cutting, bread-baking and Cuppa Joe bean cappuccino-whipping Acme apron-clad staff. Bottles of Pop Shoppe sodas (where have they been?) and thick and creamy milkshakes line the drink list, along with Red Truck beer and what Peggy likes to call “Wednesday wines”: inexpensive, easy sipping selections by the glass that’ll rotate based on customer feedback.What the menu lacks in diner clichés such as burgers and fries, it makes up for with classics like the flaky and bubbling Chicken Pot Pie with tender white meaty chunks in a creamy sea of vegetables and the mile-high Chicken Club with house made zippy sundried tomato garlic mayo dished up with fresh broccoli, slivered almond and dried cranberry slaw, even meatloaf and sides of mac ‘n cheese. Also on deck are the Classic Grilled Cheese and its classier city cousin, the High-Falutin’ Grilled Cheese, featuring goat, cheddar, swiss and brie with apple cranberry relish on grilled ciabatta.“Keep your fork, there’s pie,” say the Hoffmans, who ensure there’ll always be a selection of fresh out of the oven delights on offer, including such indulgences as Chocolate ganache, deep dish apple, and cherry slab pie, all hailing from Peggy’s Grandmother’s lexicon of recipes.Woodward’s building residents and Gastown grindstoners will rejoice to learn that come late April, the to-go counter will feature a pre-pay online ordering system for quick pick-up breakfasts, lunches, or dinners. And don’t forget to grab some of their coffee or freshly baked goods to go, including the particularly enticing coconut cookies that had me thanking my lucky stars I lived nowhere near the vicinity of these sure-to-expand-your-waistline perpetrators.

~ Katherine van der Gracht

Visit: www.acmecafe.ca

Yes, they were originally scheduled to open their doors last summer but didn’t manage to connect all the dots until February of this year. Yes, Vancouverites were chomping at the bit, eagerly awaiting their opportunity to book a table to see what all the fuss was about. And yes, with the drama that followed Chef Anthony Sedlak’s eleventh hour exit (google the words “Sedlak skips out” to get caught up), initial reviews were less than stellar.

So let me set the record straight: forget anything bad you’ve ever read or heard about the Corner Suite Bistro Deluxe. That was then. Read on for now.

Tucked away on the corner of Haro and Thurlow, mercifully hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Robson Street’s chain stores, lies the Corner Suite Bistro Deluxe, catering to a Heinz 57 of clientele (as was demonstrated by the large party sitting next to us last Sunday night which included a cluster of characters that could only be described as “the Coquitlam cast of Jersey Shore goes downtown”).

Regardless of demographic, all tables were treated like gold, the service efficient yet elegant, with every detail well thought out and professionally executed. Proprietor (and new Dad) Andre McGillivray handily answered any and all questions, as he guided us through barman Steve Da Cruz’s novella of cocktails (so large, you’ll have to go to their website to download it, here) and Chef Jason Leizert’s menu musings, including its mass appendix of fromage footnotes. With a total of 56 cheeses from which to choose, the CSBD boasts the title of longest cheese list in the city.

Da Cruz puts a new spin on his rotating cocktail list (a previous concept lifted from his days at Gastown’s Boneta) with the addition of his Bar Guestbook, featuring an ever-expanding postscript of guest mixologist cocktail recipe contributions from around the Pacific Northwest. Look for The Refinery’s Lauren Mote and her “Sake Sour”, or the Pourhouse’s Jay Jones’ “Prospector”.

^ croque madame and french onion soup

Chef Leizert’s menu reads just like the pages of the Larousse: gougères, cod brandade, niçoise, terrine de campagne, foie gras, steak tartare, croque madame, and cassoulet. We began with a couple of two-bite “Petits Bijoux” to go with our cocktails. The French onion soup, which was uncommonly laced with thyme, giving the dish an unfortunate poultry seasoning flavour, followed by the darling croque mademoiselle canapés and their accompanying teensy fried quails eggs perched on the ham and gruyère-stuffed pain perdue.

^ bacon & onion alsatian tart with sweetbreads

The smoky Alsatian bacon and onion tart with sweetbreads and apple fennel salad was most scrumptious, and could easily make for a nice light supper.

^ veal cheeks, gnocchi, french breakfast radish salad, parmesan

Meat reigned supreme with the luscious braised veal cheeks, although the accompanying house made gnocchi was a tad soft and the carrots a bit too crunchy.

^ tarte tatin

The Tarte Tatin takes 20 minutes to make, is the size of your face, and perfect for sharing. It’s served with rich vanilla ice cream as well as a fork and steak knife, to be used either for slicing into the dessert or stabbing your dining companion should you feel you’re not getting your fair share of the pie… the choice is yours. In accompaniment, we were introduced to the sweet sips of Québec’s Sortilege liqueur, a heady blend of Canadian whiskey and maple syrup.

The Corner Suite’s unique bistro offerings and cocktail culture are a welcome breath of fresh air to the downtown core’s uninspired “this’ll do” tables for tourists. Seek them out at thecornersuite.com

~ Katherine van der Gracht

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.

Sheep beware! A Judas Goat will lead you to slaughter, while its own life will be spared. Thankfully, we Homo sapiens possess an arguably higher level of intelligence that allows us to better assess the threat of imminent danger. It was this fight or flight response mechanism which found us venturing deep into the underbelly of Gastown on a dark Friday night against all our better instincts, along a trash bin-strewn, junk and junky-scattered Blood Alley, and safely through the door of Sean Heather and Scott Hawthorn’s newly opened Judas Goat Taberna.

Packed into a teeny tiny space are 24 seats, a long window ledge and stools, one group table and a series of two-tops, a miniature open kitchen featuring Executive Chef Lee Humphries, and a back bar displaying wine and Sherry bottles next to a spotlit bust of Belgian cartoon adventurer, Tintin. Most noticeable is the gigantic text mural by local artist, Robert Chaplin, its words regaling the stressful work life and subsequent nervous breakdown of one such Judas Goat. (Check out its full story and text here)

Seated at the prime people-watching window stools, we sipped our piquant Spanish ’06 Vino Zaco Tempranillo (only $38 for the bottle, $7 for the glass). Due to opening weekend hustle and bustle, we were told sangria recipes were in the midst of being perfected, and that we should keep an eye out for a “sangria-off” in the very near future.

We’re given golf pencils and paper panel menus upon which we’re instructed to write down how many of each item we’d like in the accompanying box, which gleefully reminded me of Chef Carles Abellan’s Tapas 24 in Barcelona, considered by many to be the best tapas joint in the Catalan capital.

The list of ingredients is immense, ever clever and playful, like the two bite bruschettas ($2.25 each or four for $8) that featured chorizo, sweet caramelized onion and warm dark chocolate, all sharing the surface of one tiny crostini. Sherry-stewed mushrooms and melted Comte cheese made for another great version of this nibbly as well.

Vibrant and tangy red and golden beets were served with greens, aged Sherry vinegar and shaved ricotta to make for a perfectly seasoned starter salad. Following that were the city’s best meatballs, of the most decadent beef brisket variety, served pintxos (or pinchos) style with tiny toothpicks in a piping hot spicy tomato sauce.

Under the category “Pressed, Potted, or Cured”, we found plump and luscious prawns potted amongst a citrusy pistachio butter, to be spread over its accompanying crostinis. And then came the lamb cheek. With exactly the type of colourful flavour combination for which Chef Humphries has developed an unwavering foodie following, this category winner featured crimped leaves of Savoy cabbage surrounding meaty pieces of warm lamb cheek, served as a slice of warm terrine and finished with an earthy white truffle oil.

Just a hop, skip and a jump from its sister restaurants, the Irish Heather, Shebeen, Fetch Hot Dog Stand, Salt Tasting Room and the Salty Tongue, Judas Goat Taberna is a welcome new addition to this ever-expanding empire. At this rate, we’ll have a different Hawthorn, Heather & Humphries-run establishment to frequent every single night of the week.

~ Katherine van der Gracht

Can you keep a secret? The Divino Bordeaux Wine Club meets the second Sunday of every month, but its members don’t want you to know that. And anyone can join, but they don’t want you to know that either. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that they’re not looking for new members (they are), but you have to understand that the more people know about it, the more they will be forced to divvy up their portion of Mr. Grippo’s secret wine collection.

And just who is this mysterious Mr. Grippo character? Why, the owner of Commercial Drive’s Divino Restaurant as well as Dolce Amore Gelateria next door.

The actual concept for the Bordeaux Wine Club was the brain child of Divino’s Austrian sommelier, David Fert. It is one thing to simply be a certified sommelier, and quite another to take an active interest in sharing your expertise with others. On this particular second Sunday of the month, Mr. Fert took us all on a tour of Italian varietals, educating us along the way about the methods behind Amarone (the grapes are harvested and dried on straw mats for approximately 100 days before pressing, which contribute to its robustness) and the history of the Super Tuscan (Antinori was the first to stray from the strict DOC Italian wine regulations by releasing a blend of Italian and French varietals in the 1970’s).As we chatted away about Oscars and Olympics, we sat down to the opening act of a sweet green melon and prosciutto millefeuille prepared with care by Chef Jefferson Alvarez, to accompany our sparkling Ferrari Perlè.The 2007 Pinot Bianco Schiopetto followed, with creamy avocado and tangy prawns, lobster and vegetable tempura topped with Osetra caviar. The prosciutto theme continued, this time enveloping rabbit served with wine poached apricots and rapini, which proved an excellent companion to the darkly perfumed, raspberry and cardamom-scented 2003 Brunello Antinori.The pacing between the third and fourth courses seemed slightly more delayed. Apparently, Plan A would have seen us eating handmade linguine, but alas, it didn’t hold up in the boiling water, explained Chef Alvarez. So he decided to whip up some handmade gnocchi last minute instead. Now, show of hands… how many of you have ever attempted gnocchi from scratch? I have, and let me tell you, there is no “whipping up” about it.  It is a craft that takes much time and patience, and so for Chef Alvarez to have been so quick on his feet as to rearrange the accompaniment at the drop of a hat, I can speak for everyone when I say we were thoroughly impressed.  Once boiled, it was sautéed in foie gras (always a bonus) and served with bison short rib, then scented with white truffles, which naturally granted us an all-access pass into Barolo territory, where we enjoyed a nose full of roses and tar, with dark dried cranberries courtesy of the 2001 Barolo Brovia.Back down to Tuscany we went as we sampled a selection of house cured meats such as the Lomo pork tenderloin and sweet Iberico ham terrine which capably assisted the 1994 Ornellaia Bolgheri Super Tuscan, a tight and spicy Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot blend.The grand finale to the savoury portion of the night was the roasted Cinghiale (wild boar) tenderloin served with not just the dark ruby red candied apple lip-smacking 1998 Amarone Allegrini, but out came another Super Tuscan to the rescue: the heavy hitting 2006 Tignanello! Could there have been a more perfect match? This combination is something one might expect to find amongst the rolling hills of Chianti, but instead we found it right on the Drive.And as if that weren’t enough, we were privy to a private lesson on how to make your very own liquid nitrogen ice cream! It sounds extreme, and it was, and went spectacularly alongside Chef Alvarez’s banana chocolate bread pudding.All this can be yours for only $299, an incredible value for the supreme quality involved in the service, food preparation and access to a seven course wine dinner that features labels you’ve only read about in Wine Spectator, let alone seen or tasted for yourself.

~ Katherine van der Gracht

What do you get when you mix Anthony Bourdain’s affectionate crudeness, the genuineness of Jamie Oliver, and Gordon Ramsay’s foul-mouthed confidence? Why, Vancouver’s rock star Chef, Gord Martin, of the Bin 941 and Bin 942 Tapas Bars. Adidas trainers sporting, yellow-tinted glasses wearing, t-shirt and tattoo loving smarmy bachelor Chef, Martin epitomizes his very own brand of Celebrity Chef.

And I’m not the only one who thinks it. Martin can now add to his two restaurant roster a brand new TV show that’s just been picked up by the Food Network based on the pilot, “The Delinquent Gourmet”. From Morocco to Barcelona (which he claims boasts “the best market in the whole fucking world”), the show will focus on Martin’s travels around the globe in an attempt to demystify an array of international cuisines. Charmingly crass and opinionated, a clip from Martin’s pilot, shot last year in Morocco, shows him declaring that his love for the country is not just due to its Arabic and French inspired dishes, but also in large part because of its “chicks on scooters”.
Inspired by spices, organics and the traditions of food preparation, he brings it all back to Vancouver to share it via his Tapas Bars, granting people a taste of his travels.

“Here’s the thing about being a small restaurant: everything is always fresh on a daily basis,” explains Martin, who refuses to succumb to the restrictions of the popular 100 mile diet. “I’m pretty sure there are no olive oils, lemons, salt or pepper within 100 miles of Vancouver. Just sayin’.”

His flavour combinations are so keenly outrageous, it’s a wonder the servers managed to memorize all the exotic components, but that they did, as Chef Gord flawlessly unveiled his new Bin 942 menu items at the beginning of the month.We began with an octopus confit in a porcini mushroom sauce, garnished with pickled potatoes and radishes, and then a hazelnut-crusted tuna skewers with bitter greens made for a punchy combination and the perfect companion for the Kettle Valley Pinot Gris. There was more confit, this time of the classic duck variety, dished up alongside pea shoots and blood oranges coupled with a Spanish-inspired spiced duck croquette. Martin’s house-cured gravlax with Japanese cucumber (always wondered how to use this in my cooking, I can now consider myself schooled), tomato and frisée salad.

The most memorable sequence of the night was the wild salmon wrapped in shredded dough with beurre blanc and a fragrant crunchy black rice, and well matched by the Belle Glos “Meiomi” California Pinot Noir, which wine judge and panelist, Sid Cross, declared his personal favourite of the evening. The finale of antipasto went over well with samples of blood oranges, grilled lamb chops, green Sevillano olive tapenade and oven dried tomato chutney, and a feta whose melt-in-your-mouth capability had us all begging for more.Pop into to a Bin near you or tune into the Food Network one of these days to check out some of these fun new additions. And hey, if it’s good enough to have created a late night following by the likes of Vikram Vij, then you know Martin must be doing something right.

~ Katherine van der Gracht

At the end of last month, the good folks at the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise Program celebrated their five year anniversary by getting together in an attempt to butter up (and fatten up) local food media with a three hour mystery Dine Around tour to show off their wide range of participating Lower Mainland restaurants.

Greeted at the main entrance to the Aquarium with flutes of Champagne, we were split into groups, read our rights, and then shuffled aboard awaiting tour buses.  As we pulled out of the Aquarium parking lot, each and every right or left turn had all on board eager to guess our first mystery location. Shouts of “L’Altro Buca! Nook! The Teahouse!” could be heard as Chef Robert Clark of C Restaurant, and the evening’s Ocean Wise Ambassador, chuckled to himself in the back.As we carried over the Lions Gate bridge, a silence fell upon us. Were we actually leaving the downtown core? Sure enough we were, and next thing we knew, we arrived at the North Shore’s Edgemont Village at a little gem of a resto, The Edge Bistro.
First up were the stout Saltspring Island mussels in curry cream with tomato concasée, paired with a buttery, yet light and citrusy Pacific Breeze Chardonnay. As we slurped up the excess broth, Chef Clark gave us all a quick lesson in mussel geography: a higher meat to shell ratio indicates a mussel that has thrived in the clean growing conditions of West Coast waters, whereas mussels from the East Coast tend to have a smaller meat to shell ratio due to the poorer growing conditions associated with their more polluted waters.Up next, a hefty portion of pecan-crusted, shrimp and Dungeness crab-stuffed wild salmon with a mango mint salsa and orange ginger sauce. We barely had time to finish before our tour bus arrived to ship us to mystery location number two.Back over the bridge to downtown, we pulled up to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and were warmly greeted by a host of managers who escorted us into the 900 West tasting bar at the centre of the hotel. What came next was a series of darling little amuse-bouches, each with its own wine pairing. Beet cured wild BC salmon and blinis with a lemon crème fraiche, Ahi tuna nicoise with a delicate quail’s egg and salty seaweed caviar (a first for us all), but the best dish of the evening was most certainly the pan seared Artic Char atop a Granny Smith apple fritter decked with Granville Island Lager Foam. Not a taste bud was missed with this delectable combination.We were all a-twitter as we rolled out of the Fairmont heading to C restaurant, to meet up with our fellow groups and exchange stories of the evening’s culinary road trips.And as if the first two restaurants weren’t filling enough, Executive Chef Robert Clark, treated us to two more courses of smoked Baynes Sound scallops, and finally, a Salt Spring Island goat cheese and vanilla mousse!
The Ocean Wise Program aims to be as inclusive as possible by involving any and all chefs, restaurants, markets and suppliers who want to commit to serving sustainable seafood, be it Panago Pizza or Provence Marinaside (both participating restaurants). Currently, there is no cost associated with becoming a member of the program. As such, various fundraising events occur throughout the year, such as the springtime Chowder Chow Down.

By keeping a close eye on the ever-changing ocean-friendly seafood list, the program educates and assists their members in selecting only the most sustainable seafood on the market. Spotting an Ocean Wise symbol takes the worry out of ordering or shopping, so that diners and consumers can feel confident they’re doing their part to help ensure the health of our oceans for years to come. ~ Katherine van der Gracht

There’s something to be said about drinking with the dolphins.

The “Winery of the Year” celebration hosted at the Vancouver Aquarium honouring Sandhill Winery and Master Winemaker, Howard Soon, brought an entirely new meaning to the saying, “drinking like a fish”. There was certainly no shortage of wines to sample at the Monday, January 18th event, which welcomed a gamut of guests ranging from wine reps in their best tight skirts and heels, to the money backers sporting their most recently acquired tans, as well as several local renowned wine educators and media types.

“Never before has a winery won Winery of the Year, White Wine of the Year, and Red Wine of the Year,” noted International Sommelier Guild instructor, Barb Philips. Philips, a former Master of Wine pupil under Sandhill’s Howard Soon, had the honour of introducing the man most would agree is solely responsible for the winery’s new batch of Canadian Wine Awards.

Howard Soon has spent over 30 years working in the Canadian wine industry, getting his start with Calona Vineyards back in the day. Over the years, he’s managed to cultivate a more sophisticated and refined approach to Sandhill’s viniculture right here in BC with the introduction of a more upscale and boutique wine program entitled “Small Lots”.

“Our Small Lots Program provides a glimpse into our winemaking future, capturing the essence of small batches of promising new varietals,” remarked Soon.

Several of these special blends and single varietals were showcased at the event, with mini tasting stations set up amongst the tropical and cold water fish tanks. A venture into the Tropic Zone unveiled flights of floral varietals, such as Canadian White Wine of the Year winner, Small Lots 2008 Viognier, and its complementary curried seafood buffet next door. And a wander down the hall to the shark tank unearthed the roast beef and accoutrements carving station, alongside a host of bold reds offering Small Lots 2006 Two, a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah, a particular crowd favourite.

A heartfelt congratulations to all at Sandhill Winery on their sweep of the 9th Annual Canadian Wine Awards, as well as to the Vancouver Aquarium, whose magical West Coast setting set the perfect tone for the evening’s festivities. ~ Katherine van der Gracht

I have a confession to make: the last time I stepped foot in The Teahouse in Stanley Park was for their Easter Sunday brunch in 1987. Clad in the matching doily dresses and patent leather shoes my mother made my sister and I famous for as children, we sat quietly and ever-so patiently in the sunny conservatory eating crab eggs benedict, patiently biding our time until we’d be excused from the table to go and wreak havoc on the unsuspecting Stanley Park gardens with our ninja-like Easter egg hunting skills.

^ Celery Root Soup, escargot, curry cream.

Twenty-three years, a few chefs, and a couple of name changes later, I enter the expanse of this Vancouver landmark and all of the wonderful memories come flooding back. It feels as though nothing has changed, and in the most absolutely comforting way. At a time where everything old is new again, how fitting that the re-re-branding of the Teahouse involves not only the name (it was called Sequoia Grill for a few of its 30 plus year history), but also some newly ventured culinary paths being explored by Chef François Gagnon.

Between our ordered courses, Chef Gagnon managed to sneak us mini bites of some of his favourites, so that practically no menu item was left untasted. We began with a soupçon of an escargot-garnished celery root soup, followed by a peppy candied walnut, beet and goat cheese arugula salad.
The classic parsley and breadcrumb-topped mac n’ cheese was a piping hot wintertime side dish hit, as were the plump wild prawns with salsa verde. It was then on to a moist roasted sablefish with parsnip purée and the featured bouillabaisse was an aromatic assortment of fresh clams, mussels, ling cod, salmon and scallops, all cooked with precision in a perfectly seasoned saffron-laced broth.

In an ever-changing Vancouver dining climate, what struck me as unique about The Teahouse is that the servers are very much on your side. After all, many of them have cultivated a following among regulars for years (and in some cases, decades) even down to particular table and section requests. I sensed that ours was eager to show off many of the new and improved menu items, and rightfully so. Chef Gagnon has managed to keep the regulars happy and at the same time has introduced a fresher and more modern approach.
^ Poached pear with mascarpone chantilly.

So if you’re looking for a tried and true Pacific Northwest inspired evening of cozy elegance, look no further than The Teahouse, and don’t forget to take in the stunning seascape and unmatched view of English Bay while you’re there. It wasn’t voted best sunset in Vancouver for nothing, after all.

~ Katherine van der Gracht

Poor pigeonholed Champagne. Always an apéritif, never a main course. And so it was decided that Chef Warren Geraghty and his team of South Granville’s West restaurant would take the opportunity to defend the bubbly wine’s reputation by flaunting its flexibility at the November 18th exclusive Visa Infinite Dinner soirée.

Delightfully led by Geneviève Boisvert, Chef de Marques for the Champagnes & Wines of Moët Hennessy portfolio in Canada, this all-Veuve Clicquot dinner saw West transform its dining room into one elongated table of 50 special guests. The main objective? To halt the stigma surrounding France’s most popular (and expensive) effervescent beverage as being served strictly for celebratory purposes.For those unfamiliar with the story of the house of Veuve (which translated from the French means widow), when Francois Clicquot passed away in 1805, he left complete control of the company to his wife of seven years, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, whose entrepreneurial savoir-faire helped position the Champagne brand as one of the best in its class.

Guests breezed through the flight, sampling Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin’s Yellow Label Brut, their colourful Rosé, the 2002 vintage, as well as their Demi-Sec Champagne, all escorted by a dramatic showcase of dishes lifted straight from the pages of Chef Warren Geraghty’s recently penned West: The Cookbook, the courses elegantly rolled out one after the other with panache, the only way the team at West knows how.We began with an amuse bouche, which was a clever take on a savoury cannoli, with thinly sliced beets forming a shell around a creamy whipped goat cheese filling. Another highlight of the tasting menu included a smoky tomato gazpacho with tender saffron-scented couscous surrounding a buttery Dungeness crab presented in all its tower-shaped glory, and the quail tortellini atop a delicate puree of white onion, with succulent quail breast and a tangy celeriac rémoulade with hazelnut vinaigrette accompanied the light, fruity nose and fine mousse of the Rosé.

The execution and elegance of the evening added to the excitement of getting to sip exotic bubbles all night long, without ever having to switch your flute for humdrum reds or flat whites. And to everyone’s amazement, the Champagnes went beautifully with dinner… although, how could they not? It is Veuve Clicquot we’re talking about, after all!

~ Katherine van der Gracht

Monday night’s La Stella and Le Vieux Pin winery dinner had us all huddled up in Salt Tasting Room’s cozy cellar below Blood Alley. Salt’s underground lair is perhaps what makes their events so glorious: alongside the communal dining room table, are the contents of their showpiece walk-in cooler, temptingly displaying rows upon rows of Champagne, hanging Iberico ham, other such salumi, and even bunches of celery stalks and citrus fruits for all to see, but not touch! Let’s just say I know exactly where I’m headed should there be any type of apocalypse in our near future.

We were warmly greeted by winery owners, Mr. and Mrs. Sean Salem, and host, Rasoul Salehi, Executive Director of Enotecca Winery and Resorts.The key to La Stella is that all their wines are named after musical notes, so it was fitting that we rang in the evening with their 2008 Vivace (meaning joyful) Pinot Grigio. Demonstrating a rounded tartness with notes of limoncello and key lime pie, it was met with the creamy, yet bitter finish of a BC Ash Camembert, and a salty BC duck and pork salami with spicy apricot chutney.

Next came Le Vieux Pin’s 2008 Sauvignon Blanc paired with a citrusy, sharp Italian Piave cheese, which expertly mirrored the tropical, passion fruit tones of its crisp white wine counterpart.Rounding out the batch of whites was La Stella’s 2008 Leggiero Un-Oaked Chardonnay. Living up to the lightness its melodious name implies, the subtle hints of hay and rich floral notes were exactly what the smoky, garlicky, spicy Pamploma chorizo and sweet cipollini onions basted in balsamic vinegar needed. It truly was a symphony of flavours in the mouth.   We were then privy to a triple header of 2006 Okanagan merlots. First up to bat was the ever so mellow La Stella Allegretto Merlot, which Salehi considers an “honest and polite” wine. (He achieves this by planting the vines Pia Franco – on its own foot – meaning that the vines have not been grafted to American rootstock.) Paired with a mouth-watering shaved corned beef and UK Isle of Mull Cheddar, this lack of manipulation translated clearly to the glass, where the tannins were practically non-existent, with ripe red fruit and a deliberate smokiness.

But it was the showdown between the two 2006 Le Vieux Pin merlots that was the highlight of the evening. Known for their heightened, dry tannins, these heavy hitters were matched with Wild Boar and Rosemary Salami and fresh honeycomb with Stilton cheese. And thank goodness for that, as these wines in particular absolutely beg for food. The Époque was full bodied but subtle on the nose, showing violet and candied plum notes. This one was the easiest to drink of the two, with juicy tart cranberries and tobacco on the tongue. The Apogée had hints of wild blackberry, mocha and dark chocolate notes, with a pleasant sugared rhubarb finish, with very dry and stiffly structured tannins.

Only 200 cases of the Sauvignon Blanc were made, and are therefore already sold out, but all the rest can be ordered online at www.levieuxpin.ca or www.lastella.ca. And be sure to visit www.salttastingroom.com to keep up with their ever-changing meat and cheese selections. ~ Katherine van der Gracht