the dining diva

capricciosa pizza

Kate and I had just finished a great yoga class at my new home, Flow Yoga, and were looking for somewhere to grab a good bite to eat, but also get away with our post-yoga glow.

Admittedly, there’s not a lot around that area (Smithe and Burrard) that isn’t a chain. I was curious about Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante, as it used to be the home of a Lombardo’s – the same one that you can find on Commercial Drive. It was pretty busy, so we decided to give it a whirl.

The curiosity was killing me, so I asked our server. Turns out two people – one connected to the Commercial Drive location and the other an independent – opened the restaurant under the Lombardo’s name. The partner tied to Lombardo’s decided not to stay, so the other continued the restaurant under the new name. Everything except the name and a few items on the menu remained the same.

The menu was definitely expanded on the pasta side, which I always thought was a little sparse under the Lombardo’s banner. A few items struck me as a little strange, such as Spaghetti alle Cozze – B.C. Honey Mussels sautéed with garlic in a light coconut curry reduction. But for the most part, it stayed true to its theme of Italian cuisine with touches of BC ingredients.

I tried really hard to find something different than my usual, but sometimes tried and true is best. My absolute favourite pizza is the Capricciosa, which has Genoa Salami, ham, artichoke hearts, black olives, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. I discovered this pizza while travelling in Italy eight years ago, where it often called quattro stagioni (four seasons) pizza.

Kate and I also decided to order a carafe of wine (okay, so we may have negated any effects of the yoga class… but so what!). We decided to go with cheap and cheerful and ordered the Naked Grape Shiraz. No, it didn’t exactly blow us away, but it hit the spot that rainy Thursday night.

our cute carafe of wine

The pizza arrived and it was like an old friend returning home. I tore into it so quickly that I forgot to take a picture until I was a slice and a half into it (my first attempt at taking photos with my Blackberry – not bad!).

“I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this,” said Kate, who had ordered a half vegetarian and half Vesuvio (pepperoni , spicy Italian sausage, capicollo and Genoa salami, topped with mozzarella and quark cheese).

“Oh, I’m finishing mine,” I said. “Even if it take me all night.”

What is it that I love so much about the Capricciosa? In a simple sense, I love all of the ingredients separately. Maybe it’s the way earthiness of the mushrooms ground the saltiness of the olives, artichokes, ham and salami. Maybe it’s the occasional hit of spice from the salami. Or maybe it’s like an unlikely couple. It’s hard to imagine the two of them in a relationship, but when you see them together, it just works.

Needless to say, I finished every bite of that pizza (although it did take me a while).

The server said that many people who’ve been to both versions of the restaurant swear they’ve changed the recipes (although he says they haven’t). It doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that my old favourite was just as satisfying as ever. But maybe next time I’ll try something different. Maybe.

Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante
970 Smithe Street
Vancouver | BC
604.408.0808
pacificopizza.com

grilled venison with brussels sprouts

I haven’t felt much like the dining diva these days. I’ve felt like the go-to-parties diva, or the lie-on-my-couch diva – but certainly not the dining diva.

So despite the chaos of the holidays and my strained budget, I was excited when Melanie announced that she had made reservations at Cibo for her birthday. I had been dying to try Cibo for a while and was even more intrigued when En Route magazine named it 2009’s best new restaurant.

Cibo is located in the Moda Vancouver Hotel – a boutique hotel just off Seymour and Smithe. I had been in the liquor store – the Viti Wine and Lager Store – several times and was always impressed with the selection and service. And I had also been a few times to Uva, the wine bar located next door. So it seemed fitting that I try the restaurant as well.

Cibo’s concept is simple: Italian cuisine made with fresh and local ingredients. Seemed like a good match to me. I checked out their menu online ahead of time, and although small but impressive, I waited until that evening to make my decisions.

The interior is beautiful and in some ways is a bit of a contradiction to the menu. Dark, modern and sleek, the walls are adorned with giant pop art canvases. It doesn’t hint of the food that’s to come (which isn’t a bad thing).

Melanie had a great turn out – about 10 or so of her best work and personal friends. So I was interested to see how the restaurant managed such a large crowd.

Melanie, another friend and I spilt a bottle of the cantina santa maria la palma le bombarde cannonau (which I noticed they had jacked up $10 since publishing the menu online). It was a good choice and considering the imposing list, I was happy we were able to find something under $70 (since the majority of the bottles are well over this price). It was light with a subtle berry flavour and a hint of spice.

local mussels

I’m sometimes leery of Italian restaurants who divide their menu by appetizer, pasta (first course), and mains (second course). In Italy, it’s expected that you order one of each, and therefore each of the courses are fairly small. But here in North America, we have different expectations, so it’s always important to clarify with the server the portion sizes. This was the case with Cibo, so Melanie and I split the mussels as our appetizer and then I ordered the grilled venison with horseradish sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts as my main.

While waiting for the appetizers or pasta courses, our table was given a selection of breads. I held off and waited for the mussels, as I know the broth always begs to be soaked up by bread.

The mussels arrive and sure enough, accompanying them are two pieces of crostini. But instead of leaving them naked, they’ve slathered the bread with some sort of aioli. But what about the broth? I try dipping the toasts in the broth and it’s okay, but half the aioli melts under the heat and slides into the bowl.

The mussels themselves were pretty good and the chilis added a nice kick to the usual white wine sauce. But at least four of the mussels didn’t open. Seriously? I’m paying $14 for maybe 20 mussels and a bunch of them don’t open? I wonder how that would have gone over in Executive Chef Neil Taylor’s last restaurant – the famous River Café in London?

I decide to try a piece of the bread as the crostini just aren’t enough to mop up the broth. The bread is very light and is topped with either some caramelized onions or parmesan cheese. It’s good, but definitely not to die for (but maybe I’m already a bit jaded at this point).

The venison arrives and it’s a good thing I had the mussels to start, as it definitely wouldn’t have been big enough for my hungry belly (but I guess you’re expected to order a side).

At first glance, I’m leery. The Brussels sprouts have been oven roasted, which sounds like a delicious way to cook the mini cabbages. But as they were all different sizes, they obviously needed different cooking times. So the little ones were over done and the bigger ones were either just right or slightly under done.

The venison did look like it was cooked as suggested – medium rare. But my first bite into the meat told me how well Cibo handled large parties – it was cold. If it wasn’t Melanie’s birthday, or if we weren’t part of such a large group, I might have sent it back (and probably should have). But instead I chose to suffer in silence.

On my second bite of the meat, I decided to try it with some of the horseradish sauce. Two seconds in, my nose began burning so much I really did think it was on fire. I thought that maybe I had taken too much, or it was a fluke bite, so I tried again. Nope – same inferno in the back of my nose.

cibo latte

Everyone was full from the meal, but we did all order the chocolate nemesis to share, which is also on the River Café’s menu. It was truly delicious. It was like a chocolate mousse cake, but slightly denser.

And we all decided to end the meal with a coffee drink, and I ordered a latte. They did a lovely job with the presentation – in the same style as Caffé Artigiano.

I really wanted to love Cibo. On one hand, the menu itself is simple yet creative in its execution. But on the other hand, they seemed to miss some basics:

• crostini doesn’t need anything on it when serving it with mussels
• different sized food needs different cooking times
• don’t serve mussels that aren’t open
• horseradish shouldn’t blow out the back of your nasal cavity
• …and the simple rule I learned while serving at the Olive Garden – hot food served hot!

I’m not so sure I’ll be back at Cibo any time soon – unless it’s for a piece of chocolate cake and a latte.

Cibo Trattoria
900 Seymour Street
Vancouver | BC
604.602.9570
cibotrattoria.com

grilled jerk chicken

Catching up with friends over dinner is probably my favourite thing to do. And luckily, I have friends who are not afraid to try new restaurants. So when Candace and I scheduled a catch-up over dinner, I immediately began scouring my mental list of places I wanted to try.

A few friends had been to Revel in Gastown, and aside from knowing they’re the place that serves hot-out-of-the-oven cookies at closing time, I hadn’t heard much about them. I quickly scanned their menu online and it seemed like a good locale for Candace and I.

Revel is located in the heart of Gastown, which seems to be the hottest spot to open a restaurant these days. They’ve been around for over a year now and seem to be a popular spot for a late-night bite, as their kitchen is open until 1:30 a.m. But seeing that Candace and I were meeting at 5:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, we obviously didn’t get a chance to experience that scene.

The space is an eclectic mix of modern and retro – and the music reflects that. I think the music went from rock to electronic to indie all in the course of one night.

It was pretty quiet when we arrived, but I suppose that’s to be expected on a rainy Tuesday in November after work. We may have took a while to decide on a wine, but our server was not afraid to jump in every few minutes to see if we had made a decision. We finally decided on a bottle of wine, only to be told minutes later that they had run out. What is with my bad luck of ordering bottles of sold-out wine these days?

Our second choice, the Adobe Sauvignon Blanc, arrived without incident. It was probably a little too fruity for my taste, but maybe that was also because it was cold and dreary outside.

As we decided that we were both going to order mains, we chose the Spanish Merienda to start, which is marinated olives, cheese, spiced nuts, and sliced baguette.

During this time, we alternated between two servers who were either bored or not communicating to whom we belonged to. Each time one of them showed up at our table, they seemed confused that the other had already been there. Better than no service at all, I suppose.

spanish merienda

A merienda is a midday meal had in Spain to fill in the meal gap between lunch and dinner. I liked the concept. Besides, any time you can incorporate cheese, nuts and olives into your meal, it’s good to me.

The plate arrived with two small pieces of baguette, one small piece of cheese, six olives and a bunch of nuts – spicy almonds, roasted chickpeas and seasoned hazelnuts. The olives were delicious and cured in-house. But I only had three of them. The cheese was tasty, but that was also maybe two bites. So I filled up on the nuts.

The hazelnuts were basically tasteless, while the chickpeas burst when you bit them and had the consistency of sawdust. I only ate them because I was so hungry. The spicy almonds were good and definitely had a subtle kick to them.

We both decided that we needed something substantial for our main, and both ordered the grilled jerk chicken, which came with coconut rice and beans, coleslaw, and was topped with a mango puree.

The chicken was delicious. The spice wasn’t overpowering and the mango puree added a nice sweetness to the dish. The coconut rice and beans was also sweet, but packed with coconut flavour. The “coleslaw” was just shredded cabbage and onions. I only ate it because I was so hungry.

Was I impressed with the food at Revel? Not particularly. But would I go again for drinks or a late-night bite? Probably.

Revel has a casual feel to it that seems to be more appropriate for hanging out after the movies or getting together with a bunch of friends. But given the amazing selection of restaurants in Gastown, I’d choose to spend my money on dinner somewhere else. Somewhere where I didn’t have to eat something just because I was so hungry.

Revel
238 Abbott Street
Vancouver | BC
604.687.4088
revelroom.ca

the cure

Kate and I had just finished a workshop with renowned yogi, Chris Chavez, at Flow Yoga – where I had clearly been the crappiest student. I know that’s not very yoga of me – we’re supposed to be all on our own journey and there is no competition, etc., etc., — but it was true.

So I needed a good glass of wine and a scrumptious meal before the inevitable physical pain set in. And, to top it off, I had made the (insane) decision to start another 12-day cleanse the next day. Needless to say, there was a lot of pressure on this meal.

I thought that Pourhouse in Gastown would be a nice fit. It was close for Kate to hop on the SeaBus and being very new (they haven’t even had their official opening yet), it piqued my curiosity. I had been a semi-regular at the space’s last restaurant, Flux Bistro, so I was interested to see how it had been transformed.

Kate and I arrived just before nine and as the place was packed, we took a seat on one of the couches in the lounge area to wait for a table. The décor can be described as modern vintage. A gorgeous Douglas Fir bar curves towards the ceiling and frames the bartenders below. The couches and the armchairs in the lounge look like they belong in an antique store. But the dining area is lined by a glass and tile railing with radiators spaced in between.

We ordered a bottle of Viu Manent Carmenere Reserve and waited. And waited. And waited. And I know that we were probably a little more than impatient given our yoga-fueled hunger pains, but it was probably 10 minutes before our server came back… only to tell us they couldn’t find that bottle of wine. So we continued to wait.

After another 10 minutes, our server returned to tell us the reason they couldn’t find the wine – they were out. So we ordered the Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. And just as our server arrived with that bottle and poured our first glasses, our table was ready.

It’s always a little awkward when a server doesn’t offer to carry your drink from the lounge to the dining area. But it’s made even more awkward when you have a giant yoga bag to also carry. And the tiny restaurant is packed.

But Kate, our wine, our bags and I made it in one piece to our table – a very cozy booth that could have easily fit four. We sunk into the seats and began to look at the menu.

beef shortribs

Pourhouse’s concept is modern comfort food. It seemed a little in opposition to the décor and ambiance of the restaurant – white tablecloths and comfort food just don’t seem to go together to me. But somehow, they pull it off.

As it was taking us a long time to decide on an entrée, Kate and I decided to start off with The Cure – a selection of cured meats with condiments. It came with gherkins, mustard and sweet onions, as well as a basket of different breads. The three meats were all made from pork and treated slightly differently. We had a hard time deciding which one was our favourite – each one was flavourful and could have easily stood on its own.

When our server came back (no hurrying to get our entrée orders in – which was a nice touch), we asked her which one was her favourite. She recommended the beef shortribs, which are braised in espresso and served with carrot puree and browned sweet potato.

We were sold.

The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and the espresso added a rich dimension to the sauce. We both were blown away by the carrot puree, which we were told, was just carrots and apple juice. While the sweet potatos, which were made to look like French fries, were tender and slightly crispy on the outside. Genius.

And our Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon turned out to be an excellent pair with both our appetizer and main. It’s a medium-bodied wine, with notes of dark berries, cocoa and spices. And being from Israel, it’s kosher, which is a bonus (if that’s something you look for).

Our server was knowledgeable and it was obvious that she had tried most items on the menu. We were never rushed into making a decision, even though the place was still packed at 11 p.m. It was a nice contrast to the lackluster service we received when we were in the lounge area. I’ll chalk that up to pre-opening bumps.

warm chocolate cake

Kate and I couldn’t resist taking a look at the desert menu. Even though there’s just four items, I think there’s something for everyone. And for Kate and I, it was the warm chocolate cake. It takes a little extra time, as it’s made from scratch, but it’s worth that wait.

The cake was moist, rich and decadent. They paired it with a caramel ice cream, which could have also stood on its own. It was a lovely ending to a fabulous evening.

As Kate and I finished up our tea, we were pleasantly surprised by the bill – which came in at just $118. And even though it was well past midnight by the time we finished, the place was still packed. I felt lucky to have discovered this Gastown gem before its inevitable rise to Vancouver culinary stardom.

Pourhouse
162 Water Street
Vancouver | BC
604.568.7022
pourhousevancouver.com

Italian sausage, chilles and sweet onions pizza

It was the kind of evening that already felt European. John and I had just spent a few hours checking out the Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and wanted to grab a bite to eat nearby. So to continue on the European theme, we decided to try Nook – a new Italian trattoria that just opened on Denman and Robson.

When I walked by a few nights before, the place was jam packed. It was just the same the night John and I went – even though it was nearly 8:30. But we only needed to wait a few minutes before a cozy table opened.

The West End is full of authentically ethnic restaurants, but a lot of them lack polish. Nook is different. Although it’s small (maybe only enough seats for about 25 and 10 of them are along the bar/kitchen), no space is wasted. Modern smooth lines paired with classic tiles on the floor and in the open kitchen create a sleek, but still relaxed diner.

We ordered a bottle of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riparosso Illuminati to start. The wine list is small, but carefully selected (all Italian, with the exception of the rose). We were both surprised at the wine, as neither of us had tried it before, and found it to be full-bodied with hints of raspberries and cherries.

Because I couldn’t decide on just one dish, we decided to share a pizza and a pasta dish – the Italian sausage, chilles and sweet onions pizza and the spaghetti Bolognese.

The pizza is made in their wood-stone oven, so I was excited to see how that would compare with some of my favourite pizzas in town (namely Marcello’s on Commercial). Although the flavour combination was rich and robust, I was a little disappointed in the crust (which can make or break a pizza, in my opinion). It was a little on the soft side. Not exactly soggy, but certainly not crispy either. But the sausages were juicy and the sweet onions were mild and not overpowering.

Would I order it again? Probably. It was still really good – just not as good as I expected.

spaghetti Bolognese

The spaghetti Bolognese was also simple, but flavourful. The meat was tender and the sauce still light. I was surprised to learn that a classic Bolognese sauce actually doesn’t have a lot of tomato, so it wasn’t as heavy as some others that I’ve tried. It was almost like an olive oil sauce with meat. And the hits of garlic also shone through, creating a dish that isn’t exactly innovative, but comforting all the same.

As we were lingering over our last glass of wine, the place started to slowly empty out. All that was left were a few tables, enjoying good conversation amidst the flickering candlelight.

Nook isn’t exactly breaking new ground in Italian cooking. But maybe that’s not what they’re trying to do. Sometimes, just like a piece of good art, it’s the classics that keep you coming back for more.

Nook
781 Denman Street
Vancouver | BC
604.568.4554
nookrestaurant.ca

district mussels

It seems that all I’m doing these days is attending farewell parties. But at least with my co-worker Kate’s farewell, I knew that I’d be able to see her almost any time I wanted (unlike Mr. Cambodia, Irwin).

Much to our chagrin, Kate took a new job with another company. After five years of being with us, it was time for her to spread her wings. So although I was sad that I wouldn’t have my friend to chat with every day, I was proud of her – and knew I’d be seeing her outside of work just as much, if not more.

As our department comes from almost all corners of the Lower Mainland, many of our get-togethers begin on the North Shore where our office is located. So for Kate’s farewell dinner, we decided on the district.

I had been there once before for wine and appies, and thought it was a needed edition to the Lower Lonsdale scene. Full of quirky and ethnic eateries, Lower Lonsdale isn’t exactly trendy. But maybe the district can change that?

It’s a small space, currently only holding about 25 or so people (although I think they have completed their expansion next door), so as we were a party of 10, we had to order in advance. My co-worker Adam, who is a bit of a district regular, raved about the 8 oz. tenderloin. And since I had been craving a good steak, I decided to try it.

The district’s menu is a combo of sharing plates and entrees. It’s pretty small, but for a space that size, I appreciate it. I get scared when I see a tiny restaurant with a large menu – how can they possibly master all those dishes?

the no. 13 burger

Their wine list is also small, but mighty. According to their drink menu, “the district social house only pours BC wines in a nod to supporting local growers and vintners. The majority of our boutique wines come from an area in the South Okanagan called the Naramata Bench just above Penticton on the eastern shores of Okanagan Lake.”

Now there’s something that appeals to my “eat and drink local” mentality.

Adam and I decided the Road 13 Red – Honest John’s would be a perfect compliment to our steaks. I took it pretty easy that night, but several of my co-worker’s tried the mojitos and caiprinhas (the official drink of Brazil – my latest vacation destination – only six more weeks!).

The current space is very intimate and perfect for a romantic evening – and thankfully the couple sitting next to our group had a good sense of humour and didn’t mind us intruding on their evening. The kitchen is wide open and watching the two chefs cook was like watching a well-choreographed dance.

As a woman, I also have to give them props for a lovely bathroom. They do also have a small patio, so hopefully with the expansion, that will expand as well. It did seem a bit of a shame to be cooped inside on such a gorgeous night, but we weren’t the only ones. The place was very quickly packed, and we arrived very early at 5:45 (they don’t take resos after six on the weekends).

After lingering over our wine (simple, clean, and fresh), our meals arrived. As it’s always hard for me to get a bite of everyone’s meal during a group dinner, I’ll just focus on my steak.

The steak was baseball cut, which I don’t think that I had ever had before. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it’s called baseball cut because of its rounded shape. The sirloin is one of the leanest cuts and is probably one of the most flavorful.

8 oz. tenderloin

The steak was carefully grilled to medium rare (my favourite) and was lightly seasoned with a blend of pepper and other spices. I don’t think that a good piece of meat needs too much seasoning and this steak definitely delivered – each bite was a flavour explosion. The meat was paired with frites (good, but nowhere as good as Bistrot Bistro), and something that looked like a cross between asparagus and broccoli.

After doing some googling, I discovered that I had been served broccolini – a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, that does taste like both broccoli and asparagus. It was sweet, buttery and delicious. I actually invited more people to taste my broccolini than my steak.

I think our group was supposed to leave after two hours, but since there wasn’t a line at the door, they allowed us to stay as long as we wanted. And considering Lower Lonsdale also lacks in good places to drink, our restaurant table quickly turned to lounge after dinner.

The district’s blog describes their expansion as having “a lower ceiling, fireside lounge kind of a feel with touches of brick, hardwood and halogen.” Hmm… sounds good to me. I’m not so sure the district is the perfect place to spend a hot summer night, but for good food, service and wine, it’s the place to be in Lower Lonsdale. So hop on the SeaBus and try one of Lower Mainland’s soon-to-be newest hotspots.

the district
013 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver | BC
778.338.4938
thedistrictsocial.com

bistro salad

The news shocked us all. My good friend from journalism school, Irwin, had accepted a job in Cambodia. And he was leaving in a few months. To top it all off, he was heading off to Ecuador for a friend’s wedding for three weeks of the summer – which meant there was little time to squeeze in a J-school reunion/farewell party.

We left the choice of restaurants in his hands. He decided on one of our crew’s favourites – Bistrot Bistro on Fourth.

Bistrot Bistro describes its menu as “traditional French country fare, comprised of the kind of dishes invented to share with friends and family over long, cozy conversation.” It’s true. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the dishes that keeps drawing us back, or maybe it’s the attention to detail. Or maybe it’s the fact that for well under a hundred bucks each, we can have three courses with wine and leave feeling full and satisfied. Whatever it is, we knew a revisit was definitely in order.

The restaurant is tucked into a small space on Fourth, between Maple and Cypress. It looks like a modern-day French farmhouse, with key-lime coloured walls, steel-grey wooden chairs and tealights flickering throughout the space. For the summer, they open the gargage-door-style windows, which let a warm breeze in. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant that night.

From Sunday to Thursday, Bistrot Bistro offers a three-course prix fixe menu for only $26. And lucky for us, they were offering this deal every day of the week for the month of July. We all decided to take advantage of this offer.

Another cool thing they offer is Karma Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, five per cent of their sales will be donated to a local charity or non-profit organization – pretty generous considering the dire state of the current economy.

carrot orange soup

We started off with a giant, crusty baguette, which came with a smooth olive tapenade. The five of us are typically conscious of filling up on bread (especially – gasp! – white bread), but we basically fought over the last pieces to slather on the warm tapenade.

The three gals ordered a half-litre of the Domaine Clos Du Bourg Sauvignon Blanc Touraine to share, while Irwin had a glass of rose (!) and Sam had a Stella. The sauvignon blanc was lovely and crisp – a perfect way to start the meal and a great compliment to my carrot orange soup.

The guys and I had the soup, while Leslie and Pat tried the bistro green salad. The soup was a bit thicker than I expected. It had tons of ginger and was served with two crostinis with blue cheese. It wasn’t a perfect way to start a meal on a hot night, but I would definitely order it again in the winter.

According to the ladies, the salad was all about the dressing, as our server had promised. The salad itself was just mixed greens, but the vinaigrette had shallots, olive oil, garlic Dijon and then balsamic vinegar drizzled on top – apparently it didn’t need anything else.

We were almost unanimous in our choice of main. Four of us ordered the New York steak – two with the peppercorn sauce and two with the blue cheese sauce – while Irwin tried the half roasted chicken au jus. We decided to share a plate of the carrots with glazed almonds (which is big enough for at least five people to share). And all of it came with shoe-string fries and mayo.

I have to say I’ve had better steaks in my life. Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m an Alberta girl and grew up with perfectly barbequed steaks. Or maybe I just find it weird to pan fry a steak. Anyhow, the sauce was definitely tasty (and surprisingly good paired with the frites), and the meat was cooked as ordered. I just don’t think I’d order it again – not ‘cause it wasn’t good, per se, but because I like my steak grilled.

new york steak with blue cheese sauce

Pat and I shared a bottle of the Cave de Rasteau Grenache Syrah Cotes du Rhone to go with our steak and desert. It was delicious – rich and full bodied and tasting of blackberries with a slight touch of pepper. A great compliment to our steak and went well with desert, too.

The carrots were sweet and tender, with a sprinkling of toasted almonds for crunch. Well worth the $3 that they cost (unbelievable!). And Irwin’s chicken looked delicious – crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It was also a lot of chicken, so a dish to consider if you’re especially hungry (or in the mood for chicken).

As I’ve mentioned before, it takes a lot for me to be impressed with fries. I think the mark of a good French fry is that you don’t feel the need to use any sort of sauce.

These were just that.

I hate to say it, but they were like a gourmet version of McDonald’s French fries (from what I remember – it’s been probably five years since I’ve eaten at McDonald’s). Thin and crispy, but still tender on the inside, these fries had a light dusting of salt. They came in two buckets for our table and we dove right into them. And they somehow managed to be not greasy. These fries made it worth the trip.

No, wait – I haven’t mentioned desert yet….

I’ve been to Bistrot Bistro three times and every time I order the chocolate mousse. Although I’m a pretty big chocolate fan, I wouldn’t say I’m fanatical (unlike my friend, Amanda, who keeps a stash in her purse). But if you’d like to have the closest thing to an orgasm without taking your pants off, order the chocolate mousse.

chocolate mousse

The server starts by placing a white bowl in front of you. You’re then left hanging for a bit while they prepare the rest of your table’s deserts. The server arrives with a giant vat of the mousse and then scoops three huge spoonfuls of the glorious goo in your bowl. Honestly? It looks a bit like poo. But never mind the looks. You’ll be eating with your eyes closed in order to savour the chocolately, creamy goodness.

Order. The. Chocolate. Mousse.

By the time we finished desert, it was just after ten and the tea lights began to give a soft glow to the place. The servers didn’t rush us out and chatted with us about Irwin’s new gig. It felt kind of like a dinner party winding down. And really, what more could you ask for when dining out with friends?

Bistrot Bistro
1961 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver | BC
604.732.0004
bistrotbistro.com

berkshire pork belly

It had been a while since my friend, Melanie, and I had hung out. So I proposed a night of good food, great wine, and some good old fashioned gossip. Since visiting Purple Café and Wine Bar in Seattle, I had flights of wine on the brain. So when I read that r.tl (Regional Tasting Lounge) in Yaletown was doing just that, I knew it would be the perfect venue for my wine-loving friend and I.

I think I’m personally beginning to finally see the effects of the economy on Vancouver restaurants. We had made a reso for seven, and when I met Melanie (late because of the stupid last Friday of the month bike ride), there were only two other tables full.

No matter. Mel and I had a lot of food and wine to get through. Here’s the concept of r.tl: change the regional focus of the menu every three months or so – two different international regions and the third is always BC. When we went, it was Portugal and France.

It was definitely difficult to choose our small plates (no entrees on their menu), as it really all looked so good. We finally settled on oak barrel smoked breast of magret duck, pork alentejana and papas Portuguese.

That seemed to be the easy part. Then there were the wines to choose. After starring blindly at the menu, we called over sommelier and operations manager, Alain Canuel.

wine flight

We told him what we were having and he suggested three wines to go with the dishes: a pinot gris from Kettle Valley in BC to start, Vinzelo Tinto from Portugal to go with the duck and a cabernet sauvignon from Blackwood Lane in BC to go with the pork alentejana.

The pinot was a nice way to start off the meal: crisp and refreshing on a warm night. Soon enough, the duck breast arrived. I think I expected it to be warm, but instead it was cold. Nonetheless, it was delicious. The duck is smoked in-house and served with a small, three-grape salad and crunchy walnuts.

Then, bad news: they were out of the pork alentejana. We decided to try their fresh steamed mussels, which were served that day in a spinach cream sauce. Alain was kind enough to bring us another taster of wine to go with that dish: Director’s Cut Chardonnay from Francis Ford Coppola winery (buttery smooth with hints of vanilla).

The mussels were a bit of a surprise. I don’t think it really mattered what they were served with, as we are both huge fans of mussels (as I’ve mentioned before). The mussels were fresh and juicy (and all of them were open – a huge pet peeve of mine when they’re not. Why serve me mussels that I can’t eat?). The spinach sauce was definitely different – not in a bad way – I’d just never had mussels like that before. The whole thing was finished with a sprinkling of basil, which complimented the sweetness of the plump mussels.

papas Portuguese

I know it’s bad to say one of our favourite dishes was the papas Portuguese, but I really think potatoes are an unsung food. A staple in any kitchen and can be done up any way imaginable, but when done right, potatoes are sometimes just the thing the soul needs. I can imagine coming in for a plate of these and a glass of the Coppola Chardonnay after a day of shopping, a prelude to a night out or after a night of dancing and dining. These were crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and paired with the sweet smoked paprika aioli, they resembled French fries gone gourmet.

We were still a bit hungry and we still had a glass of wine left – the Blackwood Lane cabernet sauvignon. We decided to do things a bit backwards and called Alain over to suggest a dish to go with the wine. He suggested the Berkshire pork belly – which we had been eyeing anyhow.

mussels

The pork was served with hibiscus braised purple cabbage, cipollini onions and a braeburn apple compote. The skin of the pork was crispy and combined with the sweet onions, gave a nice textural contrast to the velvety-smooth meat. I’m telling you – this was the best thing we had all night (and as Alain confirmed later – the most popular). The purple cabbage (which, in my opinion, should only ever be served cooked), finished the dish off to make it a bit sweet and sour. And just as Alain suggested, the Blackwood Lane cabernet sauvignon was a great compliment to the pork.

r.tl is a typically gorgeous Yaletown room, and small enough for the servers to have their eyes on you at all times. Our server was never intrusive, despite the fact that she probably didn’t have too much to do, as the restaurant wasn’t too busy. And I liked that the staff presented each dish when it arrived and gave you a chance to ask questions.

But for Melanie and I, the service highlight was definitely Alain. You could tell he personally carefully selected each wine with the menu in mind. And we appreciated his choices – he didn’t automatically jump to the most expensive on the menu (although most glasses by the flight are around the same price).

I was relieved to see the restaurant was filling out by the time we left (seriously – does no one in this town eat before nine these days?), and it’s a shame we were too stuffed for desert.

smoked breast of magret duck

But no matter – r.tl is a restaurant you could easily visit every few months and never be bored. I just hope this hidden gem doesn’t end up another unfortunate victim of this terrible economy. Because great service, food and value like r.tl’s are somewhat of an anomaly these days…

Regional Tasting Lounge
1130 Mainland Street
Vancouver | BC
604.638.1550
r.tl

Campagnolo

The milestone birthday is a cause for a celebration. And for someone who likes food as much as I do, choosing a great restaurant for that celebration is a difficult choice. I didn’t want something too out-of-reach for some of my friends, but yet it had to be something that would rise to the occasion.

So I chose Campagnolo to celebrate my 30th birthday.

Campagnolo is a restaurant that I had heard a lot about, despite the fact that it only opened about six months ago. It was added to Condé Nast Traveller’s 2009 Hot List Tables and mentioned in Vancouver Magazine’s restaurant awards in the new and notable section.

Plus I loved the concept – locally sourced ingredients served Northern Italian style. And the people behind it have a great pedigree – the chef, sommelier and front-of-house manager are all from Fuel.

One of the quirkiest things about the restaurant is its location. When I was giving the address to my friends, one said, “Oh yeah – there’s some really hot restaurants opening up on South Main.”

“Um, yeah,” I agreed. “But Campagnolo isn’t in that part. It’s more north. Like, next door to the Ivanhoe?”

“Oh,” he replied. “Well, if that’s what you want…”

But trust me. It’s well worth the trip to the edge of the Downtown Eastside. The room itself is kind of downtown loft meets mountain lodge. We sat in the back by the bar, which gave us a lovely view of the binners walking by (okay, so the view is not the reason to go). The ceilings are laced with exposed pipes, and are framed by a honey-comb pattern of fir slates.

It was a bit challenging for me (especially during a relaxing birthday dinner) to be critiquing all the food that came by our table that night. But let me give you a little sample of what we had.

To start, a bunch of us ordered the crispy ceci, marinated olives and the pan-fried spot prawns. I decided on the Polderside chicken brasato and shared a side of the soft polenta for my main.

Ceci is chickpeas in Italian and I don’t think my friends and I knew what we were getting ourselves into when we ordered them. They’re made by taking cooked chick peas and drying them off before frying. They then toss them up with some lemon olive oil, mint and peperoncini. They’re lightly crisp on the outside, but then buttery soft on the inside. It’s like taking hummus and frying it. Do not go to Campagnolo and not try these!

The olives were delightful and you could tell they were cured in-house. The hazelnuts added a nice crunch to the dish, and they all hinted of the orange that was used to make them.

I had never had spot prawns before (a shame considering I live so close to the boats that drop them off next to Granville Island). I suppose I didn’t expect them to be so… whole. Maybe I expected them to be de-veined and not served so rustic-style. Don’t get me wrong – I love rustic food (Campagnolo actually means “country bumpkin” in Italian). But it seemed like a lot of work to get through to the actual meat of the shrimp.

Seeing that it was my birthday and all, I decided to have a glass of the Mionetto, Pergolo Prosecco Spumante to go with my dinner. I thought their wine list was small, but diverse enough and reasonably priced. I liked that it focused just on BC and Italian wines. And even though I didn’t try it, several of my friends raved about the Allegro cocktail – amaro montenegro, amaretto, and limonata served tall over ice.

Some thought our server over-explained each dish and the concept of the restaurant (when he found out he hadn’t been there before). But I personally loved to hear the story of the place and each of its dishes. But maybe I’m just kind of nerdy like that.

Our mains were all great, but don’t expect them to look pretty. As I mentioned, this is Italian done rustic. But the flavours and care that were put into each dish were well noticed.

The pastas, I should mention, are meant to be a first course – they are not North American sized. Having said that, I think that the concept of having pasta as a first course is a great one, but then it should be priced accordingly. Fifteen bucks for a small bowl of pasta seems excessive to me.

The chicken was delicious and fell right off the bone. I didn’t expect the dish to be so soupy though. Should I have ordered some bread to sop up the juices? But the polenta was gorgeous. I have a sweet spot for cornmeal dishes, as one of my favourite Ukrainian dishes is a cornmeal casserole. The polenta was creamy and thick and melted in your mouth. I imagine there was a tonne of butter, but who cares? It was my birthday after all.

We finished the night with a citrus panna cotta (complete with birthday candle!), and I had the Batasiolo Moscato d’Asti desert wine. I should have been bold and tried a grappa, but maybe I’ll leave it for next time.

The panna cotta was creamy and smooth, with just a hint of citrus and crushed hazelnuts on top. It was a perfect end to a perfect birthday dinner.

Campagnolo
1020 Main Street
Vancouver | BC
604.484.6018
campagnolorestaurant.ca

dips and dates

When someone who loves food heads out for a vacation (admittedly a mini one, but a vacation nonetheless!), restaurants are as important, if not more important, than the tourist attractions.

So when Pat and I decided to head down to Seattle for two days and a night, I put the call out for restaurant recommendations. Turns out my friends have plenty of suggestions for great places to eat in downtown Seattle, but one in particular caught my eye – the Purple Café and Wine Bar.

The food looked great, but what pulled me in were their flights of wine. I think this trend is just starting to pick up in Vancouver, so I was intrigued by the idea of a food and wine tasting as dinner.

I tried to make resos several days before, but they were booked solid. But they said the lounge also served food, so we thought we’d give that a shot.

The first thing I noticed as I walked towards Purple Café was the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The second was the massive wine tower in the centre of the restaurant with the spiral staircase that wrapped around it. The whole place was back lit by flickering candles, making it look a bit like a cathedral at night.

It seemed we were out of luck. There still weren’t any openings in the restaurant and all the seats in the lounge were taken. But we decided to take our chances and wait in the lounge. Two minutes later a spot at the bar opened up and we began to peruse the massive menu.

If I have any complaints about Purple Café, it would be that the menu is too big. It spanned small plates to cheese, starters to salads, sandwiches to pizza, pastas to entrees to sides… oh yeah, and desert, too!

We decided to choose our food and then decide on a flight of wine. We were going to start with the artichoke parmesan spread; white bean, roasted garlic and rosemary spread; and gorgonzola stuffed dates, pine nuts and saba. Pat had the goat cheese and roasted pepper salad with chicken for her main, while I had the papardelle with roasted squash and mushrooms.

Once our server/bartender helped us navigate the menu, he helped us pick our wine flights. And we needed all the help we could get. Let me just start by saying that the wine book (that’s right – I did say book!) was 82 pages long and included a table of contents and glossary.

At least Pat and I narrowed it down to a flight of white wine and thankfully there was only one page for each red and white. Pat went with rhône-style, while I chose the local whites:

wine flight

rhône-style
cave de tain marsanne . vin de pays des collines rhodaniennes, france . 07
caves des papes ‘heritages’ . côtes du rhône, france . 06
château la baronne . vin de pays de hauterive, france . 06
mccrea ‘ciel du cheval vineyard’ viognier . red mountain, washington . 07

local whites
efeste sauvignon blanc . columbia valley, washington . 07
milbrandt vineyards ‘sundance’ chardonnay . washington . 06
winter’s hill vineyard pinot gris . dundee hills, oregon . 06
ross andrew winery ‘meadow’ . oregon . 07

And low and behold, just as we gave our server our order, a table freed up in the dining room. Although the bar was roomy enough for us to eat at, we decided a window table would be nicer.

Our new server, David, was just as knowledgeable and knew when to interrupt and when to leave us alone. And let’s be honest – he was pretty easy on the eyes, too!

He brought our appetizers, the dips and the dates, along with some artisan bread. The artichoke and parmesan dip needed to impress me. I’ve had my share of artichoke and fill-in-the-blank dip at every chain restaurant possible, so I was reluctant, at best.

goat cheese and roasted pepper salad with chicken

But impress it did. The dip was creamy, but still fresh and screamed of artichoke flavour – something those chain restaurant versions tend to lack. The parm brought just the right amount of saltiness and you could taste both components easily without one overpowering the other.

The white bean, roasted garlic and rosemary spread had a woodsy flavour to it (figures – rosemary does it every time). This was a nice twist on a hummus, but didn’t have the overwhelming garlic flavour that typically accompanies hummus.

And then finally, it was on to the gorgonzola stuffed dates, pine nuts and saba. Now if I told you these were about the closest thing to heaven I’ve ever come across in an appetizer, would you believe me? Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating just a little – but not much.

The dates were sweet and the nuttiness of the pine nuts popped in my mouth. And then the rich, creamy gorgonzola mixed with the saba (cooked grape juice made from Trebbiano grapes – the same ones they use to make balsamic vinegar) to provide a long, smooth finish that lingered on my tongue.

Hold on. I might need a minute.

Our wines were also great – although the ross andrew winery ‘meadow,’ had a bit of a sour after-taste. They came in a little trolley and had a card with it, so you knew what you were drinking. The idea was definitely fun, and we certainly weren’t the only group of women in the place laughing over flights of wine.

But the clientele, in general, was pretty eclectic. Lots of groups of friends lingering over a meal, some saddled up to the bar for some wine and cheese, a few romantic dates, and definitely some tables who were there for a celebration.

Our mains came not long after we finished the appies. Pat’s salad looked great, although I wouldn’t say that it was a show-stopper. But I truly loved my pasta. It was a perfect compliment to my wine – simple in design, but still complex in flavours.

papardelle with roasted squash and mushrooms

The pasta was tender and tossed in basically butter and herbs. The mushrooms and squash were cut to the same size and were topped with thick slices of parmesan. The dish felt like something that you would have after a day of foraging wild mushrooms in the woods.

While we waited for our deserts, we noticed the design coordination of the entire restaurant. The chairs at the tables, napkin rings, bread plate and even the roof all had the same lattice iron pattern. No detail was missed in this place.

Even though we were stuffed, we just couldn’t resist desert. What I appreciated was the tapas-style deserts they offered. I think they were supposed to be ordered as a flight, but they were just the right size for a small, sweet bite at the end of the meal.

Pat tried the syrah brownie (along with a glass of syrah, of course), while I tried the pear and chestnut honey crisp. The brownie was rich, chocolaty goodness, while my crisp was tart, not too sweet and a perfect compliment to my last glass of fruity white wine.

The place was still hopping as we finished off just past 10, and our server was kind of to suggest two lounges to hit up after dinner. In retrospect, we should have just moved over to the lounge for a few more glasses (or flights) of wine. But I’m not too concerned. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back the next time I’m in Seattle. After all – I have another 81 pages of the wine book to get through.

Purple Café and Wine Bar
1225 4th Avenue
Seattle | WA
206.829.2280
thepurplecafe.com