Dining in Vancouver

[donlever]

Thanks Topper.

Awesome post.

I appreciate your knowledge and history in the field and the offering of same to us at this here gdhtmb.

Great stuff.

[KeyserSoze]

http://chronicle.com/article/article-content/131952/

[Topper]

Donny, a few more thoughts on modern cuisine. I equate some of what is done to what goes on in the desert and pastry world. The way some chefs work with chocolate and sugar so that the plate is no longer food but becomes sculpture is not too different than what some of the chef's going overboard on molecular gastronomy are trying to achieve.

At a certain point, it crosses the line between food and art and the closer it comes to art, the more hands have been messing about with your food, and the less edible it becomes.

Contrast that with a nice Italian dish of six very fresh ingredients, simply prepared to let each ingredient speak for itself while providing a sum greater than its parts.

[KeyserSoze]

Foodwise, I'd put Cru in the same league as West, and I haven't been to West since Hawksworth left.

Mark Taylor is closing his critically-acclaimed Cru Restaurant on June 30th, almost 9 years to the day after it opened at 1459 West Broadway. The sad news comes just a few months after he opened his second restaurant, the Mediterranean-themed Siena, located nearby at 1485 West 12th.

Taylor doesn’t believe that the coming end of Cru should be seen as further indication of Vancouver’s divorce from fine dining. “Look at Hawksworth, Blue Water, Cioppino’s…they’re all doing buckets,” he told me over the phone this afternoon. “Cru was actually busier after Siena opened, but the hassle to pleasure ratio is just not what it used to be. I know it sounds like politician’s cliche, but I’m really looking forward to spending more time with my family.” Though Taylor has sold the assets within, he’d like to assure Vancouverites that there’s a good chance that he’ll open Cru again somewhere else at some point down the line. In the meantime, however, he has a new baby to enjoy and a marriage/honeymoon on the horizon this Fall.

[Topper]

Vancouver bound next week and looking for a place for Mrs Topper and I to have dinner. We'll probably have the kid along as well. He's well behaved (or else) and eats what ever we're having so that isn't an issue. I can understand however, other diners may not want a kid around.

Suggestions?

[Topper]

Since no one bothered to help us out, we tried Edible.

It was OK, but only OK. Mrs Topper liked her food and mine for the most part was alright, but there were some problems. Service was alright but needs to be far more attentive.

http://www.ediblecanada.com/menus/46856-Winter%20DINNER%20Menu%2011.28.12.pdf

It was the first night of their new winter menu and that may explain the problems with my diner. We started off with winter green salad for the Mrs and I had the curry crusted tuna. Both were very good, but here is where the problems with service began. We had not decided on wine when the waitress took our order and she failed to come back to take a wine order. We ordered wine from the food runner when he brought our appys. Mrs Topper had the Joie unoaked chard and I had a Riesling, both paired well. Our server was useless when asked for recommendations, they just didn't fit with the food.

For mains, my wife had the salmon and I had the elk. Her salmon was great and she especially liked the smokiness of the tomato vinaigrette that dressed the bed of wilted greens. This dish is a hold over from the previous menu. My elk was fine but could have been better. It was cooked wonderfully medium rare but the outside sear was a hard and dry thin rind. I'm not sure, but it may be done with either a torch or under the salamander. I see they do their flatiron steak sous vide and I wonder if that is the same foe the elk. The shredded brussel sprouts were also good, but again could have been better. It looks like they cut the sprouts on a slicer or mandolin, which would be fine if they cut most of the core out first. The slices with large portions of core were unevenly coked and excessively bitter. Use a pairing knife to core the sprouts and then slice 'em and they would be much better. Nit picking maybe, but they can do better.

Again, problems with service. Our appy plates were cleared seconds before our mains arrived and no one had come by to look at our wine glasses to see that we'd be wanting more for with our mains. Wine didn't arrive until we were well into our food. They also do not serve bread. I finally asked was we were served some great foccacia.

For dessert, the wife order creme brule and I ordered the frangiopanne. The frangiopane got sent back. the filling was uncooked and tasted like raw roux, the puff pastry top crust was like hard rubber. I couldn't cut it with the side of my fork. The taste of raw flour and butter turned me right off. Hopefully they get this dish sorted out.

We brought the kid with us and the waitress was surprised when we spurned their kids menu and ordered him the same tuna appy I had. He loved it and cleaned his plate. One thing the servers did do right was handle the kid, they had colouring books and crayons on the table for him that kept him quietly occupied until the food came.

Would we go back? I doubt it. There was nothing on the menu I couldn't easily cook at home and when we go out for dinner, that is what I want. If a 1/3rd of your bill is food cost, then 2/3rds is service, cooking technique and atmosphere. I didn't see the value in the 2/3rds of my bill.

The place also only serves overpriced Canadian, primarily BC, wines. BC is producing some nice wines, but they are not worth the value. I'd take a $15-$20 bottle of Spanish red overt a $40 bottle (price from the winery) of BC red any day and it is time sommaliers and consumers grow a pair and start complaining.

[Strangelove]

Spanish red

[RoyalDude]

What about the Red Burrito?

[Meds]

Just got back from Montreal, so far, for me at least, that is the place to go (in Canada) for dining. Wow.