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Monthly Archives: March 2012

Le Gavroche — a gastronomic tour around France without leaving the city

23 Mar

Le Gavroche Restaurant has begun preparations for a series of regional tasting menus, with a different region of France to be featured each month.

The French restaurant, which has received numerous recognitions for being one of Vancouver’s most romantic eateries, will begin with foods from the Burgundy region. The menu will include seared scallops with Burgundy snail risotto, which sounds pretty amazing to me as scallops, risotto and escargots are some of my favourite foods.

Coq au vin will also feature, which is almost equally appealing.

The full course menu goes for $49 and if you want to pair each of the four courses with a sommelier-suggested glass of wine, that costs another $49.

According to general manager David Ferd, May will feature spot prawns paired with rosé from the Provence region.

The Bordeaux and Loire regions also get a chance in the spotlight over the next months.

October will feature wines for the Playhouse Wine Festival.

The year will end with champagne and truffles.

Although I’m a student, I refuse to starve… and will likely try one of the upcoming feature menus. However, I believe I will have to forgo the wine pairings.

Sigh.

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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Yew at the Four Seasons, Vancouver

20 Mar

This is CARPACCIO GOUGÈRES from the bar in Yew at the Four Seasons in downtown Vancouver. It looks delicious, no? Touted on the menu as consisting of shaved tenderloin, black pepper lime dressing and parmasan, it sounded promising.

However, like many things on menus everywhere, it sounded better than it was! The carpaccio was nice but somewhat flavourless (although after having the carpaccio at CRU restaurant in Vancouver, which is served with caperberries, truffle aioli, shaved parmesan and crostini, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to enjoy it anywhere else again). Oddly though, the lime dressing and parmasan had even less flavour.

One other strange thing about this place: the male servers all wear plaid shirts and jeans. I don’t know how I felt about it…was it casually stylish or a failed attempt at irony? It’s a mystery!

Apparently the Black Tusk Ale (made by Whistler Brewing) has won awards and stuff.

 
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Posted by on March 20, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

Bayou on Bay, Bellingham WA

13 Mar

Pictured above is part of an enjoyable dinner at Bayou on Bay in downtown Bellingham.

This is a Creole/Cajun restaurant that always seems to be full of happy diners, and is attached to a nice little bar you can wait in (because there is often a wait for tables).

There is also an alleged oyster bar, but I haven’t actually walked around trying to find it. I can, however, attest that Bayou on Bay’s Taylor Pacific Oyster Shooters are fabulous…these are oysters in a shot glass with cocktail sauce and an optional shot of vodka (who wouldn’t choose that option?).

On the right of the above picture is a plate that once contained frogs’ legs…I was too eager to eat them so I guess I forgot to take a pic when they were first served. Tasty (tasted like chicken!) but the texture was different so I guess they aren’t for everyone.

I enjoyed them but my fellow diner thought said texture was a bit too much (I was, however, impressed with his bravery for trying them as I realize not everyone is like me in wanting to try everything I can). He also dislikes mushrooms for their texture, so maybe there’s a correlation there.

Directly in front of me was an etouffe (sometimes spelled/written as “étouffée”) . Étouffée is French for “smother” and refers to a Cajun style of cooking that involves simmering food in liquid. Etouffe is a traditional Cajun dish involving seafood served over rice. Bayou on Bay’s interpretation involves cream, crawfish, mushrooms and tomatoes.

I really like this dish (this wasn’t even the first time I’ve ordered this there) but my favourite etouffe had more cream and less tomato, which I ate at a dinner party served by someone who had recently returned from New Orleans.

Bayou on Bay’s etouffe is, like many of their menu items, served with warm cornbread, which is really nice to dip into the sauce if you happen to finish the whole thing (I can’t).

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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Uli’s Restaurant – where have you been all my life? White Rock B.C…I shall return.

12 Mar

Well, what can I say? I’m not really a burger person, usually. But Uli’s in White Rock (right on that main street along the water, with the pier visible) has me rethinking that stance.

Mind you, to lump it in the same category as all the other burgers out there is not only an injustice…it’s a little bit ludicrous.

The ridiculously good food I had

So my charming dining companion and I shared two burgers:

1) the Uli’s burger — the burnt onion relish and smoked cheddar convinced me that said dining companion was correct — this place has a tasty burger.

2) Uli’s burger Version 2.0 — I think I went into my own little world for a minute. I actually wanted to be alone with this burger for a few minutes. As if the garlic aioli, candied shallots and creme de Paris (herbed butter made, apparently, from 27 ingredients and based on an old French recipe) weren’t enough, the way the juice from the sirloin patty soaked into the bun just blew my mind.

It keeps getting better — summer can’t come soon enough for this sun-hater

I am going back. No question. And in summer, they carry Fruli, one of my favourite beers in the entire world, on draft. It’s Belgian and made from strawberries.

Version 2.0, Fruli, patio, view and captivating company — sounds like a good summer awaits.

I’m not alone in loving these burgers

If you don’t believe me, check this out. Uli’s holds the title of best burger. Here’s a contest for which I would not mind being a judge…providing, of course, the other burgers can even hold a candle to these ones. I’m doubtful though.

 
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Posted by on March 12, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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