Article & photos by Lenora A. Hayman
With 214 restaurants participating Jan 24-Feb 6 in Vancouver’s Dine Out 2011, it’s the largest promotion of that kind in Canada and one of the most anticipated events for my friends and I. Phone lines were already busy on the reservation launching day, for the $18, $28 & $38 3-course meals plus suggested VQA BC wine pairing.
To whet one’s palate there were some pre-events including 8 chefs competing at the Vancouver Aquarium for the Inside Taste: a sustainable Plate and Pairing Challenge, which the Refinery Restaurant won and the Boathouse Restaurant was awarded the People’s Choice Award 2011.
There were also Secret Supper Soirees where a private trolley car transported guests to 3 secret destinations in the evening, Dinner and Theatre packages, Dinner eaten Blindfolded in the Dark and Culinary Classes.
Anne and I both love seafood so the Coast Restaurant (1054 Alberni St. Van. 604-685-5010), one of the Glowbal group was a natural choice. This 7000 Sq. Ft space, with turquoise tones and ivory and wood accents, has a 24-seat oyster and chowder bar, 125 seats on the main floor and 120 seats on the 2nd level.
Exec. Chef Dennis Peckham created a great menu. Our cauliflower soup, smoked sablefish and brioche croutons, paired nicely with the grassy, citrus-infused Mission Hill 5 Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.
Chris Seguin, our waiter, suggested a glass of Mission Hill ‘Reserve” Chardonnay with peach, pineapple, banana and toasty oak with my moist Qualicum Bay scallops, saffron fingerling potatoes, tomato fondue, eggplant ratatouille in a shellfish broth.
Anne chose with her duo of confit veal breast and braised veal short rib, herbed potato gnocchi dumplings and roasted 
parsnip, the Okanagan Painted Rock Syrah for its peppery herbal and cherry overtones.
The Mission Hill ‘Late Harvest’ Riesling, a great desert wine with pear, apple, quince and a touch of honey, concluded the evening with our flourless chocolate torte, butterscotch gelato with a butterscotch lollypop.
L’Abattoir Restaurant at 217 Carroll St. is located in Vancouver’s original jail, which was next to the city’s main butchery. Hence the name L’Abattoir. Chef Lee Cooper has worked at the Mission Hill Family Estate Terrace Restaurant and England’s Fat Duck. Jake Skakun, the Sommelier, has created a great wine list and Paul Grunberg GM/Co-owner with stints at Chambar and Lumiere is justly proud of this establishment.
The black and white French-tiled 1st floor featured cute ½ pint glass mason jar lanterns glowing softly over Shaun Layton, the mixologist’s bar, .and also a dining area in the atrium at the back.
Lili and I ate upstairs surrounded by the brick and beams and view through the window of the atrium below.
Lili was delighted that her salad of poached egg, Swiss chard, homemade ricotta cheese, and tomato sauce had the gluten-free quinoa(kinwa) grain-like pseudo cereal that is high in protein and has a nutty flavour when cooked.
I had the delicious confit of albacore tuna, lettuce, smoked pork fat and crispy bits and a glass of Tantalus ’09 Riesling with its nuances of apple and citrus.
We both chose the moist roast loin of pork, pasta with sausage filling and carrots with a glass of Arrowleaf Soltice Pinot Noir for its cherry, raspberry and spice tones.
Nadia Johnson, our food server, introduced us to a refreshing dessert of fizzy lemonade with blood orange sorbet, tapioca pearls and earl grey granite. Granite is a juice that is frozen to the slushy stage.
The following weekend we visited Patrick Corsi’s and Alex Tsakumis’ Q4 Al Centro in L’Hermitage Hotel( 780 Richards St.) During previous Dine Outs we had met GM Albert Chee at Joe Fortes and Gold Pacific Kitchen and now he is at Q4 Al Centro. Although Lili could have taken advantage of the complimentary parking for her car, we wisely took the Canada Line so we could enjoy a drink at this Richards and Robson venue. Nelson Navasero, the barman, directed our attention to the 10×20 ft. Jason Gogo’s abstract painting in which the juice of the Napa Valley grapes created the bright red wine colour. You may sit at the 4-seater kitchen bar and watch Chef Bradford Ellis and his team create their masterpieces in the kitchen which included a Wood Stone Forno pizza oven. The natural cork flooring in the 70-seater dining area, not only absorbed the normal chatter but the clatter of a dropped spoon at the next table.
We chose the light and fruity Antinori Santa Cristena Pinot Grigio 2007 with both the crab cake appetizer and main dish of moist herb crusted BC sablefish, fennel and tomato brodo or broth.
Lili concluded with a strawberry, lemon and orange sorbet trio and my ciaccollato of milk chocolate, marsala mousse, dark chocolate ganache and praline crust was deliciously decadent.
Dine Out’s final event was the Kronenbourg 1664 Brasserie Mystere. Although we knew the start time and the Roundhouse location, the mystery of the event was the name of the Chef. We cheered with the appearance of Exec David Hawksworth who will be opening his own restaurant, Hawksworth, in May, in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. Nick Relph, the Director of Marketing for Carlsberg Canada who import the Kronenbourg 1664 French Beer was the M.C. guiding us through the two 1st courses of either Dungeness Crab or a shaved fennel salad., followed by 2 main choices of Beef Bourguignon Short Rib or Roasted Sablefish.
The Kronenbourg 1664 Premier French Beer is golden in colour, with a malty aroma, fruit notes and a zing of apricot. For many at our table we welcomed our first experience of pairing fine food with beer.
As a special treat with our dessert of Yogurt Pannacotta, citrus, crispy vanilla wafer, we were offered a glass of Kronenbourg Blanc Wheat Beer, a premium white beer with hints of coriander, grapefruit and cloves. We are pleased that it will be offered in specialty restaurants and select outlets in May.
Photos all by Lenora A. Hayman