Westender Review #253: “Finer Diner ‘Cafeteria’ Opens Strong”

My review of Main St.’s new Cafeteria in this week’s Westender:

by Andrew Morrison | It’s not uncommon for eagerly anticipated new restaurants to fall flat on their faces. The service can be skittish, the food unevenly prepared, and the vibe altogether unsettled, but that’s only to be expected with new rooms. I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt, usually by paying them three separate visits. One can’t expect (though it’s entirely reasonable to demand) perfection during the first few weeks. Mistakes — even a horrendous one, or two — are the norm. One dines accordingly, as if in a minefield.

That said, on very rare occasions, a restaurant comes along that’s a genuine pleasure to review straight out of the gate. Cafeteria is one of those. Having opened two weeks ago at Main and 11th, it’s without any noticeable flaws and drunk on that most elusive of hospitality cocktails: experience, mixed with confidence, and good luck. One visit was enough, but I went twice because I liked it so much. Read more

Food Media Omnibus #260

What’s being said in print…

• Granville’s new Twisted Fork Bistro fails the Alexandra Gill test in the Globe and Mail.
• National Post: Boba closes in Toronto as a consequence of the recession. Not the first. Not the last.
• Judith Lane talks tap water in the Georgia Straight (plus Carolyn Ali picks out 12 foodie gifts).
• Deana Lancaster visits with Presto Catering in the North Shore News.
• Anya Levykh reviews The Refinery in Metro.
• In the Westender, I talk to a few restaurateurs about the economy.

What’s being said on the blogs…

• Vancouver Eats visits The Cascade Room.
• Vancouver Slop visits Cobre.
• City Food reports on the Lumiere/DB openings.
• Live To Eat visits Vij’s.
• Taste T.O. reviews the new West Cookbook.
• Tiny Bites checks out Campagnolo (with me, blush).
• Butter On The Endive goes cow tipping at Gastropod.

Food Media Omnibus #259

Coming to Vancouver – a meal worthy of Barack Obama, courtesy chef Daniel Boulud – Mia Stainsby calls Boulud for the Vancouver Sun:

Surprisingly, this giant among restaurateurs is nervous about the Vancouver openings.

“I’m more intimidated opening in Vancouver than in New York. It’s not my home here and I’m going to have to work it out, make sure it’s coming together the way I want it to. You’d be surprised, for me, being from New York – certainly I’m globally exposed, but every time I talk about myself, I talk about Vancouver. People think very highly of Vancouver as a city. With all that, I want to live up to the reputation for the people of Vancouver.

“It’s part of me now.”

From fine dining casualty to casual dining royalty – Tim Pawsey on the Cactus Club in The Vancouver Courier.

Two Chefs’ Railtown dishes are comfy, but plain – Anya Levykh visits Two Chefs and a Table in Metro.

Leisurely lunch recommendations for the holidays – Judith Lane gets around in the Georgia Straight.

Celebrated chef Vikram Vij shares his holiday secrets – Mary Nersessian for CTV.

Party on for Christmas – Carla Wilson says companies are still booking for parties this holiday season despite the economic downturn in the Times-Colonist. Is that purely inertia or a last hurrah?

Friends of farming face the future – Glenda Luymes for The Province.

No fall hibernation for Uli’s – Michelle Hopkins goes to White Rock’s Uli’s for the Vancouver Sun.

We ordered seared calamari (I think) – Alexandra Gill harumphs at West Vancouver’s Matteo Modern Greek Kitchen in the Globe and Mail. I’ve heard the place sucks.

City restaurants offer the perfect holiday party venue – And lo, in my Westender column I ask Kurtis Kolt to sit on the communal table at the Salt Cellar.

Food Media Omnibus #258

Welcome back to the Food Media Omnibus, a collection of local food media stories that have caught my eye on the internets this week. Feast up, my lovelies, and don’t forget to tip your server…

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In the Globe and Mail, Alexandra Gill gets her knives out and goes to town on the reincarnation of Crime Lab, the new restaurant at the foot of Denman in Coal Harbour (the original Crime Lab was in the Pender flat-iron building, It closed four years ago).

When the restaurant opened last summer, the kitchen was run by chef Shahab Ghaemi-Zadeh, another Crime Lab alumnus. I visited in mid-September and was impressed by a couple of his Persian-inspired dishes, which stood out temptingly from the usual pub-grub suspects. The grilled lamb lollipops ($14) were juicy and nicely charred, the plate scattered with roasted pistachios and drizzled with a snappy mint-pistachio pesto. For dessert, drunken figs ($9) were stewed in port and cognac, served with a crunchy pistachio gelato and sweet fig glaze.

I remember wishing the menu had taken a more serious stab at this Iranian vein, instead of slashing around the globe and slaughtering so many of the basics. Dungeness crab cakes ($14) were stuffed with filler; free-range chicken breast ($21) was dry and served with a mushroom risotto that must have been built from the same tasteless broth as the Spanish paella ($21).

Quick Q&A with chef David Hawksworth in the Globe.

In Whistler’s Pique, we learn that Citta Bistro, an icon of sorts in the mountain town’s main square (been there 25 years), is “fighting to survive“.

Wishing I was in Tofino:

It’s time to get your slurp on for the 12th annual Clayoquot Sound Oyster Festival. The weekend that celebrates West Coast oysters kicks off Thursday and runs straight through until the sold-out gala event on Saturday night.

Whipping out his periscope: Malcolm Parry gets the low down on Chambar’s upcoming cooking school in the Sun.

Voya at the Loden gets good marks from Sun critic Mia Stainsby.

The Province has more on council’s “no” vote on the Opus Hotel’s plans for a rooftop restaurant. I’m still totally bumfuzzled as to the why on this. It’s embarrassing.

Deana Lancaster reviews North Vancouver’s Gusti di Quattro in the North Shore News.

In the Westender, I review Motomachi Shokudo, a little ramen place from Daiji Matsubura on Denman that I can never get enough of. If you’ve never been before, go.

And finally, The National Post tries to make sense of an imaginary Boulud-Vongerichten-Feenie drama troika, with eyebrow raising results:

So, if Jean-Georges is friends with Boulud, and he’s also friends with the guy whose kitchen Boulud took over from, what does it all mean? Maybe nothing. But one thing’s for certain: Neither camaraderie nor intrigue is in short order in Vancouver’s whimsy-packed resto-scene!

Let’s hear it for whimsy (and Toronto).

Swoosh! Gong! And we’re done…

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