Michelle Sproule | Have you ever had a plate of something that tasted so precisely of there and then seasonality that it almost floored you? Corn on the cob often does it at backyard barbecues. So do spot prawns and, of course, salmon. It’s a sense that’s rarely captured in restaurant environments, but caught it was yesterday during happy hour at Grapes & Soda. Chef Ron Shaw’s treatment of smoked sockeye with mizzen, inure, strawberry, and rhubarb tasted like the most honest expression of June 11th, 2015 that a local chef could ever hope to achieve: sunny, fresh, light, bright, and cooled by an ocean breeze — perfect. Also of note was the exquisite burrata plate with pea tips, asparagus, and verjus. Bonus: barman Satoshi Yonemori’s outstanding cocktails (Tucano, GnS Clover Club). Their happy hour runs daily from 5pm to 6:30pm with 50% off all food.
Grapes & Soda | 1541 W 6th Ave | South Granville | www.grapesandsoda.ca