By Iron Chef Leftovers
About a month and a half ago, there was an article in The Stranger that contained the 10 reasons why Seattle should be jealous of Vancouver BC. I have spent a bunch of time in Vancouver and I love the city (and Mrs. Iron Chef is convinced that I am part Canadian), but from a culinary standpoint, Seattle is the winner in that fight. Yes, Vancouver has some terrific places and has vastly better Chinese food than Seattle, but the truly great places in Vancouver are a bit spendy (especially when you factor the 13% sales tax and the 1:1 exchange rate) and booze is not cheap in BC. You give me the choice between the two and I am going to take Seattle every time.
That being said, there were a couple of points that the author had that I would like to comment on.
4. Bacon brioche at L’Abattoir. I had an exceptional meal at this haute spot, where chef Lee Cooper was in the kitchen expediting despite having a broken back. Snowboard accident. Gawd, the guy’s got game. Dinner was fantastic, but it’s the soft, porky brioche that’s seared in my memory.
We visited L’Abattoir in February and let me tell you this was one of the 10 best meals I have ever had. The food is a modern take on classic French dishes – there is a lot of molecular gastronomy involved and foam (Marcel would be proud), but I was absolutely blown away by the meal. The bread basket was worth making the trip for – in addition to the Bacon Brioche, there was an anchovy-cheddar twist (phenomenal) and a black sesame cracker which I thought was better than the brioche – high praise from someone who would leave his wife for the right pork-centric meal. As phenomenal as the food is at L’Abattoir the real reason to go is:
5. Tales of the Cocktail. Did you know America’s premier boozing bash is hitting the road and making its first stop ever outside New Orleans in Vancouver in March? Yup. I got a sneak sip of some of the cocktails that will be poured and damn, those were some well-crafted drinks. Oh, and the bartender at L’Abattoir is aging cocktails like Manhattans and Negroni in whiskey barrels!–a trend started in forward-drinking London.
The bartenders at L’Abattior are true craftsmen. Go for the drinks, stay for the food. I need to do a proper review of the place sometime soon.
6. Oyama Sausage. Yes, we’ve got Salumi, but the range of animals represented at this Eurocentric salumeria in Granville Island’s busy marketplace is staggering. There’s cured bison, elk, and antelope, and venison, wild boar and duck prosciutto. Yes, there’s even boudin noir and Scottish black pudding. Hot dog!
I like Salumi, but I much prefer DaPino’s – the sausages are just as good and there is never a tremendous line to wait for your food. Besides, Pino does tend to do a few things that the Batallli’s don’t (Wild Boar anyone). Oyama reminds me of DaPino’s with an even bigger selection. The Mrs. And I have smuggled their chorizo and wild boar salami back across the border, risking confiscation from surly border agents. To sample some of their wares, head to their shop on Granville Island or check out the Salt Tasting Room in Blood Alley.
Speaking of Granville Island, why is the Granville Island Market not on this list – it is Pike Place with a significantly better food focus. Locals actually shop there. Also missing from this list – the Richmond Night Market. Seattle (or Portland for that matter) doesn’t have anything close to it.
FlatbreadGarden 