Sip Resto-Lounge

Sip Resto-Lounge: 1117 Granville St., Vancouver.

So far as lounges were concerned, Vancouver was a barren wasteland for a long, long time. And now that we are starting to be blessed with a going-out culture that finally seems ready for them, it seems that in true Vancouver fashion we’ve managed to score a few that blend the lounge idea with other, more Vancouver-esque ideas. Namely, fusing the concept with food that challenges the status quo.

Introducing – the “resto-lounge”.

One of my favourite examples of this is Sip. Nestled in amongst the gloriously trashy environment that is downtown Granville Street, Sip is a lounge that embraces that Vancouver desire for culinary innovation while pushing the eating and drinking environment into unique directions - everything on the menu at Sip looks like something you’ve seen before, yet it tastes completely different.

"...everything... at Sip looks like something
you've seen before,
yet it tastes completely different."

The easy write-off reason for this would involve the resto-lounge’s use of different alcohols in their cooking. Although cooking with alcohol is, of course, hardly something new, it’s the clever pairing of the alcohol with the dish (heavy experimentation with different spirits is prominent) that sets the flavours apart - and everything fits together perfectly.

But, as I mentioned, this is too easy an answer for Sip’s unique flavours and doesn’t give enough credit to the chef. There are other, non-alcohol-induced twists of flair that create Sip’s superb, familiar-yet-different, culinary treats. One example that springs to mind, is sugar coating the fries that come as sides. Yeah, I know… sugar! But you know what, it works. Just like everything else on the menu – it’s unique, it creates unique taste sensations, and it just plain works!

"...heavy experimentation with spirits is prominent."

The bar staff know their stuff in an unassuming, yet skilled kind of way. The drinks list is colourful and interesting, although it isn’t too dissimilar from what you might have seen in martini lounges elsewhere (albeit good martini lounges). But more importantly, the staff are skilled, fast and accurate and your drink will appear in front of you, mixed to perfection – placed by a bartender who’s only need for 'flare' is speed and accuracy. Honestly, these are the kinds of bartenders that I used to like working a bar with and strived to be – there is something beautiful and poetic about watching a bartender who can move fast and sharp and get the job done with skill, rather than one who resorts to desperate, pussy-clutching bottle-juggling. The flare is in the beverages, rather than the show-ponying. The serving staff too, are some of the nicest you’ll have on Granville St.

Head to Sip earlier for a low-key, taste-bud awakening extravaganza of culinary exploration. Stay there later and cruise-out on martinis and cocktails while resident DJ’s spin you into head-nodding, lounge sophistication.

Vineland Estates Winery, Vineland, Ontario

Steve Plotnicki, the author of Opinionated About Dining, has embarked on a project to create a guidebook along the lines of 'opinionated fan' restaurant reviewing. He was kind enough to ask me to sign in for a review. I noticed that he was asking for reviews of some eastern establishments with which I am familiar. As I was typing out my little blurb in his online form, it occurred to me that I had always intended to include some 'out-of-town' reviews on Vancouver Foodie as well.

So here's the short blurb I entered about the restaurant at Vineland Estates Winery in Vineland, Ontario:

There are few places that offer such an amazing view over a picturesque winery down towards the shores of Lake Ontario. The lunch menu is very affordable, and the food and service are top-rate. The menu changes seasonally but always reflects an Italian-inspired need for comfortable satisfaction. Allow the waiter to suggest a wine pairing and just enjoy. Great way to break-up/cap-off a day an autumn day spent touring the Niagara Bench and wineries in the area.

There it is... short and sweet!

Cassis

Cassis - 420 W. Pender, Vancouver.

Cassis has been on my never-dying list of places to try for some time now, so you can imagine my pleasant surprise upon finding that one of the owners/founders is an old friend with whom I once worked on an Alaskan cruise ship. In fact, we rocked in with a small reunion group from that same crew, so the surprise on the face of co-owner Sam Wilcox was worth the trip alone. I won't be biased in my review.

Cassis had been described to me as French comfort food. Sam's description was casual French bistro. My first impression was French peasant food done with some style and West Coast sensibility. But since I've never actually known any French peasants, I'll go with a combination of the other two descriptions.

"...casual French Bistro... food done with some style
and West Coast sensibility."

The restaurant is housed in one of those big, gorgeous old brick buildings on West Pender in downtown Vancouver. These buildings are big, old, brick monoliths from the neighbourhood's past glory and, eastside gentrification issues aside, I am glad that this kind of life is creeping back into that part of downtown - if only so that more people might go down there to see the great old architecture in that part of the city.

Inside the lights are low, the seating is at long, solid tables that promote amicable friend-style conversation, and the decor is minimalistically funky (is minimalistically a word? Who cares? It is now)! This is the kind of lounge-influenced environment that has been slower to take hold in Vancouver than in Europe, Melbourne or even Toronto, but it is slowly but surely creeping in and now exists here in a number of notable locales.

But to the food...

Strong flavour - in every way you'd expect a casual French bistro to offer a progressive Vancouver crowd with high standards. I had the Coq au Vin - great... rich sauce, tender meat done well. Other plates that impressed were the Cauliflower Gratin and the Yukon Potato Pave. One of our party mentioned that the Bouillabaise was, while perfectly satisfying, not neccessarily anything remarkable and even a little bland. But everything else was otherwise great and the low prices/great value of the dishes definately appreciated.

"...is minamalistically a word?
Who cares? It is now."

Our waiter was a little vacant... like perhaps he was relatively new and inexperienced. But he was humble and charming enough to pull off any short-comings with good humour and certainly endeared himself to us. They also lacked just about every draft beer I tried to order off the menu that night (and on a Friday too - go figure?), but were good enough to offer me a Stella instead at domestic draft prices... can't ever complain about that. The wine list was small, but well picked with a French influence geared towards high quality drinking at low prices that is rare to see on the Vancouver restaurant scene. Small but quality (and with some mixological flare) is also a good way to describe their martini/cocktail list.

If you're looking for a quiet bistro to take you away to the romanticism of rural France, then this is not your place. If instead you're after inexpensive, flavour-focussed French bistro comfort food in an environment that is both low-key and comfortably loud at the same time, then bring it on.