A Unique Tasting Menu Experience at Hitchcock

Tastiness Factor: 8.5/10 (range 6/10- 10/10)

Atmosphere: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Locavore Approved?  YES- Chef Brendan McGill, winner of the 2013 "People Choice" best new chef by Food and Wine Magazine, is a locavore through and through, so much so that farmers in Bainbridge  reportedly banded together to support Mcgill in his quest for this prestigious award.  He only uses the produce, meat and seafood sourced on/around the island and he operates under the "nose-to-tail" philosophy.  His genuine devotion to locally-sourced ingredients is enough in itself to make him deserving of his award!

First of all, I must start by saying "thank you" to Hitchcock for being the hook that lured me to beautiful Bainbridge Island.  Chef Brendan McGill earned himself quite a bit of fame by winning the Food and Wine "People's Choice" award and this is indeed how he, and the existence of Bainbridge Island, was brought to my attention.  McGill now has two venues on the island- the original Hitchcock for which he won the award and also Hitchcock deli right next store.  On this visit, we had the pleasure of dining at Hitchcock and, although we missed out on the amazing looking sandwiches offered by the deli, we did try their ginger-pistachio biscotti and their ooey-gooey salted chocolate cookies (both were great, especially those cookies!!!).

Hitchcock is located along the "main drag" of Bainbridge on Winslow Way.  Its storefront is quite unassuming so you really need to keep your eyes peeled to find it.  Immediately upon entering, there is a long bar with booths on the opposite wall.  The open kitchen, equipped with a large brick oven, is located at the back.  We really liked our seat at the rear of the restaurant where we could watch all of the action in the kitchen.

Although the overall feel of the restaurant is quite relaxed and "laissez-faire", the service is quite the opposite.  Our server was very polished in both his delivery of our dishes and his impressive knowledge of every single component on the plate.  His passion for the food really came through.

We started the meal by ordering a bottle of wine to share. We chose a 2012 Pinot Gris from Rolling Hills Winery, located on Bainbridge Island.  I appreciated how they included 8 different wines from the island itself, as well as a number of other choices from Washington and Oregon.  They also had an entire cocktail menu with some unique cocktails.

The thing that really peaked my interest in Hitchcock to begin with was their "name-your-price" tasting menu.  The chef will design you a unique menu at your set price point, taking into account your likes/dislikes so that every diner may get a different set of dishes.  I just love this idea!  I am pescatarian while Hubby is a carnivore and they were only too happy to accommodate our tastes, swapping out his meat dish with a totally different fish or vegetarian dish for me.  It was very fun to wait for the "surprise" of what was to come next!  If tasting menus are not your thing, you can also order off the a-la-carte which includes hot and cold sharing plates.  Some of our tasting menu dishes were also items on the a-la-carte menu while others seemed to be impromptu creations.

We started by asking the waiter what the normal range of tasting menu was and he named $50 as an upper price point.  We were willing to go higher than that, but he honestly suggested that, because I would be getting a number of vegetarian dishes, it would be difficult for them to make me something worth more than $50.  We found that the $50 tasting menu was a pleasant amount of food (especially with the delicious complimentary baguette) with a great variety of dishes.  If you do plan on doing a more expensive tasting menu, I would advise dining earlier in the evening as we started dinner at 8:30pm and were pretty much the last ones in the restaurant when we finished at around 10:15pm.

Between the two of us, we enjoyed a total of 14 different dishes, including a palate cleanser, a cheese course and dessert.  Here is the play-by-play:

Oysters- These local beauties were served with 3 different garnishes including tomato-celery, spicy cayenne and a shallot mignonette.

Salmon gravlax- The perfectly cured gravlax was elevated by creme fraiche and stunning fiddlehead ferns.

Duck confit torchon- This was Hubby's next dish and he went wild over this torchon finished off by house-cured bacon and hot sauce gastrique.

Heirloom radishes- This was the only dish that was a miss for me.  The thinly slices radishes were served with a hunk of cold butter (albeit house-churned).  I found it quite difficult to blend the two, and therefore ended up eating a bite of radish and then a bite of pure butter.

Flageolet bean soup- Hubby's next dish was an interesting concoction of bean, bacon, halibut and oyster, all served in a mini teacup.  It is pretty incredible how the chef could mix all of those flavours into such a tiny vessel!

Romanesco- I quite enjoyed this very simple vegetarian dish composed of this cousin of cauliflower accompanied by a lovely bagna cauda.  It is only the most talented of chefs that can elevate the humble vegetable in this way!

Halibut collar- This was Hubby's next dish and, although it did not work for him (the fin turned him off a bit), I thought it was tasty and certainly very innovative.  I guess it shows that nose-to-tail dining can also apply to fish!

Manila clams- These local treasures were elegantly prepared with chickpeas and a simple broth to really  showcase the clams.

Elderflower sorbet- This uniquely-flavoured sorbet made for the perfect palate cleanser.

Pork with pancetta- Hubby was completely blown away by this dish and readily names it his favourite dish of the year.  The incredible pork was served with pancetta (more pork!) over a bed of beans.  He is still salivating over this one.

Halibut- I was equally impressed with my next dish, with freshly caught, local halibut fillet and cheeks over bok choy, finished with asian flavours in the sauce.  Wow.

Cheese course- The two varieties of cheese were served with nuts, a dollop of honey and delicious flatbread.

Chocolate terrine- Our first of two desserts was a truly sinful, decadent chocolate terrine with a creamy anglaise and pistachio brittle.  Holy moly chocolate yumminess!

Creme brulee- Our second dessert was a luscious creme brulee, one of Hubby's favourite desserts.

As you can likely tell, we throughly enjoyed our custom tasting menu at Hitchcock.  If you love the freshest of ingredients, prepared by an extremely talented chef and served in a casual environment, I would strongly recommend hopping on the island over to Bainbridge Island this weekend!  Trust me, you are in for a treat:)

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Classic Northern Italian Fare at Four Sparrows

Tastiness factor: 9.5/10 (me), 6/10 (Hubby)

Atmosphere: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Locavore approved? YES- I loved the daily menu featuring the most seasonal of ingredients.  They even credit the farms that supply the tasty produce/meat in the dish title and description.  From reading about Four Sparrows online, it would appear that they have been on the locavore bandwagon for years, long before it was the "in" thing to do.  Kudos to them for being trailblazers in the locavore movement!

Bainbridge Island has been on my radar of places to go for a while now.  It is a little island off the coast of Seattle.  It is a great day trip for those living in Seattle (just a short 35 min ferry run) and also a pretty convenient weekend getaway for us Vancouverites.

Although there are many reasons to visit Bainbridge Island, its food scene is what brought it to my attention.  Unlike the Gulf Islands, which I love for their hippie charm, Bainbridge is a much more affluent town that has a surprising number of restaurants.  It was quite a difficult feat to choose just two, one for each of our nights on the island.  After much deliberation, I finally decided on Four Sparrows and Hitchcock (stay tuned for that review next!).

Four Sparrows is somewhat of an establishment on Bainbridge Island.  They serve Northern Italian cuisine in an old farmhouse with the tables spread into its many rooms, that is admittedly more dated and "old-school" than we are used to .  Although it has appears rather formal on the outside, you will find a very casual and approachable feel on the inside.  Although we initially feared that we were underdressed, there is quite an acceptable range of attire here, from shorts to jeans to suit and tie.  You are immediately made to feel welcome.

When we first arrived, there seemed to be some confusion with our table but this was quickly remedied and we were offered a choice of 3 different tables.  We were then greeted by our server for the evening, who was nothing short of amazing.  He was extremely personal and, although it was our first time there, he made us feel like regulars.  It is rare to be treated such gracious and warm service.

We began the night with cocktails from their ever-evolving cocktail menu with clever drink names.  We did note quite a nice bar at the back of the restaurant on our way in.  Hubby chose the "Catch Her In the Rye", a rye-based cocktail that he enjoyed quite a bit.  I had a gin-based cocktail with grapefruit and elderflower (can't remember the name!) that was light and had a nice balance of sweet and sour.  We just wished that we could have enjoyed them for a bit longer before our appies and bread all arrived just a moment after being served the cocktails.

Then it was onto the meal itself which, for this particular review, will be the most difficult.  I would love to sing its praises for my selections which were outstandingly good (some of the best I have had yet this year).  Unfortunately, Hubby's choices of appie and main were subpar at best and therefore, I cannot be as positive as I would have liked.  Here are our dishes for the evening:

Bread (complimentary)- This garlic focaccia was served in puffy triangles of goodness.  Hubby certainly approved, he ate the whole plate!

Fricasse of Local Morels- It frightens me to think that I almost did not order this heavenly appetizer.  The morals are prepared in a chicken broth (I do not eat meat/chicken) and they were not willing to prepare it without the chicken broth as they feared that the flavours would just not measure up.  And they were absolutely correct not to mess with this perfect dish.  The creamy polenta, the meaty mushrooms, the light broth- heavenly.  While it is a rather heavy appetizer (you may want to go a bit lighter on the main), this is an absolute must if you are lucky enough to have it re-apear on the menu.  Best appetizer of the year, hands-down.

 Painted Hills Beef Carpaccio- I had read good reviews of this appetizer online and therefore I recommended it to Hubby who is quite a fan of carpaccio.  The plate certainly looked promising when it arrived, with a very generous portion of meat topped with arugula and shaved parmigiano.  Unfortunately, when Hubby dug in, he discovered that the meat was frozen (yes, frozen solid).  I am not exactly sure how this happened, but it made the texture off-putting to say the least.

Neah Bay King Salmon- On first look at the menu, my eyes were drawn to the handmade cavatelli with morels and peas but unfortunately, they had sold out:(  So my next choice was the salmon, served with lentils, spinach and sorrel.  After taking the first bite, I was thanking my lucky stars that the cavetelli was not available as the salmon absolutely blew me away.  The generous portion was cooked to perfection and seasoned just right.  There was no sauce or other bells and whistles, just deliciously plain, local salmon.  The sauteed spinach on top was also quite simple so as not to detract from the fish, and the lentils with a hint of creme fraiche complemented the salmon nicely.  Simple perfection.

Capricciosa Pizza- Our wonderful server told us that the word "capricciosa" means "fickle" and that, in Italy, this pizza is topped with whatever ingredients one has on hand.  On this particular evening, morels and asparagus were the in-season specialties and therefore, these acted as the stars of the pizza in addition to prosciutto and mozzarella.  Lastly, it was all topped off with a hen's egg.  Hubby thought this sounded very intriguing but unfortunately, the end product did not quite meet up to his expectations.  The crust was nothing special (disappointing after the delicious bread beforehand) and the pizza was quite dry and under-seasoned.  He did enjoy the prosciutto but was wished there was more of it.  After eating half, he threw in the towel and decided to save room for dessert instead.

Affogato-  I was quite stuffed so Hubby ended up with most of the dessert to himself.  Not that he would have shared much anyway!  He just inhaled this concoction of espresso, ice cream and whipped cream.  After an appetizer and a main that were mediocre at best, he was at least able to end the meal on a high note.

Four Sparrows is a worthwhile experience for people like us visiting from the mainland as it unlike anything that we can experience in a busy city.  A unique atmosphere and first-class service made the meal memorable.  Based on my meal alone, I would say that the food is also well worth the trip but unfortunately, there may be some issues with consistency in light of Hubby's meal.  If you do manage to choose their star dishes like I did, there is no doubt that you will be blown away so in my mind, it is well worth checking out.

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Snazzy small plates at Blacktail Florist

Tastiness Factor: 8.5/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Locavore Approved?- YES- Although Blacktail Florist does not have "locavore" written all over the menu like many new restaurants these days, the food here is unmistakably seasonal.  Our dishes all showcased the best of what early spring has to offer, prepared in very innovative ways.  I felt that I was being treated to a very representative sampling of what I had seen at the farmer's market earlier that day!

After a long hiatus from Vancouver's food scene due, it feels great to be back:)

For my first night back, I wanted to choose a new kid on the block and, after some deliberation, I settled on Gastown's new Blacktail Florist.

It has been opened now for just over a month and online reviews have been mixed.  This made me a little nervous but, after looking at the menu of small plates, I felt that I needed to try it for myself.

Blacktail Florist, located right at the mouth of Gastown, has a rather puzzling entrance.  Although it has a window facing Water St., it must be accessed through the alley at the back which took Hubby and I  awhile to figure out (a sign on Water St. would have been helpful!).  When we finally did reach its doors, we were greeted by a warm hello and, although we did not have reservations, we were immediately seated at a nice table by the windows.

I found the room bright and inviting.  The light wood gives it quite a rustic feel, and it has interesting windows, lighting and accents throughout.  It has a "wilderness" feel that is quite unique and it suits its name well considering the fact that a "blacktail" is actually a species of indigenous west coast deer (who knew?).

For such a new restaurant, the service at Blacktail Florist was first class.  Much of this was thanks to our very friendly and knowledgeable server who was so genuine that you felt like her friend by the time you left.  She was very enthusiastic about the food and was able to make some great recommendations. After we ordered, service went like clockwork with new small plates arriving within 10 minutes of each  other and our water glasses being constantly replenished.  Every dish was described to us clearly and confidently.  I was super impressed!

The menu at Blacktail Florist is divided into a number of categories of small plates divided into "bites", "meat", "fish", "vegetable" and "sweet".  The "bites" section is comprised of everything from a mouthful (usually served in twos so that each guest can enjoy one), to the plate of fried chicken that we ordered.  You can likely guess from the price how much food you will be getting  (anywhere from $2-12).  The other sections include small plates that we split between the two of us.  Like most places that offer small plates, you will not likely be stuffed when you leave, but I do not think this is necessarily a bad thing, especially because you get to sample so many different flavours.

I begin the night with a cocktail as I had read very positive reviews of their alcoholic concoctions.  Of the 5 cocktails offered, I chose the Sing the Blues which I gather is fairly new considering that it has not yet made it on the online menu.  I found this gin-based cocktail to be very refreshing, with a "just sweet enough" blueberry syrup balanced out by the acidity of the blueberry shrub.  Hubby ordered off the wine list which was made up of exclusively BC wines (love that!).

Here are the dishes that we enjoyed:

Salmon belly with endive, crispy shallots, dill and rock pops- There were Hubby's personal favourite of the night and were so good we had to have a second order!  The generous mound of salmon sitting on the endive was luscious and the pop rocks gave a delayed "explosion" in your mouth that made this dish super fun!

Fried chicken with garden beignets and beet ketchup- Hubby and I had mixed reviews on this one.  The chicken was juicy and tender inside and crispy outside (check!).  I liked the "beetiness" of the ketchup but Hubby was more skeptical and did not think it worked with the chicken.  We were both confused about the "beignets" and felt that baby potatoes would have worked much better.

Asparagus, foraged mushrooms, smoked cream, mustard- This was my personal favourite!  This dish proves that vegetables certainly do not have to be boring!  Between the crisp julienne asparagus, the meaty mushrooms and the creamy sauce with whole mustard seeds, this dish was a party in my mouth!

Smoked salmon with turnips, leeks and celery puree- After the amazing salmon "bite" that we started with, I was very excited for this dish and fortunately, I was not disappointed.  The salmon was moist and subtly smoked to perfection, and I really enjoyed the accompanying seasonal veg.  My only criticism was the celery puree which was rather off-putting, both in texture and flavour.

Braised beef with celery puree- After the misstep with the celery on the last dish, I was a bit leery when another celery puree was put in front of us.  Fortunately, they got it right on this time as the puree was creamy and delicious with just a hint of celery.  The meat was a bit on the fatty side for hubby's liking but it was tender and had nice flavour.  The full piece of celery at the side of the plate was a bit awkward for a sharing plate as it was hard to cut, but in the end had quite a pleasing taste and texture.

All in all, we were very pleased with our meal at Blacktail Florist.  For such a young restaurant, the service was exceptional and, although there were a few misses on certain dishes, the meal as a whole was quite delicious.  I also applaud them for their ever-evolving menu and their use of seasonal produce.

Some may ask- did Vancouver really need another small-plates restaurant?  If it is as good as Blacktail Florist, then I would argue that we definitely did!

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Good Beer and Beyond at The August Jack

2042 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M9
(604) 428-0075

Tastiness Factor: 8/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Service: 3/5

Locavore Approved? YES- The August Jack makes a conscious effort to use locally sourced, organic ingredients.  As noted on its website, the chef chooses meat that is ethically and organically raised, and its seafood is sustainably harvested.  Our server told us that the tapas menu is constantly being tweaked to keep up with the changing seasons.  While they offer beer and wine from all over the world, they offer an excellent selection of local varieties.

After a long day stuck inside at work, I felt the need to venture out for a walk with Hubby in search of a nice, casual place to enjoy a low-key dinner.  Since it was already 9:30 on a Sunday night, our choices were certainly more limited.  Fortunately, after pulling out my phone to consult my list of "to go" restaurants, I spied The August Jack which, unlike most restaurants in Vancouver, actually stays open past 10pm (they do not close until "late" according to their website).  And so off we went for a brisk walk down its location at West 4th and Maple.

The August Jack, which opened last July, is Vancouver's only craft beer pairing restaurant.  They specialize in tapas and also have a small selection of mains.  Each dish on the menu has a suggested beer pairing which makes for a refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill wine pairings.  The chef, Benjamin Curtis, hails from Halifax (a fellow East Coaster!) and has a blog on which he posts updates about their regular pairing dinners highlighting local breweries.

I found the atmosphere to be very pleasant.  It had the laid back vibe of a pub but at the same time had a bit of a more intimate quality that made it a great choice for a night our with Hubby.   There is a variety of seating options available, from low tables, to high tables, to booths for larger groups.  There is also a very handsome bar with ample seating surrounding it.

Our server was very enthusiastic and gave us a nice introduction to to restaurant and the menu when we  told him that it was our first visit.  He was eager to help us with beer suggestions and pairings if we were not keen on the suggestions listed beside the dishes on the menu.  The only part of service that left us scratching our heads was that, despite being one of only 2 couples there at 10pm on a Sunday night, we waited almost 30 minutes for our food to appear after ordering.

While we waited (and waited) for our food, I enjoyed a glass of Bartier Brothers 2012 Gewurtztraminer  from the Okanagan.  It was the first time that I tried a wine from this winery and I was very impressed.  Hubby ordered a Blanche de Chamblay as it was the suggested pairing with his tapas.

Hubby ordered two tapas- the Truffle Popcorn and the Rare Seared Albacore Tuna.   He absolutely devoured the generous bowl of popcorn, with its truffle-infused popcorn and shaved grana padano.  While he enjoyed the flavours of the onion-orange reduction on the tuna dish, the fish itself was a tad overcooked.

I spotted my choice of dish within seconds of looking at the menu- the Quinoa Cashew Squash.  While I thoroughly enjoyed the dish, it was certainly not what I expected on reading the menu description.  What came on the plate was a small piece of squash with a few tablespoons of quinoa and diced cashews. The rest of the dish was comprised of a very tasty medley of green beans and mushrooms and some nicely seasoned baby potatoes.  While I was a bit disappointed that there was not more squash and quinoa, I certainly appreciated the flavours and the seasonality of the other veg.  All in all, a very nice vegetarian dish.

Although we enjoyed the food, the prices were a bit steep in my opinion.  The mains are $20-30 and tapas $6-18 (prices as compared to those online), which is a bit more than I would expect for this casual, pub-like atmosphere.  Also, the food tended to be "aggressively seasoned" (aka. very salty) which may be a "pro" for some and a "con" for others.

Overall, we quite enjoyed our experience at August Jack and would return if the opportunity arose.  The place was pretty empty on the night of our visit, which was hopefully more the exception than the rule.  With any luck, the word will spread that August Jack serves respectable food and drink that is worthy of a visit.

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