The August Report Chapter Two - Whistler and beyond - food · Friday August 10, 2012 by colin newell
In previous trips to Whistler, British Columbia, I distinctly remember there being a surfeit of places to get pints or jugs of beer, burgers and fries, deep fried fatty foods, pizza and stuff that would appeal to folks who have spent the previous 7 hours of their day skiing or plummeting downhill on a back breaking mountain bike trail.
And nary a decent cup of good strong coffee to be found.
And a giant gap between salt laden junk food fry ups and the super fancy gourmet stuff you find at some of the high end hotels… and places like Araxia
(which by the way gets some pretty mixed reviews…)
Some exceptions include La Bocca which we did breakfast at one morning – and it was wonderful. The La Bocca patio was always hopping into the evening on their spacious patio area.
And 21-Steps which was very family friendly, upscale, affordable and tasty. And (please note) if you are not child friendly, come by 21 steps after 8 PM or so – because it can get loud- it becomes more of an adult date place later in the evening. Nice to have both options.
Our group had a wonderful meal for 270 at the Whistler Roundhouse Great food, really, really good coffee (!) and desserts – super professional and well presented staff and at 6000+ feet above sea level and 3500+ feet above Whistler village… very dramatic!
Pubs: Honestly, if it can be deep fried in Whistler, it is being done – I was surprised they did not figure out a way to deep dry coffee and serve it on a stick. There was a place that was better than expected: Blacks Pub in the Sundial Boutique Hotel had better than expected pizzas and great staff and service. In a past visit we went to the Dubh Linn Gate (at the Pan Pacific) and that was a hoot – no surprise there.
Back in the village of Whistler there is one thing that has not changed much – the coffee. “The Lift” coffee shop across the entrance to our hotel served tasty and competent JJ Bean drip and espresso based beverages and really, really good baked goodies. I think if someone could find a decent space that was affordable (that is the thing – the rents in Whistler must be unreal) there could be an incredible cafe. Truth be told, such an entity would not likely survive just selling coffee.
There are several Starbucks in Whistler and all of them had regular long line-ups.
Truth be told, my coffee experience was improved by bringing my own Aeropress and a Hario manual burr grinder and a supply of Drumroaster Coffee from Vancouver Island’s best coffee roasting joint.
Overall, Whistler has a lot on the ball – and a little tip here: If you are staying at one of many “affordable” hotels or lodges – prepare to be nickel and dimed. Our room rate for a suite was around $170/night but the parking was almost $40/day – which is absurd. We had a loyalty card which eliminated the $15/day charge for the most basic WiFi connectivity. The secret is: There is lots and lots of free 72 hour parking in Whistler – in the “big lots” – just ask anyone – they are easy to find. And over the course of your stay, you can save hundreds of dollars on parking.
So. Summary: Whistler is definitely not a winter only destination – if you love the outdoors during nice warm weather, then this could be your place.
Cooking Northwest - Cajun Gumbo by Andrea and Colin · Tuesday June 26, 2012 by colin newell
Northwest Cajun Gumbo – a spicy recipe by Andrea and yours truly…
Andrea and I have always had a soft spot for Southern and Cajun cooking – this one incorporates meat, shell fish and chicken – it’s hearty, stick to your ribs good and cooks up in about 1.5 hours of effort. This batch makes enough for 10 – 12 servings and it freezes well in Ziploc containers. This version is hot and zippy. Pull out whichever peppers you find the most intimidating.
6 links of Chorizo sausage – cooked
150g of boneless Chicken thighs – saute and set aside
1 250g container of fresh Oysters
1 cup of diced celery
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced green pepper
1 Anaheim, 1 Pablano, 1 red chile, 1 Habanero
2 small Zucchini – chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
Saute celery, carrots and green peppers for 10 minutes in Veg. oil
at 5 minutes add diced Poblano and Anaheim pepper – continuing
for another 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of butter + 1/4 more oil
Add 7 heaping tablespoons of white flour
Mix for ten minutes incorporating the oil, flour and butter to create a roux.
Stir for 10 minutes
Should reach a light caramel color (Note: This is a down & dirty roux)
Add 1 tablespoon of creole mix Emeril spice mix into the roux
Combine the chicken stock slowly over medium heat – stirring
constantly to mix it into a nice stock/stew
Once all the liquid is combined, stir in the sliced sausage, saute chicken,
zucchini + chopped Oysters and their liquor.
Add minced red chile pepper and habanero chile pepper – stir to combine.
Add 2 more tablespoons of Emeril Creole spice mix
Add following spices based on your preference:
1 tablespoon of Onion powder
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of chile powder
2 tablespoons of smoked Paprika
And pepper to taste.
Simmer for 1/2 hour. Serve with white rice.
Comment [1]
In town eats Victoria - Pig BBQ versus Smoking Bones · Monday June 11, 2012 by colin newell
In a city seemingly built for meat eaters, there are a couple of stand outs – with a caveat or two. And they are Pig BBQ at the Atrium and Smoking Bones at the Hudson.
Chatting on the social network (twitter) today, I mused that in an active comparison between two of the more visible and successful smoked meat vendors, one of them kind of stood out.
But seeing how limited Twitter is for a truly meaningful conversation – or as a medium for getting ones complete opinion out, I offer this additional analysis.
To be fair, Pig BBQ (at the Atrium) and Smoking Bones at the Hudson are two completely different places doing two completely different things – with varying degrees of success.
On one hand, Pig BBQ is more of a no frills joint with semi-communal seating, order at the counter, take a seat and wait for your grub to be called out. What they do: pulled pork, pulled brisket, pulled chicken, specials like a yummy schnitzel sandwich or the frequent fried chicken on a waffle. Sides include palatable if slightly sweet baked beans and satisfying blocks of deep fried mac n’ cheese and the predictable corn bread and slaw. The digs are not fancy. In fact, they initially felt “cold” to me the first few visits. Repeated visits… well, I felt more at home.
Andrea and I can have a very satisfying quick lunch by sharing one sandwich, 1 mason jar of home brewed ice tea and two sides – typically the beans and the mac n’ cheese. This mid-day repast sets us back under 15$.
I was a regular visitor to the “Bones” when it was out in the West Shore – initial impressions were: “This is the best stuff I have put in my mouth…” over time some of the small things started to slip – but it was not the meat. I loved ribs. And I do have one or two favorite recipes I do at home – The long marinade grilled ribs that I do at home I am particularly proud of – but this isn’t about me. “Bones cook shack” does the meat quite well – where it falls off the bone for me are in the sides and some of the foundation items… like the bread. Ah. The bread. Here is the thing folks – if you are offering things like hush puppies, fried oysters, and good ole deep baked beans and Po’ Boys… well get the ingredients right.
To me (and this is just my opinion) the fried oyster basket tasted suspiciously like previously frozen bad boys from CostCo. And the cocktail sauce on the side seemed like it came out of a bottle. If it did not come out of a bottle, fine – at least formulate it like it is unique and attention getting… not like it was done on the cheap with too few good ingredients. I had a Oyster fry up at the “Crow and Gate” pub south or Nanaimo near Cedar, B.C. yesterday. 6 plump oysters fried to perfection served with two kinds of salad, a home made tartar sauce, a fresh but mass produced large dinner roll and a pad of butter. The Oysters from the Crow and Gate are light years ahead of the somewhat overcooked mini-oyster nuggets that “Bones” tries to pass off as an appetizer.
To their credit, “Bones Cook Shack” does a lot of things… well, OK – but they do not leave me gasping for joy. My thought is that perhaps they are trying to do too much with the space that they have – and it is a big space.
In all visits I have found the service to be spot on, the wait staff are well informed, knowledgeable and friendly. So, it is not about what’s happening on the floor – it is a bit of a disconnect in the kitchen – perhaps with the quality of some of the supplies.
In summary, I think that Smoken Bones Cook Shack could be consistent and amazing. Their signature meats are generally pretty good – well prepared, sauced and presentation. The most common complaint that I have heard that I do not necessarily agree with is with the plating… or the lack of it. I have heard it said that everything is served in plastic containers on wax paper – have not noticed this particularly – nor would it bother me if they did.
In comparing the two; PIG BBQ and Smoken Bones Cook Shack… it has to be acknowledged that they are two distinctly different “beasts” – and in the end analysis, PIG wins by not trying to be too many things with too many big ideas. The meat is tasty and is presented commensurate with the environment in which the products are prepared and delivered.
How could Smoken Bones Cook Shack step up? A: Take a good look at the menu. Trim it a bit – maybe a couple of items – or rotate some things and do them with a bit more authenticity and a dollop more pizzazz.
B: Step up on the bread. Bake it yourself if possible. Nothing destroys an Oyster Po’ Boy sandwich or pulled pork than dull tasting factory bread.
C: A message for all restaurants – outsource your sauces and breads at your peril. Think we do not notice? We do.
Colin Newell is a Victoria resident, IT Guy and food/drink writer – his writing has graced the internet since 1995
Comment [5]
2012 On the road - Vancouver B.C. Food and Drink Part 1 · Thursday June 7, 2012 by colin newell
Some of the things that set Vancouver, British Columbia apart from many cities… and pardon the oft borrowed real estate phrase “location, location…” are its size, its diversity and its idyllic location smack dab in the one of the Planet’s most gentle and dreamy climates.
And if you can tolerate the risk of having perpetual gray skies for your visit and enough rain to wash any irregularities out of Vancouver’s weather beaten sidewalks, then maybe, just maybe, this is the place for you.
Andrea and I had a weekends attendance scheduled at Vancouver’s EAT Vancouver food expo at the newly refurbished B.C. Place as media – and although not as glamorous as the Portland SCAA event from a month or so ago, it seemed worth the time to book a room at one of our favorite Delta hotels downtown… and then travel by B.C. Ferry to the mainland from Victoria.
Normally, it is Andrea who is on University business and I go along for the ride… so they are day trips, or even better, single overnight getaways… allowing me the luxury of checking out the latest and greatest in Vancouver coffee or lunch culture.
Because trust me folks, Vancouver never lets you down when it comes to coffee cruising and the lunch places are infinite in number and you could never explore all of them in a lifetime.
So, after an hour or so at the EAT Vancouver show – which seemed to be little more than a showcase for Starbucks, Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s latest syrup based beverages – an event only buoyed up by the Western Canada Barista preliminaries, we high tailed it out of there. So, we missed some WBC action. That’s life.
During this particular visit we decided to get caught up on some of the new cafe’s in town and some of the more interesting lunch places – and some slightly different dinner joints.
1st stop was Meat & Bread – 370 Cambie near Hastings – In all fairness I have been here a couple of times already on a previous visit. The formula is simple. Bread… and meat. Fresh out of the ovens. At least the meat part. I believe that the ciabatta buns come from a bakery. OK I guess. The meat? Well, it is slow roasted and their signature sandwich is “Porchetta” which is pork belly – the yummy part of the pig. My first sandwiches were the pork belly, hot out of the oven, infused with a salsa verde, salt and pepper likely… dead simple and drop dead tasty. I think the key here is to be drop in at opening or within the cycle of one pork round coming out of the oven – that you do not get stuck with getting the “tailing” or the last part of the beast suring its final chop up. I noticed a slight drop in the “pop” of the sandwich if your “slices” were toward the tail end of the round being prepped.
I also had the Moroccan lamb on a next visit – and it was crazy delicious. I grew up on a small sheep farm and the lambs never tasted quite like this – then again, they weren’t slow roasted in a great big oven and had their goodness nursed out of them by young food savvy 21st Century hipsters.
On our most recent visit, Andrea and I shared the Porchetta and the Chicken sandwich. OK. Here is where the whip comes down. Avoid chicken sandwiches unless you are prepared to keep them silly simple. Chicken takes on the flavor of whatever is applied to it. So, if you go a little crazy with the saucing, like Meat and Bread did with this particular interpretation, then the whole chicken experience is going to be lost. Avoid it. Get the Porchetta and share the daily special if it looks interesting. They also do an attractive looking Meatball sandwich and a simple grilled cheese. There is generally a soup and a salad and you can drink water (free), beer, wine or soda for a modest fee.
Question is: Is this the best sandwich you will ever taste? Close, but not quite. For Vancouver, maybe yes. But as Andrea and I were to find out, there were more delights between slices of bread to be discovered in Vancouver on this visit!
Coffee for Cool Vancouver Cats – It is pretty clear that Revolver Coffee at 325 Cambie Street (right across the street from Meat and Bread) is leading the pack in the hip factor in Vancouver. They do a variety of classic Western coffees (Oregon, Calgary and San Francisco) a variety of modern ways; like Aeropress and Koava Cone – as well as the basic espresso based drinks… really, really, really well. You can get a small pot of coffee (enough for 2-3 refills) for around $3 depending on the “breed” of the bean prepared 1 way or a variety of ways. They even have a high rollers “flight” menu selection; 1 coffee 3 ways or 3 coffees 1 way – where you, the drinker, can test your coffee taste buds on picking which is which… for $9 or so. And that is a LOT of coffee sipping!
While in Vancouver for an earlier visit I stopped in at Matchstick Coffee in East Vancouver to sample their wares… Lucky me, I was the 1st person ever to sample their in-house roasted coffee. Honored. Truly.
Matchstick is a very spacious room with very clean lines that reminded me of some of the neatest new cafes in San Francisco – friendly and highly educated staff as well. they are tucked away at 639 E 15 Ave – you might need to hunt a bit to find them – they are right near a park/green space not far from the corner of Fraser (I think on the North west side of the intersection.
Matchstick is clearly one of those cafes that is truly focused on the quality of the bean that they roast and serve and the direct relationship with the farmer and their community – it is becoming a more prevalent philosophy in the coffee business and that is a good thing.
Bike friendly coffee in a city of Bikes at 1262 Burrard (access via a back alley or near the Pattison Lease return lot!) Mussette Caffe is quite simply unique! The name Mussette is based on the simple cloth bag that long distance bike racers and tourists carry their food and drink in. And Mussette is simply an oasis in a neighborhood governed by car powered commerce. It took me a couple of passes but it was worth the search. Seriously, I should draw a map – it is not obvious how to get there. When you do, you will never forget.
Coffee at Mussette is provided by the legendary 49th Parallel Roasters and baked things come from the bakery next door. Brilliant. Coffee is competently brewed by passionate staff anyway you wanted it. I think I spied cones and Aeropress units. Good times!
