Dinner and a show: 6 Vancouver restaurants to hit before Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Perogies, jerk chicken, and baked Pacific oysters are some of the foods to be found within walking distance of the hit show playing at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
L’Abattoir.
“A THING OF raw and unmissable beauty” might be how food fanatics would describe a plate of fresh local oysters, but it’s actually how the Herald Scotland summed up Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story. The genre-bending hit piece by Halifax-based 2b theatre company is having a limited local run, to December 11, as part of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs’ 10th anniversary celebrations. (Read more about Old Stock here.) With so many fantastic restaurants in every corner of the Vancouver map, there are several within 500 metres—say two or three blocks—of Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 West Hastings Street). Here’s a handful of nearby hot spots to check out before the show.
L’Abattoir.
L’Abattoir.
L’Abattoir (217 Carrall Street)
The accolades just keep coming: the beloved Gastown restaurant headed by chef-owner Lee Cooper is wrapping up the year having been recognized by Canada’s 50 Best Bars, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, the international 50 Best Discovery list, and the inaugural MICHELIN Vancouver guide. (Cooper, a Vancouver Island native, worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants in the U.S. and UK before opening L’Abattoir in 2010.)
Situated between historic Gaoler’s Mews (where Vancouver’s first jail used to be) and Blood Alley, L’Abattoir focuses on French-influenced West Coast fare. It was one of the first restaurants in the city to nail fine-dining standards without the outdated, stereotypical stuffiness; with its exposed brick and beams, newly renovated loft space, stylish bar, French tiled floor, and knowledgeable staff, it’s one of the most comfortable upscale spots in the city. Cooper’s culinary style is highly technical but the food is stuff you can sink your teeth into. Aside from solid and distinctive a la carte offerings (which include baked Pacific oysters with Burgundy truffle and garlic butter, a dish so popular it’s one of those “will never come off the menu” items), the restaurant is now offering a Chef’s Menu with optional wine pairings; partial proceeds go toward the the BC Hospitality Foundation. “Our newly added Chef’s Menu is our opportunity to showcase what I’m most passionate about, which is a technique focused menu that highlights the best seasonal ingredients and lets us unleash our creativity in the kitchen and on the plate,” Cooper says. The house-made fresh bread and millionaire’s shortbread are reason alone to make a reso.
You could always pop in for just a drink at the first-come first-served bar. Try the Avocado Gimlet with apple liqueur; made by Shaun Layton when the resto first opened, it remains a fan favourite. Meanwhile, head bartender David Bulters’new holiday cocktails include Chai Hard (a chai hot chocolate with mezcal, Chartreuse, and oat milk); Toddy Tim, a twist on the classic Hot Toddy; and Nog Actually, a house-made spiked eggnog .
Di Beppe.
Di Beppe (8 West Cordova Street)
Italian caffè by day and ristorante by night, Di Beppe is a place where you can pop in for a classic cocktail like Aperol Spritz, Americano, or Negroni to sip along with antipasti like salumi misti (mixed cured meats), beef carpaccio, and Castelvetrano olives stuffed with fennel. The dinner menu also features pizza (such as the vegetarian-friendly eggplant, kale, squash, and chili ricotta or one with pesto, potatoes, marinated octopus, and arugula) and pasta (with options ranging from alici e burro—Sicilian anchovies, butter, and breadcrumbs—to carbonara with guanciale, pecorino, and egg yolk). Order the cacio e pepe—spaghetti or rigatoni with pecorino and black pepper—and $1 from each dish sold in December will be donated to the Saint James Music Academy, a nonprofit music school in the Downtown Eastside. The fundraiser is part of the Kitchen Table Group’s five-year-long campaign of supporting local charities through sales of popular dishes at several of its locations. A different charitable group benefits each month, with past recipients including Mind The Bar, Backpack Buddies, and Whole Way House.
Calabash Caribbean Bistro.
Calabash Caribbean Bistro (428 Carrall Street)
One Love is the guiding principle of this neighbourhood place that celebrates Caribbean culture through traditional and contemporary food along with drinks, music, and art. Jerk chicken or fish, slow-braised oxtail, stacked roti, patties, curries, and coconut dumplings are just some of the menu highlights. The team makes its own ginger beer for the Calabash Dark and Stormy, which is dusted with shaved coconut; it also barrel ages its rotating house cocktails, which are typically rum-based. There are more than 80 types of rum from over 20 countries on offer, with a roster of flights to experience the diversity of flavours. Downstairs is a live music venue that hosts indie musicians, small bands, and guest DJs, with dancing from 10:30 pm to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Also on the lower level the Calabash gallery, which gives local artists a space to exhibit and sell their work, the restaurant taking zero fees or commissions.
Kozak Ukrainian Restaurant.
Kozak Ukrainian Restaurant (1 West Cordova Street)
After Irina Karpenko and Sergiy Kuznietsov moved to B.C. from Kyiv in 2012, the married couple launched Solodko Bakery (now Kozak Food Group). They started baking during the night and selling their goods at farmers markets, from Steveston all the way to Whistler. Next came the pair’s first bricks-and-mortar location in New West; and later the East Van Eatery and Mill and the Gastown space. Located in the former home of Bauhaus Restaurant, Kozak serves authentic, hand-made Ukrainian fare such as perogies, latkes, cabbage rolls, borsch, goulyash, and stuffed peppers. Their baked goods run the gamut from sourdough rounds and rugelach to babka and honey cake.
PiDGiN.
PiDGiN (350 Carrall Street)
Fusing east and west in the most inventive of ways, the team at PiDGiN is perpetually pushing boundaries, devising the most curious yet dynamite combinations of flavours and ingredients. MICHELIN gave the Gastown restaurant a coveted Recommended ranking, describing chef Wesley Young’s style as “playful, even irreverent”. Owner-operator Brandon Grossutti is one of the most industrious, forward-thinking folks in the business, always making sure guests feel taken care of. Wine, sake, or cocktail pairings are available for the chef’s multicourse tasting menu. The latter is ever-changing but could include sablefish (with king oyster mushroom, sauteed leek, prosciutto, fresh wasabi) paired with Niwa no Uguisu “Nightingale’s Garden” Junmai Daiginjo sake, while a sweet finish might involve chocolate cake (with vanilla mousse and yuzu curd) paired with Uguisu Tomari Umeshu, a plum wine. Be sure to check out the 1855-1955 mural by Ilya Viryachev on the side of the building and learn more about its meaning and process here.
Tacofino.
Tacofino Gastown Taco Bar (15 West Cordova Street)
The all-day menu has most of the Tofino-born chain’s favourites, like tacos (pork al pastor, fish, and steak among the varieties) as well as starters like prawn ceviche and nachos. Almost as famous as its tortillas is Tacofino’s chocolate diablo cookie, amped up with cayenne and fresh ginger. We love the classic lime margarita, but other flavour sensations include jalapeno, pineapple ginger, blackberry, and blood orange. Local breweries like Strange Fellows, Strathcona, Shaketown, Beere, and Four Winds star on rotating taps. (Right next door is Tacofino Burrito Bar, offering counter service and a six-seat bar.)
Related Articles
