Just Desserts

I know this is a really hokey title, but I only want to mention the sweeter things in life here. Very succinctly:

1. After I went to Suki with Markus yesterday, we stopped in on the SweetArt Cafe just up the hill from 1^st & Lonsdale. God damn! Is this place amazing. We shared a strawberry-rhubarb tart as well as one of the chef's favorites, the chocolate lemon tart. The first pastry was very nice, but it couldn't help but be overshadowed by the cafe's signature confection. The chef's pride is apparent in the word “Citron” gracefully scripted in chocolate on top of the bright, beautiful lemon curd... but it is even more apparent in the most easily overlooked detail: a thin layer of white chocolate between the tender pastry and the tart curd. This adds a very subtle depth to its flavor and keeps the pastry perfect, not at all soggied from the freshly set lemon curd. I repeat – god damn!

2. Later on that night, I had the pleasure of experiencing one of the North Shore's greatest dessert secrets: Ekmek from Pasparos Greek Taverna just west of 3^rd & Lonsdale. My girlfriend is a busser at this Lower Lonsdale fixture (the restaurant has been around for over 35 years), and loves sweets even more than I do. She is responsible for having introduced me to this divine delight – I'm pretty sure this dish sustains the Olympian gods themselves. A trinity of layers – Kataifi pastry (like vermicelli, at first I thought it was shredded wheat) soaked in honey syrup is its foundation, with a sweet custard middle, and a topping of smooth whipped cream. Sprinkled liberally with slivered almonds and cinnamon, this dish is as simple as it is perfect. I do not for a moment hesitate to include this in my pantheon of post-dinner perfection, along with crème brulee, chocolate mousse, and lemon tart. Thanks, D.... Thanks, Greeks.

Re: Fishworks Goes Local

Dear Editors of Metro News Vancouver,
For years now, I've wondered what kind of background a person needs to get published as a food and restaurant critic for a widely circulated periodical. After reading Anya Levyk's January 21st review of North Shore new kid on the block Fishworks, I'm starting to think it doesn't have anything to do with her knowledge of food and restaurants.
In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am a weekend bartender at the aforementioned Ocean-Wise bistro. But I do not write this on behalf of Fishworks – our dining room is full every night as a result of a small team of dedicated professionals living our passion, and Anya is fully entitled to her opinion of whether she likes what we do or not. I am writing this on behalf of food writing. As a restaurant industry professional, I am privy to information that Ms. Levyk is apparently unaware of. Most notably, the complete absence of raspberry vinaigrette, raspberry vinegar, or even raspberries in our kitchen (her review refers to a raspberry vinaigrette dressing twice in the article). Perhaps her last review was in the mid-90s when restaurants still used raspberry vinaigrette... or maybe she got the idea from watching an episode of Rachel Ray the night before.
Call me old fashioned, but I was always lead to believe that the opinion of a journalist should at least be informed. If she doesn't like our balsamic vinaigrette, fair enough, but printed ignorance can potentially mislead thousands of your trusting readers. Anya was also distressed by the speed at which her appetizer was prepared, deriding it as “pre-made.” An informed restaurant critic would know that cocktail prawns are always poached off and cooled before dinner service, and chefs add this dish to their menu because it is simply a matter of assembly during a busy dinner service. In the dozens of restaurants I've worked in my career (including Sequoia Grill, Feenie's, The Fish House, Watermark), prawns cocktail are prepared this way. I challenge you, Anya, to find a restaurant that poaches and subsequently chills your prawns to order. Would you rather wait 30 seconds or 30 minutes?
If you didn't like the table you were sat at, Anya, I'm sorry. And I can understand how having a less than perfect table can alter the enjoyment of a dining experience. It's reasonable if a diner makes up their mind to not enjoy their night because of substandard seating, but it is irresponsible for a supposed journalist to make up her mind to slag the food because her table made her grumpy. Many small restauranteurs pour their heart, and their life-savings, into opening a restaurant. To allow a gustatory neophyte, who can't tell the difference between the flavors of raspberry and balsamic vinegar, to tell the city of Vancouver that Fishworks doesn't prepare their food with care... is careless.
So in defense of good writing, I give you my critique of Anya's approach. Having the ability to send in a grammatically correct review before deadline simply isn't enough gastronomic experience for the food writer of such a widely circulated publication. If you want to read some real food writing, check out my blog.
Sincerely,
Shane Lobsinger
newgastronome@telus.net
http://newgastronome.blogger.com