The Red Burrito

I braved the construction on Commercial to check out the new take out joint, The Red Burrito. The menu is visible from the photo above.
The deal is you order a burrito, fajata, tamale, etc and then choose your meat, salsas, cheese and guacamole if you feel so inclined.
I agree with my fellow egullet posters that the menu was very limited and it really is nothing different from anything we have already. Steamworks comes to mind.

I did have a delicious chicken buritto though. Sorry about the bad shot. I am reading Garlic and Sappires by Ruth Reichl who is the former food critic for the Vancouver Sun, and I inspired immensely and I am now trying to be less conspicuous (like anyone gives a flying f that I am checking out the freaking burrito place!) Delusions of grandeur strike again.
The chicken was crisp (kinda scary because it had obviously rotated around of one of those gyros type of broilers that don't seem all that hygenic to me) and there was some flavourful rice and beans inside. The sauces were tasty. I added guacomole for an extra buck or two. I left smelling like I was mexican food. Not all that ventilated there. Hope you like choppy sentences.
I do.

Langford Shortbread

Sometimes I really like being a food writer. Actually - always. Look at this lovely (Mamma - that word is there for you :o) - it's the only place you'll see it I promise) gift pack I got after merely inquiring as to where to purchase the shortbread. It is delicious. I'll post more on it after my review is out for Edible BC.

Oliver

Lori rented an SUV to get us on the road and up to her cabin in Oliver. Catherine just quit her job and was moving to Toronto, so there was lots to discuss on the way up. We planned a Spanish wine tasting at the toasted oak for Friday night. It got better by the 15th wine. Here Lori is with Andrea at the tasting.



After the tasting the owner, and winemaker of the new winery Le Vieux Pin and the fellow who led the tasting insited that we join them for more wine. I couldn't turn down Osoyoos Larouse, Inniskillin Zin and another bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from a winery that (big surprise) I can't remember. I should also mention that we had snacks, but no real dinner.



Well the next day was supposed to be a ski day, but Catherine and I were not feeling all that great. What a surprise. So, we decided to kill the pain by doing some more wine tasting.


At our first stop, Tinhorn Creek, I tried my best to pull through for the team, but I was beginning to feel a little ill. By the time we hit the next winery Catherine and Lori were tasting and I was visting the facilities. I ended up getting a migraine headache and had to retreat under the blankets and try to sleep (after a handful of Advil migraine). Why do I do this to myself?

Later (trouper that I am) I was up and ready to go, so we had some wine at home and then headed to Penticton to Salty's for dinner.



I finally did my oyster thing I was craving and had a mixed six - they were very fresh, even for the interior. We had garlic prawns and then I ordered a seafood in a honey garlic sauce. Very average. Seafood overcooked, sauce was interesting. Should have ordered the drunken prawns we used to have years ago (living in Kelowna during university summers we used to rent a limo and drive down for dinner - I think someone who went by the name Kimo paid - he works at Costco now).
The service was good. I had a caesar and a glass of wine, but drew the limit at the free coffee drink offered post-meal. I had vowed never to repeat the previous nights performance.

Lori's cabin - right on the lake - very cozy!

The food hightlight of the trip was the crossaints Lori made Sunday morning that I ate with St. Andre cheese and strawberries. Extremely low fat I am sure.

Worst food I ate this year was had on the way home. A SUBWAY WRAP. I felt like I put my hand in the condiment jars and, filled up and wrapped it in a raw tasting rubbery wrap. I should have ran when I heard the cheese choices included white and orange - All plastic. This is NOT what it looked like. REVOLTING. If you see some of the Subway stores have been burnt down you may know the culprit.



Thanks Lori for a great weekend. Subway - thank you for nothing.

Tsawwassen

I picked up Andrea for another review of the Burbs - Illuminate in Tsawwassen (yes it has 2 w's and 2 s's - I know it looks weird. Pictured below is the calamari, gnocchi with prawns, sablefish, venison osso buco and tiramisu.








Here is the copy:

I am a huge fan of cocktails. In fact, I have followed bartenders around the city for their muddling skills alone. So, when I arrived at Illuminate in Tsawwassen for dinner and was handed a list beginning with four different types of champagne cocktails, thirteen different martinis, and another eight signature cocktails I wished I’d taken a taxi. Oh the responsibilities of being an adult.
Roland Smith, the chef and owner, opened Illuminate last October on 56th Street in Tsawwassen. He is Swedish and also speaks French but the menu is definitely Italian.
The restaurant is modern looking with warm yellow walls and a lengthy bar that gives diners a view into the workings of the kitchen. A private room at the front would be great for a birthday party or as it was used that night, corporate dinners. The servers are smartly dressed and efficient and Chef Smith periodically roams the room to check all is running smoothly.
Satisfied that all was in check, I tore myself away from the cocktail menu and tried to make some dinner decisions. There is a tuscan bread salad with roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes, tuscan bean soup, a trio of Westcoast salmon, and Quadra Island honey mussels among the starters. We decided to try the calamari and a half order of gnocchi with tiger prawns.
The calamari was the largest single piece I had ever seen. It was perfectly tender and served with a zesty tomato, olive and caper relish. I think it was the best I’ve had - I will never go back to the soggy, battered calamari again!
Gnocchi is always a great test of the kitchen. It seems easy to make, but it often ends up tasteless or rubbery. Not this time though - it was swimming in a tasty rose sauce and the prawns were spectacularly fresh. Next time I am getting the full order to myself.
The wine list was nicely laid out. Good selection of British Columbian with some choice Italian and International wines. Once again I wished for that taxi.
Mains include a rack of lamb, seared ahi tuna, veal scallopine and a half roasted duck. We decided on a venison osso buco and roasted sablefish (in its less famous days this fish was known simply as smoked cod) to give us a selection from both land and sea.
Both dishes were excellent. The venison was tender, and risotto (another hard-to-do dish as it is easily overcooked and mushy) was prepared perfectly. I was a little jealous of my companion’s vegetables though, as I had none – thankfully she shared.
Her sablefish was soft and tender and coated with a carrot and fennel glaze. My envy, the vegetables, included carrots, a pepper medley and a tasty square of scalloped potato.
The plates are ample and we had to pack some to go in order to leave room for the dessert – the tiramisu della casa. Thankfully we did as it finished the evening off perfectly.
Next time I am definitely working on that cocktail list.
Illuminate’s prices range from $6-$14 for starters and $18-$29 for mains.

Illuminate Restorante
125 – 1077 56th Street, Tsawwassen
Phone: 604 943 5900
I

RARE

First Seasonal Menu is online now for RARE - new restaurant in the old Bis Moreno space on Hornby. Stay updated at.
http://www.rare.inknoise.com/rare

Reservations for March at:
http://opentable.com/start.aspx?m=73&n=165

Pâté ○ rabbit liver, pheasant confit ○ brioche baked ○ verjus ○ blood orange $7
Pomegranate Seltzer ○ $6
Frog Leg ○ buttermilk fricassee ○ Sautéed ○ thyme beignet ○ sorrel puree $9
Campogrande Orvieto Classico ○ $7

Scallop ○ raw on the 1/2 shell ○ crushed ice ○ smoked lemon oil ○ kelp salad $12
Castello della Sala Chardonnay ○ $12

Ravioli ○ hedgehog mushroom ○ truffle & goat’s milk foam ○ Rosso jelly $9
Villa Antinori Toscana Rosso ○ $10

Beef Cheek ○ marrow studded ○ flat-iron roasted ○ trotters ○ braised leek $21
Peppoli Chianti Classico ○ $ 13

Sabayon ○ Verhona chocolate ○ vanilla poached pear ○ caramelized hazelnuts $9
Hazelnut Frappe ○ $6
This menu is also being offered as a tasting menu
(wines subject to change)

Bindustry Party

Bin had it's annual party last night. Media reception at 6 pm was awesome. Champagne was served with some deep fried and anchovy stuffed olives.

Chardonnay was served with prawns, jellied ham and golden beets, malvasia with white spring salmon, pinot noir with beef tartare and potato stuffed with quail's egg, and shiraz with cariboo topped with bone marrow.
Then more food followed as the crowds arrived at 7 pm. Risotto balls, mini burgers, smoked salmon croquettes and more olives. I had to hold back.
The burlesque dancers hit the stage and karoke began.

Gord was the MC.

Tour of Granville Island

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to tour Granville Island with Edible BC.
www.edible-britishcolumbia.com is Eric Pateman, who I write the newsletters for every 2 weeks. Sign up online to receive these, or you will be missing out on the latest and greatest BC culinary news.
I thought the tour would be a bit redundant because I am at the Island so much, but I actually learned a lot and sampled some great products.
We started out at La Baguette and L'Echalote, Vancouver's oldest french bakery. We sampled chocolate croissants and were guided through the huge selection of breads that are all made in house. We checked out magrut limes, lime leaves and durian at South China Seas, and sampled chai tea at the tea place.
Backstage at Terra Breads we were shown the proofer and left with some bread samples to nibble on later. The mushroom man was there with his dried mushrooms, actually picked by street youth he employs - talk about giving something back to the community!
Visited Tony at Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks and then viewed the oysters, lobster and crab available at the Lobster Man.
Taking the aquabus across the channel to Nu for lunch we were greated by Keith with crossaints and hot chocolate. Brunch was a tasty brie and truffle omelette and a pork belly with potato hash, which I split with another guest. The room is so beautiful and the brunch menu will definitely bring me back for morning meals.

Fork + Glass

Friday night Fork and Glass, a celebration of Vancouver Magazine's 2006 Wine Competition, saw 10 different wines paired with 10 different foods from Vancouver's restaurants.
Highlights were the Pol Roger Cuvee with the Vancouver club's oysters, CedarCreek's cabernet sauvignon, with Cioppino's beef short-ribs and the lapsang tea-cured duck breast from C.

Central Bistro

Friday I was feeling a bit blue so John took me to lunch at Central Bistro to cheer me up. I am still not working full time and despite some good news earlier in the day I was still feeling like an a big unaccomplishment. I don't care if that isn't a word. I am using it.
The meal itself was an unaccomplishment. A strange seafood salad consisting of some tender prawns, but mostly flaked dry salmon. John's burger was more of a success, but the fries were lacking in crispiness. The experience itself, however, left us both feeling a lot lighter. Maybe it was the Sandhill Pinot Blanc.....

Granville Island and Gallery

Thursday was the media event for Winteruption, a festival in Granville Island. Had a few honey lagers and some rather unappealing snacks that I feared included some sort of canned ham. For me SPAM is always a four letter word.

After, Frances and I went to the Gallery opening - Very cool stuff.

Running until February 27, Vergette will show his most massive pieces to date, in sizes ranging up to 8 feet by 8 feet (perfect for your great room). New resin paintings are in intense shades of blues and reds, plus his signature whites, some incorporating scrawled text.
Join the artist for chardonnay and hobnobbing with the hippest in Vancouver's art scene, February 2, 2006, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bjornson Kajiwara Gallery (1727 W. Third Ave. 604.738.3500).

Sonoma Wine Fair

February 1st was the Sonoma wine fair. Lots of excellent wines to taste. Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Cabernet Sauvignon, Hartford Pinot Noir, La Crema Piot Noir, and Sangiacomo Chardonnay were winners.
I ran into a lot of people that I knew at both the trade tasting and the evening consumer, where I volunteered.
During my break I whipped up to George for a Tanqueray Gin reception.

Century

I predict Centurty will be the "it" restaurant for 2006! Opening in the old Lola's space they are going to do the "Opening Soon" episode on February 10th WHEN I AM OUT OF TOWN. DRAT.

"Further north east in the old heritage building at 432 Richards, Century’s construction is well underway. Sean Sherwood, Michael Mitton, and Tom Maroon (Lucy Mae Brown/Fiction/Crime Lab) have polished up the room with lavish wall murals of Spanish revolutionaries, the installation of lush saddle leather booths, vintage chandeliers and a refurbishing of the original marble floor.

Remi Dubois, a French trained chef whose experience includes the Ritz Carlton and Washington’s Salish Lodge, has been imported to head up the culinary side of the project. The cuisine will be modern Latin, translating into dishes such as Dungeness crab burritos – fresh crepes stuffed with succulent crab, topped with avocado foam and salsa sorbet.

A liquor primary license has been secured for the space upstairs, however much like the revolutionaries plans featured in the murals, Sean Sherwood is keeping the opening date of both rather secret. I’ll hazard a guess the restaurant will softly open in early-February."

Here is the menu:

Beginning
Wild Boar Consomme roasted jalapeno and apple gelee 9
Bouillabaisse a lightly scented saffron & clove broth with roasted seafood and organic root vegetables 10
Sobrassada spiced pork pate & grilled white fish with ‘french toast’ 10
Empanadas wild mushroom, spanish chorizo, or brandade filled puff pastry turnovers 10
BBQ Baby Octopus crispy haricot vert and preserved lemon 12
Plantain Fritters & Pork Bellies crispy plantain cakes with cinnamon maple braised kurabuto pork bellies and a petite herb salad 11
Hand Picked Organic Greens pomegranate vinaigrette, fresh jicama, and spiced crouton 10
Caesar for 2 finished tableside and garnished with quail egg, langoustines, fresh avocado, and the traditional dressing for two 20 / for one 10
Dungeness Crab Burritos fresh lump crab, roasted sweet chilies and garlic, wrapped in a cilantro crepe 12
Middle
Century’s Paella roasted monkfish and saffron risotto with a saute of fresh cockles, squid, linguisa, lima beans, artichokes and roasted onions 12 / 24
Spanish Lubina potato and cilantro wrapped sea bass, sweet chilies, pickled garlic, and housed cured olives, finished with an artisan olive oil 12 / 24
Roasted Black Cod caramelized squash and peruvian potatoes finished with a cinnamon rioja jus 11 / 22
Seafood Pot for 2 lightly braised rock lobsters, scallops, cockles, conch, langoustines, and baby vegetables in a shellfish broth with an anise and vanilla essence for two 45 / for one 23
Latin Cassoulet rustic braise of rabbit, kurabuto bacon, salchichon and oxtail, with a trinity of frijoles, fresh herbs, tomato, sweet onion, poblano chilies, and roasted garlic for two 45 / for one 23
Cuban rubbed Wild Boar Filet yucatan honey masa cakes, and fried quail eggs, in a clove jus 12 / 24
Roasted Loin of Fallow Venison sweet potato and asparagus charlotte’, parsnip puree, aged manchego cheese, and an orange chipotle jus 12 / 24
Braised Shortribs and Beef Cheek Adobo cabrales laced yucca root puree, wild mushrooms and roasted root vegetables 13 / 25
Free Range Chicken lemon chive crushed potato, coriander carrot mousse and a natural jus 11 / 23
Sides
chips ‘n’ dip 6huevos rancheros 6tres frijoles 6tacos 6ham & cheese 6masa cakes and honey butter 6
End
Marci’s Latin Chocolates a plate of decadent bonbons, petit fours, and silky mousse 9
Passion Fruit Bombs Candied pithaya & vanilla jaconde 9
Century’s Blend an exclusive coffee blend infused into a rich flan, coconut froth & cayenne truffles 9
A Tasting for All four bite size treats in one,baby bananas & sweet rum gelee, a guava chiboust with butter cookies, key lime granite & cream cheese custard clove scented pineapple shooter with tapioca 9
Candies for 2 an array of homemade lollipops to relax and savor 9
Homemade Ice Creams and Sorbets 9
Cheese Platter selection of fine latin cheeses for one 12 / for two 18

Bin there done that

Slow food was hosting a tea tasting at T on Broadway, so I thought for the sake of my health some non-alcoholic liquids would be all I required to redeem myself from my previous evening of excess.
Unfortunately T was not expecting us, so the tasting was delayed.
Jane and I took the opportunity to check out Bin 942.
Had a Binlini - champagne and aliza and the navaho fry bread with smoked tomato and goat cheese salsa. We also ordered the duck confit salad. It was perfectly crisp and more like a main, as it sat atop risotto.