News

Recession? What recession?

The economy has tanked, jobs are disappearing and shoppers are nervously pinching their pennies, yet the voracious expansion of Vancouver's restaurant industry continues unabated.

To some, the new Twisted Fork Bistro might seem like a perfectly comfortable place to hunker down and contemplate the idiosyncrasies of our distorted dining market.

As you approach this casual, French-influenced restaurant - located on the seedy south side of the Granville Street entertainment strip, where the triple-X sex shops are clustered - you will pass people slumped in doorways and ranting meth heads. The depressing neighbourhood helps to remind that no matter how severely your retirement savings might have shrunk, there are countless others who are far worse off.

Stepping inside, you will be enveloped in the glowing warmth of a long, narrow room with high-beamed ceilings, cozy red walls and rustic wood tables. The decor has a humble, rough-around-the-edges bohemian flair (note the mismatched candle holders and faux fur DIY upholstery job on the couches in front and back).

The menu, quaintly presented on clipboards embellished by old forks with curled tines, is a modestly priced selection of No Forks (cheese plates, tasting platters, fries etc.), Small Forks (appetizers ranging from $6.50 to $9), Spoons (soups) and Big Forks (entrees, which top at $24).

And if you're still feeling guilty about spending in these uncertain economic times, just ask for one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs at the tables across from the bar. The tingly numbness spreading across your bottom by the end of the night will help atone for any perceived sense of gluttony.

The Twisted Fork Bistro is owned by a small-town trio of young friends from the ski resort town of Fernie, B.C., where they ran a popular slope-side restaurant called The Wood for seven years.

You might wonder at first what nice kids like these are doing overextending themselves in a nasty financial downturn. But once you hear the back story (they packed up and headed for the big city nearly two years ago, waited to find a place they could afford and opened up less than two months ago), you can't help but feel sorry for these struggling underdogs and want to cheer them on.

Service is genuinely friendly. The all-B.C. wine and microbrew list will make you feel good about supporting local suppliers. And chef Corey Sullivan's extensive selection of homemade preserves (all based on his grandmother's recipes) add a wholesome touch.

But being nice, alas, isn't always enough. I don't know about you, but when I go out to eat, especially in these financially straitened times, I'd rather not waste my hard-earned dollars on something an amateur foodie might whip up at home.

Mr. Sullivan trained at the Stratford Chefs School and worked for a year as the pastry chef for Vancouver's slickly professional Glowbal Restaurant Group. So I don't understand why his Twisted Fork Platter ($14.50) looks so unsophisticated. Why are his tourtière bites packed into light, buttery pastry shells with messy, crumbly, untrimmed edges? Why is the Gruyère and onion tart sliced into a sad, limp sliver that flops over a mound of vinegary pear-and-walnut chutney? And why is it all sloshing around on a big, white platter drenched in olive oil and balsamic vinegar? I think the chef is going for an unfussy, down-home feel, but the overall effect is sloppy.

True to the restaurant's name, the chef puts a few of his own unique twists on classic French comfort food. His experimental touches are mostly successful: Panko breading gives the platter's frog legs a nice crispy crunch; the tourtière's caramelized onions and chorizo sausage might offend purists, but the sweetness works for me.

The snails ($7) aren't your standard escargots in the shell, either. A big bowl of the fleshy mollusks (I counted more than 20) is stewed with mushrooms, leeks, caramelized onions and tomato sauce that's perfect for mopping up with crusty hunks of warm sourdough bread.

But before Mr. Sullivan gets too far ahead of himself, he needs to step back and concentrate on the basics.

Pan-seared trout ($20) is so soft and squishy it appears that the fish barely made contact with the skillet. The dish's missing crunch turns up in the potato galette, which is served on the dark brown side of burnt.

A duo of duck ($24) is full of robust flavour, but the cured breast has a limp skin and the confit leg is barely tender. The so-called ratatouille is no such thing - the crisp vegetables are lightly sautéed, not stewed. And the natural pan juices could use a little thickening.

The homemade preserves are tasty, or would be in moderation. The corn-and-pepper relish, pear-and-walnut chutney and pickled mango are all very tart and vinegary. As Mr. Sullivan later explained by phone, he is keeping the acid levels high to ward off bacteria, which seems commendably responsible. But perhaps he should keep the portions smaller. By the end of the night, my whole mouth feels pickled.

Sweet as it is, the caramel napoleon ($7) with chewy almond tuiles and creamy maple ice cream doesn't wash away the lingering sour notes. Nor does a Toblerone coffee ($7.50) layered with Frangelico, Baileys, Kahlua, honey, fresh whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate.

All in all, the Twisted Fork Bistro is the Miss Congeniality of new Vancouver restaurants. She's pleasant and friendly and certainly tries hard. But she lacks the polish of her competitors and is a little too bent out of shape to win the top prize - or my hard-earned money.

Twisted Fork Bistro: 1147 Granville St.; 604-568-0749*****

Side dish

Lumière and DB Bistro Moderne Vancouver don't officially open until Dec. 12, but both restaurants were bubbling over with excitement on Monday night when partners Daniel Boulud and David and Manjy Sidoo threw a private champagne soirée to celebrate the launch.

"This is like winning the Stanley Cup, putting these two restaurants back together" Mr. Boulud exclaimed, as guests nibbled on thinly rolled short-rib cigarillos and his famous DB burgers (juicy ground sirloin filled with braised short rib and foie gras).

The casual DB Bistro is the larger of the two restaurants, absorbing the spaces formerly occupied by Feenie's and the Lumière Tasting Bar. New entrances with revolving doors have been created on the outer corners of both rooms.

In DB Bistro, New York designer Janson Goldstein has replaced the bright reds, space-age rounded edges and fuzzy chandelier of Feenie's with clean lines, a heavy zinc bar (still to come) and a neutral palette of beige, taupe and brown.

Lumière has shrunk to 40 seats and the chain mail room divider is gone. The new design has a sexy, seventies vibe with crushed-velvet banquettes, smoked brown glass, globe lighting, ultraplush carpeting and dark wood panelling behind a small bar that seats five.

The menus haven't yet been released, but Mr. Boulud has said that Lumière will be offering smaller tasting menus priced at less than $100. In addition to its gourmet burger, DB Bistro (also open for lunch) will be offering a large selection of house-made charcuterie: terrines, sausages and boudin noir.

Many local chefs stopped by to lend their support, including David Hawksworth, Pino Posteraro, Robert Clark, Hidekazu Tojo and Thomas Haas.

"This is good for everyone," Mr. Posteraro said. "The only people who should be worried are the restaurants pretending to be cooking French food."

Alexandra Gill