Oh, Canada!

[scrat68]

Tighe and I went to Vancouver last weekend - a culinary extravaganza!

Our first meal was lunch at Cioppino's Enoteca

I started with a luscious Sunchoke and Squash Soup, Tighe had a White Asparagus Soup with Truffle Oil.

For entrées, I had Seared Tuna and Poached Buffalo Mozzarella with Olive Oil and Ponzu. The creaminess of the mozzarella was almost sinful and it was served over a bed of quasi ratatouille. Tighe had a Grilled Calamari Salad - the calamari was done to perfection and served over greens with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Ah, dessert, a light and creamy Limoncello Cheesecake, perfect with a cup of espresso.

If we had more time in Vancouver, we definitely would have gone back to Cioppino's - either the main restaurant or the Enoteca - what a fabulous meal!!!

[scrat68]

Part 2 - The Fois Gras Tasting Menu at Chartwell's at the Four Seasons

(menu available through 11/30/02 - $85 CDN per person exclusive)

Oxtail and Goose Fois Gras Terrine

with Horseradish Cream

(our 2nd favorite course - the terrine was an amazing combination of flavors and the cream was the perfect complement)

Sautéed Scallops

with Goose Fois Gras Vinaigrette

(the scallops were fantastic but the fois gras bits in the sauce were overwhelmed by other flavors)

Organic Chicken Breast

with seared Fois Gras and a Truffle Sauce

(our favorite course of the evening, served on a bed of creamy risotto)

Goat Camembert

with Goose Fois Gras toasted Brioche

(i.e. broiche fried in fois gras fat - sinful!)

Goose Fois Gras Crème Brûlée and fresh Figs

(not as bad as it sounds but not as good as I had hoped. Tighe and I were only able to eat a few bites as it was very rich and cloying. Excellent concept!)

Overall, our experience at Chartwell's was favorable. The food was very good, high marks on presentation and flavor combination. Although the dessert was odd, it was very intriguing and definitely a worthwhile experience.

The waitstaff was clearly well trained and experienced, and from that standpoint, exactly what one would expect from a Four Seasons restaurant. However, the old school style of service became really old with our waiter's outdated and chauvanistic behavior.

We were by far the youngest diners in the restaurant. As we have experienced before in other establishments, we definitely sensed a condescending attitude and an aura of snootiness.

The best part was the waiter's treatment of moi . The old world style really came through here. The waiter constantly deferred to Tighe and ignored me. I felt like I barely existed. The waiter came to the table on several occasions and refilled "sir's" wine glass and did not touch mine, though attention was required.

The piece de resistance was, of course, the bill. The waiter predictably presented the bill to Tighe. At this point, I decided to use my "test" for sheer entertainment purposes - little did I know how much entertainment that would be! While our waiter was out of the room, I placed my AMEX in the check holder and placed it between me and Tighe. After he processed the charge, he returned to the table with check holder in one hand and credit card in the other. With a look that could kill, he asked me if the card was mine, to which I answered yes. He sneers at me and chuckles, drops the card in my hand and hands the check holder, with charge card receipt to be signed, to Tighe.

I would not return to this restaurant for a few reasons. One, the fois gras menu was a once in a lifetime opportunity - one that we certainly enjoyed. Two, although the food was very good, I would not rate it as a contender with other restaurants that we visited during our stay. And thirdly, of course, when I pay the bill, I want to be treated with respect. Enough said.

[mamster]

As much as I'd love to keep this great series going on Pacific Northwest, modesty and geography require me to move it to Canada. I'm keeping a pointer, though!

[Lesley C]

Wow! I'm surprised to see Quebec goose foie gras has made it to Vancouver. The quantities produced here by two farmers are minimal -- even the local chefs are fighting to get their hands on this stuff.

Scrat 68, what did you think of the goose foie gras? And compared to the duck foie gras?

I think the foie gras dessert sounds awful -- a waste of a beautiful product. Only a cook would make a foie gras crme brulee. Pastry chefs are smarter than that.

[tighe]

Scrat 68, what did you think of the goose foie gras? And compared to the duck foie gras?

I think the foie gras dessert sounds awful -- a waste of a beautiful product. Only a cook would make a foie gras crme brulee. Pastry chefs are smarter than that.

I'm jumping in since I was there too!

I thought the goose foie gras was great. A somewhat milder flavor and creamier texture compared to duck.

I am only guessing, but I suspect that the last two courses did not actually use any additional foie gras. I'm pretty sure that the brioche were just fried in the drippings from the seared foie gras and that the creme brulee just had drippings added to the mixture. Probably why it tasted like a fat-bomb going off in your mouth.

As far as the waiter goes, my favorite moment was towards the end of the meal. He strolls over to the table, turns his back to my wife and asks me if "sir would care for a liquer or brandy this evening?" I declined, and he nodded and walked away. I'm thinking, this guy has no idea how close he is to getting impaled with some piece of silver! As scrat said, it was so incredibly blatant that you almost had laugh about it.

Edited November 19, 2002 by tighe (log)

[plunk]

I have not been to Chartwell's in over a year but I am quite surprised at how badly they treated you. The first time I went it was about two years ago and we went with a group of our friends, all in our late 20's and early 30's so we were the youngest people there and we got very good service, men and women alike. Initially I was worried that we were out of place but we were treated very well, no differently than the older customers that I could tell. We were so impressed that we took our in-laws there last year and they loved it as well.

Seems that the service has gone downhill though. I'm curious to know if your waiter was French? Do you plan to write the restaurant about it?

My husband and I also play the credit card game with waiters. I have never had a situation as bad as yours though, that's pretty shocking. Usually the holder (and card) gets placed between us, sometimes it comes back to me and least frequently of all it goes back to my husband. It's always amusing.

[scrat68]

Yes, I did contact the General Manager at the hotel and sent him a link to this thread.

The waiter was French - and keep in mind that the service itself was excellent - timing was perfect, attention to water and bread were right on. My complaint lies soley in his chauvanistic behavior towards me.

I am glad that you have had good experiences there though!

[mamster]

I am only guessing, but I suspect that the last two courses did not actually use any additional foie gras. I'm pretty sure that the brioche were just fried in the drippings from the seared foie gras

Is that all? What a rip!

[tighe]

I am only guessing, but I suspect that the last two courses did not actually use any additional foie gras. I'm pretty sure that the brioche were just fried in the drippings from the seared foie gras

Is that all? What a rip!

Don't get me wrong, both dishes had full foie gras flavor, just no actual pieces of foie gras. My main critique of the meal would be that the actual amount of foie gras served was pretty minimal. A few small morsels in the terrine, some bits with the scallops and a nice sized slab with the chicken. For just over $50 US, I'm not inclined to get too uppity over it however. I could easily imagin having paid more than that here in Seattle for the same menu prepared sans foie gras.

[scrat68]

As a followup, I just received a phone call from the Food and Beverage Director of Chartwell's at the Four Seasons.

She was most gracious and apologetic for the waiterperson's behavior. She also expressed gratitude about our feedback. She indicated that she had reviewed the situation with the General Manager, the Executive Chef and the waitperson in question.

I certainly appreciated her response and truly feel from our conversation that the matter has been addressed with the appropriate parties. She also asked that we call her personally if we return to Vancouver, and that she would make sure that we were taken care of well.

All in all, I am very please by the response from the Four Seasons and would definitely consider another visit in the future.

[Schielke]

Awesome, good to hear. I am glad that the four seasons addressed this.

Ben

[scrat68]

One of our favorite meals during our trip to Vancouver was at Ouest. We made reservations at the chef's table, where we had a great view of the kitchen and all of its activities. We did mention that we were eGulleteers when we made the reservations, which they definitely took into consideration. Upon being seated, we were told that the chef, David Hawksworth, was "prepared to cook for us this evening" or we could select from the regular menu. Of course, we chose to let the chef choose:

Amusé Bouche

Fish Soup with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Frexinet Brut de Noirs Rosé, Spain

Quebec Fois Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait

served on Apple Jelly with homemade toasted Brioche

Selbach Klosterlay Riesling Spatlese 1999, Germany

(my favorite dish of the whole weekend; I wanted seconds for dessert)

Pheasant Boudain

served with a sautéed wild Mushroom Jus, Mushroom Cappuccino and

Burgundian White Truffle de Alba

Mission Hill Pinot Noir "Reserve" 2000, British Columbia

(an absolutely mind-blowing sausage with truffles, dreamy)

Roasted Scallops

with crisp house made Bacon and Tomato Jam

Di Majo Morante Sangiovese 2000, Italy

Sautéed John Dory

with organic Bean Minestrone, Spinach and house made Pasta

Santa Maria La Palma Cannonau di Sardegna 2000, Italy

Roasted Muscovy Duck

with pan seared Foie Gras, Duck au Jus, Purée of Celeriac and grilled

Fennel

E & J Gallo Cabernet Sauvignon "Coastal" 1999, California

(ahhh, more foie gras, lovely duck done to perfection)

Two Desserts were presented:

Pumpkin Cheesecake

with caramelized Fig, roasted Pear and Caramel Sauce

Bitter Valrohna Chocolate Cake

with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, Hazelnut Mousse

and Port Braised Pear

Our bill was presented with a treats platter:

Opera Cake

Meringue topped Chocolate Macaroons

Butter Toffee Truffles

Both Tighe and I would definitely rate this among our top five dinners ever. The service was fantastic. David Hawksworth took the time to meet with us and chat about the food and about eGullet. We were well taken care of and ate REALLY well. I would absolutely tell anyone going to Vancouver that this restaurant is a MUST!!!!!!!!!! David mentioned that he was considering an eGullet dinner in February - if this comes to fruition - he can count us in for sure!!

Pat

[scrat68]

Our other absolutely fabulous meal was dinner at Lumiére. The staff was so professional and so elegant - I truly miss that cosmopolitan kind of atmosphere here in Seattle. We each had different tasting menus as follows:

Tighe (Seafood Tasting Menu):

Albacore Tuna Sashimi

Green Papaya Salad and a Chili & Lime Dressing

Butter Braised Lobster

with Mascarpone Risotto, Horseradish Sauce and fresh Herbs

Sake & Maple Syrup Marinated Sablefish

with sautéed Potatoes and Leeks,

Shimiji Mushrooms and a Soy & Hijiki Froth

Halibut Casserole

with fall Vegetables and Black Truffle Broth

"Le Fromage"

A fine selection of Canadian Cheeses, served with Fruit & Nut Bread

Kiwi Sorbet

with Lychee and Lime Jus

Muscat & Olive Oil Cake

with a Concord Grape Gelee & Crème Fraiche

Spiced Autumn Fruits

with Zabaglione and Biscottini

Chocolate and Jelly

Scrat (Vegetarian Menu):

Broccoli Soup

with sautéed Chanterelles and a Gruyére Crouton

Goat Cheese "Parmentier" Gratin

with aged Balsamic and Daikon Sprouts

Fall Root Vegetable and Wild Mushroom Ragout

with a Black Truffle and Soy Vinaigrette and a Mushroom Froth

Carnaroli Risotto

with shaved White Truffles from Alba

"Le Fromage"

A fine selection of Canadian and imported Cheeses,

served with Fruit and Nut Bread

Lemon Sorbet

with Coronation Grape Soup

Chocolate & Pecan Phyllo Tart

with Bourbon Ice Cream & a Honey Tangerine Jus

Ginger Crème Brulée

Chocolate and Jelly

Once again, we were overwhelmed by the quality of the food and the graciousness of the staff. We decided at one point that we need to move to Vancouver - if only for the food. Sigh. Oh Canada, we will be back soon!!!!!!!

Scrat

[cabrales]

Pheasant Boudain

    served with a sautéed wild Mushroom Jus, Mushroom Cappuccino and

    Burgundian White Truffle de Alba

Scrat -- When you have a chance, could you discuss the Burgundian white truffle d'Alba in the boudin? From the name, these were white truffles, of the species available in Alba (Italy), that were grown in Burgundy? I have not yet taken in such an item.

Edited December 12, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[tighe]

Pheasant Boudain

    served with a sautéed wild Mushroom Jus, Mushroom Cappuccino and

    Burgundian White Truffle de Alba

Scrat -- When you have a chance, could you discuss the Burgundian white truffle d'Alba in the boudin? From the name, these were white truffles, of the species available in Alba (Italy), that were grown in Burgundy? I have not yet taken in such an item.

If I recall, there were actually two types of truffles shaved over the dish which may not have been clearly recorded in our notes that scrat was transcribing. One was Burgundian black truffles and the other was the white truffles d'Alba. This was definately my favorite dish of the evening.

[cabrales]

Burgundian truffles are quite nice, and they are not white (nor of the Alba variety).

[scrat68]

My bad - truffle confusion - probably shouldn't have been typing after 1 am and a couple of glasses of wine.