South Granville Restaurants

[canucklehead]

We talking real Peking Duck? Multipart service and all that? Carved with a surgeons skill? And how much?

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Keith

Must you call me on everything? They are $9 bucks a pop but not multi-course. You get a plate of the crispy skin (to be honest - I cannot remember if they are carved at the table) and a steamer of pancakes.

A food blog has some pictures here.

Still - it is a good deal for what I think the best part of the Peking Duck experience anyways - the skin - glorious skin!

Edited June 10, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[PearL]

Has anyone been to the Smoking Dog?  I've heard Rob Feenie make reference to it on his show - but I don't know anyone who has actually eaten there. 

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I've been there once for dinner. The Smoking Dog is in Kits (1889 W.1st Avenue), not on South Granville. The dinner menu is somewhat expensive, although we found the house special (roast of the day or salmon or grilled chicken breast served with Mimosa salad and pommes frites) to be a good value. The atmosphere is warm and cozy and the host is extremely friendly.

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I was told the owner/host recently passed away...

[BCinBC]

N and I were driving around last Friday looking for a casual bite. After cruising Main trying in vain to remember where Butter had her good salad (it was 5 Point Pub), we switched to South Granville. Which, really people, is North Granville.

I parked by Meinhardt's, stepped out of the car, and was startled / greeted by someone screaming, "BRIAN!" After rotating my neck 360 degrees, I spot the Moosh family at the new Red Door. Yada yada yada, we don't end up there but do take their suggestion of sitting at the bar at Cru. Thank you Joie!

We are greeted by Mark, or one eatbc (eGullet is everywhere), and are seated at the bar with a clear view of the action in the kitchen. The bartender is friendly, I think her name was Anne? (sorry if I'm wrong!), chatty and helpful. Convinces me to do the duck confit over the syrah braised short ribs w/ macaroni & cheese (which is apparently also very good). N orders the wild mushroom on crostini.

But we start with a shared butter lettuce salad. It is so fresh, a whole head of "living lettuce" if I'm not mistaken, with cherry tomatoes and chives, dressed with a perfectly balanced vinegarette. Seriously, it is the right balance of oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings.

After the salad a table comes up, which is great because although I do not mind bar seating, sometimes there is not a lot of leg room. It is kind of them to offer to move us.

Then the mains. The first thing I do when the duck arrives is take a whiff; I black out dreaming of this vinegar-y, savoury tang. Immediately I start drooling. The meat is wonderfully tender, the skin crisp. There is frisee and several cubed roasted potatoes to soak up the sauce. Talk about a beautiful leg! I try some of N's mushrooms, and they are also deliciously fragrant. Hers is served with a rocket salad.

All in all it is a superb light meal. The whole shebang, including a bottle of Inniskillin PN, was $70 before tip. Personally I cannot believe they offer a 3-course prix fixe for $36. Why did I wait so long? I was a fool. Cru is one of the best bangs for the buck I've had in a long time.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Just back from a quick dinner at Red Door - which as noted by BC in BC is across the street from Meinhardt's. I mention it in the lunch thread because apparently they open at 11 am for lunch. We had potstickers, pad thai and "shaking beef". The pot stickers were good but the filling was almost pate-like in texture. Once I got used to the texture the flavour was good and the dipping sauce had lots of black vinegar in it. The pad thai was very tasty with lots of tofu and shrimp. It wasn't clumpy or gummy which is always my fear. We tried to order the Singapore Street Noodles but they were sold out. The shaking beef is based on a Vietnamese dish - not one I am familiar with. At $17 it is the most expensive dish on the menu but when compared to the price of an entree, it is fairly priced. It is a full plate of tender beef (we were told tenderloin), sauted to rare/medium rare and presented on spinach leaves with a dry pepper condiment on the side. The flavour comes from lime, garlic and peppers which are not too overpowering but add some punch. Very enjoyable and I can see us heading there on a frequent basis when I am too tired to cook. My daughter is looking for somewhere to go for lunch tomorrow - my recommendation will be the Red Door - it is a restaurant that seems to easily fit the bill for a wide variety of interests and ages. It should do very well in the neighbourhood.

[JenBragg]

Hello,

I enjoyed three South Granville lunches last week. Two of them were at the Cactus Club (around the corner on Broadway) and the third took place at the Red Door. The decor and the waitstaff looked great. The food was mostly good, however, I found it a bit over-priced. Lunch for three was $67, including soft drinks. I felt unsatisfied afterwards. So, I went home and had some potato chips. . .Cheers, Jen.