Here's a radical thought. Grab three friends. Head for Sardine Can. And order the entire menu. You can't go wrong.
This cutely named, compact Gastown newcomer (26 Powell St., 6045681350) is a slam dunk. Then again, with almost every venture undertaken by the folks behind Pied a Terre, La Buca, Cafeteria and so on, it's been that way. Andrey Durbach and Chris Stewart have a knack for understanding what people are looking for and giving it to them.
Sardine Can is small. Don't try to take the baseball team here: there are only 19 seats, including a few at the bar. But chances are if you go early or late you'll get in. No fuss, no muss, this place is all about food prepared fresh and promptly. It's sophisticated in an unassuming way-and as close as we're going to get to a real Madrid tapas bar in Vancouver.
The menu's a one pager, and we can romp through a part of it just to get your tastebuds going. Showstoppers include smoked sardines on crisped tostadas ($5), Guisado de Pulpo (zesty chorizo, potato and octopus stew) for $10, addictive Albondigas (meatballs) cooked in a rich tomato and Rioja wine sauce ($10) and patatas Brava, which were a little soft, but made up for with satin smooth aoili ($5).
Bread comes at a nominal extra cost, but you'll want lots for sopping up the excellent sauces. And save room for a couple of chalkboard specials (such as grilled trout) if they haven't run out.
The room may be small but it doesn't feel cramped. Besides, there's a pleasant intimacy, as it's only a few feet to the prep kitchen and bar, which means the chef might deliver the plate to you when it's ready. Service overall is friendly, well informed and considerate.
Well-chosen wines are smartly picked, all Spanish (including sherries, of course), fairly priced and poured into authentic tapas bar glasses-and if you pay your bill in cash, you'll get 10 per cent off.
Why does it work? The menu is straight forward and the dishes are uncomplicated. No artfully tweaked, West Coast-ified tapas here. These are faithful interpretations of classic dishes on a list that we're sure will evolve. In short, we can't wait to go back.
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It's been a couple of years since James Coleridge opened his Bella Gelateria (Burrard at Cordova), but in that time his freshly made flavours have taken Vancouver's gelato scene by storm. Word of his prowess is spreading further afield-to Italy, where last week he won top prize at the country's biggest gelato festival, in Florence, the home of artisan gelato.
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When was the last time you took wine to a restaurant? Likely it wasn't in B.C. Change may be afoot, as the discussion over BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) heats up. The practice is commonplace in other parts of the world-even in parts of Canada such as Alberta and Quebec. Now the provincial government is considering changing the law here.
B.C. Restaurant and Food Services president Ian Tostenson says his association is all for the idea. "We've had some conversations with the government and have actually written a formal letter to advise the minister that we totally are in favour of it," he said. "I think it will get more people out to restaurants, especially if they can bring their favourite bottle of wine with them."
He added, "The only thing that we ask government to do is to make sure the restaurant has its own ability to set whatever corkage fee it wants to set."
Stay tuned.
