Its going to be an interesting spring on the food front with lots of new restaurant openings on the immediate horizon. Most foodies and serial diners have heard about Hawksworth coming to the Hotel Georgia, the re-conceptualized Save On Meats re-opening on Hastings and soon-to-be-open Fast Food Disco on Main, but there are others deserving of our attention as well.
Here are four to start salivating over...
Pink Elephant (Opening Late April)
Opening around the day this goes to print, Pink Elephant (1152 Alberni) will be the newest property in the Thai House Restaurant Groups empire (see also Urban Thai, Thai House, Samba Brazilian Steakhouse, Charm Modern Thai and others). Ive taken a peek at the location, which used to be the entrance to a parking garage on Alberni. Its set on two floors (2,800 square feet) with a lengthy communal table, bar and cozy booths for two on the main floor and a semi-private room adjacent to the kitchen on a commanding mezzanine. The space is cleanly modern and floored in what appears to be sound-suppressing faux concrete, but I wonder if its Hubba Bubba, in-your-face pinkness and Im talking bright neon pink everywhere might prove too much for those of who bend toward the traditional. The menu looks interesting: lots of Thai-style street food, plenty of fish, a selection of curries and any combination of noodle soup that a customer could divine from a bank of stocks, proteins and add-ons. The prices are surprisingly accessible, with chef Parichat Poomkajorns plates hovering in the $5 to $15 range. If its any good, concerns over décor will be moot.
Campagnolo Roma (Opening May)
Chef Rob Belcham and his sommelier business partner Tom Doughty have taken over the old Caribbean Hot Pizza Express location at 2297 East Hastings, just west of Nanaimo (across from the inspired little diner, Red Wagon). Expect a 35-seat offshoot of their highly successful pan-Italian Campagnolo concept on Main Street (which they co-own with frontman Tim Pittman). Itll be called Campagnolo Roma, tabling what one would rightly assume to be a Roman menu.
Ive been told to anticipate pastas like punchy, tomato-based Amatriciana and eggy Carbonara (both made with pork cheeks I suspect, as Belcham is a bit of a stickler for pig), a diverse assortment of pizza-like flat breads (likely similar to the Pane Romano we currently enjoy at the comparably themed Sciué on West Pender), and other, similar stabs at regional authenticity done with confidence. In the kitchen will be Ted Anderson, who has excelled on the line at Refuel (Belcham and Doughtys other restaurant on West 4th). Will we see a Campagnolo Firenze, Campagnolo Milano or a Campagnolo [insert other gastronomically gifted Italian city here] blessing our city in the years to come? One can only hope so. Either way, East Hastings just got lucky.
Electric Owl (Opening May)
Strathconas dilapidated American Hotel is back! The 104-year-old building of ill-repute and legend at 928 Main between Terminal and Union has been out of commission for half a decade, but intense renovations have seen it restored. It will very shortly midwife a new, 200-plus seat entertainment complex called Electric Owl on the main floor. Not only will it boast live music and comedy acts curated by former Guilt & Co. impresario Dani Vachon, it will also play host to a restaurant and lounge that will include two bars and a 34-seat patio out back looking onto Station Street. Owners Adam Levine and Alex Russell are rolling with a Japanese izakaya concept for the entire space, so expect unfussy small plates (the milieus staples include chicken karaage, ebi mayo, gyozas, etc), plenty of cold beer and sake infusions and the occasional sumo wrestling bout with Japanese fan dancing interludes. If all goes according to plan with the No Fun nabobs, theyll also have the green light to serve alcohol to those fortunate enough to find a free chair or stool until 2am.
Ensemble (Opening May)
Dale MacKay, the ex-executive chef of Lumière (closed in March), has taken over what many would consider to be a cursed location 850 Thurlow with the aim of opening his first ever-restaurant as an independent. Ensemble, as its called, will include a 30-seat oyster and cocktail bar backing up an 85-seat casual dining room. It takes over from where Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe took over from Saveur, which had taken over from Piccolo Mondo (sigh). Will the fourth restaurant in five years to lease the space break the dreaded spell with a casual-but-refined Frenchish theme? I expect so. There are few chefs in Western Canada who can match MacKays intensity (as evidenced by his performance to date as a contestant on Top Chef Canada), but drawing and keeping people at Ensemble will most probably be his talent, which was hazed during a successful apprenticeship under knee-weakening Gordon Ramsay and honed while acting in an executive role for superstar chef Daniel Boulud. His cooking at Lumière was sublime and the fellow is a lion when under pressure. Expect great things.
