The Facing Page

Design, Culture and Style from Vancouver

Category: We Eat

11 September 2012

Finch’s Tea and Coffee House

by Connor Keller

I was finally able to stop into the famous Finch’s Tea and Coffee House on West Pender earlier this week. I’ve been hearing rumblings about their pear, blue brie and proscuttio baguette for a long time now, and was pleased to be able to try it for myself. Finch’s is a beautiful cafe located a little off the beaten track near Gastown in Vancouver. It’s an eclectic looking spot, filled with different types of furniture and furnishings. The menu is laid out on a number of different blackboards behind the service counter, and includes a wide variety of baguettes, platters, breakfasts, treats and drinks. I was just in for lunch by myself, so I was only able to try the Pear baguette, but from a browse of the menu and the plates of those around me, there are a number of great looking options. My baguette didn’t disappoint at all: it was filled with pear, brie and proscuttio to the point that it was almost overflowing. I’ll be back soon and would recommend it to anyone looking for an excellent lunch in the Gastown area.

Finch’s Tea and Coffee House | finchteahouse.com | 353 West Pender St.

Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm, Saturdays 11 am – 4 pm

- CK

Leave a comment
1 September 2012

The Blue Fox Cafe

by Connor Keller

The long weekend is a perfect time for an extended, lazy brunch. For me, one spot in particular comes to mind: The Blue Fox in Victoria. I always try to make time to visit it when I’m back in Victoria. Since 1991, the Blue Fox has been charming the local breakfast crowd with sizeable portions of fresh, locally sourced comfort breakfasts. It’s an eclectically decorated brick space located just off antique row in the Harris Green section of Fort Street, an can readily be identified on mornings by the stream of people on the sidewalk. It tends to be best to get there early to avoid the line, but honestly I find waiting in line is worth it for the breakfasts they serve up once you do manage to get in. The Eggs Benedict are one of the highlights (there’s over ten varieties) as are the pulled pork huevos rancheros, breakfast specials and the giant apple cinnamon bun that the serving staff tend to do a great job selling if you come in a group of four or more (any fewer and you wouldn’t be able to get close to finishing your main meal). The space itself fits the comforting aesthetic of the food perfectly, the decorations cover a wide variety from kitschy pieces to excellent local art, the tables are all covered by sheets of plexiglass, under which old decorated napkins from former customers sit, and the brick walls makes the whole space feel like home. If you’re ever in Victoria and need a large and excellent breakfast, the Blue Fox should be your first choice.

The Blue Fox Cafe | thebluefoxcafe.com | 101-919 Fort Street

Monday to Friday 7:30 am – 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8 am – 3 pm

- CK

Leave a comment
6 August 2012

Six Acres

by Connor Keller

Tucked in behind the Gassy Jack statue at the Carrall/Water/Alexander intersection in Gastown is one of our favorite spots in Vancouver for a good beer and a share-plate or two: Six Acres. A relatively small place with two floors and a little bricked patio outside, Six Acres is a great looking space that has stood up well in the competitive Gastown restaurant scene. They’re housed in what’s called the Alhambra building (interestingly, they’re also one of a very few spots in Vancouver to serve my favorite Spanish beer – Alhambra), the oldest brick building in Vancouver, which stands on the site of Gassy Jack’s Deighton Hotel. Inspired by the apparently Gastown-based tradition of ‘talking, swigging and tucking into good food’ – Six Acres features an outstanding beer list and one of the better charcuterie options you’ll find in Vancouver. The mussels and the fries plate are also top options – particularly the fries plate if you haven’t had a proper fry for a while. If you’re ever bored during your meal, you can always retreat to the upstairs washrooms – where there’s always an old novel being played in audiobook format. It’s an interesting concept, and one that can really catch you off-guard if you happen to come in at certain points in various books (I once happened upon a very odd passage featuring a wholy unsavory scene). It’s a great spot in a great neighbourhood and perfect for the summer months when they have the patio open. It’s the perfect spot to have a beer, catch up with friends and watch the amazing variety of people who walk through Gastown pass by.

Six Acres | sixacres.ca | 203 Carrall Street

Monday to Saturday 5 pm – 1 am, Sundays Closed

- CK

Leave a comment
12 June 2012

49th Parallel / Lucky’s Doughnuts

by Connor Keller

Recently opened in Vancouver’s Main Street/Mt Pleasant district is a new and exciting venture from Vancouver coffee scene stalwarts 49th Parallel Roasters. They’ve continued their strong tradition in excellent coffee roasting and brewing while adding a new project: Lucky’s Doughnuts. The resulting cafe is well designed, nicely laid out and – most importantly – serves up the best doughnut I’ve come upon in Vancouver. This is the second 49th Parallel store to open in Vancouver, the first being in Kitsilano, and they couldn’t look more different – each seeming to reflect the identity of their neighborhood. The main street branch is a large, spacious wood and brick creation with some particularly attractive light fixtures, chairs and countertops. It’s a good space, one that I could see myself spending time in – which is more than you can say for the majority of Vancouver coffee stops. If the space wasn’t enough to attract you through the door, being able to watch doughnuts created fresh through large glass windows while you sip your coffee certainly should. They smell amazing too so good luck going in and not being very tempted to order one. I tried the french crueller which happened to be on special the evening I popped by, and as I said earlier, it ranked high on my (admittedly uncalibrated) doughnut scale. There was also a large selection of other more exciting doughnuts including a mango option and a chocolate bacon option; plenty of interesting choices for next time. For me though the best part about the doughnuts is the gorgeous boxes they come in if you decide to get them to take out. A solid orange box with well designed white lettering is something I’d be tempted to clean out and keep around to use as a storage box. All told, it’s a great concept and a good looking – and good smelling – spot. If you’re in the area I’d very much recommend stopping in, and if you’re in need of a box of doughnuts, do yourself a favor and go here. For a little extra information, Lucky’s Doughnuts keep a very active twitter account @luckysdoughnuts.

- CK

UPDATE: On 19 June, we changed the post to reflect that Lucky’s Doughnuts is a side project of 49th Parallel rather than a separate business. Even more impressive.

49th Parallel / Lucky’s Doughnuts | luckysdoughnuts.com | 2902 Main Street

Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 10 pm; and Sunday, 8am to 8pm

1 comment
16 May 2012

Mast Brothers Chocolate

by Connor Keller

There are not many desserts I prefer more–with the possible exception of an almond croissant–than a good bit of chocolate. Within the realm of chocolate, one of my favourite kinds is New York’s Mast Brothers. Mast Brothers is a Brooklyn-based chocolaterie that produces chocolate and nothing else. No hard candies, no toffee, no bullshit just chocolate and a goal to make the world’s best chocolate. Mast Brothers was started by Rick and Michael Mast who learnt to cook chocolate in their apartment, fell in love with the process and dropped everything to start a handmade chocolate factory in an abandoned spice warehouse. Since the factory opened they’ve been honing their craft, making world-class chocolates with single origin, single estate and mixed blend cocoa beans as well as a number of supplementary ingredients including Stumptown Coffee, Maine Sea Salt and Crown Maple Syrup. It isn’t just the ingredients and the process that are top class either, the packaging is also a huge part of the charm, particularly the nautically themed Almond and Sea Salt wrapper. Each bar is individually hand wrapped in simple, thoughtful, thematically decorated butcher paper, a nice touch on top of a great chocolate. Mast Brothers is available in Vancouver at Mr. Lee’s General Store and Old Faithful Shop.

This short documentary shot by The Source will give you an appreciation of the care that goes into crafting the chocolate.

 

 

- CK

Leave a comment
19 April 2012

The Alibi Room

by Connor Keller

For both a great pint or a nice dinner out, a great option in Vancouver is the Alibi Room. Opened in 2006 with a mission of balancing an accessible menu and becoming one of the top craft beer destinations in Vancouver, the Alibi Room can declare “Mission Accomplished!”. Located in a heritage building along the railroad between Vancouver’s Gastown and Railtown districts the Alibi fits its surroundings perfectly. The restaurant is divided into two parts, an upstairs consisting of long tables and smaller nooks and a basement with a similar mix between large and small tables, but in a more casual atmosphere without table service. The staff can always be trusted with a recommendation for your soon to be new favourite beer and the menu is always changing so you’ll never be bored. The food, playing second fiddle to the beer through no fault of its own, is superior to that found in many of the surrounding restaurants. The pork belly sandwich, burger, and charcuterie plate have all been standouts in my visits here. The nightly specials are also worth checking out. I remember a particularly excellent roasted pork knuckle and dumpling. I keep hoping it will come back. If you’re ever in the Gastown area in need of a bite, a great pint or both, then get down to the Alibi Room. You and your friends won’t be disappointed. But go early or be prepared to wait; this is a popular spot.

The Alibi Room | alibiroom.ca | 157 Alexander Street

- CK | AP

Leave a comment
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 422 other followers