IN GOOD COMPANY

Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants were recently announced and two Gastown spots made the cut. L’Abattoir earned the #13 spot, up four from last year, while Bauhaus made its debut on the list at #37.

So, what did they have to say?

On L’Abattoir:

“This ruggedly elegant French-inspired charmer, whose name pays homage to Gastown’s meatpacking provenance, remains the finest.

When possible start with the chef Cooper’s favourite dish: baked Pacific oyster with truffle purée, mushroom marmalade and whipped garlic butter. While his seasonal menus read simply they invariably incorporate imaginative twists. Venison tartare is adorned with smoked duck yolks, suckling pig comes with grilled sauerkraut, and the venerable Steak Diane gets cheese puffs and a peppercorn condiment. This is sophisticated cooking without affectations.”

On Bauhaus:

“Tasting menus, built around succulently braised meats, plump poached seafood and brightly acidulated classic sauces, are technically tight and luxuriantly satisfying. Diners in the mood for something more Munich than Michelin will find traditional dishes, including a wonderfully crispy veal schnitzel, on the à la carte menu.

There is also an imbiss (bar snack) menu with pickled herring and fatty-pork sausages on redwine-soaked lentils. The wine selection is slowly improving. The open brick, concrete and dark wooden room has mid-century polish. And the graffiti-splattered bathrooms keep it real. This is Gastown after all.”

BROOKLYN BLOCK PARTY

Clough Club is welcoming Brooklyn Brewery Back to Vancouver in a big way – with a Brooklyn-inspired tap launch party. There will be pizza by the slice, retro stand-up games, a feature menu of NY cocktails and, of course, Brooklyn lager.

 

ARTIST TALK

Jason Hirata will be at Artspeak on Saturday, March 12 at 4pm to talk about his work and the exhibition, ‘Administrate’.

Hirata lives and works in Seattle and New York. He holds a BFA in Photography from the University of Washington. He has presented exhibitions recently at Muscle Beach, Portland (2015); American Medium, New York (2014); James Harris Gallery (2014); Frye Art Museum (2013), and Hedreen Gallery, Seattle (2010). He was an artist-in-residence at Seattle University in 2014-15. Hirata is the 2015 recipient of The Brink Award and will be mounting a solo exhibition at the Henry Art Gallery in 2016.

SEVEN DAY PARTY

The Blarney Stone kicks off their weeklong St. Patrick’s Day Party this Friday at noon. There’s a fab Irish lunch to start and dancers at 9pm. Saturday brings Irish brunch, Irish dancers and live Celtic music. It happens all over again on Sunday, with the addition of circus performers, face painting and balloon twisting.

DEEP DOWN INSIDE

On March 12, MIA is hosting an evening dedicated to the hazy late night summer adventures of past, where friends gather on the dance floor with music that resonates and connects. On Saturday night, let’s go dancing!

FOR A FULL LISTING OF GASTOWN EVENTS CHECK OUT OUR CALENDAR HERE.