I think of myself as a decent cook. I don’t get too cute with my dishes; I have not bought a sous-vide unit, I don’t cook with stabilizers, and I have never been tempted to prepare something that requires a dollop of foam just before service. My knife skills are decent and I can usually gauge the doneness of a protein with a well-positioned squeeze.
Nevertheless, there are couple of items that have bested me in the kitchen and contributed to the humility I still retain when I cook. One of these items was potato gnocchi, the delicate little barrels I so gingerly hand-rolled with a traditional wooden board dissolving into a starchy sludge the minute they hit the water. Much rage did ensue.
The other memorable disaster was my attempt at cooking fresh artichokes, which I carefully paired, snipped and trimmed in order to remove the stalky outer bits, then steamed while I made a light and nuanced lemon and herb butter.
I am becoming agitated reliving this story right now, so let it suffice to say that the fussy little thistles were inedible and their bitter, stringy leaves and hearts, still steaming and smug, weighed down my compost bin soon after being plated.
I am now duly impressed whenever I encounter an exceptional dish made with either of these items. My recent meal at Parkgate’s InGrain Pastificio was exceptional all around, but it was the Artichoke Puree on Toast that stole the show and made me hang my head in deficient shame. The cumbersome vegetable was exquisitely rendered here, with heady garlic and tangy citrus notes, an incredibly creamy texture, and a nice perfumed lift of crispy fried rosemary leaves. The puree was topped with crispy chickpeas and the whole dish, right down to the ultra fresh, pleasantly chewy and dense toast, was so nice I would consider ordering two and calling them my main course next time.
To pair with appetizers, my wife DJ and I selected a couple of intriguing wines from InGrain’s small but well-considered, deeply researched list, which includes wines by the glass I have simply not seen elsewhere. I learned from InGrain’s Instagram account that one of the owners (InGrain shares the same ownership as the always-great Arm’s Reach Bistro) was in Italy during my visit to the restaurant, sampling interesting bio-dynamic wines and local, hand-hewn pastas.
This appetite for learning and discovery is evident in everything that InGrain dishes up. This is not your typical pasta restaurant; it is far more interesting. I ordered a glass of Pieno Sud Bianco, a dry, fragrant white wine from Sicily using indigenous varietals. The wine offered pear-like aromas and a honeyed palate. DJ went for a clean and straightforward Chateau L’Orangerie, which I guessed was their Bergerac-style white, a typically Southwestern French blend (white Bordeaux) of ripe and viscous Semillon and crisp and lean Sauvignon Blanc.
A second appetizer of meatballs in a chunky San Marzano tomato sauce was a hit with the kids and boasted lean, moist beef with notes of Pecorino and garlic. DJ went for a small, exceedingly fresh and light salad of arugula and radish with Parmesan and lemon vinaigrette. For their mains my two daughters opted for Bambini mac and cheese, very generously portioned kids’ dishes of housemade penne in a thick, cheesy sauce finished with a bit of Parmesan and flashed under the broiler for a touch of colour and texture. All of InGrain’s slow-dried, traditional pastas are made in-house using Pacific Northwest water and grains, including Hard Durum, Spelt, Einkorn, Emmer and Buckwheat. The restaurant’s pasta manifesto is an interesting read and can be found on their website for other food geeks like me who love to learn the provenance of foodstuffs, but in practice InGrain’s approach translates to flavour-forward, nicely textured pastas that have found favour in retail in addition to within the restaurant.
I first visited InGrain soon after it opened late in the spring of 2015. At that time I sidestepped the one dish that I notice has remained on the menu virtually unaltered since the beginning: Mac and Beef, made with Maccheroni, braised beef, Mornay sauce, mushrooms, and aged cheddar and served in a rustic skillet. I went for lighter fare during that visit but this time, amidst the dreary June-uary weather, I embraced the comfort dish and thoroughly enjoyed the complex flavours of the braised beef, with evident notes of wine and caramelization, as well as the dense grilled cheddar cap that sat atop the pasta. I enjoyed a fruity, straight-to-the-point Portuguese Grenache with my dish.
DJ’s main was fantastic, a bright and unusual dish of lily-shaped farro pasta with al dente broccoli, chillies, garlic, lemon, walnuts, and a generous grating of fresh Parmesan; the dish was perfectly balanced and filling without being heavy. She paired it with an unusual Esporao Alandra white, a light-bodied wine from Portugal with tropical fruit notes and reserved acidity.
My son eventually made two meals of his Penne Pancetta, a hearty dish with an emphasis on the fragrant flavours of fresh tomato, basil and a generous garlic quotient, with salty, crispy lardons of pancetta.
We finished the meal with a lush and creamy slice of coconut cheesecake from Trees, a coffee and dessert purveyor whose wares find favour at InGrain.
Our meal was $136 before gratuity.
InGrain Pastificio,126-1133 Mount Seymour Road (Parkgate Plaza). Ingrainpastiificio.com. 604-988-8926.
