Contributing writer I cannot remember a time when dining out was not part of my regular routine.
Arguably, my warmest childhood memories involve some extraordinary meal consumed in a restaurant.
For my fifth birthday, my father took me to a place called Il Palazzo on Richards Street in downtown Vancouver. It was a swish establishment that I am told was popular with politicians and the city's business elite at the time, a distinction that was easily lost on me at five.
Harder for me to overlook, however, was the violinist that appeared at our table during the appetizer course. The musician donned a black bow tie and waistcoat and had a look of profound concentration on his face as he played Happy Birthday in extended, quivering notes. I had never seen anything quite like it and in my childish surprise I laughed hysterically, spraying a mouthful of fizzy Shirley Temple out of my nose and onto the crisply pressed table linen.
We never went back to Il Palazzo, but I do think of that meal from time to time. It was the first time I became aware of how the atmosphere of a restaurant can so significantly impact the dining experience.
Atmosphere remains an important factor for me when dining today. I recently attended a grand opening event at Miku Sushi downtown. Miku has been around since 2008 but has relocated to the old Aqua Riva space at the north end of Granville Street, a stunning location that has benefited greatly from some masterful renovations. Miku overlooks the Burrard Inlet. Its central patio seating is flanked by Port Metro Vancouver to the east and Canada Place to the west; the eternally spinning Q of Lonsdale Quay is dead centre across the water. In such an idyllic setting it often seems that food takes on an almost surreal quality; the exceptionally good, like the sushi at Miku, becomes unforgettably sublime, as if elevated by the space in which it is served.
This brings me to one of those chicken or egg questions: can food be truly great all by itself or is greatness only possible if other factors (such as atmosphere, for example) contribute to its enjoyment?
Consider the case of The Crab Shop, now located in the austere business complex at 2455 Dollarton Highway. The business has been around for more than 40 years, 20 under the current ownership of Marcel Gregori, who catches the day's haul of Dungeness crab every morning for the throngs of crustacean lovers that frequent his establishment. In addition to a brisk seasonal business in crab, The Crab Shop boasts "Vancouver's Best Fish & Chips." This claim is a bold one to make in a city with no shortage of fresh seafood. The atmosphere of the Crab Shop is purely functional. The public-facing portion of the business is a busy storefront with tanks and coolers crammed with the best sea creatures from of our coastal waters. There are some tables and seats here and there and a few newspaper articles, and autographs of celebrity patrons adorn the walls. A long hallway offers a glimpse of the operational side of the business that transforms the day's catch into table-ready fare, including cooked and cleaned crab, halibut, and shrimp cakes, candied and cured fish (including an extraordinary sable fish candy), seafood sausages and the hot takeout fare, prepared in a small kitchen, that includes the aforementioned fish and chips.
After a recent late afternoon visit to The Crab Shop for an ambitious selection of takeout seafood, I would suggest that not only is the claim of Vancouver's best fish and chips entirely plausible, but also the busy shop offers evidence that truly great food will shine in any setting. My takeout order included halibut and chips, cod and chips, breaded prawns, fish tacos, a dozen raw Royal Miyagi oysters and two cooked and cleaned crabs.
The scent of the food was so intoxicating that I ate most of the shrimp in the car on the way to deliver dinner to my family. The fish and chips (of which the halibut was the undisputed winner) was consumed in sporadic bursts on a picnic table as my kids chased away seagulls, and the oysters and crabs weren't eaten until late at night, mostly from the edge of a sweltering hot kitchen between tepid swigs of Chablis. It was one of my best meals in recent memory. Contact: 604-929-1616, thecrabshop.ca.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
