AS I type these words, the familiar scent of toasted sesame bagel fills the air.
It's a nostalgic smell for me as I grew up in Montreal and have consumed more of these crunchy, chewy disks than any other baked item on the planet. The bagel in my toaster today is from Rosemary Rock Salt on Lonsdale Avenue and 17th Street, the flagship outlet of what aspires to be a global chain. To my right, steam rises from a cup of freshly steeped Kapchorua, a tasty green tea from Kenya that was introduced to me by the knowledgeable staff of Tea Time, a wonderland for tea connoisseurs that is located on the east side of Lonsdale Avenue between 14th and 15th streets. As a resident of the North Shore, this is common breakfast fare for me and for that I consider myself incredibly lucky. Those of us who call the North Shore our home are surrounded by fantastic foods that bear the imprint of culinary influences from many corners of the globe. You can imagine how excited I am to be writing about this stuff every week. I look forward to reporting back to you on remarkable food discoveries. I encourage you to drop me a line any time to flag something you think is relevant for the column or just to talk shop with another foodie.
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A visit to East First Street's Finch and Barley had the unexpected effect of making me feel like a pioneer. The restaurant is squarely situated in the middle of a two-block industrial centre. "For Lease" signs occupy the windows of several buildings in the area, but the bustling scene inside Finch and Barley makes these vacancies seem oddly hopeful, perhaps pointing to the potential that exists for future tenants to shape the vibe of the neighbourhood.
I arrived for an 8 p.m. reservation to find Finch and Barley still in the full swing of a busy dinner service. The interior of the restaurant is bright and airy, with minimalist decor and a thoughtful seating arrangement: tables principally line the perimeter of the space, preserving a sense of openness.
I note with interest that the Finch and Barley website provides photographs of the interior of the restaurant in two categories: light and dark. This reveals an insightful observation as the transformation of the restaurant is truly dramatic when the lighting switches to "night mode" in the later hours of service. Accompanying me for the evening was my frequent dining partner Gil, so dubbed in honour of the noble Gilbaka, a fish indigenous to his native Guyana and occasionally available in Lower Mainland fish markets. We began our meal with a generously portioned order of mixed olives and crispy baguette. As we were finishing the last of the bread, our server provided us with a complimentary snack of curry-and lime-flavoured popcorn, its tangy saltiness marrying nicely with our cocktails: a gin and Aperol creation called a Bombay Fresh and a Whisky Sour made with bourbon.
Next up for Gil was an order of two beautifully seasoned and succulent lamb kebabs, their heat nicely tempered by a lemon herb aioli. I had the tasty Gulf Tacos: two handmade corn tortillas topped with Caspian marinated cod and a lemon herb sour cream.
The fish was battered but remained light and moist and the accompanying Persian-style slaw provided a welcome crunch. For mains, Gil chose the Italian sausage pizza, a thin-crust pie topped with spicy sausage, spinach and banana peppers, while I had the braised lamb shank cooked in Persian spices and red wine, served on a bed of herbed couscous.
The lamb was fall-off-the-bone tender and married nicely with the granular couscous, but the addition of balsamic atop the accompanying asparagus was the one exception to an otherwise seamless integration of Persian and Mediterranean influences that define the menu.
Appetizers, mains, and two drinks apiece cost $105 before tax and tip. Finch and Barley: 250 East First Street, North Vancouver. Reservations: 604770-1000, finchandbarley.com.
Chris Dagenais has led front-of-house teams in several restaurants. Contact: [email protected].
