Francois Godbout had a strong and loyal following for his Mount Pleasant brunch institution, Seb’s Café.
The latter had a good run, opening its doors in January of 2004 and winding things down in June of 2013. In an unusual development, the shop didn’t close as a result of poor sales or other performance concerns, but was deliberately closed as Godbout felt the exhausting effects of operating a thriving restaurant.
His business’s Facebook post announcing the Café’s closure cites gruelling shifts seven days a week and the toll that takes on other important things like family. The post prompted an outpouring from regulars who lamented the loss of a favourite neighbourhood spot, but ultimately wished Godbout well and thanked him for years of top notch grub.
Fast forward to 2016. Fishworks chef and owner Shallaw Kadir sells his Lonsdale Quay business, The Sandwich Shop, opened in 2013. Months went by and the space sat idle. Then one day, voila! A new sandwich shop occupied the space, this one bearing the name Seb’s and boasting a very different menu.
Seb’s Sandwich Shop is manned by none other than Francois Godbout, making his triumphant return to the restaurant world with a smaller, hyper-focused outlet. Seb’s offerings are principally sandwich-based, but a few café brunch classics are available too for Mount Pleasanters making the pilgrimage to the North Shore for a nostalgic bite.
I visited Seb’s one recent evening with the family in tow to sample a few sarnies. Seb’s menu is short but thoughtful, with five sandwich options, two flatbreads, two salads and a handful of sides, including unexpected items like Candied Salmon, Lemon Roasted Chicken, and Goat’s Cheese. A small but inexpensive breakfast menu, featuring items like wraps, sandwiches, French toast, and poached eggs on toast, is available until 4 p.m. daily.
I asked the sole staff member on shift, a helpful and smiley woman who told me she used to work for Godbout at his old Vancouver location, what the best sandwiches are on the menu. Without hesitation, she recommended the Turkey and the Lamb (which, incidentally, would make a great name for a children’s fable, wouldn’t it?). I opted for one each of these, plus a Gruyere, Cheddar and Gouda Sandwich, as well as an Organic Wild Greens Salad.
When I say the menu is thoughtful, here is what I mean: the Roasted Turkey sandwich is served on toasted pistachio and cranberry bread, which is sort of like a Thanksgiving dinner trimmings exoskeleton for the sliced turkey, which was generously portioned, making for a weighty meal. It was a delicious combo of flavours, rounded out by sliced tomato, Swiss cheese and a thin layer of cranberry chutney.
Fillings are all substantial, from what I can tell. The Gruyere, Cheddar and Gouda sandwich had at least half an inch of sliced cheese in the middle. As with all of Seb’s sandwiches, this one was toasted on a panini grill, giving the bread (in this case sourdough) a golden brown quality and crunch, but the cheese was so densely packed only the outer layers melted. One of the cheeses (I assume the gouda, but it wasn’t obvious) was lightly smoked, which offered a nice extra layer of complexity and depth of flavour.
The Braised Lamb sandwich was served on rosemary and olive oil bread, another well considered move as rosemary is one of the all-time classic flavour pairings for lamb. The sandwich also had maple-roasted garlic, feta cheese and watercress. The lamb was tender and moist, obviously expertly braised, and had subtle seasoning.
The salad was a welcome bit of freshness amidst the rich sandwiches, though I did note the absence of the roasted beets listed on the menu. Our meal of three sandwiches, salad, and three soft drinks was $56. Seb’s Sandwich Shop is located at Lonsdale Quay, on the main floor near the North entrance. 604-618-4493 facebook.com/Sebs-Sandwich-shop
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West Vancouver is set to welcome the newest addition to its dining scene, Terroir Kitchen. The restaurant will open on May 28 and will feature small plates with Spanish, Italian, North African, and French origins. Terroir’s chef and owner, Faizal Kassam, is North Shore born and raised and got his culinary start in the recently shuttered La Regalade. Kassam has worked in a number of Vancouver restaurants and most recently held an executive chef position at Cibo Trattoria and Uva Wine Bar. Stay tuned for more on Terroir in these pages as the restaurant settles into its groove.
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The massive caravan of Friday food trucks has rolled back into town via the Shipyards Night Markets. Night Markets kicked off again on May 6 and will run until Sept. 30 every Friday night from 5 p.m. As of last year, many artisanal vendors were moved indoors into the sheltered space adjacent to the square and the stage, making room for more than three dozen food trucks to line the outdoor market routes.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
