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CANADA’S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2004 (p. 3 of 5)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | The Foodies | Nov '04
4 PERIGEE
55 Mill St., Toronto, 416-364-1397 www.perigeerestaurant.com
 Dinner theatre at its finest. No washed up ex-child stars chewing the scenery here; the kitchen is centre stage and dinner is the headliner. Menus would only detract from the show, so a gracious staff (or is that cast?) member inquires before the outset of the meal about food preferences. Then you just decide between the five-, six- and seven-course meals. The star of the show, chef Pat Riley, personally delivers each dish and describes the wonders found therein. Supporting sommelier Michael Brown deftly chooses wines for each course (and if you want to play theatre critic the next day, he’ll e-mail your menu). House-cured salmon and avocado salad and the lightly smoked bison tenderloin with Vichy root vegetables and a horseradish cream jus are showstoppers. A chocolate fudge cake with ancho chile crème anglaise and milk chocolate mousse, rolled in candied corn nuts, deserves a standing ovation. Bravo.
5 ARBUTUS GRILLE & WINE BAR
Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa, 849 Verdier Ave., Brentwood Bay, B.C.
250-544-2079 www.brentwoodbaylodge.com
Amid a natural setting as spectacular as Brentwood Bay, just north of Victoria, it would be easy to overlook the food. Fortunately, chef Brock Windsor and sommelier Brian Storen are forces of nature themselves. Offering a selection of tasting menus, the kitchen is deeply committed to that holy trinity of West Coast cuisine: local, regional and seasonal.
Therefore, it seems only sporting to pair dishes like the Dungeness crab and spot prawn risotto with a local white like the remarkable Madeleine Sylvaner from Vancouver Island’s boutique winery Venturi-Schulze. Prosciutto-wrapped venison loin is joined by celeriac terrine and wilted beet greens. The long, lingering meal ends with crisp tarte Tatin with maple sugar-nugget ice cream and caramel sauce. It makes you want to move there.
6 FEENIE’S
2563 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-739-7115 www.feenies.com
Bam! Canada’s own little Emeril has gone deliciously downscale with his latest venture. (A fashionable move this year, with several Canadian chefs opening more casual outposts.) Instead of the hushed, reverential ambience of his more formal Lumière, chef Rob Feenie has opted here for irreverently casual: Red walls, colourful cushions and a furry, bulbous chandelier give the room its witty personality. And although the menu toys with seemingly frivolous dishes – poutine, shepherd’s pie and even a hot dog called Feenie’s Weenie – it prepares them with consummate skill and an obvious respect for ingredients. Ideal for those times when you just want to kick it down a notch.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | The Foodies | Nov '04
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