I’ve eaten in a few places over the last few days in Vancouver, but the highlight was a meal at the fabulous Burdock & Co. It’s a small, intimate place with a menu based on sharing-style plates made from good local ingredients, with a brilliant wine list that’s compact, but offers real diversity, stocked with authentic wines.
It’s just the sort of place that I love to eat at, and the staff were fantastic.
Drinking: we stuck to the by-the-glass wine list. First up, a glass of the ‘bubbles of the moment’, which was a Loire fizz from Vincent Caille. Then, the Coenobium Vendemmia 2014 from Lazio, which is a detailed, slightly grippy white from Trebbiano, Malvasia and Verdicchio with a lovely perfume. We then went orange, with the Denavolo Caravel Colli Piacentini 2014, which is a skin contact white with lots of detail from Emilia Romagna. Finally, some red: the Pi from Jean Foillard, which is a profound expression of Gamay. This was the 2013 vintage, and it’s drinking perfectly now, with some silky texture but also a nice graininess.
Eating: shared plates that were pretty much perfect. Satisfying, creative, and not at all gimmicky.
After starting with fanny bay oysters (we’re working from the bottom right clockwise in the composition picture above), we had the fabulous Shaved Desolation Sound Scallop – Scallop Roe Chawanmushi, White Kombu (tastes much better than it looks), then Kohlrabi and Cabbage Gomae – Pumpkin Seeds, Maple, followed by a special with Arctic char on a risotto base with grilled radiccio and beetroot, and then Smoked Desolation Sound Mussels – Forest Mushrooms, Yuzu Miso Caramel.
Burdock & Co
2702 Main Street
Vancouver
BC V5T 3E8
604 879 0077
I couldn’t agree more. I adore the place, and fairly recently had an epiphany that, to me, they have the best wine program in Vancouver. I can’t think of any other restaurant where the tone and style of both food and wine are so perfectly matched and intertwined.
My take: http://www.straight.com/life/790631/burdock-co-maintains-topnotch-wine-program
Nice to catch up last week; hope it happens again, soon.