Cork & Fin

I had been to Cork & Fin several times over the past two years before dining there recently, but only for their 5:00-6:30pm buck-a-shuck sessions, or a random drink. I really wanted to have a full meal in order to see what the kitchen was capable of, and to see whether the food could stand up to the slick and comfortable ambiance of the space that I had enjoyed in the past while shooting oysters. Valentine's Day seemed to be the perfect excuse to test this Gastown brasserie.

I was impressed from the get-go as our table was ready right upon arrival and we were given a primo spot on the cozy second floor, overlooking the main dining area and oyster bar below. We started our meal with a glass of French bubbly, which whet our appetites for the first course of this Valentine's set menu.

The first dish was a crudo platter consisting of six Kusshis, tuna tartar, cured salmon, and scallop sashimi. All of the seafood was clean tasting, subtle, and elegantly presented.

The second dish was an unusual and harmonious octopus salad. This looked a bit intimidating at first glance because the slices of octopus were abnormally large when recalling salads of a similar ilk; however, this grilled cephalopod was tender, and married perfectly with the roasted tomatoes and greens upon which it rested. 

For the third course, I had the egg yolk ravioli with a butter parmesan sauce and my girlfriend had the arctic char with fennel and blood orange salad. These two dishes were perfect counterpoints to one another: the pasta was rich and soft, while the char and salad were light and palate-cleansing. The portions were also bang on, as this protein-heavy menu meant that we couldn't have handled huge servings of pasta and fish.

The dessert echoed the yin-yang balance that existed between the pasta and char, and presented itself in the form of a flossy pavlova and a luscious pistachio chocolate mousse. On its own, the pavlova would have been too light. And by itself, the mousse would have been too heavy. But together, they were perfect.

This meal, and this 2014 Valentine's eve, could not have been more enjoyable or satisfying. We popped our heads into the kitchen as we were leaving to give our thanks to the chef, Cayley Milne, who is doing an amazing job at Cork & Fin. We will definitely be back.

Keywords: "Cayley Milne chef", "Best Vancouver Seafood", "Cork & Fin review"

Native Art and Airports

Susan Point's Whorl at YVR

With the popularity of air travel and the transient nature of flying from one destination to the other, airports are becoming destinations in and of themselves. As flight prices became affordable and technological developments enabled planes to fly further and faster during the boom of the airline industry in the postbellum 1950s, long-haul necessities such as stopovers and connections became the norm. With patrons beginning to spend more and more time in airports around the world, and many travellers being put in the position to judge cities (and even entire countries) on time spent within specific airports, these facilities began making an effort to be both practical and cultural in nature. 

Airports are responsible for providing first impressions. If you get off of a plane only to enter a drab and dirty airport belonging to a foreign and unfamiliar city, you very well may judge this new land before you have even left the building. On the other hand, a clean and well-appointed airport can reflect a city and community that is proud and eager to make a good impression. Above and beyond logistical efficiencies, cleanliness, and safety, the aesthetic qualities of an airport are among the most important factors when considering how these bastions of modern travel affect those traversing their various terminals, tunnels, and tarmacs.

Several airports in North America have stepped up and made a great effort to highlight and promote the Indigenous cultures upon whose land they have been situated. This is a positive and effective approach to design and decoration for many reasons. Artwork produced by cultures within their traditional territories can represent idiosyncratic aesthetic values and reinforce unique geographical features.

The Albuquerque International Sunport, for example, houses over one hundred permanent artworks that communicate the overarching aesthetic values of New Mexico and the primary traits of Pueblo artwork. This airport art collection is not composed entirely of Indigenous work, but an effort is made to promote Pueblo taste and artistic values. The Sunport has been greatly successful with their design approach, with USA Today ranking it as one of the top ten airports for art in the USA.

Allan Houser's Apache Crown Dancer at ABQ

Vancouver’s YVR Art Foundation was founded in 1993 and made it a priority to feature British Columbian First Nations art in the city’s main airport. Red Cedar, monumentality, and interconnectedness are elements essential to both British Columbia as a geographical region and the First Nations from this province, and most of the works in Vancouver International Airport epitomize these elements.

Referencing their promotion of Aboriginal art, the YVR Art Foundation strives “to do its part in helping these traditions flourish and to contribute to the success of a new generation of BC First Nations artists.” In addition to expressing the character of the land and the artistic values of the Indigenous cultures that inhabit it, including First Nations art in a bustling public venue such as an airport is also beneficial from a commercial standpoint.

Connie Watts' Hetux Thunderbird at YVR

The Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport contains not only a permanent art collection, but also a museum displaying rotating exhibits and numerous shops and galleries that sell Indigenous art from the area. It is the Phoenix Airport’s mission to create a space for travelers “that promotes Arizona’s unique artistic and cultural heritage”. This promotion is not simply aesthetic, for the inclusion of retail spaces dedicated to art and jewellery produced by the Ak-Chin, Yavapai, Colorado River Tribes, and local cultures encourages visitors to support the community on an economic level as well.

From February to June of last year, the Phoenix Airport teamed up with the Heard Museum to present an exhibition of Native bolo ties. This was an ingenious idea for a show because bolo ties are one of the most popular and common jewellery items produced by Indigenous cultures in the Southwest. This temporary exhibition was an excellent way to both educate travelers about this form of jewellery and encourage them to purchase one of these beautiful and locally-made items. Furthermore, this small display was up during the Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market, which is held in Phoenix every year and is a huge tourist attraction.

Phoenix Airport's Bolo Ties Exhibition

While it is outstanding that Albuquerque, Vancouver, and Phoenix have acknowledged and promoted the unique Indigenous cultures from their respective regions, the inclusion of Native art in public spaces, such as airports, needs to be improved. Airports are a necessity of travel, and communities that contain vibrant Native art markets should take advantage of these teeming travel hubs to elevate the output of their Indigenous inhabitants.

The Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport contains not only a permanent art collection, but also a museum displaying rotating exhibits and numerous shops and galleries that sell Indigenous art from the area. It is the Phoenix Airport’s mission to create a space for travellers “that promotes Arizona’s unique artistic and cultural heritage”. This promotion is not simply aesthetic, for the inclusion of retail spaces dedicated to art and jewellery produced by the Ak-Chin, Yavapai, Colorado River Tribes, and local cultures encourages visitors to support the community on an economic level as well.
From February to June of last year, the Phoenix Airport teamed up with the Heard Museum to present an exhibition of Native bolo ties. This was an ingenious idea for a show because bolo ties are one of the most popular and common jewellery items produced by Indigenous cultures in the Southwest. This temporary exhibition was an excellent way to both educate travellers about this form of jewellery and encourage them to purchase one of these beautiful and locally-made items. Furthermore, this small display was up during the Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market, which is held in Phoenix every year and is a huge tourist attraction
- See more at: http://urbannativemag.com/top-3-airports-for-indigenous-artwork/#sthash.P3WU6tAY.dpuf

The Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport contains not only a permanent art collection, but also a museum displaying rotating exhibits and numerous shops and galleries that sell Indigenous art from the area. It is the Phoenix Airport’s mission to create a space for travellers “that promotes Arizona’s unique artistic and cultural heritage”. This promotion is not simply aesthetic, for the inclusion of retail spaces dedicated to art and jewellery produced by the Ak-Chin, Yavapai, Colorado River Tribes, and local cultures encourages visitors to support the community on an economic level as well.
From February to June of last year, the Phoenix Airport teamed up with the Heard Museum to present an exhibition of Native bolo ties. This was an ingenious idea for a show because bolo ties are one of the most popular and common jewellery items produced by Indigenous cultures in the Southwest. This temporary exhibition was an excellent way to both educate travellers about this form of jewellery and encourage them to purchase one of these beautiful and locally-made items. Furthermore, this small display was up during the Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market, which is held in Phoenix every year and is a huge tourist attraction
- See more at: http://urbannativemag.com/top-3-airports-for-indigenous-artwork/#sthash.P3WU6tAY.dpuf

 Keywords: "Alex Dawkins", "Vancouver Airport Art", "best airport artwork"

While it is outstanding that Albuquerque, Vancouver, and Phoenix have acknowledged and promoted the unique Indigenous cultures from their respective regions, the inclusion of Native art in public spaces, such as airports, needs to be improved. Airports are a necessity of travel, and communities that contain vibrant Native art markets should take advantage of these teeming travel hubs to elevate the output of their Indigenous inhabitants. - See more at: http://urbannativemag.com/top-3-airports-for-indigenous-artwork/#sthash.P3WU6tAY.dpuf

The Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport contains not only a permanent art collection, but also a museum displaying rotating exhibits and numerous shops and galleries that sell Indigenous art from the area. It is the Phoenix Airport’s mission to create a space for travellers “that promotes Arizona’s unique artistic and cultural heritage”. This promotion is not simply aesthetic, for the inclusion of retail spaces dedicated to art and jewellery produced by the Ak-Chin, Yavapai, Colorado River Tribes, and local cultures encourages visitors to support the community on an economic level as well.
From February to June of last year, the Phoenix Airport teamed up with the Heard Museum to present an exhibition of Native bolo ties. This was an ingenious idea for a show because bolo ties are one of the most popular and common jewellery items produced by Indigenous cultures in the Southwest. This temporary exhibition was an excellent way to both educate travellers about this form of jewellery and encourage them to purchase one of these beautiful and locally-made items. Furthermore, this small display was up during the Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market, which is held in Phoenix every year and is a huge tourist attraction.
- See more at: http://urbannativemag.com/top-3-airports-for-indigenous-artwork/#sthash.P3WU6tAY.dpuf

Restaurant Zoe in Seattle

My girlfriend and I hunted this warm, stylish bistro down on a recent visit to Seattle because I read about their oyster happy hour on Yelp. Everything about our experience at Restaurant Zoë was outstanding. First, we ordered sixteen Shigoku oysters, and not only were these rare deep-shelled bivalves amazing, our server also threw in two extra oysters on the house. Second, Zoë has both a great wine and beer list. I find that many restaurants tend to favour one beverage over the other, and it seems like places that serve oysters are wine biased, but Zoë has great crafts on tap too. Third, our server was amazing. He was attentive, very polite, and quick to refill our plates with Zoë's delectable complimentary focaccia when they began to look bare. We also ordered the roasted cauliflower to compliment our oysters and it was great. I want to explore the Capitol Hill area more thoroughly on my next visit, and I will be sure to drop by Zoë during my wanderings.


Keywords: "Restaurant Zoe Seattle", "oyster happy hour seattle", "Alex Dawkins"

The Deceitful Kings Head Pub

Never. Eat. Here.

The Kings Head is a crappy pub that serves an affordable pint, but it totally lacks character since it was renovated a few years ago, and it is terribly managed. I usually blame servers and floor staff for bad service at restaurants and bars, but the completely deceitful and rude treatment that some coworkers and I received at The Kings Head last week was all on the manager.

The Kings Head recently sent out coupons to every household in Kits promoting their "Appy Hour" and offering 2-for-1 breakfasts. I was initially excited when I received this coupon because I am always on the lookout for decent breakfast spots near my place of work. I didn't know The Kings Head served breakfast, so I was eager to try it.

Despite the rank stench of stale beer, and the unenthusiastic greeting we received, and the complete lack of natural light, and the blaring televisions, and our wobbly table, we sat down and studied the limited but diverse breakfast menu. We decided to get their breakfast special, which consists of hash browns, toast, two eggs, and bacon or sausage. The food was alright, or maybe it seemed better than we thought it would be considering the setting: the toast came with jam and peanut butter, the potatoes were well seasoned and sprinkled with green onion, and the bacon was cooked perfectly. "Wow", we thought..."This is actually a really good deal with our coupon!"

The coupon was on the table the entire time, but our curt waitress brought us individual bills without mentioning a deal or discount. We pointed to the coupon and she said that the coupon did not apply to the breakfasts we ordered. We asked her to clarify and, bumbling, she said that the 2-for-1 only applies to certain breakfast items. We showed her the coupon and pointed out that there was no such disclaimer. She apologized, but we didn't let this go. This was outright false advertising. We asked her to speak to her manager because we weren't prepared to pay full price, especially after they lied to us. Our server disappeared and we could hear her request being quashed by the nearby yet hidden manager. She came back saying that we did not state we had a coupon upon entering and that no discount would be applied. We were angry, but this unbelievable outcome was not entirely the waitress' fault. This was the manager's fault.

We paid our bills, sans tip, and made it clear to her that we will never be back and will actively dissuade people from eating or drinking at The Kings Head. Using false coupons to cheat locals and alienate your most important client base...good job, Kings Head. 


Keywords: "Kings Head Vancouver", "Kitsilano pubs", "Alex Dawkins"

Black Rook Bakehouse

There are a few consumables that I am always on the lookout for: new craft beer, awesome sandwich shops, cinnamon buns, diverse 5¢ candy collections, and worthwhile pies. While the concept of pie is simple - filling inside of a pastry shell - there are many factors that can make or break one of these universally-popular baked goods. There are runny fillings, there are cheap fillings, and there are bland fillings. And there are lardy crusts, there are dry crusts, and there are tough crusts. It is very difficult to find a pie with the perfect filling, regardless of whether we are talking savory or sweet, and a rich yet delicate crust. 

Black Rook's Bumble-Rhubarb

Black Rook is pretty close to making a perfect pie. A generous co-worker purchased a whole pie for my going away on one of my last days of work and everyone in my department was thoroughly impressed. I have tried Savary Island Pie in West Vancouver, and I live near Aphrodite's on 4th, but both of these touted pie producers are overpriced and only just above average. Representing everything that Black Rook creates, this pie had a rustic crust that was supple and looked as though it even contained some whole wheat. This pie was custom and contained rhubarb, raspberries, and blackberries. The filling was dense and didn't budge once cut into. It was also a perfect balance of berry-sweet and rhubarb-tart.

I have yet to try the range of items at Black Rook, but this one pie experience ensured that I will be a repeat patron. Thanks Rory! 



Keywords: "Best Vancouver Pies", "Black Rook Bakehouse", "Alex Dawkins"

Chai Beer Bungle

It is no secret that beer has reigned the beverage scene here on the West Coast for the past four or five years. Coffee was all the rage during the 1990s, fueled by the ubiquity of Starbucks and the promotion of single origin roasts. Residents of the Pacific Northwest went gaga for superfruits around the turn of the century, with pomegranate and blueberry juice hitting the shelves. And the 2000s saw the rise of an increasingly lavish trend in mixology develop. The second decade of the twenty-first century has been all about wobbly pop, and the countless ways in which this pop can make one wobbly.

I am the first person to become inappropriately excited over new beers, and I have a particular fondness for seasonal beers. I like pretty much every pumpkin beer I try, and I am also partial to ginger and unusual saisons. But every year these seasonal beers just keep getting more and more outrageous. This year, for the first time, I started dismissing many beers for being too interesting, and criticizing breweries for alienating their fans with over-the-top concoctions. New Belgium's Coconut Curry Hefeweizen was a spicy failure, and Wynkoop Brewing's Rocky Mountain Oyster Ale just shouldn't have been made.

Unnecessary Testicle Beer

While chai-flavoured beer is more understandable than curry or testicle, it still put me on the defensive. I really do like chai tea though, and we all know I love beer, so I wanted to try (and like) both Big Rock's Life of Chai and Whistler's Chai-Maple Ale. Neither of these were "bad" but they definitely didn't work. The Life of Chai was a dark copper colour and was essentially an amber ale with a bouquet and subtle finish of cardamom and rose. It was a fairly light ale though, and was also highly carbonated, which helped with drinkability. The Chai-Maple Ale was a dark oxidized bronze colour with an unpleasantly sweet aroma. It also tasted more like chai than the Big Rock ale, which was perhaps due to filtering the beer through tea after fermentation rather than adding ingredients to the boil, which is the approach Big Rock took. In both cases, I found the initial few sips interesting and then wanted to move on. This seems to be the case with many seasonal and experimental beers. In my opinion, the consumer should be able to drink a pint of most any beer (yes, including barley wines), but I didn't want to do this with either of these tea-based brews...and I definitely don't want to do it with a beer made from bull balls.

Spicy, Interesting, and Undrinkable

 

Keywords: "Alex Dawkins", "Life of Chai", "Cheakamus Chai-Maple", "Chai beers"

Glenora Distillery on Cape Breton

I really want to like this whisky. I lived in Scotland for two years, I really love malt whisky, I am proud of my Scottish-Canadian roots, and the concept of an authentic single malt distillery in Canada is truly exciting. But like whole roasted barley in the grist mill, my expectations were crushed due to poor customer service and a below average product.

I visited Nova Scotia this past summer to meet my girlfriend's family and to enjoy my first tryst with bawdy Maritime culture. I loved Nova Scotia. In fact, the more time that passes the more fondly I look back at those two and a half weeks. We essentially drove around the entire province: visiting Lunenburg on the South Shore, then up to Cumberland to see Advocate Harbour and Cape Chignecto, then through the apple-filled Annapolis Valley for a stay in Bear River (the Venice of Nova Scotia), and then east to Cape Breton. Cape Breton was a highlight because of its insular character, Acadian quirkiness, outstanding hiking, and gastronomical attractions. Cape Breton has a large number of farms, great access to seafood, and a surprising number of boutique liquor producers. We stumbled upon an emerging craft brewery in the middle of nowhere (just outside of an intersection known as Nyanza) called Big Spruce, and the celebrated Nova Scotia winery Jost is known to use grapes from Cape Breton on a regular basis. Another aqueous attraction on this little island is Glenora Distillery.

Established in 1989 and perhaps best known for its court case with the Scottish Whisky Association, rather than for its scotch, Glenora is one of the few distilleries in North America that is producing a single malt whisky; that is, a whisky that is made from 100% barley from a single distillery. We took a tour of the distillery, which was very short and restricted for $7 per head, and then checked out the gift shop which was run by a brusque middle-aged termagant. Glenora basically makes two products: Glen Breton Rare 10-Year Single Malt and Glen Breton Rare Ice. The Ice is very similar to the regular 10-year except for the fact that it is aged in Jost ice wine barrels. We tried both while at the distillery and found the standard Breton Rare to be unconcentrated, harsh, and bland. The alcohol was very evident as well, and the use of absolutely zero peat did nothing to improve this whisky's lacklustre character. The Ice was better, however. One of my favourite single malts in the world is Edradour's Port Barrel whisky and the Breton Ice has a similar multi-layered profile and honeyed finish.

I am glad that I have a bottle of North America's top selling single malt whisky in my liquor cabinet. It is an okay dram, and I enjoy buying consumables from the source, but Glenora needs to do a lot of work before it can compete with any of the operations in Scotland.

Keywords: "Edradour Port Finish", "Jost Ice Wine", "Alex Dawkins"