Daddy’s Girl… and other Fables.

Sometimes, in order to regroup after a hard week, a girl just needs to spend a little time with her Dad.  Especially if the aforementioned father is visiting from out of town and loves dining out.

A relaxing ‘staycation’ should always include some rest and relaxation, some nice wine on the balcony, and of course, some new hotspots. 

This story began, as it had many times before, with a walk down to Granville Island.  Coming from the prairies, it was an ocean view and some fresh seafood that was of the utmost importance, so we wandered onto one of the best decks in town… Bridges.  No trolls under this bridge… only a beautiful sunset and martinis better than candy.  Had there been a witch to battle for these drinks, I gladly would have.  While we shared the smoked salmon flatbread, a salad and some tasty hummous, we discussed where our adventures would take us over the next few days. 

At the top of Dad’s list was no surprise to me… being a fan of Top Chef Canada, he wanted to hit Fable, recently opened by Top Chef’s runner-up, Trevor Bird.  (Last visit included a much-anticipated evening at Ensemble, opened by last year’s winner Dale MacKay.) The trick was getting a reservation – their policy is to take only a certain number beforehand to allow for neighbourhood walk-ins.  Well, we’re ‘neighborhood’, so we had to put aside planning and take our chances.  Over the next few days, it became the ultimate destination, our holy grail if you will, as we tried to secure a spot. 

In the meantime, we wandered around Kits like Goldilocks, trying a little bit of everything… we enjoyed late brunches at the Sunset Grill- (always perfect), Lobster Grilled Cheese Benedicts and crabcakes at the Boathouse- (Yummy, though the view is always somehow better than the food), and truffle fries & spicy caesars at The Bimini- (tasty, but man, is it loud in there!)  At one point, we ducked into Chewie’s for a martini, but sadly (and strangely) you can’t get a damn martini.  Good to know.

We did venture out into the big bad world on one occasion for a truly beautiful meal at Les Faux Bourgeois.  I’d been meaning to go for ages, but somehow hadn’t made it.  Urged by one of the chefs, who is a friend, we braved the torrential rain to arrive for our reservation at the perfect French oasis. Nothing ‘faux’ about this place.

It actually felt like Paris- small and jam-packed, the windows a bit steamy from the warm rain.  Cozy, candlelit tables crowded together amidst an almost stylized professional bustle.  I was in heaven. Mad, French heaven.  Our waiter came by to take our drink order (and he was actually French J)- so we ordered the martinis we weren’t allowed earlier and the pate de campagne with baguette… and yes, finally for our pair of Goldilocks…it was just right.

We had two of the best meals either of us can recall- Dad had the duck confit on top of a warm salad of arugula, chevre, and pommes anglaises which was truly out of this world.  My filet was beyond perfection.  Beautifully seared and sooooo juicy and tender, it was accompanied by a beautiful potato gratin that I am still dreaming about.  The glazed fiddleheads that accompanied the tenderloin were a lovely, unique touch to this magical meal.  Dessert took it right over the top- a nut-crusted chocolate silk cake, which was a decadent as you could imagine.  

Finally, one evening we got a call from a Prince… and Fable was a go.  (Although at this point, Les Faux Bourgeois had already satisfied our deep desires…but alas, when you get a call from a Prince... you go.)  So we wandered down the street to the understatedly stylish room- a bit of a facelift from the previous occupants.  The exposed brick walls now hold some quirky, introspective art, and the vibe (though also loud) is lively but sophisticated.  Charmingly casual, we settled right in and enjoyed the honest, friendly service down to the last moment.

We started with the chickpea fritters- perfectly cooked and topped with a wicked curry cream sauce… I could have eaten a pile of these!  We also shared the gnocchi with pesto and peashoots, several gorgeous BC oysters and the Daily Sweet Bites to finish it off with our glasses of bubbly.  We were excited to try the infamous macaroons that sous-chef Curtis had scored points with while on the show.  Cute and tasty.  Two of my favourite qualities.

The ‘Farm to Table’ concept inherent in its name is evident in each bite, each flavour.  The whole place feels fresh and new and uplifting, despite its somewhat frenetic energy.  Our server, Colette, was particularly notable, guiding us through the evening with a genial charm that made it feel as we’d known her for ages. 

And so we wandered back home to talk about our adventures, laugh more and reminisce, because before long he would have to leave again on a jetplane for that faraway land… Saskatoon.   

Despite all these fairy tale evenings, I would venture to say that my favourite night was actually the first one.  It was the night he arrived and we stayed up till the wee hours catching up on our lives. This night was special, even though it didn’t include a culinary excursion.  In fact the only ‘culinary’ aspect is Dad’s secret little favourite treat and for the sake of discretion will only be identified by three key letters and well, the fact that it’s served in a bucket… at least we paired it with a nice bottle of champagne… J.  (Don’t tell my mum.)