corner suite value de luxe

I remember the day the email landed in my inbox, announcing that uber-bartender Steve da Cruz, consummate front of house guy Andre McGillivray, and hot TV chef Anthony Sedlak would be teaming up to open up the corner suite bistro de luxe. (Yes, the all lower case thing and space inserted in the middle of the word 'deluxe' are affectations; please allow me to bypass them after this by calling the restaurant simply Corner Suite.)

It must have been close to a year and a half ago, if not more.

In the meantime, there were months of paperwork and construction delays, a mad dash to get ready to open up before the Olympics, and then, the press release indicating Sedlak was leaving, without having boiled so much as an egg on the stoves for a paying customer.The rumours about why are legion, but I figure it's more important to look at the fact da Cruz and McGillivray found Jason Liezert, who has been more than capable in stepping in behind the burners.

We happened to be stumbling by on a lazy Sunday afternoon when we chanced upon our first visit. We were lured in by the siren call of da Cruz's 100+ item long cocktail list -- some steeped in history, others concocted for the fun of it, all beautifully balanced and intriguing. 

It is the 32 seat bar seating section - da Cruz's domain - which is the best seating in the house, with ready access to liquid and solid nourishment, and a few stories as well, relating to the gigantic wall of liquor bottles, funny experiences, and his rich lore of bartending in general. Be sure to ask him about scotch on the rocks.

On that night, we indulge in a cocktail or three, going omakase stylez and letting him pick what we drink, as well as a savoury Croque Madame with truffled potato chips, a hamburger and fries deemed 'perfect' by B, and perfectly cooked mussels that could have used just a little more flavour. We finish with a wedge of Munster and some sherry, served in crystal glasses with saucers. There is a cheese cellar with 56 varieties, which must be one of the longest lists in town.

On a different night, I bring in a big group of work colleagues, knowing it'll be a good taste of Vancouver cuisine for the out of towners. They remark on the classic French style chairs, funked up by being bright blue, the glossy black tables, and the tufted black leather bar and seats. It's a little bit of Gastown edge and friendliness to all transported into the West End; wear dress clothes or a tshirt and ballcap as you see fit.

This time it's McGillivray taking the lead, making sure the experience is as smooth as possible from a service standpoint. While the last visit cost around $100 -- and was worth it, no question -- I don't want to splurge quite as much this time around.

Instead, I take advantage of the 24/7 special: a daily feature that costs $24.07 for two courses. On this day, it's house smoked salmon gravlax with a little pickled beet jelly, and then a leg of duck confit on top of fresh gnocchi. While you could certainly pad it out with dessert, some cheese, and some cocktails, you don't have to; exceptional value for a restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

In advance of the restaurant opening, Vancouver Magazine ran an article questioning how the boys were going to make the finances work. There are no guarantees of course when it comes to the hospitality industry, but if Corner Suite can keep the service, food, and ambiance going at the level where it currently is, I'm looking forward to making it a hangout for a few more years yet.