November 2 2006
Cover Story
(Retro Wines)
BC Wine Reviews
(Four Pinots)
International Sips
(An affordable selection from around the world)
Taste Bites (Cheese
& crackers that bite, New restaurant-Connor Butler)
Wine Diva-isms
(What I know for sure)
Taste Bites
How Cheesy-Cheese and Crackers
that bite!
Ibores
This aged goat cheese from Spain has a delightful pumpkin orange rind from being
dusted in paprika. It has a Parmesan-like texture, dry and crumbly but the
paprika adds a hint of smoky spice to the flavour and aroma of the cheese. Salty
and smoky with herbal, grassy flavours a sharp finish and a slow paprika burn.
Wine Diva tasted-October 2006
Price-$4 per 100g
Stink Factor-Low
Speaking of Spicy...
Lesley
Stowe's
Raincoast Crisps
New-Sundried Tomato crisps with Chili spice. These are a perfect foil to
sweet jams and fruit pastes Wine Diva loves
to add to her cheese plate.
And to
soften the blow...
Sometimes
a nice round of Goat Cheese is easier to cart along with you than a pre cut
piece destined to become mushed up between bottles of wine. (What, you don't
carry wine and cheese with you in your purse wherever you go?)
Chèbrie
from Quebec is simply as it says a brie style round made from goats
milk cheese. It has that slightly rubbery brie texture with a soft rind and
earthy, sweet, mushroomy flavour which is nice with a little fruit or fruit
spread on above mentioned Raincoast Crisp crackers.
Wine Diva tasted-October 2006
Price-$8 approx
Stink Factor-virtually non-existent
Cheeses are available at Les Amis du Fromage-Park Royal South and w. 2nd avenue in Kitsilano www.buycheese.com
Restaurant Connor Butler-an amuse
bouche
'Foodies' in Vancouver know the name-it seems to be a love/hate situation
when it comes to Connor but either way emotions seem to be evoked. In
mid-October Conner prepared a private dinner for a handful of Vancouver
journalists and wine people to introduce his food, his style and his larger than
life personality. The wine flowed, the food arrived and we all had a great, long
evening.
Wine Diva thinks Connor and his food have to
be experienced rather than explained so I will let a few photos do the talking
for me and wait until he officially opens so I can experience it all again!
Connor Butler's plan was to be ready for opening on November 1st. He plans to do
reservation only prix-fixe dinners-herbivore or omnivore-your call. Check out
his website and sample menus on line here
Connor Butler
Melon
gelee, radish crème fraiche with seaweed caviar
photo-Cassandra Anderton
Napolean
with sheep chevre, olive tepanade, and topped with zucchini strips.
photo-Cassandra Anderton
Tapioca
sage gnocchi, chestnuts, buerre noisette topped with wild mushrooms.
photo-Cassandra Anderton
Restaurant Connor Butler
2145 Granville St (between 5th & 6th)
604-734-2145
November 2 2006
Cover Story
(Retro Wines)
BC Wine Reviews
(Four Pinots)
International Sips
(An affordable selection from around the world)
Taste Bites (Cheese
& crackers that bite, New restaurant-Connor Butler)
Wine Diva-isms
(What I know for sure)