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Feenie’s
Address: 2563 West Broadway
Tel: 604-739-7115
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Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30am-5:30pm lunch
Sat-Sun 2:00pm-5:30pm lunch
Mon-Sat 5:30pm-11:30pm dinner
Sun 5:30pm-10:00pm dinner
Sat-Sun 10:00am-2:00pm brunch

More than just a Pretty Burger

By Lorna Yee
Eat Vancouver Columnist
Sunday, April 2nd, 2006

*** (of four stars)

Rob Feenie’s role in shaping the restaurant scene in Vancouver is indisputable. His 2004 win on Iron Chef against Masaharu Morimoto cemented his position as an internationally respected chef whose approach to cooking has impressed the likes of Charlie Trotter.

I confess to having a soft spot for Rob. (When Rob competed on Iron Chef, I got together with some foodie friends for a potluck featuring Rob’s dishes.) I’ve watched “New Classics” since its inception—before Rob let go of his relatively austere demeanor in favour of The Twist and blond streaks. At 19, I walked into Lumiere nervously clutching his (then-new) cookbook and asked him to sign it after one of my first forays into multi-course tasting menus with the paired wine flight. Rob obliged me with a picture after the meal, and I spent the next week walking on clouds, images of braised short ribs and celeriac puree dancing in my head.

But because my wallet doesn’t allow me to enjoy the Lumiere experience on a regular basis, I get my fix of affordable and creative dishes at his Canadian bistro, Feenie’s—a landmark restaurant in its own right. Decidedly more casual, Feenie’s seems to retain that same dedication to quality plates in a trendier atmosphere conducive to attracting a younger clientele.

One can’t speak of Feenie’s without someone chiming in about their burgers ($12)—thick 100% Angus beef patties cooked to medium-rare, with mushrooms and cheese and fries served in red-and-white checkered paper in a silver cup. Four sauces—ketchup, house-made relish, spicy mayonnaise, and—my favourite for the requisite fry-dipping—dill dijonnaise. The burger, along with other classics like the Feenie’s Weenie, a cheese smokie with sauerkraut and lardons, are available on the Rob’s Favourites menu, which is available at brunch, lunch and dinner. Speaking of brunch, Feenie’s also happens to serve one of the best brunches in town, a highlight of which is the goat cheese and wild mushroom omelet – a delightful creation that skimps on neither the cheese nor mushrooms.

While their burgers merit every bit of praise heaped on them, Feenie’s is much more than a good burger. During my first dinner there, the chef sent over this amuse—a fat, seared scallop with lemon cauliflower puree, wild rice, browned butter, capers, and raisins. The creamy tang in the cauliflower-lemon puree went nicely with the scallop, and the nuttiness of the wild rice is echoed in the browned butter. The saltiness of the capers play off the sweetness of the raisins (If this marriage of flavours sounds familiar, it might be because this dish is the chef’s homage to Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who serves a scallop dish with caper-raisin emulsion with cauliflower on his tasting menu). On that night, I had the short-rib for dinner, but I soon found out that the same dish (with Mission trout, minus the scallops) is part of their 3 course menu ($35), but may be ordered separately for $19. For me, this is the “must-have” dish at Feenie’s. Where else are you going to find such a combination? There will be tears the day I go to Feenie’s and see this dish no longer offered, but Chef Colleen has assured me that that’s not likely to happen.

I haven’t ordered the ravioli as a main at Feenie’s, but the chef has always been very generous in sending over a taster portion. A standout was the butternut squash with sage, and lemon pinenut beurre blanc. Two weeks ago, they were running the ravioli filled with navy bean puree and bacon as a special.

My spate of visits over the past few months have resulted in the following compilation of favourites. For appetizers, I enjoy the Tuna Tartare with sesame seeds, tamarind glaze ($12), and the Wild mushroom tart tartin with frisee and bacon (part of the 3 course menu, but can be ordered separately.) The tuna is extremely fresh (and I admit I am quite discerning when it comes to sashimi-quality fish), with the tamarind glaze offering that sweet/sour foil to the creamy avocado layer. The base on the tart tartin is undeniably buttery, and OK, maybe the mushrooms contain a wee bit of butter too—but this reviewer ain’t complaining!

Another appetizer deserving mention–I must include the Prosciutto-wrapped duck liver terrine with dried sour cherries and onion jam ($15) in my line-up of favourites. The caramelized onions are doused in port for extra sweetness, and, with the sour cherries, are absolutely delicious (and rather classic) with the rich foie.

On a recent dinner, my best friend started with the shepherd’s pie with truffled mashed potatoes, duck confit, and mushrooms duxelle ($15)—and yes, this incredible recipe can be found in the Feenie’s cookbook) as an appetizer and then moved onto another one of the better comfort dishes on the menu—the braised short rib ($19). I’ve seen the rib offered with different starches on my visits, but the meat has always been portioned for the Neanderthal in all of us, and pull-apart tender (Yes–he polished off two mains, and then we split three desserts. Just one of the reasons he’s my best friend!).

One of the best desserts I had last year was the Concord grape tart with pine nut filling and browned butter ice-cream ($7). As a dessert-freak and enthusiastic baker, I read the dessert menus of many top Vancouver restaurants regularly, and I hadn’t seen anything this exciting in terms of flavour-pairing in a long time. The crust was nicely browned, and sturdy enough to stand up to the thick, nutty jamminess of the filling. The addition of browned butter to ice-cream is just another exercise in gilding the lily. (Too bad this winter special isn’t on the menu anymore!)

A more whimsical dessert that’s been on the menu for a few months is called Only if You’re Good ($7)—clearly the pastry chef’s reinterpretation of our childhood treats—rice krispie square, hot chocolate made with Cacao Berry and in-house made marshmallow, and peanut butter mousse with a chocolate base. While this dessert is fun, I much prefer the taste of the other desserts on the menu.

The last time I was in at Feenie’s, I had two sorbets—the champagne sorbet, which was part of their Valentine’s Day menu, and the Poire William sorbet ($6). The Poire William sorbet (served with a peanut and chocolate biscotti) is undeniably the best sorbet I’ve ever eaten. It has a surprisingly luscious mouthfeel for sorbet, with the pear lending body and creamy sweetness without the dairy. It is also markedly less sweet you’re your standard supermarket sorbet, another reason why it appealed to me so much.

A few months ago, I was invited into the kitchen at Feenie’s and spent a day helping the pastry chef, Jennifer. She told me that one of the most popular desserts at Feenie’s is the apple galette with frangipane, and vanilla ice-cream with warm caramel sauce ($7). The Granny Smith apples are hand-peeled and meticulously sliced. This recipe can also be found in the Feenie cookbook.

Feenie’s is not without its drawbacks. The plush red interior has seen better days as both the chairs and walls have become a bit threadbare over the years. The service can be a bit spotty – one evening you could be treated to a prompt and knowledgeable server, and some evenings you could wait several minutes before you are even meet your server.

Still, with restaurants like Feenie’s in Vancouver, I don’t really understand the popularity of chains like Cactus Club and the ilk. Prices are comparable, and the cuisine is infinitely better at Rob’s joint. And I’m sure you’ll agree with that, even if you’re not a starry-eyed Rob Feenie fan like me.

(photographs by Shoshanna Paul, Michael Chin & Lorna Yee © 2006)

Other photos:
Apple Galette
Beef Rib
Wild mushroom tart tartin with frisee and bacon
Prosciutto-wrapped duck liver terrine with dried sour cherries and onion jam
Ravioli filled with navy bean puree and bacon
Butternut squash with sage, and lemon pinenut beurre blanc