With the current raging popularity for comfort-driven food that is heavy on fat, starch and greasy meat, it’s easy to overlook—and undervalue—a lighter, cleaner approach to food. When I heard that chef Jimmy Stewart, formerly of Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler and House Guest in Gastown, was finally opening his own shop (in the former House Guest space), there was some mild curiosity about how this chef’s well-known preference for a lighter palate would play out. No need to worry, it’s playing just fine.
The transformation at Blacktail Florist has really started with the room. The formerly dark, almost claustrophobic space has been remade into a clean, contemporary, minimalist room of light wood and bright windows that still manages to feel welcoming and comfortable, thanks to designer Craig Stanghetta. As for the name, if it’s causing some confusion, the inspiration, according to Stewart, was the native-to-BC blacktail deer—“wild, beautiful and masculine.” There is a heavy use of edible flowers on the menu, which accounts for the latter part of the name. The ethos, in Stewart’s own words, “is about where we are in Canada, and what time we are in Canada. So, right now, we’re in BC, it’s May, and it’s trying to represent spring on a plate in Vancouver.”
The ingredients are strictly Canadian, meaning Stewart is willing to go outside of provincial boundaries, but don’t look for lemons or limes on this menu. And, despite the reliance on local and seasonal, the prices are surprisingly accessible. None of the dishes are over $15 and several of the smaller “bites” are under five.
The wine list is another high-value item. At least eight whites and eight reds are available by the glass, as are a couple of bubbles and a rosé. Well-crafted cocktails by Connor Gotowiec are designed in concert with the menu. Right now, rhubarb is getting a lot of play, in cocktails as well as sweet and savoury dishes. The feature one night of delicately braised and rendered pork belly, served with smoked hickory cream and crispy bits of pig’s ear, was studded with it, here given a lightly pickled flavour, and cooked with black pepper, honey and sherry vinegar. The knuckle sandwich of pork hock and cheddar between crisped, paper-thin slices of toast was another winner, especially when paired with the housemade beet ketchup. Fried bits of chicken with “garden” beignets are a perfect balance of rich and clean. Cucumber with yogurt and lemon verbena is so delicious you forgive it for being so good for you.
Some dishes were less successful. Mushroom caps, stuffed with kale and cured duck, were withered and slightly bitter. A dessert of chocolate cake (think pâté) with stewed apricots and cooked honeycomb was delectable, but the accompanying goat’s milk rice pudding was dry and lacked sweetness. Overall, however, the constantly evolving and changing menu is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular in the city, and I foresee many long years of success for Stewart and his talented team.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★1/2
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Overall: ★★★1/2
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
Open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm.
Blacktail Florist | 200-332 Water St. | 604-699-0249 | BlacktailFlorist.ca
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday. FoodGirlFriday.com
