Ed’s Daily Commissary
686 Powell
604-424-8708
Open Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm.
The gentrification of Gastown and neighbourhoods east has been an ongoing occurrence – and lightning rod for controversy – for a decade or so. Some of the arguments have been ridiculous, some have been thought-provoking, but regardless of which side you support, one thing is certain: this is the new restaurant mecca of Vancouver. Gastown, Railtown, Chinatown and Strathcona have seen massive development in recent years, and all of those new condo and office dwellers naturally need places to fill their stomachs and satiate their thirst.
And, while Gastown has become slightly redolent of Jersey Shore on Saturday nights, its neighbours to the east are, thankfully, still slightly more understated and nonchalant. Take the latest commissary to open in Strathcona. Ed’s Daily (named after owners Dax Droski and Brett Turner’s respective grandfathers) is a massive, 3,500-square-foot space that offers eat-in or take-away breakfasts and lunches every weekday. Despite the size, there are only 20-odd seats, as most of the space is claimed by the open commissary kitchen, which offers catering, as well as renting itself out to food trucks and other small businesses. It’s a bright, soothing space, thanks to the new wall-to-wall windows on two sides, and the light wood banquettes. Everything is served on raised-edge metal trays lined with brown paper or in stainless steel mixing bowls.
The menu isn’t huge, but it’s smart and delicious. Droski and Turner are professional caterers (Cocktails & Canapes), and they’ve obviously tested and refined their menus to a high level of polish. Breads (and coffee) come from Matchstick Coffee Roasters, and baked goods are mainly supplied by Float On, a gluten-free bakery on Fraser Street. Everything else is made in-house and it’s excellent.
Avocado toast ($5.25) sounds boring, but thickly spread over Matchstick’s rye (toasted) and dressed with chili oil, Maldon sea salt, pepper and paper-thin slices of watermelon radish, it’s revelatory. The tomato and manchego sandwich ($9) was beautifully balanced, spread with hemp heart pesto and truffle aioli, and stuffed with pickled red onion, roasted fennel, and grilled eggplant. Pair it with a salad for $12, like the excellent kale and soba, with grilled zucchini, cabbage, carrots, toasted sesame seeds and a peanut vinaigrette that offered up a light lick of heat. The side portion was enormous, enough to feed two of us.
For breakfast, try the pancetta and egg biscuit ($5.75). The buttermilk-chive biscuit is baked in-house and it has a wonderful texture (add a buck for the gluten-free bun, which is more of a baguette). The El Jefe ($7.75) is a two-fisted breakfast burrito for sharper appetites, with Two Rivers chorizo, avocado-chipotle cream, Gruyere and provolone cheese, and a Spanish-style scrambled egg mixture that is piquant and bright.
My only complaint is that this kitchen isn’t open on weekends or past 4pm on weekdays, but it certainly keeps the service clientele to a reasonable level, meaning you won’t often have to wait for a seat. Besides, this group is great at packing things to go, so picnic planning is a more than viable option.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Value: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
• Hear Anya Levykh every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
