| As a smoker (I haven't smoked in years and quit in 1996, but fully admit to remaining addicted), I feel somewhat put out by the lack of restaurants you can smoke in.
It used to be that you could sit yourself down to a plate of moules frites and a Winston at the bar at Fleur du Sel, but no more. Under the new smoking bylaw, you're either three metres away from the restaurant but not on the patio – which means you're out in the loading dock beside a dumpster – or you're in a hotbox of nicotine, separately vented, like in the departure lounge at the airport. I saw one of these rooms at Moxie's in Chinook and it was enough to turn me off food for a couple of hours.
Smokers can take solace that there is at least one place where the food is decent and isn't industrial, and they can still have a fag after dinner: Merlot, on the corner of 16th Avenue and 14th Street S.W. (1504 - 16th Ave. S.W., phone 209-6212). Our expectations were unaccountably low when we entered, with the green "smoke 'em if you got 'em" sign and the palpable tobacco scent. Merlot is a dark, converted neighbourhood bar, and there was a passel of regulars sitting and chatting with the bartender – we chose a vinyl booth at the west end, close to the windows, and settled in.
A note first about the service: it was enthusiastic, informed, prompt and without airs. When our server didn't know what was in a dish, she asked the kitchen and was back in a flash. When her advice was requested, she was eager to give it. It's a refreshing change to be served by bartenders.
Two things about the food at Merlot raise its quality above the usual roadhouse fare. First, being located right next to Boyd's Lobster Shop means that the kitchen has fresh, top-quality seafood all the time. The grilled scallop skewer ($14.95) and the Parisian scallops ($7.95) were both tender and flavourful. The tomato sauce in which the Parisian scallops were cooked tasted homemade – it wasn't rich, like amatriciana sauce, but fresh and light. There's also crisp and fresh calamari ($8.95), and Coho salmon baked on a cedar plank. I was impressed by the quality of the seafood – it was prepared conventionally but wasn't overcooked.
Second, the cook at Merlot has a Greek heart and knows how to use oil, herbs and lemon to maximum effect. The grilled lamb chop special ($9.95) was fantastic value – four perfectly grilled, tender lamb chops with some rice and salad. I’d eat that anytime. There's homemade tzatziki with everything, and it's acidy and flavourful. And, in an odd bit of fusion, the cook makes meatballs in the Greek style, about as big as a quarter in diameter and rich with oregano, and then braises them in pinot grigio, the Italian white wine. These are the house special and they are first rate (also available on a Vienna roll as a sandwich).
So, I admit to being totally surprised. We went to Merlot expecting club sandwiches and got well-prepared seafood, great little meatballs and lamb chops of which many other much more expensive restaurants would be proud. As befits the incongruousness of Merlot, the wine list is nothing to celebrate, even though the place is named after a wine grape – you should drink beer. And, as my wife would say, you can smoke your eyes out.
MOVING ON
Sadly, Michael Allemeier, chef at Teatro and more recently at Le Bistro Beni, has decamped for Mission Hill Winery in the Okanagan. We'll miss his contribution to the culinary scene – he's dedicated to using unpopular or unknown dishes (like beef cheeks) and turning them into visionary meals. |
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