Whistler’s annual food-and-drink festival, Cornucopia, is drawing to a close (it ends Nov. 20), but the resort town is just about to kick into high-octane mode. Despite an unseasonably warm November, winter is indeed coming, which means fuelling yourself après-ski (now more commonly known as Happy Hour) or later in the day is serious business. Even if you’re not into strapping on skinny pieces of wood and sliding down a mountain, food is always a good incentive to get out into nature. New spaces and faces mean there are more than a few options for the hungry mountain enthusiast in all of us. Here are three spots to help keep the heart and palate warm.
Bar Oso
Araxi has long been the standard-bearer for high-end locavore dining in Whistler. New sister restaurant Bar Oso takes a more casual, fun and wallet-friendly spin.
This bright wine bar offers Spanish-influenced share plates, cheese and charcuterie boards, meat and seafood entrées, and more – all with decided panache, thanks to the playful yet precise ethos of chef Jorge Muñoz Santos. Ajo blanco ($6.50), a chilled almond soup dotted with thinly sliced grapes, is smooth and creamy, delivering a pronounced zing to the taste buds. Pair it with Matane shrimp (a species native to Quebec’s St. Lawrence River) and avocado bocadillo ($8.50), served with a smear of yuzu mayo that takes this classic combo to next-level deliciousness. In the evening, wild scallop crudo ($15.50) and slow-cooked lamb meatballs in a pungent and zesty tomato sauce ($17.50) go well with one of the charcuterie boards.
The beverage program is overseen by bar manager Jason Redmond, who has a healthy fascination with the G&T; he offers it in six iterations, ranging from a cucumber-mint version using local Long Table gin, to a more complex sipper with Tanqueray and Fentimans tonic, with notes of kaffir lime, juniper and citrus. Sit at the bar and watch Iberico ham being slowly sliced off a massive leg (and maybe try some yourself). 150-4222 Village Square, 604-962-4540, BarOso.ca
Nita Lake Lodge | Contributed
Nita Lake Lodge
Located just a few minutes outside of the Village, this quiet retreat is home to a small restaurant run by executive chef Dean Hassock. The seasonal menu is simple, but its local focus doesn’t take rob it of innovation. A recent visit saw us trying chestnut “cappuccino” made with local chestnuts and whisky-soaked cherries, a lovely wild quail glazed with Lillooet honey over a local-beet purée, and a whisky crème caramel with pecan sandies. Most of the produce comes from Pemberton or the Okanagan, as do the proteins, and the menu changes based on what’s available. 2131 Lake Placid Rd., 1-888-755-6482, NitaLakeLodge.com/Dining
House-pickled vegetables and a beet-and-burrata salad from The Salted Vine Kitchen + Bar in Squamish | Photo: Joern Rohde
The Salted Vine Kitchen + Bar
Taking the Sea-to-Sky up to Whistler is always a fun drive, but don’t forget to stop along the way in the mountain town of Squamish to load up on beautiful local fare at the newly opened Salted Vine, a joint venture between Araxi alumni Pat Allan and Jeff Park.
Here, “locally sourced” goes beyond food and straight into the restaurant’s wood, which comes from Raven Timberworks in nearby Paradise Valley. Everything from the wall panels and tables, to the maple boards used for charcuterie, are hand-harvested, milled, cut and finished by Timberworks owner Ian Annett. Annett’s neighbour, Sandra Hutchinson, created the plates that hold standouts like grilled Pacific squid ($17) in gochuchang sauce over a local take on a mirepoix, with zucchini, eggplant, peppers and legumes from a farm in Brackendale. (The crispy lotus-root chips that sit on top offer nice textural contrast.)
A nice surprise is the cheese soufflé ($14) found in the menu’s Vegetable section; topped with frisée and with a lightly-crusted exterior, it’s twice-baked, giving it a slightly denser and cheesier texture. I would make the hour’s drive from Vancouver for this perfect dish alone. Well, that and the beautiful house pickles and charcuterie, as well as the stellar burrata (imported from Italy twice a month) served with local beets, granola and slivers of citrus ($15).
Unlike many share-plate-focused restaurants, the portions here are actually designed to be shared by a few people, or could easily be a light main for one. The wine list is well selected and offers great value, while the cocktails – from bar manager Dave Warren – are brilliant, like the one he whipped up on the fly using Sheringham gin, a house-made pear-and-fennel shrub, Cointreau, lemon, and a light violet wash. Most cocktails are $12-$14, and all tinctures, shrubs, bitters, etc., are made in-house by Warren. 37991 Second Ave., 604-390-1910, SaltedVine.ca
