News and Reviews Mia Stainsby,
Restaurant Critic It has been my dirty little secret and my guilt runneth over. Brioche, a couple blocks from my office is a favourite lunch. time haunt of mine. It's been open for a year and a hag but I kinda sorta neglected to tell you about it, except as a small item earlier this year. It's a small, comfy, funky place, easily swamped at lunch, you see. I go when I want something more than takeout You pass through an ornate limestone arched doorway and inside, the wooden tables and chairs are mismatched, the ceilings soar and display cases test your resolve with tempting Italian and French pastries. I go for the food, the nice vibes and the fact that the I can have a good lunch for under $10. The place attracts artists, architects, filmmakers, designers from nearby as well as Vancouver Sun reporters. Usually, for me, it's a soup and salad but the menu also features entrees that include dishes from owner/chef Eduardo Bilardello's childhood, like his mother's meatloaf; eggplant parmigiana; roasted Cornish game hen on a bed of greens with bocconcini and goat cheeses: tall, airy quiches and Sicilian thick-crust pizza. The soups have never disappointed: they're made with a flavourful stock base and freshly anointed ingredients. Salads are fresh and nothing has been sitting around. 1 did try the meatloaf once and it's delicious with Italian sausage rescuing it from the same old. same-old: a luscious tomato sauce, crammed with ham. mushrooms, artichokes. black olives and mozzarella adds another layer of flavours. A cafe such as this normally would have a couple of pies. maybe a cheesecake or lemon squares for dessert. but Brioche has a French pastry chef filling up a display case that one mustn't look at to be truly safe from temptation. To place your order, you must stand in front of the creme brulees the fruit streusels with almond paste, the tiramisu, the pain au chocolats. the chocolate roulade and whatever else he creates. His signature is the Chelsea with a brownie base layered with chocolate mousse and chunks of cheesecake. Brioche is open for breakfast too, with offerings of brioche, croissants (fancy and plain), danishes, Bagels, fruit salads and choose-your-filling omelettes. The place does a ripping catering business as well, delivering to local boardrooms and businesses. The place is run by a trio with serious intentions. Before owner Eduardo Bilardello opened the place. he was a culinary instructor at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. Pastry chef Patrice Cordier was an advanced pastry instructor there, which explains why the desserts are so ambitious here. Manager Gianni Simoni taught front-of-the-house skills at PICA and at Brioche. he greets guests with the same aplomb with which he has served diners ranging from the Queen Mum, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair. John Cleese and Sir Anthony Hopkins waiting tables at five-star restaurants in London. England. Brioche's hearty Mediterranean food and warm atmosphere is perfect for January discombobulations. However, come summer, you might try their gelato, Sicilian style. It's sandwiched into a brioche or croissant. I serve it with a knife and fork, but generally, in Italy, the brioche is sliced in half, forming a little cup and they eat it with their hands," says Simoni So there. My guilt's assuaged and my wait time at the counter has increased by 31/2 minutes. Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone Restaurants are rated out of five stars. (mstainsby@png.canwest.com) BRIOCHE Overall *** 1/2 |