The Cedar Cottage Irregulars

 Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

I've been waiting for weeks to try out The Madras Diaries (1097 Kingsway, Vancouver). A colleague at work has been telling me about the proliferation of dosa places on Vancouver's oldest road and I needed to visit this new spot because I often teach the compare/contrast essay pattern by presenting the example of these South Indian eateries: which has the best deals? The best ambience? The best SkySports cricket package? It's a fierce but friendly battle.

I passed it on the Number 19 one day and admired its Comic Sans Signage:

Comic Sans by Night

I was also excited when I saw the drinks list:

Since June has become Blackcurrant Beverage month for me, I had another reason to visit. Kulukki Sarbath is a South Indian summer drink, usually consisting of lemon juice, basil seeds, green chili, sugar and water. Sometimes ginger is added. 

I was going to meet my friend K at the restaurant at 8, and I got off work at 6. I spent the time in between visiting Fiorino's (there will be a post soon about that), then walking the streets of Cedar Cottage before the appointed time...

Cedar Cottage is a neighbourhood where you meet see famous Vancouver musician and writer Michael Turner blazing down the laneways in a beige linen suit. It's a neighbourhood full of whimsy, and I suggest this should be the neighbourhood flag:

A kind of myrtle berry bluish purple and yellow. Cedar Cottage is full of angles and gentle curves (look at Kingsway). 15th Avenue does a pincer movement and threatens to merge with 16th. Around here, Knight Street dekes like Connor McDavid and becomes Clark Drive. And the area is well-protected by its genius loci - a Corgi who side-eyes interlopers:

Zoom in for maximum disapproval

My friend appeared fashionably yet reasonably late, (she had to shower after Squash), but I had already put the feedbag on and ordered a Mutton Puff. It's a flaky pastry, like a pot pie, stuffed with mutton. Very delicious. They should sell these on the sundappled streets of Cedar Cottage: in fact, it was on the $7 "Street Food" items, so it was. Almost everything happens on a street. 

We ordered a bunch of dishes: I remember Chicken 65, Gobi Manchurian, Egg Bonda, two more Mutton Puffs. There was something with potatoes. We feasted on Appies. 

Drink time: the Blackcurrant Kulukki Sarbath:

A festival of flavours. Minty, with the berry blast Blackcurrant gives you: it has notes of raspberry jam, grapes, and cherry. I freaking love it. The basil seeds and chilies boost the piquancy. Since it was a hot day, and I had been walking the irregular streets of Cedar Cottage, this was a boon.

My problem is with the straw. I know that, weirdly, straws have become weaponized: Trump has railed against the new non-plastic straws, people use them as a symbol of environmentalism gone mad. Pish posh. But a paper straw that gets soggy with several sips is not ideal. A stainless steel straw could have made this better because I was savoring slowly. A compostable, plant-based straw. By the time I got to the end, the straw was ineffective and I had to abandon it. It couldn't deliver the sweet liquid without the sensation of soddenness. There were drops left at the bottom. Tears were shed.

Per Aspera Ad Astra. The experience, overall, was a delight. The Madras Diaries was a great place to eat, drink, argue, and people watch. The servers were friendly and earnest. It feels like a neighbourhood gem. I felt like Bilbo Baggins, after successfully passing the resident Corgi without desolation.

My companion and I went for a walk after and enjoyed the asymmetry of the neighbourhood and the night. Like a splintered straw.

Bourbon and Bunnies

 Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

On Saturday, June 8, I was heading down Main Street towards The Rickshaw Theatre to see legendary Vancouver new wave band Images in Vogue. Lots of very stylish 60-somethings, former habitués of a not-forgotten dance club called Luv-a-Fair would be in attendance. The show felt elegaic somehow: I remember falling in love with the song "Save It" after seeing the band on Video Hits in the summer of 85. Oblique haircuts, swooning synths, digital drums - sigh. 

But before all that, I fortified myself with some cocktails from my favourite place in town, Friendlie's Bar (208 East 12th Avenue, Vancouver). Friendlie's is a small room tucked away in a condo complex just off Main. It has room for about 30 people and it's an intimate and slightly-divey (in the best way) ambience, with fairy lights and distressed upholstery:

I dream of living above the room, it's close to the college and it's the cutest cocktail bar in the city. Here's proof:

The Bunny Hutch

It could be the portal to a whimsical children's wonderland, with rolling green hills and bunnies who live forever, but I think it's just a storage space. 

One of the many great things about Friendlie's is that Lily, the owner and head bartender, creates beautiful laminated menus with a rotating list of drinks. In addition to the regular menu, there's a monthly "sheet" with experimental cocktails, and this month, it's "The Bourbon Sheet," in honour of the then-upcoming National Bourbon Day on June 14. I assume some nations (Albania?) didn't observe.

The Bourbon Sheet, June 2024

I started off with a Wooden Train, which is obviously a variation on the Paper Plane, with Averna subbing for Nonino. See my "Wrestling The Goat" post (June 3) for another variation, which I and Christine at Brewhall invented. When's Stambecco month?

Wooden Train: Old Forester, Aperol, Averna, Lemon

This is a Paper Plane that's been through some stuff. The Averna gives it a dark Dr. Pepper colour, and cola-like notes. I really liked it. While I was sipping it, "La Shmoove" by Fu-Schnickens came on and isn't that a bop? I should mention that Lily seems to only "spin" 90s hiphop, and it's a feature of the place. It works.

Next up was a Tropical Trilby:

Tropical Trilby: Old Forester, Tamarind, Lychee, Grapefruit, Lime, Peach Bitters

There's a drink at Friendlie's called a Fruit Bazooka which I often order, but this is like a Fruit Howitzer. My scribbled notes (no laptop this time) tell me that I found the lime and lychee to be the leaders of the pack. Notes of watermelon. I've only ever had Tamarind in a cocktail once before, once again at Friendlie's, on a quiet Wednesday night after work when I was the only patron for awhile, and Lily indulged me by concocting a drink from the baby Stambecco bottle (50ml) she had stashed somewhere: Pisco, Stambecco, Tamarind, Lemon, Pomegranate. If she's not busy (and she usually is), she's happy to make you a bespoke cocktail. Her passion for mixology is signalled by the same happy fingers Homer does when he's about to eat something: 

Anyways, the Pisco/Stambecco drink is yet unnamed, but I'd call it "Hot Singles in Your Area." 

The Tropical Trilby is undoubtedly a cute cocktail, because it has an orange hat:

Millinery and Mixology! The Bourbon is a stolid ingredient in the Trilby, amongst all the fruity zing and Fascinator fashion. 

Sadly, there were no cocktails at The Rickshaw, but I did enjoy having a Phillip's Implosion Pilsner in the balcony seats while the bygone Bowies preened and pranced down on the dancefloor. I took no pictures, check next month's Vogue.

Surrealist Cocktail #3

 

Cassis and Desist

pour 2 oz of Créme de Cassis into a coupe glass

pour the liquid back into the bottle

serve in empty glass, with Metallica "Black Album" playing in background

The Lemony Side of The Tumbler

Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

A View to a Till: When you pay the bill at Mamalee

Friday, June 7: My colleague K & I decided on Malaysian for lunch, before we went to work. A chance to finally try Mamalee (3144 West Broadway, Vancouver). We ordered Hainanese Chicken with Yellow Rice and for appetizers, Roti Canai, and Daily Soup (Chicken Broth with Turnip).

Such a nice, simple little soup. Very flavourful. My lunch companion & I discussed how white people seem to have turned their backs on the humble turnip. Is it because upward mobility causes some to forget their peasant roots? Get back on the turnip truck, Saxons! 

The Roti Canai was greasy and flaky and delicious. Lots of breadcrumbs on the table, so I used my soup cup to catch the crumbs and curry sauce, and this added extra surprise flavouring to the soup. The yellow rice is made from the Chicken stock - all of these elements combined into a hearty meal. I would be ready to go plow some fields, or teach paragraph structure.

Now for the drinks:

Iced Lemon Ribena: Very cordial. A blackcurrant drink on a warm day, served in a simple plastic tumbler – delight. Who doesn't enjoy the humble berry? Those black bears in the woods know what's good. The lemon slices inside the bright rubyred liquid makes the drink pleasing to the eye and palate. I wish I'd taken a picture of the lemony side of the tumbler, I really didn't capture its best side.

It's my belief the drink should have a better name than just Iced Lemon Ribena, so for now, I'll call it a "Hulk Hogan" (think "Arnold Palmer") because the Hulkster wore yellow and red. If you have a better suggestion, I'm all ears, brother!

Blackcurrant is not a widely-known flavour in North America, which surprises people around the world who have been enjoying it for years. The berry was banned in the US because it was a vector for White Pine Blister disease, so the logging industry curtailed the currant. Apparently, it disappeared from Canada as well. I imagine the loss of a whole berry hit the Black Bear community pretty hard.

Of course, blackcurrants are found in Crème de Cassis, and I enjoy a Bramble from Uncle Abe's (3032 Main Street) from time to time:

Bramble: Beefeater, Créme de Cassis, Lemon, Sugar

But there's more!

Iced Bubur Chacha: a dessert and a drink. 

Bubur Chacha: Yam, Taro, Tapioca, Coconut Milk

The tapioca pearls here were mercifully not of boba rotundity. The yam gives the drink a thickness, otherwise it'd be too soupy. I feel like the addition of a little banana would make this drink even more amazing. This one required a lot of straw work - I struggled with the wide straw, so I switched over to the small one I used for the Hulkster. Plus I was sharing, so a third straw appeared.

By the way, "bubur" means "congee" or "porridge" in Malaysian. And remember that bears don't just eat berries, they like porridge, too - though they have to watch out for uninvited guests. In The Tempest, Sebastian says that Alonso "receives comfort like cold porridge." This means that Gonzalo must have made him a Bubur Chacha. That's a nice thing to do for a friend. 

The ambience: small space, maybe room for 20, with about 8 tables. 

We were there at lunchtime, so it was busy: customers and delivery drivers coming and going. The place has tons of notices by the entrance instructing customers and staff of various rules. There's one by the cash point informing the staff about a customer whose credit card was declined. I get the feeling Mamalee got her "Best Mom" award (see first picture) by being very organized. The restaurant is fairly minimal otherwise. It's a get-in, get-out ambience. Don't be a Goldilocks and overstay your welcome.

A Hushed Room

Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

Being a review of the Nicholas Krgovich/ To Bad Catholics and Dear Nora show at the Painted Ship, Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

William Hay, lead singer of The Painted Ship

Doors at 830pm.

More people than I expected at the venue. The Painted Ship (2884 West Broadway, Vancouver), is a relatively new space where Yagger's used to be. The Painted Ship is named after the great Vancouver rock band fronted by William Hay, who named his combo after Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner."  Listen to "And She Said Yes" for one of the wildest vocal performances of all time. Iggy before Iggy. I've heard a rumour that he wrote his songs at the Dairy Queen on Broadway and Trafalgar just up the road.

I get a seat at the bar, as I planned. I couldn’t find anyone to go with me. Those I asked are planning to save their energy for Music Waste. I mean, I want to see Sleuth and Apollo Ghosts, but they're both playing Friday at midnight at different spots. I practically go to sleep from quandariness. 

Wednesday night is easier. I marked during the day. I lesson planned. I'm ready. I'm solo. Wearing a purple t-shirt saying "Stamp Out the Beatles." 

I ordered a Creamsicle Colada for strength while I waited the interminable wait for the opening act. The CC is orange-forward with lots of vanilla notes. Can't be a 15 minute cocktail* with that profile. 

Contact citrus gin, licor 43, triple sec, coconut milk, orange simple syrup, vanilla, orange bitters

It's a cute cocktail, but I'm not sure if I'll be caliing it for a second date. I never will ghost it, though. 

Nick Krgovich started his set on time. No long wait! Doing very quiet piano versions of Dear Nora songs and it was a wee bit awkward. I didn’t twig that he was doing covers until he did a song about growing up in Arizona. Still, sometimes indie pop artists take risks – think of Calvin Johnson/Beat Happening in Our Band Could be Your Life continuing to sing acappella after a hardcore brute brought blood with an ashtray to the beak. That's ideal indiepop– radical vulnerability. Hearing line cooks and cocktail shakers in the background of a quiet song. You push through.

His new album, "Ducks" is recommended. But he didn't play any songs from it.

A 10 minute intermission and then he performed as part of a duo with his sister. To Bad Catholics. Very strange music, comedy. Parts were like Jad Fair, Red Crayola, or "You know my name" by the Beatles. It won the crowd over. Including this guy.

Between acts, I ordered a "Night Market": sweet, tart. Contact citrus gin (again), maraschino liqueur, lemon, honey, basil bitters. I didn't take a photo because Dear Nora was playing.

I wonder what would happen if they used Stambecco instead of Luxardo tho. There's a pleasantly herbal, garden touch with the basil bitters. Very citrusy as you sip thru. I'm not really receiving the cherry notes, sadly. A more than 15 minute drink. Mainly because Katy Davidson/Dear Nora was playing. The drink had a great soundtrack. The first time I had a Night Market, it didn’t impress, but … it was during the day. Cocktails truly only come out at night.

Dear Nora: Think Billy Bragg, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan. Barbara Alston? A hushed room. One American hymn after another. Seemed like mostly from Skulls Example and Human Futures. Those are full band albums and they're great. Yet a song like “Shadow” is so powerful live performed solo. A hushed room. Sometimes it's a little medieval, like Mary Timony. Dear Nora would push up their glasses in between chords. They played “White Fur” when I requested it and it was the coolest response ever: a beat, then  “Yeah, I can play that.” Fonzie. Total confidence. After the show, people were lined up to gush and get autographs. 

Outside on Macdonald Street, some UBC students singing in harmony at a bus stop. A perfect end to the set.

*Not quite the same idea as a 15-minute city, more that you should savor a drink for at least 15 minutes. Cocktail bars should be within a 5 or 10 minute walk of everyone's home.

Wrestling The Goat

 Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

Stambecco: it's an Italian maraschino cherry amaro named after the mountain goat (or ibex) that lives in the Alps. It's underrated and under the radar - a liqueur without a Wikipedia page. 

Because it's alpine, it's daring and après-ski. Just like me. I love a Stambecco nightcap - it's sweet, has a little bite, and a syrupy finish. But it's hard to find cocktails with the liqueur as an ingredient.

They sell Stambecco at Legacy Liquor Store in Olympic Village, which might explain why Brewhall (97 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver), just a few doors down, is the only one I know in the city that makes drinks with it.

On their cocktail menu, they have the "Smokeshow": Laphroaig 10 Whiskey, Stambecco, and Sweet Vermouth. 3 ounces of peaty power. Sip it slowly. The whiskey lairds it over the other ingredients. It doesn’t push the vermouth and Stambecco aside, but it’s name is on the lease. Astringent. After a few sips, you acclimate to the intense turfy taste and it blends, but you’re Ubering home for sure. Honestly this one is a little sexy and serious.

Smokeshow: Laphroaig 10, Stambecco, Sweet Vermouth

The fruiter flipside you can get at Brewhall is the "Tuta Red." I helped invent it. It's just a Paper Plane with Stambecco instead of Amaro Nonino. 

Tuta Red: Bulleit Bourbon, Aperol, Stambecco, Lemon Juice

Fruity, lemony, with a cherry carry-over, the Aperol adds more orangey citrusness but balances it with mild antagonism. The Bourbon looks around, slightly surprised, but happy to be invited to a party with such acerbic companions. 

"Tuta Red" is una specie di Italiano, meaning "Red Tracksuit." The Paper Plane was named after the song by MIA, so I wanted to dub the debutante drink after a current Italian pop hit. "Tuta Gold", or "Golden Tracksuit", by Mahmood,  is a #1 banger in Bel Paese this year. Since the Stambecco sorcerizes the drink into a shade of blood-orangey red, I adjusted the colour knob for the name.* 

And Brewhall is the kind of place you can sip and don sportswear: not intimate, but a good after-work stop. I’m not as fancy as you might think, and it's near the Knowledge Factory and the #84. Nothing wrong with a place selling cocktails and a chance to play Big Buck Hunter Reloaded! 

Brewhall

*After publishing this, I realized that Red Tracksuit might remind some of Ben Stiller in The Royal Tenenbaums. 

Green Sunshine

Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

Thursday, May 30: People in Vancouver have been griping about the May weather. Too overcast, too cool, too rainy, they say. Off with their heads! I love the melancholy greys, join my club.

Nonetheless, the sun peeked out on this late May day, as if to ask, "Is it ok if I come out?" 

If that shy spring sun wanted a cocktail, I would advise it to order the Japanese Slipper at Mum's The Word (1301 Commercial Drive, Vancouver). MTW is a lively place which operates as a coffee bar during the day, and a vivacious tavern from about 2pm onwards.  Coffee and cocktails. Mix and match 70s furniture, love seats. Countered with a sensible bar and a sometimes-sunny patio space. It's the new breed of lounges: I can swing by, open my laptop and work on a lesson plan about how to write summaries while I drink a $5 Happy Hour beer, or the aforementioned fruity spring concoction:

Japanese Slipper: Gordon's Gin, Midori, Triple Sec, Lemon, Maraschino Cherry

That's Simpsons-Nuclear-Plant Green. That's a Lime-Crush-on-a-May-day-in-1985, reading-a-comic-book-under-a-spruce-tree-in-Coronation-Park-in-Red-Deer-Alberta-Green. In summary, it's lime and melon bumping into some gin and lemon on a spring day where they found themselves out on the Drive as the weather shifts and our peasant souls drift out of doors like chlorophyll colouring a Cottonwood. 

It's tangy and tart and fruity as a Toucan, are you afraid of that? If you are, you may as well be afraid of the sun.