Vancouver, USA

[Mark Dedrick]

I hadn't spent any time in Vancouver in many years, but a conference this fall, and a visit to see my sister-in-law over the holidays changed that this past year. The downtown is much nicer and more active than I remember, and there are quite a few cool *looking* places there. That said, I'll only comment on one spot, The Grocery Cocktail and Social. It's a very cool looking space, and would not be out of place if it opened on H Street in DC. And over two visits all of the food (and cocktails) were fantastic. On my last visit I had the Grilled Pork Chops for $13, which suggested a relatively small dish to me, but was instead effectively an entire meal. I'd guess it was at least a 10 oz pork chop, cooked perfectly, served with polenta, root vegetables, and pickled mustard seeds. I didn't need the Bacon and Hock Braised Collard Greens, although not ordering them would have also been a mistake, as they were fantastic. I'd pass on the Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts, however. They're battered and then fried, and I don't think this treatment does the sprouts any favors.