By Amy Van Veen (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: November 9, 2011
33757 South Fraser Way
Abbotsford, BC
604.746.1555
Prices: up to $16.95 (not including wine or three course meal)
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
It’s difficult to be surprised by a dining experience, especially in Abbotsford. No offence to the Lower Mainland, but most restaurateurs prefer to keep their diners happy with the conventionally clichéd “tried and true.” Cross over to downtown Vancouver and that’s where restaurants are allowed to experiment. When people go over the Port Mann or the Oak Street Bridge, it’s almost expected to encounter something unexpected, but in the Valley, we usually have to deal with the ordinary, the traditional and the less risqué eateries that predictability has allowed us to find solace in.
To be fair, if every restaurant in the ‘burbs decided to be experimental, it would probably get pretty old, pretty fast, but when it’s a little jewel of a surprise, the experience is more than worth it.
The Roasted Grape, one of Abbotsford’s newest culinary set-ups, takes the idea of the unexpected and makes it rewarding. Located on the corner of Montrose Ave and South Fraser Way (within spitting distance of O’Neill’s), The Roasted Grape takes up the old residence of a retired Bank of Montreal building – I admit it took me a moment to remember what used to occupy the old square façade, but the vault-turned-kitchen inside (combined with a quick Google check) verified my suspicions.
The only downside of the experience was the awkwardness upon first entering the restaurant. Is it a seat-yourself? Is it a wait-to-be-seated? That part is still a little fuzzy to me, but I would recommend waiting to be seated so they know you’re there and waiting for a menu. A simple sign could solve this conundrum, but since the space itself is still a work in progress, it’s an easy oversight to forgive.
After bringing the menus, the waitress checked if we had been there before, since our answer was in the negative, she brought us up to speed on how The Roasted Grape worked. Most of the ingredients on the menu are locally grown and distributed products from different farms across the Valley. Since the restaurant has a particular focus on tea, some of the meats and condiments are made infused with loose leaf tea. One example is the Ruby Pagoda roasted turkey (which was delicious, by the way): it is rubbed with a loose tea—a substitute for traditional herbs—making for flavourful, tender perfection.
There are a couple of different ways to eat at The Roasted Grape. I’m not talking technique—that’s pretty much up to the individual—but rather how to order a meal. One option is to buy an entrée (one of their freshly made sandwiches, stews or other selections). Another way to go is the tasting bar. Within the tasting bar menu, there are three options: one is to get a tasting platter that has any selection of two meats, two cheeses and two condiments from their vast collection of local and homemade ingredients. Or the tasting menu can be combined as part of the three course meal: the first course being a salad, the second is the platter and the third is a tasting platter of their made-from-scratch desserts. The third tasting bar option is to order the wine samples with three different three ounce glasses. For a date, special occasion or fun treat, the three course meal is a highly recommended choice for only $23.95.
The tasting platter was my selection and when shared it comes out to about $9 with tax. Sided with fresh baguette breads and herbed crackers, the platter was slightly too big for its contents, making the delicious helpings look sparse and sadly displayed. It was a drawback in presentation, but it didn’t take away from the taste. The two meats were, as mentioned, the ruby pagoda roast turkey as well as red wine salami. The cheese choices were Jarlsberg and a locally made Farmstead smoked gouda. And finally the condiments were a mango salsa and tea-infused balsamic glaze. The salsa was juicy and perfectly paired with either of the cheeses. The meats, as mentioned, hit the spot and offered an unexpected flavour (but definitely not in a bad way). The glaze, though, was probably the most intriguing thing on the platter. It was so rich and concentrated it only needed a corner of the bread dipped to be enjoyed – any more than that and it was overpowering.
The Roasted Grape is a new establishment, which means there are still a few kinks to work out, a few signs to be hung, and a boutique to be set up, but the flavour, service and completely different atmosphere speaks volumes. On the outside it still looks a little stuffy (like a financial institution would), but on the inside, they’ve taken advantage of the high ceilings, architectural windows and vast openness by keeping it intimate and cozy with just the right décor and paint colours to keep it from feeling barren. With couches, comfy chairs, plenty of table seating and a beautiful island bar atop huge wooden barrels, The Roasted Grape offers Lower Mainlanders something new, without a traffic-filled trip across the bridge.
