Feb. 15, 2012 - Issue #852: The Coffee Issue

Last call at the Copper Pot

Downtown dining institution to pack it in this weekend

The Copper Pot
9707 110 St
780.452.7800

As I scraped away at the last morsel of the rich, dark chocolate flourless torte with raspberry compote on our dessert plate, my friend asked if we could meet the chef. I never do those sorts of things, but since we appeared to be the last table in a quiet dining room, we figured he may have a moment for us to shower him with compliments about an absolutely exquisite meal. Sadly, our server Tony said that chef David Bowie had left for the night. He followed up with, ‘If you want to meet him you’ll have to do it next week, as The Copper Pot would be closing on February 18th, 2012.’
Extreme sadness flooded over me. What? How could this be? From appetizer to dessert our meal was impeccable, a fine dining experience that was full of flavour at every bite. Sure, the location is sort of random, the atmosphere was lacking, and the decor extremely outdated, but the view of the legislature and river valley on a dark winter evening was lovely and the service and food were outstanding. Even though it was my first time, The Copper Pot was one of those restaurants I had always meant to go to because I heard it was really good. Unfortunately, even though reviews had been good, the restaurant had long been forgotten as a destination on Edmonton’s gourmet dining scene. On a Thursday night, the place was a ghost town; with no consistent diners, the doors would be closing.
Tony explained that the restaurant had not been turning a profit for some time, and since the owners also have Soda Jerks in the west end, and Ric’s Grill downtown to operate; something had to give. The restaurant would remain open for Valentine’s Day, and the last night would be Saturday, February 18th, 2012.
With the taste of the decadent chocolate torte still lingering on my tongue, I was heartbroken by the news, but happy that I got to experience The Copper Pot before it closed. While I thought the carpets and furnishings needed a complete overhaul on style, the menu certainly did not.
We started our evening with the Organic Salad ($6), showcasing a perfect sweetness with a blackberry vinaigrette, candied pecans, sun-dried cranberries, and julienned carrots. The prosciutto-wrapped scallops ($14) were cooked perfectly; a duo of jumbo scallops rubbed with basil pesto and double wrapped in prosciutto, baked, then served on a bed of organic greens.
Based on our server’s recommendation I ordered the signature dish; the rack of venision ($38). A fan of wild meat, I was delighted with the tender cut served rare with sundried cranberry and red-current demi glace. My friend Shaheen was enchanted with her pecan-crusted beef tenderloin ($36). She had never tasted a roasted potato with so much flavour, so I was more than happy to swap my roasted fingerling potatoes for her smashed baby red potatoes that had a rich creamy flavour.
Tony had no problem selling me on the chocolate torte. Even though he told Shaheen that her glass of Bonterra Zinfandel was an excellent pairing with the rich dessert, she had intentions of only having a bite. That plan was dismissed after one bite. We were both in love. The torte was less cakelike in texture, and more like a thick fudge mouse. Paired with the raspberry compote and ice cream, my spoon was on auto-pilot in search of one more bite.
I hope that fans of The Copper Pot and those who had it on their dining wish list manage to make it out to experience chef Bowie’s incredible menu before the doors close on the 18th of February. For me, it is a reminder that even some of Edmonton’s true dining gems will not sparkle forever. As a city, we failed to support a local establishment, but my memories of The Copper Pot will live on. And I’ll be following chef Bowie as he moves to the kitchen at Pampas, praying that this gifted chef will share his flourless chocolate torte recipe with me. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus