Jul. 12, 2006 - Issue #560: The Frosted Tipz
Let’s go out to dinner and see a movie—aaah!
Our date started with a flight to France and a tasty endive and seafood concoction. And then BOOM, a car exploded in downtown Tehran—chaos and confusion!
A plump George Clooney dodged bad guys and bullets, followed by a creamy homemade potato and leek soup with a dash of cream. Right then, a schwack of collusion, corruption and conspiracy was perfectly complemented by a generous hunk of halibut.
There was torture, death and chocolate mousse. My date and I felt a sinking feeling in our stomachs as we contemplated the whole serious mess the world is in, but we were soon comforted by a giant bowl of gourmet garlic and hazelnut popcorn.
Sounds pretty good, eh? Every Sunday night, 4th & Vine hosts dinner and a movie. Order from their regular menu, sample some fabulous wines and for no extra charge watch the movie of the week on a large projection screen. To top it all off, they throw in free bowls of delicious, freshly made gourmet popcorn that will permanently change your popcorn palate. It’s somewhere between drive-in and haute cuisine. We shared the mid-sized restaurant and our attentive server with only seven other diners. The interior combined wine bar chic with cozy warmth. Glossy concrete floors and cosy leather chairs formed a backdrop for fresh-cut flowers at every table and vibrant art deco prints on the walls. The restaurant paid attention to details.
The movie was Syriana, the George Clooney and Matt Damon political thriller full of love, death, gun battles and megalomania. It was perfect for casual dining.
Each week, 4th & Vine offers a “flight of wine” (4 servings of 2 ounces) of a particular varietal, country or region. Our flight ($32) was from France. The first stop was a white Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2004 that opened up crisp and peppery, ending with a tangy—almost sour—finish.
The wine’s summery flavours were a good match for the endive seafood cups ($9) that started our meal. Each piece of endive was like a miniature canoe overstuffed with chunks of salmon, pollock, scallops, bright orange and red peppers covered in a fresh herb dressing. It’s hard to have a bad date when you start off by sharing food with your hands.
As Matt Damon furrowed his brow over the ethics of profiteering off of the international petroleum industry, my date and I indulged in the velvety licorice and tannin of a Chateau de Charles Fronsac 1994. If only Matt could have tasted the potato and leek soup ($4), the soft flavours of cream and dill might just have given him a moment’s reprieve.
Two sons of an oil-rich sheik vied for control of their father’s vast empire. The storyline was almost as delicious as my citrus zest halibut filet ($24). This plump and naturally oily fish was glossy with the chef’s white wine butter sauce. Soft, flaky chunks of fish almost melted in my mouth. Each bite was as opulent as the sheik’s glistening white marble mansion.
My date was pleased with her gnocchi ($14), which consisted of garden vegetables sautéed with white wine and a sun-dried tomato sauce, covered with freshly grated parmesan cheese. She commented that the thick, rich sauce had an almost acrid tomato flavour that was accentuated by the lovely zip that only white wine can give.
Explosions again, but this time in my mouth as the Bosquet des Papes, Chateau Neuf de Papes 1990 strutted its stuff over my tongue. Big, sugary and bursting with blackberry, its quick, clean finish didn’t linger. The murky red wine was one of the most memorable flavours of the evening.
While George and Matt seemed to be getting nowhere, my date and I consoled ourselves with a Callebaut chocolate mousse with vanilla Chantilly cream ($7), which is made fresh daily.
Lighter than air, the whipped chocolate that just slid over our tongues and disappeared quietly into our contented bellies. It suddenly struck us that if the world’s warring factions would only negotiate while eating 4th & Vine’s chocolate mousse, peace could reign.
As the movie soared to a climax, our server brought out giant bowls of hot gourmet popcorn: crunchy, salty, savoury goodness. First garlic and hazelnut, then lemon pepper and dill, the flavours in this popcorn were not smothered in theatre-style butter substitute. It allowed the distinctive flavours leap out with every mouthful. Our fourth flight, a Chateau Rieussec 1999, paired perfectly. The syrupy dessert white had just enough oak to compete with the rich popcorn.
Do you want to do something different? Do you enjoy good movies as much as you enjoy good food? 4th & Vine Wine Bar and Bistro offers a quirky yet tasteful option for the dating doldrums. At $92 for two with the optional wine pairings, this mid-priced bistro dazzled two people who love dinner and a movie. V
Sun - Thu to 11 pm, Fri & Sat to 1 am
4th & Vine Wine and Bistro Bar
11358 - 104 Avenue
497.7858
More info about 4th and Vine Wine Bar →
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