| My Dinner
With Andrey — Page 2
La Buca was created out of frustration:
he and Stewart wanted to eat good Italian food. “We
tried every Italian restaurant in Vancouver,”
explains Durbach. “We enjoyed Cioppino’s
very much—and beyond that it was pretty slim pickings.”
So they decided to open a local joint at a keen price
point: “We were sure we’d be successful
here and we’re by far the most popular spot in
the neighbourhood.” When I point out that there’s
little competition, he says, “You make a good
point. And the lack of competition was part of the attraction.”
A similar feeling about the paucity of reasonably priced
good French food, combined with an opportunity afforded
by the chaos on Cambie Street, led to the creation of
Pied-à-Terre. “In Vancouver, all the kitchen
talent is concentrated at the high-end,” says
Durbach. “I think that’s really sad. How
many occasions are there in your life to spend $250
on lunch or $500 on dinner? On a rainy Wednesday night,
you might want to go out, eat something good, drink
a bottle of Bergerac, and go home having spent $110
for two.”
Pied-à-Terre is named in part for its bijou dimensions,
in part for the Michelin two-star London restaurant
under Tom Aikens where Durbach ate “the meal of
my life.” Ten years on, he can still recall eight
of the nine courses—garnishes included. “Oh
my God,” he sighs, salivating at the memory. “The
amuse had a crispy candied soft boiled quail’s
egg—I have no idea how he did that. The man is
a genius.” Then came a procession of scallops,
pork belly, foie gras, and “one of those remarkable
cheese carts with 75 cheeses.”
| 
I bring up
the millions being spent on restaurant design
these days. Durbach's response is vehement. "There
are people
who have spent enough cash on their news restaurants
to ensure they'll never recoup
their money. Ever."
|
Expect no such grandeur on Cambie, he laughs. As we
pick our way through the building site that used to
be Don Don Noodle Café, he explains the concept:
“It will be updated and enlightened classics,
with a room that reflects the food. No knick-knacks,
no Edith Piaf—it’s 2007 in France, too.”
While some businesses on Cambie have complained loudly
about the negative effect of the construction, Durbach
says he isn’t worried: “We secured a lengthy
lease at a very good rate and a reduced rent. It’s
a short-term issue that in the long term will bring
only good.”
I bring up the millions being flung all around on restaurant
design these days. The response is vehement. “What’s
going on is tantamount to product dumping,” he
says, giving the steering wheel a thwack as we head
for Parkside. “There are people who have spent
enough cash on their new restaurants to ensure that
they’ll never recoup their money. Ever.”
How much has he spent on his latest rooms? “About
$125,000 on La Buca, all in. $150,000 on Pied-à-Terre,
all in.”
A bigger operation, Parkside is a destination for ardent
fans who return again and again for the well-priced,
bold, unfussy plates. At the bar, a businesswoman from
New York offers Durbach a glass from a rather nice bottle
of red. She asks where else in Vancouver she should
eat.
“La Buca,” he says, quick as a flash. Ten
minutes later, the bartender is phoning across to get
her a reservation for the following night. Durbach grins:
“We win them over one customer at a time.”
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