Ensemble Tap (990 Smithe Street), or eTap as commonly referred to, is the second urban eatery from Chef Dale MacKay, winner of 2011′s Top Chef Canada.  eTap opened in December 2011, and offers casual dining with an extensive beer on tap, as the name suggests.

eTap is a 130-seater pub-style restaurant offering tap-house favourites like chicken wings, meat pies, ribs, fish and chips, burgers and sandwiches – food that pairs with fabulous beer or wine.  A 35-foot bar, made from reclaimed fir and galvanized barn lights spans across the first floor of the restaurant.   A 40-seat private party area in the mezzanine overlooks the bar and is situated above the keg cooler.

Although MacKay’s niche and forte may be in fine dining, his love of simple, classic foods stem from his mother and his Prairie background.  For instance, eTap’s bone-on pork rack chop with sauerkraut signifies one of MacKay’s favourite childhood meals.  This signature dish is soaked in brine for eight hours before being smoked, grilled, and served.   Other notable dishes include the Top Chef-winning pulled pork sandwich ($13) with MacKay’s famous BBQ spice, Mussels and Fries ($18) in a Thai Curry Broth, and Thai chicken wings ($12/pound).

ensembleTap is located on Smithe Street by Scotiabank Theatre and is a perfect pre or post-movie dinner spot, or a lively location to watch the game.

Just announced today, The Donnelly Group (The Academic, The Bimini, The Calling, Cinema, The Lamplighter, Metropole, etc.) has committed to purchasing products from restaurateur Mark Brand’s Save on Meats for all Donnelly Pub Group menus, in an effort to support Save on Meat’s program to provide healthy meals for residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Mark Brand reopened the iconic Save On Meats building last year in June 2011 with an ambitious business plan and underlying social mandate. One branch of this mandate is their partnership with the Atira Women’s Resource Society to collaborate on a meal program providing healthy and delicious hot lunches to residents of Single Room Occupancy and Single Room Accommodation in the Downtown Eastside. The focus of this meal program is on providing both nutritious and enjoyable food items in order to give people at risk a healthier and happier mealtime.

With the goal to increase the size of the program and to improve the quality of meals being provided, Mark Brand was in need of more partners to help with funding. The Donnelly Group, a local hospitality company dedicated to supporting local causes, was happy to get involved. In May 2010, Jeff Donnelly, CEO and President of the Donnelly Group, re-launched the Metropole Community Pub, which donates 25% of profits to organizations in the Downtown Eastside and supports numerous charities through the Donnelly Fund. The partnership between Save On Meats and the Donnelly Group was a natural fit and in line with the charitable goals of both organizations.

By sourcing products from Save On Meats for the Donnelly Pub Group menu, the Donnelly Group is helping to subsidize the meal program through the development of exceptional menu items that are locally and ethically sourced. The Donnelly Group is currently sourcing products for all burgers, sliders and sausages on the pub menus from Save on Meats. This helps to subsidize a meal program that now feeds 480 people a day, with 1400 pounds of nutritious food being distributed every week.

By Kuan Ho, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

With St. Patrick’s Day coming around the corner, what better fit that to feature The Irish Heather and its true Irish heritage on Modern Mix Vancouver?

Located at 210 Carrall Street, The Irish Heather has been a Gastown staple since 1997 when Irishman Sean Heather opened his first establishment.  We were greeted by Mike Mitchell, Director at the Heather Hospitality Group, who explained to us that the company has always strived to keep the pub as authentic as possible. The beautiful exposed brick walls are decorated with original Guinness posters from the 1950s and the menu is populated with familiar Irish fare such as bangers & mash and pot pie. More importantly, there is zero tolerance for cheesy “plastic paddy” decorations: no green plastic hats, no pictures of shamrocks, and certainly no green beer. This place is the real deal.

We also heard that The Irish Heather serves the “best pint of Guinness in town”. As a casual fan of Guinness, the thought of having the “best” certainly piqued my interest.  I ordered a traditional pint of Guinness while Vanessa had the Guinness & Black, which is made with an ounce of Ribena blackcurrent cordial.

We watched as our bartender Bucky (who has worked at the Heather since day one) showed us the proper pour: the glass must be tilted at a 45 degree angle and held not too close but also not too far away from the tap, given a half twist while being poured, and then left alone to “settle” once 3/4 full. After about 90 seconds, the glass is then topped off, with the foam forming a dome shape over the top of the glass and a sharp, distinct separation between the beer and the foam.

Mike went on to talk about the more technical aspects such as hose length, storage and serving temperatures, and proper glassware, but concluded with two big things:

1. Every bartender at the Heather knows how to make a proper pour
2. Every drop of Guinness served at the Heather comes directly from Ireland, not from a distillery in Toronto

With my mouth watering, I took a big gulp of Guinness. Smooth, rich, and wholesome. Definitely hit the spot. How can you tell if you had a good pint of Guinness? Look at the glass when you finish — there should still different levels of foam stains on the glass to ensure a proper pour.

In conclusion, the guys at Irish Heather are serious about their stout and it really shines through when you step in and take a sip. Be sure to check them out on St. Patrick’s Day or any other day to grab a pint.  The Irish Heather is open Monday – Thursdays & Sundays from 11:30am to Midnight, and Fridays & Saturdays 11:30am to 2am.

By Joanna Lee, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the newly opened Union Bar next to the Jimi Hendrix Shrine across the Georgia Viaduct in Chinatown. The restaurant is the fourth from the Cascade group (think the Cascade Room, Habit Lounge and Latitude, all further up Main Street). There are about 80 seats with about 10 to 15 seats at the bar. Much of the space is wooden and the walls adorned with various art installations. The food is Southeast Asian with several rice and noodle dishes, curries, pad thai and nasi goreng, as well as a variety of small plates, including beef satays, salads, and banh mis. Notables include veggie pakoras and the mildly sweet and spicy chilli chicken wings. The Cascade’s Arthur Wynne has created a diverse Asian-inspired cocktails list with a twist. For a sweeter cocktail, try the Banga #1, served in a fashionable little jar, or a virgin cocktail with Lapu Lapu cucumber juice, coconut water, calamansi and pandan syrup.

For a Sunday night, the Union was fairly busy and about 1/3 full. The vibe is hipster mixed with a bit of a trendy warehouse feel to it, with the use of long wooden communal tables, giving it a very simple, minimal, and clean feel. Staff are friendly and attentive and the prices are very reasonable. It is a fantastic addition to the Strathcona-Chinatown neighbourhood and is definitely worth several visits.  The Union Bar is open nightly from 5pm onwards.

The Donnelly Group’s collection of bars and clubs in Vancouver carves a large spot in the Vancouver nightlife scene. The Bimini Public House in the heart of Kitsilano was the first venue that Jeff Donnelly bought in 1999. Bimini’s first opened in 1974 with BC’s first neighbourhood pub license.  In October 2007, the day before the bar was set to reopen after a $250,000 renovation, Bimini’s was decimated by fire, leaving virtually nothing to salvage. Despite four years or countless hurdles and delays, they never gave up on the project and reconstruction is finally complete!

Modern Mix Vancouver was invited to The Bimini to celebrate the grand re-opening of this Donnelly Group Public House.  It had a very familiar “Donnelly Group” vibe to it, even though I hadn’t previously been to the “old” Bimini.  It could have been a Smiley’s or Library Square!  Typical of several of the Donnelly Group bars/clubs, there were barstool and booth seating among wooden finishings throughout the bar.  Other cool game-type fixtures in The Bimini includes a jukebox machine, vintage pinball machine and fooseball table.

The Bimini is open daily – Monday to Thursday 11:30am to 1am, Friday 11:30am to 2am, Saturday 10am to 2am and Sunday 10am to 1am.

By Eudora Koh, Modern Mix Vancouver Writer

Chaise is another one of the jewels along Main Street, which we all know is recognized for its smaller hole-in-the-wall restaurants and diners. After passing by countless times, I finally got to try the resto-bar that I’d heard so much about.  The highlights of Chaise? It has a very relaxed and casual atmosphere which is perfect for an evening any day of the week, and has a chalkboard full of daily specials, great service, and drinks specials! Initially, from its fancy-looking exterior and signage (and name for that fact!), I would have imagined Chaise to carry pricier food and beverage; on the contrary, the entire menu was affordable and everything sounded down-to-earth but appetizing.

The atmosphere inside Chaise was split into a bar/lounge area, with high tops and bar stools, and a more intimate area, which I’m guessing is the dining room with the booth and table set up.  Maybe it was because I was there on a Friday night, and a Canucks game night, but at times, I found it too loud to have a meaningful one-on-one conversation.

I ordered the Jamaican Burger which was $10, and was loaded with jerk chicken, cranberry mayo, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and raw onion (of which I probably should not have eaten so much).  Vanessa had the $10 pasta with meatballs special for $10.  She found the meatballs tender, moist and flavourful but the pasta a bit bland.

Regardless, the value of the food for the price you’re paying made up for that, as did my overall experience.   The portions were definitely filling, the food was decent, and best of all, the beer special was only $4.75/pint.  If you ask me, that definitely makes for a good Friday night … minus the raw onion breath I was stuck with.

I drive past this area most mornings, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Donnelly Group has opened yet another bar/restaurant .  This time, the group brings “its signature style and a little taste of Britian to Yaletown with the opening of The New Oxford” (1144 Homer Street).  Read below for the press release – I hope to check this one out for myself soon:

A tongue-in-cheek nod to both the world-renowned University of Oxford and British sporting culture, The New Oxford sits proudly on the edge of Yaletown, a welcome addition to Vancouver’s notoriously trendy neighborhood. Vintage touring bikes line the ceiling, leading the eye to a looming portrait of literary genius, misfit and Oxford alumni Oscar Wilde. A long view of the room – which runs the width of the entire city block – reveals rustic gray millwork, classic pub-style furniture and black & white photos of various other notable Oxford grads. The 50-foot long cantilevered bar serves as the room’s centerpiece, leading visitors into a ‘study’ motif, complete with taxidermy, original-print hardcover books, vintage sporting gear and even more comfortable seating.

The space has been given a sleek makeover that has drawn both thankful regulars and new clientele. Smiley’s Public House delivers the style of a modern, British-style pub while retaining the warmth and character of a traditional pub. The open-concept room boasts 240 seats and a range of table sizes, including 16-seat picnic tables. Guests come in to loosen their ties, tuck into modern pub food, watch a football match and engage in good-natured banter around the pool table. The dance floor brims on busier nights, and a DJ spins to the after-work crowd on Fridays.

One of the summer’s highly anticipated restaurant and bar, The Diamond (6 Powell Street), quietly opened its doors last week in historic Gastown.  Overlooking Gassy Jack in  Maple Tree Square, the new establishment is a partnership between Mark Brand (Boneta), Josh Pape (ex-Chambar) & Sophie Taverner (ex-Boneta, Cascade Room), all major players in the bartending industry.  The place is authentically Gastown, situated inside one of the more historical buildings on the corner of Powell and Carrall.  Think corner space inside an exposed-brick room lit up by big white decorative chandeliers in one of the city’s hottest neighbourhoods.  With 60 seats and a killer view, The Diamond operates on a first-come first seated basis.

The menu’s theme is primarily Asian and includes 10 dim sum-like plates such as hand made gyoza stuffed with organic pork and shitake mushrooms, green tea noodles, and peking duck & chicken sub with japanese mayo all ranging from $3 to $12.  As expected, the cocktails list is innovative, classy and unpretentiously priced with drinks like Buck Buck Mule (London Dry Gin, Fino Sherry, Cucumber, Cilantro & Ginger Beer) and Tequila Martinez (Reposado Tequila, Bianco Vermouth, Lillet, Peach Bitters & Orange Oil).  The Diamond is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30pm onwards.