RESTAURANT REVIEW
The bar at The Acorn in Vancouver
F
rom its artfully arranged plates to the geometric shadows cast by sculptural lamps in its
minimalist interior, The Acorn is a restaurant
where form and function hold equal sway. Owner
Shira Blustein, with a background in music and film,
and chefs Rob Clarke and Brian Luptak, have managed to create a space that is at once soothing and
stimulating, with sleek wooden furniture, cascading
greenery, and a bustling bar serving artisan cocktails.
The vegetable-forward menu, which changes
seasonally, offers plenty of vegan and gluten-free
options. Fresh local, seasonal, and foraged ingredients are sourced from Sole Food, Barnston Island
Herbs, and Fresh Roots Farm, and a collaboration
with Victory Gardens allows The Acorn to even have
its own garden.
The kale salad is a vibrant combination of West
Coast flavours. The dark green leaves are studded
with smoked paprika croutons and slivers of Kootenay’s Alpidon hand-rubbed, organic cheese, and
Kale salad, tempeh, smoked paprika croutons, crispy capers,
kootenay alpindon cheese, black olives, caesar dressing
beautifully finished with crispy capers, tempeh, and
earthy black olives.
The haloumi is a formidable tower of decadent,
beer-battered sticks of cheese perched atop a perfectly crisp zucchini and potato pancake. Served on
a base of bright green smashed peas, it is accented
with creamy minted yogurt and lemon balm from
The Acorn garden.
The cocktails are equally inventive. The Lavendula is a perfect balance of Vancouver’s Odd Society
Wallflower gin, a delicate hint of St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, egg white, a squeeze of fresh citrus,
The Acorn’s own garden lavender syrup, and a dash
of white pepper lavender bitters.
The Acorn’s seasonal approach means that they
are always creating gorgeous, inventive vegetarian cuisine, with a sustainable and uniquely West Coast focus.
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
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