Bar Exam

They’re getting ready for the Winter Olympics up north, but the
world will never be ready for how insanely nice Canadians are. Over
just a few days in Vancouver, BC, last week, gold medals for service
above and beyond the call of duty were due right and left. In the city
sometimes known as Lotus Land, a pharmacist is liable to escort you to
a selection of remedies for whatever ails you, pointing out the
homeopathic options; a little Russian lady at a great deli (Kaplan’s
Star) may give you an extra cookie for no reason; and a maître d’
named Murray will regale you with tales of the city with unheard-of
comprehensiveness and charm.

This regaling takes place at the Cloud 9 Revolving Restaurant &
Lounge, one of two Space Needle impersonators in Vancouver, and a place
that time has largely, magically forgotten. Significant remodeling has
not occurred, with decor provided by a ceiling of false stars above and
the city all around. Cocktail culture has not arrived—no
house-made bitters or local liquors. The music is of a certain era,
with an instrumental version of “Mrs. Robinson” that tinkles
into Mancini insanity. You wouldn’t want to eat here—the menu
consists of pricey, blow-the-dust-off-them continental dishes that
promise only to be pedestrian—but a deep martini accompanied by
Murray’s ministrations is picture-perfect.

Over at the Four Seasons, significant remodeling has
occurred—to the tune of $25 million—and the new restaurant
and bar were done by the same San Francisco designer who did Seattle’s
ART. While many kinds of wood are involved in the interior (including
alder, fir, teak, walnut, elm, Japanese iroko, and traditional
ply), yew is not one of them, though the place is named Yew. (First
choice, Cedar, was already taken.) Yew is not anywhere near as visually
busy as all those woods make it sound. Like ART, it’s
ultra-contemporary, but with higher ceilings and sweeping interior
vistas; a central sandstone fireplace and two open kitchens punctuate
the space. Bartender Justin Taylor’s Winter Olympics cocktails are not
yet on the menu, but he’s happy to let you try them, of course: The
apple-and-whiskey one with the torched sugar crown is like a
refreshing cold toddy, while the dill-infused one that’ll have a slice
of salmon over the top sounds, well, over the top. The perfect snack in
Yew’s bar: the Try Them All sampler ($25 Canadian) of four seafood
dishes, either raw or cooked, which is beautiful and enough for two.
Here the upscale-cocktail vodka backlash has not hit—certain
bartenders in Seattle balk at mixing a vodka drink, much less including
one on the menu—and that’s a good thing with the Pacifica ($11).
It’s vodka, ginger, and agave, the neutral spirit letting the other
flavors balance in a way that actually makes it a good companion for
food. That’s nice, too.