Gary’s in Vancouver is Just Good Comfort Food

Gary’s is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant located in Vancouver, and the Guide definitely gets it right on this one. We ordered the family style menu for the table, and for $69 per person, represents good value.

The vibe is that of a casual neighborhood restaurant, but still sleek enough for a date night, or girl’s night out. The meal started with a salad, rye rolls with garlic butter, and pickles. The dishes would represent the rest of the meal; nothing innovative or overly creative, but just simple, good cooking, resulting in very delicious, and in many cases, comforting food. The rolls were perfectly warm and soft with a perfect crust. The garlic butter was good, but I would of preferred a stronger garlic taste. The salad was fresh and crisp. The pickles were good pickles.

Next, cured and fresh trout with sourdough bread. The cured and fresh trout was delicious. The sauce gribiche was like an egg salad and very very good. The only thing I would say is that from dining at as many Michelin starred places around the world as possible, I am noticing a trend towards minimal use of carbs in each dish, but at Gary’s they are still prominent in many dishes.

After this was the catfish. The sauce was perfect but the cat fish had a slight “fishy” taste. I have not eaten enough catfish to know whether this is just the way it tastes or not. The dish came with some clams and potatoes.

The last savory dish was my favorite. The pot-au-feu. The broth was perfectly savory and nothing was overpowering. The beef, perfect cooked, soft, moist and delicious. They served some mustard on the side which went perfectly with each bite. Once I finished my serving, I could still taste the wonderful flavors.

For dessert, the sticky toffee pudding. It was delicious. The only thing is that it was a bit too dense. I like when sticky toffee absorbs the liquid so that each bite is moist.

Overall, service was very good. Dishes were cleared promptly and the staff was very friendly. The food was very good, especially at this price point. I would go back to try other things and would recommend.