Sisters serve meat and poultry raised ‘ethically’ on their parents’ farm
Mia Stainsby
Sun
Fiona Schellenberg, manager of Controversial Kitchen, shows off dishes by the antique wood stove in the Commercial Drive restaurant. Photograph by: Les Bazso, PNG, Vancouver Sun
Moroccan chicken stew from Controversial Kitchen. Photograph by: Les Bazso, PNG, Vancouver Sun
AT A GLANCE
Controversial Kitchen
Where: 1420 Commercial Dr.
Call: 604-254-6101
Hours: Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Barbara Schellenberg got some flak over the name of her first restaurant in North Vancouver. Herbivores argued that Ethical Kitchen is not ethical since it serves meat. The meat and poultry are raised “ethically” on her parents’ bio-dynamic farm in the Chilcotin area and distributed as Pasture to Plate meats.
When Schellenberg opened a second place, on Commercial Drive, last October, she didn’t shy away from controversy and literally, called it Controversial Kitchen and got her sister Fiona to manage it.
She introduced more vegetarian/ vegan options but it turned out Commercial Drive isn’t necessarily overrun with vegetarians and the meat dishes were more popular.
The menu board features dishes such as a Moroccan chicken stew with green olives, yams and lemon, served with quinoa; and braised lamb shanks in red wine and cinnamon.
However, neither of these items were available when we arrived on two occasions.
They did have a beef stew on one visit; it wasn’t exciting beef stew, but the meat was tender and tasty.
The sandwiches are delicious. They include beer-braised beef or pulled pork flatbread sandwiches as well as brandied chicken thighs on a baguette.
There are a couple of crepes, as well.
A roast short-rib sandwich was stuffed with meat and sauteed vegetables, and I’d order that again in a heartbeat.
Ditto eggs florentine with delicious eggs and yummy garlicky bread; I didn’t, however, see any spinach, an integral part of this dish.
I liked the fruit crepe. It was light and lengthy, measuring about 35 centimetres; it was filled with a fresh-flavoured apple and raisin filling.
Prices are in the low teens for entree-style dishes and less than $10 for flatbread sandwiches, which come with salad, sauerkraut and sauces.
The flatbread sandwiches are flattened -the dough is run through a lasagna machine and fried in lard and butter (don’t be scared of lard; it’s flavourful and making a comeback).
Like at Ethical Kitchen, someone is a good baker. The baked goods are simple and homespun, and very good.
The room has a country feel, especially with the spiffed-up 1915 wood stove from Kaslo sitting at the entrance. Service could be friendlier and chattier; staff at the counter tend to be impatient and unhelpful even when dishes aren’t available.
However, Tom Waits came to the rescue (over the sound system) and filled in the silence spaces.
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