WRAPPING UP...TO LOOK AHEAD
- December 31, 2012
Forage stands for everything I care about. It represents what I was taught about food preparation both when I was growing up and over the course of my career in the kitchen. To me forage means that we no longer seek out excess and indulgence, but instead revisit a time when we respected the land and oceans and took only what we needed to survive. It is about being stewards of our land and true conservationists, as we conduct our business and live our lives. It is about goodness, about taking care of each other, and bringing together our community over good food.
1
Why does the city need another sustainable restaurant?
Does Vancouver need another “farm to table”, “nose to tail”, “locavore” restaurant? Simply put – “yes”. This is not a trend that is going away. Sustainability is what unites most of Vancouver’s finest chefs and what the city’s most frequent diners are looking for – a sense of place and a connection to the menu items they are choosing from. Diners want to know where their salmon was caught and by whom; they want to know that the hazelnuts they’re eating are from Agassiz and the apples from Summerland.2
What we care about.
Our philosophy is a way of life as much as a way of doing business. Saving energy, conserving water, composting and local/responsible purchasing policies all make a positive contribution to our world and our company’s bottom line.
We need to be aware that every decision we make will be judged when we market ourselves as sustainable - both by media and our customers (beware “green-washing”!). Waste streams must continue to be diverted, energy saving must continue to be monitored and realized, and we must make full use of every animal, fruit and vegetable that comes through the kitchen door. Every decision will be subject to two equally important benchmarks – is it sustainable and is it profitable?3
The Food.
Forage is a neighbourhood gathering spot – a local’s “local”. The food will be unpretentious and the antithesis of “fine dining”. It will however be innovative cuisine prepared with solid cooking fundamentals with advanced techniques. Products will be sourced from local and organic farmers, fishermen and producers whenever possible. With each product we use, there is a story to be told.About Us
The Listel Hotel (where forage is located) is a leader in sustainability and green tourism practices. As a Tourism Ambassador for Conservation and a Corporate Climate Leader for the City of Vancouver, The Listel Hotel - with its zero waste policy, its solar panels and state of the art heat capture program – is a passionate proponent of sustainability.
About Chef Whittaker
Chris Whittaker grows his own vegetables, catches his own fish (or tries to at least!), makes his own preserves, composts all of his food waste, keeps mason bees to pollinate his plants, hunts for the purpose of conserving our land and feeding his family, and forages to connect himself with nature and remind himself where our food often comes from. He grew up in the barren beauty of northwestern Ontario, but moved west in his 20’s to pursue a career as a professional chef.
Forage is the restaurant he dreamed of working for when he packed his suitcase and headed west in 1999.
We are open...
For breakfast:
Mon-Fri 6:30-10am
Sat/Sun 7-10am
For brunch:
Sat/Sun 10-2pm
For dinner:
Daily 4pm-midnight
Menu
Dinner
Snacks
fresh shucked oyster $2.5
popcorn and crackling $6
spicy kale and apple chips $5
nettle gnocchi and brown butter $6
Irons
roasted pan bread, Golden ears cheddar, spicy honey $7
BC spot prawn and seafood chowder, soft-poached egg, smoked chicharrón, pork hock $12
foraged and cultivated mushrooms, Okanagan goat cheese, grilled caraway rye $12
Salish mussels, wild watercress, Irish ale, fries, horseradish aioli $14
Boards
flatbread - pancetta, morel mushrooms, onion béchamel, Jersey blue $14
artisan cheeses, local honey, stewed fruits $15
charcuterie, chicken liver parfait, pickled walnuts, ipa mustard $16
Rangeland game burger, caramelized onion preserve, house-cured bacon, Golden Ears gouda, fries $16
Plates
organic greens, honey-spiked fromage frais, pickled rhubarb, radishes, spruce tip dressing $11
roast bison bone marrow, parsley salad, crisp sunchokes, toasted sourdough $15
Dungeness crab and new potato perogies, horseradish crema, pickled romaine, green onion purée $16
stinging nettle and biodynamic Carnaroli risotto, Golden Ears brie, roasted hazelnut and nettle pesto, pea tips $12
double-fried pork cutlet, mustard greens, bull kelp, pickled radishes $14
Bowls
halibut cheek, stinging nettle velouté, gnocchi, bacon, morels, crème fraîche $20
spiced grains and wheat berries, quinoa, roasted vegetables, handmade roti, raita $14
bison tongue ravioli, cress, crispy parsnip, roasted porcini, braising jus $17
grilled albacore tuna, pickled blueberry, soy shiitakes, fiddleheads, sea asparagus, wild rice $20
sweets
bacon brûlée, chocolate terrine, chocolate porter ice cream, puff pastry, chocolate bacon powder $8
elderflower cheesecake, blackberry rhubarb compote, compressed rhubarb, crispy quince foam, crumble $8
carrot cake - Neufchåtel frosting, candied walnut, cranberry sorbet $8
Click here to download a pdf of our dinner menu.
find a tableBreakfast
Cold
local fruit parfait - yogurt, honey, scone $9
granola, Agassiz hazelnut, dried cranberry, honey-roasted oats $8
Pacific Provider smoked pink salmon, multigrain bagel, herb cream cheese $12
charcuterie and cheese, pickled walnuts, IPA mustard $12
Hot
steel cut oats, quinoa, flax, cinnamon froth $8
buttermilk pancakes, valley blueberries, honey butter, maple syrup $11
two free range eggs, crispy potatoes, toast, choice of bacon, sausage or fruit $12
double-fried pork cutlet, mustard greens, pickled radish, free-range egg $12
Two Rivers turkey sausage hash - roasted vegetables,free range eggs, mustard hollandaise $14
classic benny - back bacon, free-range eggs, crispy potatoes, hollandaise $14
brioche French toast, rhubarb purée, candied bacon, fir-spiked strawberries $13
forage mushroom omelette, fresh herbs, Okanagan goat cheese, crispy potatoes, toast $12
Sides
Two Rivers turkey or merguez sausage $6
house cured back bacon $5
breakfast pastry, muffin or toast $3
crispy potatoes $3
fresh from the oven scones and honey butter $4
Click here to download a pdf of our breakfast menu.
find a tableBrunch
Bowls
granola - Agassiz hazelnut, dried cranberry, honey roasted oats $8
BC spot prawn and seafood chowder, soft-poached egg, smoked chicharrón, pork hock $12
spiced grains and wheat berries, quinoa, roasted vegetables, hand-made roti, raita $14
grilled albacore tuna, pickled blueberry, soy shiitakes, fiddleheads, sea asparagus, wild rice $12
Irons
alpine juniper duck confit frittata, Neufchåtel, roast garlic, arugula $12
Two Rivers turkey sausage hash - roasted vegetables, free-range eggs, mustard hollandaise $13
foraged and cultivated mushrooms, Okanagan goat cheese, grilled caraway rye $12
Salish mussels, wild watercress, Irish ale, fries, horseradish aioli $14
Boards
local fruit parfait - yogurt, honey, scone $7
artisan cheeses, local honey, stewed fruits $15
charcuterie, chicken liver parfait, pickled walnuts, ipa mustard $16
Rangeland game burger, caramelized onion preserve, house-cured bacon, Golden Ears cheddar, fries $16
Plates
buttermilk pancakes, valley blueberries, honey butter, maple syrup $11
two free-range eggs, crispy potatoes, toast, choice of bacon, sausage or fruit $12
double-fried pork cutlet, mustard greens, pickled radish, free-range egg $12
classic benny - back bacon, free-range eggs, crispy potatoes, hollandaise $14
brioche French toast, rhubarb purée, candied bacon, fir-spiked strawberries $13
Dungeness crab-stuffed morels, horseradish dressing, grilled gem lettuce $14
Click here to download a pdf of our brunch menu.
find a tableVideos
BRINGING BACK THE BACON…
- October 22, 2012
To watch more videos and to learn more about the incredible journey we've taken from O'Douls to Forage, visit our blog The Next Course.
Contact Us
Have a question or comment for forage?
To learn more about forage please join our mailing list.
Forage is located in the beautiful Listel Hotel at the corner of Robson and Jervis in Vancouver, BC.
1300 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 1C5
(604) 661-1400
