res b

LATE IN 1984, Thierry Damilano packed up his
enviable restaurantorial taJents and ieft the con-
servative environs of West Vancouver for the ec-
centric hubris of Vancouver’s Wild West End.

Accompanying Damilano
was Chef Francois Launay.
Together, they represented
the boisterous service heart
and talented kitchen soul of

’ West Vancouver’s Cafe des
Alpes.

The two have since aimed
the twin barrels of their tai-
ents on the bare-knuckled,
. Salad-fork-to-salad-fork res-
taurant competition of west
end Robsonstrasse.

Their command post is
Chez Thierry, 1674 Robson,
a bright, pastel-shaded 38-
seat restaurant dedicated to
those two giorious French
contributions to the well-
being of mankind: food and
wine. The location has
already eaten five previous
restaurant attempts.
Damilano laughs in the face
of such an ominous prece-
‘dent with the characteristic
elan that has vaulted him in-
to the hearts of thousands of
North Shore restaurant goers
and into the ranks of B.C.
windsurfing championships.
The offbeat combination fits
Damilano’s spirited ap-

proach to life and his
spirited approach to the res-
taurant business.

Damilano fans, cultivated
from his seven years at the
Cafe des Alpes, will
recognize inside Chez

Thierry the Damilano eye to |

service, his ready arsenal of
conversational banter, and
skillful presentation of Chef
Launay’s culinary ex-
cetlence.

Outside Chez Thierry,
well, Jet us just say that
Robson Street Vancouver is
not Marine Drive West Van-
couver. The steady vehicular
streams of Volvos and
BMWs and the human traf-
fic of sensibly attired West
Vaners have been replaced
with streams of automotive
and human traffic ranging
from the sub-normal to the
extraterrestial. People wat-
ching has switched from
Robert Redford's ‘‘Ordinary
People”’ to Fredrico Fellini’s
“81/2”,

Damilano’s menu selec-
tion, however, remains ex-
clusively French. Salads and

Musical
ambassadors
to perform

-THE AFRICAN Children’s
-Choir will present a concert
of African folk, popular and
“interaational songs.

The choir, made up of 31
children between the ages of
6 and 12 from Uganda, per-
-form July 14 at West Van-
couver Baptist Church, 450
“Mathers Avenue. The two
performances, at 9:30 a.m.

and 1} a.m. are free.

Raymond R. Barnett
describes them as ‘31 tiny
ambassadors.’ Barnett is
-president of Amwassadors of
Aid, headquartered in Van-

.couver, B.C., a non-profit
organization which is spon-
soring the appearance of the
children.

Choir members were
selected through auditions of
more than five hundred
children.

Each of the children is no
stranger to fear or sorrow,
“having witnessed from birth
widespread violence and
famine.

Funds raised through free
will offerings during their
tour will be used to care for
orphans in Uganda, and to

build an orphanage and
school which will house
destitute children, many of
wham presently survive only
through scavenging.

This wilt be the final con- -

cert of their year-long North
American tour.

The choir has drawn large
crowds in churches, service
clubs, civic auditoriums,
shopping malls and airports.
It has performed on the
steps of the Capitol in
Washington, D.C., in con-
cert with the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra, and
has .been interviewed on
radio and television.

Paul Mickelson, of
Mickelson Productions,
described their presentation
as “exciting, captivating,
and authentic. Standing ova-
tions seem to be com-
monplace wherever they per-
form,"’ he stated.

With estimates as high as

35 million facing starvation .

in East and Southeast
Africa, the children hope to
focus attention on efforts to
provide food, medical help,
and long-term solutions to
this serious problem.

Fresh seafood is better at
ATE eT SETI

Benningtons

ow.
at the quay

reservations

986-5274

The service is better at

Bennington’s

at the quay

reservations

986-5274

The view is better at

Bennington’s

at the quay

reservations

986-5274

ien Ch

soups, three of the former,
two of the latter, represent
the simplicity of cuisine at
the heart of Chez Thierry:
Salade Mimosa (33.50),
basic butter lettuce and
Salade Grenobloise ($4), a

Final selection, however,
went to Salade Cham-
pignons, a $3.75 helping of
mushrooms in garlic tar-
ragon-vinaigrette and Soupe
Maison ($2.50), a homemade
cauliflower and cream broth.

table

hopping

|
Dy Timothy Renshaw

blend of endives, Ementhal
cheese, and walnuts under a
cream mustard dressing to
Creme de Crevettes ($3.25),
an elegant shrimp and cream
soup.

Six Chez Thierry ap-
petizers, five under $5, give
vivacious introduction to the
restaurant’s 10 intriguing en-
tres, all under $14,

The official Table Hopp-
ing Board of Taste Buds
considered Moules Farcies
($4.50), mussels on the half
shell, baked in gariic with
mushrooms, ham, brandy,
and butter; and a Chez
Thierry speciality,
Pissaladiere, French

-ntrified pizza, onions ,
tomatoes, anchovies,. and
olives presented in a delicate
pie crust; further considera-
tion was given to Vol au
Vent D’Escargots au Bea-
jolais ($5.25), an intziguing
escargot dish with the usual-
ly butter baked beasts encas-
ed in pastry shell and baked
in red wine sauce.

Both were excellent first

round choices, the garlic-
tarragon vinaigrette accen-
tuating, not annihilating the
mushrooms . and_ the soup
full of flavor not seasoning.

Entres screaming for
selection included Truit Aux
Palourdes, trout swimming
in white wine and clam sauce
($9.50) and the Poulet Nor-
mand ($8.95), chicken
Sauteed in cider and
Calvados. Unfortunately,
gastric capacity defied taste
bud ambition. Rack of
Lamb rubbed in herbs
($13.95) and Filet au Poivre,
(penper steak $13.95) got the
final nod.

Stand out here was the
pepper steak, a juicy and

delicate round of meat,

drenched in a rich cream
sauce mined with rousing
pepper corns.

Both dishes were accom-
panied with Chez Thierry’s
own pommes frites for-
midable, expertly deep fried,
rendered crisp on the outside

You can't beat
Charley’ Ss for

® Dinner

« Dancing Thurs.
Fri. & Sat. nites

¢ Sunday Brunch |

OYSTER BAR & GRILL

60 Semisch, North Van. 984-0274

Brunch is better at

Bennington’s

=e:
at the quay

ml
reservations 986-5274

Dinner is better at

Bennington’s

at the quay

reservations 986-5274

Lunch is better at

Bennington’s

at tue quay

reservations

986-5274

r

51 - Friday, July 12, 1985 - North Shore News

tender within. These are
French fries as they were
originally designed, not
those specimens that have
suffered countless culinary
atrocities worldwide.

A bottle of 1979 Cote De
Beaune Villages from the
ambitious but thus far
unrealized Chez Thierry
wine cellars provided a
magnificent liquid backdrop
to the meal.

Amidst the excellence of
the food his restaurant

ys :

ez Thierry

serves up, dashes Damilano,
bouncing from conversation
1o conversation, table to
table, dispensing his ex-
uberance and humor, as
adroitly in English as in
French. No one leaves
without his persona! saluta-
tions.

Damilano is West Van-
couver’s loss and the West
End’s gain. Chez Thierry is
open Tuesday to Sunday for
dinner, Tuesday to Friday
for lunch.

ecial of]

’) the Week!

duly 14-20

SLIPPER LOBSTER TAILS

Sauteed in garlic and black bean sauce

or just in fresh
vegetables
_ served with rice

56

- ATTN. THIRSTY BASEBALL.
PLAYERS: Anyone in their team uniform
gets 20% off the food bill anytime til ’85
season ends

Book the loft for
lunch meetings
or private party

Black Sheep

121 E. 12th St.
off Lonsdale

Served 7 days
a week
From 3-8 p.m.

Summer Hours
Sun.-Tue. 11:30-10:30pm
Wed.-Thur. 11:30-11:00
Fri-Sat. 11:30-11:30

an. :
RESERVATIONS: 984-9595

FOR 4
Almond Gai Ding

Fresh Mushroom Egg Foo Yong

!

!

!

j

I

j

J

! BBQ Pork Chow Mein
Honey & Garlic Boneless

! Pork

J Beef & Broccoli

I Steamed Rice

1

i

j

I

i

1

b

$25.95

Also, with this ad, free Chicken Corn Soup for a
delicious start to your dinner.
(This coupon offer valid for month of July & dine in only)
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 926-7371

(Licensed premises)

TO en see oe aaa vane OY ee eee

FREE SOUP |

DINNER SPECIALS

FOR 2

Sweet & Sour Pork
Shrimp Fried Rice
Cashew Gai Ding

$13.95

aw mm tant eae oS CURR eee