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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/394777
November 2014 BCBusiness 79 pAUl joSeph; IllUStrAtIoN: mArk AtomoS pIloN it's 12:30 p.m. on a Tuesday and the lineup for the recently opened Café Medina, in its new Richards Street location, is at least 20 people deep. It took owner Robbie Kane over a year of scouring the city to secure a suit- able location, having considered one of his favourite locales, Main Street, and even signed a deal on a property near Olympic Village (that deal fell apart during nego- tiations). Kane finally settled on this bright, 83-seat space around the corner from Telus Garden—a strategic move that's sure to pay off once the building's thousands of workers and residents move in. With the new location comes a new focus on lunch, which meant bringing executive chef Jonathan Chovancek aboard. "We wanted to keep some of the favourites, giving Jonathan artis- tic licence to create new things in the same light," says Kane, add- ing that maintaining Medina's signature coffee and waffles was crucial to the restaurant's legacy (medinacafe.com). • John Blakeley, the veteran restaurateur who owns kitsi- lano's bistro pastis, knew that vancouverites had grown tired of le parisien, his traditional French restaurant in the West end. "I made a business deci- sion," he says of closing the space to launch a new concept. "It was time to turn the page and put an end to an era." Although the new restaurant, left bank, is still French, it's a more approachable—and affordable—style of dining that blakeley says appeals to the younger generation that's "hungry for innovation." this new style is translated through both the physical space and the menu. executive chef Spencer Watts introduced Asian and North African influences with the food selections, and blakeley completely overhauled the interior into a brighter, bistro-style space with casual bar seating. the biggest transformation, however, is the new laneway patio, which took a year and a half of negotiating with the City to build. "I think the City wants to kind of loosen up a little more," blakeley says, adding that removing a com- mercial lane to create a patio has never been done before in vancouver (leftbankvancouver .com). —Kristen Hilderman Le Parisien makes way for nouveau French in the West End Café Medina Left Bank BesT TABLe When it's busy, bar seating will get you in the door quicker and keeps you in the action in the open-concept dining room. but the tables along the windows offer cushy seats, plus a great vantage point of the room and city life outside. MusT-TRY ORDeR Don't leave without trying a belgian waffle. At just $3.15 each, the palm-sized creations make a sweet starter paired with one of nine toppings. For lunch, le peameal makes for a small but filling sandwich. DRinK uP bittered Sling co-owner lauren mote crafted the tantalizing house-made sodas—bergamot and buttermilk cream soda, rosehip and jaffa orange crush— which hit the right spot without sending you back to work with a buzz. insiDeR TiP to avoid lines, opt for either an early or late lunch. however, if you encounter a wait-list, grab a couple of waffles and coffees to-go from the bar to liven up your time in line. The Vancouver institution reopens in a new downtown location and a new emphasis on lunch by Kristen Hilderman cAfé cuLtuRe Fans of the popular restaurant now have even more to like. p o w e r l u n c h r e c e n t l y o p e n e d f o o d + d r i n k