Exclusive Six-Course Feast Melds McGee’s Classic French Bistro Fare With Alvarez’s Signature Progressive Latin Cuisine, Includes Wine and Cocktail Pairings

 

CULINARY CROSSROADS: AU COMPTOIR EXECUTIVE CHEF DAN MCGEE WELCOMES CACAO’S JEFFERSON ALVAREZ FOR COLLABORATIVE CHEFS’ DINNER, MARCH 28

 

Au Comptoir’s classic French bistro fare gets a Latin-inspired lift when Executive Chef Dan McGee joins forces with Cacao Chef/Owner Jefferson Alvarez for a one-night-only collaborative culinary experience at the acclaimed Kitsilano brasserie on Tuesday, March 28 at 6 p.m.

The six-course dinner will see both chefs showcase their respective culinary styles as McGee — who honed his skills in both Pied-â-Terre and PiDGiN before launching Au Comptoir with co-owners Maxime Bettili and Julien Aubin in 2014 — shares the line with Alvarez, who gained a following helming a number of kitchens including Fraiche, Secret Location and Mosquito before more recently reinventing Latin-American-inspired cuisine at Cacao in Kitsilano in 2016.

Trading courses throughout the evening, McGee will prepare a pair of French dishes that include Fondant de Saumon Fumé (olive oil poached smoked sockeye, fennel, olive, lemon, walnut) and Magret de Canard (maple and caraway glazed aged duck breast, grilled cabbage, charred cucumber, apple purée), while Venezuelan-born Alvarez will add Latin-infused flavour with Carne Cruda (bison ceviche, tomatillo sauce, cancha corn, yellow Peruvian chili) and Esturión Asado (roasted sturgeon, green plantain, EL XO sauce).

Tickets for the dinner, which are available for $119 plus tax and gratuity, include a welcome and dessert cocktail by Cacao Bar Manager Sergio Grandolfo as well as wine pairings supplied by Galileo Wine & Spirits, Liberty Wines and Altus Wines.

“I’ve long been a fan of Jefferson’s innovative take on Latin-American cuisine, and this dinner is a unique opportunity for two like-minded chefs to bring together two exciting culinary styles for some lucky guests,” says McGee.

 

– COLLABORATIVE CHEFS’ DINNER MENU – 

$119 per person plus tax and gratuity

includes six-course menu, welcome/dessert cocktails and wine pairings

crisp duck skin, comté bavarois, pickled grape 

arepa wild mushrooms and soffrito  

fondant de saumon fumé 

olive oil poached smoked sockeye, fennel, olive, lemon, walnut

carne cruda

bison ceviche, tomatillo sauce, cancha corn, yellow Peruvian chili  

esturión asado

roasted sturgeon, green plantain, EL XO sauce

magret de canard

maple and caraway glazed aged duck breast, grilled cabbage, charred cucumber, apple purée  

jeu de Paris-Brest 

trio of Paris-Brest — praline ice cream, orange, vanilla and almond 

TICKETS

Tickets to the Collaborative Chefs’ Dinner at Au Comptoir on Tuesday, March 28 at 6 p.m. are available for $119 per person plus tax and gratuity and may be purchased online at www.aucomptoir.ca/chefs-dinner.

 

ABOUT AU COMPTOIR | Ever since French expatriates and industry veterans Maxime Bettili and Julien Aubin opened the doors on Au Comptoir in Kitsilano in 2014, the restaurant has cultivated a sterling reputation for showcasing the same diligent attention to detail, authentic design and classic bistro fare for which the City of Lights’ brasseries are renowned the world over. Whether it’s for le petit déjeuner, le brunch or le diner, Au Comptoir offers up a moveable feast of quintessential French favourites featuring the best fresh, organic and sustainably sourced ingredients and a unique, Paris-by-way-of-West-Coast style of service that earned the restaurant gold medals for Best Design and Best Casual French, respectively, at the 2015 and ’16 editions of the annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

2278 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC | 604-569-2278 | Monday and Wednesday – Saturday 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (closed Tuesday) | aucomptoir.ca

Facebook: /AuComptoirVAN | Twitter: @au_comptoir | Instagram: @au_comptoir

 

Feature image: L-R Chef Dan McGee, Chef Jefferson Alvarez