In early 2023, I never thought I’d end up interviewing Princess Diana’s personal chef in the parking lot of Living Hope Church.
After decades of serving the royal family, chef Darren McGrady moved to Texas, reinvented himself as a royal chef, a thriving gourmet restaurant business, and then opened a food truck with Vancouver-based Timothy Johnson. This whole scenario made more sense when McGrady explained that he opened a food truck here to share one of his childhood favorites: fish and chips.
Another strange and unforgettable experience for me this year was dining in the dark at Wyld Pines in East Vancouver. I’m fascinated by how our bodies react to food. Dining without sight helped me focus on my other senses and connect with others. dishes and my dinner companion.
In addition to these experiences, I also ate many memorable dishes. For the following list, I focused on things I tried for the first time in 2023.
Chef Darren McGrady (aka The Royal Chef) fondly remembers the fish-and-chip shop he visited on Fridays with his grandfather. McGrady’s lightly battered wild cod and chips served with mushy peas and curry sauce are a delicious ode to this decadent dish from his childhood.
Chef Jacob Malvini’s arancini offer a taste of his family’s culinary traditions. Tender risotto balls filled with Italian sausage, ground beef, spinach, Grana Padano and mozzarella rolled in crispy panko and served with white wine, lemon and garlic sauce.
I visited the renovated Feast at 316 in downtown Camas in May to see the new décor and sharing menu. Chef Tim McCusker’s fish-miso fried shrimp and red-meat Hush Puppies effectively combine great flavors. This dish is shaped like a giant iron skillet filled with plump shrimp swimming in miso broth. I couldn’t help but drink the rich umami-enriched broth. Elsewhere would suffice, but the shrimp also come with a hint of red meat puppies and chive honey.
The simplicity of the food can be exquisite. This trendy, millennial-related snack is boosted by Starter Bread’s flavorful, moist full-grain sourdough bread. Trying this dish at Terrain led me to sign up for a bread subscription at this Portland-based bakery so I could make avocado toast at home.
This seasonal bite on the lush Willamette Valley Vineyards waterfront is an example of undeniable elegance. It’s on the menu like roasted Jerusalem artichokes, but the root vegetables adapt to the seasons. When I tried it in the fall, this wine-friendly entrée arrived as crispy slices of fennel and celeriac bulbs sprinkled with chili flakes, served with a refreshing tahini and mint sauce.
Kristen “Krisey” Butler offers a taste of Southern cuisine at her bright blue food truck. An order of their crispy fried okra topped with cornmeal and drizzled with Crystal hot sauce brings one from the Big Easy to Vancouver.
I can’t locate a photo on my camera roll, but I do know that the smoked trout I had in the Willful Wine tasting room at The Grant House was not a dream, according to what I have witnessed. It was presented as an option for meat on their charcuterie plate. The new fish smoked on the spot provided a wrought counterpoint to my glass of rosé.
Carbs and cheese are my favorite ready meals. Razo’s memela tacos with a mix of fresh, earthy corn tortillas topped with crumbled queso fresco and homemade nut oil, served with pickled red onions and salsa, are a masterpiece.
Here are ancient paintings of culinary art, this time from northern Italy. Bunny’s Pizza in Ridgefield offers its tonda alla Romana pizza edition in downtown Ridgefield, once home to Bunny’s Pizza and Little Conejo Norte. The crust is the best base for this vintage mix of mozzarella, basil, and tomato.
This huge cream pancake from Cecilia is topped with an undeniable combination of butter, powdered sugar, and a part toasted lemon, a clever combination of heat and decadence. It’s even better with a drizzle of Cecilia’s homemade syrup or topped with berry compote served with Abuelita’s fritters.
I’m not a huge fan of doughnuts, but this light, three-dimensional, zesty confection won me over. This popular pop-up finally opened its permanent storefront in downtown Camas this year. The ownership has changed but the quality of the ingredients and the ingeniousness of the recipes remains.
Next year is already shaping up to be sweet. Di Tazza’s new bakery and café at Padden Market Center has opened its doors. The Salt Glacier