The Red Accordian

About 100 years ago, I ate at La Gavroche ( a true Vancouver institution) with someone that I barely remember. I had never eaten at Fat Badger or Forkhill House, two restaurants that also occupied the same location as La Gavroche. Marie and I recently ate at Red Accordion, a fourth eatery that also occupies 1616 Alberni, as they were featured on Vanfoodster's 6th Annual Burger Challenge, topped Nosh and Nibble's top burgers list and currently are lighting up Instagram. The really cool thing is that if you drop into Google Street View and move back and forth (and change lanes) you can see all 4 restaurant signs on the same building. How amazingly cool is that!

As you can see, Red Accordion is in a chic old house, surrounded by west end towers. Inside it is furnished with eclectic furniture (some not that old as my ex-in-laws owned the same stuff) and art from local artists (cw price tags).

Timing is everything as we arrived just as Happy Hour was finishing and dinner service was beginning. The Beet and Citrus Salad was just $10 on the HH menu and made us very happy (see what I did there?). I know beets are all the rage right now but I have always loved them. Red and yellow beets paired nicely with the citrus-forward dressing and orange slices.

I am usually cranky about ordering poutine ( Really? French fries and gravy are our national dish?) but this one featured smoked pork hock and I could not pass on that. Marie and I scoured this dish clean with its three-cheese sauce and pickled onions. It was amazing and also part of the HH menu at $10. I love that they served it in an Indian dish in which butter chicken might arrive!

Marie and I shared a TRA Burger, winner of Vanfoodster's 2019 Burger Challenge People's Choice Favourite and Nosh and Nibble's #1 of 15 outstanding burgers in the Vancouver area. We were expecting (and did experience) great things! House-made ketchup for starters! Does that tell you something about the kitchen? And these folks have a way with frites. We left nary a crumb.

The burger featured Brandt Lake (Alberta) Wagyu beef and is cooked in a pan (finished in the oven) rather than on the flat top so that the meat juices will not be lost and can be poured back over the finished product. The bun is also house-made to accommodate said juices. It was firmer than the fast-food buns we are used to and delicious! The pancetta is a star here and is surprisingly impactful. Just try this! At $22 it is not cheap but worth the coin.

This is not, however, a burger joint as the menu runs the gamut from pasta to squid to burrata to charcuterie. There are a few choices here for the vegetarian including a Cauliflower Ragu. The service was very friendly and enthusiastic about what the kitchen is turning out. This place seems worthy of the attention it is getting.

For what it's worth, we give Red Accordion 4 1/2 out of 5.