acmesalesrep:

I really have to find my way to Campagnolo. Or Campagnolo Roma. Or Refuel.

Refuel (West 4th Ave., Kitsilano):

I’ve wanted to try this place for some time, going back to its previous wildly successful incarnation (under the same owners and proprietors) as Fuel. I’d heard nothing but good things about the place, and as you might have guessed from the things I’ve reblogged from their tumblr, The Dry Age, the crew seems to take their food seriously.

We got lucky in that we’d planned to go for lunch today, forgetting that Friday means fried chicken as the special. A small cult has developed around their fried chicken and I can see why—they seem to be a bit insane as far as prep goes. First, they marinate the chicken in buttermilk…for a week. Then they cook it sous-vide…for nine hours. Then they dredge it and fry it.

No. Really.

The result? Amazing. The crust was crisp and savoury without being greasy, while the chicken was beautifully tender, moist, and flavourful. The preparation seems a bit gimmicky, but it’s hard to argue with the results. The cabbage slaw it came with was a great counter, lightly-dressed but tasty, while a jalapeño biscuit and gravy rounded out the meal. They do the chicken for take-out once summer arrives; I’m pretty sure we’ll take advantage of that at some point.

While my wife had the chicken, I went for (you guessed it) the burger with cheddar and bacon and a side fries. It was every bit as good as the chicken. I normally like my burgers pressed out, but they served it thick (about an inch) on a relatively small bun and it worked beautifully (unlike a certain other restaurant in the neighbourhood that serves thick patties but lets them get lost in oversized buns). They also have the confidence in the kitchen to let you specify the degree of doneness, something a lot of restaurants won’t do for reasons of food safety and/or liability; I asked for medium, and it was exactly what I expected. Everything about he burger was top-notch, right down to the drizzle of jus down my hand as I tried to eat it. To top it off, the fries were as good as I’ve had anywhere. I mentioned that to our server, and she told me something that, in retrospect, I should have picked up myself: Rather than using oil for frying, they use beef tallow. I spent a summer in a fish-and-chip joint that did the same thing and between the 400+ degree smoke point and the slightly savoury taste it imparts I’ve yet to find a better medium for cooking fries.

We’ll definitely be going back. In fact, we noticed on the bottom of the menu that they’ll prepare food family-style for parties of four or more. We may have to ask about that the next time my parents are in town.

[UPDATE, 2012/03/13: Refuel Closing, Top Chef Competitor Trevor Bird To Open “Fable” In Its Place : Scout Magazine.]