Bin 941/942 alumnus Edward Perrow (centre) returns from a year-long exile with sibling owner-chefs Stephen and Michael Wiese (left and right, respectively) at La Brasserie.

Credit: Doug Shanks

URBAN DINER: La Brasserie ups Davie’s game

La Brasserie 1091 Davie St., 604-551-1514, LaBrasserieVancouver.com

Food: 4 stars / Service: 4 stars / Atmosphere: 4 stars / Value: 5 stars (star ratings out of 5)

Looking through my files from the past couple of years, it quickly became clear that the west end of Davie Street hasn’t exactly been winning the Vancouver restaurant-boom sweepstakes. According to my count, the gaybourhood has enjoyed the arrival of only two establishments truly worthy of note. First was Lolita’s, a super-fun Mexican cantina that serves mean drinks and killer taquitos, and then 1181, a modern and none too over-the-top gay bar that serves up some of the best cocktails in the city. Beyond these, it’s been crickets. So, when I heard a new Franco-German joint called La Brasserie was on its way to the Davie strip, my ears pricked up and my gullet did a double take.

What made news of La Brasserie doubly interesting was the involvement of Edward Perrow, the long-time right-hand man and operations manager to Gord Martin, proprietor of mega-hits Bin 941, Bin 942, and Go Fish. Perrow went into semi-retirement a year ago, effectively disappearing from the restaurant scene. Highly respected by his peers in the trade (and Bin fans, in particular), the heft that Perrow brings to La Brasserie with his return is incalculable. In the end, of course, it needs to be about what’s on the plate, but with Perrow on board, it’s certain that the savvy legions will feel the need to check it out at least once.

And they’ve already started. Though just a couple of weeks old, the place was a few seats shy of full when I walked in on an otherwise sleepy Wednesday night. I recognized many patrons immediately: a manager from Chambar, a hostess from Blue Water Cafe, the chef from the Flying Tiger, a server from Aurora Bistro, and so on. Only in high school does word of mouth spread faster than in the restaurant industry.

The space, formerly occupied by a Persian restaurant called Zagros, holds a mere 35 seats. Deep red walls lined with gold-framed mirrors rise behind a long, L-shaped, black-leather banquette. Black ceilings dim the glow of recessed lighting, but pronounce that of drop-down lights hung over an ornately carved, wood-fronted bar capped with acid-treated concrete. The music is not Bavarian oompah-pah or Edith Piaf, but rare and modern tracks that frame the space with their otherness. At one point during the course of my first visit, I heard African drums, Indian sitars and tablas backing a female vocalist crooning in French. Ubiquitous, it was not.

The two owner-chefs, Stephen and Michael Wiese, are brothers. I know I couldn’t work with my brother — love him dearly though I do — for more than 10 minutes before one of us would receive a punch in the neck, so we’ll see how that goes. I met them in the midst of construction, both covered in dust, and they seemed to be getting along just fine. For certain, their food reflects a level of harmony that I wouldn’t expect. Though the menu’s design is so ugly I’d prefer to burn it rather than read it, the dishes within are the kind of casual Euro classics I crave.

Unfortunately, they’d already sold out of their specialty by the time I arrived: a juicy, fatty, totally glorious suckling pig ($18). Luckily, I took a stool beside a pair of old industry colleagues and was able to steal a bite of the last order that had gone out. Tickled with sauerkraut, it was like the warm, sweet breath of Princess Leia on your face as she nuzzles you awake. (Er... okay. —Ed.) The other fellow had chosen the seven-ounce onglet (a.k.a. hanger steak; $16), which was meaty and succulent, flavourful and quickly minced on the tooth. Served with skeletal frites, little pickles, and a thinly herbaceous Café de Paris sauce, it immediately went on my “next time” list.

For my own meal, I doubled down in the bad-breath sweepstakes and began with a large slice of pungently aromatic Alsatian onion tart topped with sour cream ($8) and a square bowl of perfectly gratinéed onion soup ($7) that croaked fluently in a guttural French accent. For my main, I sliced into a peasant-worthy spiced bratwurst ($15), made in-house and served mounted on puréed potatoes soaked in a pronounced onion jus.

All this was washed down with a 20-ounce tower of Konig Ludwig Weisse beer (on tap for just $6), just one of 30 beers available, all chosen by Perrow. He built the wine list, too — a straight-up winner with 12 by the glass. His policy on Champagne is, in itself, cause for celebration, as he charges only about $20 above cost for labels like Veuve Cliquot, Moët et Chandon, and Louis Roederer.

As for the service, it appears to be the Ed Perrow Show (wearing a white apron and fitted English waistcoat), so there’s little to worry about on that front, lest he take a night off.