Whistler isn’t a hotbed of restaurant openings and closings but changes happen occasionally.
Last year, RD Stewart opened Red Door Bistro. When I went up to ski recently, I was keen to try it as the chef previously worked as sous chef at Araxi, Whistler’s premier restaurant, and before that he headed the kitchen at La Rua (now closed) for 14 years.
Asked what RD stood for, he said it was a secret. Just as I was launching my inner pit bull to interrogate, he said he was joking and came clean. It’s Ron Derry. And the name Red Door riffs on Slanted Door, one of his favourite restaurants in San Francisco (mine too!).
"I moved here from Toronto for the skiing," says Stewart, but 20 years on he’s more into chasing golf balls than moguls.
Red Door is in the Creekside area just up the street from the swish Nita Lake Lodge (home to Aura, a fine dining restaurant). It is in the same building as Roland’s Pub, which has now come under Stewart’s leadership as well. Roland’s serves straight-ahead pub food but he’s elevated the quality of ingredients (meat from Two Rivers, non-medicated chicken, and no processed foods).
If you’re searching for Red Door in the dark, as we were, look for the Roland’s sign because it’s much easier to spot. Inside, Stewart installed a wide-open kitchen bordered by a bar.
The room, with its wood-surround and hut-like feel, says you’re in ski country. It’s relatively small (40 seats) and as we found out, the place is occasionally booked out — we were asked to be out by a certain time to accommodate a party of 16.
Stewart says international visitors like Usher and Chelsea Handler have been in with their entourages. ("She likes her vodka," he says of the latter.) Hotel concierges are all-important to out-of-the-way restaurants like Red Door.
It is very much a bistro. Some dishes are classic French bistro, others are West Coast versions of bistro-style food.
The bouillabaisse and duck confit spring rolls are best-selling keepers on the menu, Stewart says. Otherwise, he tweaks the menu and offers a couple of specials every day.
My inner pit bull growled again when I saw Chilean sea bass (on the red "don’t serve" list when caught from certain areas) on the specials board when I visited. Stewart assured me it was Marine Stewardship Council-approved sea bass. It was the first time he’d served it in 12 years and only brought it in at a guest’s request.
The meal that followed was as good as bistro food gets. It’s simple cooking done really well with good ingredients. Saltspring mussels with garlic, shallots, chilies and herbs in white wine was perfectly done. Crab cakes with apple, celery and fennel slaw and chipotle pepper aioli wasn’t fishy and was cleanly cooked.
Cassoulet, always a hearty, rustic dish, was exactly that. Duck confit, braised lamb, pork sausage and smoked pork certainly contributed to the heartiness. The cassoulet beans, cooked with the meat, are further imbued with aromatic spices — about 15 of them. This isn’t a dish exemplifying his "I love classic French cuisine but I’ve tried to lighten it up" statement.
Venison Two Ways, with a rack chop and a braised neck and blue cheese ravioli and red currant demi, was excellent. The only weak spot was the complementary bread, which was like generic supermaret variety.
And my complements to the chef for the dessert I tried — a dark chocolate and caramel mousse with whipped cream and raspberry coulis (Stewart make the desserts, too) — if I’d been served it at Aura or Araxi, I would have been very happy.
Wines are heavy on affordable B.C. and the list is ambitious for a small restaurant.
Red Door Bistro
2129 Lake Placid Rd., Whistler. 604-962-6262. reddoorbistro.ca
Overall: ***1/2
Food: ****
Ambience: ***
Service: ***
Price: $$
Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone. Reviews are rated out of five stars.
$: Less than $80 for two with glass of wine, before tip and tax
$$: $80 to $120
$$$: more than $120
mstainsby@vancouversun.com
Blog: vancouversun.com/miastainsby
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