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COBRE'S NUEVO LATINO ES BUENO
Small plate movement heads south
In Gastown, small plates are headed south--in a good way. Witness the arrival of Cobre (52 Powell St., 604-669-2396), a worthy salute to all things Latino, wrapped up in a stylin' and warmly furnished room, barely a tacito's toss from that original Gassy Jack himself.
One more welcome sign of Gastown's rise from the culinary ashes, Cobre is a bold undertaking of "Nuevo Latino" cuisine that adds one more dimension to the area's growing dining choices. The room (hand built by the owners over several months) combines rich and textured contrasts of red brick, wrought iron and namesake copper canopies over the open kitchen--as well as full length smoked mirrors that not only enlarge the quite narrow space but also add to the buzz with good people watching.
Opening chef at the original Bin, and more recently at Wild Rice, co-owner Stuart Irving knows a thing or two about small plates. And, for the most part, his creative take on things Latino doesn't disappoint--from a menu that breaks down into soups, a quintet of ceviches, papusa (flatbreads), tacos and (in this case) slightly larger tapas plates.
Away from its cultural base, ceviche can be a hit and miss offering, but a duo to start from this list proved more than worthy. Thinly sliced local halibut curled into a short glass with a cucumber "margarita" of premium aged tequila had just the right amount of BELLY'S BUDGET BEST - Tenuta de Angelis Rosso Piceno 2005
A supple 70-30 blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese, smoky on top, with pleasing cherry mocha notes and enough earthy, leathery tannins to stand up some spicy sausage or grilled game meats. A real deal at $14.90
604-669-2396
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