The Greasy Spoon Diner Supper Series

Last week I was super fortunate and was invited to attend the 39th edition of The Greasy Spoon Diner! I was very excited to attend. This supper series is a monthly event put on by A Better Life Foundation in partnership with Save On Meats. Their mission is to raise money to help make a difference in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The work that they do is nothing short of inspiring. Every month, they bring in a different featured chef who then creates an incredible multi-course meal that is paired with cocktails made by award-winning bartenders, as well as craft beer and wine. The result? A fine dining experience inspired by the comfort of classic diner food. The proceeds from the event do so much good in the community, so you can be sure that your stomach will feel great but so will your heart. For an added level of intrigue, this particular edition of the supper series was going to be the first ever all-vegan menu! The talented Chef Karen Mcathy from Blue Heron Creamery was the featured chef. What's Blue Heron about? They make dairy-free cheese. They have a tiny shop that only opens for a few hours every Saturday and they sell out practically immediately. That should tell you everything that you need to know about their product. It's that good. Arriving at the event on a Monday evening, the Save On Meats that I know and love was completely transformed. The brightly-lit diner had now taken on a dimmer, more mysterious atmosphere. We were ushered into a waiting area and were provided with ample cocktails right from the start.

Grapefruity and refreshing! After a short wait, we were taken to our seats at the bar, the best seats in the house, in my opinion! A second cocktail was delivered immediately (fresh and delightful!) and I was so incredibly pleased to be in attendance on this evening.

Soon after, the first dish arrived with an opening of a Blue Heron Cheese Plate. This is the course that I was most looking forward to! It was finally time to experience Blue Heron's plant-based, dairy-free cheese magic.

A sampling of vegan cheeses and preserves from Handtaste Ferments and Biota Fermentation, featuring gluten free crackers from Eve's, Laiki and sourdough by Chef Fabrizio Busso.

This was truly something special. As a self-proclaimed cheese maniac, I was very curious to find out what their cheese would be like. Truthfully, any experience that I have had in the past with vegan cheese hasn't been all that favourable. But this plate changed my opinion entirely and opened my eyes to what is truly possible. We were served four different cheeses and each one boasted a unique flavour and texture. The thing that impressed me the most was how well they were able to recreate the various styles of cheese that we know and love; from firmer varieties, to softer types. The smokiness in some of the cheeses was beautifully delicate and pronounced. The creaminess and use of herbs in others was earthy and welcoming. They've created something that everyone can enjoy, not only vegans. I was also obsessed with the small square crackers from Eve's and will certainly be seeking them out. So crisp and light! This plate was a great joy. I would love to try Blue Heron's Forest cheese (smoke & truffle) and hope to get my hands on some of that as soon as possible! The next dish to arrive was the first course: Croquettes.

Portobello mushroom filet croquettes, Blue Heron Smoke n' Spice cheese, beet tostada, tempeh crisp, smoked cabbage slaw.

This plate was simple and unassuming. I loved the fresh flavours and the crunch from the croquette. I especially enjoyed getting to try the cashew cheddar, which did such an excellent job of embodying the characteristics that you would expect to see in a cheddar cheese. The smokiness was delicious. The second course was very interesting: Pierogies.

Pulled jackfruit, Blue Heron cheese sauce, spruce tip and peppercorn sour cream, tomato paper confetti.

I noticed right away that this dish included two rockstar-trendy ingredients; jackfruit and spruce tips. Jackfruit is known as a versatile fruit that easily steps in for pulled pork in vegetarian/vegan cooking. It was interesting to see this item wrapped into a pierogie, yet it made so much sense. The cheese sauce and sour cream combo was quite decadent and luscious. The hint of ultra-seasonal spruce tip added a woodsy flavour. I was most intrigued by the tomato paper, which acted as light wisps of concentrated tomato goodness! The third course arrived looking incredibly high-end: King Oyster Scallops.

King Oyster mushroom scallops, tamari cultured "butter," spring greens, watercress, tomato kimchi.

This mushroom worked surprisingly well as a scallop! I was a bit taken aback that the dish was served cool but the sear on the king oyster really did an excellent job of replicating the type of cook that you would expect to see on a scallop. Two more hot ingredients were included in this one; sea asparagus and morel mushrooms. I'm always thrilled to see either of them on any plate! Perfectly seasonal for the moment, both were tender and full of flavour. Lastly, we arrived at dessert: Ice Cream Sandwich Sundae.

Say Hello Sweets ice cream sandwich, aquafaba pavlova, Amai Vegan Treats salted vanilla mousse, living Lotus lavender ganache sauce, berries, tarragon and spruce tip coconut whipped cream.

What a mouthful of ingredients! And what a stunning plate of dessert! I loved this because it was a light and perfect end to our incredible meal. Just when I thought I'd eaten all of the most trendy ingredients, they toss in aquafaba (the liquid inside of a can of chickpeas, and it's a big deal right now). I loved every part of this! Light, fluffy, creamy. Summertime on a plate.

I was so honoured to have been invited to be a part of this event and so impressed by not only the quality of the food but the entire cause. The heart behind this organization knows no bounds. I will certainly make an effort to return to future Greasy Spoon events and highly recommend them to everyone that I know!