2 Cathedral St.
Ph. 738-5293
EnRoute magazine’s executive editor, Charlene Rooke,
contacted me several months ago. She wanted yours truly to join a national
panel along with luminaries like television celebrity chef, Michael Smith (The
Inn Chef, Chef at Large) to help select the best new restaurants in Canada. I
did; and the list (including the top ten) appears in this month’s issue of
EnRoute. Since the previous list was compiled, a record number of new
restaurants have opened across the country. Major centers like Vancouver,
Toronto, and Quebec City have become some of the best restaurant cities in
North America. Even smaller burgs like St. John’s have become richer in their
selection of eateries. That’s why I jumped at the chance to be part of
EnRoute’s selection board.
One of several St. John’s restaurants I looked at - that did
not make the final cut but which I felt deserved to be in the running at least
- was Casbah. It’s a colorful spot owned and operated by young St. John’s
entrepreneur, Steve Curtis. This is not Curtis’s first venture into food
service but I think his previous experience has served him well, judging by his
latest creation. Most importantly, for example, Casbah has a strong kitchen.
One of his chefs, Lisa Mackenzie, has been cooking good food around town for a
few years. She likes to play with spices, especially ones popular in the middle
and Far East. This penchant is further encouraged, no doubt, by working at a
restaurant named “Casbah.”
Eastern influences surface in a few Casbah dishes but I’m
not sure those influences are obvious in the restaurant’s décor. In fact, I
feel there’s a slight disconnect between the name Casbah and what you find
beyond the bright red sign that hangs outside; unless, Curtis was trying to
duplicate Rick’s Café Americain from the classic film, Casablanca. I suppose if
you squint hard enough you might be able to imagine Rick Blaine (a.k.a.
Humphrey Bogart), in a white dinner jacket, sitting at Casbah’s long bar
nursing a highball. Imagining a black piano player named Sam is a bit more
difficult since you won’t find a piano or any other musical instrument at
Casbah.
At lunch, recently, I tried Casbah’s Moroccan tomato soup. I
commend the attempt but the execution left a little to be desired. It was
mysteriously dark (mystery I like) and fragrant, like a Mexican mole, redolent
of cumin with hints of cinnamon and star anise. The sum aroma was intoxicating
and I couldn’t wait to let my taste buds go to work on it. Sadly, my buds were
bummed. Casbah’s Moroccan tomato soup lacked dimension. It was a tomato soup
where the tomatoes had gone on strike. I found a few stubborn pieces of tomato
but this was a soup that desperately needed more tomato texture and flavour. It
tasted like too heavily spiced tomato water. That’s because there was very
little for the spices to go to work on.
By contrast, when the first spoonful of Casbah’s roasted
pepper and tomato soup crossed my lips it impressed me as much as the first
time I heard Sam sing, “As Time Goes By,” in Casablanca. It was
multi-dimensional - textured, smooth, rich in tomato and bell pepper flavour,
and further enriched by grated Parmesan cheese.
Casbah’s house wine is the Peller Estates French Cross. They
have it in red and white. I tried the merlot with my favorite Casbah chicken
dish. The wine was unimpressive. I may be chided (by some) for saying this, but
I am only a mild fan of Canadian wine, unless you’re talking dessert wine like
the much-lauded Canadian ice wines. I do like some Canadian reds and whites but
French Cross is not one of them.
On the other hand, I was impressed by Casbah’s chicken
breast stuffed with spinach and feta and served with a roasted garlic cream
sauce. The chicken was cooked a touch too long but it was fresh and flavourful.
The spinach and feta gave it depth and bite; the luxurious cream sauce perfumed
with mellow roasted garlic was the perfect finish for this dish.
A very tasty Mediterranean salad accompanied my chicken
breast. The combination of baby greens, kalamata olives, feta, and sun-dried
tomatoes was bursting with fresh flavours. It was dressed with an olive oil
based preparation that was slightly sweet, aromatic, rich and wonderful.
This lunch cried out for a chocolate finale. I indulged in a
chocolate lover’s dream dessert. It was two slices of Casbah’s chocolate pate,
sauced underneath with crème anglaise laced with circles of raspberry coulis.
It was delicious and beautifully presented with a tall spike of hardened
caramelized sugar rising from one of the pieces of pate.
Casbah also does a decent Sunday brunch. If you drop by, why
not try the vindaloo eggs. Oh, and if you happen to see a guy at the bar named
Rick, say hello for me.
My lunch at Casbah, including tip and a glass of the house
red, cost approximately $43.00.
Best Points:
Good atmosphere and food with flare.
Areas for Improvement:
The Moroccan tomato soup (one of the specials the day I visited) should not make a return engagement until the recipe is improved.
Ratings Category:
Casbah gets a well-deserved 8 points out of 10.