Charlie's Restaurant & Bar - Desserts

Restaurant: Charlie?s Bar & Restaurant

Cuisine: Pizza/Mediterranean/Italian
Last visited: March 9, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
1265 Hamilton Street
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4
Service: n/a (Media dinner)
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 3.5 (Food is generally good, but just not worth it)
Additional comments:

Chef Brian RitchotChef from Montreal, one from SpainDJ?s/live music on weekendsContemporary, sleek, posh atmosphereGreat for drinks, appiesSpecializes in gourmet pizzasMediterranean/Italian optionsLongue like atmosphereOne large projection screen TVOpen latePizzas available for take outDinner service only

**Recommendation: Short Rib Pizza, prosciutto di Parma 18 Month, Duck Pizza, Banoffee Pie

I was invited to a media dinner at Charlie?s Bar & Restaurant so the food served this evening was complimentary. However there were no expectations from Charlie?s Bar & Restaurant and the review represents my true and honest opinions.

This review focuses on the dessert for the evening. All the desserts are made in house from scratch which I really appreciate it?and quite frankly expect from a restaurant like this. However I don?t think any dessert here should exceed $8-9 because I?d be paying the same for desserts at slightly more expensive restaurants like Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca down the street.

I get confused between Charlie?s Restaurant and Bar being a gourmet pizza place and being a finer Mediterranean restaurant. The desserts got me more confused?some are traditional British and some seem more French...but it's a Mediterranean/Italian/Pizza place...right?...regardless I?ll tell you what?s good?

The dinner & drink portion of the review.

On the table:

Chocolate Ganache 2/6

Pistachio, chocolate wafer and mint sorbet $11A bit unusual to see at a restaurant/bar serving gourmet pizzas. It was a bit refined for the style and I couldn?t figure out how it fit in. The dessert was quite good and basically a twist on mint chocolate ice cream. It was a deconstructed version with gourmet execution.It was very rich dark chocolate ganache slices sprinkled with cocoa powder and topped with thin dark chocolate wafers. There was some pistachio and skor graham cracker crumbles around the plate that aided in the presentation rather than the flavour. The mint sorbet was refreshing but bitter. The after taste was significantly bitter.I wouldn?t want the whole thing to myself, but I?m not a big fan of chocolate mint ice cream. 1-2 of the small squares is enough. $11 for this portion I would feel ripped off?but apparently they usually serve it with another piece. (The size of the biggest one in the photo)

Banoffee Pie 4.5/6

Banana, dry caramel and coconut ice cream $10I really liked this! You don?t see this traditional British dessert served at many places so I enjoyed it here. I loved how they served it with coconut ice cream. A gourmet twist on traditional pub food?wait is Charlie?s a pub now?I don?t think the tart shell was made in house, but I?m not sure. It was a crumbly shortbread like cookie crust, but it didn?t taste homemade. It was filled with bananas, dry caramel and topped with cream. The ?dry caramel? tastes like dulche de leche ? it was like caramelized condensed milk and very thick. It was creamy and very sweet with lots of caramel so I'm glad there was ice cream to break it up.
It was served with 3 warm caramelized bananas. I'd pay $10 for it, but I still think it's reaching a bit. Especially since most people would be use to seeing it at pubs for half the price. I did like it more than the chocolate ganache.