Tuc Craft Kitchen opened in Gastown in 2013 and has been serving up their delicious take on comfort food. They pride themselves on serving rustic, seasonal, farm-to-table fare paired with a carefully curated list of New & Old World wines, inventive cocktails, and local craft beer.
We were invited to check out a few of their new Summer menu items.
Interior
I love the space. It’s so rustic and casual. There are 2 levels inside, so if you have a large private party, there is an area upstairs.
If you closely look at the walls, Guy Fieri was here.
Powell St. Swizzle
This drink has Odd Society Oaken gin, Odd Society bittersweet vermouth, Rootside ginger beer, lime and bitters. Very refreshing drink.
Flower of Algernon
This is made of Odd Society Wallflower gin, St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, lavender, grapefruit and lemon. A good combination of flavours especially the elderflower and lavender.
Wines
They have a great wine program at Tuc featuring New and Old World wines. Colin Ross is the Wine Director and Co-owner of Tuc and he can help you pair the perfect wines with your dishes.
Baked Ricotta
This dish has house-made ricotta, warm olives, sheep’s milk parmesan, and bread. Never thought you would bake ricotta and serve it as an appetizer. A good item to share among the table and nibble on before the rest of the meal arrives.
They pair this with the Sperling Vinyards ‘Vision’ 15, which is a Charonnay from the Okanagan Valley.
Sunset Salad
This salad has baby shrimp, strawberries, greens, lemon vinaigrette, and a carrot lime puree. Who knew shrimp and strawberries would go well together? I am a huge fan of shrimp so I enjoyed it in the salad even thought it has a bit of a slimy texture. There is a sweetness in the shrimp so it makes sense.
They pair this with the Culmina ‘Saignée Rosé ’17, a Meritage blend from Golden Mile Bench, BC.
Togarashi Ahi Tuna
This dish has seared Ahi Tuna, tumeric and garlic infused rice noodles, seasonal veggies, and a cilantro dressing. The togarshi on the ahi tuna was delicious! There was a lot of rice noodle that comes in this dish. Good to an individual to eat or even shared among the table.
They pair this with the Bella ‘Buddha’s Blend’ Sparkling Rose ’18, a Gamay and Chardonnary from Okanagan Valley, BC.
Ribs ‘n Fries
The Ribs ‘n Fries has orange and jalapeño glazed side ribs, curly yam fries, and a red slaw. That orange and jalapeño glaze was delicious on the ribs. The curly yam fries were good too.
They pair this with the Anarchist ‘Mayhem’ ’16, a Merlot from Osoyoos, BC.
Lentil Hash Mole Verde
This is a vegetarian black lentils, sweet peas, roasted mushrooms, corn, pea greens. Very filling and the sweetness of the corn and peas pair well with the lentils.
They pair this with the Herdade do Esporão Monte Velho ’16 from Alentejano, PT.
Seafood Étouffée
This has BC mussels & manila clams, prawns, squid, creole tomato sauce, and dirty rice. There is a good amount of seafood in this dish and the spices incorporated into this dish were delicious.
This is paired with the Maetierra Atlantis ’17 from Rías Baixas, ES.
Lemon Pudding Cake
Last but not least, the lemon pudding cake was amazing. It is topped with strawberries, Chantilly cream, fried basil and lemon zest. The cake was soft, moist and full of great flavour. It’s not on the menu, but it really needs to be on the menu.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the food is pretty good and you are sure to find comfort in these dishes. The dishes aren’t too heavy for the summer and they try to use seasonal ingredients in the dishes so you get a taste of what summer has to offer.
Address:
60 W Cordova St, Vancouver, BC
Website:
https://www.tuccraftkitchen.com
