Au-Petit-Chavignol, Vancouver

u Petit Chavignol is a cheese fan’s fantasy come true. Based on Kits’ much-lauded Les Amis du Fromage, a shop on West 2nd with another location in Park Royal, mother and daughter team, Alice and Alison Spurrell, have been keeping busy with their newest venture, a shrine to all things cheese.

Au Petit Chavignol, in East Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood, is definitely not a place for the lactose intolerant. Although the area has never been known for its restaurant scene (a bit too close to the downtown eastside), the room has been packed since opening. Locals are extremely pleased to finally have such a great dining choice in the area, though pilgrims from all over make the trek to sample this cheese-centric menu.

For this new project, the Spurrells teamed up with Chef Joe Chaput — he of the cheese-friendly Riesling — and hired the charming Annette Rawlinson — formerly of C and Diva — to oversee the front of the house. The fantastic menu is a tribute to cheese. Open up the list and select from over twenty cheeses to make a tasting plate of 3 items for $10 or 5 for $16. Flip to the front of the menu and add charcuterie items or the house terrine or pate. Throw in some accompaniments, like quince paste, cherries, or balsamic cipollini onions, and you have the Grand Tasting Platter. It’s $30 for a small and $45 for a large and all platters come with endless bread and crackers.

Differentiating themselves from the other cheese and charcuterie places in town (Gastown’s Salt, Granville’s The Refinery, and White Rock’s Gudrun), this crew has created a quixotic menu: The formally plated raclette comes with heated cheese scraped onto a plate with potatoes, onions and cornichons. The house croque monsieur is a nicely prepared ham, gruyere and béchamel sandwich; the croquet madame is the same but with steamed egg. Other entries include mac and cheese and pommes frites.

Au Petit Chavignol does not neglect vegetables, offering an eggplant dip, butter lettuce salad, a watercress salad with beets, and a cucumber salad in zesty lemon vinaigrette. Well known for his wine choices and pairings, Chaput designed a mainly European list, with fine selections from Germany, France, Portugal, and Spain. Many a wine is available by the glass or try tasting flights, which take the guesswork out of your cheese and wine selections. Try the old goat, feeling blue, or bubbles theme. There are a few aperitifs thrown in for good measure and a nice list of beer if you are more of a hops fan.

Au Petit Chavignol may be a bit out of the way, but success is in the cards for this great combination of quality product and sincerely great service. These people are passionate about what they do and it shows. I can guarantee you’ll learn something about cheese while you are there, but it’ll be your taste buds, not your need for higher education, that will bring you back.

Address: 845 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
Contact: 604-255-4218
Cuisine: Cheese
Area: East Vancouver
Venue: Restaurant
Hours: Thu. to Mon.: 5:00pm – 12:00am
Price Range: $$$ (Within Reach)
Payment: Master Card, Visa, American Express

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