Pigeonhole offers eclectic selection
Sharing plates are the focus at this blend of wine bar and snack bar
Standing in one spot, cleaning sand from morels for twelve hours straight proved to be a challenge for chef Justin Leboe. After almost three decades working in professional kitchens, the chef/ partner behind Model Milk found the strain on his knees and back almost unbearable. “It wasn’t the hours,” says Leboe of his recent experience at Copenhagen’s Relae, “I do those all the time. It was the standing in one place. I’m used to moving around.”
But Leboe had signed up for a month of work at the Danish restaurant — rated #53 on San Pellegrino’s list of the world’s best restaurants — and he lived up to his commitments. The 42-yearold chef showed staff half his age that he could handle it.
But why go to Copenhagen to work basically for free?
Leboe wanted fresh inspiration for the opening of his new restaurant — Pigeonhole — neighbouring Model Milk in the former dairy where Victoria’s used to reside (306 — 17 Avenue S.W., 403-452-4694). He’d hosted a brief pop-up visit from Derek Dammann of Montreal’s busy gastropub Maison Publique to celebrate the opening of PDR (that stands for Private Dining Room) in Model Milk and decided to broaden his scope even more. “You never stop learning in this business,” says Leboe.
The result of Leboe’s latest academic upgrading will see the light of day in Pigeonhole. Leboe and partners Victor Choy and Brad Morrison have refinished the 68-seat space honouring the tradition of Victoria’s. They’ve kept the chandeliers and greenmarble tables of the previous tenants and installed the pressed tin ceiling tiles from the origi- nal — and long-gone — Mercury a few blocks away. They added more marble — repurposed from Edmonton’s CN building — and brought in unique leather chairs and banquettes. A school of mounted fish adorns one wall and an open kitchen on the upper level provides a clear view of the chefs. Most endearingly, they’ve recycled and remounted Victoria’s distinctive crowned sign, laying the word Pigeonhole in pink neon over the black-and-white Victoria’s logo. (Pigeonhole’s own logo is a jaunty graphic of a pigeon sporting a Victorian crown.)
Leboe has outfitted his new kitchen with induction stove tops, a Japanese charcoal grill and a swack of new equipment. A large back kitchen area allows staff from Pigeonhole, Model Milk and PDR — which also has its own kitchen — to store sup- plies and prep for the expanding operation. (By the way, PDR is available for private bookings; it has 60 seats and serves food in the spirit of Model Milk.)
Leboe describes Pigeonhole’s menu as part wine bar and part snack bar, with sharing plates the focus. The opening menu is wildly eclectic including crumpets made with nori and shrimp butter; a wild mushroom tart topped with smoked bone marrow and a vinegar jus; grilled oysters with fermented rhubarb, and strozzapreti made with fresh nettles and served with morels (nicely cleaned, of course) and peas. A Russian-style caviar service using organic Northern Divine sturgeon caviar from the Sunshine Coast tops out the menu at $90 but most dishes remain under $12.
Wines at Pigeonhole span both Old and New World, leaning heavily on biodynamic produc- tion methods. Many are available by the glass. That includes a fine selection of sherries.
Joining the partners at Pigeonhole are general manager Heather Wighton, formerly of Muse, and chef de cuisine Garrett Martin, formerly sous chef of Model Milk. Leboe will run the kitchen for the first few months to get Pigeonhole off the ground. Meanwhile the talented Eric Hendry is in charge of Model Milk’s kitchen.
As for the name, it came from discussions between Leboe, Choy and Morrison. They were considering what style of food to serve, debating between contemporary southeast Asian or classic European. They ultimately decided not to be limited in their approach but rather to keep things open and creative. In other words, they didn’t want to be pigeonholed.
Pigeonhole will be open Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Offal fans have spoken. A couple weeks ago I asked for a list of places that serve good liver and onions. I passed on a number of suggestions but liver lovers continue to respond. Here are a few more places to get a big iron hit of liver: The Chuckwagon in Turner Valley, The Bavarian Inn in Bragg Creek, Chez Francois in Canmore, Hy’s and La Chaumiere.