Page 4
www.celtic-connection.com
SEPTEMBER 1999
The Irish Heather
BISTRO 5. IRISH HOUSE
The sweetest diversion under the sun, is to sit by the fire tiff the praties are done
Irish Stew ■Some likg herrings red from the ocean, and some CU^p a bit of pigs fry; Some big oictaitsoup, I've a notion, While others Met a pudding and pie. Tor off sorts ofstomachs, There are dainties, 'But the best feed between I and you, Is some mutton with onions and potatoes, Made into a real Irish stew, Then hurrah for An Irish Stew, That wiilstickjo your beffy Cite gfae: The Sons of St. Tatrickjbrever, And thru cheers for a real Irish stew
If you're hungry for a taste of Ireland, just drop in, we'll look after you.
www.irislilieatlier.com
217 Carrall street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2J2
Phone (604) 688-9779 for reservations
TOP VIEW of a new snug which has been added to front of the FRONT VIEW of the bar where so many have congregated to Vancouver's Irish Heather on Carrall Street. tell tall tales and swap familiar stories.
THE IRISH HEATHER: Daring to Dream New Dreams
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER — The Irish Heather Bistro and Irish House was launched in Gastown in March 1997. Owner Sean Heather (originally from Limerick, Ireland) was an eligible bachelor at the time. But, since then, many changes have taken place both in his life and at the establishment.
I recently spoke to Sean about these changes and the renovations taking place at the Heather. He said, "Well, I married Erin Hickey ( a well-known Vancouver Irish dancer and teacher), and along with my sister Roisin, we are now have three family members working in the business.
"You must realize that the Irish Heather has been a-work-in-progress since the doors first opened for business. We began on a shoestring, with the job half done. 1 was more concerned about survival in this neighbourhood.
"In the Sixties and Seventies, Carrall Street was considered the Irish Street, with such establishments as The Spinning Wheel, The Pig N'Whistle, The Blarney Stone, The Harp and Heather, and Paddy's. Since then, many of these businesses have moved on and my concern was whether this part of town was ready for another Irish establishment.
"I had a vision or a dream for the Irish Heather and every month since opening, we've set some money aside to be invested back into the business to complete this plan. Fortunately, many of the staff and customers are also quite passionate about what we're trying to do here and they've helped out with painting, mixing mortar and generally, with whatever has to be done."
Bringing his dream together with practical experience, Sean applied his knowledge of the hospitality industry, along with his love for Irish culture. He said, "Since arriving in Canada six years ago, I managed Benny's Bagels and some fine dining restaurants, but I always felt something was missing and I couldn't seem to get a decent pint of Guinness anywhere.
"There didn't seem to be a place I could go without having a television blaring with some hockey game. I just wanted to be able to sit down and have a conversation
SEAN AND ERIN HEATHER
with somebody about politics, religion, sports or whatever. Also, I was craving the Irish wheaten bread, the craic, and the chat.
"I thought, if I'm missing this, there must be a lot of other people feeling the same way. Not just Irish-born people, but children who grew up listening to Irish accents in the house, the Irish turn-of-phrase, the sense of humour and entertainment. I thought... there must be a market out there waiting for people looking for a home-away-from-home."
At the Irish Heather, patrons won't find green beer or leprechauns, but they will find portraits of Irish playwrights, along with Irish books — about 200 of them — some dating back to the Eighteenth Century. They will also find rare Irish stamps and letters. Some of these letters date back to 1776, prior to the issuance of postage stamps in Ireland.
Plans are now underway to establish a reading library on the second floor of the restaurant, where patrons can view these rare books at certain quiet times.
Sean knows the background and location where he acquired each picture, book and stamp. He has enough artifacts to open his own Irish heritage museum. A real Irish history buff, he delights in
discussing the subject with customers and friends.
Seab also takes great pride in speaking the Irish language in the restaurant with sister Roisin — who is a fluent Irish speaker — to the amazement of customers who have never heard the Irish language spoken, much less know that Ireland has its own official language.
On the second floor, new dividers and stained glass have been added for a more intimate atmosphere. Amazingly, an area which once seated 42, has now been tastefully rearranged to comfortably seat 65. True to the historical theme of the Heather, the new dining area is called the "Titanic Room."
Nautical maps adorn the walls with some of the last pictures ever taken of the Titanic by an Irish priest — Father Brown — who went on board the ill-fated ship prior to departure to take photographs. A reproduction of the ocean liner is also on display, along with original first-class and steerage tickets.
The menu has also been completely modified. Sean said, "Where we once had one menu for upstairs and another for downstairs, we now have one menu for a more fluid operation, allowing customers to have dinner in the
bar area, or sandwiches in the dining room area.
"I think I'm most satisfied with this menu than any one previously. My line has always been that we don't buy something if we can make it. So, we make all our own bread which is Irish wheaten and potato focaccia. We cure our salmon in Jamieson Irish whiskey and it's flying out the door. In addition, we've now added curry to our menu and we make our own mango chutney, mayonnaise and ketchup.
"We offer loin of lamb, triple "A" Alberta steak, chicken and, one thing that I've learned from working in Canadian restaurants, is that you can't underestimate the vegetarian aspect of your business. We serve a full Irish breakfast, just like you'd get in Ireland."
The menu for the Irish Heather is a great read and full of Irish history. For customers not familiar with traditional Irish food, the menu has a glossary that explains what each item consists of, such as: colcannon, rashers, black pudding and boxty pancakes.
Sean added, "By the end of October, The Irish Heather will have the best selection of Irish whiskey in the province of British Columbia. Seven new Irish whiskies, not new to Ireland but new to this market will be available on our bar. We will be the only establishment in B.C. carrying Paddy Irish whiskey."
In closing, he said, " I'm very pleasecUwlth our progress over the past two-and-a-half-years, considering that 25 percent of new businesses go broke within the first year. The business in this city is like nothing I've ever experienced before.
"This is cutthroat... first of all you have more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in North America except San Francisco ...so all-in-all, we have done exceptionally well.
Exciting times coming up for the Irish Heather as Sean watches his dream materialize into reality. •
The Irish Heather is located in the heart of historic Gastown at 217 Carrall Street in Vancouver. Reservations are recommended. Call (604) 688-9779.