InFocus Magazine

When word got out in the summer of 2007 that the owners of Atlas Café, arguably one of the most popular eateries in the Comox Valley, were opening up a new restaurant in Comox, the rumblings from armchair critics were deafening.

The multicultural flavour combinations of an Atlas-like menu would be too exotic for conservative little Comox, they said.  A funky urban-style bistro would be too hip for this sleepy bedroom community, they said.  The Comox Valley isn’t big enough for two Atlases, they said.

Today, little more than a year after opening its doors, Avenue Bistro is the hottest joint on Comox Avenue and the peanut gallery is all but silent.  While Avenue definitely evokes a contemporary urban vibe that’s cutting edge for the town of Comox, owners Trent McIntyre and Sandra Viney have worked hard to create a space that is welcoming to everyone. 

“It’s funny,” muses McIntyre on the speculation that Avenue was ahead of its time.  “All those things were being said when we opened Atlas too.  People thought it was a little too trendy.

“I don’t think Avenue is that trendy of a restaurant,” he continues.  “It might be a little bit new for Comox, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm for most people.”

Avenue is the result of what McIntyre refers to as a “natural progression” (and what Viney jokingly refers to as “workaholicism”) of the 14 years that the husband/wife team has invested in Atlas Café.  

McIntyre had been dreaming of a new restaurant for years, Viney says, and when they were finally able to step back from the day-to-day operations of Atlas a few years ago, the time seemed right to begin writing the next chapter of their story.

“We wanted to have a place that was in the community of Comox,” says McIntyre,” as well as a place that was in the community of Courtenay.  We wanted to be a part of both communities.”

With smooth, clean lines and a modern décor made up of complementary chocolate browns and creamy whites, Avenue’s ambiance at first seems more Park Avenue than Comox Avenue.  Two deep, rounded booths that guard the entrance to an elevated lounge are a melding of 70s retro and 21st century chic, and patrons of the lounge itself are entertained by two flat-screen TVs that bookend a sleek cream-coloured bar.  The open-concept dining room below hums with the eclectic energy of the community during peak hours.

If Avenue’s décor is avant-garde, its winter menu is anything but.  The guiding culinary philosophy at Avenue, as expressed neatly on the back of its drink menu, is to “continue the time-honored tradition of the classic French bistro with seasonal and local fare simply prepared and served in an atmosphere that is both warm and embracing.” 

This philosophy is embodied in dinner entrees like the chargrilled double pork chop, served with apple compote and crispy polenta, and the prime rib with Yorkshire pudding that’s served exclusively on Sundays.

Chef Aaron Rail, who just joined the Avenue team in September after applying his art to the menus of Victoria hotspots such as Café Brio and the Oak Bay Marina, has created a fall menu that warms the heart as well as feeds the belly.

“Food has to be relatable,” says Rail.  “It’s hard to enjoy something if it doesn’t evoke anything in you.  We have a braised chicken dish with pappardelle that we call chicken noodle.  It’s like a brothy, sumptuous winter dish, something you can eat and maybe remember eating chicken noodle soup as a kid.”

Avenue’s “mac and cheese,” another popular pasta featured on both the lunch and dinner menus, is another example of this type of nostalgic, feel-good cuisine.

“There’s no pretension there,” says Rail.  “It’s just good food.” 

Avenue’s menu changes with the seasons in order to take advantage of the bounty of fresh local ingredients that give the Comox Valley the nickname “Land of Plenty.”  From Eatmore winter greens to Natural Pastures cheeses, Avenue’s breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are graced by a variety of home-grown products, and it’s a trend that Rail expects will continue.

“It used to be a cachet to use local, but now it just makes sense,” he says.  “When you consider that most suppliers now are charging diesel charges and gas charges to deliver, and things have got to come from California or Mexico or Costa Rica, you’re paying as much for the freight as you are for the product.” 

McIntyre agrees.  “I think what Aaron and I are trying to do is really adhere to the bistro style, and adhere to the local products and adhere to the seasons,” he says.  “We’re trying to combine all those things and bring home some comfort food that people can relate to over the winter months that is easy on the pocketbook and easy on the eyes.”  

Complementing Avenue’s selection of hearty, comforting entrees is a drink list that rivals any in the Comox Valley, at least in terms of geographical variety.  While patrons expect a restaurant’s wine list to feature bottles from all around the world, they don’t necessarily expect that the beer list will be equally diverse.  

For those who like a taste of the exotic in their barley pop, Avenue offers selections from beer-producing heavyweights like Germany and the UK, but also from unexpected places like the Czech Republic, Japan, India and even Jamaica.  Those simply craving the hoppy comforts of home can choose from local microbreweries like Phillips and Vancouver Island Brewery, both out of Victoria, as well as a selection of micros and traditional domestics from across Canada.