As they tell it, the story behind Part and Parcel is quite simple straightforward:
“Sterling was born, then Grant, then Anna. Then Anna met Grant. Then Grant and Anna met Sterling. Then they got hungry. Then a restaurant happened.”
While that truth is as neat and tidy as the bright, cozy space itself (I have never been in a restaurant that clean before), the integral component they’re neglecting to share is how the food—handcrafted, home-style, honest cooking—is anything but straightforward.
Simple, perhaps, in the fact that all the ingredients are recognizable, fresh, seasonal and prepared without fanfare. However, when you are talented enough to envision joyous spring salads like rhubarb, chamomile, spring lettuces, radish, crème fraiche and maldon sea salt, or flavorful plates like braised pork shoulder, tomato, chickpeas, olives and grilled garlic scapes topped with a quivering beauty of a soft boiled egg, straightforward thinking has thankfully skipped out. In fact, when I’m in Quadra Village’s bustling Part and Parcel for lunch, all I can think about is how to order and consume one of everything on the ever-changing one page menu. I lie—I’m also thinking about how to make 15 new friends immediately so I can try a bite of everyone’s dishes. Trust me, you will no longer dislike turnips once you try them tossed with kohlrabi, arugula and elderflower vinaigrette.
Last December, the diminutive space opened the doors, with chef Grant Gard behind the counter cooking up his favorite flavors (French, eastern European, Spanish and Middle Eastern themes are common), and his wife Anna running front of house. Gard cut his teeth in Victoria’s best kitchen, Brasserie L’ecole, where he would share shifts and plans with front of house stalwart and his future business partner, Sterling Grice. Grice is beyond well-known in the Victoria restaurant scene; in addition to many years as a friendly face at L’ecole, he also started Foo and Foo Ramen Bar, two busy downtown take-out spots. With the help of family and friends, the trio spent countless weeks last year freshening up the abandoned restaurant space, revealing a sunny, bright and welcoming nook with casual and friendly counter service and self-service bussing.
It’s part (and parcel) of the communal, community feel immediately upon entering, and hand-in-hand with eating local, sustainable food. If you’re not lucky enough to grab a table during the busy lunch rush or a bag of tasty delights to go, wander back around dinner hour, when the busy lunch crowd gives way to leisurely neighborhood diners, families, students (the University of Victoria is nearby) and locavores from all walks of life. It’s an easy camaraderie—patrons, partners (and their staff) united by the love of pure, authentic food.
Follow on Facebook: Part and Parcel
Track on Twitter: @_partandparcel_
