Gord Martin took a 2004 gamble with Go Fish and won, Tim Pawsey photo
Updated: Please note: this location is closed. But the original outdoor location is still thriving …
One of the rewards of taking too many photos is that eventually you can always find a reason to use at least some of them. We’re a long time fan of The Bin-Meister, aka Gord Martin, who essentially single handedly kick-started the small plates revolution (not just in Vancouver but across the continent) way back in 1998, when he launched lilliputian Bin 941.
While there was maybe a semblance of edible outdoor fare before on the Wet Coast, Martin also proved to be on the cusp when, in 2004, he and Andreas Seppelt unwrapped Go Fish, overlooking the False Creek Public Fish Sales Dock. The dance between the Feds and the City wasn’t easy. But once open, Go Fish took the city’s floundering fish ‘n chips scene to the next level (not to mention fish tacos). And even though Go Fish isn’t mobile, its (spectacular) outdoor setting and excellent, always-fresh-driven fare unquestionably helped sow the seed and pave the way for today’s blossoming street food carts.
Now comes news that Martin has shuttered Bin 942 (Broadway nr. Granville) in favour of a second Go Fish location, which he’ll run as his own. It’s slated to open in mid-July. (Given that the space is already licensed and permitted, that schedule shouldn’t be a problem.) As with the Bins, Martin—who aside from being a successful owner-chef, author and former rock musician—is also an accomplished visual artist—is currently busy putting his own unique stamp on Go Fish 2.0.
It should be a fun and tasty spot. Expect an expanded menu, with more seasonal and lots of sustainable fare, with plenty of emphasis on the likes of spot prawns (in season) and Dungeness crab, plus decent local brews and a BC wine list. We’ve always felt Vancouver sadly lacking in definitive, down-to-earth, fresh seafood places such as these. No doubt, it’ll be another hit. But we’re still holding out, eventually, for an even higher profile Go Fish 3.0, where there’ll be more room to swing a cat, maybe on or close to the water again…
In the meantime, about those pictures …
As you can tell, Gord’s a mild-mannered, though occasionally quite passionate kind of guy. He was just a tad upset here that the obviously delinquent Chef Meets Grape judges (of which I was one) hadn’t picked his food and wine pairing as the winner. We particularly like the reaction of his PR in the background!
Anyway, good for you, Gord!
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