the dining diva

ironman omelette

I can’t remember the first time I ate at The Elbow Room. Guaranteed, it was sometime during Journalism school. My memories of brunches with friends, family, boyfriends, and first dates all blend into each other. I think I’ve probably eaten there more than anywhere in Vancouver.

So it seemed fitting that I introduce Melanie to one of Vancouver’s institutions.

The only problem: I had just started my cleanse, which meant no dairy, wheat, or sugar. It wouldn’t be impossible – it might just be a bit scary, seeing that The Elbow Room prides itself on borderline abusive service.

We met at noon on a Sunday, and as usual, the place was packed. The menu can seem a bit daunting at first, but is basically divided into traditional breakfast fare, bennies, omelettes, and lunch dishes (including their freshly-made burgers).

Melanie decided on a country-style breakfast, which came with two large eggs, five strips of Montreal style bacon, hash browns and toast.

I decided to try my best to stick to the cleanse and I think I did okay. I ordered the Ironman omelette, which is sautéed spinach, grilled tomato, white onion and red and green bell peppers and topped with hollandaise. I nixed the hollandaise and the toast, and ordered a side of hash browns.

I winced when I ordered and prayed for no abuse, but long-time owner, Patrick, was kind. That’s the thing with The Elbow Room – you never know when you’re going to get picked on.

According to The Elbow Room’s website, it was started in 1983 by Patrick Savoie and Brian Searle. It was originally located on Jervis Street, and then they moved to their present location and also acquired a new partner, Soheil Sadri, in 1996.

country-style breakfast

The walls are lined with photos of mostly C and D-list celebrities who have eaten at the restaurant – although look hard and you’ll find photos of Tom Seleck, Hilary Swank, and Sharon Stone.

Our meals arrived and they were hearty as usual. I honestly can’t say it was the best omelette I’ve ever had, but it also wasn’t something that I would ever choose to order – the cleanse made me do it!

The Elbow Room’s omelettes are a little different than I’m used to. The omelette is laid on top of the fillings rather than incasing the filling in the egg. And the hash browns are real hash browns, and not the deep-fried potato wedges that some other breakfast joints are trying to pass off these days. They’re lightly seasoned, so I don’t even feel like I need ketchup.

Part of what makes The Elbow Room’s so-called lackluster service is that they bring you your first coffee or tea, but refills are up to you to get. I’ve seen a few people make the mistake of asking for more coffee – it’s a guarantee to get picked on for the rest of your meal.

Cleanse or no cleanse, I finished my entire meal. Melanie, on the other hand, had not. Part of what makes The Elbow Room so appealing is their commitment to the community. Everyone who doesn’t finish their meal must make a donation to A Loving Spoonful – a charity that provides meals to those living with HIV/AIDS.

So we cheerfully made our donation and shuffled our way past those waiting in line. We could still hear the squawks from the servers outside. The Elbow Room might not be winning any awards for their creativity, but what they lack in culinary genius, they make up in heart. And that’s what makes me come back again and again.

The Elbow Room Cafe
560 Davie St
Vancouver | BC
604.685.3628
theelbowroomcafe.com

the cure

Kate and I had just finished a workshop with renowned yogi, Chris Chavez, at Flow Yoga – where I had clearly been the crappiest student. I know that’s not very yoga of me – we’re supposed to be all on our own journey and there is no competition, etc., etc., — but it was true.

So I needed a good glass of wine and a scrumptious meal before the inevitable physical pain set in. And, to top it off, I had made the (insane) decision to start another 12-day cleanse the next day. Needless to say, there was a lot of pressure on this meal.

I thought that Pourhouse in Gastown would be a nice fit. It was close for Kate to hop on the SeaBus and being very new (they haven’t even had their official opening yet), it piqued my curiosity. I had been a semi-regular at the space’s last restaurant, Flux Bistro, so I was interested to see how it had been transformed.

Kate and I arrived just before nine and as the place was packed, we took a seat on one of the couches in the lounge area to wait for a table. The décor can be described as modern vintage. A gorgeous Douglas Fir bar curves towards the ceiling and frames the bartenders below. The couches and the armchairs in the lounge look like they belong in an antique store. But the dining area is lined by a glass and tile railing with radiators spaced in between.

We ordered a bottle of Viu Manent Carmenere Reserve and waited. And waited. And waited. And I know that we were probably a little more than impatient given our yoga-fueled hunger pains, but it was probably 10 minutes before our server came back… only to tell us they couldn’t find that bottle of wine. So we continued to wait.

After another 10 minutes, our server returned to tell us the reason they couldn’t find the wine – they were out. So we ordered the Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. And just as our server arrived with that bottle and poured our first glasses, our table was ready.

It’s always a little awkward when a server doesn’t offer to carry your drink from the lounge to the dining area. But it’s made even more awkward when you have a giant yoga bag to also carry. And the tiny restaurant is packed.

But Kate, our wine, our bags and I made it in one piece to our table – a very cozy booth that could have easily fit four. We sunk into the seats and began to look at the menu.

beef shortribs

Pourhouse’s concept is modern comfort food. It seemed a little in opposition to the décor and ambiance of the restaurant – white tablecloths and comfort food just don’t seem to go together to me. But somehow, they pull it off.

As it was taking us a long time to decide on an entrée, Kate and I decided to start off with The Cure – a selection of cured meats with condiments. It came with gherkins, mustard and sweet onions, as well as a basket of different breads. The three meats were all made from pork and treated slightly differently. We had a hard time deciding which one was our favourite – each one was flavourful and could have easily stood on its own.

When our server came back (no hurrying to get our entrée orders in – which was a nice touch), we asked her which one was her favourite. She recommended the beef shortribs, which are braised in espresso and served with carrot puree and browned sweet potato.

We were sold.

The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and the espresso added a rich dimension to the sauce. We both were blown away by the carrot puree, which we were told, was just carrots and apple juice. While the sweet potatos, which were made to look like French fries, were tender and slightly crispy on the outside. Genius.

And our Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon turned out to be an excellent pair with both our appetizer and main. It’s a medium-bodied wine, with notes of dark berries, cocoa and spices. And being from Israel, it’s kosher, which is a bonus (if that’s something you look for).

Our server was knowledgeable and it was obvious that she had tried most items on the menu. We were never rushed into making a decision, even though the place was still packed at 11 p.m. It was a nice contrast to the lackluster service we received when we were in the lounge area. I’ll chalk that up to pre-opening bumps.

warm chocolate cake

Kate and I couldn’t resist taking a look at the desert menu. Even though there’s just four items, I think there’s something for everyone. And for Kate and I, it was the warm chocolate cake. It takes a little extra time, as it’s made from scratch, but it’s worth that wait.

The cake was moist, rich and decadent. They paired it with a caramel ice cream, which could have also stood on its own. It was a lovely ending to a fabulous evening.

As Kate and I finished up our tea, we were pleasantly surprised by the bill – which came in at just $118. And even though it was well past midnight by the time we finished, the place was still packed. I felt lucky to have discovered this Gastown gem before its inevitable rise to Vancouver culinary stardom.

Pourhouse
162 Water Street
Vancouver | BC
604.568.7022
pourhousevancouver.com