Diana S.
Yelp
While paying the parking on his mobile, my Vancouver friend remembered his teen years: "I'm starting to sound old, but when I was young, Railtown was a very dangerous neighborhood... you could get drugs, get robbed and be in the middle of nowhere fun to be found."
My friend is a Punjabi descendent whose high IQ led him to study "the most useless Major ever" (Philosophy). You can't get bored in his presence; he'll bombard you with politically incorrect comments, a sometimes hard to swallow sense of humor, deep insights, useful facts and uncountable mockeries about life's ups and downs (being his divorce his current obsession). He's one of those strange fellows able to speak perfect French with Parisian accent, a stress-eater who found comfort in the best restaurants and street-vendors worldwide, a food-wise individual who could recommend you the best place to have your last meal while making you jiggle about your fatal destiny.
Speaking about Railtown, this neighborhood has changed rapidly. In less than three years, what was an industrial area with cheap rents for huge spaces has attracted artists, designers, foodies and entrepreneurs. Their shared passions, travel experiences and lifestyles managed to create an alternative vibe reflected in renovated building facades, big parking lots with cleaner streets, echoes of intellectual conversations and an intermittent marine breeze smell. In here, crowds of in-style people gather to praise local food and spirits.
An eight thousand square-foot heritage building is now home to a collective named The Settlement Building, a group formed by Vancouver Urban Winery, Postmark Brewery and Belgard Kitchen.
While mentioning he found this place during Facebook-stalking his ex, we walked towards a heavy-wooden double door that hid a well-known secret, a restaurant that doesn't take reservations for brunch because it has already won a spot in the locals' palate. The welcoming hostess informed us that even on a Thursday, we were facing a more than 30-minute wait unless we'd like to sit at the bar. The two empty bar stools winked at our hunger, we proceeded to follow her around a well distributed space accommodating wood tables, antiques (like the entrance's typewriter), vertical gardens, leather booths and eclectic groups of people (hipsters, tourists, trendy families with strong-opinionated kids criticizing the "deco").
I liked the bar; wide and long enough to enjoy a proper meal without elbowing people on the sides, tall enough wall with hooks, butt-considered stools and enough space for people to walk behind.
Once the bartender greeted us with a wide smile, he kindly extended the menus while double-checking if I was really asking for a virgin Caesar. It might've been hard believing someone would come to a brewery to order mocktails.
Tougher decision than giving up on alcohol was trying to pick between two sexy meats, the Waygu Meatballs or the Flank Steak. The lack of Argentinian options in Vancity made me pick the second option, a narrow strip of herby-charred meat, accompanied by good-looking poached eggs, dressed watercress and a jar full of well-seasoned messy potatoes (I ate my friend's jar as well). I wonder if they placed the chimichurri on top of the flank to camouflage the frozen quality of the meat, a medium-rare term would've helped to keep some of the juices. Big claps for those eggs, I was impressed by the runniness and perfect shape.
After having a bite of the Wagyu meatballs, I realized that my friend won again, he's picked the best dish twice in a row. The tomato sauce was a harmonic cover for those succulent meatballs, it was a pleasure to palate that remarkable tenderness. The seasoning was on point, the dish was a perfect synthesis of simplicity and upscale. I kept sneaking jealous looks at his plate, he kept planning how to avoid running into his ex at an upcoming wedding. His non-stop chat about how he misses his wife now that he's living with his mistress, distracted him enough for me to steal another meatball. One of these days I'll pick the perfect man and the tastier dish.
The prices at Belgard Kitchen are reasonable, taking someone there will give you a good mark as a local food connoisseur
