GRUB: A Four Letter Word For Amazing Vegan Dining

You wouldn’t expect the most delicious animal free meals to come from a restaurant named Grub. You might expect greasy burgers, fries, and something vaguely resembling a reuban that I once ate in Hope when I was 12. As someone with some pretty extensive dietary restrictions, It’s both discouraging and kind of sad to eat out at a restaurant (I’ll have the grilled chicken salad without the chicken...or the goat cheese...and a vinaigrette, please (true story)). It’s also extremely rare that someone makes you something that is delicious, satisfying, gourmet AND sans animal body parts, so when a place like Grub comes around and says “hey, I’ve got something for you and also something with meat so your boyfriend doesn’t roll his eyes at your restaurant suggestion”, I say “jackpot”.

I’ve been here twice now and can honestly say that I have never eaten anything with or without meat that tasted better than the two meals I’ve eaten here. If my calculations are correct, that’s like, a 118.06% chance that I’ll like everything that I try from here on forward.

The most recent visit was with my pals Stacey, Jayme and boyfriend pal, Warren. We were there right at 5:00 when they opened but all their tables were reserved, obviously, and we were ushered into the back (uhg) where there was an outdoor patio (ew) that was illuminated in the golden glow of the sun (That’s. Just. Great.). I probably would never make a reservation there if it means getting access to their (dreadful) overflow seating.

We perused their menu of punches and cocktails which all sound incredibly appetizing. In the spirit of our group dining experience, we went with a punch called Cold Ruby which was served in a large punch bowl at the table with adorable retro glasses. It consisted of every delicious flavour in the world and that’s all you need to know. We chose our meals from the giant black board of the daily specials. They give you 4 meat or fish choices and one vegan choice. I went with the lamb medallions. Kidding, I chose the fish. Oh, that’s not vegan either? Okay, I ordered the butternut squash & cashew pie, spinach crepes, bean ragout & grilled asparagus. And yes, that’s all in one meal. Can you even believe it? The plate was crammed with food with all the meals of the rainbow/day which is usually how I choose my menu items: something with a pie, a crepe, a stew, and throw some veg in there too.

We sat for two hours and ate and ate and ate. The pie was rich and the crust was incredibly light and flaky. The crepes tasted creamy and cheesy and the ragout was slightly tart and hearty which balanced out the other rich flavours on the plate. Each mouthful was a unique combination of the well prepared and innovative vegetable dishes. It tasted like what beach sunsets look like.

We couldn’t get enough of this amazing vegan delight so we decided to keep going and order desert. They have a vegan desert option which also changes daily. This fine evening we were delighted to be presented with an English style shortcake (more like a scone) filled with maple cream and topped with fresh berries and some sort of whipped topping. It was a tough job to make it through desert since I had just eaten an entire garden but heck, I did it.

So there you have it: a review of possibly the best restaurant in Vancouver that you can bring your non vegan friends to. And whoever that Grub chef is: Thank you for cooking for me. You have no idea what a treat it is. See you soon. <3

Love, Leanne.

(photos from Stacey!)

http://www.grubonmain.com/
4328 Main St.
(604) 876-8671