The Galley Patio and Grill
1300 Discovery St., Vancouver. 604-222-1331. Dinner for two with wine and tax, $40 to $50.
We're cruising through Point Grey, one of Vancouver's poshest postal codes, where the palatial waterfront homes could drive a commoner green with envy. Lucky for us plebes, we're on our way to the Galley Patio and Grill, where the majestic views are free with every meal and the gourmet pub grub doesn't cost a fortune.
This ultracasual hideaway, perched on the second floor of the Jericho Sailing Centre, is one of the city's best-kept secrets.
The outdoor patio's panoramic vista sweeps from the downtown skyline across snow-capped mountains all the way to Bowen Island.
The tighter tableau of buff sailors hauling their Hobie Cats across the beach and strapping windsurfers paddling out to the ocean isn't too shabby either.
The Galley Patio and Grill is open year-round (weekends only in winter) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's a strictly shorts and sandals kind of place. The patio is bare-bones concrete and the plastic chairs are usually sprinkled with fine sand.
Grab a table as soon as you arrive. Once the sun starts setting, they get gobbled up pretty quick. Then sidle up to the indoor counter, place your order, wait for your number to be called and be prepared for a surprise.
The chalkboard offerings are miles more interesting than the standard slop dished out at most of the city's beachside concession stands.
Juicy burgers ($8.99) are made with certified Angus beef, grass-fed buffalo, jerk chicken or wild salmon, and stacked high on whole-wheat oatmeal buns. Tasty fish tacos ($8.99) are rolled with pan-fried halibut and fresh mango-papaya salsa.
There's a kids' menu too, lots of choices for vegetarians, and a quarter-pound, all-beef hot dog topped with sharp cheddar and bacon.
Skip the nacho platter ($13.99). Yes, it's a huge portion, served on an 18-inch pizza pan, but the kitchen never coats the tortilla chips with enough cheese. Go for a basket of yam fries, massive garden salad or beer-steamed mussels instead.
Wash it all down with one of several local micro-beers available on tap (including the custom-casked "Galley Patio Lager" from R&B Brewing) or a glass of wine from the all-B.C. list. If you feel like splurging, there are some wonderful boutique wines available by the bottle at very reasonable prices. The hard-to-find Blue Mountain pinot noir, for instance, is sold here for only $44. Most Vancouver restaurants mark it up to at least $60.
For dessert, there is ice cream, homemade cookies and a full range of specialty coffees.
After dinner, saunter down to the dock to watch kids fishing from the pier, couples embracing and sailing students stranded in their dinghies by the dying wind. Or take a stroll along Locarno Beach, where the beach volleyball teams kick up a storm until the stars come out.
This is Vancouver's outdoor playground at its finest. Hmm. It really does makes you wonder how the rest of the country lives.
Joanne Kates will return in September.
