Last week we went restaurant hopping at three well-established Main Street eateries, each with a unique specialty ranging from tequila to Thai. The three are all part of the Cascade Company, whose modern U.K.-style pub Cascade Room celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month. Below, notes from our dine-around experience to make your next date night triple the fun:
el caminos: Get the party started with something spicy and spirited: El Camino’s famous Jalepeno Margarita (fact: this Latin American eatery boasts the largest selection of tequilas in the city, some even flavoured in house). Pair your drinks with a Venezuelan-style guasacaca (an avocado salsa that’s a lovely, lighter version of guacamole), then move on to Two Rivers Meats-sourced chicken wings glazed with anillo del fuego hot sauce that are so undeniably addicting, you’ll never need to drive to Portland for Pok Pok again. 3250 Main St., Vancouver, 604-875-6246, elcaminos.ca
cascade room: We loved (and you will, too) revisiting the familiarity of the Cascade’s cushy booths and low lighting, and were even happier to see creative bartending alive and strong after an entire decade. At our request to "surprise us," GM and bartender extraordinaire Justin Shayne Taylor whipped up a Brandy Flip with rosemary and egg-white foam that was lip-licking good. On the menu (and our plates): an order of St. Louis ribs drowned in a thick brown sassy molassy sauce. 2616 Main St., Vancouver, 604-709-8650, thecascade.ca
the union: Introduce a West Coast industrial vibe—communal tables and concrete beams—to pan-Asian fare and you have yourself a winner. One of the restaurant’s five co-owners, Wendy Nicolay, highly recommended the Crispy Fried Tofu, served in a very yummy grainy red curry base. By the third stop, our stomachs and hearts were full, but that didn’t stop us from toasting the night with a lychee and lemongrass Banga cocktail for “dessert”. 219 Union St., Vancouver, 604-568-3230, theunionvancouver.ca
Thanks Cascade Co! Good things really do come in threes. —Miranda Sam
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