Burnaby BC
We find ourselves at The Thirsty Duck for brunch this morning, hoping to check another of New West’s breakfasts off our list.
Unfortunately, well actually as I look back on it now, fortunately, it wasn’t open yet.
Ok so what’s next. Let’s see what comes up on Google.
Jim’s? I like it but not today.
Angelina’s? Nah.
One way Café? Been there, done that.
We will skip all the chain restaurants….
Hmm, The Hart House popped up.
First thing Merilynn said was “too expensive”
Quick check of their menu and it actually doesn’t look all that bad price wise.
As neither of us have ever been I said let’s go!
A few minutes later we arrived and this is the view that greets you. I don’t know about you but I love history. And compared to other older cities there isn’t tons of history in Vancouver but I’m glad for any chance to experience some of it.
What a beautiful old house.
It’s just as beautiful on the inside too.
I only have the one from the interior. Hopefully it gives you an idea.
We were seated in a beautiful room with a view of Deer Lake. Gorgeous.
Nice glass of very freshly squeezed orange juice.
Okay so upfront I was a little hesitant about getting the Benedict.
It comes with pork loin instead of ham.
My hesitancy was unwarranted.
It was excellent.
And those eggs couldn’t be poached any better. The yolks were perfectly runny, probably the most perfect poach I’ve seen.
The pork loin was tender and had just the right amount of seasoning.
The Hollandaise had just the right amount of tang.
And those potatoes were beautiful. Crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Perfect amount of salt.
Merilynn had the Duck Confit flatbread.
Made with an in house tomato sauce, duck, arugula, smoked caciocavallo cheese and drizzled with a balsamic glaze.
Glad we went with this.
There was a really good amount of duck (unlike that terrible pizza at Piva) and the bitterness from the arugula and the sweetness from the balsamic glaze was wonderful. This was my first taste of smoked caciocavello. There was not an overwhelming taste of smoke, which I often find in say a smoked gouda. It was mild yet tasty.
So in essence this really is a Duck Pizza. Take note Piva, this is how it’s done.
So what we have here is a restaurant full of history and character, a kitchen that really knows how to make great food, and a price point that, at least for brunch, wasn’t much more than Angelina’s or Bruncheria.
Given the choice of those three restaurants, Hart House is my pick.
Food 9/10
Ambiance 8/10
Value 8/10
Overall 8/10