Jack Lonsdale's has been a popular neighbourhood destination since 1988.
I have long admired its endurance and persistent delivery of a traditional local pub experience in a part of the city that has embraced a relentless program of modernization and progressive urban development.
Side by side photos of late 1980s Central Lonsdale and the Central Lonsdale of today would scarcely resemble each other save for some very general architectural framework and the continued presence of Jack's, that stalwart watering hole that has, at one time or another, provided a good story or two for so many residents of the North Shore.
On a recent Friday evening I sat at a jam-packed communal table in the lounge portion of the newly renovated Jack Lonsdale's and surveyed the room, feeling a sense of wonder. The transformation of this institution has been dramatic and exhaustive.
The new Jack's occupies a sprawling, almost cavernous space, sparsely adorned with giant LED televisions, high-gloss wooden accents and beer taps. The menu is ambitious and thoroughly contemporary, taking its cues from the well-established Vancouver approach to globally influenced West Coast cuisine, employing traditional Asian, American and Mediterranean techniques in the preparation of regional ingredients.
Accompanying me for food and libation on the evening of my visit was my friend, the exceptionally well-named Chris, who hails from England, arguably the pub capital of the known universe and originator of the gastro-pub concept that holds such sway over casual dining establishments throughout North America. I observed that Jack Lonsdale's now bills itself as a public house on all of its printed materials, the more formal and, arguably, more elegant designation for a pub. This reflects not only the zeitgeist of Vancouver's current dining scene but perhaps also the aspirations of the establishment to turn over an entirely new leaf, leaving any memories of its previous incarnation behind.
Chris and I began our meal with a handful of shared plates. First up was a trio of meatballs with shaved parmesan and grilled artisanal garlic bread. The meatballs were plump and juicy with a welcome but unexpected kick of chili heat. The grilled garlic bread was a tasty accompaniment, the blackened sear from the grill creating a nice, smoky contrast to the rich and heady garlic butter.
Alongside the meatballs, we sampled a dish of sweet and spicy chicken, which consisted of boneless morsels of lean chicken covered in a crispy batter, served with diced cucumber and deep fried wonton strips, all tossed in a sticky, moderately spicy sauce.
The chicken was tasty enough and paired well with the frosty pints of aromatic, hop-forward Driftwood IPA that we sipped alongside it, although the ubiquitous sweet and spicy sauce became a touch cloying before the dish was finished.
Our final shared appetizer was the Tosa-Mi Cones, cubes of tataki style tuna with tomato, cucumber, avocado and chili cream. The menu clearly states that this mixture is
served in tortilla cones, but somehow the dish was still a surprise upon sampling, the soft and doughy tortillas presenting an incongruous counterpart to the subtle, Asian-influenced flavours of the tuna.
Of significant note is the completely overhauled drinks menu, which now includes a robust beer selection featuring a good contingent of B.C. craft brews and some perennial favourites from abroad; Jack Lonsdale's is one of the few locations in town to pour cult-favourite Scottish ale Innis & Gunn on tap, complete with the appropriately branded glassware. The wine list, also substantially enhanced since the renovation, now covers a broad spectrum of styles and regions with a tendency towards heavy-hitting New World reds. A steady stream of colourful cocktails seemed to flow throughout the room during the busy dinner service.
For a main course, I chose the Between the Sheets burger, recommended by our server. The beef patty was filled with a generous dollop of melting goat's cheese and was topped with bacon jam, shallot aioli, and arugula, this latter addition serving the essential function of balancing the almost absurd richness of the sandwich.
Chris had the Bombay Curry Bowl, a tasty, if innocuous, take on chicken curry, served over jasmine rice with fried chickpeas and cilantro-studded yogurt. The accompanying naan bread bore the same welcome grill marks as the garlic bread had earlier and would likely be a popular side dish in its own right.
Our bill, for three shared appetizers, two mains and two pints of beer each, was $112 before taxes and gratuity. Jack Lonsdale's Pub is located at 1433 Lonsdale Ave. in North Vancouver.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
