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After a long weekend of being kind of lazy as a result of socializing and having too much fun with the girls, I decided to meet up with one of them again yesterday – the caveat being that we would take a long walk around the seawall in Kits afterward to get a bit of exercise and fresh air.

So we decided to meet up for lunch at Local Public Eatery on Cornwall Avenue, just across from Kitsilano Beach (where the old Malone’s used to be).  I remember when I first drove by the place late last year, I thought it seemed a bit dark and dreary from the outside with the gloomy grey paint surrounding the building.  It made me wonder if it would be a place I’d want to come to in the summertime, but then I went inside and recalled that they can open up the entire back wall when it’s warm out, to let lots of light in.  Plus, it’s got a great patio for eating and people watching!

We walked in and sat near the back window by the lounge area, which is covered in a thick plastic for the winter.  The casual restaurant is filled with numerous flatscreen TVs, and would be a great place for watching the Olympics or any Canucks’ games.

The first thing I wanted to order upon sitting down was the Spicy Edamame.  The reason for this is that I ran into a friend of mine a few weeks back at a party, and she had specifically mentioned to me that she gets random cravings for this soy bean appetizer regularly since she first tried them.  So of course after hearing something like that, I had to get them and taste for myself!  I generally don’t like anything but a little salt and pepper on my steamed edamame, but these ones also had garlic, chili, and both black and white sesame seeds sprinkled over top.  I was pleasantly surprised by this combination and my girlfriend and I happily finished up every last morsel.  Note that the chili itself is more of a sweet versus a spicy one, so for all those out there that can’t stomach too much heat, you don’t have to worry about that with this dish.

Spicy Edamame

I also really liked the next thing that I tried.  My girlfriend had ordered the Tuna Club Sandwich once in the past and she thought it’d be good to get again (although she did say she was kind of tipsy the last time and only ate maybe a quarter of it, if that).  Again, I’m not even really a sandwich person, but after I took one bite and tasted the delicious toasted bread with garlic butter – how could I resist?  Not to mention the rest of the goodness inside – avocado, smoked bacon, pickled onions (mmm…) and melted cheddar cheese around the lightly seared fish.  It was also a nice change from a classic chicken club that you see so often at other pubs.  All of the sandwiches and burgers come with either regular or yam fries or a salad, but we both opted for the regular fries this time around.

Tuna Club Sandwich

After tasting the first two items we ordered that day, I’d have to say I was disappointed in my burger.  I ordered the Classic Burger with Cheddar, which comes with a dill pickle, onions (which I skipped), mustard, three-year aged cheddar, and lettuce.  As you can see from the picture, this thing was monstrous in size, and the bun basically overtook the rest of the plate.  While the bun itself tasted alright, I ended up peeling back a lot of the bread as I ate through the burger.  The meat itself was pretty bland in flavour, and I find that you can do better with a prime rib frozen burger from Costco, barbecued at home.   The fries were thinly sliced and not too bad, but nothing to write home about either. I wouldn’t bother getting this again.

Classic Burger with Cheddar

Overall, I didn’t try all that many different things, but it seems like Local’s dishes are fairly good for standard pub fare.  There are certain items that stand out more than others, and I would definitely go back in the summer for some drinks and patio food after spending time basking in the sun at the beach.

Local Public Eatery
2210 Cornwall Avenue
Vancouver, BC, V6K 1B5
604.734.3589
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Price: $$

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