Go East!

Having lived and orbited Kits/downtown for quite a few years now, I have to admit that entertainment options are:

1) becoming limited; and/or
2) becoming quite repetitive.

Cut to my experiences over the past year or so (like Gastown and Main Street) and throw in Commercial Drive coffee shops and restaurants for good measure and now, you’ve got something to talk about!

So allow me to start talking…

Remember Bukowski’s on 1447 Commercial Drive? No more.

And even if you don’t, that’s OK, it’s time to introduce you to The Charlatan. We stumbled into The Charlatan about a year ago or so on our way to Stella’s (another great spot on Commercial Drive). Speaking of Stella’s, did you know that they’re taking on the former location of the Tomato Cafe?! You know the one – had been at the corner of East 16th Avenue and Cambie for close to 20 years prior to the Canada Line construction and unlike it’s current version on Bayswater in Kits…was uber busy with great service spewing out of its doors. I digress…back to the point of this post.

If you think about it in a David Suzuki kind of way, The Charlatan is the butterfly to the Bukowski caterpillar. And the vibe and atmosphere is definitely worth a fly by.

And like Bukowski’s former footprint, The Charlatan is a triple-tiered loungy/resto-joint with a really cool square bar greeting you as soon as you walk in the front door. We’re talking massive silver taps staring down at you menacingly perched atop a polished wenge platform. Deadly.

What’s cooler, to use a word to death, is that the attitude is chilled out and really hip. The serving staff seem to all have their own unique little thing going on and are a lot of fun to talk to.  And, to top it off, just this last weekend I sampled some of the most amazing non-pub fare I’ve had in quite some time…served by a very pleasant and all-knowing staff member.  She didn’t need a menu, she had it down and she did everything with a smile (and what sounded like an Irish accent).  She really took our service impression at The Charlatan (for a very entertaining Canucks/Oilers game) over-the-top.

To wrap this thing up:

• Not-your-average pub food (as they do have ‘venison’ on the menu)
• Not your ordinary beer selection (nothing like six acres, mind you, but it’ll do just fine)
• Worth the wait (if it’s busy)
• Worth the trip (if your not on ‘The Drive’)
• Worth your time.

darren