It had been awhile since my last visit to Homer Street Cafe and Bar. Far too long, in my humble opinion, as between the time of their opening and this media-attended Sunday brunch final dress rehearsal, the restaurant has taken Georgia’s Straight’s number one position in this year’s Best New Restaurant Award category.
The space itself is loaded with beautiful, ornate decor, including a mosaic tile floor and unique rooster artwork adorning the dark walls of the aptly-titled Cockpit (private room off to the side of the restaurant).
A long bar on the other side of the restaurant commands front-and-centre attention of the cooks and of that beautiful Rotisol Rotisserie.
For Sunday brunch, whole chickens basting in the Rotisol are replaced by pork sausages and pork belly, turned and cooked to perfection. The focus is on comfort food, revitalized classics, and locally-sourced, organic ingredients used wherever possible.
Chefs Marc-André Choquette (of Tableau Bar and Bistro) and Tret Jordan are the team behind the seasonally-driven, regionally-focused menu.
[Fried Nutella and banana Monte Cristo]
The menu is loaded with decadent brunch dishes such as baked steelhead trout served with beef brisket and poached egg (which my husband found hit the right combination of tastes on his palate), fried Nutella and banana Monte Cristo sandwiches ($10; our order did not last on the plate for very long – this one’s served with a beautiful dollop of cream that’s not too sweet), and maple chicken cobbler with a poached egg on top ($12).
[Baked steelhead trout, beef brisket, poached egg]
The latter dish was my chosen entry point for our relaxed, service-oriented meal. The pastry on top is formed into little balls that hide a portion of cooked potatoes, chicken, and seasonal veggies. The sweetness derived from the cobbler pastry comes from using organic maple syrup in the batter.
[Maple chicken cobbler, poached egg]
Letting that poached egg drip over the concoction made it that much more of a treat. Eggs come from Farmer John (Manitoba), and are VITA Omega 3, free-range, and organic. The taste was rich and beautiful, worthy of the day’s extra caloric intake.
The side order of potatoes ($5) is plentiful for two and delicately herbed, served in a ceramic dish nice and hot. Sides of bacon, pork sausage, and pork belly are also available ($5 each); our sides of bacon were not too crispy, and were moist with a mild smoky flavour, a great companion to the potatoes.
[Port of Mumbai – IPA, Bombay Sapphire, aperol, grapefruit, lavender honey]
We noticed three cocktails on the menu: Mimosa ($10), House Caesar (made with a homemade chicken-infused spirit, $14), and Port of Mumbai ($11). My husband enjoyed the latter, with a well-rounded mix of Red Racer IPA, Bombay Sapphire, Aperol, grapefruit, and lavender honey. A grapefruit wedge decorated the glass.
[Homer Street Cafe Bar Manager JS Dupuis]
Bar Manager JS Dupuis takes pride in creating a cocktail menu using local brews and premium ingredients.
Loose-leaf tea: now we’re talking! Homer Street Cafe and Bar sources their certified organic tea from Tea Leaves. They also use compostable tea sachets with each order. Three choices currently include green, peppermint, and orange pekoe. I’m hoping to see more added to the menu down the road.
Brunch at Homer Street Cafe and Bar will be offered beginning Sunday, October 6. The restaurant is located at 898 Homer Street in Yaletown.
Disclaimer: Our meal and drinks were courtesy of the restaurant, for the purposes of experiencing the new brunch menu and of writing this article.