As my husband and I peruse The Keg’s Lobster Summer menu, our mouths begin to water. We’ve both got a huge hankering for lobster, and on this hot summer Vancouver night, we’re happily ensconced on the patio of The Keg’s newer Alberni Street location, open for just under two years.
The staircase adjacent to Urban Fare reveals the message, “You Decide When Tonight Starts: Late Night/After Work.” A bamboo grove shelters you from the street and leads to an outdoor space flanked by an outdoor fireplace, large plants and a modern sculpture.
Is it a lower-case g? Who knows, it perfectly complements the rest of the décor though.
The Keg’s dining room is modern and welcoming, but the patio is THE PLACE to be during summer, with skyscraper views all around. Yes, you may be in the heart of downtown Vancouver, but this is an oasis, a yummy one to be sure.
Back to those lobsters though. They’re flown in three times a week from Nova Scotia. Having been to Nova Scotia and fed my weight in seafood – twice so far – I’m excited to see that The Keg’s are LEGIT. Fresh, succulent and plenty to go around.
By the end of the evening, we’ll have had lobster four ways, starting with a couple of appetizers: Applewood-Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Lobster (yep, it’s a thing) and Crispy Lobster Tacos, served as a trio, enveloped in warm flour tortillas and served with jalapeño-maple aioli.
[Lobster Gratinee, Bacon Wrapped Lobster, Crispy Lobster Tacos]
Both are going down great with a glass of Inniskillin Discovery Series East West Pinot Grigio Chardonnay, chilled to perfection for beating this short-tern heatwave.
After awhile, our entrées arrive: an 8 oz steak and half lobster for hubby, a large lobster tail for me.
Wow, that lobster tail is a sight to behold. It’s served with veggies and (in my case) fries. They’re luckily a small portion as we’re saving room for what we consider the ultimate hot-weather dessert, a slice of Billy Miner Pie — and two forks.
Both dishes are divine, with melted butter and lemon wedges on the side. I’m recalling those Halifax lobster moments and as mentioned earlier, The Keg delivers on the fresh Atlantic lobster promise.
[The REAL deal: Nova Scotia lobsters, downtown Halifax]
Our server mentioned that a party of four had flown in from Tokyo to enjoy Lobster Summer at The Keg, and upon finding out that they’d arrived in Vancouver too early in the season, RETURNED a few months later with the goal of a lobster dinner. Unreal.
That Billy Miner Pie is up next, served with cappuccinos. How do I describe this beast? Mocha ice cream and chocolate lovers will want to save room for this sweet delight.
On a hot evening, we savoured it as the heat slowly melted the ice cream and then the decadent flavours slowly melted into our mouths.
This dessert is big enough to be split four ways, however we paced ourselves to enjoy it between the two of us.
Enjoy The Keg’s Lobster Summer through August 28. The menu is available at all Keg locations.
We dined as guests of The Keg. Opinions, as always, are our own. Non-watermarked images courtesy of The Keg Steakhouse + Bar.