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ManBeers December 2008

A fine month this.... and we'll be trying out the NEW Irish Heather (unless it's called something else since there are more owners now?)..

Thoughts on new destinations…

Downtown:

As new venue what may work well from what I have seen so far in downtown is Steamworks. But I do not know the city as well as some of you and most people go there already for such meetings.

I like the yacht club type pub/bar under Granville Bridge on the downtown side of false creek, but I forgot the name.

I like Cardero’s. Good food, good bar, not to much pressure to order meals, not too expensive, but not cheap either, nice ambience. Location wise somewhat a compromise between downtown and North Shore. However, getting an unexpected invitation to join a blow concert as active member on the bridge occasionally on the way home is still an unwanted side effect of that location.

How about the Railway club? That is the right sort of place. Food is simple and very good. Have no Idea how full it is in the evenings, but very casual. I know they serve food at lunch, I am only guessing they have also food at dinner. Often they have life music. I can check next Friday whether they have Guiness. It is located on Duinsmure between Homer and Richards. The girl at the bar is called Natasha and she has the right sort of attitude….Drinks are self service with line up at the bar…..but not expensive.

On the North Shore:

I like Earls on Marine, but there are line-ups and pressure to have a meal. Table for us would have to be ordered I guess, but how do we organize that? What is if some do not show up? Complicated….

The Red Lion in Dundarave….somewhat o.k…..but there must be something better out there? Practical for Jay and me though.

There is a nice Greek restaurant close to the bottom end of Lonsdale. They have lots of space and good food and nice small platters. Sometimes they have Greek life music playing for free. One can walk to the sea bus. Could be convenient to many of us.

There is a very bizarre pub in Ambleside at the corner of 13th tucked away in the court yard of that dated commercial development with that ugly brick tiles on the north side of Marine Drive, the development were the West Van Mc Donald’s was…. They have a little courtyard to sit outside and it seems to be the hanging out spot for the local alcoholics who still have enough dough to hang out in a pub and to discuss politics. I have only looked once in a while passing by at the strange assembly one can see there lingering around on the terrace. I have now idea how the food is.

Isn’t there a kind of brew house pub/restaurant on Marine Drive in that new Brick development not far from Capilano Mall where also a large Indigo book store is? Has anybody tried that one.