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THE DISH: Extensive menu offers popular fare at Rusty Gull

I’ve lived on the North Shore continuously since 2004. But I was here once before, for short stint back in 1999 soon after moving out to B.C. from Quebec. I had a colleague who needed to move house quickly and was looking to break her lease.

I’ve lived on the North Shore continuously since 2004.

But I was here once before, for short stint back in 1999 soon after moving out to B.C. from Quebec. I had a colleague who needed to move house quickly and was looking to break her lease. In order to do so, she needed to find a viable renter for her apartment, a spacious, if a bit antiquated, two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a building in the 400-block of East Fourth Street. By feng shui standards, it should have been the single unluckiest apartment in the city.

But I rented that apartment anyway because I needed a place and wanted to help my colleague out of a jam. I thrived there, it turned out, if only for a short while before moving to Vancouver’s West End, where I would remain for a few years.

It was in that old apartment that I really came into my own in the restaurant management world, discovered a passion for wine, formed some lasting friendships and came to appreciate the subtle charms of the then-burgeoning North Shore food scene.

I used to wander down to the neighbourhood pub, a scant six- or seven-minute jaunt from that apartment beset by fours; the neighbourhood local was called The Rusty Gull.

In a city of few genuine feeling U.K.-themed pubs, The Rusty Gull seemed like an oasis of authenticity and earnest charm. It poured proper pints and served a menu of stalwart pub fare that delivered the goods consistently.

Inexplicably, much time passed without a visit to my old haunt. I’ve been to virtually every other pub on the North Shore for Dish reviews, enjoying some more than others, but always seeking from them a sense of true pub-ness, that feeling of being in a community watering hole that takes pride in the patronage of its regulars and exhibits a certain hard-earned wisdom when it comes to striking a balance between tradition and trend.

I found a strong current of that often-elusive pub-ness at The Gull on a recent visit with my wife DJ, with whom I have had few kid-free nights out (though recent experiences with babysitters managing our three progeny of varying ages have gone surprisingly well, perhaps signalling a new chapter in our social evolution).

We joked that of all the hip and happening, sometimes swish, dining opportunities that present themselves in this glorious line of work, it was a pub review that prompted our night out together. However, after a few moments in The Gull, chilly pints in hand and the familiar vibe of an environment to which DJ and I were certainly no strangers in younger, freer days, the venue seemed positively perfect and we ended up having a date night.

The Gull has an extensive menu that features a number of classic publican offerings, from wings and nachos to towering burgers and pizzas. However, the kitchen has also curated a nice selection of more contemporary, ingredient-driven dishes to keep the food relevant and broadly appealing. Among these latter selections are the Salt & Pepper Prawns, the appetizer I chose to pair with my first pint of Guinness.

The dish is described on the menu as “five jumbo tiger prawns in a light tempura coating” along with some other words that fade into absolute obscurity once the size of the crustaceans become apparent to the diner. Jumbo is an understatement; alive, those prawns must have cast imposing shadows as they scuttled with their ragged claws across the ocean floor, while other, lesser sea creatures dove for cover behind anemone and kelp to make way for them. It was an impressive dish, subtly seasoned and lightly battered, allowing the grand, fleshy seafood to shine through unencumbered.

DJ is something of a pub purist and chose a “small” order of Gull Nachos to accompany her pint of Kokanee. The basket that arrived occupied 60 per cent of the tabletop and was replete with a mountain of cheesy tortilla chips topped with scallion and chillies, served with generous ramekins of salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

For a main dish, I chose Rusty’s Ribeye Steak Sandwich, an open-faced number featuring, in my case, a seasoned, ribeye steak grilled to medium rare set atop a wedge of garlic bread, accompanied by massive onion rings and Caesar salad. The sandwich was just what I hoped it would be: a simple, well-prepared, and eminently filling meal that fit perfectly with my idea of what a pub ought to be.

I suspect that I will not leave another long gap between Rusty Gull visits and will return for an order of truffle fries with Parmesan and perhaps an order of roast beef stuffed miniature Yorkshire puddings with horseradish dipping sauce.

Our date night meal, which included two pints each, was $78 before gratuity. The Rusty Gull is located at 175 East First St. in North Vancouver. rustygull.com. 604-988-5585

Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. hungryontheshore@gmail.com. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.