I am nearing the end of a 30-day yoga challenge, and I am feeling more focused, flexible and strong. Also: hungry . . . so very hungry.
On the weekend, when I should have been focusing on "breathing" and "lengthening" during a downward facing dog, I was thinking about burgers instead.
Lucky for me, I was overdue to check out the reincarnation of Mosquito Creek Bar & Grill, so after our final asanas, I rounded up two of my fellow aspiring yogis (The Godmother and The Dancer) and we headed to Westview Shopping Centre, where the re-christened Two Lions Public House now lounges comfortably in the parking lot.
Semantic emphasis in the previous establishment's name definitely fell on the word "Bar." It was a while back, but the last time I was there, I got into an argument with a Gene Simmons impersonator. He was a shade more swaggering and contemptuous than someone dressed up in a silly costume and that much makeup had any right to be. The details of our conversation are a bit, er . . . blurry, but only the real Gene Simmons should get away with that kind of condescension. (And if that was the real Gene Simmons: oops. I apologize
for telling you off.) My point, I think, is that although it reportedly served food, Mosquito Creek Bar was not the kind of place you went for a tasty meal.
At the start of the year, I learned that Jennings Hospitality & Culture bought the venue and was shutting down for a couple of weeks for a speedy reno and refresh.
Jennings is also the company responsible for the reinvention of the old Maplewood Pub (now called Narrows Public House) and I'm a big fan of the revamped menu and food at the two-story pub by the Seymour, so I viewed this takeover as good news. I was right, it is.
The new owners have opted to retain the entertainment from Mosquito Creek: there is still live music on the weekends and Thursday night karaoke. But the new look and menu means Two Lions is equally able to fill the role of satisfying lunch location, and quality local pub.
When I stopped in with my fellow starving yogis, we were immediately struck by how clean and comfortable the new interior was, all kitted out in rick dark wood, long community tables and high four-top tables.
It was quiet when we arrived, close to 2 p.m. on a Sunday, but there was a late afternoon crowd beginning to arrive through our visit.
We wanted to order in a hurry, but it wasn't that easy, there's a lot to choose from on the menu. Starters and share plates ($4.50-$15) range from '90s party favourites like spinach and artichoke dip through wings and nachos to sophisticated picks like mussels and fries and a butcher's board of cured meats and cheeses.
There are soups and salads ($4-$15), burgers and sandwiches ($11-$14) and mains ($12-$16) like fish and chips, stir-fries and pastas.
Our server was patient while we dithered, and brought us Caesars garnished with pickled green beans while we perused our choices.
We chose well. The sauce on The Dancer's Guinness BBQ chicken pizza was surprisingly sweet, this one won't win favour with pizza purists, but the dense crust was topped with a colourful and tasty panoply of tomatoes, banana peppers, red onions and mozzarella cheese.
It wasn't fancy, but the Godmother's chicken quesadilla was fresh and simple: a fat envelope of tortilla wrapped around tender chicken, cheese and basil pesto. She was impressed by the housemade black bean salsa.Though I waffled between the Cajun cheddar chicken burger and the pulled pork sandwich, in the end I came back to the Two Lions Burger. It was a sight to behold: a towering stack of juicy homemade beef patty, smoked Maplewood bacon, Monterey jack cheese, tomato, mixed greens, red onions, mayonnaise and mustard on a toasted whole wheat Kaiser bun, topped with a fold of sliced dill pickle. Alongside came a basket of crisp spiced French fries. Exactly the fuel I needed after weeks on the yoga mat. And not a single Kiss impersonator in sight.
The bill for our lunch came to $57.10, including HST. The pub is at 2601 Westview Dr., North Vancouver.
