Glancing across my high-top table in the bar section of the newly opened Toby’s North Shore Pub & Grill one recent Friday evening, I locked eyes with my father-in-law, Dr. L.
Amidst our short, silent and uncertain exchange, I briefly wondered if I had miscalculated the merits of bringing him to a pub.
He is English, you see, and where he comes from the neighbourhood pub is a storied, centuries-old institution that is woven into the very fabric of the culture. We’re a bit newer at the whole public house thing here in Canada and we still have a tendency to emulate well-established pub traditions from elsewhere rather than create our own.
The ubiquity of the Irish or English pub in Canada is evidence of the nascent state of the scene in our country. In fact, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Irish pubs were shipped to Canada as largely pre-fabricated kits that enterprising, would-be publicans could install into their empty locations, much like a movie set. The resulting businesses often bore names like The Dewy This or The Foggy That and, while they displayed many of the physical attributes of a traditional Irish pub, they lacked the historical gravity and cultural significance of their progenitors and ultimately felt a touch contrived.
Toby’s, however, has done a nice job of sidestepping this tendency towards mimicry and artifice by positioning itself as an Irish and Celtic-inspired pub, simply tipping its hat to the traditions that inform it rather than attempting to recreate them too literally. Boldly emblazoned in raised script over the bar is the phrase “An Irishman walks into a . . .”, betraying a self-reflexive, tongue-in-cheek sense of humour that suggests the owners know the common trappings of their chosen business.
The unspoken exchange from my father-in-law, it turns out, was born of the need for consultation on the domestic beer list rather than from any disapproval of my venue choice. Indeed, Toby’s beer list is extensive, with a healthy balance of local craft brews and traditional Irish offerings on tap, in addition to a lengthy, international by-the-bottle selection.
Frosty pints arrived at our table within minutes of ordering them, transported by a young, enthusiastic fellow who was on his first day of the job. He provided the sort of welcoming, attentive and engaged service that can help ensure the success of a new restaurant early on. He also helped Dr. L and I navigate our way through the ambitious menu, weighing in on the quality of various items including several of Toby’s Signature dishes designed to showcase the venue’s culinary approach, which is self-described as Gastropub style.
Our first course consisted of two such signature items, Butter Chicken Yorkies (Yorkshire puddings) and hand-cut potatoes with lime dip. The Yorkies were a delightfully tasty surprise, two nicely browned, tender puddings serving as vessels for mountains of tomato-rich, elegantly spiced butter chicken topped with chopped scallion.
The hand-cut potatoes (both russet and sweet) were pleasingly simple, rusticly hand-cut into rounds and wedges and quickly deep fried to achieve an al dente texture. The lime dip, a tangy, creamy sauce served in a ramekin on the side of the plate, enlivened the humble potatoes and supplied a truly unusual flavour profile (when was the last time you put anything citrusy on your potatoes?).
For his main course, Dr. L had the Irish stew, a generously portioned serving of hearty lamb stew accompanied by colcannon (mashed potatoes with kale) and steamed haricots verts. The stew contained an exceptional amount of tender, toothsome lamb, easily outweighing the other ingredients at a ratio of three to one; this is an excellent winter dish and an ideal accompaniment to a pint of creamy, hop-forward Kilkenny, offered on tap at Toby’s.
The colcannon, one of my favourite ways to eat potatoes, was suitably creamy and understated, though I’d suggest it could have benefitted from more kale; Toby’s version was sparsely studded with the finely chopped leaves. I selected another of Toby’s signature menu items for my main course, the Guinness cheese burger, a thick patty of ground lamb and beef topped with Guinness cheddar cheese, Guinness mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickle.
The inclusion of lamb in the patty provided a welcome respite from the familiar, often pedestrian pub burger, while the Guinness cheddar (an ingenious invention I could eat by the kilo) brightened the dish with its malty, sharp notes.
Situated in the Harbour Front Centre mall on Main Street, Toby’s is an airy, pleasant addition to a principally industrial neighbourhood with relatively few dining options. In addition to serving hearty pub favourites, Toby’s has developed a menu that also welcomes children and others with dietary preferences that stray from conventional pub fare; the menu includes small plates, vegetarian and gluten sensitive options.
Toby’s North Shore is located at 1378 Main St. in North Vancouver. Phone: 604-988-8629.tobysnorthshore.ca
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
