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The Boat Shed
Where: 1200 Argyle (Ambleside Beach), West Vancouver
When: Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Happy Hour, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Info:theboatshedgroup.com, 604-925-0300.
In 27 years of living near Ambleside Beach, not a summer passed for me without wishing for a better concession stand. The hours were a mystery — never posted and unpredictable. Artisanal ice cream would have been nice, but unthinkable.
Not anymore thanks to Jason Kittler and Jason Hofman. They took over the lease in 2019. The next year they added patio acreage and shed the concession stand image. They prefer to think of it as a beachside restaurant with a takeout window.
And now, on walks, I can get Uno gelato cones from a cart next to the restaurant or from the takeout window, or opt for Johnny’s Pops artisanal popsicles with variable flavours like blueberry mojito and blackberry cheesecake. Or, I can get Maxfruit natural fruit popsicles. Both are locally made.
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“It’s always been the same old concession stand,” says Hofman. “Nothing had changed in so long.”
He grew up in the neighbourhood and was best buds with Kittler. In fact, Hofman can see his childhood home from the Boat Shed.
Then adulthood set in and Kittler moved to Australia and ran a couple of beach cafes. Hofman ran a wholesale sports equipment business.
The Boat Shed has 65 seats on the patio with views of the beach and ocean, including four greenhouses which, in the winter, can be booked for a set menu ‘dining under the stars’ experience. As well, there’s a takeout window with a smaller menu and they’ve been able to weather whatever the pandemic’s thrown at them.
I didn’t dine there until recently because my experiences at the takeout window hadn’t been inviting — super long waits for coffee and pastries and servers seeming annoyed and impatient. Then some acquaintances said they liked the food there and on a recent visit to the takeout window, we hit a friendly, attentive server. So we dropped by for dinner that evening after a walk on the seawall.
Then we really put the service to a test. We weren’t dressed for a brisk evening breeze off the water and the fire pit at our table was dead. Our server moved us to a one with a fire but I was still cold. Cheerfully, she moved us into a greenhouse where it was warm and cosy and I was finally content. She really had reason to roll her eyes back into the socket but she didn’t.
The lunch and dinner menu is divided into sharing plates, ‘burgers and more’ and salads. A breakfast menu, available until noon, offers traditional breakfasts, drinks and pastries.
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Given it’s a beachfront restaurant, the fish and chips and burgers — fish, chicken and veggie — are the top sellers but there’s a nice selection of sharing plates and substantial salads. “We’re trying to change people’s perception of beach food,” says Hofman.
Lamb chop lollipops, three to a serving, were nicely marinated and juicy with lots of flavour; pickled onions, basil vinaigrette and tzatziki added dazzle. I’m definitely going back for the Baja fish tacos for a lazy picnic on the beach — there are three large pieces of deep-fried battered cod and creamy coleslaw.
A poke bowl salad was divided into marinated ahi tuna cubes, sliced avocado, diced mango, dressed spinach, shredded carrots and crispy won tons. Smart to keep them separated as it wouldn’t have looked as fresh and inviting tossed around together.
The Boat Shed burger was nice, cleanly prepared with a brioche bun and Parmesan truffle fries went down perfectly with it.
“Our meats are fresh, there’s no frozen and our seafood’s Ocean Wise and ethically sourced,” says Hofman.
A beach meal calls for beer and there’s an excellent selection of local craft beer both on tap and by the bottle. There’s also a handful of brunch and dinner cocktails and a short, casual wine list. And hey, it’s West Van so you can also splash out on a well-priced bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
And if you noted the theboatshedgroup.com website address, it speaks of expansion. Yup. They’ve taken over the clubhouse at the Gleneagles Golf Course near Horseshoe Bay and will open in July. The name’s still in the works but the food will be casual “but more country club and elevating a similar concept,” says Hofman. “We both live in that neighbourhood and our kids go to school there so we have ties with the neighbourhood. The recreation centre is nearby and walking trails. We can capitalize on dog walkers and parents dropping of kids at the rec centre as well as the golfers.”
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Some of you might have met Marzia Bellotti Molatore in one of her popular cooking classes in Langley — Italian cooking, of the kind she learned growing up in Italy from her Nonna, mother and many aunties and where Sundays was all-day food day.
In Canada, her kitchen and dining room are busy with friends and family, which is how her cooking classes began. She inherited her late mother-in-law’s recipe notebook with a promise to share them.
Cooking with Mamma Marzia is her first cookbook and you can find it online at mammamarzia.ca or at shops including Cioffi’s and Book Warehouse.
It found its way into bartenders’ hands but now you can buy it too. Romeo’s Gin X, a popular Montreal spirit with a bold watermelon zing is available at Jak’s Beer Wine Spirits, so in synch with summer.
It has base aromas of juniper, cucumber, lavender, dill, lemon and almond. And the kicker — it’s in a very cool bottle with art by Montreal street artist Miss Me. She’s so cool Madonna has bought one of her pieces. See romeosgin.com for recipes.
Source: vancouversun.com
