Eight 1⁄2’s four-cheese macaroni: The rich, nutty flavour of Brie dominates a creamy blend of cheese that also includes mascarpone, bocconcini and Parmesan.
Eight 1/2 Restaurant Lounge is underselling itself. On a scale of 1 to 10, this cozy gastro-pub scores 9.5.
The name actually refers to the location, on Eighth Avenue, half a block west of Main Street. It's also a nod to the Federico Fellini-directed masterpiece, 81/2 .
But other than a subtitled DVD of the film, which was playing on the widescreen TV behind the bar the night we visited, and two captivating black-and-white photos that fuse historic and modern Vancouver street images into seamless panoramic shots, there isn't anything vaguely surreal about this casual neighbourhood joint that serves high-quality, home-style comfort food at down-to-earth prices.
With its long dark-wood bar, stacked-brick wall by the front of the room, dim pendant lighting and padded high-top chairs, Eight 1/2 almost looks like a miniature, laid-back Cactus Club or Browns Socialhouse, without any of the chain restaurants' generic gloss or customary smarminess.
This could be because the owners are casual fine-dining survivors: Sienna Bohn (formerly of Cactus Club and Earls) and Mike Wiebe (who comes from Cat's Social House, which has been bought out by Browns). Last summer, they took over the space previously home to Soma and added some warm accents that complement the heritage building's polished concrete floors and exposed old-growth post and beams.
Opened in July, with very little advertising or press, the restaurant has built a strong word-of-mouth reputation. A few Friday nights ago, the tables were all occupied by early evening and there was a long wait at the bar. Not that we minded parking there for a while.
This is a welcoming kind of place where fellow patrons offer to move down a few seats to make room for you (before being asked), while others lean over to say, "Hey, don't I know you?" and it definitely doesn't sound like a pick-up line.
The drink list includes a nicely edited selection of cocktails ($7.50) made with freshly squeezed juices and house-made syrups. The wines are decent, familiar brands that haven't been marked up to the roof (most glasses are $5 to $8).
There are also a few unusual, yet welcome additions such as Tugwell Creek mead by the bottle or glass, Orchard Hill cider on tap and, best of all, free fragrant ice water steeped in cucumber. How refreshing to find a restaurant where you won't be made to feel sheepish for ordering tap.
Executive chef Thomas Chauca, who hails from Monk McQueens and Cat's Social House, boasts a healthy, cheat-free kitchen with no microwave or deep fryer. The largely local menu offers fresh produce, Ocean Wise-designated seafood, free-range meats and a sheet of seasonal specials that changes monthly.
You can really taste the love, which is quite surprising for this price level, with most dishes ranging $6 to $12 (only a few of the mains top $15).
Free-range chicken wings ($8.50 for a small plate) are oven baked to a crispy finish and served with a creamy, tangy thyme-and-Parmesan dip. Go for the salt and cracked-pepper version (the hot BBQ sauce we ordered on the side tasted ordinary).
Four-cheese macaroni ($6.50) is a silky rendition that is served piping hot. The rich, nutty flavour of Brie dominates a creamy blend of cheese that also includes mascarpone, bocconcini and Parmesan.
The noise level increases when we move to a high-top table at the back of the room, but it's mostly caused by the echoing, high-pitch sound of laughter clanging off hard surfaces - not excessively loud music.
Our second round of food is a lot slower to arrive, but the restaurant is going full-tilt. And the three courses are served all at once, though that's our fault for not asking to have them staggered.
Roasted beet salad ($8.50) is a small timpani-shaped puck of autumn heartiness that's richly textured with potato nuggets, candied pecans and goat cheese. A thick, syrupy, not-overly-sweet blueberry compote is drizzled over top.
Eight 1/2 offers five different pizzas on crisp, thin crusts. The 8th Avenue ($10.50) is stacked with hot capicollo and earthy chorizo (both from Oyama Sausage Co. on Granville Island), along with banana peppers and savoury sautéed mushrooms. I hate it when the mushrooms are baked raw and woody.
The flatiron steak sandwich ($12.50) was the only weak link among the items we tasted. The doughy, par-baked baguette could have used some more time in the oven to golden, and "caramelized" onions were only softly sautéed. The sliced steak had the nicely robust, almost gamey flavour that comes from grass-fed beef. But for a chuck cut this lean, the meat was overdone and barely pink, even though we requested it medium rare. The slightly mealy mashed potatoes also needed a bit more mashing.
But all and all, Eight 1/2 is a winner, and Main Street denizens are lucky to have it. If only every neighbourhood could claim a local pub that honestly cares about the quality of the food it serves and doesn't charge an arm and leg for it.
Eight 1/2 Restaurant Lounge: 151 East 8th Ave.; 604-568-2703.
Alexandra Gill