It was Nick’s birthday, and we are in the throes of moving. I got him this. There are boxes everywhere, and I am not buying much in the way of groceries until we get to our new place. So for Nick’s birthday, we went to that most glorious of gastropubs, The Three Lions Café. It is a place where we are regulars, and where I always leave utterly satisfied, completely at peace, mumbling adverbs and rubbing my belly. The beer list is eclectic and always delightful, and the waitresses are personable and funny and always recommend something I’ll like. Kayla is my favourite, although she wasn’t there Wednesday night. There are at least two bartenders that I am aware of, and both are extra attractive, but not in that aloof, self-important Vancouver way that actually isn’t very attractive at all. Everyone is really, really nice.
And the food.
The food.
They’ve switched over to a fall menu, with sumptuous game meats, rich curries and stews, and warm, bright tastes in addition to their regular menu items, which are classics no matter where you’re from. We usually order fish and chips, or bangers and mash. But this time, I ordered the rabbit.
The rabbit ragoût. Though they called it ragu, which is also acceptable.
That was some tasty Thumper.
It was perfection. Delicately spiced, though bursting with black pepper and earthiness – those mushrooms. The bartender, who was also our waiter, Victor, recommended it and he was absolutely right. Just look at it.
The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I don’t believe that there’s a camera out there that would. The spinach – so creamy. The capers – so crispy. And I would quit my job and leave my husband for those mushrooms. We would run away together and be so happy.
Sometimes a meal is so good it’s just worth sharing, and I wanted to share it with you.
Even if there wasn’t a bite left over for anyone to try.
If you’re in Vancouver, check out The Three Lions. You will certainly love it like I love it, I’m sure of it. But don’t go too often – I would cry if I ever had to wait in line. It’s that kind of delicious. And, the way I think about it, it’s mine.
The Three Lions Café | 1 East Broadway | Vancouver, BC V5T 1V4 | (604) 569-2233
well fed, flat broke 
Yum! Rabbit is my FAVORITE — and that looks woooooooonderful.
Best of luck with the move! What a time of year to do it… well, at least you aren’t quite as badly off as we were when we moved out here to CA from Chicago. It was -30 F (no exaggeration) and it was Super Bowl Sunday and the friends that help us can ask us for anything, forever.
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It was! I’m thinking of buying a bit of my own to cook up, post-move of course. Thanks for the well-wishes! It’s better to move now than to wait and see if they sell the place … they’re predicting logistical nightmares around here as Olympic Hell descends on the city in a few short months, and we don’t want to have to cope with that.
Did they travel from Chicago to California too?! That sounds like a much more troublesome move – fortunately we’ve found a place that’s literally a two-minute truck drive from where we are now.
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They didn’t come with us, and we miss them sorely. But if they needed to move, we’d probably road trip out there to help them. They earned it, forever. 🙂
Happy anniversary!
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