Mary in Vancity

Walking down Gastown, my friend JT and I stumbled onto Secret Location. With little or no publicity, this concept restaurant/shop has become the talk of the town. I was very excited to check it out and find out for myself what the buzz was all about.

the interior is very modern and classic: White couches and chairs, metal accents and touches of black. The decor is minimal but the place  is far from sterile, it feels warm and inviting.

We were greeted by a very friendly server. I will say that the service here was phenomenal. Very attentive and friendly without being overwhelming.

This place has a great brunch menu: It’s small, but it has a good variety of dishes. We started with one of their signature brunch items: the Huckleberry & Pear Fritters ($3). Fluffy fritters dusted with sugar and  covered in a pear compote that had a good combination of sweetness and tartness. For three dollars, you can’t go wrong.

For my main course I opted for the Hereford Short Rib Sandwich ($15) a cheddar omelet, topped with short rib in a garlic scape buttermilk biscuit and served with hash browns and pickled Shimeji mushrooms.

The mushrooms were a great compliment to this dish! I love them, it really raised the wow factor for me. The short rib was flavourful and well cooked, and the combination of flavours was excellent. A must try and an instant brunch favourite.

JT chose the Organic Egg & Asparagus ($12) dish.  house made bacon, a deep fried egg, covered in a creamy hollandaise sauce. This dish was so pretty. Top marks for presentation.

I was impressed with the quality of the food, as well as with the prices. The portions were very good and my wallet wasn’t left hurting afterwards.

The Cafe turns into a lounge at night, their bar menu is innovating and has a lots of tantalizing options. I tried the Queen’s Cup ($10) – a combination of watermelon, cucumber, Pimm’s and ginger beer. The cocktail prices aren’t too bad either.

I will definetely be back –  The secret’s out, and it’s delicious! Follow them on twitter @slocation