Upstairs at Campagnolo

1020 Main St. Vancouver    Twitter: @CampUpstairs

FOOD 
We like this place — a lot. Presentation-wise, the "dirty" burger may not look like much, but believe us, it's dripping with tasty burger goodness. The beef was crumbly and well-seasoned and smothered with melted cheese. The buns are reportedly infused with a butter/lard combo. The special sauce adds a nice punch of flavour. The fries are like eating potato chips, nicely seasoned and no need for ketchup.

AMBIENCE 
We loved the casual, intimate vibe of the place. To be clear, we're not talking Campagnolo (the place that serves rustic Italian dishes) but the overflow bar/snack joint upstairs. (It's the green door to the right of the main entrance). We liked the miniature soldiers lining the wood-beamed ceiling, as well as the retro yellow-dragon neon sign hanging above the stairs.

SERVICE 
This is not a formal full-service restaurant. You walk up to the bar and let them know what you want. The menu items are listed on butcher paper on the wall.

VALUE 
Believe the hype you've seen on other blog sites. Looking forward to checking out their weekend brunch.

Eating at Upstairs @ Campagnolo is like driving a Mini Cooper (John Cooper Works edition) down Thermal Drive in Port Moody with Benedict Cumberbatch in the passenger seat and Ice T's New Jack Hustler playing on the stereo. (Visited on Sept. 22, 2014). 

Displace Hashery

3293 W. 4th Vancouver  www.displacehashery.com

FOOD
Displace Hashery bills itself as one of Kitsilano's "best patios," featuring "beach food and bar." Its website invokes water/surfing imagery, which is odd cuz the place is nowhere near the water. Advertising issues aside, Displace deserves kudos for offering up burgers that are not run-of-the-mill. There's a bayou whiskey burger (with whiskey bbq sauce, onions, smoked cheddar and bacon), an Aussie burger (with pineapple, beetroot, fried egg and bacon), and El Supremo burger (with bacon, onion rings and guacamole). We decided to try them all and the reaction was mixed. There was praise for the flavourful organic beef and complaints that the beef was too dry. The buns registered some sour notes too for being old or for disintegrating. The sea-salted fries were just alright.

AMBIENCE
The plastick-y patio furniture on the sidewalk didn't quite square with the upscale-y feel of the square plates.

SERVICE
We were never asked if we wanted our water re-filled.

VALUE
Not rushing back.

Summing it up, eating at Displace Hashery is like driving a Ford Fiesta ST down Point Grey Road (before the bike lanes), while listening to Katy Perry song is playing on the radio with Liam Neeson in the passenger seat. (Visited on July 16, 2014).