The Meatery

Sometimes I wonder how people get their driver's licenses...  Oh right, I forgot there was that under-the-table business in Richmond.  Explains a lot right?  Anyways, there we were waiting in traffic along Edgemont Blvd in North Van when suddenly, a car decides to back up from their space.  Since it was bumper-to-bumper traffic, there was obviously a car in the way.  But no, she kept backing up and when her car was millimeters from hitting the other car, I laid on my horn preventing what would be a sure accident.  Did she not clearly see the car in her rear view?  Geez.  Anyways, the reason why Sean and I were in Edgemont Village was to hit up The Meatery.

Affiliated with Pig on the Street, The Meatery serves up gourmet sammies at lunch while offering tapas and brews at night.  We decided to share 4 half sandwiches beginning with the Short Rib braised with hoisin & ginger accompanied by pickled cabbage, guacamole and cilantro.  We found the meat stringy and a bit chewy.  However, it wasn't difficult to eat by any stretch of the imagination.  It was predominantly sweet with depth and body.  The crunch from the cabbage was welcomed as well as the fresh chunky guacamole.  Next up was the Jerk Pulled Pork with mango & avocado salsa and chiptole mayo.  It was also stringy and dry.  There was only a mild spice from the pork itself, but the mayo was able to add a touch of heat.

The best sandwich we had was the Roasted Pork with spicy Italian sausage, artichoke aioli, crackling and pesto. It was tender exhibiting a wonderful roasted aroma.  I found the crackling to be quite salty, but it did add lots of flavour.  With the addition of sausage, we got a huge hit of fennel.  The salsa verde was a good compliment as added brightness and some acidity.  Our last sammie was the Bacon Wrapped Turkey Thigh with sausage stuffing, applewood cheddar, chutney and apple slaw. I though it was pretty good.  The large chunks of turkey were a touch dry (but not any more dry than the usual turkey).  The chutney consisting of caramelized onions and raisin was thick and sweet which went well with the apple coleslaw. And what isn't better with bacon?

Not to be outdone, we also tried the Sausage Roll with stout mustard.  It was very meaty and not too greasy.  The meat was soft with natural texture and strong peppery notes.  The pastry was flaky and buttery on the outside, but on the inside, it was a bit soft and mushy.  In the end, we barely finished our food as these half sandwiches were stuffed full of ingredients. Some of the meats could've been more moist, but overall, these were still good sandwiches.

The Good:
- Chock-full of stuff
- Nice flavours
- Friendly staff

The Bad:
- Some meats are dry