this is a quick one. but so well worth a mention!
i was out running errands on the Westside earlier this week. having dropped off all the dry cleaning, i looked around and wondered what i should do until my 2:00 meeting. Optimist? raw bar & martinis seemed extravagant by myself. i wasn’t exactly in the mood for Bartaco. and then i remembered Bellwoods. i’ve been wanting to try this newish addition for a while — mostly for cocktails — but a lunch on a warm, sunny, somewhat lazy workday seemed like it would be just as good.
it seemed a lot smaller when i walked in than what i’d imagined from the pictures on the website i’d seen back in the winter. hello, good photography. also, winter shots made it seem like the fireplace was the focal point of the whole place (as they should have). not necessarily so. on this sunny spring day, it was tough to decide between a patio table and a seat at the bar. i chose the bar, since it was just me. it was a perfect place to spread out, jot down some notes about work and this blog, and just chill for a leisurely lunch. it wasn’t packed for sure, which was fine with me. i got great attention from both the bartender and manager, which is always a bonus.
the menu is a pretty awesome cross between West Coast and Westside. great selection of pizzas (fig & proscuitto, hello?) and apps (from loaded fries to pimento cheese dip). tacos, salads and sandwiches stack up the lunch menu like you’d expect, and are rounded out with some “fork & knife” plates like shrimp and grits and short ribs. um, yum.
obvs, i went for a salad (i’m trying so hard to be good before France, y’all!). the grilled chicken and pear salad was some standard fare, but done really, really well. blue cheese, pecans and a nice mix of greens balanced out a perfectly seasoned chicken breast. i totally wasn’t going to eat the whole thing. but totally did — along with a glass or two (ahem) of a Sauvignon Blanc from Uruguay (?) . . . they don’t have a cocktails menu online that i can find, but this seems right. anyway, it all was absolutely yummy.
i would completely do the whole thing over again, and actually texted several friends mid-lunch to suggest it (soon, y’all!). parking is easy with a whole deck attached to the Brickworks complex and they haven’t gathered such a lunch following yet that getting in and out quickly is difficult. i think i might just have a new favorite midday spot!
let me know what you think if y’all try it, and happy munching!