Having celebrated its opening about a year ago (we covered that here), SoL Sun Belt Cookery has enjoyed a steady (and growing) fan base of diners who return again and again to take in the oceanfront scene and playful ambiance afforded by the bright and airy space. Having undergone extensive initial renovations, SoL is oozing with plenty of just that: soul.
Entry to the lounge/bar and main dining areas lands guests in a chicly designed space packed with plenty of artistic personality (striking artwork, bold colours and playful textures abound). Adding to the make-up of the room is a patio that can comfortably seat about thirty – and thanks to ample covering, it’s open year-round.
Though we’ve long had SoL on our cocktail hour go-to list, until recently we’d never stopped in for brunch. So when mulling over just where to go for a bite one lazy Saturday, we cruised on over to check it out and were truly impressed by the offerings.
As with all dishes on the menu, brunch has a definitive touch of ‘SoL’ courtesy of Owner and Chef Abel Elatouabi. A long-time fixture within the Vancouver dining scene, Abel knows the business inside and out and is very much invested in ensuring that diners’ appetites are more than satiated. We say this because ours sure were.
His dedication to quality dining starts before he even enters the kitchen.On a weekly basis, Elatouabi sources plenty of fixings from a nearby local farm, lending each dish a super fresh quality. Herbs, salads, kale and other seasonal vegetables are handpicked by Abdel himself and all rubs and seasonings are hand-blended in house (including that used for their granola).
We wavered between delving into their Chia Brioche French Toast (served with black mission figs, a walnut maple crème anglaise and poached pears) or Moroccan Breakfast Tagine made with spicy tomato sauce, poached eggs and spiced ground beef.
The decision was a difficult one, but ultimately we opted for their house-cured Sockeye Salmon served with salted cod brandad, poached eggs, béarnaise sauce, yam fries and a light salad.
Complimenting this was a serving of SoL’s grilled focaccia topped with marinated and grilled wild mushrooms, poached eggs, and Parmesan Reggiano shavings and chervil (though admittedly we asked for some hollandaise sauce to top it all off).
This paired perfectly with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (it was a Saturday brunch, after all), and side order of potato latke – perfection.
Other items we’d recommend: order up a Go-Go Smoothie and try their brie and arugula focaccia, poached eggs and house-smoked crispy pork belly or gruyere and Nourish Ur SoL Frittata – a signature dish.
With reasonable prices and million-dollar vantage point, you simply can’t beat what SoL has to offer.
Hungry for more? Check out full brunch listings here.
SoL Sunbelt Cookery is located at 550 Denman Street and brunch is served weekends from 10AM until 3PM.