The Irish Heather should be well known to you as the most famous Irish pub in Vancouver. The Long Table Series is a group of events being put on in the attached Salty Tongue, an eat-in, take-out cafe featuring a 40-ft communal wood table. On a rainy tuesday night I had the pleasure of taking in one of these special dinners and in the company of a large group of food bloggers. Everyone is served the same thing for dinner, at the same time, including a bottle of beer. The price for dinner is lower than you might believe, ($12.50!) and only elbow room is in short supply.

As food bloggers, I think many of us are peculiar in the same ways, which made for a very fun evening. And in the search for usable photos, we all came packing heat, and did our best impression of food paparazzi. I don’t use a flash for my food photography, so I could understand when our neighboring diners reacted with amusement and alarm at the strobing flashes. As a group, I think we make an amusing spectacle.

The meal began with a chat from the Chef and was followed by a few minutes from  Steam Whistle, who provided the beer and passed around hops and grains for us to look at on small plates. I think they might do better to not to hand out food items that aren’t supposed to be eaten on plates, it was the subject of some confusion, at least in my (hungry) mind.

Settling into the food, we enjoyed the Cornish Game Hen menu. The meat was well seasoned and extremely juicy, and came with a delicious gravy that was not too heavy. The fries-to-food ratio was a bit intense for me, but the Irish heather has always made amazing fries, and they aren’t shy about them either. An accompanying slaw was fresh and delicious, although some of us thought lacking in acidic flair. In whole, it was a very good effort given the catered style of dining, and the outrageously low price.

The series is fun and I hope to go back to try another menu. I think it is an ideal event for small groups and socializing and could be a great start to a night at the pub. And if you happen to be in the company of a small army of food bloggers, you couldn’t choose better.  I look forward to more LTS and food blogging dinners alike.

The Long Table Series
@ the Irish Heather / Salty Tongue
210 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2J2
Phone: 604-688-9779
Email: sean@irishheather.com