Diary | Brunch at the Birds Nest

Brunch is such a luxury. To find the time between work (sadly, it can be tough even on the weekends) and errands to actually sit for a few hours with your ladyfriends as you sip champagne and plan your next road trip — there’s nothing better. And I have a new favourite brunch spot: an underground restaurant where you dine like a guest of the chef in a home that feels like it belongs in Paris, though it’s actually smack dab in the middle of the ‘Couv.

Its name? The Birds Nest.

Do you have underground restaurants in your city? They’re absolutely delightful, especially since the chefs are often very accommodating to dietary idiosyncrasies — no red meat? No eggs? No dairy? No problem. And very patient as you linger well past mealtime. In Vancouver, underground restaurants can’t serve booze (we brought our own bottle of bubbly) and because they can’t technically charge you for your meal, you leave a donation. We left $25 a pop, which makes this one of life’s least expensive luxuries.

P.S. Not only was Erika Renfrew one of the best interns I’ve ever had, she’s also one of the sweetest — take a peek at the article she wrote about yours truly. Thanks again, Erika!