Dubh Linn Gate Pub
4320 Sundial Crescent
Whistler, BC
(604) 905-4047

On my last day at Whistler, I made my way over to Dubh Linn Gate, an old Irish pub. As I looked around, I saw plenty of character in its decor and to my right was a good view of the main stage—this was where the performers would play during the 2011 Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival.

I was there before the dinnertime rush, and I found the half order of a Steak and Guinness Pie was more than enough to tide me over even after I made it back to the island–six hours later. I wondered what a full order ($17) would’ve been like.

The pie itself was still steaming by the time I got to it. And if there were a trick to eating this, I’d say one should poach it so the heat can escape. Each bite was nice and hot. I had to stir the pie around so it’d cool off or maybe even set it in the snow. By the time I could start eating, I found the Angus beef to be a bit on the dry side; I preferred some redness to it. Still, that’s the carnivore in me talking, and this meal would’ve been easier to chew if the chunks of meat and potato were cut into smaller portions.

At least in Whistler, there won’t be a potato famine anytime soon. The portions were generous and if there were any additional veggies, as most recipes suggest, there wasn’t much that I could discover buried in the gravy.

I liked the dusting of cayenne on top of the pie topping. The sprig of rosemary was perfect to give this pie the attention it deserves. As for the overall presentation, the salad stole the show.

The vinaigrette really brought out the flavour of the quality leafy greens and niblets of corn. The small bits of pita bread were very good too. I polished that part of the plate off faster than I could ski down a mountain. I wished there was more of the salad to consume, but darn the luck of the Irish.

3½ Blokes out of 5