Cozy, intimate and classy are words that come to mind when describing the interior of a new restaurant in Edmonton’s university area. The Belgravia Hub opened mid-May in the space previously occupied by Belgravia Books and Treasures. The restaurant is owned by NAIT Culinary Arts grad, Leslie McGlennon.
The restaurant seats about 40 people at tables, and eight more at the bar. Not too big, not too small, and already popular judging by the full house (and people waiting in the foyer) on a Saturday night.
The one-page menu is categorized into three sections: Beginnings, Get Fresh, and Fill Up, or in layman terms, Starters, Salads, and Mains. The Beginnings section is the largest with a dozen small plates to choose from. Get Fresh features four interesting salads: Roasted Beet, Quinoa, Winter Panzanella, and Mixed Greens. The Mixed Greens are not just a bowl of leaves. This salad comes with bacon and a poached egg, all dressed with “Hub Vinny” (vinaigrette).
Vegetarians will be happy; almost half of the entire menu is suitable for diners wanting to avoid meat. Out of the six entrees in Fill Up, only three contain proteins leaving carnivores with a rather limited selection. It would be nice to see pork or lamb added to that section.
We tasted four items from the Beginnings section: corn bits (quasi corn fritters), short rib sliders, shrimp bruschetta, and lamb meatballs. Each dish scored high marks from all diners with the short rib sliders leading the pack, and the shrimp bruschetta not far behind. The chipotle chutney accompanying the corn fritters offered a lively hit of heat. The lamb meatballs (five rosemary-seasoned meaty orbs) were served on a marinara sauce, sprinkled with feta cheese and served with a few small slices of white bread. That bread appeared in a few dishes and is, in my opinion, the weak link of the Beginnings. The food would benefit from a bread with more oomph and character.
Corn Bits
Short Rib Sliders
Shrimp Bruschetta
Lamb Meatballs
For mains, we ordered the blackened chicken, the beef short rib, baked cheesy pasta, and the roasted salmon.
Blackened Chicken
Beef Short Rib
Baked Cheesy Pasta
Each protein was cooked superbly, seasoned perfectly and plated with attractive presentation — the roasted salmon being the exception. Visually, this was not the most attractive dish with its greenish, grainy-dijon-glazed salmon atop a bed of grey-green lentils. And, despite the components of the glaze, the salmon remained flavourless.
Roasted Salmon
From the four desserts on offer we chose the fruit crumble, the bourbon pecan pie, and the lemon berry cornmeal cake. The bourbon pecan pie and the lemon berry cornmeal cake were the standouts. The cornmeal cake was surprisingly moist and flavourful, and the pie had just the right amount of bourbon to give it the zip needed to counteract the sweetness of the filling.
Lemon Berry Cornmeal Cake
The wine list is concise and interesting but the typos and vintner misinformation needs to be addressed. I was happy that we were able to get a very decent glass of wine for $7 or $8, a refreshing change in Edmonton.
A little tweak here and there and Belgravia residents may soon be fighting off envious city interlopers who get wind of this new neighbourhood gem at 7609 – 115 St.
My CBC Edmonton AM radio review can be heard here.