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Table scraps

In the neighbourhood

Trying to get out of my usual ritual of Elements, Dups, Sachi Sushi and Pasta Lupino, I found myself grabbing a burger at Dusty’s Bar and Grill in Creekside.

Just a hop skip and a stumble from Bayshores, I thought why not try out what’s for eating in my own neighbourhood? Other than the usual Sunday morning breaky at the Southside Diner – some rituals should always be, well rituals.

So brie French toast with side order of two eggs over easy wasn’t an option at 8 p.m., no more than my in-case-of-emergency can of baked brown beans blankly staring at me from the drawer in my empty search for a quickie dinner.

Always a favourite place for après with mountain-sized beers and nachos with a side of The Hairfarmer’s live music set, I had never really considered Dusty’s a dinner hangout.

I passed by the salad, sandwich and entrée sections of the menu with prices ranging from $7 to $12 and went straight for the burger highlights. The winning burger from the Canadian BBQ Championships held last summer in Whistler was featured on the menu. If it’s good enough for veteran barbecue judges, I’m sure my taste buds won’t argue.

The stack of beef patty with pulled pork, thin crispy onions, tomato and lettuce satisfied my burger craving, with my friend only too grateful to polish off the other half that I couldn’t finish. Bring your appetite for these brutes. Or maybe, it was because I polished off the butt-rub fries, every last one of them. And yes, that’s butt-rub as in just slap it on your thighs with the coordinated butt-rub mayo dip. The butt-rub spice is the same they use on their barbecue meats.

For once, I didn’t have to ask if I could have half fries and salad with my burger. The Dusty’s champ comes that way. Mixed greens with balsamic was a nice surprise. My only complaint ist that the fridge must have been in overdrive because the salad was frozen. But the beer was icy cold as well, so who can really complain.

The biggest surprise of the evening was the apple crumble with ice cream for dessert. It really tasted like something my mom used to make. Apples were still firm, not too sweet and I scraped the plate clean. I was glad I paced myself with the burger.

It was a beautiful day in the neighbourhood at Dusty’s with burger and fry staples, friendly service and only a walk away from home.

 

Toasting a pint to the environment

Toast the environment with Green Drinks on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. at Black’s Pub with Hilltrip and the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment.

This monthly gathering invites members of the community to talk with other like-minded environmentalists over a special menu of green drinks and appetizers, as well as live music from Kostaman.

Attendees are welcome to bring business cards, brochures, information, magazines and newsletters for guests to take home with them.

 

Australian national symbol both tasty and green

Kangaroo meat would be jumping onto every menu in Whistler if Mark Hills of Hills Foods certified organic meats had his way, with the full support of Greenpeace.

While Aussies celebrating Australia Day last weekend might find the statement offensive, to eat more of the land down under’s national symbol, environmentalists are saying otherwise.

Greenpeace energy campaigner Mark Wakeham has encouraged consumers to substitute some red meat with roo, according to an article in the Herald Sun.

He says this lifestyle change would reduce the effects of global warming by reducing the damage from land clearing the beef industry causes.

The recommendation is included in a report, Paths to a Low-Carbon Future, commissioned by Greenpeace.

According to the report, nearly a quarter of the planet’s greenhouse gases come from agriculture.

If the world reduced its beef consumption by 20 per cent, fifteen megatonnes of greenhouse gases would be cut from the atmosphere by 2020.

Kangaroo also happens to be healthy and low in fat to boot.

Hills recently hosted a kangaroo dinner sampling prepared by Hilton executive chef Jay Lynn, with wine from Australia’s McClaren Vale.

Guests dined on marinated and seared loin of roo, ravioli stuffed with kangaroo tail in garlic cream and “kangaroo sliders”: ground kangaroo in petite two-bite-size burgers on a brioche bun.

Kangaroo meat is available in the freezer case at the IGA grocery store. Try the breakfast links and chicken butter sausages as well. Beats a mystery-meat hot dog any day, and the meats are spiced, organic, quick to prepare and reasonably priced.