Out on the Left Coast

Away from home with the family, my Mom, Dad and sister decided to try out Lefty’s, a restaurant in Parksville and Qualicum Beach, BC, built on two principles – fresh food and good friends. We have vacationed in this area for years, and felt it was time to try a local restaurant that seemed very popular, as they’ve been around for 15 years now. The restaurant was the brain child of three friends who slowly but surely realized they were all left handed and as their dream came to a reality, many of those that were involved in developing the restaurant, too were left handed! From bank managers to real estate specialists, electricians and bagel suppliers, so many lefties! The name just FIT.

It was a Thursday evening, at about 5pm when we stopped in and the restaurant was fairly populated and smelled terrific – both very good signs for what kind of a meal we were about to have. My family is kind of an interesting bunch when it comes to food – my sister is a bit of a picky eater, my Dad will eat pretty much anything and my Mom has a serious sensitivity (or maybe even an allergy) to any spice. It sometimes makes trying to find a good spot to eat more difficult….
That said, in retrospect, Lefty’s was a great choice! We had eaten out quite a bit already this week, so I was looking for something a little reliable and familiar. What better than a chicken burger? It was breaded with panko crusting and topped with bacon, mozza and a chipotle mayo. (It also came with mushrooms, however, not being a fan, I opted out of that topper.) The burger was GREAT. Crispy from the panko, a good crunch of the bacon, smoky, mild heat from the chipotle and I was a happy girl. The regular tomato, onion and lettuce completed the burger nicely, and as usual, I left the restaurant with half of my burger in a to go box, ready for my midnight snack craving.

My Mom and Dad, like many times they go out, opted to split two dishes, getting the best of both worlds. They went with a beef burger, topped with an amazing, bold BBQ sauce, cheddar and bacon, along with the regular tomato, onion and lettuce accompaniments. The burger was succulent and juicy, but not in a greasy way. The juices ran down their hands as they bit into the burger, and for a second I was even a little jealous…. although I do not tend to eat a lot of ground beef myself. Their second dish was one of Lefty’s pizzas. In addition to their restaurant, they have a pizza joint as well. I understood why when I had a piece. They ordered the Waikiki, which was basically Hawaiian pizza – ham and pineapple. The ham was flavourful, the pineapple juicy (maybe even fresh?) and the crust was some of the best I’ve had in a while! Baked so that it was crisp, but not too much so that it was burnt. The flavours were loud, but not in an overpowering way.

My sister went with the steak sandwich platter. It came with two pieces of garlic toast, which seemed rare for a steak sandwich, and her medium well steak. Far be it for me to judge, however, a medium well steak is a waste of a piece of meat! I would have much preferred medium rare…. BUT…. it was cooked perfectly to her liking, was tender and somehow still juicy.
Now, here’s where things get kind of unique! Each dish, outside of the pizza, came with both Lefty’s southpaw potatoes and a salad! I really appreciate having two sides instead of having to choose between a veggie and a starch. The potatoes were cut into wedges, dressed with a slight spice and herb dressing and cooked to perfection. In light of being out to eat quite a bit in the recent days, it was nice not to have another french fry. The steak sandwich platter came with a Caesar salad with croutons and what tasted like a homemade style dressing, creamy with a slight bite, topped with grated parmesan. The two burgers came with green salads, with a mix of spinach, lettuce, grated carrot and cabbage. It was dressed with a creamy vinaigrette dressing, which I devoured – sometimes a good green salad can be hard to find…
The verdict on Lefty’s? It’s a good place to grab a casual burger or pizza! Their fresh food vision is appreciated and their dedication to taste is crucial.