Good in the 'Hood- First Street Southwest

It wasn’t long ago that a stroll down 1st Street S.W., specifically the area between 12th and 14th avenues, was an unsavoury experience. What once had been a hot club and restaurant strip in the 1980s had degraded into an unpleasant strip in the last decade.

But the area had too many good things going for it to stay down for long — its proximity to downtown and Mission, a mix of old and new buildings and an urban feel that could potentially spawn a neighbourhood tone.

By 2006, the former Holiday Inn on 12th Avenue was transformed into the funky Hotel Arts, and, recently, a large retail and conference centre has been built around it. Towering condominiums have filled this small corner of Victoria Park and the Beltline with a new group of residents, and, at street level, a fresh generation of restaurants has appeared.

So 1st Street S.W. — now with its new-old moniker of Scarth Street — is hot again. Neighbourhood commuters head there for their morning macchiatos, business types pack the area for lunch and, in the evening, folks from everywhere fill the eateries to chow down on Italian meatballs and Irish potato pancakes (otherwise known as charcuterie plates and boxtys). You can spend a whole day eating your way along these two blocks of 1st Street.

At 7 a.m. on weekdays (9 a.m. on weekends), the doors of deVille Luxury Coffee & Pastries open and coffee aficionados descend for their hit of Intelligentsia coffee. One of three deVille locations in the city, this one offers seating for about 50 in a bright, multi-level space.

Chef-on-scene Sam Katelnikoff fills her display case with muffins and scones and cinnamon buns done three ways — iced, walnut-topped and au natural. Owner Jay Daniels brings over more fresh goods from the kitchen of chef Grayson Sherman at Saint Germain, just a block away. It’s a tempting place to sit for a while and watch the traffic go by.

Coffee and pastry may be enough to get you by until Atomic opens at 10:30 a.m. (on weekdays, that is; 11 a.m. on Saturdays), and then it’s time for a bubble tea. Atomic, owned and operated by brother-sister duo Jessica and Russell Bohrson, specializes in tea — hot black tea, iced tea, tea infused with lemon, green tea blended with fruit juices and bubble tea laced with tapioca beads. Tea plus Atomic subs — the edible kind, that is.

Atomic started five years ago in a tiny downtown space. The Bohrsons’ desire to expand landed them a television spot on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. The Dragons were so impressed by the Atomic products and the Bohrsons’ dedication, they invested the funds to open a second location on 1st Street. The space is a fresh and uplifting apple-green colour and answers the need for a mid-morning pick-me-up.

Heading into lunch, it’s time to check out the bustling Giuseppe’s Italian Market. Mildly chaotic, Giuseppe’s is outfitted with a sandwich-and-pasta station, a pizza bar and an espresso-and-pastry corner. Order what you want, grab
a table and enjoy the energy of the place.

It’s a hard decision between a handcrafted pizza, hot from the oven, or chef Carmela Monna’s meatball sandwich, steaming on a crusty roll — with a little espresso and maybe a canoli to finish. You can also pick up Italian cold cuts, cheeses, condiments, dried pastas and sauces to take home for your own Italian dinner.

Following a stroll around the neighbourhood and temptations by a number of fine nearby restaurants like Koi, Raw Bar and Saint Germain, you might feel a thirst building up, so it’s over to St. James Corner for a cool pint of Guinness.

On the corner of 1st and 13th, owners John Liwag and PJ L’Heureux have created a wee bit of Ireland in the ’hood; a wooden-clad, Celtic-knotted room that will have you talking blarney before you can say “leprechaun.” You might be tempted to stay for a steak pie or a boxty with sliced chicken to go with your brew.

But if the temptation is not big enough, step across the road to Taste, one of the trendiest places on 1st Street. The look is lean and clean, with 32 seats shoehorned between an open kitchen and a glass wall that faces the street. Wines are kept simple — six whites, six reds — with a full change of selections each month. The menu offers “small plates” ranging from $5 (olives, pretzel bits) through $15 (beef short ribs in chimichuri, pork belly with red pepper gastrique and maple), to $20 for tasting boards of cheese, fish or meat. It’s light and tasty; a fitting end to a day of 1st Street dining.