Burgers and Parties in Pemberton
“You’re heading to Pemberton? You HAVE to go to Mile One.” This was Mark Lamming’s advice as we left Purebread in Whistler, and now it is my advice to you, should you ever visit ‘Pemby.’
Mile One is the ideal spot for those wishing to combine their cravings for comfort food and desire to eat good, local ingredients. The atmosphere is modern but casual, and while there are plenty of great looking salads, poutine, mac and cheese, and various other entrees on the menu, I’d suggest getting a burger.
Why? Because in addition to being stupid good, they showcase a great deal of BC’s finest ingredients.
Dana and I split the Hillbilly Deluxe and Moonstruck Blue, and loved both. The Hillbilly Deluxe had Farmstead cheese curds, elk chorizo, and local beer-braised onions,
while the Moonstruck Blue (standing approximately 4’2’’ tall) was filled with Salt Spring Island blue cheese and Fraser Valley smoked bacon.
The patties were wonderful, the buns were exceptional (made by the nearby Blackbird Bakery , and these things were so full of good stuff we needed two hands gripping them at all times. Of course, no burger in Pemberton would be complete without a side of the area’s famous potatoes, so we ordered some oven-roasted Yukon gold wedges with sea salt and rosemary (also excellent).
In addition to their hot meals, Mile One also has BC products for sale including Quesnel birch syrup, Pemberton Distillery cocktail and soda elixir, and Vancouver Island sea salt, plus a case of locally-produced meats and cheeses.
For dessert, there's deep-dish pie and adorable mason jars filled with ‘smore bits and brownies, which they heat up and top with ice cream.
We didn’t get as far as dessert, however, because this was a pre-wedding meal; my friends Geoff and Sarah got married two Saturdays ago at the Pemberton Valley Vineyard and Inn, and FEAST just so happened to be heading through there at the right time.
If eating a burger and fries right before donning a fancy dress and heading to a wedding sounds like a terrible idea, I can assure you it is, but still entirely worth it. Yes, these burgers are really that good.
But back to the wedding - what a gorgeous one it was! The Inn could not have been a more lovely setting, and after the ceremony we dined on salads, roast lamb, ribs, Pemberton potatoes, and paella while staring up at grand Mt. Currie.
Here are some photos from the afternoon and evening, including the lanterns we sent up at night in honour of Sarah and Geoff.
Congrats to the newlyweds, and I wish you all the happiness in the world/sincerely hope you ate a Mile One burger before heading off on your honeymoon…..
-LA
