Nine years ago this week we dropped by Latitude restaurant at 3250 Main Street to report on its imminence. The 46 seater – previously home to Budapest Restaurant – was about to be launched by Lisa Henderson and Larry Nicolay, newly imported from Tofino where they had owned the well-reviewed Raincoast Cafe. The concept (as I remember it) was Pan-American Wine Bar.
Latitude was taken over two years later by the owners of what would later become The Cascade Company. Two of the owners, Rob Edmonds and David Nicolay (Larry’s younger brother), are the principles of Evoke ID, the design firm responsible for the original sharp look of the place. Under their stewardship, the restaurant would get an overhaul that would include some seriously inspired cocktails by barman Nick Devine.
The story doesn’t end there, of course, as the same group would tinker with the address again in 2013. The Cascade Company (see also Main Street Brewing, The Union, and The Cascade Room) would turn it into a fun and super casual Latin-American street food joint called El Camino’s. This iteration was an instant hit and has since become something of a neighbourhood institution.
Note: El Camino’s is currently undergoing substantial renovations to its bar and patio, and should be reopening soon. Follow them on Instagram to stay updated!