Main Street Diner, Nelson, BC Canada

Ordered at Main Street Diner in the incredible town of Nelson, British Colombia, Canada, which will one day top the list of the best places to live on earth.

What was I getting myself into?

I couldn’t have been more last minute with the decision and plan making that landed me in Nelson, British Colombia, about to embark on a week of no caffeine, no unnatural sugar, no salt, no alcohol, only locally sourced organic food, 8+ miles of vertical hiking/day, an hour of aerobics each night, ample natural hot springs, and some of the freshest air on earth.

I resigned from URB-E on a Monday, and booked the trip that night. Fortunately, the program I was attending, Mountain Trek, had 1 cancellation, and thus I felt the stars aligned to bring me here.

Still, sitting in Nelson, I was anxious. Could I really make it through the week? No alcohol seemed doable, but no caffeine?! That sounded scary. Thinking back, I probably hadn’t gone more than two days in a row without drinking coffee in roughly 10 years. And combining a lack of coffee with intense daytime and evening exercise sounded like a recipe for disaster.

All of the emotions in the moment overwhelming my senses, I needed something to calm my nerves.

On the ride from the airport into Nelson, I met 4 Texans also joining the trip to Mountain Trek. 2 of them had been before, and thus I was given a bit of a preview of the days to come. And they were smart enough to suggest a hearty meal before our departure to Ainsworth.

We chose Main Street Diner, right on the main street in Nelson. While none of us were experts in cuisine for the area, my taxi driver on the return home confirmed it was his favorite place to eat in town. So while we didn’t necessarily know it at the time, Main Street was a legit local favorite.

The menu celebrated three different club sandwiches. Anxiety filling my belly, I chose the one that “had it all” and cost the least: the Seafood Club.

While I was not accustomed to the combination of proteins such as crab, shrimp, and ham in a club sandwich, there was one thing I knew for sure about Main Street Diner’s Seafood Club: all the ingredients were locally sourced.

Delicious, different, and down right delightful, while I enjoyed most of this meal and its fresh ingredients, the lack of care to its presentation didn’t lend well to its ability to hold together while eating. I also didn’t think it needed both “seafood sauce” as well as mayo… in fact, I didn’t think it needed either, with such fresh ingredients.

Stuffed and content, I was extremely appreciative that my new Texan friends had brought me here. They were also quite appeased with their meal… we all knew what was coming, but in this moment, we didn’t have to think about it.

Location