After much anticipation, the one-of-a-kind Double Up restaurant has finally opened its doors in Parksville. For a more detailed background of the restaurant and its grand opening, refer to Manor Ink’s April issue. So, since we are food lovers and journalists, we couldn’t wait for the opportunity to dine there and share our experience.

Right from the moment you pull up to it, you can tell this is not your typical restaurant. Unlike most restaurants, it is not built on a foundation. In fact, it’s not any building at all – it’s a retired Philadelphia double-decker tour bus. Its menu is also far from typical, with a wide variety of unique Russian and Mediterranean dishes.

The food is made on-site at the bus’s lower level with primarily local and organic ingredients. We got several basic things from the menu, including the Khachapuri, Chorizo, Mesclun Mix Salad, Sourdough Bread, Pelmeni and Blueberry Cream Danish. Our order was taken at the bus’s window by the restaurant’s co-owner, Kim Rayevsky, who was very sweet and patient as we spent forever deciding what we wanted.

Double Up offers both indoor and outdoor seating options. We opted for the second level of the bus, which was surprisingly spacious despite its compact size. The seating arrangement was comfortable, with plenty of space between tables. However, we noticed the bus was getting warm, which could be more of a problem during the hotter summer months.

Our food came on little trays, and the presentation was very clean and appealing. The salad was made with fresh ingredients and had plenty of dressing. It also contained interesting edible flowers called chive blossoms, which was a new taste for both of us. The flower was very powerful but good.

We also got two of the Khachapuris, which are open-faced cheese pies with an egg on top. Savannah got one without an egg, and Zoey got one with it. We both agreed that the one without an egg was “exquisite.” It was airy, soft, and full of flavor. Zoey believed the egg was a little too well done and thin on hers, though.

We shared a small sourdough roll with a rosemary oil dip. The bread was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Zoey also ordered the chorizo sausage, which was delicious.

While we didn’t try it, Savannah’s mom, who was with us at the time, tried the Pelmeni, which she said were “very flavorful with a good texture.”

For dessert, Zoey got the Berry Cream Cheese Danish, which she thought was a tad bit undercooked and doughy, but still extremely delicious!

There were also plenty of drink options, including soft drinks, coffee, tea and plenty of alcoholic beverages.

We left the restaurant “more stuffed than a baked potato,” as Savannah said. Overall, we thought our lunch at Double Up was a great and unique experience. It would be a fun place to stop for a quick bite to eat or a friendly stopping place during a road trip, as it is pretty much right off the highway. It’s recommended that you try it at least once because, honestly, no restaurant is like this. The Double Up is at 268 Old Rte. 17 in Parksville. Learn more at facebook.com/Double-Up-Catskills.