Hell's Kitchen

So, just to prove that I'm an open-minded guy, The Team took a hint from one of our followers (thanks Jenny!) when choosing the venue for this week. Found just past Joe's Grill and Sophie's Cosmic Cafe on West 4th Ave (2041 West 4th Avenue), Hell's Kitchen is one of the better-known eateries in Vancouver. Mostly known for their pizza (from what I've gathered), they began doing brunch on weekends recently. This week, you can welcome back Hilbot, Tomas, Bobby and Alicia.

It's finally becoming summer in Vancouver, so Hell's Kitchen was a good choice, seeming that it has lots of outdoor seating. While it wasn't sunny, per se, it was warm and beautiful out, so Hilbot and I managed to land enough seating for everyone on the patio. As soon as we took our seats, we were brought water and a couple of menus. I had taken a brief look at the menu on the website before we left for breakfast in the morning, so I was already pretty sure of my choice. The server came back and took our drink orders, which turned out to be the same: a coffee ($2.25 with refills) and a mimosa ($4.95, a brunch special). When he came back with the drinks, I found the coffee to be quite acceptable and the mimosa to be tasty & boozy. Shortly after the drinks were on the table, Cam arrived, sat beside me and ordered himself a coffee. As he looked at the menu, it was apparent that he was more torn over his decision as compared to both Hilbot and I. A Hell's Hash or a Hell's Benny? Which would he choose? You'll find out in the next paragraph!

After about 10 minutes, just after 11am, the rest of our breakfast team had arrived. Our coffees had been brought (and refilled, in a few of our cases) and the menus had been looked over. I went with the Breakfast from Hell, which was the standard eggs/bacon/toast/hash combo, not just because I like plain breakfast, but because it was the cheapest option ($5.95, compared to the other options that were between $9.95 and $13.95). Cam, Hilbot and Tomas all chose various eggs benny options, while Bobby and Alicia went with the Hell's Steak and Eggs. Now it was time for our favourite time of the breakfast experience... the wait for the food.

Realistically, with the number of people that were beginning to show up for their morning/post-hangover meals, the food didn't take all that long. Probably about 15 minutes or less, by my estimates, which isn't bad compared to some places that I've been. Anyway, yes, after that wait our food began to arrive. The first thing that I noticed was that the steaks, which had been ordered medium-rare, both appeared to be done right. I find it such a rarity for steaks (and haircuts, for that matter) to be done the way that you want them, so this place gets points in my book right off the bat. On that note, both Bobby and Alicia agreed that they were quite pleased with their breakfasts. Meanwhile, Cam had been mislead by the menu. It stated "avocado - jalapeno hollandaise sauce" on the Hell's Benny, but when it came, it was plain hollandaise sauce with a sliver of avocado and jalapeno on top of it. Beyond that, though, he seemed to enjoy what he had ordered. Hilbot and Tomas both dug right into their meals, so I took that as a sign of their approval. As for me, I was also content with my choice. The serving size was acceptable and it tasted great, overall. My only guff was with the lack of jam for my toast, which I'm sure I could have asked for if I had felt the need to do so. Oh, and the hash browns were a bit of a let down. No, they weren't shredded, but it was very apparent that they were frozen, McCain-style cube ones, though they tasted fine so I can't complain too much.

The total bill amongst 6 of us came out to around $95, not including tip. If Hilbot and I had forgone our mimosas, it would have been 10 bucks less, so that's about $13 per-person, which isn't too bad, especially considering the location and quality of the restaurant. All-in-all, I'd give 3.5 Bacons for service, 4 Bacons for food and 4 Bacons for the surroundings!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse