Caffe Vincente

 Greetings once again!  I'm going on quite the spree of updates these days, aren't I?   For the next two entries, I'm going to tell you a bit about breakfast in Tofino, BC.  Eliza and I decided to take a short holiday on Vancouver Island, soak in some hot springs and just plain relax.  Now, you have to remember that Tofino is a tiny town on the coast of The Island.  By tiny, I mean that it's literally one main strip with a couple of four-way stops.  There are a tonne of tourists though, so there is a fair bit around, in terms of business.  You know what this means.... yep, there's breakfast joints!  The first of two is Caffe Vincente.  Located along the main drag, on the left-hand side as you enter the town (441 Campbell St), this place came off more as a coffee shop than a restaurant.  But, it looked like it had some good eats, so Eliza and I went for it.

As I said, Caffe Vincente appears to be a small-ish coffee shop from the outside.  As you step inside, you'll find that, yes, it is a coffee shop of sorts, but that there's also a bustling kitchen immediately behind the counter.  You grab (or are given) a menu as you stand in line, then order from the counter before sitting down.  There's a small dining room to the right, or seating outside, the latter of which we chose.  Who wants to sit indoors when the sun is shining anyway?  Oh, did I mention that Eliza went with a light, salad-driven option with a couple of eggs, while I went all traditional (eggs, toast, ham)?  Now I did!  The price was right on both too, aka, under $10, along with some coffee.  

We were warned that there would be a bit of a wait for our food, since it was quite busy this morning.  This wasn't a concern to either of us really, being on holiday and all.  After about 10 minutes, Eliza's plate of food arrived...

We both figured that mine would be on its way shortly, since it had the ham and toast, so Eliza elected to wait for my food to arrive.  The clock ticked by... minute by minute.  We began to notice people that had arrived after us receiving their food (some being the same meal that I ordered) already.  After about another 10 minutes I decided to see what was going on with my food.  Eliza's food wasn't really getting cold per se, since the sun was blazing, but it was still just sitting there.  I went up to the counter and asked about my plate.

"What was the order?"

"Just a traditional breakfast."
"Oh, it's coming up next."

"No worries, I was just confused since my girlfriend's food has been at our table for 10 minutes, so I thought you might have forgotten me."

"Oh, did you two order separately?"

"We sure did."

"Oh, that's the problem then.  So sorry!"

"No worries.  Thanks."

So yeah, word of caution, be sure to order food with your party or face the prospect of being leapfrogged by other people.  I went back out to our table and told Eliza what the score was.  About a minute after, one of the ladies came out with a plate of ham.  She apologized for the mix up and said that the extra ham was on the house.  Only a few more minutes went by until the brought my plate, with an additional bowl of fruit as an extra apology.

The food was quite delicious.  The ham was just sliced from a roll, which was a little disappointing, but it was still good nonetheless.  My eggs were cooked just right and the toast was full of grains.  The fruit was also flavourful.  Eliza was also pleased with her food.  I don't remember her complaining, at least.  So, I'd have to give this place 3.5 Bacons overall.  The mix-up with my food missing was inconvenient, but at least there was some sort of excuse behind it.  Plus, the fact that they were willing to provide me with several dollars-worth of compensation for it helped out.  The service was lovely (we ended up getting into a conversation with the one cook, as her dog was tied up outside by us) and the price was right, so really, how could I complain much more?

Stay sharp, kids

Jesse

Lucy's Eastside Diner

Boy, I've really been slacking off on this blog, haven't I? What can I say... when you've got weird days off and a lack of vim, it's tough to motivate yourself to seek out new breakfast joints! On that note, Kimmy got me to come to a new place on Main and 11th Ave (2708 Main St) called Lucy's Eastside Diner. She told me about how it was like the Sunshine Diner, only with much more reasonable prices. I believe that this place has only been open for a few months, but don't quote me on that.

So, we arrived at Lucy's around 11am, a late start for us since I was at the dentist all morning. I was greeted by a fairly retro feeling and bright interior, much like the Sunshine Diner and The Templeton. Appointed with mostly bar seating, this place could probably seat about 20 people at the maximum, and I'm sure that they have no difficulty filling it up during meal rushes. Kimmy and I were immediately seated in one of the small booths in the back of the diner. We were each brought a coffee ($2 each, free refills, good taste!) and a glass of water by our server, a pleasant guy around our age. As I looked over the menu, I saw what Kimmy meant about the prices. Tasty benny's for only $8.50? C'mon! So, after a short viewing of our menus, we placed our orders. I went with the "Triple Threat", which involved 3 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 3 slices of ham, hash browns and toast ($9.50), while Kimmy opted for an avocado benny ($8.50). It only took a short amount of time (namely, enough for us to finish our first cups of coffee) for our food to arrive...

They didn't skimp on the serving-size, that's for sure! The taste of the food also matched it's look. My ham and bacon were done perfectly and had excellent flavour. The same can be said for the hash browns (which appeared to be pre-cut ones, but whatever, they were cooked and seasoned right!), eggs and toast, which was quite thick-cut, a welcome change from small/flimsy toast at many places. If it had to be a testament to how good the benny was, Kimmy actually finished her entire plate before I did. That NEVER happens! I'd have to give Lucy's a straight 3.5 Bacons. You definitely get the bang for your buck at this place and the service is awesome!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Glo's

It's funny, here I've been meaning to update the blog with some new breakfast spots, and what do I end up doing? I go back to America (Seattle, to be exact) and end up finding some tasty breakfast there instead! Every time that Cam and I have ended up in the city, we've walked past Glo's. We've never stopped to try it, though, since we're either in a hurry or we're with our friend, Alice who doesn't want to wait. This weekend though, Cam, myself, Sarah and Crystal were set on going to Glo's, and we dragged Alice along with us.

Glo's, found on East Olive Way, just off of East Summit Avenue (1621 East Olive Way) is a centre-piece and hot-spot for the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. Glo first opened it in the mid-to-late eighties and has been going hard ever since. I can draw a lot of parallels between Glo's and Bon's, from the history to the current business itself. The two big differences, for me at least is the size of Glo's compared to Bon's (about 10 tables compared to the 20 or so at Bon's) and prices ($8.95 for a basic breakfast compared to $2.95). I never let such things deter me from trying out a place, though! So, on this fine Sunday morning, myself and The Team arrived at Glo's at about 10:45am and put our names on the list. We were then faced with about a 45 minute wait for a table, but that wasn't a problem since we were waiting for Alice to show up. There was ample seating outside for people to wait, and there was coffee available to be sipped on while you waited. The wait actually seemed shorter than 45 minutes, which was a plus due to my ever-lingering hangover from Cha-Cha the night before. We stepped into the diner and found it to be about the size of bachelor's pad, packed full of hungry guests. We were immediately brought water and menus and offered coffees ($2 each, free refills) as well. Considering the number of negative reviews that I've read about Glo's concerning the service, I was expecting a lot worse. But, once again, the reviews have been proven wrong, in my experience at least. The coffee was delicious, and the menu appeared to offer a lot more tastiness. I was torn between an eggs benny and one of the omelettes. C'mon, 4 egg omelettes?! Yes please! So yes, when the server (who was a pleasant guy, about our age) came to take our orders I decided upon the Spanish omelette, which reminded me of the one that I had in Chicago, in terms of ingredients. Meanwhile, Sarah went with a ham & cheese omelette, Cam chose the Classic Scramble, Alice a California Benny and Crystal a veggie frittata. With our orders in, we began the 20 minute or so wait for our food. We were brought several refills of both water and coffee during that time, and that made the wait all the better. After the wait, we were brought our food (sorry, Alice blocked the picture of her benny!):
Two words: Hell yes. As you can see, the portions were -very- ample, and looks were not deceiving. It was all extremely tasty, even the shredded hash browns. The guacamole and salsa was fresh-made, and was so flavourful! The toast, and the fresh preserves that were available were utterly amazing too. It was all very filling. Only Cam managed to finish his entire breakfast, along with Sarah's and Alice's leftovers. I got mostly through mine, though I had to leave some of the hash browns behind. All in all, I have to give Glo's a solid 3.5 Bacons. For the price, (about $12 for each of us) we got exactly what we expected. They weren't messing around, that's for sure. As for the whole wait/service thing, whatever! It was well worth the wait.


Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Chicago

Finally, the last major stop of the road trip has been reached! The bustling and crazy city of Chicago ended up being where Cam and I began to wrap up our epic adventure. Having only one night and a partial day, we didn't have much time to take in a lot of food. We did manage to find a cheap breakfast place not far from our hostel. Located on the corner of North Broadway and West Thorndale Avenue (5937 N Broadway), and literally just steps from the Thorndale Metro station, the Little Corner Restaurant caught our eyes the first time that we passed it. Knowing that we weren't going to be making any breakfast at our hostel (which was one of the worst ever), it was a welcomed sight for us.

The morning after we first saw this place, we woke up early and made our way to it. With many cozy booths and a small bar, the vibe that we got was a good one. We were seated and given a menu by one of the many servers that were darting around the floor. We each ordered a coffee ($1.40 each) and began looking at our choices. The menu was much like you would expect from a diner like this, with an extensive selection of breakfasts and lunch/dinners. I was feeling cheap and hungry, so I chose the Pancake Special ($4.45 for two pancakes, two eggs and bacon? Yes please!), while Cam went with a scramble of sorts (I actually can't find it on the menu... weird!). After waiting only a few minutes, both of our plates arrived.
One word: Amazing. Yep, the pictures don't do either of our plates justice. As we dug in, we were met with some very delicious food. The pancakes were cooked just right, the bacon and eggs followed suit, as well. Cam was most impressed by his choice, saying that it was exactly what he was looking for on this morning. It didn't take long for either of us to finish our food and (multiple) coffees. With a bill coming out to just over $10, this was definitely one of the top places that we had hit on our road trip. I'd have to give a solid 3.5 Bacons across the board for Little Corner Restaurant! Good work!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

San Francisco

I'm doing such a terrible job of updating this blog on this road trip. You may all hate me as much as you like because of it, I won't blame you. Anywho, it's about that time to talk about the note-worthy places that Cam and I came across in the beautiful city of San Francisco, CA! We were staying at the Green Tortoise Hostel on Broadway, so we were surrounded by a tonne of food joints (and strip clubs, apparently!).

Buster's

Located on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Vallejo Street (366 Columbus Ave), Buster's Cheesesteaks was the first thing to catch our eyes. For one, it just looked like a place we'd enjoy, and secondly, Cam had never had a cheesesteak in his life. Meanwhile, I just felt a strange hankering for a chili cheese dog, which is a tough find in Vancouver, at least a decent one. Amongst other menu items were chili fries, various sandwiches and the like. I ordered myself just a plain old chili cheese dog with pepper jack cheese, while Cam went with a beef cheesesteak. (Yes, why you'd call something with chicken a cheesesteak is lost on me too, but whatever!) Anywho, it took about 5 minutes for our orders to be ready, and we weren't disappointed. Both filling and delicious, our food was exactly what we expected. I can surely agree with the statement that they have the best Philly steaks, at least, from the Philly Steaks I've tried. They don't boast "the best chili dogs", but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. 4 Bacons across the board for them!

ABC Chinese Restaurant

I had a hankering for Chinese for pretty much the entire time we'd been on the road, and we were staying mere blocks from Chinatown, so my craving was sure to be taken care of eventually! Basically, Cam and I walked around Chinatown (which, for the record, is a REAL one, as opposed to the Chinatown in Vancouver), looking at menus until we found one with cheap prices and writing that we could read. Finally, we came upon the ABC Chinese Restaurant, and to be honest, I don't actually remember the address, nor can I find it on Google Maps, which is annoying. Regardless, we saw a combination dinner for 2 people, so it was a given that we'd eat here. As we entered the restaurant, all that we could hear was the chatter of what I'm sure was Mandarin and the clinks of chopsticks on plates. The server seated us and immediately brought us each a fork because, let's face it, white people can't use chopsticks, right? We ordered the combination dinner, which involved sweet & sour pork, chicken fried rice, spring rolls, and beef & snow peas. For $9 each, we couldn't complain at all about the food that we got. The portions were big, the food was tasty and the service was actually really good. The server also warmed up to us, as we used the chopsticks and were generally nice, being Canadians and all. haha. So, in the end, I'd have to give ABC Chinese Restaurant a solid 3.5 Bacons across the board, service, food quality, affordability-wise! If you can find it, try it!

King Cha-Cha Tsai

On yet another day, we were in search of cheap beer and some cheap food. Mere steps from our hostel, we found a little Thai place on the corner of Grant Avenue and Vallejo Street (1268 Grant Avenue) that had no dishes for over $5 and $2 pints of beer, so we knew that we had found the right place. Of course, it was quite busy, since there were big screen TV's with World Cup games on, so the service was a bit slow. Cam and I ordered a pint of beer each and checked out the menu. Cam's all about Thai curry, so of course he ordered some green curry, meanwhile I went with some beef on broad noodles. (Sorry, I didn't remember the camera this day!) Regardless, the food came fairly quickly and it looked good! The taste was to match, as well, being full of flavours that I hadn't experienced since I lived in Thailand years ago. The portions were also a good size, especially for the price. Once again, I'd have to give a solid 3.5 Bacons for food quality, affordability and portion sizes. I have to put a 3.5 Bacon-rating for the service, but once again, World Cup... so yeah, give them a break!

Chipotle

On our last day in San Francisco, Cam and I set forth with our new friend, Crystal in search of fun times. After hitting a toy store and some random shops, we all agreed that we were hungry. As we searched around, Crystal stopped and started freaking out. She yelled out "Chipotle! Have you ever had it?!"

We both answered, "no."

She swore that it was the greatest thing ever, and who were we to disagree with a girl from Minnesota? So, we went into the place, and it was packed. (There are multiple locations in San Francisco, so look up the closest one to you!) Set up much like a Subway, in that you ordered what you wanted (burritos, tacos, plates, etc) and they put in the ingredients as you requested them. Cam and I went with burritos (beef for me, chicken for Cam), while Crystal went with a plate, which was basically the fillings of a burrito, minus the wrap. The burritos were HUGE! Check it out!

Choice of pinto or black beans, veggies, etc, you name it! For 7 bucks, how could we go wrong? I must say that we were right not to argue with Crystal. I couldn't even finish my burrito! Regardless, even though it's a restaurant chain, Chipotle gets 3 Bacons out of me!



And that's the noteworthy places that we hit in San Fran!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Social

I'm sure that you've all been eagerly awaiting the next update on here, haven't you? Sorry for the lack of breakfasts, but we've all been busy over the past while, so updates haven't been possible. With Cam and I trying to save for our big road trip, it's been slim-pickin's for us! On that note, Cam, Hilbot and I finally made ourselves free and chose a place to have some serious breakfast eats! This week we ended up at Social, located on Water Street, between Cambie and Richards Street (200 - 332 Water Street), after our original breakfast venue(s) ended up being closed. Cam happened to walk by Social when coming to meet up with Hilbot and Myself, and the special sounded good/affordable, so it seemed like a good choice!

So, apparently Social is more known as an oyster bar, and a fairly classy one at that. Both Cam and I immediately felt under-dressed as we stepped through the door and were greeted by the server. Another server (possibly the manager, I'm not sure) offered to take our jackets, which of course threw us off even more. With that, the first server took us to a table by the window and let us know about the special(s) for the day, which was what attracted Cam to this place to begin with. The specials were a smoked salmon benny, served with hash browns, fresh fruit and coffee, all for $10.95, and $2.50 mimosas. Being the cheap and unoriginal bunch that we are, all three of us ordered the benny special and a mimosa. We started with the mimosas and pretended that we had money for the whole 5 minutes that it took for us to drink them, since they were just that tasty! As soon as we had finished them, our coffee and food arrived. The presentation was lovely and the smell was delectable. As soon as we each bit into our food, we were all quite pleased. The salmon was done just right and the hollandaise sauce was very well-made. The hash browns were cooked and weren't burned at all, so that was another plus. To top it off, the watermelon and strawberry that came with the plate were also very flavourful. The coffee was also delicious! The one negative factor that I can mention is that the bennys were a little small, and the English muffins that they were on were a bit tough. I have to admit that I left breakfast feeling a little hungry, and Cam agreed.

I also made breakfast history.... namely by being the first one to finish my food. That never happens! Ever! I guess that I was just that hungry or something. Cam and Hilbot weren't far behind me either, so they were obviously just as hungry. In the end, after taxes and tips, we each pitched $17, which I have to admit is a bit steep for all of us. At the same time, it was a nice little treat on a dreary and rainy day in Vancouver. I more than likely won't go to Social again, unless if I happen to become rich.... or meet a girl that's very rich. I'd give it 4 Bacons for food, 3 Bacons for affordability and 5 Bacons for service.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

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

Victoria Restaurant

I'm losing track of days now that I have split days off, and thus, multiple breakfasts. Kimmy has also dropped out of The Team for the time being. On this fine Tuesday, Rozi and I hit up a little cafe on Victoria and 49th Avenue (6482 Victoria Drive) called Victoria Restaurant. You can welcome back Rozi's classmate, Sean, this week.

I've managed to keep breakfast cheap for the past few entries, and this place was no exception. At the same time, it was one of the better-kept looking places that I've been to lately. Comfy booths, bar seating and plain brick walls. Overall, just a very bright and welcoming place to have a meal. Rozi and Sean were already sitting down when I arrived, as I was running a bit late this day. As soon as I sat down, a server (the only one here) came over and got me a coffee ($1.25 each) and handed me a menu. The menu was diverse, much like most of these Chinese/Western greasy spoons. I decided to go with some pancakes, while Sean ordered some chicken nuggets and Rozi chose French toast, yet again. They were both working on school work, so I just kind of sat by and listened to them discuss that day's class. It wasn't long before our food arrived and we took to eating. Rozi didn't use as much of the syrup as she did last time, so I didn't have to skimp on the amount that I used. The bacon was a bit on the crispy side, which we all know is one of my big peeves at breakfast. Regardless, it tasted good, as did the pancakes. Sean and Rozi were both pleased with their meals, or I just heard no complaints from either of them.

For under $10, I once again have to give this place props. 4 bacons for affordability, and 3 bacons on food quality!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Sophie's Cosmic Cafe

Yes, we're back on yet another Sunday. I think that Team Breakfasts may have to be split up over two days, or someone's schedule is going to have to change. Rozi appears to be permanently on 9am shifts on Sundays, so she's out for those days. As for any weekday, Cam works at 7:30am Monday to Friday, so count those out. That leaves Saturday, which Kimmy and I work at 9am and 8:30am, respectively. Is this the end of The Team? For now, as a whole, perhaps. Until we can work something out, random days will be chosen and we'll bring whoever we can! That being said, The Team was cut in half this week, as Rozi was working and Kimmy ended up sleeping in. So, to round-out The Team, Cam and I brought back Vienna (from The Reef) and introduced my roommate, Sarah, to Team Breakfast.

This week, I let Cam do the choosing, so we went with Sophie's Comic Cafe, located on the corner of West 4th Avenue and Arbutus Street (2095 West 4th Ave). This was actually the first place that Sarah and I ever went for food, on the first day that we met in college. Weird, eh? Anyway, Sophie's is another one of those retro-esque diners that seem fairly popular in the West End of Vancouver. It's one of those places that people all over the city tend to rave about, as well. This was quite apparent when Sarah, Vienna and I showed up to meet Cam and found him at the front of a fairly large lineup outside of the door. Luckily, we had arrived in time, so there was still a table on the patio available for us. We were all seated and our drinks, all coffees ($2.45 each, free refills), except for Vienna's mocha. As I looked at the menu, I knew that I was in Kitsilano due to the $10+ menu items. I will admit, though, that it was very extensive. It ranged from pancakes to eggs benny to waffles, which are harder and harder to come by, it seems. I decided upon a 4th Avenue Lumberjack Breakfast, as it not only came with two pancakes and three eggs, but also ALL of the meat! By that, I mean bacon, ham and sausage, of course. Sarah and Vienna both opted for waffles, while Cam went with...

Make note that I'm also not going to be listing individual meals and prices anymore. It's become far too much of a hassle.

So, with the server off with our orders we were able to go back to conversations about whatever the hell we wanted. It was probably something to do with birdmoms and the beach the night before. I was the only one that had managed to shower the smell of stale campfire, beer, whiskey and vodka out of my hair that morning. Speaking of birdmom, Sarah was the birdmom of the day, as she scooped sugar into Cam's coffee and stirred it for him each time that a refill occurred. Considering Cam's state-of-mind (or lack thereof), it was probably for the best. It wouldn't have surprised me if he had put salt and pepper into his coffee instead of cream and sugar. On that train-of-thought, the refills did come quite often, which was a blessing on a morning such as this.

After about 10 minutes, our food began to arrive. Vienna's waffle looked more like dessert than breakfast, but that's the point of waffles, isn't it? Anyway, all of our plates looked fabulous and appetizing. The bacon was done perfectly for me, which means that it wasn't crispy at all. Same goes for the ham, sausage, eggs and pancakes. The whole meal was done-up perfectly for me and the taste was to match, that's for sure. The only part that I didn't finish was half of a sausage, but that's because I've always found that breakfast sausages make me feel hungover, regardless of the previous night. The other three commented on how good their meals were, as well. We all scarfed down the food in a flash, minus me, since I was busy scribbling down random notes and passages on my notepad. By the end of it, we had consumed about 15 cups of coffee, 3 pigs, 4 cups of flour, 500mL of syrup and a dozen eggs. Hannibal would have been impressed by our kill-ratio.

All-in-all, I'd say that Sophie's is a solid breakfast spot, as long as you're willing to spend a bit of cash. My bill, with tip, came out to around $20, as did the others, so bring your rich pants if you want breakfast at Sophie's Cosmic Cafe. It won't disappoint.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Caffe Barney

Welcome back to Eat My Brains! This week, we have a quaint, little cafe in the west end-ish area of Vancouver. Caffe Barney is located on Granville Street and 14th Avenue (2975 Granville Street) and is snuggled amongst the clothing stores and such along Granville. This week was a full house, as The Team was joined by Cams roommates, Emily and Selim, along with Rozis friend, Linnea.

Caffe Barney reminded me a lot of a pub, or something along those lines, as Kimmy and I stepped into it. A cozy, wooden interior with several paintings and pieces of art lining the walls. Rozi, Cam and his roomies were already sitting at a table when we arrived, so we were immediately seated. In no time, we were each brought a coffee ($2.25 with free refills) and had our eyes on a couple of menus. Within a while of us sitting down, Lennea showed up and took to looking at her menu. After a few minutes, we had all decided on our breakfasts and placed our orders with the server, a pleasant, young lady. With our orders in, we all went back to our banter and conversations and began our short wait for the food to arrive. One coffee refill and about 7 minutes later, our plates began to arrive. Here's how things shaped up:

Jesse - Omelette. Chorizo sausage, mozza, mushrooms and tomatoes, served with toast and hash browns. ($9.50 / Total bill $12.34)

Kimmy - Florentina Benny. Spinach and tomato, served with hash browns. ($10 / Total bill: $12.85)

Rozi - Bagel ($2.00) and Fruit Salad ($7), along with extra avocado ($2). (Total bill: $14.44)

Cam - Eggs Benny. Shrimp, tomato, avocado, served with hash browns. ($10 / Total bill: $12.85)Emily - Exactly the same as Cam. Roomies think alike?

Selim - Santorini scrambler. Tomatoes, onions, etc, served with toast and hash browns. ($9.50 / Total bill: $12.34)

Linnea - Omelette. Asparagus and mushrooms, served with toast and hash browns. ($9.50 / Total bill: $12.34)

After Cam snapped the mugshots of the food, we took to our breakfasts like a pack of rabid wombats. No, I've never seen a wombat, let alone a pack of rabid ones, but I'm sure that it would look a lot like did at that moment. I'm not sure what kind of bread they used, but as toast, it was amazing and flavourful. The hash browns were done to perfection, as well. Now, the omelette was the only point of dismay for me during this meal. It was big and full of delicious ingredients, but it was lacking severely in terms of actual flavour. The individual components tasted as the should, but the eggs and omelette overall was just plain bland. Nevertheless, I gobbled it down, with the help of the salt and pepper shaker, and cleared my plate. As for everyone else, I heard nothing but good comments from them. It seemed that my omelette was the lone dissenter in the bunch, which is awesome, considering the amount of food that we ordered. Oh yes, and we did receive several coffee refills and the server was very attentive to us, as well.

Overall, The Team scored big with Caffe Barney this week. The team and I agree that we'd come back again, and would recommend it to any of our friends. I might just try something other than a omelette next time.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

The Naam

For the last Monday Breakfast of 2009, as I'll be out of town next week, The Team decided to go with a completely vegetarian/vegan joint. Say hello to The Naam, a 24-hour diner (open 7 days a week, only closed on Christmas Day) located on West 4th Avenue, between MacDonald and Stephens Street (2724 West 4th Ave). As of this week, we'll also be welcoming our friend, Cam "Ass Bag", as a full-time member of The Team.

Probably one of the best known vegetarian cuisine-serving restaurants in Vancouver, The Naam has been around for about 30 years. Upon entering, we were greeted by a warm and cozy, wooden interior. After only a mere minute or two, we were seated at a round table, near the rear of the restaurant. The unfortunate part of sitting at this table was that it was right by the washrooms, and was in a narrow part of the place. Consequently, I had the joy of getting a(n) hand/arm/bag to the rear of me every so often. That being said, we were quickly served glasses of water and each of us ordered a mug of coffee ($2.50 each, with free refills). While I wasn't a huge fan of the coffee, my teammates seemed to agree that it was quite good. Within a couple of minutes, the server came to take each of our orders.Jesse - #2 Super Special. 2 whole wheat pancakes, 2 eggs scrambled and 2 veggie sausages. ($4.99 // $8.40 total bill)Kimmy - Croissant Witch Melt. Open-faced, organic croissant, topped with melted cheese, scrambled eggs and veggie sausages. ($4.99 // $8.40 total bill)Rozi - Breakfast Quesadilla. Organic corn tortilla, stuffed with scrambled eggs, sambits, red onions, cilantro, jalapenos and cheese. ($8.50 // $12.02 total bill)Cam - Tempeh Benny. Eggs benny, on top of a pita, topped with a Tempeh burger patty, spinach, melted cheese and miso gravy, along with a serving of home fries. ($9.95 // $13.39 total bill)

With our orders placed, the four of us proceeded to read newspapers, converse and do crosswords. About 15 minutes and 2 coffee refills later, our plates of food arrived. All of the food looked delicious and appetizing. After Cam snapped a few pictures of the food, we all dug in. It was at this moment that I noticed that the server had forgotten the syrup for my pancakes. I chose to pick away at my eggs and sausages until our server came back around. I must say, as a man that loves meat, the veggie sausages were amazing. At the same time, I was disappointed to find that my eggs, which were scrambled, were runny and under-cooked. It may just be me, but I have a really hard time figuring out how someone screws up cooking scrambled eggs. Regardless, I continued munching on my meal until syrup arrived for my pancakes. Once again, I was met with disappointment, as I was served a meager amount of syrup; barely enough to flavour my two pancakes. This lack of syrup was a contributing factor to the relative dryness of them, as well. That being said, the pancakes were still quite tasty, and were of a good size, especially for the price.

Meanwhile, Kimmy and Cam both raged on about their dishes. From the looks of their food, I didn't blame them. "Are you sure that there's anything under all of that cheese?" I joked with Cam.

"Nope! Nothing but cheese and awesome in here!" he responded.

As for Rozi, she was quite pleased with her quesadilla, up until she got a big chunk of raw onion in her mouth. It stopped her dead in her tracks, as she tried to wash the taste out of her mouth. As she made her way through the rest of it, she came across a few more chunks of raw onion. As with my scrambled eggs, I really have to wonder how a person manages to cook half of the onions, but leave the other half raw, or mostly raw. I imagine that it was a matter of the cook being in a hurry to catch up on orders, as the restaurant was quite busy at this time in the morning. Either way, it was a bit disappointing to know that such minor things could be overlooked.

By the end of the meal, The Team was full and prepared to face the rest of the day. Overall, The Naam still gets props from The Team. While not A+, at least from my perspective, it was still much better than a number of places that I've been to. If you're in need of some tasty food at any hour of the day, I would still suggest The Naam to most anyone, vegans and vegetarians included.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Bandida's Taqueria

(Sorry for the late update. A delicate combination of being totally sick and totally lazy has hindered my ability to do much of anything this week. Please don't hate me.)

So, this week I switched things up a bit by doing a brunch instead of a breakfast. A few factors played into this decision:
1) I'm sick. I wanted to wake up a bit late.
2) The joint that I wanted to hit didn't open until 10am.
3) I promised a friend brunch, and she had errands to run.

Now, I must admit, the whole "being sick" thing didn't bode well for this adventure. Not only does it dampen my ability to taste things, but it also just makes me generally bitter, which could skew my opinion of the eating experience. I also made the mistake of waking up early, eating breakfast at home and, therefore, being a bit full when I headed for brunch. Keep these factors in mind while reading this week! (haha) This week, you can welcome our friend Kimmy back and a new friend, Amanda, to the blog/team!

Brunch, this week, took place at Bandida's Taqueria, located just off of 12th Ave and Commercial Drive (2781 Commercial Drive). It's a fairly new cafe, having only been open for about a year or two, but has fared quite well seeming that it's always busy when I walk by. Previously, I had been to Bandida's for vegan nachoes with a couple of friends and I remembered them being really tasty (considering I'm not vegan/vegetarian) so I had high hopes for the brunch menu.

As always, the place was bustling with people when we arrived. Kimmy was waiting for Amanda and I at the bar, so we were able to get a table immediately. We all ordered coffees ($2, includes free refills) and water was automatically brought to the table in mason jars, which is definitely a nice touch. The coffee was hot and tasty, thank goodness, since it was pissing rain that day and all of our feet were soaked. (It's a JJ Bean roast, if you're wondering.) Soon enough, the server (whose accent I couldn't, for the life of me, pick out!) came to take our orders. I went with the Breakfast Burrito (beans, eggs, veggies wrapped up in a soft tortilla) since I wasn't overly hungry and it was the cheapest brunch item, clocking in at $7. Kimmy chose the Jamie's Benny (eggs benny with a yam/potato combo) which came out to $11. Finally, Amanda settled with the Vegan French Toast, also clocking in at $11.

Considering how busy the place was, the food arrived relatively quickly, so about 10 minutes by my count. I must admit, when the server set my plate down I thought to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?" The burrito was seriously massive. It came with a nice-looking little dabble of salsa and sour cream, both of which proved useless in the end. Kimmy's plate was loaded to the max. Seriously, I was surprised that it didn't just overflow into her lap. (Though, honestly, that would've been freakin' hilarious.) This leaves us with Amanda's French toast... which was probably the biggest flop of the meal. It didn't even really look like toast. More like hashbrowns from McDonald's made out of bread with some syrup on them. Yes, $11 got her enough food to feed a 5 year-old child this morning. Anyway, so yes, we all dug into our respective plates. My burrito was a bit soggy on the bottom and messy as hell, but it was quite delicious.

When I asked Kimmy how her eggs benny was, she said, "I was just at the dentist, so my mouth is still frozen. But, from what I can taste, it's really good!" That was followed by a drink of water, some of which didn't make it into her semi-paralyzed mouth. Yes, this event would occur a few more times during this outing. Seriously, I think that I bring Kimmy out for breakfast just for the entertainment factor.

Kimmy aside, this brings us to Amanda's French toast. She said that it was tasty and enjoyable, but not quite enough to make up for the sheer lack of, well, French toast. On that note, she ordered a side of yams & potatoes to make up for the lack of substance. Luckily, Kimmy and I are slow eaters, so we weren't finished before they came out for Amanda to enjoy.

All in all, I'd have to say that Bandida's gets my thumbs-up, along with my teammates. A filling meal for under $10 generally gets my approval, let alone when it tastes as good as my burrito did even though I was sick and not all that hungry at the time. I might avoid the French toast, though....

Stay sharp, kids.
Jesse