Hugo's (West Hollywood)

After a couple of days on the road with Liz, we came to the city of Los Angeles.  I hadn't been down this way since February, and Liz had just never been to the city.   I knew exactly where we had to go, though.  Remember how I said that I deleted a backlog of old entries a little while back?  Well, it just so happens that one of those places was in West Hollywood, and it was good enough for me to want to return.  With that, I introduce you to Hugo's (West Hollywood).  Located at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Kings Rd, Hugo's has been around since the 80's.  Originally opened in an old butcher shop (which had been run by a guy named Hugo, thus the name), Hugo's now sports a few locations in the Greater LA Area.  The West Hollywood location has always been the one that I'm close to, so it's the one that gets the review.  As I said, I was here in February with my girlfriend, Eliza, so I already had a bit of an opinion on Hugo's.  I remember having an egg-white omelette and being fairly disappointed with the lack of flavour and whatnot.  That said, I wanted to give it another chance, since we all know my history with omelettes.  Plus, I remembered the service, coffee, atmosphere and other parts of my plate being great.

On this fine day, Liz and I rolled into town around 10am and were hungry campers.  We parked the car and headed into Hugo's.  We were immediately greeted and given a spot on the outdoor patio, since the sun was shining and we wanted some sunlight.  The overall atmosphere was as I remembered it; bustling and busy, with people of all walks eating and conversing.  There was only one other group of people on the patio, so we were treated to peace and quiet.  We were brought coffees and waters to drink while we looked over the menu.  Liz was stoked on being at a place that had a multitude of vegan options.  I hadn't seen her eat much of anything on the road, minus a veggie sub from a Subway in the middle of nowhere, so I can imagine how exciting this menu must have been.  I decided that I was going to go for a protein scramble (broccoli and asparagus in a scramble?  Sure!) while Liz made the decision of vegan Huevos Rancheros.  For the next 10 minutes or so, we drank coffee, figured out our day and awaited our food.  We weren't disappointed...

Protein Scramble!

Huevos Rancheros!

Look at that food!  Seriously!  These people are not messing around with portions, that's for sure.  I have to say, I was very pleased with the tastes that I experienced with my dish.  The vegetables were cooked just right, the chicken was flavourful and juicy, and the eggs were also great.  The fresh fruit was a bit bland, but nothing to really scoff at.  Liz dug right in and consumed more than enough food to keep her going for another few days.  She was also very pleased with her food.  The service was also great, and realistically, the price point wasn't all that bad either, especially for the amount/quality of food.  The only thing keeping me from giving 5 Bacons is my previous omelette experience.  That said, most places have their ups and downs in terms of dishes, and Hugo's is no exception.  That said, I would recommend it to anyone and everyone that happens to be in the area!

Stay sharp, kids

Jesse

Santa Cruz Diner

Our Second stop is the Santa Cruz Diner, located on Ocean Street (909 Ocean Street) in... yes.... Santa Cruz, just as you come into the city from the 17-N highway.  I was a bit early coming into Santa Cruz to meet up with my friend, Liz, so I decided to stop into this place, since it was the first place that I saw and I needed food/coffee. 

(I think that I should mention now that (prior to my knowledge) that show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives did a visit/segment on this diner.  I've personally never seen the segment, let alone the show at all.  After reading a number of reviews on Yelp, etc, I found that most people choose to eat at Santa Cruz Diner just because of that, and are generally disappointed.  Too bad for them.  Also, this is a two-part review, as I came back to the diner a second time at the end of my trip, thus the multiple-bacon rating.)

Anywho, so I found a parking spot and headed into the diner.  I wasn't too surprised to be faced with a large line-up, since it was the Fourth of July.  What did surprise me was that there was a spot open at the counter, so I was seated immediately!  Score!  The place was a madhouse, for sure.  Every person and their dog had come out for breakfast this day, apparently.  Regardless, I began to look over the menu and decide upon what I wanted to stuff into my face this morning.  As I was reading, one of the servers, a girl in her mid-20's, cruised by and quickly said, "I'll be right with you!"  Understandably, she was doing a million and one things, much like the rest of the staff.  It was only a couple of minutes before she came back to take my order.  I ordered a coffee and a water and with went a 2-egg breakfast combo (2 eggs, hash, bacon and pancakes @ $7.99) for food.  She jotted it all down, took the menu, thanked me and cruised off again.  She grabbed me my drinks, then went off to put in the food order and help every other person, it seemed.  As I sipped on my coffee (which was tasty!) I took a look around and people watched a bit.  The walls were lined with countless signs and trinkets, as it should be in an American diner I think!  There were a few regulars flanking me, so I got to listen in on the local gossip about work and the like.  Every few minutes, Jessica (the server) would stop by to refill my coffee, assure me that my food was coming and/or just say hey.  I marveled at the sheer volume of food that was coming out of the kitchen and the speed at which it was coming.  It was only about 20 minutes before my first plate (everything but the pancakes) arrived.  Jessica assured me that the pancakes would be along shortly, to which I replied, "You see what a huge hurry I'm in!"  It was literally only 2 or 3 minutes before the pancakes arrived...

I'm so used to having huge pancakes when I go to diners, so the smaller-sized ones that came along were refreshing for me.  Nothing worse than being given too much food that ends up just being wasted.  I dug in, starting with the bacon.  My.God.  I can't quite put my finger on the flavour, but it was fantastic.  I seriously think that it's the best bacon that I've ever had.  I'm not a big fan of shredded potatoes, but hey, these ones were about as good as I could ask for at a diner.  The pancakes were also delicious!  Not mushy/undercooked/etc, so that was lovely.  My only food gripe was with the eggs, which seemed to be a bit watery... though, they still tasted fine, so I can't really complain.  Overall, the meal was well-worth the $7.99!  I ended up sitting for another hour or so, simply because my coffee kept being refilled and I hate turning down coffee.  Okay, I admit it, I was also enjoying sitting, relaxing and interacting, as well.  Finally, after about 5 coffees, I paid my bill and wished Jessica a good day.  This was our parting conversation:

"Keep on fighting the good fight!"

"You're leaving already?"

"Already?  I've only been here for an hour and a half!" (laugh)

"I know!  I'm just stressed and you made me happy, so I hate to see you go."

"Well, you'll be off soon!  Then you can hopefully relax."

"Let's hope so!"

So yeah, I have to say that my overall experience at the Santa Cruz Diner was awesome.  The food was great, minus the little egg thing, the price was great (just over $10 after tax?  Yep!) and the service was awesome, especially considering that it was July 4th in America.  4.5 Bacons from this guy!  So yes, go go go here if you have the chance!

Stay sharp, kids

Jesse

PART II

As I said, I came back at the end of my trip.  I had spent the night in Santa Cruz, after dropping off Liz, so I figured that I'd give the diner a second go.  It was 8am on a Sunday morning, so the diner was dead and I was seated in a booth immediately.  My server this time was a kind, late/middle-aged lady that I had not seen during my previous visit.  She quickly brought me a coffee and took my order.  This time, I went for a combo, but changed it to eggs/bacon/home-fries and toast to get a different experience.  It was literally 3 minutes between ordering and the food arriving.  To some, this is a good thing... to me, it's a bad sign...

The bacon was cool, the potatoes were half-and-half warm and the toast was soft.  The eggs were done just right, though!  Anyway, so I can guess from this that they run a buffer in the kitchen, keeping the bacon and the potatoes in a warmer or something.  I can understand this, especially at a 24-hour diner during dead periods.  At the same time, at least attempting to bring food back up to temperature would be awesome too.  So yeah, the bacon still tasted good, as did the potatoes and eggs.  Still, I was a bit put off by the temperature.  At least the coffee and the service was still awesome, much like last time.  Unfortunately, I have to give my second go at Santa Cruz Diner 2.5 Bacons.  It's sad, but hey, it's true.  That said, I guess just come here when it's really busy!  It's worth the wait, I'd say.

Stay sharp, kids

Jesse

The Wallflower

It's always good to have a long weekend that you didn't expect.  It gives a person time to do a few things that they're normally too busy/tired to do.  In my case, that means time to have breakfast at a new place!  This week, I chose The Wallflower. I was accompanied by Tomas and our Swedish friend, Carolin.

Located on Main Street, just off of Broadway (2420 Main Street), The Wallflower was opened up in 2009 with the idea of having an eatery that was appealing to omnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike.  I've been meaning to try it out for quite a while, but today was the day that it finally happened.  We arrived around 9:30am, meaning that the place was pretty barren, thus we had our pick of spots to sit.  We chose a cozy, little booth by the door that fit all three of us without having to use a plain ol' chair.  We were brought waters and menus by a cheerful, young lady and each ordered a coffee ($2.50 each).  The menu was straight-to-the-point, yet varied enough to appeal to everyone.  It only took a few moments for each of us to make up our minds and place our orders.  I went with the Crystal Benny, since I was craving a benny and bacon at the same time, along with a Gin Blossom (yes, booze in the morning).  Meanwhile, Tomas chose the Super Breakfast and Carolin opted for a (non-breakfast) Tofu Peanut Wrap.  While waiting for the food, we took in the surroundings of the joint.  The walls were spotted with various art pieces from local artists and were otherwise plain but inviting.

Soon enough, the food arrived...

 Crystal Benny ($12)

 Super Breakfast ($12)

 Tofu Peanut Wrap ($10)

As always, I started with the potatoes.  The seasoning on them was perfect, though I did come across a couple of under-cooked ones.  That's something that I can generally overlook.  The dressing that was used on the salad was awesome and the benny was delicious on all counts.  The hollandaise sauce was tasty, and the bacon was cooked to perfection.  Both Tomas and Carolin were very impressed with their choices, as well.  The presentation and overall quality of all three dishes was excellent, and totally matched the flavours of them.  I don't see why I've never come to this place before!

So, with all of that in mind, I have to give The Wallflower 4.5 Bacons overall.  The underdone potatoes were a bit off-putting, and a bit more potatoes/salad would have brought it up to the $12 that the dish cost.  At the same time, I can't stress how it was definitely quality over quantity.  Try this place out!

Stay sharp, kids

Jesse

Rhizome

Greetings once again, everyone! Can you believe it? This is the second weekend in a row that I've updated this silly thing! This is good news for us all, I think. This week, you can welcome back Maria "Baby Snakes" and my roommate, Tomas!

Tomas, Cam and I just moved into a new house in the Fraser/Broadway area of Vancouver, so the target-area of nearby breakfast joints has changed. On this particular Saturday, none of us were feeling like going particularly far, so the options were limited. Most of the close places (Seb's, Lion's Den, Salt & Pepper) have already been subjects of this blog, but luckily, there was one option that we could all agree on. Say hello to Rhizome! Located on East Broadway, just off of Kingsway (317 East Broadway), Rhizome opened in June of 2006 and has become a mainstay of the area. Known as more than just a diet-inclusive cafe (I use that term to describe a venue that provides vegan/vegetarian food, while still serving meat), Rhizome is also a community meeting-spot and local art venue. They host everything from film screens and panel discussions to game nights and live music most Thursdays to Sundays, so there's never a dull moment at this place. On Saturdays and Sundays, they also have a brunch menu, as opposed to the regular daytime menu, so Saturday was the perfect day for The Team to hit Rhizome for the blog!

Stepping into Rhizome, the three of us were instantly taken in by the vibe of the place. We were greeted by pieces of art hung all over the walls and the chatter of people of all sorts. Almost immediately, one of the servers came up, took us to a table and got us our menus. Items varied from tofu scrambles and polenta to pancakes and their own take on eggs benny, Eggs Rhizomedict. While browsing our menus, we were brought water and coffee ($2.25, free refills only during brunch) and given a few more minutes to make our choices. It's always tough, when coming to a new breakfast venue, to decide on what to eat since you want to try it all! Eventually, we came to our decisions and put our orders in. The server took our menus and we took to enjoying our coffees (delicious, by the way!) and conversing. It wasn't long before our food began to arrive, along with a whole pitcher of water since we were drinking it at such an insane rate...

Tomas and Maria both chose the Chilaquiles, which is strips of corn tortillas scrambled with eggs in red salsa, topped with jack cheese and served with black beans.

In addition, Maria ordered a fruit cup, which was actually fresh fruit cut up, as opposed to that crap that comes out of a can. Also, Tomas took an order of veggie patties, on top of home-made biscuits, topped with miso gravy, just for the hell of it.
And, finally, I went with the Eggs Rhizomedict. Basically, take a classic benny, but instead of hollandaise sauce, it's topped with their own special-made squash sauce! It also came with pan-fried potatoes & yams and a side salad. I also ordered a side of chicken sausage, since I've never actually tried such a thing.

We all took a refill on our coffees and dug into our respective meals. My tongue was met by an explosion of flavours as I took the first bite of my benny. The squash sauce was sweet, but not too sweet, the eggs were done just right and the home-made biscuit was delicious. The salad was a standard mixed-green salad with a tasty dressing, while the potatoes/yams were cooked to perfection and didn't require any seasoning (a sure sign of well-done root veggies!) Meanwhile, Tomas inhaled his food, minus the veggie patties that he left for Maria and I to try, voicing his approval of his meal. Maria, being the Baby Snake that she is, fought to finish all of her food, but that doesn't mean that she didn't enjoy it! Each of us took turns tasting each others food as well, just to get a good range of opinions on the plates. The Chilaquiles were quite tasty, definitely a refined dish with the salsa and eggs striking an excellent balance in the recipe. By the time that I got to the veggie patties, I was full already, so I only had a half of one. All three of us agreed that the miso gravy was a bit strong and that the patties weren't quite what we expected. Still, they weren't bad by any means. I'm not a big miso gravy man, myself, so my opinion is a bit skewed. In the end, though, we all agreed upon an overall 4.5 Bacons, though I'd put it to a more realistic 4.9, since the only real complaint that we had was the patties. Otherwise, the service, ambiance, value and food quality was amazing! The overall bill was only about $30 or so, so you can't knock that, especially since we all left feeling pleasantly full. Plus, the ladies there were just plain amazing people. So yes, if you find yourself in need of a good brunch on a weekend, and you're in the area, I'd suggest Rhizome 100%!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Portland

Hey everyone! Long time no see, I must say. Being on the road makes updating this food blog a bit tough, especially when you're avoiding snakes and angry hobos. Anywho, to streamline things a bit, I won't be doing separate entries for each joint that we hit, unless if it's really worth it. So, here we go.... welcome to America, namely Portland, OR!

Fuller's

Cam and I arrived in the city around noon and got our stuff to the hostel. (Find out more at our other blog.) Both of us were famished, so we headed out in search of food. We came across a nice-looking diner on the corner of NW 9th Ave and Davis (136 NW 9th Ave), known as Fuller's. I likened it to a bigger and more classy Save on Meats Cafe. Only bar seating for about 20 people in this place, and that added a bit of flavour, I think.

So, we sat down immediately and were brought a couple of waters. We each ordered a coffee ($1.95 each, free refills) and began browsing the menu. It featured many of the things that you'd expect from a diner, ie. breakfast specials, french toast, burgers, etc. Cam and I decided that it was too late for breakfast, so we each ordered a burger, no fries. The service was amazingly fast and the servers themselves were a lovely bunch of folks. Coffee kept coming as soon as we got a bit low, and the burgers also came out in a matter of minutes. They were great! So full of toppings and fresh veggies. We scarfed them down in no time, finished our coffees and paid our bill, which only came out to about 12 bucks. Good show and 3.5 Bacons all-around!

Food Carts

Having been to Portland before, Cam was aware of some delicious and cheap food in the core of Portland. In a few spots, there are groups of street vendors serving up a multitude of food and delights. (Take a hint, Vancouver). Everything from Thai to burgers to Indian and Mexican. If you wanted it, you could get it from these places. Our first foray into the food carts was for lunch. Cam was going to get some curry, until he was given a sample of some sauce at a pulled pork booth. His mind changed in that moment and he ordered up a pulled-pork sandwich. Meanwhile, my heart was set on a grilled-cheese sandwich.... and then it happened... I fell in love. Yes, I found a booth that made burgers with grilled-cheese sandwiches AS BUNS. WHAT?! For 5 bucks, how could I refuse or resist? It was like heaven, minus the crappy parts. I'm sure that my heart stopped a few times in the midst of eating, but that's okay. Cam's sandwich blew his mind, among other things, I'm sure.

For our second run the following day, we returned to the same set of carts and chose a couple of new places. Cam finally got his Thai curry.

Meanwhile, I got... SURPRISE, a burger!

I'm going to have to give 4.5 bacons to these places. The prices were right and they didn't mess around, that's for sure.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

The Elbow Room

Here we are, pretty much at the end of April already. I don't know about you, but I think that 2010 really needs to slow down, especially so that we can plan out how to survive 2012! (-insert sigh, head slap and laughter here-) On that note, The Team chose to head back into the downtown area for our breakfast adventure this week. Considering the number of breakfast/brunch joints in the downtown core, it's kind of funny that this is only The Team's second foray into the area. In light of that fact, we chose a very one-of-a-kind place, and that place is known as The Elbow Room, which is located on Davie Street, just off of Seymour Street. (560 Davie Street) Kimmy has finally returned from her breakfast hiatus this week, so welcome her back. Additionally, you can welcome back Sarah and say hello to Paul, Cam's friend that was up from Seattle for the weekend.

Now, anyone that knows of The Elbow Room and what it's all about will tell you that you have to experience it at least once. Some people take the ribbing and abuse with a laugh, while others take themselves entirely too seriously, and get offended by the treatment they receive at The Elbow Room. Yes, it is actually the mandate of The Elbow Room to be offensive, abusive and just plain mean. Don't take it seriously, though, as it's all part of the fun. For us especially, it wasn't too difficult since one of the rules of the place is that you get your own refills of coffee and water, which is exactly what we do at Bon's on a regular day. Anyway, so yeah, if you take yourself too seriously, or are just emotionally unstable, I'll point you away from The Elbow Room right now. Otherwise, head on down and have some fun with your eating experience!

In our case, we (minus Paul, he hadn't shown up) were seated immediately and brought drinks. Waters for Sarah and I, and coffee ($2.75 each, bottomless cup) for Cam and Kimmy. When we opened our menus we were greeted by a list of rules, which included the refill thing that I mentioned earlier, don't ask questions, don't take a million years to make a choice and the like. Frankly, the rules actually made really good sense to me! Anywho, after reading the rules we began searching through our breakfast options. The Elbow Room's menu is very extensive and leaves you torn over about 5 different items, and that's after you narrow down your options. After what seemed like ages, we had all eliminated our options and had come to our decisions. I went with The Lumberjack (eggs, bacon, ham, sausages, hash browns and marble rye toast), Kimmy chose Thelma (an eggs benny of sorts, topped with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado and cheese), Cam went nuts and chose The New Yorker (another eggs benny with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, bacon and pepperoni, topped with spicey bbq sauce) and Sarah was boring with a plain ol' bacon & cheese omelette.

It was at this moment that Cam realized that he had missed a phone call. It had been his friend Paul, and he was on his way down to meet us for breakfast. Just as Cam was relaying this information to us, I saw Paul walk in the door. The look that the owner of the place gave him, and then us was classic. Paul said, "I'm with those guys." To this, the owner replied, "You're with those stupid idiots?" Then one of the servers sat him down at the head of our table and said, "So, is this all of you, or are you going to bring more people?" We assured him that Paul had been MIA beforehand and was a surprise addition to our team. With that grilling over with, our server came back over and took Paul's drink order and gave him a menu. I made a point of sending him straight to the rules section, since he had gotten off to a bit of a rough start. (haha!) By the time that the server came back with Paul's coffee, he was ready to order his food, so with that out of the way, we began our wait for breakfast.

After about 5 minutes, I looked up and said to Cam, "Isn't that Andrew?" (Andrew being a friend of ours)

"What the hell? Yes, it is!" he exclaimed.

Then our friend Tomas walked up, and we realized that they had all shown up for breakfast.

"I didn't think that you guys were coming!" Cam said.

"No we didn't, I just didn't reply to your message," Tomas replied.

So, here we had another 4 people showing up for breakfast, after we'd all assured the staff that no one else was coming to join us. We got the dirtiest looks from the owner and the server. The owner walked over to the table that was sitting behind and said, "Would you guys mind if we moved you to another table so that these idiots can sit next to their stupid friends?"

The table of people happily obliged and the four new folks were seated directly behind us. I'm not going to get into details on them and their food, since they were separate from us, and I wasn't close enough to converse with them. Let's just say that they ordered a bunch of food and coffee and had a lovely time!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.... or, The Team's table, in this case, our food began to arrive. The plates were loaded, and I mean loaded. Not only were they loaded, but they looked damn tasty.

"I don't think that I can eat this. Seriously, it's like a work of art," Cam commented. I thought that he might be serious, but then again, Cam says some pretty stupid stuff.

So, we all dug into our breakfasts. I have to say, everything tasted amazing. The bacon had such an awesome flavour that I couldn't get enough of it. The only complaint that I had was that the eggs seemed a bit rubbery... but, they still tasted great! Everyone else agreed, as they happily munched away on the food in front of them. I think that Cam's comment sums it up... "This is the first breakfast that I can say that I'm actually full with no complaints."

The bill, after taxes, came out to about $80, which isn't too too bad for 5 people, though we think that there may have been a few dollars added in somewhere, since it seemed like the math didn't seem to work out. Regardless, we paid the bill and left a tip. Frankly, the food was good enough that we weren't too concerned, though I may make the suggestion to check the math on your bill if you do happen to come to The Elbow Room. All in all, I give The Elbow Room 5 Bacons for food and service, and 4 Bacons for affordability! Tasty times, and some pretty good laughs at our expense.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Ludi's

We all knew that this day would come. Yes, the day that Eat My Brains leaves Vancouver for a meal or two and goes international! Cam and I took a short, 2 day-ish trip to Seattle, Washington to visit a couple of friends and attend a show. (RJD2, for those of you who care, and it totally kicked ass!) We arrived in Seattle on Saturday morning, sometime around 11am, and we were both seriously craving some breakfast. As Cam and I were walking up 2nd Avenue, right around Pike Place Market, I noticed a cafe on the corner of 2nd and Pike (200 Pike Street) called Ludi's. The name alone made me think (and say to Cam), "That's the place."

So, we walked in and found ourselves in a sitcom-esque diner. Half of it was a bar, while the other half was a cafe. The cafe had bar and table seating available, and Cam and I opted for a table. The place was filled with a mish-mash of public workers, cracked-out looking people, the homeless and one man in a very nice purple suit/hat. We were truly in America, and we loved it. The server came up to us and asked us if we'd like any drinks. We both went with a coffee ($1.75, free refills) and began browsing through the menu. I was torn between having something from the lunch menu, seeming that it was nearly noon already, and going for breakfast since I hadn't had any that morning and had been up since 5am. After a long inner-battle, I decided upon breakfast (The Pancake Sandwich special, 2 pancakes, 2 eggs and bacon), as did Cam (Breakfast Combo #3, 4 small pancakes, 2 bacons and 1 egg). With our orders taken, we drank our coffees and began figuring out our plan for the day and weekend.

After only a couple of minutes, our food arrived and we were upon it like a pair of vultures in no time. It all looked up-to-par, for what we were expecting from this diner. My pancakes we HUGE, much like the ones that my mother used to make. The taste was to match, that's for sure.... delicious. The bacon and eggs were done perfectly as well and tasted amazing! Cam agreed with my opinions on all fronts. His pancakes were small, just as the menu said, but still delicious. He had admitted, even before he ordered, that he was sure that he'd still be hungry after this meal, and he wasn't wrong. I, on the other hand, was completely stuffed from my food. The bill came out to 20 bucks and some cents, so we couldn't complain.

Overall, we had hit gold on our first out-of-Vancouver breakfast. This place gets 5 Bacons for service, 4 Bacons for food/affordability and 4 Bacons for atmosphere. Yes, some people consider the vibe of the place to be sketchy, but frankly, that's right up Cam and my alley.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

The Well

I'm seriously going to have to change the description of this blog soon. As it has worked out, Kimmy has opted out of Sundays because she hates waking up on her first day off each week. Meanwhile, Rozi always works at 9am on Sundays, so Sunday's are pretty much Cam + Jesse + whoever day. Meanwhile, I'm off Tuesday, while Kimmy and Rozi don't work until noon, so Tuesdays are Kimmy + Rozi + Jesse + whoever day. Got that? I think that I've got it now too. (haha)

Anyway, on that note, for the first Tuesday Breakfast, Kimmy made the choice of a little cafe on Main Street and 14th Avenue (3048 Main St), known as The Well. I've walked past it a number of times, but have never actually stopped to see what it is. I was the first to arrive, so I sat down at a table by the door and ordered a coffee ($2.75 with refills) from the very pleasant server. She also handed me a menu to look at, so I took a gander. It was a simple, one-sided menu, so the options were limited and pricey. There were a few omelettes, a "traditional" breakfast and a couple of scrambles. Otherwise, it was sandwiches and pasta to choose from this morning. On one hand, it was a warning that the taste of the food would be limited like the options on the menu. On the other hand, perhaps they limited the menu so that they could excel at the food that they made. I hoped for the latter of the two.

Just as I finished with the menu, Kimmy arrived and sat down with me. She ordered a coffee and took a look at the menu. Not long after she sat down, Rozi came in the door. She sat down beside me and ordered a peppermint tea. Rozi has been on a no eggs/meat kick for a little while, so she was immediately a bit disappointed in the menu. All of the breakfast options involved eggs, so she went straight for the sandwich section. This proved to be a far more suitable section for her dietary wants/needs. So, the server came back and took our orders. Kimmy went with a Well's Enchiladas, Rozi took a Primavera Sandwich and I chose a Western Omelette. The server took our menus, put our orders in and brought refills of coffee. She was soft-spoken, very pleasant and attentive.

It was mere minutes until our plates came to the table. I knew that we were in for some delicious eats the moment that I saw the food. My omelette was huge, like the Titanic of omelettes, filled with lots of veggies and ham. Kimmy's enchilada looked awesome, as well, all covered in veggies and sour cream. In fact, Rozi went so far as to say, "Your plates make me want to like eggs again!" Of course, her sandwich looked scrumptious at the same time. All of our meals came with a selection of fresh fruit (honeydew, strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, etc) and pan fries (minus Rozi's). Not just little pieces of fruit, but all-out slices and bunches, and they all looked/tasted great. The actual meals were right up to snuff, as well; flavourful, filling and all of that jazz. All three of us cleaned our plates in no time, all the while getting a number of refills from our server.

After tips, all of our bills came out to roughly $20, so this was one of the more pricey places that The Team has visited. At the same time, it was very well-worth every penny. Awesome food, awesome service and a nice, calm atmosphere. Even the cook peeked out of the kitchen to ask us how our meals were. It's that kind of stuff that really makes me like any restaurant. It adds a face to the experience and the food. If you happen to be kicking around Main Street and need some good food, breakfast or otherwise, I whole-heartedly suggest The Well to you.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Nice Cafe

Can you believe that we're almost through the first month of 2010? Crazy stuff, I tell you! For the last breakfast of January 2010, The Team had to scramble up a new location in a hurry, since the original choice for the week turned out to be closed on Mondays. With that, we bring you Nice Cafe, located just off of Main Street on 8th Avenue (154 East 8th Ave).

Now, I remember coming to Cafe Nice about 3 years ago, but I was hungover and it was with a large group of people, so my memories of it were extremely fuzzy. This time, my senses were clear and all I had was the rest of The Team with me, so that was a plus. Cafe Nice is a cozy, yet spacious little place with plain walls and a straightforward decor. The moment that we sat down, a server was upon us with mugs, a butler of coffee and a smile. She asked us what we'd like to drink, so Cam, Kimmy and I took coffees ($1.60 each with free refills), while Rozi stuck with a tea (also $1.60), due to a lack of soy milk for the coffee. Additionally, Kimmy went with a large orange juice ($2.75), which it turns out was actually large, unlike a lot of breakfast places that I've been to. So, with our drinks before us, we took to the menu, which was simple, straight-forward, but still fairly extensive. An array of eggs/bacon options, omelettes, bennys and hotcakes. The server returned a few minutes later and took our orders.Jesse - Pancakes. 3 pancakes, 2 eggs (scrambled), and 3 slices of bacon. ($7.10 / Total bill: $9.14)
Kimmy - Florentine Benny. Benny with spinach and feta cheese, served with hashbrowns. ($6.85 / $11.76)
Rozi - Large fruit salad & veggie omelette (minus the eggs and cheese, so yes, just the vegetables cooked up). A mixture of bananas, melons and the like, onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, served with toast and hashbrowns. ($4.95, $7.10 / $14.23)
Cam - Blackstone Benny. Benny with bacon and tomato, served with hashbrowns. ($6.85 / $8.87)

It was during the wait between ordering and receiving our food that Cam noticed one crucial flaw in Cafe Nice.

"I could really use a refill of coffee," he said. It dawned upon us that we hadn't received a refill since our initial pours. Perhaps they were just brewing more, since many new tables had been seated shortly after us, or maybe we really were stuck in a no-coffee nexus. Either way, the server's ESP must have been at full-power, since about a minute after Cam spoke those words, our server was around with fresh coffee. The girl had been reading our damn minds, and we had no choice in the matter. I had to remember to keep thinking about rainbows and kittens if this fact was true, to avoid embarrassment. She didn't seem to be picking up anything from me, so I concluded that it was mere coincidence that she had arrived with the coffee at that time.

Enough about the coffee and psychic servers, though. Within a matter of minutes, our plates arrived. Kimmy snapped the pictures and we dug in. If you haven't caught on yet, pancakes are my "thing", you could say. So yes, when I took the first bite of these good-sized pancakes, I was not disappointed in the slightest. Done to near-perfection, minus the third one, which was little burnt, they were thick and flavourful. The bacon and eggs were also done the way that I like them, not raw but not crispy, and had delightful flavours. Meanwhile, Rozi made the comment, "Now I realize that the thing that makes an omelette good, is the eggs and the cheese!" So, from that statement, I inferred that the mixture of veggies wasn't what she expected. Cam, as well, commented at the end, "I'm still hungry. Shredded hashbrowns aren't my thing." I think that Kimmy and I were the only ones without complaints this time.

In the end, we were (mostly) satisfied with Cafe Nice. If Cam wasn't such a glutton and Rozi actually ate the good parts of breakfast, it would receive an A+! I would still suggest it to most anyone if you're in the area. Good prices for good food and good service!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

The Templeton

Surprise! Schedules changed around for the better and The Team was able to assemble for the final Monday of 2009! For our final breakfast of this year, and decade, we decided upon a Vancouver classic, The Templeton. Located in the heart of downtown, on Granville Street and Helmcken Avenue (1087 Granville Street), this place is one of the older diners that's still running in the city, having originally opened (as Adele's cafe) around 1934.

The Team arrived just shortly after 10am (1 hour after open), as per usual. Already the place was packed with people, in the booths and along the bar. The first thing that catches most first-time visitors is the vintage jukebox, and yes, it still works. Each of the booths is still equipped with the original jukebox controls as well. As for us, we were lucky enough to only have to wait a couple of minutes for a booth to open up. (WARNING: Do not sit down before the server clears the table!) The server sat us down and set us upon the menu, which most of us were somewhat (or, in Rozi's case, very) familiar with. It contained a great balance between vegetarian and non-vegetarian meal choices. Within about another 5 minutes, the server came back, took our orders and confirmed that we all wanted coffee ($2 each, free refills). With that, she took off for a few more minutes in search of coffee for us, all while helping the other patrons. Finally, our coffee arrived, so we dug in for moderate wait we'd be enduring while the following food was being prepared:


Jesse - Trucker's Breakfast. 3 eggs (scrambled), turkey sausages, rosemary potatoes and toast. ($8 / Total $10.50)

Kimmy - Breakfast Sundae. Layered granola, vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit in a sundae cup. ($6 / Total $8.40)

Rozi - Mangled Eggs. Bacon, scrambled eggs and Montreal brie inside a toasted croissant, with a side of rosemary potatoes, along with an extra side of sour cream & salsa. ($9 / Total $11.55)

Cam - Huevos Rancheros. Flour tortilla with scrambled eggs, peppers, onions, and black beans. Comes with a side of rosemary potatoes, sour cream and salsa. He also added cheese. ($11 / Total $13.65)

Now, I'd like to take this moment to make note of the service that you get at The Templeton. As I normally do, I read some reviews on Google before heading out for breakfast. It seems that the biggest complaint was the slow and/or rude service that they received at The Templeton. Now, I must admit, the service was slow and the server was a bit on-edge. But, let's be honest here, if I was the only server dealing with a whole cafe full of hungry people and screaming children, I wouldn't be serving each table hand over foot, nor would I be in the best of moods. Cut the girl some slack, folks! I think that, given the circumstances, she does a damn fine job, so suck it up.

Anywho, yes, our breakfasts! After about 10 or 15 minutes, all of our plates arrived. All of it looked and smelled amazing. I've never really been one for turkey sausages/bacon/etc, but I must say that the turkey sausages that I got here were freaking amazing. The eggs we done to perfection and the toast was delicious. The only problem was the potatoes, some of which were still quite undercooked, while others were burnt to a near-crisp. Otherwise, everything was exactly as I imagined it. As for the rest of The Team, they were all in agreeance that their meals were top-notch, minus the potatoes on Cams plate, which were done the same as mine. All the while, there was no lack of coffee refills which, as you all know, is a huge factor for this teams breakfasts. (haha) After we were all done, Rozi contemplated ordering one of the famous milkshakes. Unfortunately, the server caught wind of this idea and said, "You expect me to make you a milkshake when I'm this damn busy?"

Rozi looked down and said, "No...", much like a kid who had been scolded would.

"She comes here all the time," the server assured us, "she knows better."

On that note, we all laughed, finished up our coffees and paid our bills. For $10, I can say that I was quite satisfied with the breakfast that I got at The Templeton. Minus those potatoes, of course.... The Team agrees that, yes, The Templeton is a Grade A place worth visiting again.... and again.... and again.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Docker's Diner

I'm sure that everyone's been waiting for the week that I go to a regular breakfast joint, as opposed to the "ethnic" places of the prior couple of weeks. Well, here it is! This week we hit Docker's Diner, located on the corner of Victoria Drive and Powell Street (1869 Powell Street). For the past few years I've walked/rode past this place, but have never had the time or desire to stop in and check it out. Today was the day that I finally made it my mission to find out just how great Docker's really was. This week, as per usual, I was joined by my teammates, Kimmy and Rozalyn.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a warm and cozy environment. There was about 5 tables of people already talking and eating, which left us with a number of places to sit. The seats were comfy and the table was clean, which boded well for this diner. The walls were lined with various pictures and posters from various places and eras. It kind of reminded me of Slickity Jim's (RIP), which put a smile on my face. Our server, a kindly middle-aged lady, came cruising over to our table like an eager cat that had just spotted a tasty mouse. She brought us a couple of menus, pointed out the specials of the day and proceeded to bring us each a coffee ($1.50 each, free refills). This coffee was probably some of the tastiest coffee that I've had in a restaurant for a long, long time. I'm not sure what blend/brand it was, but it was good and hot. That's what really counts for a man like me.

For a few minutes, we sat and weighed our options on the menu. All the while, people kept coming in, each greeted by name as they entered. It was almost like being in an episode of Cheers, only if it was based in a diner instead of a bar. Plus, the hot topic of conversation this day was the Als Grey Cup win the night before, which was the cause of many jeers and searing comments.

"What a terrible way to lose! That coach is going to have to live with it for the rest of his life."

"What were they thinking? Were they all brain-damaged?"

After a little while, the server came back and took our orders. I chose the French Toast Platter (3 slices of French toast/2 eggs/4 slices of bacon) which weighed in at $8.95. Kimmy decided upon a spinach and cheddar omelette (came with 2 slices of toast and hashbrowns), which totalled $7.95. Meanwhile, Rozi went with a vegetarian omelette (cheese, various colours of peppers, mushrooms, spinach and tomato/2 slices of toast/hashbrowns), setting her back a whole $8.95.

Now, between the time that we placed our orders and the time that the food arrived was only enough for one refill of coffee. Considering how quickly the three of us drink coffee, that's fast, especially when there's only one person cooking in the kitchen. Anyway, the food arrived at lightning speed, with Kimmy and Rozi's dishes arriving about a minute or two before mine. Frankly, I wasn't bothered by the lag, since when it arrived, I was greeted by a very generous helping of food. The same went for both of the girl's plates, which were packed full of tasty delights. Not only was there lots of food, but it all looked so good. As we dug in, we were blown away by the medley of tastes and flavour that filled our mouths. The French toast was some of the best that I've had in a good, long while and the eggs were done just right. The bacon wasn't burnt to a crisp nor limp like a dead fish, and very tasty. On the girl's end of things, the omelettes were big, stuffed with tasty looking veggies and the hashbrowns were done to perfection. The toast was, well, toast as one would expect. (haha)

As a testament to how good this breakfast really was, let me just say that I finished all of my food without hesitating for a moment. It's rare for me to finish any meal completely, let alone the first one of the day. So, with that in mind, I can say that my mind was blown by this breakfast. Both of my teammates agreed that, yes, this was our top breakfast so far. I would recommend Docker's Diner to my friends and enemies alike. I'm sure that I'll be stopping at this place a fair bit in the future.

Stay sharp, kids.
Jesse