El Camino's

Greetings and salutations to you all!  It's been another long span since my last update, hasn't it?  It seems like I'm more interested in eating rather than writing or something.  To be honest, I've just been going to a number of places that I've already reviewed, so updates have been sparse.  Lucky for us, yesterday included going for breakfast at a place that I've never been!  I'd like to introduce you to El Camino's, a Latin American-flavoured joint located just off of 16th Avenue, on Main Street. (3250 Main Street)

I remember Cam telling me about El Camino's back a few months ago, but promptly forgot about it.  It's a fairly new place, from my understanding, so it makes sense that I haven't committed it to memory before.  Much like many of the new cafes/restaurants that have been opening in Vancouver, it's fairly small and straight-forward.  A bar with a few seats greets you at the door, while the opposite wall is lined with tables for 2-4 people each.  A group of a few booths are also located in the back of the place.  Cam and I arrived before our friends Devon and Sam, and the place was already packed, so we chose to sit at the bar.  Unlike many people, we don't find it totally necessary to sit at a table when eating.  Plus, you ever notice how long people will wait in line to sit down, even when there's spots open at the bar?  I guess they're just not in a hurry or something, which I can relate to.  So yeah, we sat at the bar, ordered a couple of coffees and began looking over the menu.  El Camino's touts itself as a provider of "Latin American Street Food", and the menu doesn't disappoint.  Beans, salsa(s) and spicy ingredients pepper the menu (did you like that pun?  Yes you did!) items, making it tough for someone to pick just one thing.  I finally decided upon a Spicy Shrimp Scramble, while Cam went with The Hangover (to match how he was feeling that day).  I also ordered a classic mimosa, simply because I wasn't hungover and felt like it would be a good thing to have on this rainy Sunday morning.

The servers (only two working at the time) were slammed almost immediately after we arrived, so the service was a bit slow.  At the same time, as I said to one of them when she apologized for the wait, "If people were in a hurry, they wouldn't come into a place like this.  They'd hit McDonald's."  That's kind of my take on most restaurants/cafes/etc, though.  The people that come walking into a place, order food and immediately follow it with a mention of what a hurry their in, or something to that effect.  If you're so strapped for time, what are you doing sitting down at a restaurant?  Anyway, I've gone off on a tangent, so back to breakfast!

It wasn't a relatively long time to wait for our food, and when it did arrive, we were ready for it...

Spicy Shrimp Scramble

The Hangover

Holy crap, the potatoes were awesome!  As we all know, I like to eat them first, and generally judge a place on its potatoes, and El Camino's did not disappoint!  The toast was also quite tasty, I must say.  Most of all, the scramble was just the right amount of spicy.  Not so much that it masks the flavour (or lack thereof), but enough to make you want to have a drink.  Speaking of drinks, my mimosa had a bit of orange juice in it, to colour the champagne of course.  If you like a stiff drink at brunch, this is the place to be.  Meanwhile, Cam made short work of his Hangover and enjoyed every bit of it.  I tried some of the tortilla chips and they were also lovely.  With the bill coming in at about $24, taxes in, it was a bit pricey but totally worth it.  Plus, I could have easily saved $7.50 by not having the mimosa, so yeah, can't really complain about the price, especially considering not only food and coffee quality, but also the quality of the service.  The servers did their best to keep an eye on everyone and keep a smile on their faces even with how packed the place was this morning.  Kudos!  For that, El Camino's scores 4 Bacons from the Team!

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

Slickity Jim's

My god, is it really April 2011 already? Has it actually been just shy of 5 months since I've taken you folks out for breakfast? I'm so sorry! I've been busy and had to take somewhat of a hiatus from breakfast for the past while. Fear not, though! I'm back in action and there's plenty of places to eat in the morning in this city. Since it's my first blog in nearly half a year, I've decided to make it a special venue that I review this week. I'd like you all to say hello (and welcome back) to Slickity Jim's Chat & Chew . About two years ago, a massive fire engulfed a fair chunk of the block that the original Slickity Jim's was located on, and thus, a mainstay of the Main Street area was lost. There were always rumours of a new location opening up, but they never seemed to turn out to be true.... until now! Located between 18th and 19th Avenue (3475 Main Street), Slickity Jim's is alive and open for business! For the first entry of 2011, I'd also like you all to meet Maria, a new partner in crime!

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the newly-reopened Slickity Jim's, to be honest. The original location was such a cozy and impressive little spot, covered with vintage artwork and toys that I almost expected disappointment from this new spot. Luckily, the moment that I stepped into the place, I was pleased (and relieved) to find that it gave off a very similar vibe to me. We put our names on the list, as there was a lineup like always. (One thing I should warn you of about Slickity Jim's is that it's so popular in the area that it's nearly always busy, and the wait can be upwards to 20 or 30 minutes. So yeah, if you're hangry (hunger-induced anger, the worst kind) I wouldn't suggest making it your breakfast destination.) Anywho, after getting our name on the list, we stood outside for literally a minute before getting our name called. Turns out that everyone ahead of us on the list had given up waiting and left! Perfect! So, we were sat down at the bar, given our menus and each ordered a drink (coffee for me, Caesar for Maria).

Much to my amazement, the menu hadn't changed much (or at all, from what I could remember) from the original one. I decided upon my old favourite, The McDecimation of Cultural Diversity (Two eggs scrambled with cheddar cheese, topped with black forest ham and sliced tomato on an English muffin with salad and roasted potatoes). Meanwhile, Maria went with a Cheesy Funny Guy Omelette (Three egg omelette with wild mushrooms & cheddar, with roasted potatoes and toast). And thus began our half-hour wait for food.

From our spot at the bar, Maria and I were able get a clear view of the kitchen and the staff in it. I knew that it would take a good while for our food to come up, judging by how busy the staff looked. Unlike the old venue, this new place has a full-service bar and is fully licensed, so that's a bonus. The big advantage of the new location is that due to the increased floor space, they're able to have more servers running around the floor, thus making service far superior, from what I remember. So, after about 20 or 30 minutes, our server brought us our plates of food....


The food was seriously just like I remembered it. You know that the potatoes are good when you don't need to put any kind of seasoning on them. The salad was a simple mixed green salad with the house dressing, which equals delicious! Meanwhile, the sandwich itself was big and tasty, albeit a bit messy. Maria was utterly entranced by her food, as well. The piece of toast that she gave to me was delicious, as well. With the bill coming out to just under $30, neither of us could complain. I know that we both left feeling completely full and satisfied. Slickity Jim's, thanks for not letting us down... for that, you get 5 Bacons! I know that I will be coming back for Round Two sometime soon!

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

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

Deacon's Corner

Holy crap, it's February! The Team is saying hello to the month with the little place in the DTES, known as Deacon's Corner. Located on the corner of Main and Alexander Street (101 Main Street), Deacon's is a relatively new diner in an area of the city that has begun to the "hip and artistic" demographic. Joining The Team this week are our friends Bobby and Vicky.

As I said, this area of the city has become progressively more and more "hip" over the years. A mere three blocks from Deacon's is the "poorest urban centre" in Canada, but, as you step into this place, you feel more like you're in some diner from a TV sitcom. Vicky was waiting for us already, so there was no wait for a table. Then again, there were only about 5 other people in the place, so there would have been no wait anyway. (haha) Anywho, we were still waiting for Cam and Bobby to arrive, so we looked over the menu and ordered a couple of coffees ($1.75 with free refills). Rozi was depressed because there was no soy milk for the coffee, while I was just plain depressed by the coffee. If you were to go to an empty field, pick up a handful of the dirt there and brew it in place of coffee grounds, you would probably have the coffee that we were served. Even with my warnings, Bobby and Cam ordered a couple of their own coffees once they arrived. With all of us present, the server took our orders as follows.
Jesse - French toast with bacon. ($9 / Total $11.29)


Kimmy - Veggie omelette. Filled with spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers and cheddar cheese, served with hash browns and toast. ($10.25 / $12.60)
Rozi - Fruit bowl. Yep, it's a bunch of fruit! ($4.50 / $6.57)


Cam - B.E.L.T.CH. Toasted sandwich with bacon, eggs, lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese, served with hash browns.($7.75 / $9.98)
Bobby - Southern Scramble. Sausage and onions on housemade biscuits with gravy, served with hash browns. ($10 / $12.34)

Meanwhile, Vicky was lame and stuck with nothing but her cup of dirt-water... er... I mean coffee.

It was only a short while until our meals showed up, along with refills on our coffees. My French toast was golden and perfectly done, though it did lack the kind of flavour that I've come to expect from French toast. Regardless, it was fluffy and filling and the bacon was a bit on the crisp side, but enjoyable, nonetheless. Everyone else seemed content with their meals, though Rozi was still hungry, so she stole leftover toast and hash browns from the others at the table.

In the end, Deacon's proved to be an acceptable breakfast venue, though it gets a huge minus for the crappy coffee. Unpleasant coffee at breakfast = an unfulfilling breakfast. At least the prices were fairly reasonable and the service wasn't the worst that we've encountered.

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

Helen's Grill

Hello again! It's a new week and you know what that means... Breakfast time! This week, The Team (Cam's back!) chose another mainstay of the Main Street community, Helen's Grill (4102 Main Street). Along with the usual suspects, you can say hello to Rozi's classmate, Sean, for this foray into the world of Vancouver breakfasts.

The first thing that came to mind as I entered was how much it reminded me of The Templeton. The big difference was that there was a lot more space, fewer people and jukeboxes that actually work in each booth. Kimmy flagged me down from across diner, so I went to sit down with her. Immediately, the server, an older lady that made me think of someones smart-ass and quirky mother, brought us a few menus (as we were waiting for Rozi) and took our drink orders. Shortly after, the coffees ($1.95 each with free refills) arrived and we took to wondering where Rozi could be. Finally, my phone rang and I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi! It's me! Where are you?"

"At Helen's Grill."

"Oh? Where is it? Is there a pharmacy across from it?"

"Yeah, and a bank."

At that moment, we saw Rozi poke her head around the corner, at the other end of the diner. The jerk had been there the whole time! On top of that, it just so happened that she had Cam (who didn't tell anyone that he was coming) sitting with her, along with Sean, her classmate. What a sneaky jerk!

So, Kimmy and I sat ourselves down at this new table and went back to looking at the menus. The server came by with some more coffee and told us that she'd be back in a couple of minutes. I'm always amazed by servers, especially older ones, that can take care of an entire floor themselves. I admire it. Anyway, so yes, we all decided upon our orders just in time for the return of our server. When she arrived, she said to Sean, "I'll start with you, and you'll be Number 1. Remember that, as there'll be a quiz later."

Here's how the orders shaped up: Sean - Deluxe Burger. Huge cheeseburger with fries. ($8.95 / Total bill: $8.95)

Cam - Eggs Benny. Eggs benny, tomatoes instead of meat, with pan fries. ($9.50 / Total bill: $12.00)Rozi - Huge Breakfast (or, what was supposed to be, but made vegetarian). French toast, 3 eggs, pan fries and toast. ($9.00 / Total bill: $11.50)Jesse - Buttermilk pancakes. 3 pancakes, 2 eggs and 3 slices of bacon. ($9.75 / Total bill: $12.30)Cam - Eggs Benny. Eggs benny with panfries.($9.50 / Total bill: $12.00)

It took seriously no time for our food to arrive. Considering the amount of food that we ordered, and the number of patrons in the place, it was like light-speed. We were brought our butter, syrup and other condiments and let loose upon our plates. I have to say, all of the food was awesome. My pancakes were cooked to perfection, as were the eggs and the bacon. All four of my counterparts agreed that this was probably one of the top breakfasts that we've had, so far. When it was all said and done, our server came by with the bill and said, as she looked at Sean, "Now, I said that there'd be a quiz. Quick. What was the first thing that I said to you?"

"Ummm....." Sean couldn't remember.

"You said that he's Number 1!" Rozi blurted out.

"That's right. All of my customers get a treat," the server said as she opened a bin of candies. We each took one and thanked her. It was agreed that, by far, she is the best server that we've encountered thus far. It was a unanimous "awesome" from The Team today on how great breakfast really was. If you're looking for a good breakfast for a good price with great speed and service, hit up Helen's Grill. I'm sure that you won't be disappointed.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Bert's Restaurant

Happy New Year to you all from The Team! Hopefully you're all in good health and are ready to take on yet another year on this Earth. I know that myself and the rest of The Team are looking forward to things, namely breakfast! On that note, we started off 2010 with a little diner on Main Street and 14th Ave (2904 Main Street) called Bert's Restaurant. Established under its current name in 1948, Bert's has been a mainstay of the Main Street community for over 60 years. My roommate insisted on trying it out, as she maintains that they have the best pancakes ever, and I'm a big fan of pancakes!

So, like every Monday, The Team (minus Cam this week, as he just landed a new job) met up at Bert's around 10am. Rozi had already landed a table for us, though it wouldn't have been a concern considering the number of open tables that we had to choose from. As Kimmy and I sat down, we were immediately greeted by our server, an older lady, with menus and water along with an offering of coffee ($1.70 each with free refills), which we both happily accepted. With that, we got to scouring the menu for our Monday delights and were faced with an extensive selection to choose from. The coffee's arrived quickly and the server took our orders. Here's how breakfast shaped up for The Team:

Jesse - The "Classic" Breakfast. Two pancakes, two eggs (scrambled), three slices of bacon and toast. ($6.50 / Total bill: $8.20)

Kimmy - Eggs Benny. Tomatoes substituted for meat, with an order of pan fries. ($8.95 / Total bill: $10.65)

Rozi - Two eggs (over easy), rye toast and pan fries. ($5.75 / Total bill: $7.45)

With our orders placed, we took to drinking our coffees and having idle conversation with one another. It only took a few minutes for our food to arrive, and we took a moment to survey the situation. All of our plates looked and smelled delicious, though one of my pancakes looked a bit on the burnt side. Regardless, we all dug in and went silent for the next several minutes. I found the pancakes to be good, but a bit on the over-done side. Still, they were quite tasty, as was the rest of my meal. Rozi made short work of most of her plate and said that it was all tip-top. As for Kimmy, she commented, "It wasn't the best benny. It reminded me of an IHOP benny, and I don't mean that as a good thing."

Overall, Bert's Restaurant gets props from myself and The Team. I know that the pancakes being a bit overdone is subject to day-to-day circumstances, so I can't base my decision on such a situation. As for Kimmys benny, I guess that you may want to skip the eggs benny at Bert's. But, the service was amazing, and the food was quite good, especially for the price. If you're looking for a quiet, low-key place to have some breakfast in the area, I suggest Bert's whole-heartedly.

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse

Argo Cafe

Can you believe that it's already been a month since I started this little blog? Happy one month! In celebration of this day, The Team (from here on in, I figure that we can consider Kimmy, Rozalyn and myself as The Team) decided upon the Argo Cafe, which can be found on West 2nd Avenue and Ontario Street (1836 Ontario Street). It's open from 7am til 3pm, breakfast is served until 11am and then the lunch menu opens up afterwards. In addition to The Team, you can welcome back Cam, from last week, and a new friend, Amber.

The Argo has apparently been around for the past 60 years. When we walked into the place, you could certainly feel the old vibe of it. Small, comfy booths with coat trees, which is perfect during this time of year when we're bundled up in winter coats. One of the co-owners was making up the new menu boards at the front of the cafe, and greeted us warmly. It was also at this moment that Kimmy noticed the "cash only" sign and, as we all know, no one carries cash anymore! So, Kimmy and Amber headed out in search of an ATM, which the owner kindly pointed them to.

"You'll want to head up to the Brinks building, which is just up on 5th," he said.

"What about the gas station over on 2nd?" I asked.
"They don't have one anymore. Someone ran a stolen truck into the store, lassoed the ATM and drove off with it... twice! So yeah, they decided that they weren't going to replace it again," he explained.

With that dilemma out of the way, Rozi, Cam and I sat and drank our coffees ($1.50 with free refills, I believe. I didn't actually see the price) that our server brought us. This guy's deadpan humor and plain-spoken conversation was right up my alley. Y'know, the kind of talking that makes you laugh on the inside because it sounds so serious when you know that it's all a joke. Anyway, after about 10 minutes, Kimmy and Amber finally came back, cash in-hand. They sat down and we all examined the menu, which was simply written out on chalkboards on the wall. Hey, it's a good way to save money, avoiding physical menus and all. The menu was condensed, but still quite varied, with a selection of bacon & egg-type specials, french toast, omelettes, steak & eggs, etc. For some reason, I feel that ordering "off of the menu" would be a very viable option here, and I may just try it one of these days. Regardless, we all came to our decisions and the following ensemble is what came about:Me - "The Platter". A slice of French toast, two eggs scrambled, three slices of bacon, two slices of brown toast and pan fries. ($7.25)Rozalyn - Steak and Eggs. Ordered rare and sunny-side up, along with two slices of brown toast and pan fries. ($9.75)Kimmy - Cheese Omelette. Just a plain ol' omelette with two slices of brown toast and pan fries. ($6.25)Cam - "The Platter". French toast, over-easy eggs, bacon, brown toast and pan fries. ($7.25)Amber - "The Platter". French toast, over easy eggs, bacon, white toast and pan fries. ($7.25)

It only took a mere 5 minutes for the French toast to arrive, along with the butter and syrup for it. It was also right then that we realized that there was only one set of cutlery for 5 of us. Not a problem for the staff here, as it seems that they psychically heard us thinking it and 4 more sets of cutlery were placed upon the table. Kind of a shame, as I was hoping that Amber would just use the one set to feed all of us individually, kind of like a bird mom. (hahaha) Anywho, back to breakfast. The French toast looked and tasted amazing. It was done just right, not burnt and not soggy. After about another 3 minutes, the rest of the food arrived. All of the dishes looked quite lovely, and the portions were just the right size. The toast may have been slightly under-done, but definitely not bad at all. Rozi's steak was done to medium-rare, which was to be expected, since that's just how steaks are. It was actually why she ordered it rare, so yay for forethought! Otherwise, everything was tip-top and grade A. For the next 5 minutes or so, silence befell the table. Finally, Amber piped up, "I love it when the table goes silent."

"Well, that just means that we're all enjoying our food that much," I replied.

And it was true, the food definitely kept us all enthralled til the last of it was in our stomachs. This was another one of those situations where I ate all of my food without thinking twice. The same went for the rest of the team, as well. Yes, for the 5th week in a row, we chose another awesome breakfast joint. As per usual, I suggest the Argo to anyone and everyone, except for vegans and people who don't like a good breakfast. If you don't fall into either of those categories, then please, go to the Argo Cafe soon! I know that I'll be returning.

(From L-R: Jesse, Cam, Kimmy, Amber & Rozi)

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse