Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Many Vancouverites mourned the loss of Save on Meats, a Vancouver landmark that closed its doors after over half a century of service — the famous neon flying pig finally dimming its lights in 2009. Not one to miss a step (or opportunity), serial entrepreneur Mark Brand took over the space with a vision of resurrecting the butchery and giving the famed back of the room cafe a proper home.

Save on Meats is the stuff of urban legends. It’s older than dirt. The last years of its life was spent in the heart of the rapidly deteriorating downtown eastside and thus it spouted a reputation when brave souls ventured in to discover decent, large portioned, food was being served in a makeshift cafe in the back of this butchery.

(Above: Save on Meats’ famous burger, fries and topped with a pickle. It doesn’t get much more old school than this.)

The new space is beautifully understated. An open hall with a long bar running along one side while no more than a dozen booths line an exposed brick wall on the other. Nice modern touches are welcomed (i.e. credit card machine, clean washrooms), but Brand was smart to not over-hipsterize (is that even a word?) the decor.

(Above: Save on Meats and its customers are in it for the long hall.)

After a brief wait, Case and I found a seat at the bar among other eager diners. The menu reads like the gospel of greasy spoon: roast chicken sandwiches, tuna melts and meat loafs. Bangers and mash and fried chicken is about as exotic as it gets.

Case and I were content to order The Burger: a homemade patty slathered in sauce, topped with bacon and cheese between two uniquely sweet buns. It didn’t disappoint. It’s no gourmet burger by any stretch, but classic greasy spoon at its finest. The buns are dense enough to hold the sauce without crumbling, but had the texture and taste of a rugged Chinese baked bun. The accompanying fries were crispy and well seasoned, and we enjoyed dunking them in the added side of gravy.

(Above: Made from scratch black forest cake. This one founds its way home with us.)

We didn’t have room for dessert, and so took a slice of black forest cake for the road. It was equally enjoyable: old school recipe, beautiful spongey layers of chocolate, cream and hidden cherries. Our meal including taxes and tips came to just under $25, a friendly price indeed. It’s still too early to see if this incarnation of Save on Meats will last another half century, but judging by its early performance, the resurrected Save on Meats is certainly starting off on  the right foot.

Perfect for: reliving a new nostalgia. Oh, and a really good, cheap burger.

The Details:

43 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
604.683.7761
saveonmeats.ca

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

What’s deep fried, light, airy and incredibly sweet? Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, that infamous US franchise opened up a location in Delta a few years ago. Their speciality? Doughnuts that look like mini alien space ships. 

The Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shop is reminiscent of a 50s diner with old school, classic signage out front and an interior that compliments. The light coloured walls and colour coordinated tiled flooring make the space airy and fresh. The high back, cream colored, leather diner booths and low, warm lighting is inviting. Their factory is in the back, where all the doughnuts are made in house. You can watch the guys and gals in the back doing their thing on a cartoon-like conveyor belt of donuts being dunked, glazed and laid to rest.

(Above: 1. Doughnuts getting a sugary glazed shower. 2. The Classics, glazed and cream-filled glazed.)

We ordered three doughnuts: original glazed, a glazed cream filled and powdered strawberry, plus two small coffees. Our friendly server plucked a fresh original glazed doughnut right off the conveyor belt instead of the ones displayed in the front. It was nice and warm: light and pillowy on the inside, and the outside had a nice little bite from the glazed shell. Tre’s glazed cream filled doughnut was just as good, but extra sweet with custard-like cream on the inside. The powdered strawberry wasn’t all that interesting and tasted a bit stale.

(1. Krispy Kreme Schwag. Nothing says doughnut like a ballpoint pen. 2. Doughnuts and coffee are like peas and carrots, except the exact opposite. 3. Doughnuts displayed for your oogling pleasure.)

Our bill including taxes and a novelty pen came to just under $8, which is cheap. The service was very friendly and efficient, which was a nice surprise. While you’re there, be sure to press up your nose against the glass to watch as the doughnuts are being made.

Perfect For: A serious sugar rush.

The Details

7153 120th Street Delta
604.507.8803
krispykreme.com

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Basil Pasta Bar, a relative newcomer to Davie street, just upped the ante for lunchtime value for the Yaletown crowd. The basic premise: one pasta, anyway you like — one price.

(Top to bottom: 1.The staff is busy finishing off a dish in the pan. 2. Basil Pasta Bar’s sparse, modern interior.)

Inside, the dining room is open, sparse and modern with splashes of green, giving a slight nod to the restaurant’s namesake. Seating is limited — no more than a dozen. An open kitchen is set to one side where diners can watch as cooks are busy dunking various pastas into vats of boiling water and finishing them up in the pan.

The concept is simple. One pasta dish, anyway you like, one price. You choose the pasta (spaghetti, linguini, penne, fettucini, etc.), the sauce (curry, pesto cream, bolognese, etc.), and the toppings (everything from chicken and shrimp to artichoke and peas). You can even garnish your masterpiece with cheeses or fresh herbs.

All this, for under $8.

Hungry? Add a soup, or a salad, or garlic bread. How about a soda? Either way, any of these additions will only run you an extra $2 or $3.

(Above: Linguine with shrimp pesto cream sauce, topped with chiffonade basil and fresh slices of parmesan cheese, plus a side of garlic bread.)

Case and I wandered in off the streets, looking for a light meal. We shared one of Basil Pasta Bar’s many preset combinations: linguine with a shrimp pesto cream sauce topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. The pasta was nicely cooked, and the sauce had a beautiful, velvet flavour. The sauce was a bit runny, but it didn’t dilute the flavour in the least. On the side, their garlic bread was crispy and gently seasoned.

What was amazing was the realization that we were having freshly cooked pasta for $10 including garlic bread and a pop — in downtown Vancouver. Let’s hope this catches on.

Perfect for: a nice, freshly cooked pasta meal on the cheap.

The Details

636 Davie Street, Vancouver
604.568.3106

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

So, you’re hungry. You find yourself in Yaletown during lunch with no more than $10 in your pockets. What do you do? If you’re a schmuck who doesn’t know better, you’d probably head to the Subway on the corner. Otherwise, you’d be smart to duck into the Euro Pastry House, a little sandwich shop within a hidden mall on Mainland.

Inside, the sandwich lady will take your order. What you’ll order is the house special: chicken schnitzel sandwich on your choice of bread. I like mine with dark rye. She will then ask you in a Ms. Swan-esque tone, “with Every-tiiiing?” To which you reply, “Yes.” By everything, she means cucumber, lettuce, pickles, banana peppers, and tomatoes — the works. She’ll also ask if you want mustard and mayo. I recommend you say yes. Then you go sit, and wait in anticipation.

(Top to bottom: 1. An overhead view of gigantic chicken schnitzel sandwich on dark rye. 2. Close up of said gigantic chicken schnitzel sandwich.)

When the sandwich is ready, you are blown away by the gargantuan size. This is one monster sandwich. The breaded chicken is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, and the fresh fixings make you feel less guilty about biting into this beautiful masterpiece of carbs and protein.

For under $10 for most sandwiches on the menu, this is the best kept secret in the area. The next best secret is if you’re not that hungry, or don’t quite need the hibernation after lunch, you can get half a sandwich for about $6. I’d order ahead if you can, or be prepared to wait a bit during the lunch rush.

Perfect for: if you’re hungry and low on cash in Yaletown.

The Details

1058 Mainland Street, Vancouver
604.602.0003

Rating / 2 out of 5 stars

King’s Cafe on East Hastings is part of a dying breed of mom & pop diners — restaurants that almost always have a characteristic charm that makes them special. Whether it’s the home cooked food, the people, the atmosphere or service. Sometimes the food isn’t all that good, but there always appears to me something unique about these places.

I talked Tre into King’s Cafe ever since I saw a piece of paper taped to the window advertising $2.50 breakfasts specials. The windows are always fogged up, which is probably not a good sign. But because we can’t see in, it piques my curiosity more.

(Top to bottom: 1. The breakfast special: eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and toast. 2. diner coffee.)

As we step in, a cute little old lady tells us to sit where ever. We chose a seat near the window. The place is a dive and is saturated with the scent of fried oil from the kitchen in the back. I don’t particularly like walking out a restaurant smelling like I’ve been dipped and deep fried. There were some obvious ventilation issues. Pinkish salmon colored laminate tables are scattered throughout a dining room that seemed larger than it appeared from the outside.

I ordered two hot cakes and ham. Tre orders scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast, plus two cups of coffee. It took awhile for our meals to arrive, but my hot cakes were surprisingly… not bad. The ham, on the other hand, was thin and dried out. Tre did not like his meal.We’ll leave it at that. The coffee was nothing special.

(Top to bottom: 1. Hot cakes with a side of ham. 2. Syrup.)

Our bill including taxes and tip came to just under $13. The food at King’s Cafe may have been sub par, but the service was decent. The little old lady came to check up on us and made sure our coffee were always full. We thought it was cool to see a family working together to offer meals at cheap prices. It’s not worth a return visit, but was nevertheless an interesting experience.

Perfect for: If you’re hungry and found some extra change in your sofa.

The Details

2296 East Hastings, Vancouver
604.253.6168