Rating / 5 out of 5 stars

No, Acme Cafe isn’t a fake cafe — part of an elaborate hoax by Wile E. Coyote to lure the unsuspecting Road Runner to certain doom. Acme Cafe is a new diner in the redeveloping East Hastings neighborhood (right next door to the old Save On Meats), serving up a menu of sandwiches, quiches and a large assortment of pies and baked goods, all in an open kitchen.

(Top to bottom: 1. Croque Monsieur. 2. Joe.)

Acme Cafe’s menu consists mostly of sandwiches, salads and baked goods, very few items that require a full kitchen to prepare. Most items seem familiar, but have a slight twist. I had the special of the day, the Croque Monsieur — generous slices of carved ham, turkey and cheese pressed together between two slices of multigrain toast. It was served with a thimble of fruit salad and a cup of endive salad and vinaigrette.

(Clockwise: 1. Shrimp Guacamole Sandwich. 2. Side of homemade chips and broccoli slaw. 3. Random shot of ugly doll.)

Case ordered the Shrimp Guacamole with a side of homemade chips and broccoli slaw. The guacamole mix of baby shrimp, avocado, corn, tomato, cilantro and cheese, was refreshingly light with a hint of curry (deja vu?). The roll it was served on, however, was a bit too thick and kept squeezing out that beautiful shrimp mixture each time a bite was taken — perhaps a softer bread would be a better choice. Two types of crunches were provided on the side from the thick, ridged, homemade chips and creamy broccoli slaw.

(Above: Homemade oreo cookie.)

Acme proudly displays their baked goods (in the middle at the rounded bar, and up front by the cashier). Scores of cookies and pies line the countertop. Even though it was only brunch, we couldn’t resist trying something. That something being the homemade oreo — a decadent creamy icing wedged between two, thick chocolate cookies.

Our meal came to a reasonable $33 with taxes and tips and two cups of unlimited refill coffee. The staff was upbeat and amiable;, the vibe was laid back, down to earth and kid friendly — a nice addition to the neighborhood.

Perfect for: Contemporary diner food with a dessert for chaser.

The Details

51 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
604.569.1022
acmecafe.ca

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

There are fewer and fewer push cart style dim sum restaurants these days. The traditional method has mostly been replaced with service by a piece of paper and pencil. But Golden Ocean Seafood in Kerrisdale is still kicking it old school on Vancouver’s Westside.

Golden Ocean Seafood is located on the second floor, and is pretty easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. A tight door way leads into a spacious restaurant. The decor is — ok, there isn’t one, really. However, the tables are covered with white linen, the dishes are clean, and so are the chopsticks. So far so good.

(Top to bottom: 1. Shrimp and Tofu balls. 2. Chicken Feet.)

A dim sum tally sheet lays on the table with an early bird special stamp of 20% off. The discount was unexpected given the neighborhood, but we were happy to take it. We ordered a variety of dishes: chicken feet, spareribs, steamed barbecue pork buns, steamed sweet custard buns, Sui Mai, fried rice rolls, and egg tarts.

All the dishes were flavorful and tasted good, except for the fried rice rolls, which were dry and crusty. The pale white rice noodles had a light yellow tinge with dried out green onions slivers. It tasted like how it looked — blah. Perhaps, not enough oil and love put into this?

(Clockwise: 1. Spare Ribs. Classic. 2. Pan-fried rice rolls. 3. Steamed custard buns.)

Our bill came to just under $45 including taxes and tips. Split four ways amongst friends, it was a great deal. The service is better than most dim sum restaurants. The waiters cleared our dirty plates and provided clean ones partway through the meal and they regularly checked our teapots. The food is pretty solid at Golden Ocean, and is now one of our go to spots for dim sum.

Perfect for: Dim Sum on the Westsiiiiiide.

The Details

2046 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver
604.263.8886

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

The Well is a quaint, Mount Pleasant neighborhood restaurant serving beautifully presented Mediterranean influenced dishes in an unpretentious, friendly atmosphere.

The Well has a interesting decor, a mish mash of old world/country club. The dining tables are draped with dark table cloths, paired with upholstered, metal framed chairs. A pretty, fresh orchid resting in water adds some femininity to the table. The painted walls are adorned with warm, modern colors that coordinate with the rest of the interior.

(Above: Smoked Salmon Scramble.)

The brunch menu is nice and simple. Tre orders the four cheese omelette, while I opted for the smoked salmon scramble, accompanied by two cups of coffee. Tre’s four cheese omelette was light and fluffy. A blend of four cheeses were gently folded into the omelette, not simply stuffed in the middle. My awesome smoked salmon scramble had generous amounts of salmon; the saltiness added a nice touch to the scrambled eggs.

Our entrees came with fresh fruit and hash browns. The fruit wasn’t simply a slice of cantaloupe or an expired looking wedge of orange, but actual fresh cut pieces of pineapple, strawberry, cantaloupe, watermelon and a handful of red grapes. The dishes were curiously garnished with a bunch of enoki mushrooms and a couple stems of of chives. The hash browns were nicely seasoned and had a touch of sweetness. Our friendly hostess also served us hot sauce in miniature spoon ladles, which was more elegant than plopping down a crusty bottle of tabasco.

(Above: Four Cheese Omelette.)

Our meals including taxes and tips came to $35. It’s not the cheapest brunch in town, but is definitely worth it. We both polished off our plates, even though my hubby dutifully helped me out with some of my dish. Our service was great and on our way out, the chef even thanked us from behind the kitchen.

Perfect for: simple, leisurely brunch on Main Street.

The Details

3048 Main Street, Vancouver
604.569.0570

Rating / 5 out of 5 stars

Lost in the melange of discount Sushi and Greek restaurants along the Davie corridor sits the ridiculously stylish yet understated La Brasserie, a self-described Franco-German restaurant serving up an eclectic mix of classic French bistro fare and German comfort food.

(Top to bottom: 1. A respectable outlay for coffee, served in a French press. 2. French Toast served with caramelized apple, creme fraiche and coulis.)

Case and I had passed by La Brasserie once before making a mental note to return from Brunch when we saw that they had something called a “Breakfast Poutine” on their menu. Today was the day of reckoning as we strolled in for an early morning brunch. The dining room was already bustling with activity as the room filled with the sonic ear candy of an infectious French pop band that regrettably Shazam was unable to identify.

Their brunch menu was respectably terse with less than a dozen items. After being recited the daily specials (including the Oeufs, Omelette and Soup du Jour), we put in our order – Case with the French Toast, and I couldn’t resist the infamous Breakfast Poutine. Our coffee order arrived in a French Press, accompanied with coffee cups that appeared to have been pre-warmed (or perhaps had simply just come out of the dishwasher).

(Above: Breakfast Poutine: Poached egg over Fries and topped with cheese curds, bacon and pork gravy.)

Case’s French toast was the definition of decadence: a generous portion of toast soaked in a beautifully seasoned egg batter and served with caramelized apple, a drizzle of some kind of berry coulis, caramel syrup and a dollop of creme fraiche. My Breakfast Poutine, on the other hand, was simply pure gluttony: a perfectly poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce served over frites, cheese curds and lardon, drizzled with truffle oil, all swimming in a well of pork gravy. If you don’t have a cardiologist yet, you will after this meal, but it’d be all worth it.

We were pleasantly surprised our meal only set us back $34 including taxes and tips and coffee for two. For the quality of food and service we received, this is most certainly one of the city’s best values.

Perfect for: Brunch. Period.

The Details

1091 Davie Street, Vancouver
604.568.6499
labrasserievancouver.com

Rating / 3 out of 5 stars

Tucked away in a brick building just off Main Street is The Whip Restaurant Gallery. The loungy loft space showcases works of artists while serving contemporary food to the locals. The laid back atmosphere is comfy and one could easily waste time just dawdling away.

Tre and I came for brunch. The Whip was already buzzing. Our friendly server with a dry sense of humour, seated us in a booth. The big windows bring in a ton of light into the open space concept.  A long skinny wood communal table sits right in the middle and would make a great area to gather and have a good time. There’s a lot of wood being used as accents at The Whip and reminds me of a old saloon.

The brunch menu has a good selection. My eye was instantly drawn to the Havana Rice Bowl. The dish is a good balance of protein and carbohydrates. I order a similar dish at Subeez. Tre had the shrimp, pesto and feta omelet with hash browns and sour dough toast. Plus two cups of coffee.

Tre’s shrimp, pesto and feta omelet was good. The omelet was fluffy and had a fair amount of shrimp and pesto, but was a bit salty. The hash browns were a bit on the mushy side. The Havana rice bowl was tasty: house tomato baked beans and seasoned rice, topped with a poached egg, monterey jack cheese, salsa, sour cream and avocado (extra). The rice tasted like it had been cooked in chicken broth and absorbed all its flavor — good but mushy. The house tomato house baked beans complimented the perfectly poached egg and married well with monterey jack cheese.

Our meals came to just under $31 including taxes and tips. It’s not the most thrifty brunch but decent for what you get. Our server was friendly and upbeat and made sure our coffee cups were always filled.

Perfect for: eggs in a gallery.

The Details

209 East 6th Avenue, Vancouver
604.874.4687
thewhiprestaurant.com