Verace Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca

I am so happy that Vancouver is having a pizzeria explosion. Food on top of dough is almost as good as food wrapped in dough. Verace Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca is the newest offering within walking distance of my work, right beside the T&T Market, across from International Village Mall.

Ramen Jinya

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Ramen Jinya before it opened. They are located in the strip of restaurants just down from the Library on Robson; the old Ezogiku Noodle spot. They were also a ramen joint and I was never really pleased with their soup. My anticipation was building every time I went by the remodel, however, as they had a giant poster in the window stating that Ramen Jinya was named "one of the 10 best dishes of 2010 in LA". Well, high praise indeed and after my first taste of my soup, I was a believer.

Nelson the Seagull

Nelson the Seagull. I love this restaurant name. Something about having a proper name in there makes me think there is some kind of back-story. Was Nelson a pet bird of the family that saved their Grandmother's life and therefore deserves eternal fame and glory? I tried to get more information from their website, but it is in desperate need of an update. The best background I could find was from a Scout Magazine article from early summer. So, not as dramatic as my idea, but still pretty cool.

Initial impression: if you are a hipster and you need a really tasty sandwich or a place to hang out, drink coffee and ponder your next art installation- Nelson the Seagull is for you.

Cafe Deux Soleil

I lived down the street from Cafe Deux Soleil for 10 years. For seven of those years I was a vegan. I have eaten more tofu scramble than I could possibly put a number to. (Note to current vegans: I don't know if the tofu scramble is completely vegan. You should ask, I never did and just assumed it was. Back then the breakfast options were severely limited.) Cafe Deux Soleil has been on the Drive forever, or at least since I started hanging around in the late 90s.