cup for a buck

admittedly, the downtown eastside isn’t really known for its coffee. sure there is now a waves at pender and main and a spattering of coffee joints slowly expanding out of gastown like a spastic fungus. but by and large the area of town we associate with all manner of drug abuse is strangely lacking in the wholesome goodness of coffee. well, almost. should you be hung over enough, and be loathsomely tired of the endless hoards of hipsters lining up on saturday and sunday mornings for high priced eggs and bacon on the drive, main &tc. then perhaps you, like me, and like my stylish other half, would be interested in checking out either the ovaltine cafe or save-on-meats for their excellent coffee and breakfast styles. sadly, save-on-meats is closed on sunday so we will have to revisit that fine establishment on another day. anyway, the ovaltine, located at hastings and main, is a definite throwback to the coffee shops/grills of a different era. really, it’s an era before goat cheese, golden beats, and smoked salmon with scallions nestled in a slightly warmed whatever served with three brightly coloured pieces of melon wrapped in prosciutto fried in duck fat and infused with mocha-chai earl grey ice cream on top of a naked model’s back. yeah am i bitter at vancouver’s brunch scene. happily, the ovaltine is free of this nonsense and just serves up the classics. my lady had a clubhouse with fries, my buddy had a burger and fries & gravy and i, hung over as i was, had a breaded veal cutlet with the soup of the day (beef barley). each of us had a coffee with the meal as seen below.

now try to think back to when you were able to have a coffee (unlimited refills) for a dollar. now picture main and hastings, and you know why. the coffee wasn’t bad, it wasn’t an americano, but hey, for a dollar that is pretty awesome. so young coffee and fashion obsessed readers go forth and enjoy vancouver! stop paying 10 dollars for eggs and bacon! explore, challenge yourself, disobey the herd and find yourself some unpretentious coffee that fits whatever size of hangover you may be rocking at the time.