Remember those TV ads from the ’80’s with the tag line “Gggggeeeeettttt Crackin’!!” I do…probably because I was a kid in the 80’s who watched a lot of TV (and really liked eggs).
I’ve gotten a little older since then, I’ve also picked up a new TV, but one thing is for sure, eggs are still eggs. And in Vancouver, brunch capital of the universe, there are plenty of eggs distributors to chose from.
You want to know a secret? Some of the best ones around are those that you probably drive by and avoid/don’t think twice about. I’m talking about the ones that usually have line-ups, haven’t renovated since Huey Lewis’ last album was popular, and have interesting names.
You probably guessed it, my favourite, on a service and selection basis, is Paul’s Place on Granville Street (2211 Granville Street, to be exact, near West 6th Avenue). The proper name, Paul’s Place Restaurant & Omelettery, is too hard to spell (quickly), so let’s go with Paul’s Place. Anything that doesn’t fit on a Scrabble board nicely needs to be shortened (in my view)…and thus, our story begins.
This weekend four of us went down to Paul’s Place on Granville…I had some family in town and thought, hey, Paul’s Place always does brunch right. And brunch, they did indeed do.
My only issue, not that it’s a big surprise, is that line-ups at Paul’s Place can get a little excessive. We were prepared, so that’s OK. On this particular weekend, though, the hostess/server who was monitoring the line, though, seemed quite detached and when we asked her a simple question out of curiousity, it went a little something like this:
Us: “Excuse me, do you know if the art you have on your walls is for sale?”
Server/hostess: “I have no idea.” [straight face…like she’s had enough]
Us: “OK…thanks”
Server/hostess: “…”
Not a big deal, I know, but if we weren’t Paul’s Place regulars, this kind of interaction would probably have thrown an outsider for a loop. It wasn’t pleasant, it wasn’t helpful and it wasn’t focused on us, the customer in line.
Lines are a fact of life at popular restaurants (or brunch spots), that much will always be true. I’m sure you, the reader, like me, the writer, don’t like waiting in them just as her, the server, probably doesn’t like having to manage them….especially when there are 10 to 20 people in a space no bigger than a hall closet.
As an aside, if you don’t like waiting, I wouldn’t suggest braving Tomato Cafe in Vancouver, either. But hey, that’s just my two cents (which apparently a ‘few’ others share given the amount of email I’ve received since I wrote that post this past summer).
In any event, getting back to Paul’s Place, in the dozen or so times I’ve been there, we’ve never experienced a greeting like this. Instead, and this weekend included, our service was fast, pleasant, friendly, and simple.
So, I will heavily promote this place as a great brunch spot. Go…eat…and be merry. It’s great value and great food. Just don’t ask about the art.
darren
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