Not a Fair Trade: Tim for Jim

Once again it has come up in conversation: The UnFair Trade of Main Street. Which trade am I talking about? Timmy for Jimmy. This past November, a fire broke out in Kishu Island Restaurant on Main near Broadway and took out the neighbouring businesses. These businesses included Slickity Jim's, a hipster hangout where we enjoyed lovely breakfasts like the Mean Teen Queen and the Cheesy Fungi, Zokalo's, The Militant Penguin and our Canadiano mugs at Lugz.

Whenever this fire is brought up, the banter usually begins with, "I hear a Wendy's and Tim Horton's is going into the old Bank space on the corner." This is usually followed by groans, disgruntled protests and a whole lotta cryin' shames. No, it's not fair that our choice of coffee houses will be traded from our beloved Jim and all of its eclectic mounted collectibles to sterile fluorescent backlit signs with all of the calculated packaged consumables from Tim. We will be going from being called darlin' at Slickity Jim's or being given a coffee inferiority complex by obnoxious service from the coffee freak at Lugz to being called sir or madam with indifferent service by the 15 year old who is anxiously waiting to get back to texting her friend under the counter. Sure we will be able to access all of the food we expect on a cross Canada Road trip right in our own backyard, and yes we will include it on the coffee rotation when you really only have time to get a double double, and perhaps we may be able to have some indie Main street movie maker come up with their own hilarious version of a warm hearted Sidney Crosby commercial. However, the fact that we are trading all of that for places that helped make Main Street the cool part of town seems like a major rip off. Having Tim and Wendy move into town is like having a gateway from the westside where timid kids from Kits pop out to see what it looks like on the other side of Ontario Street.

Perhaps that is the real crime. The dilution of cool from a place where a coffee doesn't come in the form of an espresso, but rather a drink that is an express-on-the-go.

Slickity Jim's - Chattin' and Chewin'

One of the favourite brunch places for weekends. It's where you can be called "love" or "dear" while you order yummy goodness. The menu is full of delicious hearty creations that you can enjoy surrounded by the mismatched eye candy collected from the left over bins of garage sales. As an added bonus, you can also revisit your favourite transit seats if you were a BC Transit rider during the 80's as these 2 seater chairs form the booths of the Chat n Chew. It's difficult to paint a complete picture of the restaurant without going into great detail about every single item in place. You just have to experience it. Go with a friend. Maybe two. Just watch the line ups if you go on the weekend. However, it is worth the wait. The caveat on days like this is that service can be particularly slow so just make sure you don't have to be anywhere soon. Perhaps while you wait you could go a couple of doors down to Lugz and get yourself a Canadiano.

Out of 5 lumps of sugar

Scene: 4 lumps - not a 5 because it can be a bit squishy in there if it is really busy. I mean think of yourself in the 80's being squished in a full bus. Now picture a table with food on it in front of you. Squishy.
Grub: 4 can I suggest the Cheesy Fungi. If not for the mushroom and cheese, then for the waitress to ask, "Who's the Cheesy Fungi?"
Coffee: 2 Utilitarian, but because it always seems like there is such high turn over you know you will have fresh utilitarian.