Opinions. OFF CAMPUS CUISINE By Jacey Gibb, Opinions Editor Does cafeteria food fail to cater to your taste buds? Not digging the Dougout? Then grab your finest bib and try to avoid drooling on the person next to You because we're here to offer salvation for you students looking to humble your hunger, without having to wear your shoes out getting there. businesses. It’s an attitude commonly associated with pretentiousness, but I like to think of it as being considerate. This is especially the case when it comes to coffee shops. I’m not interested in having Starbucks take over the neighbourhood and become the only caffeine watering hole around, so if given the opportunity, I’ll [= a big fan of supporting local Good Eats Cafe The little coffee shop that coul similar businesses in the past, but found having other employees to be too stressful, and so he decided to give it another shot but with just him and his wife. The general layout of Good Eats isn’t something you rush home to tell your roommate about: checkered flooring, green/pink/ white/black wall paper, with several pictures hanging on the walls that remind you of hotel room art. But instead of causing you to worry about whether or not you'll get Hepatitis from the food, Good Eats uses the low-key decor to establish a casual atmosphere. The first opportunity I got to check out Good Eats, the owner greeted me from behind the counter instantly with a somewhat billowy, “Mounted on the wall, the menu has a standard three sections: breakfast, sandwich/lunch, and soup/salad. You won't find anything on the list that screams innovation, but what Good Eats lacks in entrepreneurship, they make up for with quality.” branch out and take my business to someplace local. Unknown to me until recently, seated on Columbia Street between the New Westminster and Columbia SkyTrain stations, there sits one of the best coffee shops around. If you blink at any point while walking down Columbia Street, you might miss Good Eats Cafe. They’ve apparently been slinging sandwiches and lattes for six years now—but the owner has been in the industry for 28! He’s owned several 14 cheerful voice. Mounted on the wall, the menu has a standard three sections: breakfast, sandwich/ lunch, and soup/salad. You won’t find anything on the list that screams innovation, but what Good Eats lacks in entrepreneurship, they make up for with quality. My initial plan had been to stick to something light, seeing as how I’m still in a weight-loss competition with Sharon Miki, but the Tom Haverford on my shoulder told me d to “Treat yo’self!” and so I placed an order for a roasted turkey club house and paired it with one of their soups of the day, cream of mushroom. I was immediately handed a cup full of mushroom soup, which, like all their other soups, is made in-house. I’m a sucker for using things that aren’t bowls as bowls, so being handed a blue coffee mug filled with soup immediately put me in a good mood. I’m not a hard man to please when it comes to my soup, seeing as how I’m not afraid to purchase the 70 cent No Name cans from Superstore, but Good Eats’ soup was phenomenal. Appropriately rich, with manageable chunks of mushroom throughout. The sandwich came shortly after, bursting at the seams with pieces of moist turkey. To my surprise, it wasn’t sliced turkey like the kind you usually get on sandwiches—it was the kind of turkey that you feast on for days after Thanksgiving. Perfectly toasted bread acted in between the turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon—creating a sandwich that was as optimal as it was filling. While I enjoyed my meal and pattered away on my computer, I noticed a slowly steady stream of customers come and go. With the amount of supposed regulars, I’m surprised I’d never heard of Good Eats before. The owner seemed to know every one of the patrons, treating them with the same upbeat service I'd received. I find forced pleasantries can often backfire, making me feel more uncomfortable than if I just received subpar attention, but Good Eats appears to be genuine. Before I took off, I grabbed a last minute slice of banana bread from the counter—the baked goods are all made in-house as well. When I went to consume it later, I realized that the slice was actually thicker than my laptop! While it looked borderline dry, the loaf was a perfect level of moist without being runny or overpowering with the banana flavour. The crushed nuts sprinkled on top were also a divine addition. If you’ve been known to on occasion eat food and drink beverages, then you’ll get along just fine with Good Eats Cafe. Their hours are a bit wonky (Monday through Friday they’re open from 6:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and on Saturdays they’re open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) but if you’re able to, [highly recommend checking them out. Remember to smash your piggy banks before you go though—they only accept cash.