Slickity Jim's Chat & Chew
2513 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5T 3E5
604-873-6760
By inviting discussion, this petite Main Street restaurant has become a favourite destination of the verbose and is not adverse to a little wordiness itself when the food calls for it.
Category:
Restaurants
What:
| Ambiance | | Offbeat |
| Meals Served | | Buffet |
| Amenities | | Local Favorites |
| Pricing | |
When:
| Mon-Fri 8AM to 5PMWeekends and Holidays 9AM to 5PM |
Profile Last Updated: January 04, 2008
You're never rushed from your seat at this Main Street restaurant with a love for and gift of the gab.
The Place
Slickity Jim's became something of an underground sensation when it first opened its doors in the downmarket district north of East Hastings in the late '90s. Back then a loyal group made regular treks to East Van for Slickity's unique blend of kitsch and quality. There was much rejoicing, however, when the restaurant moved to its current more central and scenic location on Main Street.
As its "Chat 'N' Chew" name implies, you're never rushed from your seat at Slickity's, no matter how many impatient diners may be waiting at the door. By inviting discussion, Slickety's has become a favourite destination of the verbose and is not adverse to a little wordiness itself when the food calls for it.
The Menu and More
Spoofing the ever-more-complex art of food description, the menu at Slickity's describes its Salad of the Renaissance ($5.95) as "(a) soft, delicate poached pear guided by a most subtle and divine goat feta as they laze about a garden of wild greens, mingling with fresh herbs and sundried black olives with implied subtleties that only a lemon and olive oil vinagrette can provide."
Slickety's aims a knowing wink at all corners of pop culture, not only with its dramatic menu names (my personal favourite is an eggs Benedict dish with garlic, shrimp and sundried tomatoes named "Take a Bus Load of Tourists Hostage and Turn Yourself Into a Talk Show Host") but also with its era-hopping decor. In the cafe's small space of 10 tables and four bar stools there are chandeliers, swooped curtains, doll's heads, dancing Barbies, potted plants, black velvet paintings, an old violin, a '50s clock and all manner of other inspired clutter that combine to give the place a feeling of witty familiarity.
It's not the decor or the clever menu that has Slickity's close to full almost any time of the day, however, it's the food which is fresh, creative and modestly priced.
Brunch is a big deal here and is served all day on weekends and holidays. On a recent visit my dining partner opted for the previously untested Pleasure Toast ($7.25), which turned out to be a heady combination of three slices of thick French toast topped with sweet-sour cherries stewed in bourbon and served alongside roast potatoes. They don't call them hashbrowns here as the potatoes come large (halved or quartered at most) and dry roasted.
I had the Larry and Mary ($5.95) - scrambled eggs with a fresh-tasting mix of grilled veggies and goat feta wrapped in a tender tortilla and served with mixed greens and roast potatoes. There are various variations on this for the same budget price of $5.95, including The Classic with asiago cheese, spinach and marinated tomato, and my fave, Society Made Me What I Am, which comes wrapped around a veggie sausage and with generous helpings of cheddar cheese.
For the lunch crowd, one of the best deals is the Soup of the Moment, made fresh daily from scratch and served with warm baguette. A small is $2.75, but for big appetites this always hearty soup comes in a "Bottomless" size for $5.75.
Slickity's also does a fine Veggie Burger ($6.75), served with a choice of soup, salad or potatoes. Sandwiches come with with the same choice of sides. The truly hungry should try the Three Slab Grab ($7.75), a mouth-challenging mound of roast chicken, grilled bacon and various veggies, or the inspired twinning of Ham and Asiago ($5.75).
The Place
Slickity Jim's became something of an underground sensation when it first opened its doors in the downmarket district north of East Hastings in the late '90s. Back then a loyal group made regular treks to East Van for Slickity's unique blend of kitsch and quality. There was much rejoicing, however, when the restaurant moved to its current more central and scenic location on Main Street.
As its "Chat 'N' Chew" name implies, you're never rushed from your seat at Slickity's, no matter how many impatient diners may be waiting at the door. By inviting discussion, Slickety's has become a favourite destination of the verbose and is not adverse to a little wordiness itself when the food calls for it.
The Menu and More
Spoofing the ever-more-complex art of food description, the menu at Slickity's describes its Salad of the Renaissance ($5.95) as "(a) soft, delicate poached pear guided by a most subtle and divine goat feta as they laze about a garden of wild greens, mingling with fresh herbs and sundried black olives with implied subtleties that only a lemon and olive oil vinagrette can provide."
Slickety's aims a knowing wink at all corners of pop culture, not only with its dramatic menu names (my personal favourite is an eggs Benedict dish with garlic, shrimp and sundried tomatoes named "Take a Bus Load of Tourists Hostage and Turn Yourself Into a Talk Show Host") but also with its era-hopping decor. In the cafe's small space of 10 tables and four bar stools there are chandeliers, swooped curtains, doll's heads, dancing Barbies, potted plants, black velvet paintings, an old violin, a '50s clock and all manner of other inspired clutter that combine to give the place a feeling of witty familiarity.
It's not the decor or the clever menu that has Slickity's close to full almost any time of the day, however, it's the food which is fresh, creative and modestly priced.
Brunch is a big deal here and is served all day on weekends and holidays. On a recent visit my dining partner opted for the previously untested Pleasure Toast ($7.25), which turned out to be a heady combination of three slices of thick French toast topped with sweet-sour cherries stewed in bourbon and served alongside roast potatoes. They don't call them hashbrowns here as the potatoes come large (halved or quartered at most) and dry roasted.
I had the Larry and Mary ($5.95) - scrambled eggs with a fresh-tasting mix of grilled veggies and goat feta wrapped in a tender tortilla and served with mixed greens and roast potatoes. There are various variations on this for the same budget price of $5.95, including The Classic with asiago cheese, spinach and marinated tomato, and my fave, Society Made Me What I Am, which comes wrapped around a veggie sausage and with generous helpings of cheddar cheese.
For the lunch crowd, one of the best deals is the Soup of the Moment, made fresh daily from scratch and served with warm baguette. A small is $2.75, but for big appetites this always hearty soup comes in a "Bottomless" size for $5.75.
Slickity's also does a fine Veggie Burger ($6.75), served with a choice of soup, salad or potatoes. Sandwiches come with with the same choice of sides. The truly hungry should try the Three Slab Grab ($7.75), a mouth-challenging mound of roast chicken, grilled bacon and various veggies, or the inspired twinning of Ham and Asiago ($5.75).
