preview: nicli antica pizzera (gastown)

One of the most-anticipated rooms in town, Nicli Antica Pizzera opened up in Gastown just 3 days ago. I don't usually check out places in their first month, but the promise of authentic Neopolitan-style pizza, and desperately needing to get out of the house after 10 straight days of being sick fueled me.

Here's a preview, with a full review coming later on.

deacon's corner (railtown)

Second-borne in a restaurant empire that includes Cobre and Peckinpah's, Deacon's Corner celebrates the old-style white wall hungry-man's diner that used to proliferate through North America. The food is handled with a deft hand, service is at a good clip, and a never ending jug of coffee is never far away. Located on Main and Alexander, it's in arguably the poorest neighbourhood in Canada, the Downtown Eastside (DTES, for short), stumbling distance from one of the scarier gentleman's clubs in Vancouver.

Scary? Not really. The area is well-lit, and the restaurant closes before dark. Also there's plenty of foot-traffic due to its proximity to the dockyards and the parks. Plenty of transit in the area, and it's a leisurely 15 minute walk from Skytrain. Assuredly you don't want to jump right into the car after eating - which leads to the best thing about the location: cheap rent = big portions.