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If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

The other day I was at Main and 14th, in need of a quick, cheap dinner. With a quick look around, my eyes fell on Papa’s Gourmet Pizza, just next to the JJ Bean. I had a brief memory of going there for cheap lasagna lunches back when I used to work in the neighbourhood, and decided that was the place for me.

This time around I went for pizza, not lasagna, and it did not disappoint – neither on the front of cheapness nor that of deliciousness. The pizza dinner deal gives you two slices and a pop for under $5, with more variety of delicious flavours than your typical dollar-slice joint, and (needless to say) a much higher-quality slice.

Lending to the street-cred of Papa’s, while I sat inside to eat my slices, the counter was constantly busy as people filtered in and out, including one man who chatted with the cashier about when he used to work there. Anyone who has worked in food service knows how significant this is – it is incredibly common for people to never return to a restaurant once they stop working there, because they have seen everything that goes on behind the scenes. If this man used to work at Papa’s, and still returns there for an occasional bite, that means that not only is it tasty (he didn’t get sick of it), but their food-creation practices are totally on the up-and-up. Good to know.

The lasagna, as memory serves, is delicious as well! A totally hearty meal including garlic bread, for a great price.

I know pizza doesn’t look great photographed, but this spinach and feta was delicious!

Papa’s Gourmet Pizza
3030 Main Street

We’ve got another table to give away at the BLIM Community Market on Sunday, Dec. 15th! Want to flock your wares at the market? Email andrea@vancouverisawesome.com with the following info:

Your Name
Business Name
What you do/make/sell
Why it’s awesome
A link to your website/blog/anywhere with pictures or info about what you do/make/sell and why it’s awesome

Subject line: BLIM table entry

Send in your info by December 9th to be considered for the December 15th market. All those who submitted in the past are more than welcome to submit again!

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

Ask any craftster where to go in Vancouver for fabric, notions, or other fun little trinkets for creating, and they’ll say one word: Dressew.

Dressew is a veritable happy land for anyone who’s into making stuff for themselves, and the downstairs is a happy land for anyone who’s into making stuff for themselves AND loves a cheap deal. Why? THE SALE ROOM.

A huge selection of fabric, nothing over $4 a meter. It’s amazing!

One of the many walls of fabric in the Dressew sale room.

Throughout the rest of the store you’ll find other great deals on all sorts of goodies. Need some peacock feathers? How about appliqué sequins? Or maybe tiaras? Or even stuff that’s not ridiculously girly, as everything I’ve listed seems to be. I swear, they also have regular stuff and some fun costume stuff.

Check it out next time you need to put together a costume, or “home-make” anything that isn’t edible. You will not be disappointed. Except maybe with the fact that you will get TOO MANY IDEAS for things to make and you won’t be able to do them all unless you quit the rest of your life and devote yourself to making things.

Dressew – 337 Hastings Street

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome. Got a cheap-living tip you’d like to share? Send it in!

One thing that happens a lot, when you’re trying to live on the cheap, is that you get a little tired of suggesting the super-cheap places to your friends every time you hang out. I mean sure, Bon’s $3 breakfast is not to be beat, but sometimes you want to go somewhere with a bit more atmosphere and, you know, a different quality of food. I won’t say better, this isn’t about judgements, but different.

That’s why I love Cafe Deux Soleils. It’s not a frolic through The Land of the Insanely Cheap, but you can have a tasty vegetarian meal for under $10, and you might even get some entertainment to boot (although on nights with live entertainment you want to arrive early so you don’t have to pay cover – before 7pm should be safe). It’s a great little spot to have in your back pocket next time you’re making plans.

You can have a $5 breakfast, an $8 burger, or a $5 beer in a jar. Like I said, not bowl-you-over cheap, but still standard, every day cheap, right?

Check out that menu – $5 breakfast, $8 burger, $5 wrap, and oh, the $3 grilled cheese is SO GOOD!

Cheap but doesn’t feel cheap, you know what I’m sayin’?

Cafe Deux Soleils
2096 Commercial Drive

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome.

I have wanted to say something about the Vancouver Public Library on here for pretty much a hundred years. (The fact that I have only existed for 28 years, this blog for significantly less than that, and my contributions to this blog for much less than that notwithstanding – I stand by my statement of a hundred years.)

Really, the is VPL the best, and probably only, truly free service provided to Vancouverites today. My struggle with doing a post about it was, well, free book borrowing is not exactly a new thing. Sure there’s DVDs and CDs there too, plus free WiFi, computer use, and even some cool educational opportunities, and I don’t want to belittle the awesomeness of those things, but still, is it news? Libraries have been doing their thing for so long it’s just become a part of the fabric of our society.

Luckily, now there is something legitimately new to report! This week the Vancouver Public Library launched the Vancouver Experience Passport. This little card gets you in to all sorts of establishments in this fine city, allowing you to experience a multitude of what Vancouver has to offer, for FREE!

The full list of businesses that accept the Vancouver Experience Passport can be found here.

It includes many of the standard organizations you might expect: the Museum of Vancouver, Space Centre, and the Museum of Anthropology, all nice, educational-type facilities that the City would want to encourage us to visit. But wait, there’s more! You can go work out, go ice skating, or golfing for free at the Vancouver Parks Board centres (including free equipment rentals), visit a whole host of lesser known, but truly entertaining museums (the Vancouver Police Museum, the creepy Roedde House, the Beaty Biodiversity Museum), and take in some cultural experiences that are normally priced specifically for the bourgeois, like the Vancouver Opera and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra! Amazing! Then, of course, there’s our beloved Vancouver Aquarium and Science World – who doesn’t love to be a kid again and tromp through those lands of science and discovery?

A few facts about how the pass works:

• A library card is required to book it, and you must be 14 years or older.
• Each pass is good for 2 adults and 4 kids (under 18). Great for families, or round up some friends!
• You take the pass out from the library like you would any book – except that it will be in high demand, so expect to have to request it and be added to a queue.
• The passes are branch-specific, to ensure that they are evenly distributed around the city. 120 passes total will be released, 5 at each branch and 15 at the Central Branch. You must pick it up and return it to the same branch.
• Passes are good for two weeks.
• You can take out the pass once per year with your library card.
• You can visit each attraction once per use on the card (so you unfortunately can’t go work out every day for two weeks for free).
• When you pick up your pass you’ll get a receipt noting the date it expires – you must have that receipt with your pass for it to be valid.

Booking is easy, if you’ve never done it before: just go to vpl.ca and search “Vancouver Inspiration Pass” in the catalogue search. Select your nearest branch and click “place a hold”. You’ll need to log in with your library card number and PIN, and you’re good to go. There are already a LOT of requests active for these cards – I’m number 160 for the Mount Pleasant branch. So it’s best not to count on specific timing for these, but instead to consider it a bonus gift that will arrive for you at some point in the next few months, surprising you with tons of free gifts!

Some of my top picks for what I’ll be checking out with my pass:

I have never visited the fitness centres at the Vancouver community centres – seems about time.

The Vancouver Police Museum – always fun.

I can finally afford the Vancouver Opera!

Never miss an opportunity to see Science World – especially now that it’s been renovated! What’s new? We will find out!

Where will you go?

PS: Remember the Spice Girls art show I shared with you a while ago? Well those fine ladies are at it again with Drop it Like its Art – a Snoop Dogg art show! Once again by donation, this is a great low-cost way to have a party. Check their facebook event for info.

If you were to create a Venn diagram where one circle was labeled “cheap” and the other labeled “awesome”, the middle point where they cross over could be labeled “Vancouver on the Cheap”. In other words, this is a weekly series on things to do and places to go in Vancouver that fall into that magical category of being both cheap and awesome.

There are many Mongolian Grill-style restaurants in Vancouver, and they are all essentially exactly the same: get a bowl, fill it with the raw ingredients and sauces, and then watch as they use their high-temperature mega-skillet to cook it up in a jiffy. Very exciting stuff. (That sounds sarcastic, but I actually mean it! It’s fun!) They also are pretty darn cheap for a meal out.

My favourite is Great Han Mongolie BBQ, located at Main & 15th, with their $6.99 lunch special. The deal includes a large bowl of grilled goods, a small bowl of rice, a small bowl of soup, and a salad. Word from the wise: the soup is a sort of sweet and sour flavour, so if that’s not your thing (as is the case for me) you can save yourself some trouble and not eat it. They’ve also got a $3 bottle of beer available for a cheap malted beverage.

If you can’t make it for lunch, Great Han has a pretty decently priced dinner: $12.99 all you can eat, or if you get your dinner to go, it’s only $7.99. Pro tip: go mid-afternoon for a late lunch. It will fill you up for the evening and you can skip the pricier dinner!

The grill in action!

When you arrive at Great Han (or really any Mongolian grill-style restaurant, as they’re all eerily similar, down the the lettering used on the buffet), expect to find a long buffet complete with frozen meat shavings, veggies, tofu, and sauces. Just grab yourself a bowl and fill ‘er up with whatever strikes your fancy. There’s always a guide posted by the sauces for common flavours (ginger, sweet and sour, teriyaki), or just mix it up and have fun. Then leave your bowl on the counter beside the man with the giant grill and go sit down. The waitress will bring you your bowl when its ready, as well as your complimentary sides. These will most definitely include rice and soup. Dinner usually also includes tea and little puffed chip things (very tasty).

Check them out!

Great Han Mongolian BBQ
3043 Main Street