Things to Do in Vancouver - lunch - the bread garden at park royal, west vancouver, british columbia

Things to Do in Vancouver: Finding Fun Things to Do in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Lunch- The Bread Garden at Park Royal
notes by Dad

Activity: Each member of our family has a weird eating habit. My wife, Mary, has eaten a muffin with a coffee for lunch for the past ten years. Nathe won't let the taste of meat anywhere near his lips, and Jen loves meat. So what we do sometimes is order them a hotdog--Jen eats the wiener and Nathan dines on the bun. Myself, I like eggs, but if I can't get eggs, a ham and cheese sandwich will do. I used to hate eating out. What an ordeal! But I guess there must be more families like us, because I've noticed more and more places popping up that cater to our diverse tastes. One of these is The Bread Garden.

Age group: All ages. The Bread Garden has a large supply of high chairs.

Expense rating: Reasonably priced. Sandwiches cost about $4.50, and so do their shepherd's pie, wraps, and one-bowl meals. The four of us typically spend about $20 for lunch.

: The Bread Garden is a casual eating place with lots of good to pick from. It's busy, with enough noise that you don't feel like everyone is looking at you when your baby starts to cry. Spills and messes are no problem. It's a definite cut above fast food eating at the Golden Arches.

: I used to hate The Bread Garden; it was too formula. All the shepherds pies have mashed potatoes swirled in exactly the same pattern along the edge of the casserole. The sandwiches come in a cellophane wrapper and the chilli is microwaved. If you can get past these, you'll find the food tastes pretty good.

Details: The Bread Garden has about half a dozen locations: Park Royal ((604) 925-0181) and Park & Tilford Malls on the North Shore, Metrotown in Burnaby, south Granville Street, and Denman Street in downtown Vancouver. It works on a number system: you order your food at the counter and servers will deliver it to your table. Or, if you just want a coffee or baked good, they have an express line-up as well.

Area: Vancouver

Season: All seasons

Educational highlights: If you like people-watching, this is a good place to do it. There's lots of people coming and going.

Fun for the adult?: You can enjoy something other than a hamburger and fries, and your kids will still be happy.