Dining Out

The White Spot is a venerable Vancouver institution - the first drive-in opened in 1928. I can remember going with my grandfather to the White Spot on Georgia Street in the early 70's - the restaurant is still there, now right across the street from my parents' condo. Only a few locations offer drive-in service now, but I can still remember how impressed I was by the trays they used - they stretched all the way across the car, and the carhops would balance them precariously on one hand as they crossed the parking lot.

On Saturday, we were visiting friends who suggested taking MonkeyBoy to the Spot just up the street. I was somewhat dubious as he still has the table manners of a chimpanzee, but figured the ratio of 3 adults to one small goon was adequate. And dinner was a success, almost entirely due to the White Spot's time-honoured Pirate Pack. For as long as I can remember, kids' meals have been delivered in a 3-D cardboard pirate ship, complete with a sail that uses your straw as a mast. You could get a hamburger, fish and chips, or chicken fingers, and every meal came with a drink, a little tub of ice cream (which, of course, you had to eat first so it didn't melt) and a chocolate coin. We dragged the boats home every time, fighting fierce battles on the raging seas of the back seat

We all loved Pirate Packs, and I was curious to see how MonkeyBoy would react. We didn't tell him ahead of time, but had the camera warmed up and ready to go. The results were most gratifying: