An insider's guide to Victoria since 1997.

I discovered Cabin12 through Twitter, oddly enough, and on a day off I stopped in for lunch which turned out to be breakfast (I had eggs benedict). More recently, I went back with family and friends and after a second sampling decided it was time to add a review.

Cabin12 is a casual, ecclectic diner-style restaurant with an ever-changing display of local art on the walls and a soundtrack that appeals to the "college crowd." The food is fresh, well prepared, well-portioned and very reasonably priced -- a typical breakfast or lunch is under $10. Coffee is decent and they are lisenced. Our daughter was very happy to find "green poutine" a vegetarian take on the classic using soy cheese and veggie gravy. I went for another breakfast, "Tina's Toast" -- three thick slices of french toast covered in a cinnamon-apple topping with maple syrup on the side. I barely managed to finish it all, the helping was that large, but it tasted so good I was determined to clear my plate.

Mike had the Kobiashi Maru -- a dish that takes its name from a Star Trek training exercise intended to be unwinnable but which Kirk wins. The menu features a rumpled looking sketch of Commander Riker beside the item which is basically eggs benedict with steak in lieu of traditional back bacon or ham. Mike reported that it was "acceptable" -- the steak was not medium-rare throughout and he still prefers the "movie-butter-style" hollandaise sauce ladled out at John's place. Our friend had a large spinach salad that looked pretty good from where I was sitting -- fresh spinach with well-arranged toppings, evenly distributed. It was definitely meal-sized.

One oddity, they don't take credit cards (a sign on the front window says it is because they don't want to contribute to the credit crunch) so be prepared to pay cash or debit. They also have a stage and regularly host local musicians and djs and are home to regular early morning "tweetups" of local Twitter users.

Located across from the McPherson Theatre on Pandora at Government St, in the side of the Victoria Plaza Hotel. [menu & more]