Main Event Sports Grill, Vancouver

All walks of life gather to eat at Main Events Sports Grill, but the chefs make sure they "eat with their eyes" first. Each pub-food staple on the menu gets two things: a creative culinary twist and an artful presentation. Burgers might arrive topped with bacon and a painterly swirl of peanut butter, or they might catch the light with a Jägermeister-based glaze. The adult mac 'n' cheese aims for a more abstract landscape, with its hefty portions of penne pasta tossed in spicy parmesan and white cheddar cream, bits of bacon, toasted bread crumbs, and melted blue cheese. More conventional eye-candy can be found on the 10 HDTVs, which broadcast sports and UFC fights.

For those who don't have time to linger over each artfully assembled plate, Main Event hosts what it calls fast lunch on weekdays—quick soups, salads, and sliders that are perfect for those who need to return to work or get back to chasing their runaway lawnmower. Later in the day, Main Event returns to its more relaxed "neighborhood hangout" pace with Happy Hour specials and innovative cocktails poured by talented mixologists.