assorted pastries, eggs any-style, omelettes, fluffy pancakes, French toast, hash browns.

And now with the addition of waffles, served with powdered sugar and choice of sausages, bacon or ham, what more could a customer ask for? There's even fresh fruit salads for the health conscious and a choice of chilled juices.

Owner/manager Mr. Ted Powell believes the Burnaby Street restaurant's "long-lived popularity'' is due to its full-service menu, daily "home style'' specials (beef stew, braised ox tail, boiled corned beef and cabbage), its fast take-out service and reasonable prices.

About one third of the Spot's business is take-out, Mr. Powell notes. The city diner also enjoys catering to a large crowd of businesswomen, especially during the lunch period.

Hence the additions to the menu of lighter lunch fare such as the stuffed-tomato salad plate and servings of cottage cheese and sliced tomato instead of coleslaw or fries.

Salad lovers have a choice of chef's, chicken, ham, egg or tuna salad, attractively priced at $8.

A steaming bowl of one of chef Alistair (Gay) Virgin's hearty soups -- made fresh each day -- is just the tonic on a cold winter's day. Most popular are split pea, red bean and lima bean.

And with the addition of a jumbo-sized tureen, there's no chance of the Spot's "soup of the day'' running out.

If it's a quick sandwich you're seeking (priced from $2.50 to $5), there are dozens -- hot and cold -- to choose from.

From the grill there are fish cakes, hash cakes, chicken breast, fried liver or steak (minute or Salisbury) sandwiches. And, of course, there's always the Spot's popular grilled hamburger doused with the works.

The hot turkey sandwich is the real thing, with a good sized bird being popped in the oven daily and carved to order.

New additions from the grill included lightly breaded shrimp, fish and scallops priced up to $11 and served with coleslaw, vegetable of the day and fries.

You won't go hungry at the Spot with the long list of side dishes to choose from: sausages, tossed salad, potato salad, cottage cheese, sliced tomato or a dish of crisp French fries.

The Spot offers unlimited coffee and tea ($1 a cup) for caffeine lovers, and also mugs of hot chocolate or Ovaltine.

And if it's a creamy milkshake you desire, the Spot makes any flavour including assistant manager Steven DeGrilla's special recipe, banana-strawberry.

Desserts include assorted pies, a delectable chocolate layer cake, ice creams, fresh fruit salads starting at $1.50 and even Jell-O with whipped cream on top! Sit down at a table, in smoking or non-smoking, or perch at the counter and savour the aroma of brewing coffee, eggs frying and hamburgers grilling.

The Spot reopened with "minimal price changes'', Mr. Powell adds.

Hours remain 6.30 a.m. to 7 p.m., but he is hoping to stay open later in the future.

But for now the Spot is "very much a breakfast place'', he says.

OWNER/MANAGER -- Mr. Ted Powell in the Spot's new non-smoking room.