by Andrew Morrison | The new location of Meet is good to go in Gastown in the old Boneta/Shirakawa space (115-12 Water Street). If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, the original Meet is located at 4288 Main St. in Riley Park. Owned by serial restaurateur Ivo Staiano and Jason and Linda Antony, it’s popular among vegetarians and vegans, as the focus is on casual, veggie-friendly comfort foods. They’ve already fired up the stoves for several friends and family services, and their soft opening week is now underway.

I slipped in yesterday during a management meeting and was taken aback by how much they’d changed the space, and by how much they left it alone. The bar, for example, is in the same spot, but they’ve lowered it a touch and shortened its width by a considerable margin so they could expand the kitchen and make room for a new walk-in fridge. The old brass stripper handrail from the long gone Drake is still attached to the bar (a relief to see), but the open kitchen window is a thing of the past (replaced by a wall of reclaimed wooden boards arranged in a chevron pattern). If I’m not mistaken, the tables, chairs, and bar stools are all new as well. Take a look:

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