Do you remember that brief stint when 50's style diners were really popular? You know the kind I'm talking about: Elvis on the jukebox, milkshakes on the menu, servers in period dress. These diners trade in the worst kind of selective nostalgia, romanticizing an era wrought with female oppression and volatile international relations to its most palatable Happy Days-style aspects of innocence and whimsy. Knowing this, I wasn't exactly excited to hear about the opening of Vancouver's new diner, Chaise Lounge, in the old Wing Nuts space.

What I didn't realize at the time was that Chaise Lounge is owned by the same team from Burgoo, Vancouver's international stew house juggernaut. If there's anyone that knows something about straying from the formula, it's them. And they have. Chaise is a far stray from barbershop colours and greasy banquet burgers. It may have nods to the 1950's, but this spot is 21st century all the way.

Thankfully, there's no red and white barbershop colour scheme, or even booths of any kind. Instead it's a funky amalgam of oddball light fixtures and chandeliers, purple velvet couches, dark wood floors, and original graffiti-style art covering the walls. Tables are laminated and the bar offers a funky drinking destination that just barely calls to mind an old-school drug store.

But don't expect to see Archie types showing up at Chaise Lounge. As the name suggests, it's as much a bar as it is a diner, enough so that the cocktail list actually appears before the food on the menu. Drinks like the Citrus Drop and Negroni Martini are as classic 50s as you can get, but they're given a modern update with fresh ingredients and fruit pressed right in front of your eyes. Beers on draft include Driftwood, Lighthouse, and R&B Raven (thankfully no Molson to be seen), and there's also a formidable wine card.

Under chef Jordan Knight (formerly of C Restaurant), the food takes a similar approach, updating standards with modern (somewhat trendy) variations and premium ingredients. Macaroni & Cheese is made with truffle oil and herb-infused heavy cream, while a "Badass Burger" is made with Fraser Valley Natural Beef and "Meatloaf Naturally" is baked with Dijon mustard and wrapped in double smoked bacon. There's also a selection of smaller bar bites like Dungeness Crab Croquettes and Qualicum Bay Scallop Ceviche. Forget the 50's.