Worth the Effort

It’s that time of year again in Lanark County (and I’m sure other parts of Ontario) – time for wild garlic (or ramps or wild leeks – many names for the same plant). My first foray into picking wild garlic was last year and while our foraging was fruitful, the bugs made it quite miserable. We were more prepared this year and it was earlier in the season, so the mosquitoes were non-existent – only a few black flies to deal with.  A 30-minute foraging session yielded us 2 lbs of beautiful plants. We took heed of advice from pickers before us – be a conscientious picker and leave lots of plants behind for the next season. After I got the plants home, it took about 3 hours to clean them up and get them ready for processing. I made a ramp butter (the leafy green parts of the plants), a ramp pesto and pureed the bulbs with some grape seed oil to be kept in a small jar in the refrigerator.  I didn’t use recipes for the stuff that I made – just decided on ways that I thought I would enjoy the spring goodness later.

Ramp Leaves

For the butter: 1 stick of unsalted butter (cut into 1/2″ pats) 1/4 cup of grape seed oil (drizzle in while the machine is running) About 2 cups of ramps (I loosely packed the bowl of the food processor, after putting in the butter) – Process in a food processor until combined.  I added the grape seed oil to help it blend better with the butter (without adding any extra flavour). It is now safely in the freezer until corn season in August.

Ramp Leaves and Almonds

For the pesto: About 3 cups of ramps (packed the bowl of the food processor, a little more than with the butter – not very scientific I know, but experiment and see what flavour you are getting) 2 handfuls of blanched, peeled almonds Extra virgin olive oil poured in while the machine is running – until you get the desired texture – this took about 1/2 a cup A pinch of salt – Since I was freezing it, I decided not to add any cheese – I will add some grated fresh when I use it.

Such a lovely shade of green

For the jarred bulbs: – I put them in the bowl of my mini-processor and added enough grape seed oil to form a paste Simple!   I used the fruits of my labour as follows: – the puree, I have sauteed like garlic along with some grated ginger and used as a base for steamed broccoli and snow peas – the leaves I chopped and added to a lentil soup (about 1/2 cup); finely chopped and sprinkled on some fresh tomatoes with a pinch of smoked salt The leaves I use as I would any fresh herb. I thing which I found interesting was that as strong as the plants smell, the taste is quite mild and I always end up using more than I think I would need. It is still pretty early in the season and I think we may end up going back to our spot for another round of picking – we’ll see.

For some more pictures and my blog on the adventure visit MyMacaroniPie

Wild Garlic Bulbs

Happy Foraging!

Wild Garlic Time in Ontario is a post from Foodie.ca

Whole wheat pasta with Tarragon Pesto...great alongside our poached halibut!

Tarragon has a delicate anise-like flavour and is a key part of French cooking. It is often paired with chicken, in Bernaise sauce, with vegetables and with mild fish. We made fresh halibut poached in white wine and lemons to accompany the pasta last night. Roasted portabella mushrooms would be a nice vegetarian alternative.

Tarragon Pesto

• 2 c. fresh parsley
• 1 c. fresh tarragon
• 1/3 c. quality olive oil
• 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. toasted walnuts
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

1. roast garlic in a 375F oven for about 15 minutes to soften
2. toast walnuts in the same oven for approx 7 minutes or until aromatic
3. wash & dry herbs 
4. add all ingredients to a blender
5. blend until smooth and season to taste
6. serve as desired

Suggestions:

add roasted tomatoes and olives to the  pasta

add 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice to make the pesto more of a salad dressing

add the pesto to naturally-raised chicken before roasting

Tarragon Pesto is a post from Foodie.ca

I could be considered a hotdog girl. There is nothing quite like a BBQ-ed hotdog on a hot summer day or a concession dog while you are taking a break at the ball field, but recently I saw a news article about a very special hotdog……… one that cost over $100!

Dougie Dog, a Vancouver eatery all about hotdogs has what they call a gourmet hotdog. This amazing hotdog (or so it better be for over $100) is described as “no ballpark tube steak. It contains Bratwurst, Kobe beef, truffle oil, a dribble of $2,000 cognac and some Atlantic lobster.”

So, to be fair, the ‘gourmet’ hotdog has some impressive ingredients – kobe beef in a hotdog? Truffle oil? LOBSTER?! I’ve got to admit, I’m still not convinced. To me it sounds like a mish-mash of expensive ingredients trying to fit into the category of a loved favourite, but let’s be serious, a hotdog is just not meant to be gourmet!

With that said, the next time I am in Vancouver I will stop by Dougie Dog and see with my own little eyes what this ‘gourmet’ dog is all about. From afar though, it doesn’t sound too exciting and to be quite frank, no pun intended, I’m not sure I could stomach the bill to try this hotdog out….

$100 Hotdog?!?!? is a post from Foodie.ca

I wasn’t sure if he or the restaurant staff knew who we were when I booked the reservation but it seemed clear throughout the meal that the restaurant staff knew exactly who we were but awkwardly didn’t mention anything, so it was only until the end of the meal, as we were walking out, that I realized. Our server, who coincidentally (or not coincidentally) was the same server we had when we experienced our initial nightmare dinner. The service was VERY attentive and everything went VERY well, but on our way out she said, “It was sooooo nice meeting you.” I was very confused as she didn’t introduce herself, I didn’t introduce myself or my partner and there was no real meeting. Maybe better communication would have eliminated this situation.

Upon entry into the Cedar Room restaurant it was gorgeous. We went in December and so all of the Christmas decorations were out, there were twinkling lights about the room and it really set a romantic, warm sense to the entire restaurant and eating experience.

Once seated we thought it nice to get an appy to share with our glasses of wine. We ordered the cranberry baked brie…. I do love cheese. The crackers were made by the pastry chef and from a family recipe, which essentially saved this dish because the brie completely outshined any cranberry flavour. The brie flavour was beyond pungent and not what we was expecting. Fresh strawberries garnished the plate but made no sense as they were not ripe and did not complement the dish. It seemed a little uninspired.

(We did have complimentary bread, but it wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary or special. It did, however, come with individual servings of SPREADABLE, whipped butter, which was nice. I can and never will understand why some restaurants serve delicious bread with rock hard butter. This was not the case in the Cedar Room.)

On to the entrees! Brendan had the pan seared prime rib which was beautiful and delicious with a sauté of caramelized onions and wild mushrooms, chipotle butter and herb roasted fingerling potatoes. The steak was a gorgeous medium rare, tender, juicy, and everything else you would imagine a yummy prime rib steak tasting like. I, on the other hand, had the peppercorn steak with garlic mash, veggies and huge onion rings. The garlic mash was divine. I could have swam in it and been a happy camper. The onion rings were good and presented well on the plate, but sadly the peppercorn steak was far beyond peppery. I can handle pepper, but I don’t like to choke on it every bite I take and unfortunately (at least for my tastes) it was overboard by a fairly large margin. Each plate was garnished with micro-greens and herbs which I adore. I snuck Brendan’s and ate both of ours! Love it!

Dessert was one of the highlights of the meal – a peanut butter cream pie on a cookie crust with a berry drizzle on the side. It was so, so, so GOOD! The texture was creamy and smooth (with the exception of a couple of rather chunky bits of peanut butter) and it tasted like a giant Reese Peanut Butter Cup but without the heavy dense chocolate exterior layer. I would drive from Victoria to Parksville for this dessert alone! The plate was again garnished with unimaginative fresh strawberry slices, which gave absolutely nothing to the dish overall.

So, after a terrible experience, to an amazing Sunday brunch experience, to a good dinner experience, I am satisfied that the good outweighs the bad when it comes to Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Room. Ultimately, if I had a choice between brunch and dinner, I would choose brunch every single time…. it was just that good! For all of you Vancouver Islanders (and anyone wanting to come for a visit!), please do check out Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Room because I think it will be worth your while.

Returning to Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Room is a post from Foodie.ca

Knife Sharpener

This past Christmas, my in-laws gave me a mini knife sharpener – which I subsequently added to my kitchen travel kit. I then began to wonder if anyone else does this when they go on vacation? When traveling, we tend to stay away from resorts and big hotels. We prefer to rent accommodations that can provide a fully equipped kitchen. This pleases me on so many levels. I get to sample produce at local markets. I get a glimpse of the local culture by shopping at grocery stores – discovering new ingredients I often have never have cooked with. When I’m not sure of what to do with a particular ingredient I ask the vendor – they always have ideas and often recipes for me to try. This is always a great source of information. I have found that people who sell food love to share ways for you to enjoy it.

Herbs and Spices

As much fun as this is, over the years, I have arrived at many rented accommodations only to find that people’s definition of a ‘Gourmet Kitchen’ varies – greatly. The main pet peeve that prompted me to start a kitchen travel kit, was trying to cook eggs in not-so-new-or-non-stick pans. The eggs would stick so badly to the bottom that half of the dish often ended up as a part of the pan. As soon as the eggs were done, we would put the pan on the stove with some water and a touch of dish soap, bring to a boil and wait until the mess started lifting off the bottom. Not fun.

The first thing I started bringing with me was a small, heavy bottomed, non-stick frying pan. Soon that grew into my current kit. I bought an inexpensive men’s travel kit, then started loading it up. When I was at GNC one day I saw these small pill containers and thought they would be perfect for my bag. Each section only holds about one tablespoon, but often that is all I need for a recipe.

My bag of tricks!

Here are some things I like to include:

• My chef’s knife (with a case that you can purchase at a good kitchen supply store)
• Small cutting board (for some reason, people like buying glass cutting boards – not my favourite as I find they tend to dull my knives)
• Paring knife
• Butcher’s twine
• Ziploc bags
• Chip clip
• Dried herbs and spices
• Can/bottle opener (again, have encountered all types of these gems)
• Small measuring tube
• Pastry brush
• Small knife sharpener
• Small grater or rasp

Sometimes I even throw in tubes of tomato or anchovy paste – things that might be more expensive depending on where I go. This bag, along with my knives, an apron and a spare kitchen towel always go into checked luggage, of course. Let your imagination be your guide.

Now I realize that packing a bag the size of a shoe box may take away space for clothes. I have willingly sacrificed space for that extra pair of bulky shoes, so that I can pack my bag of tricks!

Kitchen Travel Kit is a post from Foodie.ca

My partner and I recently celebrated our engagement with family and friends and one of our lovely friends gave us a gift certificate to the Fireside Grill here in Victoria. I was thinking up a nice date night idea and thought that it was the perfect occasion for Brendan and I to use the gift certificate and enjoy a great meal!

I had never been to the Fireside Grill and have really gotten into using Twitter, so I thought I’d put the word out there to Victoria Tweeters that I was headed to the restaurant and wanted some suggestions on what was best. Instead of getting much of a response from those that enjoy the food, I got a response directly from the restaurant! They offered up suggestions on what to try, invited us to tweet while we were there and that they looked forward to meeting us. How great is that? What fabulous customer service.

We were first greeted by the manager, John MacDonald, who was tweeting with me earlier in the day. He was so excited to meet us and we him! It was really fun. We were taken through the beautifully old, tudor style restuarant which felt more like a home than anything else. The decor was perfect, the lighting was perfect; it was very romantic even. We sat and were introduced to Seamus, our server, who was also fabulous from start to finish. He was friendly, but very professional and had a pride about him when he brought each course to our table.

On to the food! First though, I have to share that the Fireside Grill has their own signature house wines. We each had a glass of their house red, which was a nice merlot. The grapes are grown in the Okanagan of BC and the wine is produced in province as well. It was no surprise to me that a restaurant already impressing me with their customer service and decor, even before eating, impressed me with their choice to produce and have available a signature wine. Smooth choice.

Okay, okay, now on to the food!! Fireside was having a special three course meal for $20, so both Brendan and I decided for that, but shared each of the dishes between the two of us. While decided specifically what to order we were treated to warm bread which was accented with nice herb flavours and nuts. My question is, though, why does bread always come with rock hard butter?

As starters, we had the ponzo prawns which were perfectly cooked, delicious, and sat on a quinoa base. The quinoa had a surprisingly saucy texture and the tempura asaparagus was to die for. We wanted about ten more stalks.  The second starter was a quinoa salad with a light, apple cider, vanilla emulsion but the emulsion just did not provide much of any flavour. I did not taste a hint of vanilla whatsoever. The salad was dotted with  cranberries, nuts and seeds were a great earthy addition.

For our mains we went with duck confit which was a creative play on turkey with cranberries, but instead with a blackberry compote. I think I would actually trade having a turkey on Christmas (or any holiday) and go for this duck confit. It was succulent, juicy and the skin was perfectly crispy. The beans with cumin were very complementary and the squash was good but needed salt as was a bit bland.We also shared the roasted lamb which was literally fall of the bone tender. It was designed to come with a mashed potato with olive, but I don’t care for olive, so we substituted their garlic mash instead. The garlic mash left something to be desired as it tasted as though garlic powder had been added to plain potatoes. The kale was nice and tasty, and it’s beautiful green colour lightened the plate. My favourite element of this dish was the puffed pastry ring as it was absolutely aesthetically beautiful but also acted as a light and tasty addition to the plate.

And to the desserts! The mousse was delicious and tasted like autumn on a plate. It was set on top of a piece of white chocolate, but the addition of the white chocolate was  just too sweet. On the very top was blueberry (housemade) fruit leather which was amazing. I wished they would have put more of the fruit leather and taken off the white chocolate. The mousse itself was light and to garnish were two pastry sticks that were impressively thin but added little to the actual dessert itself. The chocolate lava cake was soooo rich and luxurious that I honestly didn’t care that it wasn’t very flowing. There was a raspberry coulis smeared artistically on the plate and I desperately wanted more, to cut the richness of the cake just a little bit more. (I wasn’t too worried though, as I would eat one of these cakes everyday if I could.. Yummy.) The cream puff was a great palette cleanser as it had a light citrus flavour – perfect way to the end the dinner date!

What turned out to be a fantastic evening started as a surprise for my fiance. The gorgeous tudor style building, amazing and friendly customer service (way beyond anything I’ve experienced recently) and the delicious food………… Fireside Grill is among only a few on the top of my list for the best dining experience in Victoria. Hands down.

Fireside Grill Victoria BC is a post from Foodie.ca

Deer paired with red beets, sunchokes, king oysters and macadam

Yes, food is like fashion. There are some trends that chefs and restaurants have to follow to please their customers trough out the seasons and they are classics that are never to disappear from our tables.  Here is a list of ingredients that I think are mostly “in” the game or are gaining  in popularity. Fact: I am crazy about all these so here is a list of my current winter obsessions.

#1 : Sunchoke.  On top of my list of favourite food these days, I find the Topinambour, more often called Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke in the anglo-saxon community. It’s a root vegetable, very similar texture to potatoes but with a tangy taste that makes it so special and interesting. The great thing about it, is the food items it can be matched with for perfect palate feast.  Celery, bacon, scallops, “foie gras” and the best : truffle: party in the mouth guaranteed.

It is a weird looking veggie and I was even reluctant to try to cook it because off those protuberances.  Not easy to peel I admit, but the result in a smooth puree or soup is fantastic. You can also brush off the dirt and keep the skin on, cut in half to fry in duck fat like fries….marvellous….marvellous.

#2. Onions : This very common veggie is making a comeback according to many foodists and trend spotters. I agree. I am hooked on caramelized onions puree since a while now.  So simple and tasty: Cut white onions and cook in a non stick pan with a little butter and salt until you get that great golden color. Add some soy sauce to glaze the pan then finish puree with a hand mixer while adding some lemon juice for a good emulsion.  Looks great and tastes great

#3 Macadam Nuts  I love a little crunch in a recipe so I always been a fan of nuts. Lately, macadam is the kind I use everywhere, roasted in a little bit of oil, paired with king oysters mushroom for example (my next food obsession) Great with salads, as garnish for any soup, make a great crust for some fish or meat, endless possibilities.

#4 King oysters mushroom  Although I love ALL mushrooms (you are thinking is there any food she does NOT like?) My big fave right now is the king oyster. First, it is beautiful, its fun to cut the firm and white flesh and roasted with my obsession #3, its to die for. Add a little drizzle of walnut oil, some greens and you have a great personality side dish (you can see in pic  on top )

#5 Chinese Five Spices  This I decided to use following a Thomas Keller lobster recipe in the French Laundry cookbook. Since I did not have all the ingredients to make his “squab spice” mix I decided this was close enough…and now I am hooked.  Use fresh spices mix if you can find and grind yourself, the aromas that come out are amazing and then the flavours of your dish will be as well. I use it on lobster meat before adding butter and finish cooking in the oven, fantastic also on duck breast.

#6 Fennel I love the taste of liquorice. One great thing about fennel is that it is as good if its cooked or raw. Its a great match with balsamic vinegar roasted in the oven. Also lovely thinly sliced in a scallop ceviche or a lobster salad. (classic mix with orange)  I discovered a new mix this year:  Fennel and tomatoes in a Cioppino recipe from Bon Appetit magazine. WOW!!  I am tempted to use fennel in every tomato sauce I make from now on.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cioppino-368957

Cioppino

 #7 Rabbit  This obsession started watching a chef boning a whole rabbit on a TV show and giving great recipes to use each part. I told myself: This is cool, I want to do this!  So off I went buying whole rabbits and make great sauce out of the bodies. The smell in the house was amazing and I’ve never tasted brown stock so good.  The flesh is delicate and tasty, I even use the kidney for a rabbit spaghetti sauce. Rabbit is my new pork.

#8 Beet  Beet is “in” since a while now, often served with goat cheese and salad in restaurants.  I love them roasted with their skin on but my best discovery is to use a juicer and make a nice beet reduction. Just add some red wine vinegar and you will get a superb syrup that has a earthy taste. Put the reduction over the roasted beets for a maximum of flavours and also great paired with rabbit meat.  I even make a beet cake that people are crazy about!!! Veggies in desserts is becoming big, watch and see.

Deconstructed Beet cake, mascarpone icing, ginger-beet reduction, passion fruit gelly

#9 Brine  Thanks to David Chang and his Momofuku cook book on this one. I am using his simple recipe to pickle all kind of veggies or fruits. 1 cup hot water, 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt.   Cucumbers are great, yellow beets are my favourite, napa cabbage, sunchokes. I even use it to cure  fresh salmon a couple of hours then pat dry and eat like sashimi.  Pickles are in!

#10 Butternut squash   Always loved that one for the silkiness it gives to soups, paired simply with onions or leeks. Last hit was diced squash roasted in the oven with Chinese 5 spices, salt, a little brown sugar and plenty of olive oil…cook at 425 for about 20 min then use on grilled pieces of bread with ricotta  for a nice bite. (thanks to Bon Appetit again for the inspiration) Squash makes a great garnish for Risotto also and tastes fantastic with bacon. I’ve seen a chef making dessert with it too.

I hope this list will be inspiring for some good home winter cooking for you all, Happy New Year!!

My Top 10 Favourite Food for Winter 2012 is a post from Foodie.ca

Fantastic lobster tart at le Comptoir in Montreal

Each year, the November issue of en Route magazine (Air Canada) is publishing their top ten of new restaurants across Canada. Their tester/ journalist is proposed with a bunch of venues to try out in every major cities by a panel of food critics and bloggers from different areas.  I am always looking forward to that list because I think it always nails down the best places to go and it is very nice for travelers as well as for locals who missed the new hot spot.

So here is what they came up for 2011. (note that the new restaurants openings happened between june 2010 and july 2011 in order )

#1.  Raymonds. St-Johns, NB

http://www.raymondsrestaurant.com/

#2. Hawksworth. Vancouver, BC

www.hawksworthrestaurant.com

#3. L’Abattoir. Vancouver, BC

www.labattoir.ca

#4. Les 400 coups. Montreal, QC

www.Les400coups.ca

#5. Ici Bistro. Toronto, ON

http://www.jpco.ca/restaurant/welcome/

#6. Van Horne. Montreal, Qc

www.vanhornerestaurant.com

#7. Campagnolo. Toronto, ON

www.campagnolotoronto.com

#8. Le Comptoir charcuteries & vins. Montreal, Qc

www.comptoircharcuteriesetvins.ca

#9. Ulla. Victoria, BC

www.ulla.ca

#10. Corso 32. Edmonton, AB

www.corso32.com

Great desserts are served at Les 400coups in Montreal

Of course, I always look for who will make it on that famous list from my city. I agree with the 3 choices that made it this year from Montreal. They are well worth going and and they well deserved it. I was disapointed to see that the one place that created an extreme buzz from the opening and still is one of my favorite spots is missing: Le Filet.  I would recommend you put that one at #11 and make sure you go if you are passing by Montreal .

www.lefilet.ca

Fluke with japanese plum is a favorite at Le Filet

For the full article in the enRoute magazine :

http://enroute.aircanada.com/en/articles/canada-s-best-new-restaurants-2011

The 10 best new restaurants in Canada is a post from Foodie.ca

If you attended Victoria’s Culinaire 2011, you’ll understand why I am so excited about Culinaire 2012, to the extent that I am writing about it before 2012 even starts! 2012 marks Culinaire’s third year and although I only had the opportunity to attend the second annual event, that was enough of an experience to ensure that I will make it to this event each time they put it on.

So the nitty gritty of the event? It is happening on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at Crystal Gardens in Victoria. There are two seatings available, the first from 5-715pm and the second from 730-945pm. Tickets are only $32 including taxes and that gets you ten tickets to taste ten different dishes or drinks (some vendors will provide a drink WITH their dish too, which is nice). Additional food/drink tickets are also available for purchase for an additional $1/each, if you are still hungry after ten!

So, if you haven’t read my previous write up on Culinaire 2011, you might be wondering why I am SOOOOO excited, right? Culinaire brings together some of the most amazing food and drink locations in the city, plants them all in one location and allows you to walk around and taste any of their delicious masterpieces, all while enjoying a couple of drinks! Hello?! Sounds like a party to me! Beyond that though, this event showcases real culinary skill and mastery and it does so in a way that makes tasty, refined flavours available to anyone, while identifying where you might find more fabulous food at each vendor’s location.

Don’t forget to get your tickets early…. this is a foodie event in Victoria you just do NOT want to miss.

Coming Soon…. Culinaire 2012! is a post from Foodie.ca

So it’s that time of year again – time to start planning various Holiday events. Office parties, family get-togethers… for this article, I have chosen three local venues that I can personally recommend for such events. Yes, I have paid my dues on the office party planning committee (mostly ’cause it’s the only committee I can halfway stand. Plus, we all must do our part to annoy our co-workers, right?). I know all-too-well the ins and outs of trying to force a mismatched group of people into all liking the food, the ambiance, the price etc. in order to spend a couple of hours of forced quality bonding time. So without further adieu, here are my top three picks for Victoria’s best Holiday party venues that won’t cost you (or your company) your life-savings:

Ferris’ Oyster Bar | 536 Yates St. | www.ferrisoysterbar.com

Ferris' Oyster Bar, 536 Yates St., Victoria BC

Capacity: 27 sit-down dinner, 40 casual reception

Price: $1500 – $3500 minimum plus Gratuity and Tax (Mon – Wed are the cheapest nights). Please see the Special Event Menu for details.

Contact: Dave Craggs, 250-382-2344 or dave@ferrisoysterbar.com

Parking: Yates St. Parkade (free after 6pm), Street

Personal accolades: I have planned a couple of office events through Dave. He is absolutely a pleasure to work with. The food is always excellent, the decor lovely (lots of space, comfy couches/chairs) and the staff is very accommodating if you need to get in a bit early to set up, for example. For stand-up receptions, I would recommend ordering lots of “anything on a stick” – that always seems to be the biggest hit (for my office, anyway).

Union Pacific Coffee | 537 Herald St. | www.unionpacificcoffee.com

Union Pacific Coffee, 537 Herald St., Victoria BC

Capacity: 30 – 75 people

Price: $1000 minimum plus Gratuity and Tax.  Orders must be submitted 1 week prior to event.

Contact: info@unionpacificcoffee.com

Parking: Street (meters free after 6pm)

Personal accolades: Union Pacific makes great food, hands down. They may not be able to spell “hors d’oeuvres” on their menu, but they sure know how to make them! Their private event menu suggests ordering about $12/person to ensure you have enough food. Beer, wine and spirits are available for $5.75 – $6.50/glass. Bottles of wine are also available for $24 – $26. The atmosphere is really cool – an old brick interior with exposed pipes/ductwork that just screams “San Francisco, 1866″ (yes, I looked it up). I also like that it is located just outside of the downtown core, which helps with the parking/traffic situation.

The Bengal Lounge | The Fairmont Empress – 721 Government St. | www.fairmont.com/empress/vanity/epicureanjourneys

The Bengal Lounge, Fairmont Empress, Victoria BC

*Please note this is a lunch time (11:30am – 2pm) offering only*

Capacity: unlimited (groups of 25 or more may be able to secure a private room).

Price: Buffet lunch $32/person plus Gratuity and Tax.

Contact: 250-389-2727 or emp.dinings@fairmont.com

Parking: Parkade or street ($)

Personal accolades: You can’t go wrong with the Bengal Lounge. The buffet lunch is described as “Seasonal Spice” but to the unclassy such as yours truly, it’s Indian food. Amazing Indian food (is there any other kind?)! The buffet lunch includes salads, soup, entrees and desserts. The atmosphere is worth the $200 cocktails (may be exaggerating – slightly), and the only downside is having to return to ‘real life’ afterwards. And perhaps the biggest secret of all (I can’t believe I’m telling anyone else about this): if you join Friends of the Empress, you’ll save 20%. And that’s not all, the Friends of the Empress program extends to room bookings, spa treatments, and discounts at other restaurants/retailers both in the hotel and around downtown Victoria.

The Empress Hotel, Victoria BC

Merry Christmas, indeed!

(If anyone has suggestions for other venues around town, I am always thankful for recommendations! I have a long list of mismatched friends and family members that I like to gather together and force to get along at the most stressful time of year… previous years’ winners have included the Laurel Point Inn, the penthouse at Swans Hotel, the penthouse at the Victoria Regent Hotel, and the Strawberry Vale Community Hall).

Holiday Parties: Victoria on a Budget is a post from Foodie.ca