Victorian Food

2014 Year in Review Podcast

2015-01-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Subscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

Just because I haven't been blogging most of this year doesn't mean I haven't been eating... it just means my incessant obsession with documenting every single thing I ate took a massive nosedive.

I've still had some amazing meals this year, most of which have taken place with the lovely folks who joined me at the end of 2013 to make a resolution for conviviality. The core group, who I have affectionately come to call the food nerds, came together again over some charcuterie & beverages and talked about our highlights from our year in convivial eating, followed by other musings on the major openings, closings and shake ups on the Victoria food scene in 2014... and our hopes and dreams for 2015.

We realized after the fact we forgot to mention Wheelies as an awesome little place that opened this year. Sorry Wheelies! We think you're awesome.

#VislandGetaway: Sooke

2014-08-20T21:59:00.001-07:00

this the second in a series of #VislandGetaway posts to satisfy

your travelling tastebuds without having to leave the Island!

Growing up in Victoria I remember Sooke as a faraway, remote place that I really only visited once in a blue moon to en route to exploring the proper West Coast beaches that can be found beyond. These days Sooke seems closer than ever, but still remote enough — and pristine enough — that when I visit it holds a sense of magic, and peeling back the layers I have realized there is a thriving food community out here that really is worth exploring!

Sooke Fast Facts

Meaning: from the T'sou-ke First Nation, the name of the Stickleback fish that live in the estuary of the river
Distance from Victoria: 40 kms
Approximate Travel time: 45 minutes
Population: 11, 435
Major industries: Tourism, Logging, Fishing
Nearest city: Victoria
Transportation options:

Car — less than $20 for gas
BC Transit — $2.50 on the #61 bus or #64 bus from Langford

My visit to Sooke was prompted by a lovely & generous gift certificate I received at Christmas from my colleagues on the local Slow Food board to stay overnight at the Sooke Harbour House. This prompted a mini-moveable feast with my food loving friends to dine in their dining room. (Obligatory disclaimer! I sit on the board with founder of the SHH, Sinclair Phillip, and our Convivium Leader is Brooke, their Sommelier whose partner Oliver is the head chef (you may remember them from my delicious dinner at their Wild Mountain supper club!). So while I harbour (pun unintended) no illusions that I am arms length or as objective on this one as some posts the certificate was given with no request or offer of a blog post).

We took a caravan-style drive out to Sooke on a lazy, sunny Saturday afternoon. Although our stops along the way were mostly stifled by a terrible lack of direction & impromptu "planning" it was definitely a convivial group that arrived at the Sooke Harbour House property in the late afternoon. Our gift certificate included a deluxe room & breakfast the next morning, so we checked in and arranged our things before heading off for a bit of an exploration.

Quimper Park

Although I am unclear on exactly what part of the area is meant to be Quimper Park this area seems to be kind of a dedicated historical site in Sooke. Along with the Quimper Park sign, which designates the symbolic landing point of the Spanish in 1790, there are also sign posts dedicated to some of the original settlers of the harbour area.

Whiffin Spit Park

The spit separates and protects the massive Sooke Harbour from the harsh waters of the Juan de Fuca Straight. The long strip of pathway was a decent walk, full of wildlife and local dog walkers. When the tide is out, the surrounding beach on both sides extends quite far, although is pretty rocky. We stopped near the end of the spit to watch an eagle fishing, so that was pretty incredible!

Sooke Harbour House

Sooke Harbour House is one of those institutions of our food scene that has left an undeniable impact on what we consume and how we consume it here on the Island. Their meticulous dedication to supporting locally sourced, ethically produced & socio-historically relevant foods has produced a ripple effect. Although sitting on the Slow Food board with Sinclair, Sooke Harbour House's owner, has cemented into my head the depth of the vision that he has for our food culture it wasn't until this visit I think I truly realized the extent to which his vision has elevated not only our local food scene, but local food on an international scale. Seeing the long wall of publications, citations and commendations they have collected over the years really helped me realize the significance of the level to which they helped to instigate an entire movement, and have helped to make space for a re-emergence of the celebration and consumption of local.

The Passion Flower Room

The Harbour House is definitely a destination restaurant — for the kind of wining and dining you are setting yourself up for you want nothing more than to tuck into a comfortable bed within walking distance of the dining room and to wake up with a luxurious soak in a tub looking out over the Juan de Fuca Straight.

Our dining companions, who had not initially intended to stay over, reconsidered their options after taking a peek in our room and were delighted to discover that the same-day rates were within budget and they were lucky enough that a room was still free for them!

Each of the rooms is decorated with a unique theme and design inspiration by co-owner Fredrique Philip. Our Passion Flower room was full of blossom inspiration, and our friends stayed in the Chef's Study — complete with rolling pin inspired banisters and a fantastic collection of cookbooks.

The grounds of the property are as unique and curiosity-inspiring as the food and accommodations. These fences that separate the main parking area from the front entrance way were made by none other than Renaat Marchand of Wannawafel fame from his days as a woodworker before waffles stole him away. Gardens, chock full of herbs and produce, wrap around the property.

This gorgeous totem pole, each member representing an individual in the Philip family, looks out over the harbour and was carved by Sooke-based Master Carver Carey Newman. It overlooks bluffs down to the beach, and is surrounded by even more edible plants and local art.

Once again, full disclosure: one of our dinner companions was Sooke Harbour House's lovely Sommelier, Brooke Fader, whose own partner-in-food-and-life is none other than their Head Chef, Oliver Kienast. Although Brooke & Oliver met while working at SHH many years ago, one or the other (or both!) have both also worked at pretty much every other delicious restaurant you can name in Victoria. They have only returned to both working at the Harbour House in the last few months, and she was quite excited to come and dine as a guest rather than having to work. Our group have been partaking in their side project of Wild Mountain Dinners, so were excited to see the duo in action with a larger team behind them. Although dining at the Sooke Harbour House was a completely different experience to the highly choreographed presentation of one of their intimate supper club dinners it was no less meticulously prepared and no less delicious.

Mussels Casino

This little nibble arrived unexpectedly at our table after we were seated — Brooke confessed this was a little bit unprecedented that we were treated to this extra bite before our meal. As loyal fans of the chef we were appreciative of the gesture of appreciation back! The perfect small bite to whet our appetite before the meal ahead of us.

I took advantage of our room and chose to do the wine pairings with our meal, and was extremely glad that I did! Brooke is clearly a master of her craft, and several weeks later when reminiscing about the meal to friends who were not able to join us we agreed that the wine pairings were incredible in the proper symbiotic situation where the flavour of each pairing was enhanced by the wine, and vice versa.

Wild & Cultivated Lettuces, Herbs & Flowers — 2011 Riesling, Kettle Valley

I chose to start my meal with a lighter option, the classic "Sooke Harbour House" salad filled with edible flowers from their garden! No bitter greens or dousing of dressing here, just a lovely mesh of fresh greenery.

Albacore Tuna Carpaccio — 2009 Sassi, Venturi-Schulze

Several of us at the table elected for the tuna carpaccio. The lightly smoked tuna was heavenly, and when combined with a bite of each of the toppings it took on several different dimensions. A relatively simple dish in finished product, but the kind of depth of flavour that wish I understood more about how gastronomic cuisine dishes are developed...

Sweet Cicely Ricotta Gnudi — 2010 Pinot Noir Noble Ridge

Another popular dish at the table! I really enjoy sweet cicely. It isn't a plant I had heard of before my first Wild Mountain dinner, but the delicate flavour is extremely lovely. I was doing some reading up and discovered it is sometimes used as a natural sweetener by people with diabetes, which I thought was interesting.

The gnudi was perfect, like light little pillows of deliciousness just like I can never replicate at home! The carrots were a bit crunchier than my clutzy coordination could handle to cut into bite sized pieces, but somehow I managed in the end. I loved the inclusion of seasonal ingredients like fiddleheads and nettle... we are so lucky to live surrounded by such delicious bounty!

This was my favourite wine of the evening, and again a delectable pairing!

Seasonal Ice Creams: Strawbery, Sour Cream & Roasted Fig Leaf Hazelnut Crunch — Chocolate-dipped Strawberries

not pictured (because this was glass #4): 2013 Saturn (sauvignon blanc), Clos du Soleil, Similkameen Valley

Pastry Chef Matthias Conradi produced some incredible desserts for the final course! The dark chocolate terrine and strawberries three ways were very much enjoyed around the table, but I settled on the seasonal ice creams! They were all incredible, but I loved the slightly savoury nature of the sour cream the best. The final nibble, perfectly in season chocolate dipped strawberries sent the entire table leaning back with the glorious sighs of happily satisfied diners. Who wouldn't be after such a truly, truly luxurious meal!

We stumbled back to our rooms all deliciously full of food & wine but somehow still managed to consume the lion's share of the complimentary port — and rose early and without the hint of a hangover. Perfection.

In-room Breakfast
We were told by the staff who lead us to our room that they have only just started serving hot breakfasts again recently, but I am certainly happy that they were! It was possibly one of the most decadent breakfasts of my life, sitting on the patio over looking the water with a level of sensory pleasure that really can only be achieved by an epic amount of butter. A perfect hash brown & egg was accompanied by a flavourful sausage, wedge of incredible cheese (we think it was the Monterey Jill from Qualicum Cheese works) and a side of heavenly sauce. Even the toast - light and fantastically textured - was consumed (super unusual for me, I'm strictly a 'hold the toast' breakfast orderer!).

Other Sooke Food & Drink:

Stick in the Mud might just be the perfect coffee shop. I've heard about (and witnessed on social media) their enthusiasm and dedication for some time now, but the last few times we've visited it has been a holiday and they've been tragically closed.

Tucked away parallel to the main road near the iconic Mom's cafe they're doing everything right here. They roast their own beans from ethical sources. They train their staff well, and they know exactly where they come from. We also just happened to be there on the day of the opening of their second location, in the lobby of the Best Western hotel (possibly the most surreal looking location in all of Sooke... but delicious coffee none the less!)

Cold Brew Dispensers

I was super impressed with the Cold Brew dispenser machine, complete with "growlers" to allow for easy refillability. I love the smooth, silky taste of Cold Brew, and this was perfection on a warm summer day!

Mini-cinnabun

This tiny cinnamon bun fit into the indentation on a saucer for a macchiato cup, which if you ask me is exactly the right size for a cinnamon bun! Despite the occasional craving for a sticky bite of cinnamon-laced pastry I can never justify the amount of gross I will feel after that much breadiness! This tiny one-bite perfection left as all completely satisfied.

Cenote

2014-06-29T12:55:00.001-07:00

Address: 768 Yates Street
Phone: 778-433-4848
Website: http://www.cenoteloungevictoria.ca/
Price: ~$10 for a main
Notes: A casual watering hole with plenty of personality

Although I know Cenote has been around for several years it didn't really make it onto my radar properly until pretty recently. I think this was because when they took over from Whitebird Lounge and kept the "lounge" aspect I kept the association with the events I had heard being offered there — which were mostly after-parties that occur after I am tucked up in bed snoring. However my partner-in-food-and-life overheard someone talking about their stuffed hot dogs and ever since then we've been meaning to visit.

Cenote seems to roughly translate to 'place where you find water underground' which seems like a very appropriate description. The lounge space is tucked away next to the Yates st Odeon theatre, down a staircase. They half share the space with a vintage clothing store, and the entrance way opens up in the sunshine to let fresh air and sunshine through. In many ways it reminds me of a slightly less food-centric, slightly less hipster-centric version of the sadly defunct (but apparently possibly soon reborn... Fort St. cafe). The front entranceway has comfy couches set up kind of like a small livingroom. To the left there is a large bar area and then a series of booths. The walls are adorned with the kind of art that fascinates me (but I would never want to hang in my living room). It looks like they also still have quite a few events & entertainment options on certain nights as well.

The menu is definitely mostly designed to be food that accompanies drinks. The majority of the mnu are sharing plates & their stuffed dogs — a hollowed out Portofino bun stuffed with a variety of toppings and a Glenwood Meats wiener. A few sandwiches and mains are supported by a daily fresh sheet as well for those who want more than just a nibble with their cocktail or pitcher. Although prices have risen since they last updated the menu on their website it's not by too much, making it one of the more affordable options for good food & drink in Victoria!

Food:
July 26th 2014

the Thursday Cenote feature
as discovered on the Sandwich Board Daily Specials app

Our visit was prompted by a new sponsor for the Victorian Food blog! I've teamed up with the fine ladies from the new Sandwich Board daily specials app (now available for iOs or Android!) who will be sponsoring some of the meals posted here in the next little while! They're solving the problem that I frequently had before starting to blog — I'm hungry, it's 6pm & I only have $20 to spend on dinner... where can we go that's nearby? Tonight's answer was Cenote!

G&T Special & a Whiskey Sour

I got sucked into the special and went for a G&T and my partner-in-food-and-life chose a Whiskey Sour. Both excellent choices to start our evening off.

Eggplant Parmesan Special

I've been on an Eggplant Parmesan kick lately... all the cheesy, breaded vegetable goodness you can handle with a spicy tomato tang and a side of garlic toast. This did not disappoint! It was satisfying, flavourful and well executed. It was also just the right size for the price ($12!). The salad on the side had really excellent local greens as well, which made me happy!

The Cenote Dog

Yes, that's a stuffed hot dog alright! Definitely a new paradigm of hedonistic comfort food. I could see this hitting the spot left behind after a few beers perfectly! This was the single dog, but for $2 more you could also include a second wiener in your stuffing. If you dare to be so bold.

My lactose-intolerant partner-in-food-and-crime had to scrape a little bit of cheese out (not realizing dairy was the key ingredient of the spicy Cenote sauce) but I benefitted nicely from this as usual, so I wasn't complaining. We will definitely try a few of the other varieties in the future.

Chips & Salsa

We decided to stick around for a second round and enjoy the perfect view of the adorable courtyard in front of us with the sunshine streaming down, so we nibbled on some chips & salsa. Again, great value for $5, and a good nibble to fill the gaps between sips and conversation.

Tea Mocktail & the Ward Eight

For the second round I asked for a non-alcoholic option, and was delighted when I was offered a custom creation vs just a soda or juice! This had earl grey syrup, I think something berry that I couldn't identify and fresh mint and lemon juice. My partner-in-food-and-life opted for the Ward Eight, a bourbon-based cocktail that ended up looking pretty fancy with the grenadine.

Service:
July 26th 2014
It was pretty early on a Thursday night when we stopped by, so we were one of only a handful of diners. The servers were attentive, making sure we had enough of everything and checking in often. The food was definitely not quick on the draw — but I think the staff team is pretty small and we weren't in a rush. Plus, I know they were prepping things fresh rather than relying on mass production which definitely showed in the food.

available NOW for iOs or Android!

Cold Comfort

2014-06-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Website: http://coldcomfort.ca/
Address: 2 – 1115 North Park Street (next to the Parsonage)
Price: $15 for one pint with discounts for multiple pints, $10 for two ice cream sandwiches
Notes: Incredible local ice cream available at HQ or at select market/store locations

Autumn, the owner of Cold Comfort ice cream, has taken the Victoria dessert scene by storm in the last few years. She started out making ice cream at her gig at Devour. She moved on to making ice cream full time in 2011, first delivering door-to-door and at markets before starting to sell wholesale and as of spring 2014 operating a full time ice cream shop on the edge of Fernwood and North park!

Her wares include an ever-changing list of pints and ice cream sandwiches. The only constant flavour is vanilla bean, everything else is constantly changing based on seasonality and the whim of their creator, wracking up a list of very curious flavours! Since moving to her new Headquarters where she is the sole proprietor of her kitchen she has the ability to do special batches for allergies as well, as well as consistently offering a delicious range of dairy free options.

New releases of flavours, specials (like a slice of pie & ice cream for $5) and special ice cream cakes are frequently posted on the Cold Comfort Facebook page.

In June of 2013 I sat down and recorded a podcast episode with Autumn where she talked about her favourite flavours and history in the Victoria food scene. Check it out here.

Food:
June 9, 2014

Vanilla Bean & Blueberry "ice cream"

When I realized I hadn't updated this post since 2011 I was shocked. This is silly, as we nearly always have a pint of Cold Comfort in our freezer (like this one!), and splitting an ice cream sandwich (or not as the case might be) has become a regular treat. We can't go back to regular ice cream anymore... truly spoiled!

November 5, 2011

Crimson and Clover Pint via foodspotting.com

I have been chasing down different flavours of Cold Comfort all summer, but I am extremely excited that Autumn has partnered with Leon from my neighbourhood store, Aubergine, to sell her ice cream. I have picked up severa flavours of ice cream and sandwiches over the last few weeks, although it has been selling out fast so tracking down this flavour in particular took a few tries!

Totally worth the wait! Subtle cinnamon and clove spices in the ice cream, plus vermouth-soaked cranberries sprinkled throughout. Stellar flavour for the season!

May 28, 2011

Coffee & Danish Ice Cream Sandwich

Oh my goodness! Now this was a foodgasm. I'm sorry the picture was so terrible. Either my camera lens needs cleaning or this thing was so close to godliness the camera couldn't focus on it. I'm voting for the latter... we were moaning with pleasure around the rest of the market.

The cookie on the outside was kind of like a brown sugar cookie, maybe like the crunchy top of a butter tart. The inside was a combination of caffe fantastico coffee and foi epi danish. Yes, probably 13,000 calories but worth every single morsel!

May 22, 2011

Fresh Mint & Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich

This was my partner-in-food-and-life's choice. I had a bite (naturally. sadly only one!) and the mint was ever-so fresh and blew far away the idea you have in your head about mint ice cream. The chocolate cookie on the outside was also amazing quality. I love the shape of this - thick and chunky!

Cheese Cake Ice Cream Sandwich

I originally going to go with the blueberry ice cream with lavender oatmeal cookies (if I recall correctly). Autumn was very sweet and warned that the ice cream was "a bit crystalline" because of all the blueberries. I was still sold until I heard about the "one lonely" cream cheese cake ice cream sandwich hiding in her truck. I do love me a good piece of cheese cake, and I loved this sandwich! The ice cream was perfect because it wasn't too sweet, and was set off nicely by the chocolate sandwich.

The Great Victoria Bacon-Off

2014-06-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Great Victoria Bacon-Off!

This is an ongoing post featuring a semi-competitive, semi-silly comparison of the different sources of 'house-made' bacon in the city.

The bacon-off will take place in a single-elimination or 'knockout' tournament style, with two different kinds of bacon going up against each other in each round until only one bacon is left standing, and can be endowed with the coveted bacon crown*. The bacon is placed on a baking tray lined with parchment and place in a cold oven, which is then turned on to 375º F for 20 minutes on a convection bake setting, at which point the bacon is flipped and then baked for 5 more minutes (if required).

Quarter-Finals

Round 4: Glenwood Meats vs Ravenstone Meats

vs.

June 7, 2014

Another year, another round of the bacon-off! The best news is that waiting meant a few new additions to the bacon scene in Victoria, and that we are finally finished the 1/4 finals, so in theory... things should move faster after this ;)

Both bacons were cooked from fresh in a hot oven at 375 ºC for 10 minutes, flipped and cooked for another 5. My partner-in-food-and-life did not know which bacon was which, but we came to a unanimous decision!

The Glenwoods bacon was the underdog in this one. The bacon was about half the size when uncooked compared to it competitor, and had no fancy name or branding. I had to ask the Chop Shop staff where they source their bacon from. It released a moderate amount of grease during baking, but with not much shrinkage.

Ravenstone meat's bacon, found at the Victoria Downtown Public Market, was definitely the strongest contender in my mind! Called "whiskey smoked" it was cut to my taste and massive. However, it shrunk down to the same size as the other bacon during the cooking process, releasing just a little more grease than its competitor.

In the end we actually could not tell the two bacons apart. They were both very deliciously bacony... and it was almost a tie. However, I realize that with a fancy name that didn't pay off and slightly higher price point I couldn't suggest opting for the Ravenstone if you had a choice between the two. A very tough call, however... both were meaty, well smoked and quite delicious.

Winner: Glenwood Meats (found at the Rootcellar Chop Shop)

Round 3: Sloping Hills vs The Market House Smoked

vs.

August 24, 2013

After another long pause for some more (delicious, bacony) research into locally-sourced bacon I have returned with another round! Both bacons were frozen for about a week, thawed and then cooked in a hot oven at 375 ºC for 10 minutes, flipped and cooked for another 5. My partner-in-food-and-life did not know which bacon was which, but we came to a unanimous, although still difficult, decision!

The Market bacon was much darker which imparted a distinct, delicious smoky flavour. It is smoked "in house" at their location in Langford. It was quite long, although it shrunk up a fair bit during cooking. The man behind the meat counter at the Market informed me that the pigs are raised in "Saskitoba" aka it could be either Saskatoon or Manitoba depending on the shipment. This was delicious bacon - smoky, not too salty and cheaper than most other gourmet bacons on this list.

I stumbled across the Sloping Hills package of bacon in the bacon section at Peppers in Cadboro Bay. This is the same source of pig that Choux Choux uses, although I am unclear if this is bacon shipped out of the farm or if it is made at Peppers with Sloping Hill pigs. This bacon was much more red in colour in comparison to the Market's bacon. Although the strips looked quite short, they barely shrunk at all during cooking. Again, this bacon wasn't too salty which makes me very happy! Sloping Hills pigs are raised on the island as "happy pigs" so no questions about sourcing this time, and the added bonus of ethical farming methods! For me, this one of those "taste the difference" moments because what I could taste was undeniably... meaty! Not a lot of smoke, not a lot of caramelization... just meat. Although I like smoky bacon a lot, the flavour of this meat was really amazing.

Winner: Sloping Hills

Round 2: The Whole Beast vs Hertel's

vs.

February 3, 2013
After much anticipation, the Bacon-Off is back! I moved the weeks around a bit from their original configuration to make it a little bit easier, as I discovered that the Village Butcher also carries Hertel's as their 'house' bacon, meaning I could one-stop shop at one location for both sources of bacon. As I tweeted, my purse was full of bacon; it was glorious. Also a note for full transparency: I am on the board of Slow Food with Cory (owner of Whole Beast) and I have heard him talk passionately about curing meats so many times I have decided that if he a) had ingredients labelling, and b) was a hippie, 'love' would be pretty high on the list of ingredients. Also: I just finished a gumbo made with his delicious andouille (so there might be a bit of unintended bias on my part).

The Hertel's double-smoked bacon is the bacon many people are familiar with. Hertel's is located in Port Alberni, but resells their bacon to many shops such as Island Meat & Seafood in Cook St Village, Slater's and the Village Butcher. It was much thicker than the Whole Beast bacon, and ultimately a 'meatier' bacon. However, in comparison the vast majority of its flavour came from salt.

The Whole Beast bacon is also their house bacon, a rosemary-infused bacon, available pre-sliced by the strip. It was much thinner with much more 'marbling' than the Hertel's bacon, so cooked up faster. It wasn't smoky, but was packed with flavour, and it was pretty obvious why... the bacon was covered in little flecks of fresh spices. I'm pretty sure it was also 'maple' bacon, and I normally shy away from any kind of bacon labelled 'maple' anything, this had very little sweetness, even when compared with a very 'plain' bacon.

Winner: The Whole Beast

Round 1: Choux Choux vs. Red Barn

vs.

December 2, 2012

This bacon has been in the freezer for... a while... but, life happens, and life happened a lot this fall so I am trying to let go and just be okay with a bit of freezer burn. Both bacons have been in for approximately the same amount of time, so it feels fair to compare them even if I recognize they were obviously not as delicious as if it was fresh out of the deli counter.

The Choux Choux bacon is their house bacon. Thick and smokey with a fair bit of caramelization. This bacon had more fat than its Red Barn counterpart while baking. I felt like the thickness and width meant they could have used a little longer in the oven, but after they had sat in a warmer while the potatoes cooked up they were just about right. It was less smoky, but had more complex flavour than the Red Barn Bacon.

The Red Barn bacon is their double-smoked bacon. It is thick, but the slices were inconsistent in width meaning some of it was burnt and some of it was just right by the time it came out. It released less fat than the Choux Choux bacon, but the grease was thicker in consistency. It was more smoky, but had less overall flavour than the Choux Choux bacon.

Winner: Choux Choux

Semi-Finals

Round 1: Choux Choux vs Whole Beast

Round 2: Sloping Hills vs Glenwood Meats

Finals

Championship Round: ? vs ?

* may or may not be actually made of bacon... but the internet tells me this is possible!

Camille's

2014-05-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

Closed :(

Address: 45 Bastion Square
Phone: (250) 381-3433
Website: http://camillesrestaurant.com/
Price: ~$25-30 for a main
Notes: West-coast, seasonal ingredients, stellar wine list and superb service make Camille's my favourite place for fine dining in Victoria.

Camille's defines its cuisine as 'Westcoast Fine Dining.' I am always surprised how it often falls under the radar in the grand scheme of all of the top-notch places to eat in Victoria, but the value is absolutely unparalleled to my amateur, but well-travelled, tastebuds. While restaurants like the Brasserie serve high quality rustic food at great value, Camille's is just a little bit more and the food on the plate is that much fancier and more unexpected.

You enter the old and reportedly haunted building by stepping down a flight of small stairs in Bastion Square into an old brick basement. After passing through the entrance, you enter the first of the two dining spaces. It is a smaller room, with a 1920s feel with muted colours, fancy glass lamps and chandeliers. Down a hallway and down another flight of stairs is the main dining area with a bit more brick, wood beams and apparently a bit more ghost. My partner-in-food-and-life describes the first room as more 'feminine' and the second room as 'masculine.' In talking to other food-conscious people, the one complaint I heard about Camille's was the lighting. We usually sit in the front seating area which had been redesigned since our last visit and has three large chandeliers in addition to candles on each table and small side-table lamps.

Camille's was founded by chef/owner David Mincey, a wealth of knowledge of local food and food production techniques. He ran Camille's for many years before focusing full-time on his delicious canned goods & bean-to-bar chocolate importing. Current chef/owner Stephan Drolet is certainly filling the space left behind by David with his own set of accolades and a high level of respect in the food scene.

Camille's will always hold a special place in my heart. The meal my partner-in-food-and-life and I had there on a special New Years Eve dinner — a decade ago — set my standard for the restaurant experience; it is the archetype that I compare to for every single meal I post here. I could write a whole blog post about just that night and its absolute, total perfection. There is no exaggeration in saying that I still close my eyes and can recall every flavour and sensation! I also distinctly remember being horrified - first that the meal cost more than my rent at the time [admittedly this wasn't that much; I was a student in very cheap shared accommodation], and secondly that I was letting someone else pay for it! In retrospect, I am very glad I gave in because without that meal, this blog probably would not exist.

~~Food:~~
~~May 15, 2014~~
I was shocked to discovered it had been more than two years since our last visit to Camille's! Far too long! I was delighted to discover recently they now do a lunch service during the week (although they are still closed on Mondays). I was delighted for two reasons - the first is that the lunch menu is slightly more budget friendly for a regular return visits. Secondly - the lighting during the day produced photos that did far, far better justice to the beautiful food on the table than anything I had captured earlier!

Disclosure: I do have to note that I did uncharacteristically reach out via direct message on twitter to inquire whether the front room was available for lunch to make sure I could get adequate lighting for photos... so they were aware that I was visiting, but I didn't identify myself when we arrived or seek out any special service & paid for our meal in full.

~~The Caesar~~

My Partner-in-Food-and-Life ordered this to get a bit of a sample of their cocktails menu. Most of the cocktails on the menu certainly didn't fit with the nerdy cocktail trend that is currently sweeping the city, but the caesar was very satisfying and Quite spicy.

~~Beet Salad~~

I'm not entirely sure I didn't consume a piece of art, not lunch! The server proclaimed there was "every kind of beet imaginable" in there, and I'm pretty sure she was correct! There were even dehydrated beets, and the yellow tracing paper-thin were also made of golden beets and quite fantastic tasting. The red powder, however, is not beet but tomato... but added a nice zing. We noted that the greens were delightfully un-bitter.

~~The Westcoast Bowl (sample)~~

The kitchen did send us a wee sampler of their Westcoast bowl as an unexpected surprise. As you can see by the giant paragraph although it was only a small sample but there was a Lot going on in this dish worth commenting on! I immediately regretted not ordering it as my main. I was also sad to hear that nettles are almost out of season, so it's not going to be available much longer, so if my description appeals make haste for a visit before it disappears from the menu!

The green colour in the photo does not do the tone justice. The broth did not taste green, however, it was very richly flavoured with an incredible depth of flavour punctuated by the distinct tasting garnishes. The trout pastrami was my first bite - smoky and rich. Next came a fiddlehead, which just came into season as well. It was perfectly prepared, which I know from personal attempts in the kitchen is not necessarily an easy task! The slice of bullrush made me happy - I had a chance to try one on a local food forage hosted by Cowichan Chef Bill Jones and the cucumbery flavour is so unexpected. The needles left a refreshing piney taste in my mouth that paired incredibly well with the broth and lingered in my mouth even after the rest of the meal was consumed. I was surprised by the side stripe shrimp — I have been getting more educated about local, sustainable seafood through the Slow Food "Slow Fish" campaign, and I now there are other kinds of local shrimp out there that are just as delicious but far more sustainable than side stripe (such as humpback shrimp!). However, we are currently at the start of side stripe season, and I know the spot prawn has only just opened so I am guessing it was a case of what was fresh & available. I regret to say that the description of what the long, thin green leaf was escaped my attention.

~~The Wild Game Burger~~

I am such a sucker for a burger, and I guessed that this would never ever be on their dinner menu so I took a bullet and ordered it despite more exotic things on the menu. Sometimes I find burgers with game meat to have an odd flavour or texture, but this was not so. Their house "cottage" bun was very crunchy on the outside and held together well despite the generous toppings! The blue cheese, pickled walnuts & seasonal fruit mustard was not overpowering at all, in fact its sweetness and coherence was a surprise, I was expecting a much stronger, vinegary taste. The chickpea fries were excellent - they were incredibly light and fluffy, but still crispy on the outside. They looked similar to polenta fries, but the texture was far, far superior!

~~Seafood Steam Buns~~

These were my p.i.f.a.l.'s choice, and reminded us both how much we enjoy steam buns! The wrap format was unexpected, but worked quite well. The seafood was plentiful and delicious, but the pickled vegetables didn't quite stand out or contrast as much as we were both expecting! Although I didn't try a bite, the dressing on the side salad that accompanied the dish was called out as especially delicious.

~~January 20, 2012~~

In one of those wacky coincidences that happens so often in life, we got home and the wine we had picked had been profiled in the Globe & Mail! We opted for the 'Laughing Stock' Blind Trust red, a bordeaux-style blend. It was a happy surprise to see that our 1/2 litre only cost us $40 since the BC LDB price is $29 a bottle. Pretty reasonable mark-up all things considered! It would fall under the category of wines that we like to call 'very drinkable' by which we mean that it was not too sweet, not too tart but had enough flavour and balance to stand up. I also laughed, as the pairings suggested in the article fit perfectly into what we had each ordered!

This bread was some of the best bread I have ever enjoyed in my life! It even bested my Granny's bread (sorry Granny!). The browned crust on the outside added a lot to the overall texture, and the excellently salted butter was an excellent topping. Again - sorry for the terrible photos. I tried really hard to adjust them, but with only mediocre results!

I opted for the winter-chantrelle salad. I immediately knew that the meal would live up to the long-ago meal of my memory! Such an incredibly savoury sauce without a hint of over seasoning... I cannot even begin to describe how incredible it was. There were two crispy pieces of garlicy crostini on the side, which I attempted to fill up like a cracker which was a bad decision, as it cracked enroute to my mouth. I am classy like that!

My p.i.f.a.l.'s beet salad was also incredible, with a blue-cheese dressing to pair with the lightly roasted beets, greens on the side and half a hard-boiled egg. It all worked well together, even the unexpected egg, but I definitely had the superior choice.

I felt like a lighter but still savoury main, so I opted for the prosciutto-wrapped arctic char. It was a very wise choice. What I think separates the food at Camille's into that amazing meal category was that I could have happily eaten a whole plate full of any part of that dish - includng the fennel, the parsnip (?) puree, and the vegetables - each piece was a masterpiece of flavour and texture that worked equally well on its own but was enhanced by combining with others. We were curious to know if the roe on the side was char (because wouldn't that make sense?) but the server was certain it was sturgeon.

My p.i.f.a.l. had the venison, which was perfectly cooked. It was crusted in pemmican, and the result wast so savoury that it blew away my mushroom starter. The side dish of smokey chili polenta is something I would love to try to replicate at home - we are pretty sure there was some bacony essence in there to enhance the smoke level. The chard on the side had been wilted in a pan that had cooked something extra specially delicious previously, and made my p.i.f.a.l. very happy.

My 'excuse' for visiting was admittedly that it was partner-in-food-and-life's birthday, so despite the fact that the dessert was technically mine as my p.i.f.a.l. had overdosed on birthday cakes (plural!) earlier in the day it was brought to the table with a candle. Again, a fantastically executed piece of food! Crispy on the outside, soft and gentle on the inside with beautiful spices from the chai flavours. I didn't even mind the texture of the pear on the side, and normally pears dredge up horrid childhood memories.

My one regret is that my last taste of coffee ended up being all un-stirred sugar and remnants of gingerbread biscotti, and it took away from all of the perfect flavours that had existed there just moments before. Still, our meal held up to the high standard built up in my memory from that first meal so long ago! That meal was so responsible for my awakening of my passion for good, local food and I am so happy that they still match up to my high expectations.

~~Service:~~
~~May 15, 2014~~
As I mentioned above, I was nervous about being called out for food blogging, but if the kitchen knew our server certainly didn't give us any less fantastic service than any of the other tables! She was attentive, friendly, knowledgable and passionate to everyone I heard her speaking to.

The one thing I would note, and I know it's not quite something I always comment on but... I did notice a bit of a lazy dusting hand in a few places throughout the parts of the restaurant I visited. It stood out because it's not something I ever remember noticing in a restaurant before... and so it surprised me that for a restaurant with such attention to detail would have overlooked such a detail. However it is a pretty dusty time of year, and there has been construction in the area — it is quite possible this was a temporary situation. I am certainly the last person who should really be calling anyone out for a lack of dusting, I am pretty sure the bunnies under my bed are plotting to combine forces and strangle me in the night! [Update: Camille's wrote to say - yes, they had construction going on next door the week I visited, so this was a temporary situation!]

~~January 20, 2012~~
So the standard that Camille's set for us in terms of 'perfect service' our first visit wasn't quite upheld, but it was very close! The only thing that was 'off' was the pacing. My p.i.f.a.l. pointed out that part of that was probably due to the fact it was a standard dinner seating, and not a pre-set menu. Still - the fact that our bread arrived just moments before our appetizers felt uncharacteristically rushed... but I probably noted it especially because the time before had been so extra-exquisitely paced. Still, the staff were very attentive - there were maybe 5 tables of 2-4 people and one larger table in our section, and I saw at least four separate staff members serving at various times, all very friendly and helpful in their various roles.

ulla

2014-05-12T21:32:00.001-07:00

Closed - rebranded to Olo

Address: 509 fisgard street
Phone: (250) 590.8795
Website: http://ulla.ca/
Price: ~$20-25 for a main
Notes: A fine dining experience of gastronomic proportions

When ulla joined the Victoria restaurant scene several years ago I heard exquisite details from locavores and food lovers about the tender loving care with which their food was prepared. Although a fancy restaurant by Victoria standards, Ulla still has a comfortable feel. The space is small and intimate, with high ceilings and lots of light. Bright, whimsical artwork and a bookshelf chock full of cookbooks (including the Star Trek cookbook!) line the walls.

The food here certainly is prepared with a monumental amount of effort. Plates come adorned with gastriques and flourishes carefully executed to accentuate the other flavours on the plate. They are one of the only restaurants in Victoria who uses molecular gastronomy in their food, which creates a finished product that is very precise and technical. The only "criticism" I have is that I find that everything I put in my mouth is of such intensity and richness that there are no sensory peaks and valleys. Eating at ulla is like putting your pedal down to the floor at the start of your meal and not taking your foot off until the coffee...

There is no doubt the food at ulla is amazing! I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have consumed. However... I think the fact that each dish comes with an explanation of what you are eating is either something you love or you hate, so if that's not your thing then this is not the restaurant for you. This is definitely somewhere to come if you're a fellow food nerd or just want to expand your palate a bit and order things you probably can't make at home.

~~Food:~~
~~March 29th, 2014~~

~~giant pacific octopus, grilled potato, herb puree, olives, pickled chili, squid ink cracker~~

This was my Partner-in-Food-and-Life's choice. We were all curious to see how giant the giant octopus was going to be, but in the end it wasn't hilariously massively giant. Our table of self-proclaimed comedians was slightly disappointed, but the first bite wiped that all away.

~~stillmeadow farm pork, roesti, smoked cheddar, celery root, sauerkraut, crab apple sauce~~

I opted for the pork 3 ways! They really like their 3 ways selections here (I also could have had lamb three ways). The little pot contained a kind of a crab apple gravy which was unexpected and interesting (but makes much more sense now that I re-read it... at the time I was confused as by the time I took the first bite the description had gone entirely out of my brain). This was a super rich plate! I was so full by the end... delicious. Each bite worked well on its own, but became a different flavour altogether when combined with another one of the plate items. Again - very intentionally constructed food.

~~coffee~~

Okay, the one surprisingly off-note moment was the coffee. They didn't have anything other than drip to offer... no americano option. I was kind of surprised and disappointed. Without a little bit of espresso crema to balance out the richness of my meal it didn't feel quite as luxurious... (yes, I am Such a coffee snob!)

~~Service:~~
~~March 29th, 2014~~
The service is fantastic at ulla because it's so small - there are really only a few tables for each server to focus on, and they had a fine tuned set of staff who clearly know their roles. We did comment afterwards that our main server was like a ninja! He must have had feedback on this before, as he would often touch us firmly on the shoulder before he refilled your glass to warn you that he was there, but there were several times when I would turn around and discover plates whisked away or drinks topped up without even realizing someone had come near me.

Boleskine Bistro

2014-04-19T16:47:00.001-07:00

Address: 400 Boleskine Road
Phone: (778) 265-7745
Website: http://www.boleskinebistro.ca/
Price: ~$12 for a main
Notes: Something for everyone, huge portions, great prices and a little bit of Indian fare

I've popped by to the Boleskine Bistro a few times since their opening almost a year ago. Although the space has a bit of a utilitarian feel to it (although I can't quite put my finger on why...) and the menus could use a little polishing (in both the proof reading and design department...) the overall experience seems to be solid! They have plenty of specials, and lots of space for larger groups or private events.

The restaurant is located of in the semi-industrial, semi-residential dead zone in between Uptown and Tillicum, so a great spot for lunch or dinner after some intensive shopping. I cannot for the life of me remember what was in the location prior to the opening, but I think it is the first food establishment to operate in the location. The room is L shaped, with windows on two sides and a small bar area next to the kitchen. The decor is modern, with dark wood tables, beige walls and light tiles.

As always, I have a little bit of a pedantic rant about the over-use of the word 'bistro' as a synonym for 'restaurant.' If you're like me and think a bistro serves quick meals that are kind of european inspired then this isn't that - this is a pub style menu without the pub, serving a wide variety of hamburgers and sandwiches as well as classic mains and appetizers. They also cater to diners who need a fully gluten free menu, and are one of the few places that serves gluten free fries in Victoria! The menu sizes are generous for the price, and the service was quick and friendly.

Buy a deck of Taste Locally deals & receive $10 off any purchase of $30 or more before tax, tip and alcohol!

Find out more about supporting local restaurants, wineries & cafes in Victoria and becoming a local hero at www.tastelocally.com.

* Expires October 1st 2015

Food:
February 10, 2014

Shepherds Pie

This was my partner-in-food-and-life's choice. It was meaty and filling, well spiced and came with a nice side salad and plenty of dressing options. For $12 it was a great deal! The combination of ground lamb and beef made it nice and savoury, and I am certain the potatoes on top were from scratch - which is great to see!

Pakoras

I ordered these as my main, despite being on the appetizer list, after seeing a friend order them and fries the last time and being overwhelmed with the amount! They were very, very good - hot, fresh and flavourful. Even if they halved the portion size and charged a dollar less I would think it was a good deal! In the end my p.i.f.a.l. and I shared both of our meals 50/50 because as delicious as they were... perhaps not the healthiest of choices as my main caloric intake of the day!

Lemon Meringue

Since we had split an appy and a main we opted for dessert - a nice slice of lemon meringue with a very healthy meringue on top! The drizzle made it a bit sweet for my taste, but it was still a satisfying end to a good meal.

Service:
February 10, 2014
We came for a late dinner, so there weren't many people in the restaurant, but they were helpful and accommodating, but not overly attentive!

PSA: A quest for putting Victoria's BEST restrooms on the map! Nominations OPEN

2014-04-04T17:45:00.001-07:00

Frequent readers of this blog will know that I have an obsession with restaurant bathrooms. I just feel like when a restauranteur has put as much effort into designing the bathroom stalls that I can trust my food is handled with care. When a bathroom feels more like a bad elementary school flashback I get nervous!

For the 5th year running Cintas Canada is sponsoring the competition for Canada's Best Restroom. Our Langley Street Loo was the winner in 2012, but last year we were ousted by the Valleyview Shell Super Station in Alberta.

yes those are solid alder wood doors, granite countertops & chandeliers...
in a gas station bathroom!

Now, I admit... this is no regular gas station pit stop, but I say it's time that we put Victoria's bathrooms back on the map! The competition, dubbed the "battle of the bowls," is voted online by the public and open to any non-residential restroom in Canada that is accessible to the general public. Entries are judged on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality and unique design elements as well as their commitment to customer service. In addition to national recognition, this year’s winner will receive the royal washroom treatment- a grand prize of $2,500 to be redeemed for Cintas facility services.

But really - this is all about bragging rights, Victoria! I know we have some amazing bathrooms to show off so get your nominations in!

Nominations are open from now until June 20, 2014. Get online and nominate a deserving Victoria area restaurant at www.bestrestroom.com/canada!

Five finalists will be announced this summer, at which time online voting will begin. The winner and runner-up will be revealed this fall during a nationally publicized media event and then be enshrined in Cintas’ Canada’s Best Restroom Contest Hall of Fame. In the meantime, you can keep up to date with all things Best Restroom related on their Facebook page.

Join the Craft Beer Revolution

2014-03-15T21:48:00.002-07:00

In case it wasn't clear already... I love craft beer. My path towards loving local really started with realizing I really liked Phillips Maple Cream ale... and that there was a real difference between something that was being imported from Esquimalt and something that was being imported from far away. As the years have progressed my ability to keep up with the craft beer scene was eclipsed by just trying to keep my finger on the pulse of the food scene, but I still try to pick up the best of the new releases from Victoria breweries and hit up the cask nights when I can.

I got a chance to chat with local beer writer Joe Wiebe to go into glorious detail about the publishing process for his BC bestseller Craft Beer Revolution: The Insider's Guide to B.C. Breweries. Joe is the Thirsty Writer, a longtime BC beer writer who is in talks with the CBC to do a regular radio column on craft beer.

This is one of those books that feels like a fantastic deal. I mean, you could spend years painstakingly researching every new brew, making notes, drinking more beers than Joe wanted to think about, drive across the entire Province and leap at any chance to dry a pint of something new. There is a certain appeal to the nerd in me for that kind of dedication and fastidious frontline research, but it is neither practical nor possible for most of us. Thankfully Joe has taken one for the team and served it up on 228 pages of ink and paper.

His book is pretty much a primer for everything you ever needed to know to truly live local and drink exclusively British Columbia brewed craft beer. He starts with the basics - an introduction and glossary of terms - and moves into regional chapters, each with a little bit of history and a breakdown of available breweries. I love how this book is laid out - it has the same aesthetic and feel of my Tastebud Guides project. It is definitely meant to be used as a guidebook, not just read once and kept collecting dust on the shelf. Joe told me he hopes that people carry the book with them on their beer adventures, and that it becomes beer stained, earmarked and notated.

We started our conversations by laughingly acknowledging his Author's Note that the book was pretty much out of print the moment it hit print. It's true - even in the few months since publications numerous breweries and brewpubs have opened up all across the Province. Although he has plans for a 2nd edition next year, there is more than enough selection in the 1st edition to keep you busy until then!

The change in our local food culture and the change in our local beer culture really have gone hand in hand. Brewpubs like Spinnakers, which was really one of the first (and the most enduring!), have brought along the local food mission along with their craft beer mission. We are so lucky to live somewhere like Victoria where we are spoiled for choice for locally brewed beers, but reading Joe's book made me realize that the same revolution is happening around the rest of the Province, too! I look forward to using it on my next adventure outside of my stomping ground!

As I said above - I have trouble keeping up with our Island beer scene, let alone the whole Province. Craft beer has just gotten too big! But somehow Joe has managed it. The research in each chapter alone is enough to make a sober person very, very thirsty. Visiting Vancouver for the weekend and curious where to drink? Chapter 4 should suit you quite well. A quick reference chart on page 83 will get you started to find exactly the right location to meet your current needs - whether you plan for just a quick growler refill or you are looking for somewhere to eat, drink and perhaps (if you've had a few to many of the latter) stay the night. Once you have arrived at the ideal watering hole a quick reference of recommended selections and facts accompany the history of the establishment should not only help you order efficiently, but earn you a few smalltalk tidbits to open the conversation with your barman! A win for beer drinkers, socially awkward nerds or those of us who are in the venn diagram overlap of both.

If you have any road trips planned this year Joe’s book is definitely the guidebook to have as your trusted companion. Copies are available through his website (http://www.craftbeerrevolution.ca/), at local bookstores as well as Spinnakers Pub and Cascadia liquor stores or online via Amazon

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 20: The Nanaimo Bar

2014-03-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Subscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

This months topic for the the Canadian Food Experience Project is about a regional food of Vancouver Island. Head on over to acanadianfoodie.com to see all of the other bloggers from across Canada who participated in this topic as well.

I met up with Nanaimo native Shalyn of VIreviews.com to nerd out about the Nanaimo bar. We managed to cover that in about 10 minutes... and just generally chatted about the state of Island dining. I also discovered that Nanaimo had a mayor that dressed as a pirate! (This made me very, very happy. I love pirates!)

Despite our efficiency in covering it the history of the Nanaimo Bar is actually quite fascinating... somewhere out there lurks proof of the origin of the Nanaimo bar. Make sure to check your cookbooks when you clear out your elders basements... you never know what proof you might find!

Upcoming events:

March 1-8th Victoria Beer Week — Prices and location vary
March 13th 7:15-9:15pm Wine & Cheese Tasting at the Victoria Public Market — $39 in advance via Taste Victoria
March 19th 6:30-7:30pm Good for you Gourmet Muffin Cooking class at Planet Organic — Free! Register in advance at Planet Organic or by calling 250.727.9888
March 20th Culinaire at the Crystal Gardens — Sold Out
March 27th 6-10pm Sip & Savour Sidney — $55 in advance from the Mary Winspear box office
April 30th 6:30-9pm Uncork your Palate at the Crystal Gardens — Fundraiser for the Victoria Conservatory of Music. $95 in advance via the VCM website or in person from the Strath liquor store

Be Love

2014-03-02T15:25:00.001-08:00

Address: 1019 Blanshard St.
Phone: 778.433.7181
Website: http://beloverestaurant.ca/
Price: $12-18
Notes: Alternative-diet friendly and delicious lunch and dinner options

I think many people who consider themselves foodies are also meat eaters. I count myself among this group. There is definitely a confusion deep in my soul about how anyone could possibly live without bacon. That answer, as we discovered during our visit... zucchini bacon! Actually, no. The answer is that when you focus on food flavours and combinations, not necessarily trying to recreate meat dishes, you can create amazing, well-flavoured dishes that tick all the dietary boxes. You just have to think outside the box a bit...

Be Love opened late in December of 2013, although the sibling co-owners have been operating Bliss, a small cafe with a similar vision, for years. Clearly there was a niche in the market for adding another restaurant to the scene, as they have been consistently busy pretty much since opening! The space is taking up half of what used to be the Alpine Market on Blanshard street, but extensive modern renovations have completely transformed the space. The tall ceilings have beautiful beams up to a skylight that makes you feel more like you are outside than inside.

Menu items run the gamut from curries that could just as easily be on any menu to adventurous items such as the "macrobiotic bowl." I was pleasantly surprised to visit fairly early in their lifespan to see that they really have their process down! Every dish ordered at our large table hit the mark, the service was solid, their bartender was fantastic and everything came in record time. I feel like we only just scraped the surface of the menu, especially because many of the flavour combinations are so completely off my radar I don't know what to expect from ordering! All of the menu items are in a great price point for dinner, but I am surprised that they have not opted for a slightly less pricey lunch menu to feed the hoards of Victoria downtown lunch crowd! They seem to be trying to hit more the price point of Devour (around $15) but I feel like they could do well to rework things a little bit and offer some less adventurous options for closer to $10 or $12. What really impressed me, however, was the ever-changing dessert menu. Typically my partner in food and life and I have a difficult time with competing dairy/soy allergies... but not here! The "cheese" cake is actually made with cashew "cheese!"Everything ordered so far has been impeccable from presentation to flavours to value.

Food:
January 31, 2014
I visited with several other Victoria food loving folk as part of the monthly conviviality pledge. Everyone at the table, vegetarian or not, had an amazing meal although I did not document it all.

I started the meal with a few drinks... an important component to conviviality! We had also heard, and had reinforced, that the bartender was fantastic. My partner-in-food-and-life ordered a custom drink with their house-made kombucha and he came over and chatted about its creation, giving all the benefits of sitting at the bar without the compromises of only being able to seat a few people comfortably!

Red Cedar Swizzle

The Red Cedar Swizzle was a popular choice at the table. It was dry, and the cedar infusion flavour was certainly distinct! I love the fact that they use the Long Table gin. Although not quite local, it's still a BC born gin that is reported to be more consistent than our own Victoria Gin.

Fernandito

Their take on a fernet and cola with their house-made "Quetzal Cola" was delicious. I have such a soft spot for house made cola and fernet, but now that the management has changed at Clive's it's harder to find. I was pretty stoked to discover a replacement here!

Masala Dosa

For my main I opted for the dosa, a fermented lentil pancake that I have never had before! It was pretty tasty, although one corner was oddly chewier than the rest (and I probably only noticed because it was my first bite!). The potato curry inside was well flavoured, and a bite combined with the riata and chutney was heavenly.

Other menu items ordered, enjoyed and shared by the group at the table included the warm quinoa salad, the macrobiotic bowl and the sweet potato gnocchi.

Tiramisu

As mentioned above all the desserts were made without any dairy. Although normally this attempt to recreate the original confuses me, this time it works really well. The richness of the nut-based "cheese" (in this case hazelnut if I recall correctly!) works really well with the sweetness of the desserts.

Service:
January 31, 2014
Our service was great! Friendly, prompt and with a personal touch, especially from the bartender. Despite having a large group our food was well organized, came promptly and was without fault.

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 19: Victoria Beer Week

2014-02-22T16:51:00.001-08:00

Subscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

Victoria finally has a beer week! Thanks to the hard work of the lovely folks who joined me on this podcast, Jay Nowak of Garrick's Head Pub, Jeff Kendrew of Vancouver Island Brewery and Ryan Malcom of Saltspring Island Ales & New Theatre Tonic!

I love that this Craft Beer week came out of beer geeks sitting around drinking and realizing that they wanted to make this happen in Victoria! It epitomizes everything this podcast is ready to nerd out about. Little did they know it was going to take on a life of its own... and don't even get them started about what might happen next year!

There are a whole host of amazing, amazing events happening during beer week, and they are selling out SO fast it's not worth me listing the available ones, just get yourself over to http://victoriabeerweek.com ASAP so you don't miss out!

(Apologies for the audio quality in this one, I had a total fail on the recording side! Bad Jen. No cookie.)

Upcoming events:

Feb 27th Hungry Hearts Savoury Soiree, a fundraiser for Our Place. — $100 at the Atrium
Feb 14-Mar 7th Mangiamo! — $25 for a set menu, $5 goes to the Heart & Stroke Foundation at Prima Strada
March 8th Festa della Donna Long Table Dinner — $80 at PPS Bridge
Feb 20-Mar 9th Tourism Victoria's Dine Around 2014 — Prices and location vary
March 1-8th Victoria Beer Week — Prices and location vary

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 18: My Canadian Love Affair

2014-02-09T13:40:00.001-08:00

Subscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

This month's topic for the the Canadian Food Experience Project is about my Canadian Love Affair. Head on over to acanadianfoodie.com to see all of the other bloggers from across Canada who participated in this topic as well.

A super short episode for you this week... but a recipe for a classic and very Canadian Cocktail! I feel in love with this caesar about two years ago:

Full post from Jam Cafe here

It inspire a whole new love of caesars, and has lead to participating in a caesar crawl and trying a caesar with house made Clamato at the Kwisitis Feast House up near Tofino. So when I drew a blank on my Canadian love affair (beyond poutine) I was so happy to be reminded that the great Canadian cocktail that holds such a special place in my heart could be crafted for my Sunday morning pleasure!

You can listen along below to get the full story behind making this, but here's the recipe!

The Super Canadian Caesar

14-15 oz of Clamato
1-2 oz Alberta Premium Dark Horse Rye
2 tbsp pickle juice
1/2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 tbsp of sweet & smoky BBQ sauce
10-15 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
5-10 shakes of Tabasco
1 slice of cooked and slightly caramelized bacon

Upcoming events:

Feb 14-Mar 7th Mangiamo! at Prima Strada — $25 for a set menu, $5 goes to the Heart & Stroke Foundation
March 8th Festa della Donna Long Table Dinner at PPS Bridge
Feb 20-Mar 9th Tourism Victoria's Dine Around 2014 — Prices and location vary
March 1-8th Victoria Beer Week — Prices and location vary

Mutsuki-An

2014-02-04T23:07:00.001-08:00

Address: 2056-A Sinclair Road
Phone: (250) 595-0378
Price: ~$17 for a dinner combo
Notes: Fresh, classic sushi in the heart of Cadboro Bay

Mutsuki-An has long been on my radar as possibly the best sushi in town! They recently relocated from Oak Bay (next to the high school) to Cadboro Bay village. The decor is bright and decorated with tasteful, modern art. The hardwood floors and birch tables complete the clean, spacious feel. The menu is slightly larger than it was during my last visit to the old location, possibly reflecting the larger kitchen area in the new location. They still focus on sushi, serving no tempura.

Like their previous location they have maintained the small restaurant size as well as minimal hours. They still only seat a handful of tables, and their hours are pretty minimal, closing Sundays, Mondays and quite early in the evenings. They have also maintained their commitment to the excellent quality that only fresh and local ingredients provides. I really respect keeping things small and local, and being able to control all the variables! It produces high quality results so much more consistently than the alternative. The restaurant is also truly a family affair. The mother of the family is the chef, and is assisted in the business by her daughters.

Food:
January 25, 2014

Tea

We ordered a pot of tea for our table, and I loved the brilliant green colour! The tea was clearly high quality, and perfectly steeped with no astringency or bitterness. The tea pot cost $2 and was just under four cups worth. It was so delicious I was tempted to order another pot!

Spicy Combo

This was my choice, influenced by my favourite salad, the sunomono. This one was a bit on the sweet side for my sour palate, but was still a great appetizer.

The miso soup is without a doubt the best in town. Soy is not my friend, frequently bringing on unpleasant allergic reactions. Normally I can't be bothered to have more than a sample, but this time I had to stop myself from eating the entire bowl. It contained large chunks of tofu, seaweed, green onion and the surprising, but delicious, inclusion of bean curd.

My plate of sushi contained two rolls, a spicy tuna and a spicy vegetable roll, as well as a spicy vegetable cone. All contained extremely high grade of ingredients and were well crafted. Although it wasn't the largest amount of sushi I have put away in a single sitting, I was plenty full and the value was pretty excellent for $16.

Taste of Tokyo Combo

This was my partner-in-food-and-life's choice. The miso soup was also well received, in fact my P.I.F.A.L. finished the remainder of mine to save me from myself.

The meal came with gomae salad was clearly homemade and tasted very fresh and delicate. The side of burdock was an unusual and interesting addition. The tuna sashimi, although excellent quality, were quite long and thin. Personally I enjoy the texture of thicker chunks. The two rolls, a cucumber maki roll and a tuna roll, were simple but well flavoured. The one thing my p.i.f.a.l. noted was that the rice was a bit plain on its own, and would have been nice with a bit of sauce.

Cream Puffs

I was a bit disappointed to find out that the wasabi ice cream was sold out. We opted for the cream puffs, but were surprised to find that they seemed to have been frozen. For a business that prides themselves on local, fresh ingredients the dessert kind of disappointed.

Service:
January 25, 2014
The service was friendly, and our meal came quickly. We did need to ask for chopsticks, but it was rectified quickly.

PSA: Former Agriculture Minister Speaking at Food Industry Event

2014-01-23T15:37:00.001-08:00

Are you a farmer, culinary artisan,
food processor, chef, or food activist?
This one's for you!

FarmFolk CityFolk and the Island Chefs' Collaborative have partnered up to bring Corky Evans, former Ministry of Agriculture, to speak at their annual "Meet your Maker" industry networking event next week.

Mr. Evans will be addressing the hot topic of the proposed changes to the Agricultural Land Reserve. Changing the ALR is a delicate subject because it threatens to shift lands that have been set aside for agriculture into lands that are can be used for urban and resource development, both of which threaten our food security and environment. The food community both on and off the Island have been anxious to find out more about how this will affect the industry and how they can voice their support for the ALR. This is a great opportunity to hear more about changes to the ALR and connect with others who are also concerned!

The remainder of the day will involve a gourmet lunch, a local wine and beer reception, and workshops by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, LeftSpoke Media, FarmFolk CityFolk, The Islands Chefs’ Collaborative, Greenchain Consulting, and Food System Optimization. Topic discussions range from food labelling and safety to new ideas for local food distribution and regional branding, as well as ample opportunity for networking with all levels of our local food community. So... it sounds pretty amazing overall!

Pre-Registration (required!): www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca
Date: Monday, January 27th
Time: 9:30am-3:00pm; speech at 10am
Location: Saanich Fair Grounds
Cost: $50/person

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 17: Coffee & Community at Shatterbox

2014-01-18T21:59:00.001-08:00

Subscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

Although Shatterbox opened more than a year ago I haven't managed to get there quite yet to blog... but I have been impressed by the level of coffee nerdery that I have experienced on every visit! The small espresso bar on Yates Street across from the Harris Green plaza serves beverages and the occasional muffin, but doesn't let its commitment to great caffeination be distracted by much else.

I sat down with owner Kalen to talk about how his journey came to owning Shatterbox, and we ended up getting quite philosophical on the role of the coffee shop in our North American coffee culture vs the cafe culture of Europe where he began his coffee journey, and how he now helps people to find their coffee heaven every day!

We also touched on the role that Shatterbox has played as a community member itself, supporting various community projects and developing their back room into a welcoming community-focused space. I also managed to get a bit of a scoop about what is coming this spring at the Shatterpod food truck spot!

Willows Park Grocery

2014-01-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Address: 2405 Eastdowne Rd.
Phone: (250) 590-3835
Website: http://willowsparkgrocery.com/
Price: $10 for a meal
Notes: Authentic Indian take-away

I have been hearing about the Indian food at the Willows Park grocery for a few months now, but I finally had occasion to stop by just before the New Year as I was running some errands. The little corner store which, as their website fascinatingly documents, has been serving the community for 100 years now, is more than your typical corner store. In addition to the Indian food they also have typical small grocery items that harken back to my own corner store service days. It is nice to see some corner stores still thriving!

The shop is under relatively new ownership, a couple from England, which makes total sense as take-away curry from a corner shop is such a familiar model there! The couple are working hard to create a sense of community for the store, with new branding and a clear vision for communicating and connecting with their customers. The Indian food is found at the back right corner, with both frozen items at a discount or fresh curries, cooked in big batches several times a week. I find curry just gets better after a few days, so even though they advertise the fresh days I would be just as happy to visit any day of the week! Their menu can be found on their website daily, and you can order ahead if prefer.

Food:

December 30, 2013

Containers pre-assembly

I ordered two chicken samosas, butter chicken, rice, daal and a mango mousse. My total came to $21.50, which was just enough for two people. Next time I might get a slightly larger butter chicken, both because it was delicious and I was a little bit hungry after, but that might have been because I had had an early lunch and was starving by the time dinner got settled!

Half serving

Here's half of the food from the containers plated up - so as you can see, quite a generous portion! Everything was very delicious! The rice was perfectly cooked, the butter chicken was heavenly and rich with amazing flavourful spices, and I loved the daal! The samosas didn't fare too well in the microwave, so I might try toasting them up next time... or warming them separately from the rest of the plate. The mango mousse ingredient list was: mango puree and whipping cream! It was so incredibly light and fluffy and had a fabulous mango flavour. I forgot that my partner-in-food-and-life is lactose intolerant, and so was forced to eat the majority of the pudding myself.

Service:
December 30, 2013
I have rarely had more friendly service, especially in a corner store (working in a corner store for 4 years made me hate people!). The woman explained all the options for food choices, and let me sample the two selections that were available that day. She also advised me on how much to get, and despite the friendly chit chat I was still in and out in ten minutes! Very welcoming and accommodating feeling.

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 16: A New Years Resolution for Conviviality

2014-01-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

ISubscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

This month's topic for the the Canadian Food Experience Project is about my New Years Food Resolution. Head on over to acanadianfoodie.com to see all of the other bloggers from across Canada who participated in this topic as well.

In the last year and I bit through the power of Twitter I have connected with some people who are the original "food nerds" in my brain. I have been blessed with meeting many amazing locavores that have become new friends, but this group are the ones who are equally as obsessed with trying new restaurants as I am... and willing to try just about anything at least once!

It was with these friends that we were sitting with at the Island Chefs Collaborative Christmas cocktail fundraiser and they suggested that we should set a regularly monthly date to get together and try some of the amazing local restaurants that are still on our collective 'to visit' list! I took advantage of their tipsiness to corral them into promising to record the decision making process of the further details as my New Years resolution!

In Slow Food we talk about the 'conviviality' of food... that food should be local — of course — but also savoured, and it is always best when enjoyed with others (ideally with some local wine). Whenever I get together with my fellow food nerds we always laugh, learn, drink well and inevitably eat too much! I cannot think of a more perfect way to spend my 2014...!

Before everyone spread across the Province for the Christmas holidays we sat down together, put all of our ideas for restaurants we wanted to visit into an ice bucket and came up with quite the list...! We thought we would have some overlap, but shockingly there wasn't even one! I think that speaks to the vibrancy of our restaurant scene right now! We also touched on some of the restaurants that sadly closed in 2013, our favourite food events and joked about whether or not I should do some investigative reporting about the shocking number of restaurant fires in the last year.

Here it our list in alphabetical order:

Be Love — visited! we loved it!
~~Blighty's Bistro~~ (swapped out for Heron Rock)
Brasserie L'Ecole
Cafe Brio
Clay Pigeon
Foo Ramen
Heron Rock
Hernandez
Ithaca
Marina Restaurant
Matisse
The Mint — visited! not as good as we remembered...
North 48
So Yo Izakia
Sooke Harbour House
Ulla

You'll have to listen to the episode below to find out which restaurant we will visit first...!

My other new years resolution is to get more sponsors for the blog! With some awesome sponsorship from last year and my awesome partnership with Diggit I am so close to breaking even on what it costs me to run & maintain my blog... 2014 will be the year! If you know someone who wants a creative way to connect with Victoria's local food fans please ask them to reach out to me! I'd love to chat.

P.S. I also put a donation link on the sidebar a while back so if during 2014 you discover a restaurant that you think I Must review you can donate & tell me where to go & what to try! Thanks in advance for your support :)

Year in Review 2013

2014-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Three years. 3 YEARS!? W.T.F.

I say this every year, but I really did start this blog on a whim... I mean, there were lots of reasons that it made sense and it had been bubbling in the back of my head but the moment when it actually happened was almost like a true moment of conception — it was completely beyond my control and quite miraculous and I am just really glad it happened (so there we go, I don't have kids, I had a food blog instead!). It is still so strange to think how my life has changed in such a (relatively) short amount of time. And it still feels strange to feel like my opinion actually matters in food things, but I am starting to feel more educated and a little more aware of what I don't know!

Closing year three and things are finally starting to slow down a little? Posts are leaning a bit more towards quality over quantity, perhaps. Also I think I am just wanting to diversify my content a little bit more and bring a bit more research to the table... and build a little more community. Adding the podcast aspect to my posts has really satisfied both of those things and because of it I feel much more like a member of the community, instead of an outsider looking in and just making comments. I have, admittedly, sacrificed a fair bit of my anonymity in the past year and I don't know how that is affecting my ability to bring an unbiased review, but it is allowing me more professionalism instead of thinking of this as just something I do in this completely parallel existence outside of my "Real Job." Anyhow, regardless of anonymity or lack there of I am just doing my best to navigate it thoughtfully, as always...

In terms of what's coming up in 2014 I am going to be trying to release content more regularly. More podcast are definitely on the books as well as more regularly food posts to keep anchored to my original purpose! More #VislandGetaway posts for sure peppered in between there, too. I might even complete the bacon off (maybe. no promises *wink*). As part of this commitment I recorded a new years resolution podcast in which my fellow food nerds and I vow to visit one new restaurant every month (and... ideally blog about it!). Check back for that podcast on the 3rd of January for all the details of that...

Yes, I still have another 100+ restaurants still left to explore... and the list seems to be growing these days not shrinking, as Victoria's food scene enters a boom phase. It's an exciting time, and I am happy to be here doing my little piece to support the local food scene to flourish!

As always, thanks for reading, thank you for sticking around and coming back so often. Cheers, and here's to another awesome year of food coming up!

The VF 10 Best Food Experiences of 2013

Cecilia Creek Eatery

2013-12-29T11:20:00.001-08:00

Address: 123 Gorge Road East (in the Ramada hotel)
Phone: (250) 381-1312
Website: http://www.ceceliacreekeatery.com/
Price: ~$13 for a main
Notes: Well-styled dining on the Gorge

The Cecilia Creek Eatery opened up this summer in the location where the highly lauded Flavour had it's short run (before they were gutted by fire!). The hotel clearly put a lot of thought and effort into the rebranding and redesign of the restaurant; everything feels extremely well put together and cohesive. The space feels friendly and welcoming, and is modern but still casual and funky. Although I feel like the wide open space and hardwood floors could get loud during peak times, our visit for a weekend brunch was just fine... especially as the hoards of Victoria's brunch crowds haven't quite caught on... (yet).

Their menu is definitely brunch-centric with a selection of protein-centric plates, eggs benedict and other assorted brunchy delights, although their website notes that they are opening for dinner soon. Their materials all emphasizes local, which makes me happy! I had been hearing a lot of buzz - not just from food folk, but random people whose conversations I eaves drop on in coffee shops and on the bus so I had high hopes. The dishes are as exquisitely aesthetically designed as the restaurant decor, with gorgeous fresh fruit and fancy compositions. Given the attention to detail overall, I was surprised that our first visit left us a little underwhelmed in the flavour department, but I have vowed to make another visit in the new year to make sure it wasn't just a one-off!

One thing that was super noticeable was the staff: maybe I am just getting old, but with the exception of the manager (who is also involved in the operation of Hecklers) everyone looked like they were barely drinking age themselves! The serving staff were certainly late high school or early university aged, and the parade of kitchen staff emerging from the underground parking (from their breaks?) didn't look much older. I don't really know what relevance I think this has for the overall critique, but it really stood out...

Purchase a deck of Taste Locally deals & get one free gourmet coffee with any regular priced breakfast and $10 off any purchase of $30 ore more before tax, tip and alcohol at Cecelia Creek Eatery!

Find out more about supporting local restaurants, wineries & cafes in Victoria and becoming a local hero at www.tastelocally.com

* Expires October 1st 2015

Food:
November 30, 2013

Huevos

I was torn between the hash and the huevos, but my quest for the perfect huevos is never ending so in the end, heart won out over head. Again, this had all the components of the perfect dish, and it looked beautiful, but the flavour was just somehow kind of ho-hum. It all worked ok together, but each individual part didn't stand out. It was a bit confounding because it was clearly plated with an artistic eye which meant my mouth was anticipating much more! Again, I will visit again to see if perhaps this was just an off day in the kitchen...

Duck Confit Benny special

This was my partner-in-food-and-life's choice. It was hard not to be sucked into a special like that, however decadent! It arrived looking stunning, but the fact that a super over-toasted muffin escaped notice in the kitchen was shocking given the care that was clearly given to all other aspects of the restaurant. That kind of made it hard to comment on the overall dish because having that base kind of grounds the whole bite, but as with my dish the flavours seemed a bit muted.

Bacon Bourbon Popcorn

When our bill arrived it came with a surprise present: bacon bourbon popcorn! The sweet end to our meal was lovely - and reinforced that I want to re-visit because I think there is definite potential!

Service:
November 30, 2013
The service was good... neither fast or slow, but that was just perfect for the kind of Saturday brunch we were looking for. The staff were all very friendly, welcoming and made sure we had everything we needed and more.

Phillips Snowcase

2013-12-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

2013 is the first year that Phillips has produced the "Snowcase" although their "Showcase" is regularly available throughout the year. The box was very reasonably priced at $60, and contains 24 different beers  (or "reign-beer" as they describe them on the poem on the side of the box) with specially produced packaging to allow for removal of a beer a day without discovering the other days delights. It sounds like some will be old favourites, and some will be special just to the box. I plan to document each beer as we go along, so check back through the month of December to follow along vicariously if you weren't lucky enough to snag a case yourself!

I've been slacking on giving my attention to the Victoria beer scene. Partially I think it's that I can only hold so much knowledge in my brain, and keeping up on our ever expanding beer scene became just too much. Plus, we started brewing our own beers at Askim's on a regular basis, which makes the necessity of buying beer a bit lessened. We also have an amazing complement of beer bloggers here in BC, so that territory is well and truly covered by those who know much more about the brew than I will ever. This is all a long prelude to saying... I was completely oblivious to the release of the Snowcase until it was already sold out in the entirety of Victoria. However, thanks to a fellow local lover and her significant other who happened to be traversing the very edges of the Island I was able to join in counting down the holidays. How advent-ageous (hee!).

Dec 1st

Amnesiac Double IPA

A "mind blowingly" hoppy start to the snow case! Both the weather outside and the beer inside are pretty bitter... how fitting.

Alcohol – 8.5%

IBU – strong

Availability – year round

Dec 2nd

Elsinore

A properly retro lager. Is it coincidence that the beer with two-row barley showed in spot number two? Guessing is afoot!

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – mild

Availability – year round

Dec 3rd

Instigator Doppelbock
Holiday Edition

Fasting during the advent? This beer is for you! The classic winter release shows its goaty horns...

Alcohol – 8.5%

IBU – mild

Availability – seasonal

Dec 4th

Boxcar ESB

Maybe it's like the little train that could... "I think I can! I think I can..." (wait until tomorrow's snowcase for more beer!)

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – midrange

Availability – seasonal in the Showcase

Dec 5th

Zeus IPA

A beer with fresh, specialty hops from the Growhop series. The hops will hit you like a bolt from the heavens!

Alcohol – 6.5%

IBU – strong

Availability – randomly in the Hopbox

Dec 6th

Hammer Imperial Stout

This complex and winey stout packs a mighty warming winter wallop. In Soviet Russia, the beer hammers you...

Alcohol – 8.3%

IBU – low

Availability – seasonal special release

Dec 7th

Hoperation Belgian IPA

Fly through cloudy skies to find a bitter, bold and belgian beer: a tripel cross threat.

Alcohol – 7.3%

IBU – strong

Availability – Seasonal

Dec 8th

Analogue 78 Kolsch

Turn the record over, the second week of the snowcase has begun with another retro beer.

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – midrange

Availability – seasonal in the Showcase

Dec 9th

Ginger Beer

The redheaded stepchild of the phillips line is the perfect fiery belly full of ale for a blistery wintry day.


Alcohol – 5%

IBU – midrange

Availability – year round

Dec 10th

Phoenix Gold Lager

Sidebar: I wonder if this beer is named after one of the original Victoria breweries the Phoenix brewery?

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – midrange

Availability – year round

Dec 11th

Dr Funk

Hold on to your hats, the Doctor is in the house and ready to cure your Christmas party hangovers! Funkily.

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – lower

Availability – seasonal

Dec 12th

Hop Circle IPA

A beer that packs just a little more punch in the mouth and in the bloodstream. I blame aliens.

Alcohol – 6.5%

IBU – strong

Availability – in the hop box

Dec 13th

Trainwreck Barley Wine

We're more than half way through and the barrel aged spectacle finally comes out! Festive time has begun!

Alcohol – 10%

IBU – low

Availability – seasonal

Dec 14th

Longboat Chocolate Porter

Get your paddles ready for deep, long pulls of a sweet and savoury chocolate porter.

Alcohol – 5.2%

IBU – low

Availability – year round

Dec 15th

Krypton Rye PA

Look! In the case! Is it a retro beer? Is it a Phillips classic? Is it a seasonal? No. it is another hoppy beer.

Alcohol – 6.5%

IBU – strong

Availability – hop box

Dec 16th

Slipstream Cream Ale

This is my favourite beer. No seriously this converted me to liking beer back when it was Maple Cream :)

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – low

Availability – year round

Dec 17th

Rural Brewer

Get out of the city & enjoy some rustic beer action. The experience may surprise you...

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – low

Availability – special release

Dec 18th

Twisted Oak Bock

This barrel-aged & stillaged beauty is such a nerd beer! The perfect addition to a snowcase.

Alcohol – 6.8%

IBU – low

Availability – special release

Dec 19th

Skookum Cascadia Brown

A dark, strong and hoppy beer. The best of all possible worlds. How positively skookum!

Alcohol – 6.5%

IBU – strong

Availability – hop box

Dec 20th

Blue Buck

Phillips most balanced beer with both mild malty and hop flavours. It's no blue truck but... :)

Alcohol – 5%

IBU – midrange

Availability – year round

Dec 21st

Twisted Oak Scotch Ale

Another beer in the stillaged series, this time with a warm scotchy side.

Alcohol – 6.8%

IBU – low

Availability – special release

Dec 22nd

Hammer Barrel Aged Stout

The same hammer beer from Dec 6th, but the barrel aged version this time (for reals).

Alcohol – 8.3%

IBU – low

Availability – special release

Dec 23rd

Cabin Fever Black IPA

A brew strong enought to get you through the black and hoppy throes of any bout of cabin fever.

Alcohol – 8.5%

IBU – strong

Availability – special release

Dec 24th

Twisted Oak Red Ale

The final in the stillage series shows itself just in time to be coordinated with Santa Claus.

Alcohol – 6.8%

IBU – low

Availability – special release

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 15: Christmas Food Traditions on Vancouver Island

2013-12-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

Subscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

This month's topic for the the Canadian Food Experience Project is about the local Christmas food traditions of our respective regions. Head on over to acanadianfoodie.com to see all of the other bloggers from across Canada who participated in this topic as well.

I was initially quite stumped about what defines our Vancouver Island food tradition... I could not think of anything unique that was just around the holidays and not a hold over from our English heritage. I even posted it on twitter, which generated a fascinating conversation, but nothing that was uniquely Island or uniquely holiday...

So I asked the uber food nerd Aaron Hall from the local food show Delicious to come join me to talk through our own experiences of holiday traditions. Aaron is one of the few people I have met who can talk longer, with more passion and in more exquisite food nerd detail than myself. It turned out pretty fascinating - we did uncover that our Island traditions are pretty well inherited from the UK, but that we do put our locally sourced and westcoast vegetarian-friendly spin on things.

I spend a lot of time thinking about how lucky I am to be writing this blog and eating this kind of food on a regular basis. Many people in our community are not so lucky. I've been donating on a monthly basis to the Mustard Seed food bank for the past few months... but I wanted to put a call out to think about making a one time or regularly donation yourself and make sure that our whole community gets to have good food — especially in the winter season.

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 14: JagaSilk

2013-11-29T09:28:00.002-08:00

Subscribe in iTunes for auto-delivery every time a new podcast episode comes out!

I visited the tranquil JagaSilk tea room a few weeks ago to chat with Jared, co-founder of the tea business, to enter in one of the most food nerdy conversations I have been able to have so far! I learned so much from just talking with him for an hour...

Our conversation started at tea, where I learned about how there are many more kinds of tea than just black and green.. a whole rainbow, in fact! However the conversation quickly involved into the larger politics of consuming food including the terroir of kale, the zen of being 'fussy' and the delicate politics of supporting local indigenous foods as settlers.

This week's episode is brought to you boy ForkJoy! Make sure to check out their awesome app for your iPhone or Android device

Hanks

2013-11-25T20:15:00.000-08:00
Address: 1001 Douglas St
Phone: (250) 590-4636
Website: (tbd?)
Price: ~$10 for a sandwich, ~$15 for a platter
Notes: fresh, house made, small batch BBQ

As I briefly touched on in about in my recent post about Ucluelet, we have a new Barbecue restaurant in town, the a little brother restaurant to Hanks Ucluelet. They have opened up in the little restaurant that formerly held the Melt (and a few other haphazard places before that). I think the space may have finally found its one true restaurant! After only a few short weeks they are garnering much attention and adoration from locals, myself included. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the other barbecue selections in town, but they have not really captured my heart in the same way that a few visits to Hank's have.

Their chalkboard menu is always changing, based on the availability of fresh, locally-sourced products. The menu is super meat centric, although they are open to customizing for vegetarians, and are working to figure out if they can provide gluten-free alternatives for those customers who are intolerant (but not celiac). I was not surprised to discover they make their own bread in house, daily! The slice I had with my meal in Ucluelet was the closest thing to my Granny's bread (the best bread in the whole world) I have ever had, and the bun for my pulled pork was pretty delicious as well.

I was pretty impressed with the overall commitment to freshness during our visit to Ucluelet: we were the first customers, and were informed that the wings on the menu weren't quite out of the smoker yet, but everything else was available. By the end of the evening when we left, they were telling customers that everything but the wings and one of the pastas were sold out. We chatted with the chef outside who said that he was happy because that meant they would come back again from being closed for the next few days with all fresh food. He said it with such clear pride and happiness in his voice not because he was selling out, but because it was important to him to be able to present good, fresh food! They also have a fantastic selection of beer, both local and some pretty beer nerdy (read: belgian) selections. The staff seem to be shared between the original restaurant and the Victoria one. However, I suspect it is one of the owners who is frequently found behind the counter in Victoria, as my sources tell me it is his dog, Hank, who the restaurant is named after.

The restaurant is more take out than sit down, although there are a small set of bar seats at the window and counter. In some ways that is brilliant... my favourite seats are always bar seats, but in some ways that limits the ability of more than two people to go for dinner or lunch. But, for a casual lunch meeting or a quick bite on the way between work and home it is a great choice.

Food:
November 20, 2103

Pulled Pork with Potato Salad

Although this looks like a small sandwich it was very, very filling. The sauce for the pork was not too sweet, and had a mustardy taste. The purple slaw added a nice bit of crunch and tang. The overall result was very, very sloppy and required all the napkins! I ordered the potato salad as a side for an extra few dollars. I had it as part of my meal when I ate at Ucluelet, and really enjoyed it. It has a very simple, lemony sauce and red potatoes.

Oyster Po boy and roasted carrot soup
My partner-in-food-and-life ordered the oyster po boy, which I declined a bite of because I don't quite think that it is my cup of tea. The soup, however, was my cup of soup! The roasted carrot was super, super savoury and flavourful with none of the ginger that is usually found in carrot soup.

Service:
November 20, 2103
The service was prompt and very friendly. We asked the staff lots of questions, and you could see they were proud and excited about their food. I predict they may out grow their little hole in the wall!

Dec 1st Amnesiac Double IPA A "mind blowingly" hoppy start to the snow case! Both the weather outside and the beer inside are pretty bitter... how fitting. Alcohol – 8.5% IBU – strong Availability – year round	Dec 2nd Elsinore A properly retro lager. Is it coincidence that the beer with two-row barley showed in spot number two? Guessing is afoot! Alcohol – 5% IBU – mild Availability – year round	Dec 3rd Instigator Doppelbock Holiday Edition Fasting during the advent? This beer is for you! The classic winter release shows its goaty horns... Alcohol – 8.5% IBU – mild Availability – seasonal
Dec 4th Boxcar ESB Maybe it's like the little train that could... "I think I can! I think I can..." (wait until tomorrow's snowcase for more beer!) Alcohol – 5% IBU – midrange Availability – seasonal in the Showcase	Dec 5th Zeus IPA A beer with fresh, specialty hops from the Growhop series. The hops will hit you like a bolt from the heavens! Alcohol – 6.5% IBU – strong Availability – randomly in the Hopbox	Dec 6th Hammer Imperial Stout This complex and winey stout packs a mighty warming winter wallop. In Soviet Russia, the beer hammers you... Alcohol – 8.3% IBU – low Availability – seasonal special release
Dec 7th Hoperation Belgian IPA Fly through cloudy skies to find a bitter, bold and belgian beer: a tripel cross threat. Alcohol – 7.3% IBU – strong Availability – Seasonal	Dec 8th Analogue 78 Kolsch Turn the record over, the second week of the snowcase has begun with another retro beer. Alcohol – 5% IBU – midrange Availability – seasonal in the Showcase	Dec 9th Ginger Beer The redheaded stepchild of the phillips line is the perfect fiery belly full of ale for a blistery wintry day. Alcohol – 5% IBU – midrange Availability – year round
Dec 10th Phoenix Gold Lager Sidebar: I wonder if this beer is named after one of the original Victoria breweries the Phoenix brewery? Alcohol – 5% IBU – midrange Availability – year round	Dec 11th Dr Funk Hold on to your hats, the Doctor is in the house and ready to cure your Christmas party hangovers! Funkily. Alcohol – 5% IBU – lower Availability – seasonal	Dec 12th Hop Circle IPA A beer that packs just a little more punch in the mouth and in the bloodstream. I blame aliens. Alcohol – 6.5% IBU – strong Availability – in the hop box
Dec 13th Trainwreck Barley Wine We're more than half way through and the barrel aged spectacle finally comes out! Festive time has begun! Alcohol – 10% IBU – low Availability – seasonal	Dec 14th Longboat Chocolate Porter Get your paddles ready for deep, long pulls of a sweet and savoury chocolate porter. Alcohol – 5.2% IBU – low Availability – year round	Dec 15th Krypton Rye PA Look! In the case! Is it a retro beer? Is it a Phillips classic? Is it a seasonal? No. it is another hoppy beer. Alcohol – 6.5% IBU – strong Availability – hop box
Dec 16th Slipstream Cream Ale This is my favourite beer. No seriously this converted me to liking beer back when it was Maple Cream :) Alcohol – 5% IBU – low Availability – year round	Dec 17th Rural Brewer Get out of the city & enjoy some rustic beer action. The experience may surprise you... Alcohol – 5% IBU – low Availability – special release	Dec 18th Twisted Oak Bock This barrel-aged & stillaged beauty is such a nerd beer! The perfect addition to a snowcase. Alcohol – 6.8% IBU – low Availability – special release
Dec 19th Skookum Cascadia Brown A dark, strong and hoppy beer. The best of all possible worlds. How positively skookum! Alcohol – 6.5% IBU – strong Availability – hop box	Dec 20th Blue Buck Phillips most balanced beer with both mild malty and hop flavours. It's no blue truck but... :) Alcohol – 5% IBU – midrange Availability – year round	Dec 21st Twisted Oak Scotch Ale Another beer in the stillaged series, this time with a warm scotchy side. Alcohol – 6.8% IBU – low Availability – special release
Dec 22nd Hammer Barrel Aged Stout The same hammer beer from Dec 6th, but the barrel aged version this time (for reals). Alcohol – 8.3% IBU – low Availability – special release	Dec 23rd Cabin Fever Black IPA A brew strong enought to get you through the black and hoppy throes of any bout of cabin fever. Alcohol – 8.5% IBU – strong Availability – special release	Dec 24th Twisted Oak Red Ale The final in the stillage series shows itself just in time to be coordinated with Santa Claus. Alcohol – 6.8% IBU – low Availability – special release

Victorian Food

2014 Year in Review Podcast

#VislandGetaway: Sooke

Sooke Fast Facts

Other Sooke Food & Drink:

Cenote

Cold Comfort

The Great Victoria Bacon-Off

Quarter-Finals

Round 4: Glenwood Meats vs Ravenstone Meats

Round 3: Sloping Hills vs The Market House Smoked

Round 2: The Whole Beast vs Hertel's

Winner: The Whole Beast

Round 1: Choux Choux vs. Red Barn

Winner: Choux Choux

Semi-Finals

Round 1: Choux Choux vs Whole Beast

Round 2: Sloping Hills vs Glenwood Meats

Finals

Championship Round: ? vs ?

Camille's

ulla

Boleskine Bistro

PSA: A quest for putting Victoria's BEST restrooms on the map! Nominations OPEN

Nominations are open from now until June 20, 2014. Get online and nominate a deserving Victoria area restaurant at www.bestrestroom.com/canada!

Join the Craft Beer Revolution

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 20: The Nanaimo Bar

Upcoming events:

Be Love

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 19: Victoria Beer Week

Upcoming events:

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 18: My Canadian Love Affair

The Super Canadian Caesar

Upcoming events:

Mutsuki-An

PSA: Former Agriculture Minister Speaking at Food Industry Event

Are you a farmer, culinary artisan, food processor, chef, or food activist? This one's for you!

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 17: Coffee & Community at Shatterbox

Willows Park Grocery

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 16: A New Years Resolution for Conviviality

Year in Review 2013

Cecilia Creek Eatery

Phillips Snowcase

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 15: Christmas Food Traditions on Vancouver Island

The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 14: JagaSilk

Hanks

Are you a farmer, culinary artisan,
food processor, chef, or food activist?
This one's for you!