West Coast Musings

[Daddy-A]

My wife grew up in Victoria ... has a soft spot for Paul's for breakfast. There's also a coffee place in the Cook Street Village ... Mocha something? There's one in Ganges as well ... anyway it's good coffe and a kinda wicken/hippey/blue-haired feel you only get on the Island. We sit there and play "Spot-The-VW-Magicbus" all afternoon!

A.

[Andrew Morrison]

Mocha House, I believe.

Always busier than the Starbucks which opened across the street (not very nice of them!).

[Daddy-A]

Mocha House, I believe.

Always busier than the Starbucks which opened across the street (not very nice of them!). 

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Yep, that's the one. Cool little area ... any place decent to eat along that stretch? I think there's a wine store in there as well. We're going over Easter weekend. Will have to investigate.

A.

[Andrew Morrison]

Nothing really to eat in Cook Street Village except pub grub and fish and chips.

Wait, there is a weird little miniscule food mall around a corner that offers over the counter Thai and Ethiopian food. Don't know the details.

Zambri's, Brio, Blue Fox, and J&J Noodle House are all within a fifteen minute walk.

One day someone is going to open a fantastic restaurant in Cook Street Village and it will do very, very well. The neighbourhood is seriously getting a dose of gentrification and a sleek restaurant that plays the right local notes will be able to print their own money.

Edited March 2, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[appreciator]

My wife grew up in Victoria ... has a soft spot for Paul's for breakfast. 

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Where is/was Paul's located? It's not ringing any bells.....

Also... does anyone know if Demitasse is still around. That was a huge favourite of mine for breakfast many years ago. Used to head over from Salt Spring for a day of shopping in Victoria and always went to to Demitasse for mochas and steamed eggs. Yum.

Oh and btw... not to be nitpicky but the coffee place on Salt Spring is actually the "Moka" House I do believe.

[Mooshmouse]

Mocha House, I believe.

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Yep, that's the one.

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Moka House actually. Note that hip and funky Salt Spring Island spelling.

Oop. Sarah beat me to it. At any rate, better espresso than Salt Spring Roasting IMHO. And great sandwiches too.

[Daddy-A]

My wife grew up in Victoria ... has a soft spot for Paul's for breakfast. 

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Where is/was Paul's located? It's not ringing any bells.....

Sorry ... brain fart It was Pluto's I was thinking of. 1106 Cook Street, in a converted gas station. We also go to John's Place when we stay downtown.

A.

[BCinBC]

I'm assuming Paul's is Paul's Motor Inn? On Douglas on the outskirts of "downtown", big copper roof, used to love the chicken pot pie! (edited: oops too late)

Ah Demitasse, I forgot about that place. Think it's gone.

And just noticed that comment above about Ferris' Oyster Bar - yes the yam fries are awesome, shoestring-like which I prefer over the thick kind, and if memory serves you can get Herman's dark on tap... mmm...

editor - your name isn't familliar, and I'm not at all involved in the food industry other than enjoying the product, but it's always possible (PM me if you like). I have Howie on tape somewhere, we were filming a school project at Hillside mall and he came on camera and did a few semi-off-colour jokes - but about his ethnicity so that's okay right??? Corrupting high-school kids left & right!

Edited March 2, 2005 by BCinBC (log)

[3WholeCardamoms]

ok-

i'm gonna try and beat shelora to the answer(s) to some of these...

-in cook st. village, as andrew mentioned, there is a food court (half a block towards the water from mocha house and around the corner) - the Thai is passable but not stellar (British Woman and Thai man - they serve satay with skippy tasting peanut sauce and white toasted bread- damn British people). The Ethiopian is very reasonable and good and the people are really sweet.

Cook St. needs to be filtered through the "i am in Victoria, there is no place like home" (click heels) disclaimer. With one exception: The food court has a Cafe Fantastico!

-My friend and I wanted to be that dynamic Victoria duo which printed their own money in Cook St Village... it is just begging for a good restaurant.

-There are two places named Demitasse and have different owners. I prefer the one in Oak Bay, but the downtown location is decent and a nice room. I boycott John's for personal reasons.

-The Moka House on Saltspring is neither hip nor funky.

-Howie drives me bonkers.

3WC

[Mooshmouse]

-The Moka House on Saltspring is neither hip nor funky.

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My point exactly 3WC.

[Andrew Morrison]

My friend and I wanted to be that dynamic Victoria duo which printed their own money in Cook St Village... it is just begging for a good restaurant.

Victoria is a really difficult place to open a restaurant, but with the right people with the right ideas and enough capital, a place in Cook Street Village would be a little goldmine - no joke.

[shelora]

"a place in Cook Street Village would be a little goldmine - no joke. "

Indeed, Mr. Waiterblog. No joke indeed. I know I sound like a broken record, but I did another condo count this morning and we are up to 8, count 'em, 8 new condos in the works, being built, or applying for permits. This is in a 4 block radius, north south and west of my place.

Cook St. Village in particular has a nice development being slated for opening sometime next year. This location is where the current VQA liquor store is (Hi there Glenn Barlow!) and they will have new digs that include plans for a deli.

Please for the love of good food, can somewhere hear our plea for more great restaurants in Victoria. Cook it and they will come.

The franchises already know something is in the air. Why else would Cactus Club open recently in downtown Vict.? They transformed a very ugly corner of Fort and Douglas into something appealing.

Rumour has it that Earl's is moving in closer to Government St. from their current location near the old Bay building.

The vibe is very similar to the one experienced in Vancouver after Expo. The rumblings of change.

Come on you entrepeneurs, we are dying for more inspired food choices.

And I love Howie. He's loud and Pag's becomes a magic place when he is in there chatting to everyone or talking dirty. Too many people in Victoria have corks up their bums and I'm in desperate need of a Vancouver hit.

Shelora

[Andrew Morrison]

Yeah, what she said.

Corks, though? More like rattlesnakes.

[merlin]

All the choices were excellent!  Most places, when they heard we were from Vancouver, asked how we heard about them, giving us a chance to pass along eGullet's website to those  not in the know.

Mark went on & on about you Merlin, you're a legend at L'Ecole! 

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aw shucks...not just a "legend in my own mind"

Sounds like a great trip Jayhay...maybe we'll try to get to Cucina the next trip...I have to meet this chef!

[merlin]

Victoria is a really difficult place to open a restaurant, but with the right people with the right ideas and enough capital, a place in Cook Street Village would be a little goldmine - no joke.

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wasn't Cassis in the Cook St neighbourhood years ago? Not saying it was, just trying to think back to years and years ago when the "outlaws" lived in the area.

Agree that it would be a great spot but suspect big time battle from some segments of the residents. Recollect a lot of public opposition to the opening of a pub...was it before the Beagle was opened? Parking would probably be an issue. It was bad enough finding a spot to drop into the VQA store during a week day in October....

[Andrew Morrison]

I think Cassis is where that little 50's diner is now, next to the bookstore. Not the best location on the strip, but still...I sense a

shift in the dining habits and in the demographics in the area since its demise. The little punks of Vic are all grown up.

I agree about the parking, but there are tons of side streets around, and I would assume most of their traffic would be from the neighbourhood. Bottom line, I think there is enough.

Speaking of the neighbourhood, I've watched it morph over the years and things have really begun to accelerate for the better, as Shelora noted with her reference to all the condos and lofts springing up (condos and better in the same sentence? ). The advent of the lantern festival is another indicator. The number of chocolate labs and jettas speak volumes, too.

If Victoria had a Kitsilano-type of area, then Cook Street Village is fast becoming it. The newly weds and the nearly deads have died and divorced long ago. It may well be past the point of chrysalis. It's time to be a butterfly.

A restaurant that took its cues from the community would score here. A modern West Coast focus using local, organic ingredients with plenty good wines and fairly priced plates is what I'm thinking.

Maybe plates made from driftwood and some skunk bud apps, I don't know...concept isn't my thing.

Edited March 4, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[shelora]

"I agree about the parking, but there are tons of side streets around, and I would assume most of their traffic would be from the neighbourhood. Bottom line, I think there is enough."

Let me tell you there is not enough parking. We live in between the Village and downtown. The vast majority of users to the Cook St. Village - especially on the weekends - live elsewhere in the city. So the parking is at a premium. Even those that live within walking distance, need to use their cars to go grocery shopping or drop off their laundry. It's a nightmare around here.

When the lantern festival swings around,everybody wants to park closeby. During the week, our street is utilized by government workers not willing to pay parking fees on the existing lots closer to their work. Even though the sign says residential parking only. With the condo going up in the village I hope that are working some parking into the mix. It will only get worse.

That said, I'm really forward to some change and chaos.

And I like your restaurant idea, waiterblog. The other place in the village that does a huge business, is the greasy fish and chips and breakfast joint. Victoria is a huge lover of breakfast, greasy, big portions, crap coffee. Fry it and they will come. They are being slated for closure when the condo begins. I don't know what the customers will do. Know of anyone with a breakfast cart? You'd do a cracking business.

s

[James Kendal]

Victoria could use some new places but I would see Vic West as having great potential. I live in the Railyards and there are a lot of high end condos in the area and many new units under construction. Most of us in Vic West have to cross the bridge to eat and would be nice to have something within walking distance.

[Andrew Morrison]

Victoria could use some new places but I would see Vic West as having great potential. I live in the Railyards and there are a lot of high end condos in the area and many new units under construction. Most of us in Vic West have to cross the bridge to eat and would be nice to have something within walking distance.

I agree, but would many on the other side cross the Johnson Street Bridge going the other way? It might be quite a gamble. Is there anything at all in Vic West right now? I lived out there for a year or two and I don't remember seeing any restaurants other than "Chicken on the Run" (which I recall was immediately nicknamed Chicken with the Runs").

[merlin]

James/Andrew:

When we visit Victoria we usually stay at the Delta's Ocean Pointe Hotel so have crossed the "blue" bridge many times....there is a sign as you approach Vic West advertising what I am assuming is a restaurant, the Queen Anne or something to that effect...has some reference to "royalty" in any event...never have been interested enough to try and track it down and have never seen it referred to in any guide books...any idea what it is?

[James Kendal]

From a development perspective Vic West has enormous growth going on, as well as the Rock Bay area which is slated for decontamination etc. One of the plans is to develop a market near tyee road by the water way.

Currently the only place to eat is Spinnakers in this area and I have been thinking about the potential to open a restaurant but it would take some serious planning. Fort St. is near saturation. Downtown has a couple of key locations but at night it is not my favorite place to go (having been mugged twice and my car vandalized 3 times). Too many bars and nightclubs imho. Cook St. does not have any parking other than the street and that is a major problem for getting approval.

The Herald St. Area could add a place in the next two years with the Bambu project, Corazon etc. being built. As well, with Daryll Pope doing well at HSC I think this area will pick up again. Kinda fun to go to HSC for a couple of apps then head across the street to Brasserie L'Ecole.

[shelora]

Flipping through the realestate weekly yesterday and noticed two restaurants for sale. One in the Cook Village - sounds like the location of Rosie's Diner (ex. Cassis). 44 seats inside and 16 outside, the whole kit and caboodle available for $243,000.

The other resto is in James Bay, 50 plus seating, westerly exposure. Requesting offers on $99,000. - is this an unbelieveable bargain or what?

And James, I agree, there is great potential for the Railyards area that is being built up and for the small area on Craigflower.

Merlin - the restaurant you are thinking of with the royal reference is the Princess Mary. A converted boat. I accept no responsibility if you go.

[merlin]

Merlin - the restaurant you are thinking of with the royal reference is the Princess Mary.  A converted boat. I accept no responsibility if you go. 

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Thanks Shelora..yes that is the one I was curious about...but after that admonition and caution that that is where my curiosity will end [smile]....

Edited March 6, 2005 by merlin (log)