Road Trip - Smithers

[Daddy-A]

My mother is a minister in the United Church of Canada. As she's a relative newcomer to the calling, she finds herself placed in lesser known parts of Canada. York, PEI, Edmonston New Brunswick, and most recently Smithers, BC. Recent circumstances found my brother & I flying up to Smithers for Mother's Day for a 3 day visit.

That's right ... 3 days in Smithers.

Armed with information from Viola da gamba's posts, I decided a culinary tour of the area was in order. I won't lie. I found no culinary gems. There were no must-visit places for coffee, no artisan cheese makers that would justify the $585 air-fare (excluding the Smithers Airport Improvement Fee!) In fact, one of the best meals we had was leftovers from the church youth-groups' Caribean pot-luck.

But all is not lost in The Bulkley. We had lunch at the Iron Horse which is track-side in the Via Rail Station.

It's essentially a lunch stop of the Via run between Jasper & Prince Rupert ... called The Skeena. I mention this because if you should happen to dine when The Skeena makes it's stop in Smithers, be prepared for pandemonium in the Iron Horse! 4 couple came into the restaurant and the service staff was jumping.

We enjoyed a bowl of Potato & Corn Chowder and a couple Chicken Clubs. Apparently, they aquired the chef from the recently closed Happy Aligator (?) in Telkwa. The soup was really good ... tasted home-made which is always a plus.

I have no more pictures as my brother couldn't deal with my food-geekiness We did however have a fmaily dinner at the Hudson's Bay Lodge dining room - Pepper Jack's. So named, I'm assuming because they put little peperencino peppers on everything they serve. I had the Pepper-Jack Pepper Steak with baked potato and grilled veggies. The steak was cooked exactly as I ordered it, and the server even brought the little containers of bacon-bits/chives/sour cream for the baked potato! The wine list looked pretty decent (i.e. no boxed wines) but we opted for sleeves of Wersteiner.

Best meal of the trip goes to Chatters Pizza. I forget the name of the pizza, but it had chicken, grilled peppers with garlic on bechemel. Really tasty, and even better for breakfast the next day.

So now I've been to Smithers, and will return soon to visit mom. I've been told there's a farmers market during the summer. Perhaps we'll cook at home next time and enjoy the view ....

A.

[Viola da gamba]

Sigh - 'tis true - next time, however, you may want to try the Logpile Lodge? You have to book in advance, though - and part of the process for booking in advance is letting them know your choices for dinner - so it may not help.

Also - the Iron Horse Cafe is supposedly starting dinner service Thurs - Sunday soon, and I've been told it's something to write home about. The Chef is from the now-defunct "Crocodile Cafe" in Telkwa - first place I ever saw "Grasshopper Bars" (Nanaimo bars with a bright green mint filling in place of the custard. I didn't try it).

The farmer's market started last weekend - but compared to the markets on the Island and in Vancouver - again - nothing to write home about. Some of the veggies are good though.

Sorry you didn't enjoy the food that much - I wish I could say I'm surprised! However, at least the basil is coming up now - so, as with Badiane, the best place to eat is probably at home - homemade pesto is about to become a staple.

Edited to add - Coffee is one of my big beefs up here - there's only one decent coffee place - Java's - and they're only open during the week (blame the locale - right next door to the courthouse). As to cheese - all of the local dairy production is focussed on Dairyland, so artisanal cheese is something that gets restricted to holidays when my folks come up.

Edited May 17, 2005 by Viola da gamba (log)

[Badiane]

Ahhh Smithers.... I was a chef on the Babine River...boat in only, far from town, no days off, no trips to town. One hell of a long Steelhead season. Nearly killed me. And all the food I had to work with came from Smithers on a boat. Flour was always damp, lettuce always frozen...oy. It was a real adventure. No electricity...gas stove.

My brother still lives there...he's a champion garlic grower in his spare time - says the best place to eat is at his house!

[whatelyj]

As a born (almost, moved there when I was one) and bred Smithereen, I have to say that the attractions of the Bulkley Valley (and there are many) are admittedly not focused on the culinary. Good, even excellent restaurants tend to come and go rather quickly (the current chef/owner of Paprika in Victoria once operated a lovely little restaurant on Main St called the Little Onion)...

However, when I lived in Smithers (coming up on 13 years ago), you could get a good bowl of soup and slice of triple berry or chocolate pecan pie from Java's, you could get some delicious Chinese from the North Star, yummy pizza from Vera's, and wonderful pepper chicken from 4th St Deli in Telkwa. I know that the last in that list is now gone, but are the others still around...Viola?

All in all, probably the best way to go in Smithers is to dust off the barbeque, and create your own culinary gems as you enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. I love Smithers in the summer. (avec le bugspray, of course)

[Mooshmouse]

As a born (almost, moved there when I was one) and bred Smithereen...

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Smithereen... I love it! So that's where things go when they get blown up!

Edited May 17, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[Viola da gamba]

However, when I lived in Smithers (coming up on 13 years ago), you could get a good bowl of soup and slice of triple berry or chocolate pecan pie from Java's, you could get some delicious Chinese from the North Star, yummy pizza from Vera's, and wonderful pepper chicken from 4th St Deli in Telkwa.  I know that the last in that list is now gone, but are the others still around...Viola?

All in all, probably the best way to go in Smithers is to dust off the barbeque, and create your own culinary gems as you enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.  I love Smithers in the summer.  (avec le bugspray, of course)

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Bugspray - ah yes - my new favourite scent - bought the year's first 2 containers of Deep Woods Off this weekend - fortunately the worst of bug season ends in a month (really - it's only about 6 weeks of hell and then it's safe to go outside again - after the next month, although there are lots of mosquitos, they are REALLY BIG and fly REALLY SLOWLY - even the dogs can catch them easily).

Sadly, the North Star is closed - the ginger beef at the Green House in Telkwa isn't bad, though - Vera's also closed, but as Arne says, Chatters ain't bad (but I'd rather go for homemade bbq pizza) and the 4th St Deli has been closed for a while - Bridges (the new restaurant on the corner) is still feeling its way and, at least for now, is more expensive than the Alpenhorn for food that isn't quite as good. And, as I said above - Java's is still great, but is only open during the week - at which time, I havec to exercise serious self-restraint in relation to their double chocolate espresso bars. And the only good patio is at the Golf Club, which is a wonderful view but has distinctly less-than-interesting food (although not quite curly fries standard of bleh). The one thing that everyone seems to do well is soup.

I proudly adopt the moniker "Smithereen".

Edited May 17, 2005 by Viola da gamba (log)

[Daddy-A]

The Chef is from the now-defunct "Crocodile Cafe" in Telkwa

Right! "Crocodile Cafe" ... NOT the "Happy Aligator". Telkwa is so huge I was bound to get the name mixed up!

Sorry you didn't enjoy the food that much - I wish I could say I'm surprised!

The food wasn't BAD. It was my first trip north of Kamloops so I didn't know what to expect. Let's just say it was predictable ... except for the pizza at Chatters. That was just plain good.

Edited to add - Coffee is one of my big beefs up here - there's only one decent coffee place - Java's - and they're only open during the week

Yes, Java's was the coffee bright spot. My mom took us to a used bookstore in town that also sells coffee and baked goods. The brownie was okay, but the joe was ... um ... not to my liking

As to cheese - all of the local dairy production is focussed on Dairyland, so artisanal cheese is something that gets restricted to holidays when my folks come up.

I'll PM you before my next trip. I'm allowed to fly cheese within the province right? No municipal bylaw banning that?

A.

[Viola da gamba]

I'll PM you before my next trip.  I'm allowed to fly cheese within the province right?  No municipal bylaw banning that?

A.

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Oh man - that would rock - and anyway - the airport is outside the town of smithers - so municipal bylaws don't apply!! Hurry back, ya hear?!

Edited May 17, 2005 by Viola da gamba (log)

[Matt R.]

Culinary road trips piqued my interest. Recently returning from a two week long road trip with my lovely wife, three year old daughter, and one year old son, I can safely say that there is no place like home. And home cooking.

We took the Coquihalla to Merritt, then the #5 Yellowhead all the way to Lake Louise, where we stayed at the Lake Louise Inn. Fabulous scenery, but the most notable part about the food was the fact that the restaurant didn't have any shelled eggs for breakfast. On to Banff, we enjoyed some killer fondue at the Grizzly House, where of course our server was someone who recently worked with my current sous chef. Typical! Hey, you work at (blank)? You know so and so? Of course!

Three days in Edmonton saw no interesting food, outside of great home cooking and some hot dogs at the West Ed Mall waterpark.

Taking the Calgary Trail to Calgary, we managed to find the Krispy Kreme doughnut place. Easily the whitest, softest, most sugary thing I've ever put in my mouth. I didn't even have to chew! Needless to say, it was so bad we only bought two dozen. A day downtown visiting my old boss, who is now the restaurant chef at the Delta Bow Valley was really fun. Seeing another big, big, big kitchen is always a treat. My wife hates that I always want to sit in a restaurant where I can see the kitchen. Aside from some more great home cooking, Calgary was a bust, like always.

Taking the #3 Crows Nest to Kimberley, we found what we were looking for. We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn Trickle Creek, which is the best hotel I have ever stayed at. Fantastic buffet breakfast, great facility, staff and views that can't be beat. Big things seem to be happening in Kimberley, with a construction boom happening.

Our next stop was historic Fort Steele, where we had a wonderful time on opening day, looking in on the blacksmith, and all the period costumes. Lunch was a good bowl of chili, and couple loaves of natural sourdough fresh from the 100+ year old bakery.

Continuing onto Nelson, and the east shore of the lake, I was asking myself what I always do when we visit. When can we move here? A couple meals at the Red Fish on Baker St in Nelson was all we could take in, aside from some even more delicious home cooking.

Onto Osoyoos and a night in Keremeos before returning home. This was probably the restauant highlight of the trip. A place called Arleigh's Restaurant on Main St. served the best roast beef I've ever had to pay for. They even cooked my wife's salmon to a nice medium. When's the last time you got that at a family restaurant? Awesome homemade pie topped off the evening so well, we returned the next morning for a big breakfast, before driving back home.

-- Matt.