Tofino

[jcsaucey]

what is the deal with long beach lodge? Any local-yolkals have the skinny?

[saffron]

I think they manage to pique the interest of city chefs looking for a change of scenery and pace. However, Tofino is not an easy place to live. And unless you own your own restaurant, there's not a lot to keep you committed.

[tofino]

Long Beach Lodge - non-hospitality aware owners, with European hardline management in a town that prides itself on lack of structure. They continue to hire staff that the Wick fires which amazes everyone. Not that Wick staff are right offs when fired, but you have to do a lot of things wrong to get fired there, but LBL stills hires them as quick as they are fired. No one seems to know why this happens, but it explains the problems with service and consistency which seem to plague them. Too bad, its a beautiful spot missing some soul!

Edited April 29, 2004 by tofino (log)

[saffron]

Had a beautiful anniversary dinner at the Raincoast restaurant. My husband had an Indian spiced lamb shank. It was so tender it was falling off the bone. I had the beef tenderloin. It was cooked to perfection with a port rosemary sauce and another ingredient I can't quite recall, but wow, did it work! The staff made us feel so special and they seemed genuinely proud to be working there and serving such glorious meals.

[paul mitchell]

The sun is out - it is freakin hot - a perfect tuesday afternoon to laze about in Tofino - just walked down to check out the new Tofitian espresso / internet / wheatgrass / herbal tonic joint next to everyones favorite Sobo which is closed today so no fish tacos - am so sad - but Adam Buskard, the propieter of Tofitian, is making me an iced Lavazza coffee that will hit the spot as I bang away on egullet - this little stop along the highway is getting to be quite the place - Sobo, Beaches Grocery, a little fish and chiper w/ corn dogs (maybe after my walk on Chesterman Beach) - dinner tonight is at the Wick - have got $350 in my pocket that I had set aside for a rainy day and will see how far into extravagance and gluttony it will get me in that beautiful dining room - will post a review - you got to get out here folks - life couldn't get much better.

[merlin]

Envy you Paul.

Look forward to your comments after dinner at the Wick. Am interested to hear how the food is under the "command" of the new chef.

Sounds like another "terrible" day in paradise....I'll turn up the volume for the Tofino Beach Homes website and "pretend" that I am on Chesterman too....say hello to Chris aka Tofino should you run into him at the Wick.

[stovetop]

Have a good time paul

stovetop

from port alberni

It is a beauty day

[paul mitchell]

Well it turned into afternoon appies / wine at the Wick - what a dining room and view - especially after a walk on Chesterman beach with the waves, sun and surfer girls in bikinis - now I want to know who this Chris fellow is that goes by "Tofino" - maybe it was the Chris who is the sommelier at the Wick whom I spoke with about a truly organic Benzinger wine and the merits of Grant Burge ?

So had a bottle of Poplar Grove Pinot Gris - just like drinking flowers - perfect for such an afternoon - at my place of work we smoke / cure salmon in innumerable different ways so the smoked salmon, four ways, was routine - but alongside it they had this wicked cucumber relish - I could have eaten that alone happily - am still trying to figure out the technique - cause it was sweeter than the salmon, completely translucent and an interesting crunch - and of course I ate scallops - not on the menu but asked if they could sear a few off - no garnish, no sauce - as is!

Went and had wine with a friend at Cafe Pamplona - what a friggin room and garden - I'd never been and now am pumped to check it out again - not that I have been, but having seen pictures, the place and gardens reminds me of Tetsuya's (sp?) in Australia - just what I was thinking of when we sipped wine on the Terrace.

Dinner was at 9:30 at Shelter - a big assed Rib Eye, fat oyster mushrooms and frites - good days out here on the coast.

[merlin]

Aw Paul...it is a cloudy day here in Alberta and you have me wishing I was out on Chesterman Beach....oh well another few months and we'll be out your way.

Yes, the dining room at the Wick is breathtaking...good weather or huge storm...good bottle of wine and sit back and daydream...especially if they have the directional microphone turned on so that you can hear as well as see the surf.

A lingering lunch, is, in my view the better way to go rather than the more formal dinner. We are looking forward to doing exactly that on at least one of the afternoons we have on Chesterman come fall.

The Chris fella you dealt with is likely Chris Mustard. Tall, dark haired friendly guy?

He was heading up their wine program a couple of years ago when we last stayed part of our trip at the Wick. Knows his wines. Especially the ones from the Island and the Okanagan. He was good enough to get us a bottle of La Frenz Merlot that Jeff Martin had left with them along with a pile of labels as the wines had just been bottled.

Chris...aka Tofino was and I think still is, the concierge at the beachside addition to the Wick. I expect he'll "chime in" once he reads your post.

Cafe Pamplona is certainly a nice spot. We rent a house now when we head up there, theoretically at least to save some "dough" by being able to cook our own food and consume our own wine but inevitably we have several lingering lunches at the Wick or Cafe Pamplona chatting with the folks who work there.

Has the new restaurant and brew pub opened up in town? It was supposed to go into that new building constructed with retrieved and recycled lumber, etc.. It was just a shell essentially when we were there last Fall.

Thanks for the post, I can close my eyes and see the breakers rolling into the beach and the black birds picking up mussels and dropping them onto the rocks beside the restaurant windows getting their own "seafood" meal.

[paul mitchell]

I think I served Chris aka Tofino (the concierge at the Wick) and his date last night at a function we had in our Longhouse for the Tofino Business Association. If that was you Tofino thanks for the grease!

[paul mitchell]

The brewpub hasn't opened. Heard they were having some trouble finding investors. Disappointing because there is a real need in Tofino for a good pub / wine bar. There is one nightclub that's sleazy and the Weigh West pub isn't much better. Other than those two there is no where to take a friend for a drink in a nice setting in Tofino. Someone would make a killing over the summer and then it would be rancho relaxo in Costa Rica over the winter.

[tofino]

Hey Paul,

Yes this is Chris the Concierge at the Wick. The Concierge you met the other night at your beautiful spot was Cody, one of my staff, great guy and hopefully he looked after you. Especially glad to hear you enjoyed your dinner at the Pointe, our Chef is making us very proud. Yes the brewpub will be a bonus when it happens, and it can't be soon enough, until then its mojitos at Shelter - haha - glad to have another voice in Tofino - especially one as proud of living here as I am.

Until next time.......

Chris

[paul mitchell]

It is a small world Tofino, will say hello when I drop in on my next days off - I'm in on a 21 day stretch and another whirlwind tour of my favorite spots in town will be well deserved.

[stovetop]

Hi gang;

I have a little info on a Pub that will be opening in Port some time in the new year, it is the same owner as the Lady Rose, it is next door to the office, the new office is being built as we speek on the main floor, the second floor will be a brew pub, we need a place here in Port as well, not to many choices, judging by the excellent work on the main floor (new Lady Rose office) this place will be beautiful.

steve

aka stovetop

port alberni

[jaeger]

The brewpub and restaurant in the cedar corner building is for lease, so if anyone wants to have a restaurant in tofino there is one up for grabs. Also want everyone to know that sobo will be closed between july 5 and 13. We will reopen on the 14th of July. Sorry for any inconvenience.

[stovetop]

RIP

Wild Fish restaurant

http://www.tofinobrewhouse.com/

[merlin]

jaeger/stovetop:

Too bad about the brewhouse/restaurant project falling through.

How far along did they get? I see from the photos that the structure was up but did they get any further along with the installation of the kitchen and brewing facilities.

I expect it was quite the venture. It cannot be cheap to try to do up a free standing eco-friendly building and then operate a restaurant and brew pub in a resort setting like Tofino.

More cash to spend at Shelter or the lounge at the Wick I guess

3 1/2 more months to go

[paul mitchell]

Jaeger, thanks for the rock shrimp cocktail - it was the highlight of a little stroll in the Tofino sunshine on wednesday.

[stovetop]

Merlin; I was hopping possibly to work at the wild fish, I had talked to the manager a few times, he never said anything to me, but I heard through the grape vine that it was not happening then I heard here that it was done in the water. Not sure how far it was set up for the restaurant. They were looking for money; I guess they could not pull it together.

steve

Edited July 4, 2004 by stovetop (log)

[jamiemaw]

A few random notes on Tofino that I hope you find helpful:

Andrew Springett, former (and excellent) restaurant chef at Diva at the Met is now at The Wick. I have to think he's going to do good things for that room.

The other venues where we've had good success have been:

Clayoquot

Long Beach Lodge (although like everyone else I've been reading about their recent challenges)

Shelter

Sobo

I'm curious about Pamplona and RainCoast and I'd be very interested in further suggestions, especially from Tofino locals, chefs or otherwise.

Let's talk soon,

Jamie

[tofino]

With respect to Jamies questions as to Cafe Pamplona and Raincoast I would contribute the following.

Cafe Pamplona - Rick Moore still in charge - still MY favorite restaurant in town, very limited menu (1 seafood, 2 meats, 1 pasta plus daily features), but the attention to detail is great. Nice wine list to go with the food, casual setting but with the setting as the Tofino Botanical Gardens, when I make reservations for my guests, I tell them to arrive a half hour early grab a glass of wine from the restaurant and go for a walk in the gardens before dinner. A whole lot of yum!

Raincoast Cafe - this may be some of the best food in town, however, the wine list is lacking in depth for the style of food provided here (Pacific Northwest with an Asian twist), and backing on to a parking lot provides little atmosphere. I tend to recommend this more in the off season as it gets dark earlier - eliminating the parking lot views.

As a side, Long Beach Lodge is in transition again, new general manager in place as of the end of this month - lets all hope for the best!

[paul mitchell]

I had dinner at Pamplona the other night as well..........I like the fact that they only do a couple of items a night and they do them well - I always go in the late afternoon, get a bottle of wine and stroll the rainforest gardens......a magical place - plus my friend Cathy lives across the street and she makes great margaritas.

[jamiemaw]

Thanks very much for your heartfelt (and detailed) input everyone.

Jamie

[jaeger]

Fearing being overly repetitious I would have to list cafe Pamplona, raincoast and shelter as the three best dining options, depending on what someone is looking for. Cafe intimate with the best BC wine list and limited options, Raincoast with lots of options in the food department, leaning heavily on Veg and seafood, and Shelter somewhere in the middle with a lively spacious room, slightly funkier, younger crowd. It is quite remarkable that we get to live in a town of 1800 local residents and have the dining options we have. Have also heard nothing but positive feedback for Andrew at the Pointe restaurant, so much so that we are planning on dining there for the first time since rodney left. The feedback is especially strong from his servers who have in years of late been serving so so expensive food, they are very excited to serve "worthy food" for the room and the hotel.

[jaeger]

The pointe restaurant at the wickinnish by far has the best wine list in the area, while the Cafe pamplona has a small BC focused list. Given that it is not in town, and not always open to the public we tend to not discuss it but Tim May (with Pauls help) could be creating the finest food on the coast behind Meares Island at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort.