Victoria ---> Nanaimo

[frogprincess]

i'll be starting off in victoria for a couple days and then moving along to nanaimo and staying there for another 3 - 4 and in search of good places to eat, in both cities, or along the way. i did a search but the most relevant post i found was over 2 years old.

breakfast - must include good, classic hollandaise (i looooove the benny), good potatoes would be nice as well and good coffee (for the boyfriend)

lunch - i love sandwiches and bugers (exotic meat burgers is a big plus), big, fresh salads

dinner - anything goes!

if you know of somewhere i should be eating please let me know :0)

also, several years ago i went to pagliacci's and from what i can remember it's somewhere i'd like to go again...do i remember correctly?

thanks!

ps - halibut and chips is a MUST while i am there as well, where should i go and where should i avoid?

[~cayenne~]

i'll be starting off in victoria for a couple days and then moving along to nanaimo and staying there for another 3 - 4 and in search of good places to eat, in both cities, or along the way. i did a search but the most relevant post i found was over 2 years old.

:0)

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Try these links to EGullet recent topics, etc.

Victoria Bound, Brunch options - started Feb 20 2006

Rosemeade Dining Room, Victoria B.C. - started Mar 4 2006

Dine Around Victoria, 2006 - started Feb 3 2006

Why the spate of Closed Victoria restaurants, so many what is happening - started Jan 21 2006 (although it sounds ominious, it does have helpful and encouraging information in it)

EAT Magazine - Victoria

EAT Magazine - Nanaimo & up

EAT Magazine - Tofino, Ucluelet, Port Renfrew

also, several years ago i went to pagliacci's and from what i can remember it's somewhere i'd like to go again...do i remember correctly?

I loved Pagliacci's too, you remember correctly, but I don't know what it is up to now, or if it still is, I remember seeing something about it here, don't remember the details though.

Edited June 18, 2006 by ~cayenne~ (log)

[Pam R]

And you could check out the Vancouver Island Thread too. Information from last year and this year.

[Ducky]

We recently spent a few days behind the tweed curtain - where we ate very well indeed.

I can only echo everything said elsewhere about the Brasserie L'Ecole. We ate there three nights in a row - and thought it first rate. Tight menu. Excellent kitchen. Thoughtful and attentive service. Comfortable room. No bullshit whatsoever. Just the way we like it.

In the process we discovered the Winchester (Saanich Peninsula) Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Now this is a very small producer - and I fear my wife's copious consumption of this fine wine will make it even more difficult to find in future. To make matters worse, my wife insisted on stopping at the vineyard on the way to the ferry and bought pretty much the rest of their stock. The owners thought some more could be found at Liberty in Vancouver ...but if I know my wife she will be there when these guys open tomorrow.

But to food: we also managed one night at the Rosemeade. Yes it was very good - and rather more ambituous food. Dishes such as "a duo of Dungeness crab ravioli and fried soft shell crab on minted green pea mash, preserved lemon and chili oil" and "a duo of grilled chop of suckling pig and braised wild boar belly on a shallot and apple tart tatin" and "morel crusted alberta bison tenderloin on yukon gold potato griddle cakes with rye whisky jus" were brilliantly conceived and expertly executed. Full marks to the kitchen. The service was rather amateurish by contrast - and needs work all around.

The Rosemeade dining room is superb but has one stunning and unforgiveable flaw: most every guest gets kneecapped by thoughtlessly designed table legs that have an abundance of sharp edges wherever you choose to put your knees. That said, after the second bottle of Winchester watching people silently scream with pain as they sat down became a rather juvenile pastime for us. Almost like dinner theatre.

The Temple, Paprika Bistro and Zambri's I would also highly recommend from previous visits. I believe others have already written extensively about these in the linked threads.

[Memo]

...In the process we discovered the Winchester (Saanich Peninsula) Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Now this is a very small producer - and I fear my wife's copious consumption of this fine wine will make it even more difficult to find in future. To make matters worse, my wife insisted on stopping at the vineyard on the way to the ferry and bought pretty much the rest of their stock...

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So that explains why - as of yesterday afternoon - there were only four or five bottles of this virtually-unoaked Chardonnay remaining at the winery.

Edited June 19, 2006 by Memo (log)

[Sylphid]

Friends' Dining Lounge in Nanaimo is one of the most interesting food experiences I've ever had. It is a small hole-in-the-wall run by a single guy in a dumpy area of Nanaimo. However, take a look at the menu: it weighs in at a stunning 25 pages, and has no lack of interesting dishes. I've eaten there a few times (whenever I'm in town) and nothing I've had there has disappointed. It's also quite cheap and the guy that runs the place is very friendly.

[Memo]

After perusing the Friends' harem-pants pics, I couldn't help notice this gem of a customer feedback quote:

"In over two decades as a food critic, I described some as "good", few as "very good", and very few as "excellent". This is the first time I say, beyond excellent, "this is the best food I ever had anywhere in North America."

NYG-FC

12-05

Take me to the kasbah! The food on their website at least looks like the most unique anywhere in North America. Note the rumpus-equipped room, with its theme sections: vinyl business lunch; wheeler/roller geriatric tv-tray sit-in, and; papyrus/chrome kitchenette.

Edited June 19, 2006 by Memo (log)

[shelora]

i'll be starting off in victoria for a couple days and then moving along to nanaimo and staying there for another 3 - 4 and in search of good places to eat, in both cities,

breakfast - must include good, classic hollandaise (i looooove the benny), good potatoes would be nice as well and good coffee (for the boyfriend)

Breakfast: Mo:le on Pandora. or Rebar, both downtown and popular, but so is the Blue Fox.

lunch - i love sandwiches and bugers (exotic meat burgers is a big plus), big, fresh salads

Lunch: lamb burger at the Marina (Oak Bay Marina) or the hedonistic burgers at Fairfield Fish & Chips (excellent double duty stop for fish and chips as well).

Choux Choux Charcuterie on Fort St., make a stunning array of pates, terrines, sausages and meats - excellent Plat Du Jour at lunch (closed Sunday and Monday right now).

Speaking of which, a lot of places close Sunday and Monday in this town - drives me nuts. But this isn't about me, is it?

dinner - anything goes!

Cafe Brio, Zambri's, Brasserie L'ecole, Rosemeade.

also, several years ago i went to pagliacci's and from what i can remember it's somewhere i'd like to go again...do i remember correctly?

Pag's is what it is, it's not haute cuisine, just big pasta portions with creamy sauces, hearty and they pack em in like sardines. The room is loud and chaotic but can be fun.

Coffee: Damn we've got some excellent roasters on the island. Caffe Fantastico, 2% Jazz and Mirage - all in the downtown area.

These are all in Victoria and hardly a complete list. I might also suggest picking up a copy of the Eating & Drinking Guide for 2006 - available at a reputuable magazine stand - for further recommendations.

Nanaimo - Wesley St. Caffe and in the area McLeans deli for an incredible cheese selection.

Out of town-ish - Crow and Gate.

Duncan - Bistro One Sixty One

Enjoy your stay.

[shelora]

Friends' Dining Lounge in Nanaimo is one of the most interesting food experiences I've ever had.  It is a small hole-in-the-wall run by a single guy in a dumpy area of Nanaimo.  However, take a look at the menu: it weighs in at a stunning 25 pages, and has no lack of interesting dishes.  I've eaten there a few times (whenever I'm in town) and nothing I've had there has disappointed.  It's also quite cheap and the guy that runs the place is very friendly.

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With a menu like that, his kitchen must be the size of an airport hangar! It's nothing short of bizarre.

What did you eat there?

[frogprincess]

thanks to everyone for the suggestions and thanks to ~cayenne~ for the links (i must really suck at the internet)

i'm going to go over each place of interest AFTER i eat dinner, otherwise it's like pure torcher!

[Sylphid]

With a menu like that, his kitchen must be the size of an airport hangar! It's nothing short of bizarre.

    What did you eat there?

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If I remember correctly, the kitchen (like the rest of the place) is quite small. I'm not sure how the guy does it.

The reason I didn't give a full accounting of myself is because it's been awhile since I've been there, and really can't remember what I've eaten. This is going to be the most pathetic review ever, but I'll try:

The last time I was there I had breakfast: nothing too adventurous (interesting tweaks on standard breakfast fare), but it was delicious, and it filled two heaped platters. I can't remember exactly what I had, but my dining companion had something like the "hungarian farmer's breakfast" and loved it. Another time I had something that, I believe, was named kofta (maybe some relation to Indian dishes with the same name?), and was a kind of ground meat loaf on steroids, with a strong wine flavour and packed with herbs. Quite nice.

The overall impression of the place is like you're crashing at a college buddy's slightly run-down, eccentric apartment, and he cooks an exotic, delicious meal for you. It's home-style cooking, the food presentation is very basic, and the owner will sit down and chat about things if the restaurant is quiet.

Edited June 20, 2006 by Sylphid (log)

[christabel]

check out my website for restaurant reviews in Vic and elsewhere on the island The Little Piggy

In vic (not original in this crowd) would be Rosemeade, Brasserie L'ecole, Paprika, but also Ferris' for less swanky dining. If you want to go for a drive - Arbutus Grille at the Brentwood Bay Lodge

In Nanaimo (Cedar to be specific) - Mahle House and the Crow and Gate Pub are my top picks

[frogprincess]

check out my website for restaurant reviews in Vic and elsewhere on the island The Little Piggy

In vic (not original in this crowd) would be Rosemeade, Brasserie L'ecole, Paprika, but also Ferris' for less swanky dining. If you want to go for a drive - Arbutus Grille at the Brentwood Bay Lodge

In Nanaimo (Cedar to be specific) - Mahle House and the Crow and Gate Pub are my top picks

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thanks, and LOVE the website name :0)