There continues to be much controversy about deep sea ship traffic in the waters of British Columbia.  Environmentalists are concerned that when and if the Trans Mountain Pipeline is completed there might be one (1) additional tanker per day departing the Port of Vancouver. The concerns are twofold: safety and possible threat to the local Orcas. 

Currently there are approximately 3200 deep sea ships visiting the port each year. That includes container ships, freighters, tankers and cruise ships. So that means there are around 6400 ship movements each year or  about 17  per day. Add another tanker per day and its 18 per day. At the same time BC FERRIES make approximately 124,000 trips per year and they are adding 2700 more. That will mean 358 ferry movements per day. To think one more deep sea ship per day will have a serious effect on the Whales is not a believable argument.

Consider also these interesting facts. In the narrow Strait of Gibraltar there are more than 120,000 ship movements per year. In the English Channel there are about 185,000 ship movements per year. In Singapore 365,000 ships come and go per year, 1000 each and every day. The Port of Rotterdam sees nearly 30,000 deep sea ships and 120,000 inland ships each year. 14,000 ships transit the Panama Canal annually. 

Since 1970, according to the Port of Vancouver, 153,949 deep sea ships have visited Vancouver. Since they almost all arrive and depart via Juan de Fuca Strait, Haro Strait and the southern part of Georgia Strait, that means in 49 years more than 300,000 deep sea ships have transited Haro Strait etc without an incident. No collisions, no groundings, no sinkings. 

As to the concerns about oil tankers, consider that the Port of Vancouver currently sees about 30-50 tankers per year. The pipeline could cause an increase to about 400 per year. That sounds like a lot but consider that the Port of Rotterdam sees 8,200 tankers per year and the Port of Singapore sees about 22,000 tankers per year.  So Singapore has 120 tankers arriving or departing every day. Vancouver would see one per day. 

It is my view that the concerns about the safety of ship traffic in our waters unfounded. 

Just saying…

Finally, I tried the Local Texas BBQ stand for a little lunch today.  It was highly recommended by my brother, who lived in Texas for 16 years so has some reasonable knowledge of Texas BBQ. The food truck/smoker combo has been around Oceanside for several years but it took until today for a trial by me. 

Texas BBQ is currently located on Highway 4A near Church Rd, across from the COOP.  A big food truck and a big old wood fired smoker is right there. You just pull up , walk over and order. Eat in your car or at one of several picnic tables provided. 

Brisket is favourite of mine so Brisket on a Toasted Bun it is.  $10 for a very generous portion. A wide selection of sauces and other condiments are supplied and I chose the Texas BBQ sauce. The brisket was fall apart tender with a nice Smokey taste. Pretty darn good.  Depending on the quantity of sauce you deploy it can be messy, so take a bunch of their napkins.  Here is the Brisket.

The menu is more extensive than expected. One could choose a Hot Dog, Burger,  Pulled Pork, BLT and even a Pulled Pork Burrito.  And pork Back Ribs too. Lots of sides to accompany you Sandwich including Potato Salad, Baked Beans and more. Of course, soft drinks can be purchased too. 

If you love low, slow, BBQ, the truck is definitely in your future. They are closed Mondays but open weekends. At noon today there was a line up. Always a good sign of food goodness. 

I’m thinking a pulled pork Burrito has my name on it next time.

Just saying…

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a HOT DOG. Probably the last one was last summer. But I outdid myself this week. IRITEX, the irrigation supply company on the Alberni Highway had the Grand Opening of their new facility on Friday & Saturday. On site was the food cart of SMOKIN’ STREET DOGS and the dogs were free. 

As it happens, I was in need of a few parts for the drip watering system so on Friday morning it was a quick drive up Church Road to Iritex. Twenty dollars for parts, then the Hot Dog. Fried onions? Yes please. Help yourself to mustard, relish etc. Thank You.

Of course mustard and relish found their way to my clean shirt. The Dog was delicious!  It seemed that on Saturday a few more irrigation parts were needed. Iritex, here I come. And I had another one. Two dogs on one weekend! Free!  

SMOKIN’ STREET DOGS are a local outfit who sell Hot Dogs but also cater Festivals, Fundraisers etc. Beef  Dogs, Smokies, Cheese Dogs and even Veggie Dogs are available.  You can follow them on Facebook if you have a craving and want to know where the are dishing out the tubular goodness. This coming week they will be at Buckerfieds on the Alberni Highway.  Look for this cart. 

Just saying…

It was a first time for us at Brown’s Social House in  Nanaimo. My favourite girl and I met some old friends for lunch today. We were surprised at the size of Brown’s as it is so much larger than it looks from the highway. It is nicely done inside, warm and cozy. It features a large open bar in the middle of the room. 

Interestingly, Brown’s was founded by Scott Morrison, originally a cook at Earl’s Restaurants and later a founding partner in the Cactus Club. After 18 years with Cactus Club he sold his shares and opened the first Brown’s in 2004, on Lonsdale in North Vancouver. From the get go it was his plan to franchise the concept and has done so successfully with more than 50 franchise operations in Canada. The owner of the Nanaimo store also owns the ones in Victoria and Langford. 

Today our table of 8 enjoyed a variety of dishes. Two had Fish & Chips which were well received. I chose the Beef Dip which included caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms. Calamari, a crispy chicken sandwich and a spicy rice bowl along with a gluten free dish for one of our friends completed the table choices. It was all really good, if a touch pricey. 

The service was very friendly and efficient. Excellent! The manager even came by and introduced himself which is a special touch. 

This is the fourth Brown’s  location we have tried and we will definitely be back again soon.  

The Nanaimo location is in the mall on Enterprise between 19A and Metral Drive. 

Here is their web site. http://brownssocialhouse.com/.  

Just saying…

Had lunch today with the boys at a unique spot, The MOUNT ARROWSMITH BREWING COMPANY. It’s located at 425 Stanford Ave E in Parksville.  And it’s pretty darn good. 

We all went with a Flight of Beer, 4 different varieties  and you choose your medicine. I opted for the Arrowsmith Blonde, the Salish Sea, the Comfortable Chum and the IPA. All were good with distinctive  interesting flavours.  This is a real craft brewery and they know their beer.  The Arrowsmith Blonde Ale is an award winner. 

The lunch and snack  menu is limited but includes Wings, Tacos, Flatbreads and a cheese tray. I took a run at the Tacos.  Two for $13.50. Coconut Prawns in one,  Crispy  Chicken in the other. Fresh & delicious. I really enjoyed them both. They are served with some wonderful in house made corn chips with salsa on the side. A couple of the guys had the wings which they enjoyed. We will all go back.  

It a funky kind of joint with darn good food. They have a patio, too, with picnic tables and umbrellas which would be enjoyable on a warm summer day. And there is good parking right in front.  Open for lunch until 7:30 most days. 

You can check out their beer and food menu at

https://arrowsmithbrewing.com/food/

Oh, and did I mention, they have GOOD BEER! 

Just saying…

Well,  we haven’t been to any new restaurants lately but my brother and sister in law have. While in Victoria not long ago they had brunch at THE VILLAGE on Estevan Avenue in Oak Bay just about 3 blocks from Willows Beach. Interestingly, the restaurant location was a grocery store in the 1950’s where I worked a a delivery boy. 

The Village now has four locations, all of which are open for Breakfast and Lunch 8-3. The breakfast menu includes 7 kinds of Eggs Benedict and 5 different Omelettes. Lunch offerings look really good with some great soups and sandwiches. How about the UPLANDS, (of course the Uplands district is just blocks away) Sandwich. Brie, apples & toasted walnuts on toasted cinnamon bread? Or maybe a Montreal Smoked Meat? 

The other Village locations are Torquay on Shelbourne Street near Mount  Douglas Park, Royal Oak on  West Saanich Road and Chinatown on Store Street near the new Johnson St Bridge. They also do Take out. Maybe pick up a smoked meat sandwich and drive down to Dallas Road to enjoy. 

On our next trip to Victoria we will try THE VILLAGE for sure. You can check out their menus at 

https://www.thevillagerestaurant.ca.

Finally, after changing the date several times on the ‘opening soon’ sign, Ricky’s All Day Grill in PARKSVILLE has broken ground. The sign says opening Fall 2019. It is going up on 19A across from Serious Coffee. 

I’m often asked when the FRENCH CREEK BISTRO is opening?  Next to Sam’s Sushi. Who knows? Not open as of today. Stay tuned. 

Just saying…

When it first opened we tried Salt Pizzeria and thought the pizza was really good. At that time they only offered one size, a large 14 inch pie. That’s too much for us and we are not big fans of pizza leftovers. So we have not been back until today. 

Salt Pizzeria have added small 10 inch pizzas to the menu.  Perfect size for us. They now offer 16 distinct pizzas and tonight we chose the CAPRICCIOSA.

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, bocconcini, ham, artichokes, kalamata olives and mushrooms. It was delicious. Really thin crust and generous toppings. $16.  We picked it up. You can dine in if you wish as they have about 6 tables and can deliver beer or wine to your table. 

The usual array of pizzas are available but there are some I’ve seen no where else. Mexican has tomato sauce, cheese, braised pork, pineapple guacamole and cilantro. West Coast includes olive oil, goat cheese, smoked salmon red onion, kale and capers. Both sound good to me.  Those two are pictured below.

If you like pizza and have not tried Salt Pizzeria, you must. Located in the FRENCH CREEK Landing on 19A. Check them out on Facebook or on the internet at http://www.saltpizzeria.net.

Open from 3-8 Thursday thru Monday.

Just saying…

Mostly I like to write about food and restaurants but I saw this article regatding renewable energy and why it’s a farce. I think you will find it particularly interesting.  When the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine…go Nuclear

https://quillette.com/2019/02/27/why-renewables-cant-save-the-planet/

Just saying…

There is a new coffee joint in PARKSVILLE and I checked it out this morning. Met my brother in law for coffee at BRAZEN POPPY BAKERY in the new Shelly Square next to A&W. Nice place with a few comfy chairs and a fireplace. Typical assortment of coffees, as you would expect along with an assortment of baked goods. The muffins were delicious. Brazen Poppy is a family run affair and worth a visit. One more place for coffee.  

Others we like are SERIOUS COFFEE, although it’s pretty noisy, Starbucks, of course, and Pacific Brim in PARKSVILLE are great spots.  Creekmore’s at the Coombs/Hilliers junction is a cool place which also serves up some great lunch items. Coffee is a good choice at the Coombs Country Market and they certainly have some wonderful bakery choices. In Qualicum Beach both The French Press and Bailey’s are worthy of a visit. 

So if it’s caffeine you are craving or you want to meet friends for a visit, any one of these coffee joints will fill the bill. 

Bt the way, Domino’s Pizza is also now in Shelly Square.

Just saying…

Have you shopped at EAT FRESH in PARKSVILLE?  If not, you must give it a try. Eat Fresh are in the midst of an expansion which is enhancing their deli section. Check out the selection of cheese. Quite expansive. 

The meat department is excellent with lots of choices.  They have some modest sized packed chicken, beef and pork which are perfect for two. And you must try some of the in house made frozen soups. My brother recommended the FOREST MUSHROOM which is simply delicious with a variety of different mushrooms. $6 each which makes a perfect lunch for two. Just today we slurped up the SEAFOOD CHOWDER!  Really delicious. They also have Chilli, Lasagne, and many other frozen items. All made right there. 

The Deli/Bakery Department is not to be missed.  Want a quick lunch?  Try the ready made sandwiches. The Roast Beef & the Corned Beef are very good. The Lime Tarts are one of our favourites and you just must try the Expresso Nanaimo Bar! And check out the muffins too. Like meat pies? Try theirs. And if you fancy a Salad there is an assortment of really interesting creations. 

We like Creekmore’s Coffee and you can grind it and buy it right here. Saves one a trip to Hilliers. 

We don’t do all our food shopping at Eat Fresh, but seem to be there more and more. 

Just saying…