Month: July 2025

Summer Salad

/ murphjustsaying / 1 Comment

A couple of years ago while strolling through Florence we stopped at a lovely sidewalk cafe for lunch. The feature on the menu was an Endive/pear salad. It was fresh, cool and delicious and perfect for a very warm Tuscan day. 

Ever since I have planned to replicate that salad at home. Procrastination seems to have been involved as more than two years later the salad has not appeared. Until today. A very warm day in FRENCH CREEK. 

The salad includes Belgiun Endive, Fresh Bartlett Pears, Fresh Burrata Cheese, chopped walnuts and a vinaigrette dressing. 

It turned out very well and was probably as good as the one in Florence. Perfect for a warm day. We enjoyed it on Sheila’s patio overlooking the 13th fairway at Morningstar. We paired it with an inexpensive French Rose which is quite delicious. 


Thinking of a cool salad. Try this. 

Just saying…

BBQ IN Nanaimo

/ murphjustsaying / 1 Comment

While in Nanaimo the other day for an appointment we developed a bit of hunger as it was 1 pm. We were  close so we popped over to Smoking George’s BBQ on Mostar. Had not been there for several years so was happy to find it still open. 

This joint specialized in low and slow Texas style BBQ including Brisket, Pork, Ribs and Chicken. It is a really casual place. You order at the counter and the food is delivered to your table. 

The place was spotless and the service prompt. We opted for Brisket, mine in a bun. Sheila’s without. And it was good. Maybe not as good  as the famous Franklin’s in Austin, bit still pretty good. The Cole slaw was fresh and tasty with a vinegary dressing. 

BBQ can be messy with all that sauce but not to worry. Every table is equipped with a whole roll of paper towel. 

They serve beer & wine too but a limited selection. And it’s reasonable too. My Brisket on Bun was only $13. And they make their own Cornbread which looked yummy. 

Next time I will try the Pulled Pork or maybe the Smoked Chicken. 

If you are a BBQ aficionado you must try Smoking George’s. Open for lunch & dinner. 

smokingeorgesbbq.com

They sell their own BBQ sauce and Rub as well. Really delicious. 

Just saying…

THE PIPER’S

/ murphjustsaying / 3 Comments

In Nanaimo today doing a few errands and before heading home lunch seemed a perfect idea. Let’s go the the Lantzville Pub. No, we said, let’s try something new. So the Acura found its way to PIPER’s on Hammond Bay Road. Pipers has been around since the 70’s but was reopened under new ownership a year ago. Apparently it is owned by the same Korean folks that operate the POKE PAGE restaurants in our area. 

We arrived after the lunch rush and chose a table on the sunny patio. Our server delivered our choice of Pinot Grigio while we perused the menu. Very interesting. Pub food with an Asian twist. A lot of things sounded good including the brunch menu which they serve everyday until 2. 

Sheila spotted the OYSTER PARTY, and it was quite a party. 5 oysters baked in the shell in a delicious spinach sauce served with an unusual side salad and toast. My choice was the Korean Chicken Lettuce Wrap. It was a very generous serving of simply delicious chicken pieces with two sauces and a half a lettuce. Different than the lettuce wrap at the Cactus Club, a dish I love, but equally as good.

THE PIPER’S has their own, in house,  pastry department and produce a variety of pastry deliciousness. Biscotti, scones, double Oreo cookies and others including our choice, the Creamy Brulee Tart.  Fluffy puff pastry with a fabulous Brulee custard.  We each had one. Because sometimes one must!   There will Definitely be no dinner at home tonight. But we do have Blueberry & Cranberry Scones for breakfast tomorrow as we liberated several from the Pastry Display Case.

We would like to go back and test the Brunch Menu. An Egg Benny Croissant! Or a west coaster, poached eggs atop a shrimp cake with Aioli, Sriracha and Hollandaise.  Take a look at some of the other Brunch options below.

The service was excellent and prompt. One young server was most helpful in providing the history of Pipers. He was charming and efficient too. The patio is nice and the interior is quite charming with a huge bar.

PIPERS is at 4700 Hammond Bay Road in Nanaimo not far from Woodgrove Mall. 

Check out their website. https://www.pipersnanaimo.com

Try it. I think you will enjoy the food. 

Just saying…