There is a joint in Victoria where good food, good service and some real history come together. It’s the pub at the JAMES BAY INN, one of Victoria’s oldest hotels. Recently, on a quick Victoria visit it seemed a good place to try. And we did. 

The James Bay Inn was opened in 1911and still operates as a hotel including an Art Deco restaurant and a pub. The pub is an inviting room, spotless, and has good food and good service. Best of all the menu includes Liver Cream & Onions which are hard to find on any menus. So that what I ordered. Why not!  The Liver was perfectly cooked and was accompanied by excellent mashed potatoes and perfectly cooked vegetables. The other order was a big Chicken Pot  Pie which was reported as outstanding. Of course, in this part of town there were lots of old guys who we assumed were regulars since the server knew exactly what there order would be. JBI is also open for Saturday/ Sunday brunch.  The brunch menu looks good. Check it out  here. https://www.jbipub.com/menu

Our server was a delightful lady who had worked there for 20 years. She happily provided some of the history including that from  1942 – 1945 the hotel was purchased by Mother Cecilia’s religious order and operated as St. Mary’s Priory. It was during this period that the hotel welcomed its most famous guest. Canadian artist and author Emily Carr was a patient at the Priory in her final illness, dying there March 2, 1945.There are a lot of historical photos in the pub including a large one of Emily Carr. It’s worth a visit for the photos alone. 

James Bay Inn is a great stop when you are in Victoria. Located at 270 Government Street just two blocks past the Parliament Buildings. Lots of free parking. For more info go to https://www.jamesbayinn.com. 

Just saying…

Where would you like to go for a birthday dinner?, she asked. Let’s try the PACIFIC MOON RISING BAR & GRILL, replied he. So we did! Our friend Paul, who knows good places, had been for lunch and highly recommended the place. This is at least the third reincarnation of the original Pacific Shores Resort restaurant in Nanoose. We had not been for at least a decade back when the joint had the fabulous tropical fish tanks. 

This iteration of the restaurant is owned and operated by Luise Willoughby, whose family operated the Rocking Horse Pub for nearly 20 years. The room has been redone in a charming bistro look including big white ceiling beams, an open kitchen, a small bar and at one end high pub style tables. I’d called it modern bistro. 

As it happened, the owner was both managing and serving some tables including ours. The menu is a combination of handhelds, full dinner choices and pizzas. After ordering a couple of glasses of Red Rooster Pinot Gris, we shared a very generous plate of excellent crispy Calamari served with a delightful tangy dipping sauce. Really good. We were headed for the Short Ribs but learned they were not available,  but Luise enthusiastically recommended the Prime Rib special. It’s fabulous she exclaimed!  Let’s do it was our decision. Had not had prime rib in a long time. 

Well, it was excellent! A very large slice of beef, medium rare, with a popover Yorkshire the size of a softball. Wonderful mashed potatoes and perfectly cooked carrots, asparagus and zucchini. And a dark rich gravy. Horseradish. Of course. Luise’s fathers recipe. It hot! This is a  substantial plate of food so you need to take a healthy appetite. 

Someone let it slip that a birthday was being celebrated so a complimentary Passion Fruit Creme Brûlée appeared. Beautifully presented. Best I’ve ever seen.   A nice touch and very yummy too. My thanks to Luise for being so thoughtful. Of course, I’ve never met a Creme Brûlée I didn’t like. 

The owner, Luise, made our dinner special. She is charming and so enthusiastic about her bistro. We were pleased to see the bistro so full. 

We enjoyed Moon Rising. It’s a bit noisy but most restaurants are it seems. Live music too, on this night. We are looking forward to going back for lunch. By the way, they have a nice deck overlooking the water so a summer lunch is something you may consider.  They have Happy Hour every day from 2-5 and Prime Rib is the regular Saturday Dinner Special. Live entertainment on Saturdays too. When we go back for lunch we’ll let you know. 

Pacific Moon Rising Bistro is in the Pacific Shores Resort located just off Northwest Bay Road at 1600 Stroulger Rd, Nanoose Bay. Turn left off Northwest Bay at Beaver Creek Wharf Road. 

For reservations call 250-468-0474. 

Check out the website and menu here. https://www.pacificmoonrising.com

Just saying…

Recently we returned from an Alaska Cruise and thought some comments about  the on board food would be fun. We were on the Holland America ship Zaandam for 7 days and enjoyed every moment. Great scenery, great crew, great service and great food. 

The Zaandam has several restaurants to supply the 1450 passengers on board and they are all good. Starting at the most casual at the  DIVE IN,  a take out joint adjacent to the Lido Pool. A variety of burgers, make your own Tacos and , my favourite, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs are available all day. Had a Hot Dog which came with Crispy fried onions. So good. The French Fries were excellent too which on several occasions we paired with a cold glass of Pinot Grigio whilst lounging near the pool. The Burgers looked good and we saw many passengers choosing them. 

For casual dining, breakfast, lunch or dinner,  the Lido Market is the place. I’m not an enthusiast of buffets but on Zaandam they do a really good job . Not self serve. There are serving stations where crew plate the choices for you. Very civilized and it eliminates the fill your plate to the top syndrome. The lunch buffet includes some ready made delicious sandwiches, an expansive salad bar, Pizza, Asian food featuring quite good Sushi, Chinese Food, the noodles were excellent, Indian and Indonesian specialties. The Butter Chicken was really a treat. Then there is a daily roast with vegetables, pasta and desserts. Really everything for an interesting different lunch daily. Didn’t do breakfast or dinner here. Why would you when there is the formal dining room. 

In 7 days we did room service breakfast twice. continental with delicious pastries and fresh fruit. Great service and it’s available 24 hours a day. 

But the Dining Room. A two level elegant room at the stern of the ship. We chose it for breakfast most days and were not disappointed. Sheila enjoyed the fresh fruit and super thin bacon. For me their corn beef hash with perfectly poached eggs was wonderful. One day I succumbed to the Lobster Eggs Benedict! Oh my. So good. Outstanding Hollandaise sauce and perfectly cooked poached eggs again. The service here was first class. the waiters are all Indonesian chaps, very gracious and friendly. 

Dinner in the dining room was a treat. Once again, exemplary service and a good choice of entrees. On our first night we enjoyed fabulous Rack of Lamb, one of our favourites. The portions are modest so one can enjoy an appetizer, entree and dessert without over doing it. Other favourites included escargots, fish, and brisket. I broke out once and tried the Indonesian Bami Goreng and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

There are two specialty venues on Zaandam.  The PINNACLE GRILL, a steak and seafood room and Il Canaletto an Italian specialty restaurant. We dined twice at the latter. There is a surcharge of $25 per person. The food was very good. Best ever Short Ribs one night. The flight of Gelato for dessert won me over. But probably not worth the surcharge considering how happy we were with the main dinning room. 

Did not try the Pinnacle although I did on a previous cruise. Here is the menu: 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/ca/onboard-experiences/dining/pinnacle-grill

One night it became a pop up restaurant featuring a menu by famous Japanese Chef Madaharu Marimoto.  We didn’t try it but it was an exciting menu. You can peruse his menu here: 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/ca/onboard-experiences/dining/morimoto-by-sea-pop-up

We love food and we love restaurants. The various offerings on Zaandam certainly did not disappoint. All good and most enjoyable. And unlike cruises when I was younger we avoided gluttony and arrived home looking the same as when left. 

We really enjoyed the 7 day Vancouver to Vancouver cruise and didn’t want to disembark on Day 7. Highly recommended by both of us. 

Just saying…

What would be a great West Coast experience for a visitor from Lake Calabogie, Ontario? The MV Frances Barkley coastal freighter from Port Alberni to Bamfield, of course.  

It was an early morning start since the ship departs at 0800. Fortunately it was a perfect day.  Blue sky, warm sun and barely a breeze on the water. The ship headed west on the Alberni Inlet, a 54 Kilometre long, narrow body of water.

The ship was full with passengers and freight and stopped in Kildonan to offload propane, groceries, mail, and building supplies at several docks in this charming harbour. Below is the Kildonan Post Office.

A stop was made in Haggard Cove, a community of perhaps thirty homes and a marina with boat access only. Here, a brand new ATV was unloaded onto a floating dock which was just large enough for the vehicle and then towed to shore by a small boat. 

Arriving in BAMFIELD at noon, we had a two hour layover before our ship made the return trip. Here was the good news. Since our last visit a new lodge and restaurant has opened just overlooking the harbour. The Bamfield Inn and FLORA’S RESTAURANT has been open just a few months. What a welcome addition to this coastal village. It’s a very charming place with indoor seating and a spacious deck with a wonderful, never tiring, view of the harbour and beyond. 

We were seated on the deck which had both tables and bar type seating. Our server, Kylie, was efficient, and charming. Bob, our guest, had been craving Fish & Chips and was very pleased with his decision. A Cod Burger for Sheila and Delicious Chicken Chimichanga for me completed the order. 

The food, the service, the view and the weather were all perfect. FLORA’S is a wonderful surprise in this out of the way place. If you plan a trip on the Frances Barkley, Flora’s is a must. You can view the menu here. https://www.florasbamfield.ca

BAMFIELD is also accessible by road and our server Kylie says it’s quite a good road now. Getting to FLORA’S if you drive does require a short water taxi ride across the harbour from Bamfield East. 

https://www.facebook.com/bamfieldwatertaxi

https://www.bamfieldchamber.com/bamfield-business-directory/316-inlet-express

Just saying…

Once again my old colleague from Ontario came for a few days visit and what better idea than to take him to some Cowichan Valley wineries. It’s only a hours drive from our home to the wine country, so we pointed the Acura south until we reached the first winery. 

AVERILL CREEK Winery is located just north of Duncan on a hillside with a spectacular view looking down on Cowichan Bay in the distance. This is a delightful spot with a beautiful patio and garden which alone is worth the visit. The wines produced here are very good and they do an excellent tasting experience. We chose two different Roses which we enjoyed in the sunshine on the patio. If you are peckish a variety of snacks are available. AVERILL Creek is a highly recommended stop on any Cowichan Valley tour. For more on this winery go to https://www.averillcreek.ca

Next stop was for lunch at UNSWORTH Winery in Cobble Hill just south of Duncan. UNSWORTH was locally owned for many years but about 3 years ago Kendall-Jackson Wines from Santa Rosa, California purchased the property. As a result there is a significant expansion underway with construction of a new tasting room and wine making building. The current tasting room is on the edge of a pond with a lovely patio. 

UNSWORTH is one of the only wineries with a restaurant and it’s a good one. An old home on the property has both indoor seating and an expansive patio alongside the vineyard. Our guest chose the Tuna Tartare and warm olives which arrived with the most interesting chips. Tapioca in Squid ink.

 Sheila chose the Wicklow Salad which included shaved vegetables, tamari seeds, local cheese in a strawberry ginger dressing. Delicious! I had one of the best Grilled Chicken Sandwiches ever.

Great food, good service, charming server. On the patio on a sunny day. At a winery. What could be better. Oh, and wine too. The Unsworth Cowichan Pinot Gris. Crisp and delicious. Check out the menu here..

https://www.unsworthvineyards.com/assets/client/File/Summer menu 2024 final w za.pdf

This was my 5th or 6th visit to the Cowichan Valley wine country and I love it. Every bit as enjoyable as the Okanagan or Napa.There are a dozen wineries to visiit, each one interesting and unique.  If you’ve not done it you must. Really.

 To see all the wineries in the area look here. https://www.tourismcowichan.com/eat-drink/wineries/

Just saying…

Have you ever taken an Alaska Cruise? Well millions of folks have in recent years. This season there are 39 large Cruise ships on the Alaska Run departing from either Vancouver or Seattle. Considering the ships carry between 1000 -5000 passengers each that represents about 60,000 people or more travelling to Alaska each week. 

Here is this year’s fleet.

Noordam. Zaandam Koningsdam New Amsterdam Eurodam Westerdam 

Queen Elizabeth ll  Le Soleil. Quantum of the Seas Radiance of The Seas Brilliance of the Seas

Norwegian Jewel Norwegian Encore Norwegian Sun Norwegian Bliss Norwegian Spirit

Ruby Princess. Grand Princess. Crown Princess  Discovery Princess  Majestic Princess 

Sapphire Princess  Royal Princess Carnival Miracle. Carnival Luminosa. Celebrity Summit

Carnival Spirit. Celebrity Edge. Celebrity Solstice

Seven Seas Explorer. Silver Nova. Seaborne Odyssey. Silver Shadow  Silver Muse
Chrystal Serenity. Disney Wonder Regatta. Viking Orion Roald Amundsen 

The cruise ships use Vancouver and Seattle as home ports. Unfortunately, the Seattle based ships do not use the inside passage but go outside Vancouver Island. On the positive side, most of them stop in Victoria on the return to Seattle. Vancouver based ships use the inside passage. 

The impact of the industry on Vancouver and Victoria is significant. Victoria estimates that it’s a $360 million benefit to the local economy. For Vancouver, it’s estimated that each cruise ship visit is worth about $3 million dollars to the city. Consider there are about 600 visits per season and you can see that the numbers are huge. 

The cruise industry is an enormous financial benefit to Alaska. The city of Juneau sees about 1.7 million passengers per year who spend about $375 million. The city collects $22 million in moorage fees and taxes. Ketchikan benefits to the tune of about $188 million per season. During Covid the ships were not running and it was devastating economically for Alaska. 

Love them or not, the cruise ship industry is a fabulous economic bonus for British Columbia and Alaska. 

I’ve done the trip Alaska from Vancouver. It’s wonderful. Interesting, great scenery, relaxing, hard to beat. Doing it again in September on the Holland America ship ZAANDAM. Can’t wait! 

Just saying…

It’s been several years since I visited the GENOA BAY CAFE but today a visit from an old colleague from Texas provided the opportunity to revisit this delightful spot. Our friends, Peter & Johnna were in Victoria visiting from Dallas and wanted to meet somewhere between Victoria and PARKSVILLE. Not much is open on Tuesday but fortunately the Genoa Bay Cafe was. It was a nice drive for both parties. The road from Maple Bay to Genoa Bay is windy and rural. Lovely. 

Having visited Genoa Bay many times in my boating days I was looking forward to introducing Sheila and the Texans to this charming out of the way spot. Even though it was cloudy we were seated at a perfect corner table on the deck hanging over the water with a view of the yachts in  the marina. Our server, who was charming and efficient took our drink orders while we perused the Cafe menu. I almost ordered the Seafood Jambalaya but instead chose the Mussels in a Thai coconut curry sauce. So did everyone else. What are the odds that 4 people will all order the same thing for lunch? Wow! We were impressed. Maybe the best mussels ever. A very generous portion with lots of broth and garlic toast on the side. Absolutely delicious! Did our friends from Texas like it? Oh yes. They loved the food, the locale, the ambiance. Genoa Bay is a long, long, way from Dallas. 

The Genoa Bay Cafe is a wonderful joint. Charming, good service, excellent food in a unique on the water location. It’s certainly worth the drive. There is a store on the dock as well as a small gallery if you want to go shopping.  If you visit, take a walk down the dock and check out the visiting yachts. 

Go to the website https://www.genoabaycafe.com to look at the menu and the photos. 

Also some interesting history of Genoa Bay https://www.genoabaycafe.com/history

Just saying…

Welcome back, friends. Have not posted for a while but today finally went somewhere new and worthy of reporting. 

In east end of PARKSVILLE is a New Mexican Restaurant, JALAPEÑOS! Yes, it’s the same Jalapeños as the successful one in Nanaimo. My Toronto based son was in town and we tried it for lunch. Not bad.

Jalapeños is in a bright yellow building on Island Highway East near the big orange bridge. Inside it’s bright pink and chartreuse. Very Mexican. The joint is spotless with tables inside and out on a patio too. The menus are on the table but you order at the counter. Then the food is delivered to your table. Service was very quick and the two Mexican ladies running it were very pleasant. 

Here is the menu which includes the typical dishes one would expect.

 We chose Enchiladas with chips & Salsa to start. Excellent home made tortilla chips and really good salsa. The Enchiladas were served up with re-fried beans, rice and salad. And they were very tasty. Not fabulous but just simple tasty Mexican fare. 

Jalapeños is open for breakfast lunch and early dinner. No liquor licence so no Margaritas but a no alcohol Corona Beer filled the bill. 

If you like Mexican, it’s worth a try. I’ll go back for sure. 

Jalapeño Mexican Restaurant is at 731 Island Highway East, PARKSVILLE.

Just saying…