There is a new coffee joint in FRENCH CREEK. The Cafe 356. It’s located in the Main building at FRENCH CREEK Marina where the store used to be. Seems to be operated by the owners of the FRENCH CREEk PUB.
It is quite a nice space with indoor and outdoor seating. Since it’s also the home of the Porsche Car Club on the island it’s decorated with lots of automobile memorabilia including a beautiful Porsche 356 on display right in the cafe. If you a car fan you will enjoy this place.
They serve up coffee, some bakery good and breakfast and lunches. Here is the menu board.
Looking for a new place for coffee with a friend? This is probably good choice. Open 7 days a week from 7 AM to 4 PM. 1025 Lee Road in FRENCH CREEK.
In 2014, developer Nat Bosa and his wife bought the Empress Hotel in Victoria for a reported $50 million. He then budgeted $30 million for renovations to the then 106 year old building. I had not stayed there since before the renovation and recently had the opportunity to do so.
The Empress is managed by Fairmont Hotels and has a spring special for BC, Alberta & Washington residents. The rate includes parking and late (2pm) check out. Our rate was $402 plus taxes, of course. Lucky us, we had a gift script from my generous son Jackson that covered it all. A freebie.
The Hotel is a classic with beautiful carved beams in the public areas. Our room was well appointed with a very high ceiling, king sized bed, big TV and lots of plugs for phones etc. The bathroom was small but well appointed. Huge towels and bath robes too.
Unfortunately, my all time favourite bar, the famous Bengal Room, is no longer open, although the room is still there & used for special events. Alas, the Indian Curry Buffet is history. So we tried the Q Bar for an afternoon sip. Our waiter was wonderful. Asked if we were staying in the hotel, what room, and on his return called us by name. Nice touch. He brought complimentary Garliky Popcorn( delicious) and took our order. Two Unsworth Pinot Gris (Cowichan valley). Cold, crisp, and not too pricy for a Fairmont. Sheila spotted a blue drink on a nearby table so one was ordered. The Empress Blue Gin Martini. Smashing. Q Bar has a nice outlook to the harbour. It’s not the Bengal to be sure but very nice with excellent service.
We tried the Q dining room for brunch. The decor is an odd mixture of very modern juxtaposed with the dark carved beams and huge pictures of Queen Victoria. Not sure it works. However the food and service were excellent. The eggs Benny were perfect.
It’s still the Empress but it certainly has been spruced up. In the corridors there are some fabulous photos of the hotel under construction showing the pilings the hotel is sitting on and the steel beam construction. And photos of the Royals who have visited. This photo of the Tea menu was interesting. Fifty cents for afternoon tea. It now costs over $100. Talk about inflation.
The venerable Empress is simply a lovely place to stay if you don’t mind the price tag. Renovated and updated but maintaining the original charm.
As you know, I love discovering and writing about restaurants, especially new ones. This time it’s not new but a joint in Victoria that is celebrating 45 years in business. Yes, I finally made it to Pagliacci’s.
In 1979 a guy from New York via Los Angeles, arrived in Victoria and in partnership with his brother and another guy pooled their cash and opened this joint on Broad Street. Howie Siegel , apparently quite a character, found the first success of his life and the customers are still lined up down the street 45 years later. Not many restaurants survive that long. Even fewer have lineups.
What a joint! It’s small, crowded, noisy and serves up some really great food. Many of the menu items are named after celebrities.
We arrived before six and had a 20 minute wait outside. The place was packed! Finally we were shown to a table for two. The tables are very close together New York or Paris Bistro style. Service is prompt. We ordered drinks. Wine for Sheila, a NEGRONI for me. The NEGRONI’s are ON TAP. REALLY. Who does that! But it was so good I had two.
A basket of delicious warm salty bread arrived at once. Then the entrees. Sheila chose the “The 40 Year Old Vegan”, Gnocchi with Tomato Braised Eggplant. Very substantial bowl full. Delicious.
For me it was the
“Hemingway Short Story” . Tortellini stuffed with Beef, Romano, Ricotta, & Parmesan cheese in a creamy bacon sauce.
The menu says it’s the best seller. I understand why. It was fabulous, maybe the best I’ve had and I’ve had a lot. The sauce was amazing.
What an experience. What a vibe! It really is a dining experience. And Sunday to Thursday there is live music, mostly jazz. Pag’s is a hopping place. The noise is a cacophony of sounds. If you want quiet, stay away. By the way there is also covered outdoor seating for about 20. Would be nice in the summer and quieter.
But if you plan a visit to Victoria you must go to Pagliacci’s. You must!
Oceanside has a lot of really good spots for morning coffee and light lunches. A favourite is THE BRAZEN POPPY BAKERY CAFE in PARKSVILLE. Located in Shelley Centre on Island Highway & Shelley Road.
BRAZEN POPPY bake their own pastries and turn out wonderful Almond Croissants and Cinnamon Buns, Muffins, Poppy Seed Buns among other tasty and tempting treats. They also serve great coffee and excellent lattes. You order at the counter and most often your selection is delivered to your table. If the weather is good there is outdoor seating. Coffee in the sun!
They are open for a breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday. The made to order Breakfast Skillets are a popular breakfast choice. For lunch there are soups and a variety of made to order sandwiches or burgers.
The BRAZEN POPPY is bright, friendly place with very nice owners. It’s a great place to meet friends for coffee as I do frequently.
Check out their website at https://brazenpoppy.ca where you can see more of their offerings.
It had been many years since setting foot in the Beach Club Resort in PARKSVILLE. Once there for dinner and once for brunch on the beachside patio. Recently we wanted to meet brother in law, Murray for Sunday brunch so he and Jackson could catch up. Why not try the Beach Club and discover if it’s a good spot.
We arrived at 1130 and were seated promptly at a table for 4 with a bit of a beach view. It’s really quite a nice room, nicely appointed. We were keen. Unfortunately the breakfast /brunch service shuts down at 11:00. Don’t most hotels run Sunday brunch until 1 or 2? Not this one! Rather disappointing.
However the lunch menu looked promising. Sheila chose a Caesar Salad. Murray selected the Seafood Chowder, Jackson the Mac & Cheese and for me the Beef Dip.
Our server was charming and efficient and the food arrived quickly. The chowder looked really good and was, as was the Mac & Cheese. Not so the salad. A poor excuse for a Caesar Salad actually. I had a side of it with my sandwich. The Beef Dip was OK but not as good as my favourite at the CROW & GATE PUB.
We all expected better from this restaurant and were particularly miffed at the brunch unavailability.
You might want to try the Beach Club but for now we will give it a pass. Maybe try it for breakfast outside this summer.
January & February are, for me, kind of the winter doldrums. Not much going on. But last week my Toronto based Digital Media son came for a visit. ‘We must go out’ was his pre arrival request. Sounded good to me especially since he usually insists on picking up the tab.
He arrived on HULLO from Vancouver, a first time trip with which he was very impressed. Smooth and comfortable ride apparently. Since we both needed lunch we headed past home and pulled into Deez Bar & Grill at the north end of Qualicum Beach.
I had dined at Deez many years ago but this joint has changed ownership twice since then and since last spring has been operated by the Water Street Cafe Group who also run the Qualicum Beach Cafe and the Nanoose Bay Cafe. They seem to have a grasp of serving good food.
Deez looks the same as it always has with a raised bar area and dining area surrounding it. Service was prompt. We liked the menu, which is casual pub style fare, and ordered a Blackened Chicken Sandwich for Jackson and Eggs Benny for me. We were not disappointed. The Benny was perfect served with excellent roasted potatoes. The hollandaise was just right too. The Chicken Sandwich was excellent, which is a big compliment for a guy from Toronto.
With warmer weather in the future we look forward to dining on their patio.
In my many years of travel, both business and personal, I have had the good fortune to dine at many fine restaurants. From Brennan’s in New Orleans, to Umberto’s in Whistler, the Blue Fox in San Francisco to the Four Seasons in New York. And so many other fabulous places.
However, last night my dear Sheila treated me to dinner on my 83rd Birthday in a small restaurant located on the main drag in UCLUELET, BC.
PLUVIO! This little place probably serves most certainly the best dinner experience I’ve ever enjoyed.
PLUVIO has only about 8 bar high tables and a couple of seats at the kitchen bar. It’s owned by Chef Warren Barr and his partner Lily Verne-Downey, Learn more about their amazing story here. https://www.pluvio.ca/about-us.
We had a reservation at 6 and were told we had 2 1/2 hours to dine. We were seated at a table with a view into the open kitchen where 3 cooks were doing their magic. Two men cooking with a young lady plating. Chef Warren finished the plated selections adding various toppings like flower petals, fried Kale etc. with watchmakers perfection. Occasionally he dove into the kitchen to help the cooks, one time to grind the ingredients for the tortillas.
Our server, Katherine, was very charming and efficient. Someone had advised her of my special day( can’t imagine who) & soon a birthday card arrived signed by all the staff. Katherine asked our names and for the duration called us by name, a very nice touch.
We opted for the three course menu. The 5 course looked like too much food. There were 4 options for the Beginning, the Entrée and Dessert. We perused the very descriptive menu and made our choices.
Then Katherine arrived with an Amuse-Bouche. Miniature tarts filled with devilled egg potato salad topped with caviar, served on a tray of seeds. In another bowl filled with small rocks were two chocolate profiteroles stuffed with a delicious salmon mousse. Oh so good. And what a presentation!
We ordered a bottle of PLUVIO White Field Blend, a wine created at AVERILL Creek Vinyards in the Cowichan Valley. A Pinot GRIS with a touch of Reisling and Chardonnay. Cold, crisp, perfect.
We ordered another appie, a house specialty, the HUMDOG. A-what? A tiny hot dog bun, baked in house, stuffed, not with a Weiner, but a slice of Humboldt Squid. Winner, winner, a real humdinger.
The starters arrived. Bison Tartare for Sheila, Tuna Crudo for me. The Tuna was on a corn tortilla with toasted beans, raisin tomatoes and Mole Amarillo. The Bison included cornbread crumble, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Tarragon, Fermented Radish, Seedy Crackers. How delicious were these? You really had to be there.
Soon after recovering from the starters our Entrees arrive. Sheila’s was Poached Lois Lake Steelhead (Sunshine Coast) floating on a bed of Kelp Gnocchi. The Gnocchi were like little pillows of deliciousness. My selection was the Grass Fed Boneless Beef Short Rib. Grilled lightly, then in the smoker for 2 days then popped on the grill again just before serving. Who does that? The Kvass jus was scrumptious as was the cheese curd mashed potato served in a separate pan. Had to share that with my partner. The beef was perfectly done and the middle was as tender as butter.
At the same time a wooden box arrived with bread and two slices of indescribably scrumptious corn bread with a small dish of Sake infused butter. One could easily devour an entire loaf of that cornbread. At least I could, and would were I given the chance.
Would we like anything else to drink? Some in house made Limoncello, of course. One small glass to share. Wow. Powerful, almost like an Italian Grappa. Too strong for one of us.
Finally, the dessert course. In front of me was the ‘Forest’. Spruce Sponge, Local Blackberry, Chocolate and Candy Rocks. A you kidding? And for Sheila, the ‘Garden’. Raspberry Mousse, Garden Sorrel, Lemon Sponge, Raspberry Sorbet, Crunchy Meringue. Deliciousness personified.
Before departing, Katherine took our photo with a new version of a Polaroid Camera and gave us a print. Special touch. And then a wood box appeared filled with rocks and shells. We were advised to search for treat amongst the shells. Two Chocolate truffles. A little white box was provided for the trip home. Talk about attention to detail! We had never experienced anything so splendid as PLUVIO.
What a dinner. It’s hard to find the adjectives to do it justice . Perfection in every way. Service, congeniality, ambiance, taste, creativity, artistry all rolled into one most pleasurable evening. If you want to impress that special someone, this is the place.
If you are planning to visit the Ucluelet/Tofino area, you simply must include dinner at PLUVIO in your itinerary. Book ahead. This joint is super busy.
Tofino has a number of fine restaurants and one I have enjoyed several times is SHELTER. It was casual, pub type food with a big open and covered patio. It was on the highway on the edge of town but unfortunately burned to the ground just before Christmas in 2022 after 20 years in business.
Recently SHELTER reopened at the Tofino Resort & Marina in premises previously housing the Hatch Pub and the 1908 Restaurant.
On our last visit we tried to go for lunch but unlike the original the new Shelter only does dinner and Happy Hour opening at 4:00 PM daily.
Last night we had a reservation for dinner and we were really impressed. The former pub area is a welcoming warm room that was nearly full. We were ushered to the dining room, impressive with large water view windows, lovely soft lighting and very pleasant background music.
Service was prompt and very cordial. Our server Dave, a bloke from Wales, was charming and efficient. We shared the delicious Meares Island
Seafood Chowder which was loaded with seafood and accompanied with an enormous piece of Garlic Toast.
Our entrees were a House Burger without the bun but including cheese, bacon & tomato and a side of Cole Slaw. The Tempura Battered Lingcod was superb and included excellent Tartar sauce and the best ever Cole Slaw.
We enjoyed our diner so much we plan another visit before heading for home. This time we will try a table in the cozy bar.
This is a great spot. Great food, service and ambiance ! Check out their website and menu here.
It’s always fun to find a new to you joint for breakfast or brunch and on Saturday a quick shopping trip to Duncan led us to BRUNCH ON 3RD. What a find! Located on the edge of downtown Duncan, this converted old house is an ‘always a line up’ kind of place. About 4 groups were ahead of us at 1130 but the wait was not long.
Once seated, service was prompt and friendly. The menu has all the usual brunch items, a variety of Eggs Benny including one with Duck Confit. Several kinds of French Toast and lunch items too, Grilled Cheese, Beef Dip etc.
Sheila opted for the Roasted Tomato Soup with Croutons while I quickly honed in on Huevos Rancheros, one of my favourites. The food arrived quickly and was really delicious.
At the next table a couple were enjoying two Flights. One was a flight of 3 Prosecco Mimosas, including Cranberry and Orange. The other flight was 3 coffees each with a different Liqueur. They looked fabulous. Next time we shall try them.
If you are passing through Duncan, it’s worth a stop. Open from 8-2 Tuesday to Sunday. Here is their website. https://www.brunchon3rd.com/
It was such a stunning day we decided a stroll up and down Second in Qualicum Beach would be fun. So many little shops to visit. We ended up at ‘WHAT’S COOKING’ my favourite cookware shop where escape is nearly impossible without purchasing something. Patrick, the proprietor, was telling a customer about local eateries and Sheila asked him what he recommended. Del’ile he said without hesitation. Their dinners rival anything in Vancouver he said. Well, after a small purchase, we sallied forth down the street to DeL’ile for lunch.
This restaurant has been open for some time and on one occasion I tried their croissants. But I was not aware that they had opened a bakery next door which also serves lunch with both indoor and outdoor seating. Sidewalk seating in today’s warm sun seemed a perfect idea. Imagine lunch outside this late in September.
Lilette, the boulongerie, offers a variety of breads, croissants and other pastries as well as light lunches. Here are some of the lunch specials.
We both ordered the daily soup, a wonderfully rich Squash soup. One Chocolate Croissant and a toast with Mushrooms, Cream, Parmesan and Kale. The croissant was out of this world good and the creamy mushrooms were simply fabulous. The staff were gracious and efficient too.
This is a real find for a local lunch with a continental feel. It could be habit forming. DeL’ile is open for dinner which is on our to do list. You can peruse the menu here…
MURPH..Just Saying. 