Restaurant Review!

Sobo l 1084 Pacific Rim Highway l Tofino

Yes. It’s a trailer off of the highway. Yes it’s in the parking lot of a botanical garden. And yes, it serves some of the best food in the province. After hours of surfing or staring off into miles of beach, there is nothing more satisfying than lunch at this stand out eatery.

The seafood chowder is an absolute wonder. Never have a run across chowder with nothing but spoonful after spoonful of seafood. The fish has the moist rich taste of meat that’s been taken close to the bone. It’s sweet and perfectly balanced by a bit cream, dill and spiciness. The fish tacos must be eaten quickly before the incredibly fresh mango salsa sogs the tortilla. It gets messy but it’s worth it.

However, I have saved the best for last. This is of course something that is so perfect that anytime you order the dish elsewhere, you will face nothing but disappointment. I am talking about their polenta fries with a spicy Caesar dipping sauce. Fried to crisp perfection on the outside yet creamy and smooth inside, I cannot think of anything that I have craved so much in the last few months. I scalded my tongue trying to take as much in with each bite. A week ago, I tried to convince my manager to let me go to Port Alberni to replace some of our equipment. I don’t think that I’ve ever been so heart broken about not being allowed to do my job.

Restaurant Review!

The Crow and Gate l 250.722.3731 l Cedar

It was with utter shock and joy that I found the most authentic English Pub outside of the British Isles. Stuck in the middle of nowhere on Vancouver Island, there lies the quiet English pub, the crow and gate. I had come here hoping to have some excellent local cider but found so much more.

What makes the place so astounding are not menu items such as the Melton Mowbray or the Cheddar Ploughman. It wasn’t the fact that everyone had to queue up to order both their food and drinks. It wasn’t even that fact that the place looked perfect, right down to the uncomfortable booths. No the beauty was the fact that they had somehow captured that atmosphere of ease and comfort. You felt that all these people were just here to whittle away a few hours just like you were. You felt that this was the place that everyone congregated to after a long’s day work. I marveled at it all and drank it all in. That and my fantastic Merridale Estate cider.

Restaurant Review!

Boneta l West Cordova St 604.684.1844 l Vancouver

One muggy July day, I sat at one of many freshly minted tables in this stark establishment. The high ceilings were laden with menacing mirrors that made my friend think ominously of Superman II. Yet, the room was light and seemed to embody the possibilities of a brand new summer.

The cocktails let us unwind, my favorite being the aptly named Devine. The drinks were named after friends and family of the owners. The Devine was an elaborate mix of vodka, rosewater, espresso vodka and cassis. The upfront splash of floral rosewater and cassis faded, I was treated to the wonderful punch of espresso that both woke my senses and begged me to take it for another spin.

After a number of drinks, we felt set for some fare that would give our stomachs some much needed protection. My grilled artic char with lentils was perfectly done. It had a crisp skin that still illustrated the fish’s vibrant colors while the flesh remained moist and just cooked. Simple and unfettered, the dish was well executed though a bit Spartan for the price.

After the evening ended we all somehow felt unsatisfied. The drinks begged for something somewhat substantial to help them along. Were we missing starch? Some sort of richness? Or maybe it was the simple fact that at 9:30, the sky was still light and night was still far from over.