Monday mornings - calm the monkey mind

Do you ever feel like this on Mondays? This tea label describes my mind and its needs perfectly at this stage of the summer. We begin building Folk Fest on the 16th, so I am all over the place - will the kitchen tent arrive on time, is that crane and op scheduled to arrive for 10am on Saturday, who's loading hi-boys next week, do we have enough duct tape, did I order continental breakfast items for next Friday (actually I have, and muffins and loaves will be coming from Wild Earth)... and the list goes far beyond.

Anyhow, a mug full of this tea did the trick this morning. It was light, flowery, fruity, and as the description implies, incredibly calming. I had a perfectly productive day of confirming gear, sponsors and volunteers. Hopefully I can make this little tin I picked up in Victoria last awhile longer...

Since I am sort of on the subject of Folk Fest, here's a link to an excellent article on the whole kitchen operation from the recent issue of The Tomato... Yes, those recipes are for thousands, and those tacos were fantastic and very refreshing on the weekend last year.

A quick stop at Ottavio - Victoria BC

*I think I've posted on pretty much everything from our Victoria trip now, so back to Edmonton stuff next post.

On our very last day (well, half day) in Victoria, we finally made some time to head over to Oak Bay. I had been hoping to make it over sooner to have lunch at Ottavio, but no luck. So we arrived full from a Blue Fox breakfast, and there was no cheese or salumi for me. I thought of bringing cheese home like Valerie did, but we just didn't have time to get it together, and all I could think of was a warning from David Lebovitz - don't even attempt to shove cheese in your suitcase.

I didn't want to tempt myself by taking pictures of the meats and cheeses, but they did look amazing. House made salumi as well as imported, and lots of local cheeses as well as those from around the world. There are lots of Kusmi teas, Illy coffees, breads, baked goods, olives, pastas, etc. All this can be either taken home, or they have a little cafe offering charcuterie and cheese plates, as well as baked goods, sandwiches, salads, coffees, teas and beer and wine.

My touristy tote to bring home

Although we were too full from breakfast to even attempt charcuterie or sandwiches, the weather seemed nice enough that we would finally be able to sit out on a patio. So it was a cappuccino and a small lemon-current scone with jam for me, and a latte for Charles, along with a sunny patio.

Ottavio - Italian Bakery and Delicatessen
2272 Oak Bay Avenue
250.592.4080


*I didn't take any pictures of the inside of the place, but they've got lots on their website here.

Blue Fox Cafe - Victoria BC

We had a bit of a three quarter day in Victoria on Tuesday, with our flight not scheduled to depart until later in the afternoon. I was eager to try the Blue Fox Cafe for breakfast, located directly across the street from Cafe Brio, our dinner spot the previous evening.

We arrived around 9am Tuesday morning and were seated almost directly. However the place was still packed, with tables being filled almost immediately after the previous patrons had vacated. (On this Chowhound thread, one hound advises not to head to Blue Fox on weekends... you could be in for a wait lasting more than an hour!).

Charles was all about coffee that morning, while I went for an orange juice. Unlike the amazing juices offered at Rebar, I'm sure this one was out of the carton, but it satisfied my craving anyhow.

We were ironically sat at a table with these Edmonton to Victoria doodles...

...sadly we were heading in the other direction, towards snow.

Not really one for breakfast, Charles went for his standard - bacon and toast. I was eager to get some final seafood in before departing the City and went for the Eggs Pacifico ($11.5), an eggs benedict with avocado, smoked salmon, and a chipotle spread served on a bagel.

Our food was brought out almost immediately after placing our orders. They seem to be used to flipping tables, but their promptness was still initially surprising. Charles' breakfast was pretty standard, but what he appreciated was our server asking if he would liked his bacon cooked to a crisp, or left a bit softer... and in the end the bacon was cooked to what he thought was a pretty good crispy state. The Eggs Pacifico was pretty good too, with the creamy avocado, rich hollandaise sauce, smoky salmon and spicy chipotle all playing well together.

I know that Blue Fox is known for their portion sizes and fair prices, but I found the large size unfortunate since I only got through about half my plate. Next time, Charles and I will definitely need to agree on a plate to share.

With friendly service, prompt timing, good food, and, once again, a very relaxed atmosphere, we will certainly be returning to the Blue Fox Cafe. But next time, I know not to tackle one of those plates on my own.

Blue Fox Cafe
101-919 Fort Street
250.380.1683


*I believe reservations are taken for groups of 6 or more Monday through Friday, but not on weekends.

Haro's at the Sidney Pier - Sidney BC

Last year we had spent our last evening before heading back to Edmonton at the Sidney Pier Hotel. I love Sidney - it's quiet to the point of being kitschy, there are always sail boats in the distance, and everyone there seems to have a cute dog. Plus, my parents lived there for about 15 years, my grandparents retired out there, and I spent most of my preschool years there too. So we took last Saturday to head out to Sidney and explore once again.

After exploring the water front for awhile, and perusing and drooling in this place, we decided to try Haro's at the Sidney Pier Hotel for lunch, since we had only made it there for drinks last year.

We arrived just as they were opening for lunch at 11am, so were sat down immediately. While I wish it would have been warm enough to enjoy the patio, we still had a pretty lovely view...

Like most restaurants we encountered in Victoria, Haro's seems to try to focus on utilizing local ingredients, although at some points on the menu, it seemed like more of a show than an actual passion for the ingredients themselves. I went for the 'steamed gulf island mussels', with Spanish chorizo, almonds, garlic, shallots and smoked paprika cream ($15), while Charles went for a pulled pork sandwich with fries (~$15).

We were provided with a bit of whole grain bread before our mains, which we happily munched on after skipping breakfast to grab the bus out. And soon after we had polished of our slices, our mains appeared. Charles' sandwich was alright - the pork was tender, but he thought the sauce was a little strange (something about the sweet and sour combo wasn't working here).

I really enjoyed the mussels - they were cooked well, and were perfectly sweet and fresh, however I can't say the chorizo-mussel combo here was my favourite. I love having a nice piece of bread to sop up the sauce that is inevitably left with mussels, so I was sad to find only a dried out piece of focaccia on the side of my plate for this purpose, especially after we had started the meal with some really good whole grain bread.

Our visit to Haro's was pretty good, but I wish we would have waited in line to get into some other 'breakfast' style spots up Beacon Avenue, especially the 3rd Street Cafe, where the line was out onto the sidewalk. But I guess there's always next time!

Haro's Restaurant + Bar
9805 Sea Port Place
250.655.9445

Cafe Brio - Victoria BC

Cafe Brio was our final evening meal in Victoria before our afternoon flight back to what turned out to be a very snowy Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon.

Many restaurants we wanted to try for dinner - Zambri's, The Superior (we tried to go here on Sunday evening as they had a really good Blues guitarist on, but no luck - their tills had crashed around 8pm so they had to shut down) and Restaurant Matisse - were all shut down on Monday, so we opted for a visit to Cafe Brio, a little ways east of the Inner Harbour up Fort Street.

I had read on Chowhound that this spot can be a bit noisy, but this past Monday evening, the place was only half full when we arrived for our reservation around 7pm, and all was relatively quiet.

Once again we ran into the type of food that Victoria does best - local, regional dishes ranging from seafood, to beef, to vegetarian. What we loved most about this spot, was that they offered half sizes or full sizes on their menu, as well as 'family style' plates for the whole table to share, so you can try a few different things from their menu, even if there are only two of you...

We opted for a full size 'green salad' with fingerling potatoes, radish and grain mustard vinaigrette ($12), the chicken liver parfait ($5), a half size of the braised cod with polenta, greens and tomato sauce ($14), and a half size of the pan roasted duck duck breast ($16).

Everything seemed to arrive in a timely fashion, with our salad and parfait coming out before our mains. We both enjoyed the salad, but for me, the winner was the chicken liver parfait. It was incredibly creamy and rich, and while it didn't have the bite of some other terrines I've tried, this was certainly the best one I've sampled yet. Along with some bread, pickles and grain mustard, I was set.

Local organic salad greens - fingerling potatoes, fresh radish and grainy mustard vinaigrette

Chicken liver parfait

Charles, not really one for charcuterie/salumi, was waiting on our mains, and pounced on the duck breast - he obviously enjoyed this most out of our two entrees. I preferred the braised cod with the polenta (which must have had tons of cream and butter in it!), savoury tomato-bell pepper sauce, and peppery greens, all studded with olives.

Pan roasted duck breast - roast turnip and radish, onion-vanilla soubise, white balsamic jus

Braised cod - creamy polenta, fresh organic greens, tomato, olive and bell pepper sauce

For dessert we went for a slice of caramelized lemon tart ($8) and two of the house truffles ($3 each) which happened to be sprinkled with a bit of fleur de sel that evening... my favourite.

The lemon tart was lovely, rich and creamy, and the earl grey cream and honey anglaise gave the tartness a comfortable, smooth edge. As was suggested on the menu, this all went very well with a little glass of Limoncello. The truffles were pretty good. The salt was certainly needed - they were incredibly dense, and really, I think they could charge the same price, or even $2, and make them half the size.

Caramelized lemon tart - earl grey cream, honey anglaise

Chocolate truffles with fleur de sel

Monday night at Cafe Brio was certainly a success and we will definitely head back again. And hopefully we will be able to utilize their pretty patio seating next time. Once again, what we really liked, was the option with plate sizes - it creates flexibility for any size group or family, and you are expected to share your dishes. Charles and I are forever picking off each other's plates, and sometimes feel like we shouldn't, but at Cafe Brio, it was encouraged, so of course we were easily won over.

Although Cafe Brio was a little jaunt from our hotel, it did give us a chance to take a quiet, leisurely walk back through the Inner Harbour on our last evening in the City.

Cafe Brio - Cucina Domestica

944 Fort Street

250.383.0009

Hours: open for dinner each evening from 5:30pm

The Tapa Bar - Victoria BC

I didn't have my camera with me when we stopped at The Tapa Bar in Trounce Alley for lunch this past Monday, but I just wanted to do a quick post on it. I'll include a couple random tourist shots that we took later in the day, to break things up a bit.

Tapas style or 'social eating' seemed to be all over Victoria. Smaller plates allowed us to order a few things instead of just one or two, and it also meant we could share most of our food, which we usually end up doing anyhow.

Martinis happened to be on special (Martini Mondays - all martinis are $5), so I tried a 'Pasione'... I can't completely remember what was in it, except that there was tequila and it had a cinnamon rim (and yes, I only had one). Anyhow, it was recommended to me by the server and it was good.

Charles - does not like having his picture taken

For food, we chose the tostada with goat cheese, salsa verde and mushrooms ($8.5), the halibut ceviche ($8.5), the roasted leg of duck in mole sauce ($9) and pork riblettes in a spicy peach sauce ($8.5).

The ceviche arrived first, and while both Charles and I liked the intense flavours of the chile, lime and cilantro, something seemed a little off with the texture of the halibut, as though it had maybe been sitting in the acid a little too long (it was verging on rubbery). Our other three dishes came just after we finished up the last of the ceviche. The tostada's flavours were excellent, with a nice, fresh hit of goat cheese through the rich mushrooms. Both of us liked the sauce on the riblettes - sweet and spicy is a killer combo, but the pork itself was so so. The roasted duck leg in mole sauce was the one that we both raved about for the rest of the day. Smoky, sweet and spicy mole sauce with lots of sesame seeds topping a perfectly roasted duck leg.

We both liked The Tapa Bar and wish we would have chosen to spend a lazy evening there, versus a bit of a rushed lunch. However we tried to linger as much as possible, Charles with his beer, and me with my martini. But we will still need to head back to sample more of their lengthy menu... hopefully on another Martini Monday.

The Tapa Bar
620 Trounce Alley
250.383.0013
Hours: M-Th (11:30am - 11pm), F-S (11:30am - midnight), Su (12 - 10pm)

Rebar Modern Food - Victoria, BC

Charles and I ventured off 'early' Sunday morning, our third day in Victoria, in search of some breakfast. We ended up at Rebar, a vegetarian restaurant in Bastion Square, around 9am to find plenty of tables still available for Sunday brunch (I was a bit worried after reading up on Chowhound about the popularity of weekend brunch in Victoria and the resulting long line ups).

After being seated, we first perused an extensive list of juices, smoothies, coffees, and teas. Charles automatically jumped at a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice ($4.5), while I went for a small pot of Angel Water tea, a herbal blend of elder flower, lavender, rose petals, red clover and mint, from Silk Road just a few blocks away (we did hit Silk Road up the day before for a couple tins of tea to bring home too).

Food wise, Charles went for something sweet, opting for whole wheat hotcakes with raspberry sour cream and maple syrup ($13). I was in for something savoury, and went for the smoked salmon scramble ($12.75).

Our food arrived soon after ordering, and we dug in. Charles pancakes were cooked perfectly (as in not doughy), and the raspberry sour cream provided a nice sweetness along with a necessary tart punch. My eggs were equally good, with nuggets of smoked salmon hidden throughout, as well as a satisfying amount of dill. This was all atop a pretty good poppy seed bagel.

Like Ferris', Rebar had a fantastic calm and relaxed vibe, with some really good reggae playing in the background throughout our visit too. With the favourable atmosphere combined with good food, we will definitely be back to Rebar for more breakfast.

Rebar Modern Food
50 Bastion Square
250.361.9223


*Rebar also has a vegetarian cookbook that we kept bumping into all over Victoria. You can find it on Amazon here, or directly through the restaurant itself here.

Ferris' Upstairs Oyster Bar - Victoria, BC

We wandered around a bit this past Saturday evening, trying to find a casual dinner spot in downtown Victoria. Finally we decided on Ferris' Upstairs Oyster Bar, which I had on my list of places to try (thanks to Dane and Erika for the recommendation). As expected, the place was packed when we arrived around 8pm, but luckily there were still some spots at the bar.

First, I have to start off with the drink list - it's amazing. A nice blend of classic and new cocktails, as well as some local beer selections, I loved it. Charles stuck with beer for most of the evening - a Lighthouse Beacon IPA - while I started off with a Longboat Chocolate Porter from Phillip's Brewing Co., then moved to a Saigon Press (Vodka with lime, ginger syrup and muddled coriander, topped with lemon grass and ginger) and later a Pimm's Cup (Pimm's No. 1 Cup, fresh mint, cucumber and orange slices, topped with sprite).

Ferris' does a pretty classic fresh oyster with horseradish and cocktail sauce, but what I was in for was their baked oysters.

These were so good, with a diverse range of spicy and rich flavours in each. My favourite ended up being the 'Cornelius' with cornflakes, butter and thyme. One of the cooks passed down a warm baguette upon noticing my oysters were finished, so that the rest of the juices and toppings could be soaked up from the little oyster dishes... this necessary step was definitely the most enjoyable part of the oysters.

One of each of their baked oysters (6 for $16)

Although most of the dishes upstairs are intended to be shared tapas style, since I was the only one in for oysters (Charles does not do shell fish), Charles decided on a larger plate for himself - the Braised Lamb Tagine.  I couldn't resist stealing a bite of this one too, and we both loved its richness and slight spiciness, along with the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the lamb and sweetness of the apricots.

Braised Lamb Tagine ($20)

We also decided to share a spinach salad with goat cheese, pecans and warm curried apple vinaigrette. While the goat cheese and pecans were an expectant match, the curry vinaigrette provided a warm spiciness throughout that brought everything together nicely.

Spinach salad ($10)

Although we initially meant to move to a table later in the evening, in the end, we decided to stick with our bar seats throughout our meal, and I think we were both happy with this decision - their food preparation area was half of the area behind the bar itself, and it was fantastic to watch the smooth, quick movements involved in prepping everyone's plates in the tiny space.

Most of the ingredients were prepped ahead, but they were placed behind the bar in a cooler, and under the bar in another. Between the ingredient passing, the opening and closing of the small oven doors, the balancing between the pans on two portable induction burners and the quick chopping on a couple cutting boards, the food prep itself was a great show (and the smell of each fresh item hitting the pan on the induction burner in front me was amazing!).  I wish I would have taken a picture!

With a relaxed atmosphere, a lengthy, fun cocktail list and fantastic food, we will definitely be heading back to Ferris' next time we are in town.

Ferris' Upstairs Oyster Bar
Suite A, 536 Yates St.
Victoria BC
250.382.2344
Hours: Tues - Sat (4pm-Midnight); Su - M (4-10pm); Saturday Brunch (10am-2pm)


*The "Upstairs" part of their name is a reference to their downstairs space, Ferris' Grill, which offers more of a 'dining' feel versus the lounge/tapas style upstairs.