Short Reviews

Well, I've done several posts in quick succession to kick start back up this blog, but I'll be trying to settle into a weekly rhythm going forward. Twice a week is just a little too many to keep up with (and keep going out with). That said I have several half completed reviews in reserve to post out as I need to. Plus this week, I am vacation, driving across the Rockies and taking the Canadian Via Rail train back from Winnipeg. In the meantime, some short items :

  Hoyne Brewing - Devil's Dream IPA Hoyne are the new kid on the block in the Victoria Craft brewing scene. However, Mr Hoyne is the old chief brewmaster from the Canoe Club, and also learnt his trade at Swans' Buckerfield Brewery. However, I don't think particularly highly of Swans' or the Canoe Club brews. The Devil's Dream IPA comes in a big 650ml and brewed to 6%. I had it once before and wasn't too excited, but had decided to give it another go around. Nope, it's aggressively hopped, but there's no balance to it from the malt. It tastes like a standard Pale Ale that someone added an extra fist load of hops to. There's no subtleness to the bitterness, no interesting flavours or smells to discover. Just an over hopped, dry-ish tasting Pale Ale. The label, however, is lovely piece of art...

  Hoyne Brewing - Dark Matter Dark Matter is a treat though. A deep, dark looking beer that the eyes will think is a porter or stout. But the taste is much lighter and smoother. Toasted rather than roasted malts with some caramel flavour, and a trace of hops to balance it out. There's been debate on what it is. But to me it's an excellent British Mild Ale. True, it's brewed stronger than some might expect from a Mild (5.3%), but Mild was a flavour, not a strength. Fantastic brew. While we are on Hoyne, I've also had many people recommending the Hoyner Pilsner as the best Pils they've had. One good friend has replaced his standard fare of Stella with Hoyner (while lamenting it doesn't come in smaller portions). The Canoe Club - revisited Meanwhile, Friday night and the Broken Strings are playing the Canoe Club. The Broken Strings are part Jets Overhead, part Current Swell and part another Victoria band who have lesser fame so I can't remember their name. Broken Strings is their party piece, banging out covers of the 80's, 90's and contemporary guitar hits. James, U2, Radiohead, Tom Petty. Too much Tom Petty for my liking, but the kids seem to like it. They are excellent performers, and the singer really adds a level of enthusiasm and passion to the numbers. So it was less than good when he was away at this performance, and the replacement was much more of a blues-rock type guy. Okay, for the band. The Canoe itself was rammed for Friday, partly as the patio was super sunny, and great patios are rare in Victoria. The service was variable, and I avoided the brew-pub beer, availing myself of the Pilsner Urquell (such a beautiful, grainy, straw-laced smell...) and a Fishwich to replace the calories burnt playing softball earlier. Except the Fishwich went AWOL in the kitchen, and it took ages to actually flag down a waitress. When the food did arrive, it was good : big slab of well cooked white fish between a soft kaiser, plenty of tartare sauce and salad. Like a gourmet fish-finger sandwich. Just what I was after. But I'll be trying to watch the Broken Strings elsewhere next time.

  San Remo, Qadra Street Village San Remo is in Italy. I don't know why the San Remo serves Greek food. However, I recently went in for a quick (and late) lunch there, and was relatively impressed enough I need to go back and have a longer try. We both had the Lemon-Roasted chicken. Well cooked, and mostly most (the breast had started to dry out) with a nice mellow lemon flavour. The roasted vegetables were okay (the char-grilling left a slightly odd flavour on the them that I couldn't place), and the service was bright and pleasant. And the sunny conservatory/patio was a great place to unwind. Not a must to go back, but is now on the list to consider.

Pagliacci's Restaurant, Downtown Victoria

One of my friends remarked to me the other day that he wouldn't bother going to Pag's (as the local's call it), as he can make great pasta at home.  He's right, he can make pasta dishes at home.  Knowing his culinary skills, he can probably make very good pasta at home.  That doesn't make Pagliacci's something to pass by on.  It's great pasta dishes, a Victoria institution and it's own special atmosphere of organized chaos.

I believe the Siegel's, owners of the restaurant, were aiming for the vibe of Italian rural dinner.  Masses of people in a small space, the buzz of conversation, no frills on the decor, with lots of memento photo's, caricatures, newspaper clippings, the typical stuff you see on small diners.  A signed photo of a minor celebrities, a picture of the owners wearing Pag's t-shirts in some foreign locale.  The front page of the Seattle Times on the day Nixon was impeached (I have no idea why, that pre-dates the place opening by about 5 years).  A big high ceiling and huge arched window give plenty of light and some feeling of space. It's crowded, not claustrophobic.

The tables are small, and they'll put as many folks around one of them as they can. You'll be sitting right next to the table, and if you want, be part of their conversation. Getting to your table will be take you squeezing between chair backs, and ducking past waitresses. Not a place for a candle-lit tete-a-tete with your secret lover. But get a group in, get the wine and beer flowing, and a good time is had by all.

I last went there around 6pm, and the queue, as normal was up Broad Street.  A quick word with the lady in charge of crowd control and we got our names down for a table for two in 45 minutes, and went for a walk around downtown.  Back in time to see an ambulance arrive and a poor lady being taken to hospital after taking a fall in the entrance way.  Obviously this caused a bit longer of a wait, but I can't complain about that.  While we waited, a couple asked if the place was worth eating at, which was a resounding yes, but they were scared off by the 45 minute wait... thinking that the queue was actually for the place top open.  Their loss.

We got shuffled into a small table right by the counter, and quickly offered water and menus.    The fmaily gathering next to us was about to finish, and the small child right next to us was obviously bored with proceedings, but was hardly a distraction.

The menu has a long list of pasta dishes, coupled with a dozen of so Italian-style meat dishes, all with names from Hollywood films or actors or some literary reference I was missing. For example : "Prawns Al Capone" - prawns in white wine and butter - Untouchable. Or : "Dish with No Name" - Linguine with with sweet Indonesian sauce, shrimp, mushrooms and bell peppers - Like that dame you met in the bar, goes best with wine.

I've never had the steak or other meat dishes. I go for the pasta, so I can only guess how good it is.  I assume as good as the pasta dishes. I've had the Lasagna (aka Dempsey's Lasagna - I’ve eaten lasagna all over the world and this is the best I’ve ever had - Peter C. Newman/Bob Dylan) a couple of times, and it's a huge dense, cheesy, savoury pile of awesome.  I can make Lasagna, but if I could make it this good, I'd quit my day job.

But first the bread.  They cook fresh bread all day, all the time.  It's normally fresh, moist, seasoned with herbs and a sprinkle of rock salt.  The downside is often it gets finished before the main courses arrive, and you end up too full.  That was the plus side of the bread on this visit being a little dried out.  I suspect due to the medical emergency earlier schedules in the kitchen might have been knocked off a little bit.  But the full basket was finished. Leaving room for the main course, enjoyed with a bottle of Phoenix Gold Lager (for me) and a glass of an Okanagan Merlot (for my friend).

I had the Sophia, a crab and shrimp fettucine dish smothers in a white wine cream sauce, with pine nuts and some subtle spicing.  There was a small rose of smoked salmon garnishing it.  Apparently the large size is enough for two women.  Probably true, as I failed to complete it myself.  It's incredibly rich, but with the tasty sweetness of fresh seafood coming through the cream sauce.   Probably best eaten with a white wine rather than a lager (or a good, hoppy west-coast IPA), but I don't mind, I really enjoyed it.

My friend had the Cabinet of Doctor Capellitti.  I have no idea who the doctor was (yes I suppose I could look it up, but I'll leave this as a mystery for another day). But the half portion was still a big pile of stuffed tortellini, with a rich tomato sauce and baked with cheese on top.  Excellent, was the vote, and even the half portion was a bit too much to eat in one sitting.

The service was good, but not excessively fast.  Your quite likely to get served by everyone in the restaurant at some point.  Getting to pay the bill and get out took a bit longer than I'd like (once I have the card out on the table, I'm looking to be gone as soon as possible). But worth the money and time, and I did need to digest.

Final Bill :
The Sophia, $18.00
The Cabinet of Doctor Capellitti, half portion, $11.50
Phoenix Lager, bottle, $4.75
Glass of Red Rooster Merlot/Cabernet, $8.00
Total - $56 with tip and taxes.


Phone: (250) 386-1662
Location : Broad and Fort Street, Victoria, BC
Website : http://www.pagliaccis.ca

The Brentwood Pub, Brentwood Bay

The Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa is only a three or four years old, built next to the Brentwood ferry dock.  The resort has a spa, very nice ocean view rooms, a highly rated seafood restaurant and The Brentwood Pub.  Featuring a small forest worth of varnished wood and and polished metal, it's got the contemporary look.  Large windows casting light across the bar, with high ceilings and openings on to a huge deck make it a free and open space.  It reminds me of the design of a couple of the nicer casino's in Vegas.  But without the flashing lights of the slot machines, or the low-necked dresses on the cocktail waitresses. Maybe not quite what they were going for, but it does make you feel relaxed and welcome.

Finding a nice seat straddling the entrance to the side deck, we could get some fresh air but stay in the shade, having caught enough sun on a brief hike up Observatory Hill.  Top tip - the view up their across towards Victoria is excellent... worth the climb (or the short drive, or the hard cycle ride, as some folks were doing).  Ian, our server, plied me with enough water to re-hydrate, while my friend sampled the Mermaid Cocktail.  Unfortunately, I didn't record the contents of the cocktail, but it was green and tasty, or so I am told.

After a long look through the menu, we decided to share a pizza and cod wrap. A brief trip the washroom, and I freshened up with the lemon soap... very nice after the exercise. Very nice toilets.  Clean, tidy, normally a good sign.

Food arrived after a good talk about life, the state of nation and various subjects.  And some people watching.  First the pizza.  Ultra thin crispy base, covered with a good scattering of prawns,  a thin melted layer of cheese and lovely fresh pesto sauce.  Light, crisp, combination of salty, savoury and gooey.  Will go back again for the pizza alone.

The Ling Cod wrap came with Sweet Potatoes Fries (note this is not Yam Fries, which I for some reason assumed it was) covered in batter. This batter needs to be on a Chicken-Fried Steak. Crisp and tasty, wrapping the fresh fries perfectly.  The fries came with a Chipotle Aioli, which had not enough bite for me, and was more like a tangy lime condiment.  Not a good combination with the fries, but with the Blacken Ling Cod... it just took the edge of the spicy coating, and went well with the succulent tomatoes and lettuce.  The cod was perfectly cooked, still tender, but not gluey, with the blackened crust having a great smokey chipotle flavour.

We declined the dessert, mostly as our stomachs were full, and a digestion time was needed.  I loved the open atmosphere of the place, and the quiet, but active buzz the place had.  Plus the food and service was spot on.  Worth the drive out to Brentwood from the city, especially after a day on the water - Kayak hires and boat hires are available for a tour around the Saanich Inlet. Or maybe a hard day walking around the Butchart Gardens.

Final Bill :

Pesto Prawn Pizza - $16.00
Blackened Ling Cod Wrap - $17.00

Mermaid Cocktail - $8.00

Total - $50 with tip and taxes.

Phone: (888) 544-2079

Location : 849 Verdier Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8M 1C5

Website : http://www.brentwoodbayresort.com/pub

Jam Cafe, Old Town, Victoria

All day Breakfast joints are as common in Victoria as tourist attractions and hanging baskets.  And like tourist attractions, some of them are simply brilliant, some simple and others a horrible mess designed to seperate you from your money and leave only a queezy feeling inside.

The Jam Cafe takes over a spot on Herald Street that was near and dear to be heart... Solomon's; the short-lived, ill-fated bar with the best drink's menu the city has ever seen and many happy memories from your author. But that's old and history.  They've redone the inside, brightening the place up, shortening the bar and making it look bigger and busier.  Which for a breakfast place makes sense.

The Saturday morning we got their it was already busy, but we grabbed a table for seven, and were quickly served with Earl Grey tea and water while waited for our friends. Tasty pot tea withing 3 minutes of sitting down is a good sign. A better sign would have been it made with loose leaf tea, but that's wishing for Breakfast Nirvana.

The menu took a while to read. Because of the many options.  Standard breakfast, baked pancakes, four or five lunch options, eggs and protein in various combinations, pulled pork pancakes and the crazy Hash Bowl. After much thought and deliberation, I went for the Huevo Rancheros. But hoping it was excellent, so we'd have an excuse to come back and try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken, or the Sweet and Savoury friend sandwich and yams combination.

One of my friends ordered the hash bowl, which arrived in a Superized Pho Bowl, and was filled with buttermilk biscuits, crumbled up, and topped with eggs, green onions, chopped ham, sausage gravy and other good stuff. However, it seemed that it was too much biscuit and not enough gloop to soften it all, and lacking in zing to really make for a great dish.  Tasty, but not great.

The Ranchero were fantastic though. Spicy chorizo sausage, with a nice pile of well fantastically cooked cornbread, a perfectly runny egg on top of a fresh tortilla, piles of salsa and savoury beans. Just thinking about it, and I'm reliving it.  Everything was well cooked, well presented and made fresh (or if it wasn't, I couldn't tell).

Everybody seemed to enjoy their meals. The only bad note in the overall experience (apart from the hash bowl being a bit too much) was that they didn't advertise the baked apple pancakes coming topped with whipped cream.  As some people are allergic to dairy, it's important to list the ingredients so folks can make the right decision.  The general vote was to this would be visited again.  I certainly want to try at least three other things on the menu... if the fried chicken is in the same league as the Huevos, I might need to start running marathons to keep in shape.

Final Bill :

Earl Grey Trea, $2.50

Huevos Rancheros, $12.95

Total - $20 with tip and taxes.

Phone: (778) 440-4489

Location : 542 Herald Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1S5
Website : http://www.jamcafevictoria.com/

Maude Hunter's Pub, Mount Tolmie, Victoria

The experience of Applebee's has scarred me for a long time, but after much therapy and medical help, I am back on the road to recovery.  I guess I blog-faded, but several people suggested I start documenting the meals we go for again.  A group of us go out for Brunch every weekend, and that involves trying out various different eateries across the city.

Or almost across the road in the case of Maude Hunter's Pub.  Maude's.  I've never actually called it "Maude Hunter's Pub" before.  It's my local, or Maude's.  But we noticed it did Sunday breakfast, and I wanted somewhere limping distance from my house after running the Times Colonist 10k, so we settled on Maude's.

I probably should limped further for a decent breakfast.  I like Maude's as a drinking establishment, as long as the Canucks aren't playing.  It's got good seating for large and small groups, but isn't so huge you feel like you are in a warehouse.  The decor is wood and plaster, and probably looked ultra modern in the 80's, but now has it's own charm now.  The beer list is okay, ranging from your typical Canadian mega brews, to a decent range of local beers, but all on the main stream.  No ten year old soured lambic's or barleywines here.  And not should their be.  It's a local's hang out, catering to the student, the tired office worker, the sports team and the semi-pro drinkers who just need to get out of the house for a few hours.

Service can be variable.  Sometimes, with the right server you'll get fast service and friendly word.  Other times it's slow, they'll avoid anyone who might look like they have a question, or simply have too few staff for the number of patrons.

And thus it was Sunday morning.  Despite getting in as the doors opened, the waitress seemed more content on serving the group of guys who (some how) were already in the pub and on their first beers.  Beers and water took a bit longer to arrive, and while we asked to wait for the food menu, it took a long time for her to come back to us and check if we were okay for coffee, beer and water.  Once our orders were finally taken, food took another 45 minutes to arrive.

That was okay, I need a while to drink the three beers I'd ended up with.  Drinking more than one after a run is probably not the best idea, and I did have to sleep it off in the afternoon. But a pint of Canadian, a pint of Beacon IPA and a sleeve of Driftwood slipped down nicely.

I ordered the steak and egg special.  Slab of meat, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes.  I'd asked for medium rare, it came close enough (more medium than rare, but with a 8oz flat iron steak that's close enough for me). The eggs where okay, a little on the rubbery side.  The potatoes seemed boiled, left to rest too long then sauteed, making them floury and lacking in much other than carbs.  Nothing to go back for, breakfast wise.

I do go for the wings every so often, and rate the Buffalo Wings as having potential. I have had a decent pub burger there too.  But it's a local worth going to for proximity, not for much more.  There are local in town worth the journey, though. This just isn't that one.

Final Bill :

Steak and Eggs - $12.99
1 Pint Canadian - $5.00
1 Pint Beacon IPA - $5.50

Total - $28 with tip and taxes.

Phone: (250) 721-2337

Location : 3810 Shelbourne St, Victoria, BC, V8P 4H5

Website : http://www.maudehunterspub.ca/