Bridgeman's Bistro, Mill Bay

So, what do you do after a 10km run where you hit your targets, felt great afterwards and have a sense of acheivement?  You eat, because refuelling is important.  And I run to eat.  If I didn't run, I'd probably be even lazier than I am now, and on my way to my first major heart attack.

So myself, and Andrea the runner went to a place mentioned to me by a Mill Bay local.  His knowledge was mostly based on the Hoyne Beer on tap, having not eaten there, but having just run and driven their, beer was a not a good idea. But it was a good sign of some care being taken. And any advice on places to try is always gratefully received.

The Bistro is on a pier at the Mill Bay Marina, a short drive from the Mill Bay crossroads on the Island highway.  You know the place you slow down at after having zoomed across the Malahat.  And I always comment that the gas seems to be 3 cents cheaper than in Victoria.  But never stop.  There's always a long road ahead.

The building looks great.  A solid modern glass, metal and wood structure, with lots of light, and great views over Mill Bay and the marina. At least I imagine it has great views, the day we went, it was foggy, and seeing beyond the end of the submerged log 20 metres away was the limit.  But I'd imagine in summer, if the roof does slide back, the patio will be wonderful place to sit, sip and watch the boating world go by.  This time they had the patio heaters going full bore, much welcomed as both of us were shivering post run.   The industrial meets rustic look of the place appeals to me.

The place was busy, and we were warned we'd have a 10-20 minute wait before our order could be taken. But the promise of coffee was good enough to get us in and seated, and we could at least chat and pick over the run.   Coffee came quickly, but well, it was not well made.  The Americano was not good, and my drip coffee was thin and lacking in flavour.  Given the surroundings, I expected a little better than cheap roadside brews.

The menu ranged from simple appys of mussels and poutine, to a range of burgers, and five 'Design Load' main courses.  The blackened salmon sounded great, as did the steak, but both a little more than I wanted to spend.  As was the family meal, at $60... for 3-5 served 'family style'.  All main courses, though come with free kayak rental.  Personally, I'd prefer to kayak then eat, drink and relax, rather than mess around with a full stomach. But I suspect the voucher doesn't have to be used that day.

Food came out for other tables, and it looked fantastic.  Clean white trencher plates, sandwiches stacked -just so-, salads piled high with garnishes and bowls of fries in bowls with a sloping cut to show of the crisp yellow chips inside.  The service for tables came out in with a troop of servers, to make sure everyone got their food at the same time.   It look efficient and well run.

But, here's the thing where I may have failed you, my loyal readership.  I mentioned I had just been running.  I was hungry.  I'd done a good run, and wanted fuel.  So most food was going to get at least a decent mark for being filling and in front of me.  So, if something tastes great, but you've got your munchies on, is it really great, or was the hunger over riding your analysis?

So when I say, that was good Club sandwich I had, you'll have to know it didn't last on the plate very long. It had all the bits you want... crisp bacon, grilled chicken, cheese, salad with extra avacado. I do expect a club sandwich to have three layers of bread, not the two that it came with.  Not that I could have handled the extra width of a two-layered filling.  But, you know, just saying.  It was a fine feast.  Nothing made me sigh contentedly afterwards, but everything worked.  And when I say I really like their crisp, fluffy fries, it was filling a hole.  They were good fries. Dressed with a little chopped spring onion, a little black pepper, and all was eaten quickly.

I tasted some of Andrea's black bean burger, which also tasted good.  A little dry, though the piles of mushrooms and dressing on the burger would have covered that up fine.  A proper vegetarian burger with all sorts of beans and veg, rather than fake meat mince.  And a side of mayo for the fries was a very smart idea, and worked with them.  Charging a dollar for mayonnaise was a little surprising, mind.

So, we paid ($20 each with tip, coffees and meals) and we left. I'd probably think about going back in the summer if in Mill Bay for some reason.  I just can't think why I'd be in Mill Bay for some reason.

Tree House Cafe, Ganges, Salt Spring Island

Final report from the New Year's trip to island.  And we'll end where I started, in Ganges, with friends kicking around for something to eat before going for provisions to stock up at the cabins.  Provisions makes it sound like some sort of expedition into the unknown.  Though, for this urban Victorian, three days on Saltspring is as adventurous as it gets most of the time.

So, we walked into the Tree House Cafe, by virtue of it being open and nothing much else looking open and selling sit down food.  The cafe is wrapped around a tree near the marina in the heart of Ganges.  It's a crammed in, twisty little building, with an inside and an covered outside.  Imagine Bilbo Baggin's house, if he was more into trees than underground holes.

We got seated outside, on top of some heaters at first, but moved inside once tables became free.  Outside was a little chilly, but hot coffee cured most of our ills, and we were out of the wind.  But space is at a premium here, and the staff have to duck, twist and shimmy to get to the customers, not helped by people waiting standing around aimlessly in the corridors.  It was a busy day, and getting to the toilets from the table was it's own adventure.  If you don't have many adventures...

Ahem, so out came the lunch menus.  They offer a variety of sandwiches, burgers and Mexican derived dishes. All seemed to have a touch of the local produce, or be suitably pepped up with something wholesome like sprouts or home made salsa.  I went for the Bean Burrito, after discovering the Vege-burger was a fake meat veggie burger rather than a vegetable bean ensemble.  Just a preference

I did question their description of the burger as 'our famous homemade beef burger'.  I'm not sure what level of fame you need to have to call your food famous, but I'd consider more than the local populace needs to know about it, and rave about it to be called famous.  It's something I've seen many places describe their food as, but I'm struggling to think of any 'famous' food from a small diner cafe.  I'm sure I can be proven wrong, or I don't read enough food blogs...

With that debated among us, we then dissected the food.  The bean burrito deserves to be at least well known.  Maybe open a summer fair on the island, and get a small walk on part in a movie.  You know, have a chance at famous-ity.  It was delicious.  Spiced beans, cooked just right so you get that savoury mushy goodness, that at once feels healthy but decadent.  Cheese melted over the tortilla obviously adds to that feeling of happiness, while the cilantro and salsa wave in some vegetables and clean flavours to liven it all up.
Washed down with good coffee, I was ready to hit Thrifty's.  No hunger shopping for me.  My friends all seemed to enjoy their meals, but I didn't get too much into their individual thoughts.  It wasn't a trip for introspective food criticism.  Or even analyzing new brunch joint we'd go back to.  But if I do go back in the summer, I suspect I'll be back for more.

Evedar's, Langford

Back in December, I ran a 10 mile race over Stewart Mountain and came in last.  For my efforts, I got a $50 voucher for Evedar's Bistro in Langford.  My friends have commented it was very Canadian to give a prize to last place.  I almost gave it away to the lady four seconds in front of me, but thought again that it would be material for blogging, so why not head out to Langford for a change.

So invited the lovely Brunette of my acquaintance for a Tuesday night meal out Langford.  My first worry was that the answer phone message was still referencing the Christmas hours when I tried to call for a reservation.  But they called back, and booked me in for a 7pm seating.  Need not have worried, the place was empty, apart from a family finishing up their meal. Uh-oh... why so quiet? I've heard good things on Urbanspoon and about their lunch meals... then as I get seated, Billy-Ray Cyrus's 'Achey Breaky Heart' comes on.  What have I let myself in for?

A cracking good meal, as it turns out.  Best give the spoiler now, in case you only read so far, and think this will be a piece by piece deconstruction.

We ordered a sharing plate to start, which came with the world's biggest caper, some excellent tapenade, a beautiful smoked piece of salmon, creamy cheese, crisp apples and some bits of bread to spread 'em on.  Or you could use the pickled beans and asparagus. The down note on the spread was the slices of pepperoni, they seemed a little greasy and dry to me.

For mains, there's a decent spread of choices.  Just enough to be interesting, without being too many to decide on.  I went for the Parmesan Chicken.  I didn't need the starter.  It was a huge cut, crusted perfectly with cheese and breading, but still moist inside.  Presented on a big pile of risotto, that had a lovely silky texture, with just enough flavour to complement the chicken, and not over power it.

The Brunette (of my acquaintance) went for the beef short rib.  The chicken was good.  This was brilliant.  Cooked to that point of tenderness and flavour, it came apart in strings with a fork.  Covered in a thick, dark sauce which had a hint of BBQ that married it with the beef.  A good pile of mash and greens came with it, and there was tomorrows lunch left-overs sorted, even after I took a good three fork fulls to try it out.

The music choices faded away into the background, and lets us talk over the meal without being overheard, which is just how it should be. There's space for a date night meal or a larger family/friends gathering.  The service was good, and even though we were the only people there, no hurry to get us out so they could close up.  I appreciated that, as it'd would have been easy enough to rush us out and save on the lighting bill.

I'm not drinking this month, but why I decide O'Douls amber was a good compromise should lead my readers to question my sense in matters of taste.  Perhaps I shouldn't have admitted to it, but I won't be repeating that mistake. It was like someone had heard about the taste of beer, possibly by accident. They tried to make something that matched that misheard description, but not done a very good job.  Then decided to sell it anyway. My bad choice there is hardly the Bistro's fault.

The meal came to $80, with a glass of wine and a bottle beer, the taxes and a tip.

Cusheon Lake Resort, Salt Spring Island

Is it Salt Spring or Saltspring?  I can never tell.  I'll take either one.

So, I found a set of cabins for rental on the island over New Year to chill out and relax in with some of my good friends.  A log cabin.  A fire place.  A quiet lake view.  A hot tub. Canoes.  A big pile of board games, and a huge amount of tasty food.  What could go wrong?

Nothing.  The only bad moment for me was breaking the door lock on the first night.  Didn't stop us getting in or out of the cabin, and the staff had a locksmith out to fix it the next day.  Something that just happens at times, and no fuss made.  In fact the staff were brilliantly laid back, happy folk.  They provided fire wood, and pretty much left people to get on with it and enjoy the peace.

The one bedroom cabin I stayed in was large, with a pull out sofa bed and day bed, as well as a big king size bed.  The TV and DVD player is in the bedroom which is a little odd.  Not that the TV really works to be the focus of a cabin getaway, but for the two bedroom places it did mean one couple had a TV and the other didn't.  And no watching the fireworks as a group when midnight came around.  Which hardly mattered.  New Year comes, everyone high fives, and some people head to bed, while other go back to books, card games, drinking or just chatting.

The kitchen is equipped with the basic utensils, which were perfect for knocking up dinner for 10-12 of us at once.  If you borrow plates from another cabin.  The fireplace pumps out heat, but it's a quick step onto the balcony to get a breath of fresh air and enjoy the lake view.  Super still and calm most of the time, it reflected the house lights across the water like a mirror.  The stillness was strange for a urbanite like me.  I suspect those who live in more remote parts of the country might have felt the car noise and occasional crunch on the gravel drive of people walking was deafening.

The resort has Canoes, and a couple of people did go out in the them for a tour around the lake.  I also did go in the water on New Years day for about 10 seconds.  I need to build up my resistance to the cold before I try for longer.  Did wake me up though, and made the hot tub feel even better.

The resort is 20 minute from Ganges by car, and maybe 30 from Fulford Harbour.  You can drop into town for supplies and then be back in the quiet.  I'd quite like to go back for a night or two when I need the quiet of a good book and very little company.

Cusheon Lake Resort

Rock Salt Restaurant, Fulford Harbour, Salt Spring Island

So, the advent blog challenge is over, Christmas is over and a New Year is upon us.  One thing I learned from posting daily is that I can keep writing if I do regularly, and it is an enjoyable exercise.  I gain something out of trying to express myself clearly, succinctly and trying to be interesting.  Even if its a better vocabulary and more being observant about the food I stuff in my mouth.

So, I agreed with Andrea (@RunnerChicWC on the Twitter) to go for on blog post a week.  Fifty-two entries, which is only twice as many as I have just done.  With much less time pressure, so hopefully a better quality of writing, and more on topic.  But I will let the dear reader be a judge of that.

We'll start with a recent New Year's trip to Salt Spring for some inspiration, and the firstly with the last stop there.  The Rock Salt Restaurant and Cafe.  Stuck right next to the ferry terminal at Fulford Harbour, this place has a great view down the inlet. Perfect for waiting to see your ship come in.  But no need to rush when it does steam around the corner... you've got twenty five minutes before it docks, to finish up pay, and walk the 100 yards to your car.

I'm guessing they do a great trade with the ferry riders.  They certainly took no time to serve us, and were quick and efficient at getting out coffee and taking our orders, despite thirteen of us arriving all at once.

The coffee was fantastic.  Maybe it was the fact it was New Years Day, when any coffee will taste great.  Or perhaps it was great coffee.  I suspect the latter, as there was not much of a hangover and just a little lost sleep.  I was fully awake having stupidly run into (and quickly out of) Cusheon Lake a couple of hours earlier.  My group was spread across 4 tables, but close enough to keep the conversation going, even more shocking as we'd had 3 days of each others company already.

Still food came out quickly. My Wild Benny was done perfectly.  Nice chunk of salmon, covered in the right amount of Hollandaise, with eggs medium.  Quivering brightly, just enough runny yolk to mingle with the bread and the lemony sauce.  The opposite of my long aversion to eggs-in-egg sauce which put me off benedicts for years. However, the side of home fries was a miss for me.  Stodgy lumps, neither crisp-fried, or boiled to a lovely moist consistency or roasted, or any of the ways I like my spuds.  Just sitting there.  Making weight. Slightly embarrassed to be there.

Still good coffee, good eggs, good view, good friends.  I'll take it as a good start to the new year.