Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Devour Bistro Downtown Victoria


We had heard so much about the Devour Bistro that today we decided to give it a try for lunch.  We were oh so glad we did.  The bistro is tiny, with seating for around ten.  The food is amazing.  We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch.  Ron had Pork Pie with capicolla, red pepper, spinach, and aged cheddar served with organic greens.  Linda had Pea meal bacon with caramelized onions and olive tapenade on a baguette.  The couple next to us raved about their Black Bean Soup with tomato salsa and sour cream.  It looked delicious.  Ron just had to try one of their gigantic cookies.  Their menu changes daily and is truly unique.  For a special dining experience, we strongly suggest that you give Devour a try.  We are sure you will not be disappointed.  Rebecca and Jena seem to really know what they are doing and certainly think outside the box.  Well done ladies.  For more information, go to our Facebook page. 

Monday, November 19, 2012

Brentwood Bay Resort Chefs' Dinner


Tonight we visited the Brentwood Bay Resort to attend a “Chefs' Dinner”, a fund raiser for the British Columbia Chefs’ Association, Victoria Chapter. These dinner meetings take place throughout Greater Victoria at different locations each month. The dinner costs $35 for non-members and believe me, it is worth every penny. We were treated to an absolutely fabulous dinner starting with a freshly baked and sliced flax bun that was seriously delicious. We loved our appetizer of fresh Snapper Ceviche Japanese Style with orange, avocado and sweet soy. The main course of Berkshire Farms Pork Loin Chop rubbed with Chinese Five Spice, sweet potato purée, roasted winter vegetables, and apricot demi was beautifully plated. For dessert we were served a wonderful Passion Fruit Bavarois Madagascar vanilla gateâu, with raspberry coulis. The meal was engineered by Chef Jevon Thow, Sous Chef, Thelma Minoru Yokoyame Kundhart, Sushi chef, Takashi Hiraoka, and Apprentices Michael Allin and Sean Tillbury (all shown in the attached picture). The Brentwood Bay Resort is a beautiful property just beside the Mill Bay Ferry and well worth the short drive out from Victoria. These meals are open to anyone wanting to attend. The meetings are generally quite short, followed by the chefs’ dinner. If you are interested in attending the next one in January or to be added to the invitation list, contact Shirley Lang, one of the directors at email: chef@kitchensofdistinction.com). For more pictures go to our facebook page.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Sunshine, warm weather and birds!

What to do when the sun shines, the weather is warm (12C - 52F) and you are retired....go to Esquimalt Lagoon and feed the birds!  With our 25 lbs of chicken scratch, we do just that...swans, geese, ducks of all sorts, pigeons and gulls, just to name a few of our flock...these birds are never shy when the weather cools off for a while.  Enjoy.  For more video, go to our Facebook page.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Goldstream Park Nov 9, 2012



 Today is a beautiful day in Victoria. Clear blue skies means cooler weather. As I write it is 8C around 45F. In the last two weeks there has been a major leaf drop; however some of the trees still have green leaves as you may note in the pictures below. Goldstream is an amazing park with some incredible old trees (around 400 years old). There are large trees everywhere and you even drive into the parking lot you drive right by some very large ones. This time of the year the river is full of spawning salmon. The seagulls are feasting on the dead carcases and the eagles will not be far behind. There were no eagles today, but soon they will arrive in large numbers. This annual fall phenomena brings out large numbers of park visitors. The nature house has great displays for young and old alike and they run programs about the salmon. Be sure to walk down to the nature house and check it out. There is an eagle cam in the nature house that gives you great views of the end of the estuary and the mouth of the river. I have been there when you could count 40 eagles at once. The park if full of nature’s art as you will see from the picture. Lots of people were picnicking in the park today and eating hot dogs. Sun, blue sky, thousands of salmon, incredible scenery, and a whole lot more make this an incredible experience. Even in the absence of lots of leaves, the park is very green. The park sits at the bottom of Mount Finlayson which is a very popular hiking area for locals and visitors. Enjoy the photos. For more photos check our Facebook Page.



Thursday, November 8, 2012

Dad's Soups and Sangys Wale Road in Colwood




When I want a good sandwich, my first choice is Dad’s Soup and Sangys on Wale Road near the Juan de Fuca Rec Centre. They make excellent sandwiches and soups. They will whip them out for take-out if you so wish. The usually prepare 3 different soups each day. They also have a few salads, pre-made along with coffee, muffins, cookies, and canned soda pop and water.
The service always is friendly, and quick and they make the sandwich your way. The bread is absolutely delicious. The portions of meat and toppings are generous and the prices are reasonable for what you get. Recently they moved from Colwood Corners to Wale Road, just down the hill and across the street from the Rec Centre. Most people would describe the decor as funky. I go there for the sandwiches and I will go back again and again, because they are so good!  See more pictures on our Facebook Page.




Monday, November 5, 2012

Famoso Feast- Great Food, Location and Staff



Tonight we were hosted at the Famoso Neopolitan Pizzeria at the corner of Johnson and Wharf Streets in downtown Victoria. What a treat! We arrived with a group of ten, so Corey suggested one of their group meals, the Famoso Feast. This proved to be a great idea. Groups are offered a combination of appetizers and fire roasted pizza to choose from a list. We decided to let Corey chose our feast menu. Our appetizers included the Tapenade Trio, Mediterranean Flatbread, Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella Balls, Gorgonzola Walnut Salad, and Famoso Salad. Then we enjoyed the Margherita, Cavoletti, Siciliana, and Sweet Barbeque Chicken pizzas. Every dish was delicious, an explosion of incredible tastes and very satisfying on the palate. We finished our meal with some very tasty gelato. We enjoyed every bite, sharing different flavours with each other . They have some great wine deals, so be sure to ask your waiter. The feast meals for groups are a good bargain. The pizzas are made with love as they are all hand formed. If you check out our pictures you will get a good idea of what you are in for when you visit Famoso and be sure to visit… you will not be disappointed. They have a great menu with lots of choice and the Neopolitan Pizzas are to die for. Check out their web site at: http://www.famoso.ca/ 
To see more pictures of our Famoso adventure, please go to our Facebook Page.