Eating Victoria- Food Blog and Eating Guide

West Coast Waffles
1235 Broad St.
250-590-3400
www.westcoastwaffles.ca

I was really excited to go to West Coast Waffles on Broad St. A few friends were giving it some buzz, and a lazy New Years day felt like the perfect time to try it out. The staff here are all very young, as was the clientele, but then some family’s came in. I don’t know how new this place is, I have walked by it a few times, but I found it hard to think of a time where a waffle would satiate me.

The menu is pretty straightforward, you choose a batter and a flavour/topping. We had coffee( kudos for using Saltspring Island Organic), and waited for our waffles to be made. I had the spelt batter and the lovely JB had the original batter. I had the Wake n’ Bacon, which had scallions, cheese, and bacon in it, accompanied with a green salad, and salsa/sour cream for the waffle. JB had the peach and blackberry waffle, with some blackberry syrup.

This place is worth supporting because the owners are straight out of university, and I think they have done a decent job thus far. The interior colours are kind of shocking, and the furnishings are random, but all that can evolve.

Wafflehouses are a very limiting-niche, but it seems to be quite popular! Good luck guys!

-Eating Victoria

Frank’s Honeybun Cafe
605 Yates St.
250-383-3231

Hey folks, just a quick write-up about Frank’s Honeybun Cafe. You can find it on Yates just before Government St [just after Azuma sushi, which I boycott since I heard it serves sharkfin soup, don't give this place any support!! watch Sharkwater( www.sharkwater.com)]. Frank’s( which I usually just call Honeybun), is a place where I’ve gone for breakfast in the morning for quick and cheap tasty food. I almost always get the same thing, with pancakes, bacon or sausage, eggs, coffee, and some fresh fruit. It all comes to like 9 dollars, so it’s worth it just to save some money too. The owners are very hospitable and always smiling, you can tell they enjoy having their little cafe. Grab a paper, grab a seat, and it’s a nice way to start off the morning. I know they do some chinese fast-food at lunch time which supposedly very popular and affordable as well. You can get a few types of baked goods and I think they do bubble tea too. If you don’t want to wait in line for breakfast, this place is simple, but it’s a reliable greasy spoon and you get to support a local family too.

Lady Marmalade
608 Johnson St.
250-381-2872
www.ladymarmalade.ca

It was a beautiful afternoon( Tuesday) spent with  J, our stomachs rumbling, and Lady Marmalade beckoning. I’ve frequented the Marm for many a brunch, but it was nice to have lunch here for a change. The first impression of this place is quirky, and abnormally warm. It’s quite humid, maybe considering how small the space is, and the proximity to the kitchen. The art on the walls is bright, funky, and affordable.

I went for a savoury waffle($11.50), with aged white cheddar and spinach folded into the batter, topped with smoky tomato cream sauce, scallions, bacon, and roasted tomatoes. The side salad had a nice ginger-sesame vinaigrette, very refreshing. J ordered the ‘ The Real Club’,  loaded up on Wildfire Bakery bread, bacon , avocado, tomato, red onions, and chipotle mayonnaise, with a bowl of the daily soup for only $11.95. The soup du jour was curried sweet potato. Our server was awkward with some piercings, but it suits this place. The food came at a respectable time, but we  weren’t asked if we wanted refills on our waters.

Details: The waffle packed a lot of flavours, my only criticism was that it was bordering on salt-lick salty. The cheese may have overpowered the batter, and then it was topped with bacon which probably only added to the sodium level. Nonetheless I polished the whole dish off, it had some complex and satisfying flavours. The salad was crisp, and the dressing was superb. J really enjoyed his sandwich, and the soup had really great depth. I was expecting to see sweet potatoes floating around in the soup, but I have the feeling they roasted the sweet potatoes, pureed them, and strained the fibrous bits from the broth. It was all broth, with chunks of celery in it, but you still got the curry and sweetness from the potatoes.
Pardon the pictures, they were taken on my Jurassic phone, before cell phones had decent cameras built-in.

This is a good place if you want to chill and have fresh spins on some classics.

Food: 4/5
Service: 3.75/5
Ambiance: 4.25/5

Floyd’s Diner
866 Yates St.
250-381-5114
across from 7-11, on Quadra and Yates

Floyd’s is known for its pink exterior, theme park sized line-ups, and big greasy spoon breakfasts. J and I went for breakfast early this morning ( around 8 a.m.), and we were greeted by a grinning lady-server. I’ve had her before and she’s always quick, friendly, and has a good sense of humour.

First impressions: Casual open space, retro flirting with ghetto, comfortable booth seating, personable server and quiet( although we went on a week day).

Food and Drink:

Endless java…hmmm much needed this morning, and I also ordered a fresh OJ(pulpy, just the way I like it). J went for the American Idol Benny, which had avocado, brie and bacon and pesto hollandaise($11.95), with a side of pan-fries. Hopping on the Benny train myself, I chose the Wiley E. because it had chorizo, cheddar,bacon, and tomato, topped with green onions($11.95).

Concerns: The pan-fries, or thinly sliced potatoes were crisp(I’m guessing deep-fried), but they tasted like yesterday’s left-overs, stale and no soft potatoey centre. So that was a bit of a disappointment. If you’re going to charge 12 dollars for a dish with two components, don’t f*** up half of it. We were literally the only people in there eating, so it was laziness on behalf of the chef working.

I know Floyd’s is a social place, and I know this is nit-picky, but a server who was supposed to work that day came in, bless her, but her voiced carried like a dog whistle and we were the dogs..not pleasant that early in the morning. Her caucophonous laugh and conversation was dominating the air while we were trying to enjoy breakfast.

Highlights: On the other hand, our server was lovely without trying, and made us feel comfortable and welcome. The Benny itself, to die for ( minus the dry potatoes). The hollandaise had a nice acidic bite with a smooth consistency. The eggs were poached a perfect medium-soft to ensure oozey ochre goodness. After the first bite, my edacious appetite kicked in and finished that puppy off.

Give it a try on a week-day, this spoon comes greased with diner appeal.

Service rating: 5/5
Food rating:5/5 for the benny, 2/5 for the potatoes
Ambiance rating: 4/5 for classic diner decor and some twists