The Spiral Coffee Company is a cozy hideaway in Esquimalt. On my lunch break, my colleague and I stumbled upon this nook and had a very pleasant lunch. I had some soup accompanied with fresh bread and an expertly made americano. The soup was black beans, fresh vegetables with the kick of some chiles. The bread was really nice, with seeds on the crust. The space is spattered with art and local musicians perform regularly. Another great neighbourhood community cornerstone.
Smokin’ Tuna is a great place to stop for lunch in the Sooke area. I went last summer after a hike in East Sooke and a visit to the farm/bakery nearby. The cafe is quaint but the location is beautiful, right on the water. We ordered inside and sat outside on the patio to wait for the food. I had a sandwich and salad which was decent overall, fresh but the flavours were so-so. My friends had the tuna(fresh albacore) which was breaded and fried, barely cooked with a salad and aioli. The texture was perfect and the fish was really the star of the dish. The menu is small but the everything is fresh. I enjoyed the setting and smelling the fresh cookies coming out of the oven on our way out.
Trini To D Bone
650 West Burnside Rd.
778-440-6755
I welcome Trini to D Bone to the neighbourhood! I work nearby, and I have been a few times already. The people running the restaurant are very friendly and warm. Every day they have a special, whether it is chicken and macaroni salad, chicken curry, or doubles on weekends, it is always tasty.
On my first visit, I had a veggie roti. The roti tasted authentic. It had crushed dried lentils so it gave the roti an interesting texture. The filling was nice, flavourful indeed but a bit on the salty side. I really hope this small restaurant will succeed. If you live or work around the Burnside area, definitely check it out.
The only ‘con’ or constructive feedback for the owners,I would suggest to stay true to your restaurant theme. I was confused that you have shrimp and fries, and burger and fries on the menu. Is that to satisfy people that don’t want curry, or are those traditional meals in Trinidad and Tobago? If I see that a restaurant is Trinidadian, then I expect to see only Trinidadian food, otherwise it’s a bit confusing. That being said the Trinidadian food you serve is delicious, and I will definitely come back!
Cheers
-Eating Victoria
Marble Arch Fish and Chips
3468 Tillicum Road
250-386-7141
I thought I had tried all of the restaurants in the Tillicum area until a friend mentioned Marble Arch. She said it’s mostly a fish and chip shop, with burgers and other diner items, but the owners are Chinese. I was curious what kind of Chinese food they would have, so I went with a colleague for lunch.
The interior of the restaurant looks very dated, but I guess some would see that as its charm. The owners were friendly, and it seemed that there were a lot of regulars. Everything on the menu is very cheap(everything under 10 dollars), so I could see why a lot of people would come here for lunch.
I had the only vegetarian option on the menu, which was a vegetable chop suey, and my friend had some fried rice. The portions were huge and fast. Mine had lots of vegetables and rice, and they were cooked well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce, I would have preferred the vegetables steamed on rice with the sauce on the side. I think the corn starch in the sauce gave me a stomach ache later on. The fried rice looked very plain, and she said it wasn’t very flavourful. It’s unfortunate because they serve Westernized “Chinese” food like so many other restaurants in town. Anyways, I’m glad I went for curiosity sake. The price is as low as you can get, and it was filling. The burgers and other diner stuff looks decent.
Can Relish on Pandora Ave. ever let me down? Apparently not. They consistently deliver, and they consistently make the Top 5 of places I recommend to for lunch. I had their lentil and nut pate sandwich with mustard, carrots, sultanas with curry spices. The food is well presented, well seasoned, and reasonably priced. I’m honestly considering applying at Relish for a job, just so I can eat there everyday haha.. Keep up the good work. Making food nutritious, honest, exciting is a wonderful thing for Victoria’s food scene.
Cheers
Eating Victoria
Jackalope Bistro
760 Yates St.
778-430-5673
I read about Jackalope Bistro on the blog Your Restaurant Sucks [your-restaurant-sucks.blogspot.com], and it sounded pretty exciting. Jackalope is located in that little alleyway between Johnson and Yates, by the movie theatre. It was been countless restaurants previously, including a short-order pasta place(Fasta Pasta), and I think it was a pizza parlour before that. I have walked by many times, but I never realized how small that space is. I went to eat lunch a bit late, just past 2 o’clock so no one else was inside eating. The owner/chef was inviting, and the interior was bright and relatively clean. I checked out Jackalope’s menu online(www.jackalope.ca) before my visit because I heard they had multiple options for vegetarians. I went for the black bean veggie burger with coleslaw(5.95 for the burger, extra 1.00 for the slaw).
The food came quickly, and he thoughtfully dropped off some water. The slaw was standard but it had some green apples in it, served over a bed of tiny shredded lettuce. The flavour was crisp. The burger tasted like a black bean and rice burger I made a few weeks ago. It had a nice crispy crust on it, and packed full of nice spices and textures. The avocado was a nice touch,and the aioli had a nice citrus punch to it. For $6.95 it’s a no brainer. Especially in this downtown core area, Jackalope is a nice option rather than pizza or a 15 dollar burger at Pink Bicycle. The food is no frills, but that’s what is charming about it. I appreciate the homey-ness of it all, and it was all delivered with a smile. I wish the owner the best of luck, he seems to be on the right track for success. They have extra seating outside the bistro too, and they serve brunch burgers as well.
Cheers
-Eating Victoria
Ottavio’s Cafe
2272 Oak Bay Ave.
250-592-4080
www.ottaviovictoria.com
As I settle into my digs in Oak Bay, I find myself wandering Oak Bay Avenue admiring all the shops and eats along the way. Oak Bay has a rich suburbia feeling, but with that comes some interesting and high-quality places to shop and eat. I have been to Ottavio’s in the past, so banking on those experiences, I made a stop by there a few weeks ago to grab some ingredients. The cheese selection is impressive, their charcuterie is decent, and the baked goods look great. I picked up some olives, and cheese and greek oregano. I was hoping they would have some pizza dough, but it sold out by the time I got there. The staff member that aided me gave me the courage to give the dough a go by myself. I ended up making one of the best pizzas( actually the first pizza dough I’ve made from scratch) I’ve had in a long time. I had some andouille sausage, tomato sauce, onions, peppers and salami on the meat pizza. I also made a greek vegetarian pizza with a kale and onion sauce, goats feta, oven roasted cherry tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Tasty!
JB and I went to Ottavio’s a couple days ago for a lunch. As many of you may have noticed, I have been cutting back on my reviews. I’m in employment limbo at the moment, so I have been pinching pennies and cooking most of my meals at home. Not having to make lunch that day was a real treat. Ottavio’s is definitely the buzz of Oak Bay around lunch time, the whole place is packed, especially because it was sunny outside on the patio. I had a chorizo panini, and JB had the fusili with beef ragu. The pasta was homemade and the sauce was definitely from scratch too. The flavours with delicate and served with a simple( and forgettable) green salad. The pasta was overcooked for my liking, but it was a baked pasta with a bechamel sauce on top. My panini was good, the bread made it. The prices are higher than your average deli, but you’re getting access to higher than average ingredients. If I ever need cheese, or cured meats, or nice crusty bread, Ottavio’s will be at the top of my list. I’m taking a breakmaking course right now, so who knows I might be able to make my own artisan loaf sooner than I thought( I’m letting my dough rest for baking first thing in the morning!)
Cheers
-Eating Victoria
La Belle Patate
1215 Esquimalt Rd.
250-220-8427
A few nights ago, JB and I were in need for some quick, greasy shameful take-out. I had read a few reviews about La Belle Patate, and in that moment it seemed like a great idea to get some poutine. We walked into the small little restaurant and placed our order for two burgers(5 bucks a piece) and a medium size of classic poutine($7.50).There are lots of variations on the poutine, with some featuring jalapenos or Montreal smoked meat. Everything was made to order in front of us, and it was probably less than 10 minutes. We admired some of the Quebecois paraphernalia and our food came up piping hot. The poutine was huge, filled to the brim with a dark gravy and heaps of cheese curds. The burgers were pretty pedestrian, but the patties were definitely homemade, just straight-up beef. It was good for the craving we were having, but I don’t think I could have this often. The poutine is crazy salty, so make sure you share it with someone. But next time I’m in Esquimalt and I have the pangs for a salty fry, I know where to go.
Cheers
Eating Victoria
Wannawafel
560 Johnson St.
Market Square( In Between Johnson and Pandora)
250-590-5300
Another beautiful day in Victoria( Friday Feb. 18th)! JB and I were walking through Market Square, and we were tempted by the waffle smells wafting in the air. I watched the guy who started Wannawafel on Dragon’s Den, so I was quasi-familiar with their business. We both had the Liege waffles( $3.58 each), I had mine with the berry compote($2.00 extra), and JB had his with a scoop of vanilla ice cream($1.50 extra). For two waffles with toppings it came to around 11 something. The young man working was very charming, and he dropped off our fresh waffles outside. It was a windy day, but it was nice to have a warm waffle. The waffles had a nice crunch on the outside, almost a caramelized sugar taste. The waffle texture was nice, with a bit of chew. I agree with the other reviews about Wannawafel, definitely one of the best waffles I’ve had in Victoria. I wish them the best of luck with their business!
Cheers
Eating Victoria
La Fogata Latina Restaurant
749 View St.
250-381-2233
La Fogata is a welcome addition to the little space previously home to PIG BBQ and Pig Dog. La Fogata Latina has been open for three weeks, and it offers an eclectic take on street food, with some latin flavour flare. The owners are from Colombia, and very friendly indeed. Fogata means bonfire, but everything that encompasses a bonfire, like the great food and the social experience. She shared that an arepa is a very common breakfast in Colombia, so I opted for a chicken and onion arepa(around 4 dollars). The arepas are made with masa(white corn flour) and feta cheese. It’s very similar to a pupusa. I sipped away on a Manzano, an apple-flavoured soda. The arepa itself was very fluffy and not oily at all. Street food is comfort food in my books, and it really hit the spot. Keeping with the street food style, the offerings at La Fogata are very affordable, ranging from a couple of dollars to around 7 dollars. I want to come back and try some of their latin hotdogs, with a lot of fun toppings like potato chips, guacamole,or homemade pineapple sauce( which I tasted, and it was delicious!). She also insisted that the Mazorca( grilled corn) is her favourite, which has some butter, green onions, and your choice of sauce and toppings. The space is small, but warm, and they mentioned they are open late on weekends(Fri and Sat night until 3-4 a.m.) At this time they only accept cash, so make sure you bring some cash. Check out La Fogata Latina for a quick and affordable lunch during the week, or if you’re going out on a Friday or Saturday night, a piping hot arepa would make the perfect snack! Support a family-run operation!
Cheers
