What Victorians are Cooking up for Fall

URBAN FORAGE BY FOOT

Travel With Taste Tours has started a new culinary walking tour of Victoria.
The tasty urban forage by foot begins each Saturday morning at 11:00 am at
Silk Road Tea on Government Street near the gates to Chinatown at Government
and Fisgard Streets. Aspiring culinary tourists will taste their way through
downtown Victoria beginning with a structured tea tasting at Silk Road. The
walking tour will last three to four hours with a cornucopia of tastes along
the way such as cheeses, meats and house-made pâtés at Choux Choux
Charcuterie, pastries at the iconic Dutch Bakery, sweets at Victoria
landmark Rogers' Chocolates, fine European coffee and cake at Café Mela,
plus a wine tasting at the Artisan Wine Shop. Each stop includes a chat with
proprietors to learn about their history and to sample some of their
favourite house made products. Tours begin at $79.00 CDN/$75.00 US per
person. Travel With Taste also offers culinary and wine tours of the
Cowichan Valley, Saanich Peninsula and Salt Spring Island. Custom corporate
and group bookings are also available. For more information visit
www.travelwithtaste.com.



PABLO'S FINDS A NEW NICHE

After 30 years, Pablo's Dining Lounge in Victoria, known for French cuisine
and classic service, has closed its doors and reopened as Niche; a west
coast style restaurant under the direction of chef Jason Leizart. Owner
Pablo Hernandez and his wife and head chef, Gloria, decided it was time to
step away from the business. Hernandez has partnered with Leizart, who
recently opened two new Vancouver restaurants and was sous chef at the
Rosemeade Dining Room at the English Inn and Resort in Victoria, owned by
Pablo's daughter, Maria. Niche offers a radical change in cuisine and style.
The restaurant's new décor combines a contemporary look with the charm of
the heritage house in which it is located in Victoria's historic James Bay
neighbourhood. It is a more casual atmosphere than the fine dining Pablo's
was known for. The interior space has been opened up reclaiming the old
brickwork of the fireplace and a lounge and wine cellar have been
established on the lower floor. A modern twist has also been brought to the
menu which is west coast, seasonal and local. For more information visit
www.nichedining.com.



BON ROUGE

Bon Rouge Bistro & Boulangerie opened in Victoria in June 2007. Located in a
renovated 1920's building in downtown Victoria, Bon Rouge can best be
described as French-inspired with a west coast spin. With an appeal to
passionate eaters and commitment to local, seasonal seafood, game, fresh
produce, cheese and wine, Bon Rouge offers a day long menu serving classics
such as quiche, escargot, roast chicken, pomme frites and palourdes. A wide
selection of local and European wines and microbrews will also be served.
Bon Rouge Bakery will feature a French coffee bar and offer quality French
artisan breads, baguettes, real butter croissants, brioches and beignets
baked in house every day. Visitors can enjoy the offerings of Bon Rouge
in-house, on the patio or as gourmet take away including picnic baskets. Bon
Rouge is the new venture of Mike Murphy, owner of Pescatores; Victoria's
longstanding seafood restaurant. For more information visit www.bonrouge.ca.



HIGH FIVE AT BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORT

Victoria's Bear Mountain Resort, the first and only master planned resort
community on Vancouver Island, now has five restaurants to choose from.
Opened in June 2007, Jack's Place, named after Bear Mountain's golf course
designer Jack Nicklaus, overlooks the second green with several television
screens tuned to sports events, billiards tables, darts and a games table,
pub-style fare and exclusive brews of Bear Mountain Copper Ale and Grande
Pilsner. The aptly named Sunset Terrace features an outdoor volleyball court
and Cabana bar. In addition to Jack's Place, Bear Mountain Resort includes
Panache, a 32-seat fine dining room featuring a glass, gallery kitchen to
view the chefs in action, a Montague Grill and a terrace with breathtaking
views of the 18th green and beyond; Kuma Sushi, meaning "bear" in Japanese,
is a 60-seat sushi bar next to Jack's Place serving traditional and creative
dishes including their signature kuma roll; The Copper Rock Grill, a 58-seat
casual, west coast dining room open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner
adjacent to Panache and sharing the outdoor terrace; and the Masters Lounge,
a 60-seat bar with rich leather seating and a relaxed ambience serving
drinks and appetizers.
For more information visit www.bearmountain.ca.



OCEAN WISE SWIMS INTO VICTORIA

On July 1, 2007, the Vancouver Aquarium brought their successful
Ocean Wise program to Vancouver Island. Ocean Wise is a Vancouver Aquarium
conservation initiative dedicated to helping restaurants and their customers
make environmentally friendly seafood choices. The aquarium reviews the
latest scientific information and then recommends sustainable seafood
choices to Ocean Wise partner restaurants and markets ensuring all species
used are caught in ways that minimize environmental impact and ensures the
future health of the oceans. The Ocean Wise symbol on a menu or grocery
display ensures that seafood item is the best choice to help protect ocean
life. Participating restaurants in Victoria include The Fairmont Empress,
Lure Restaurant, The Marina Restaurant, Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub and on
Vancouver Island, The Landing West Coast Grill and Nimmo Bay Resort. For
more information visit www.oceanwisecanada.org.




GLENTERRA VINEYARDS OPENS THISTLES CAFE

Glenterra Vineyards has opened Thistles Café in the Vineyard. Located in the
Cowichan Valley, 45 minutes north of Victoria, Glenterra will open the
casually elegant café Thursday through Monday from June 1 - September 30 and
Friday, Saturday, Sunday the remainder of the year. Both indoor and patio
seating allows visitors to enjoy a glass of wine with a seasonally inspired
lunch while overlooking the vineyard. Thistles is also available for private
groups and catering. Glenterra Vineyards produces estate grown, sustainably
farmed small lot wines including gewürztraminer, pinot gris, chardonnay,
pinot noir, cabernet franc, meritage and Glenterra's unique blend - Vivace.



FROM WINE TO WHISKEY AT WINCHESTER CELLARS

Located on the Saanich Peninsula, 20 minutes north of Victoria, Winchester
Cellars currently makes small lots of handcrafted wines from some of the
finest vineyards in British Columbia including their own, Barking Dog
Vineyard. Barking Dog is the first and only certified organic vineyard on
Vancouver Island. Winchester Cellars is now set to become the first
distillery on Vancouver Island. Winemaker Ken Winchester travelled to
Scotland to learn from the world's master distillers. Licensed and
installing the new still, Winchester's first release will be an
eau-de-Viognier this autumn with plans to make small lots of high-end
spirits ranging from grappa to single-malt whisky. For more information
visit www.winchestercellars.com.



NEW CIDERHOUSE RULES

Vancouver Island's newest cidery, Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, opened in
July 2007 on the Saanich Peninsula, 20 minutes north of Victoria. Sea Cider
is a certified organic farm boasting panoramic orchards and ocean views.
They grow certified organic heritage apples selected for their superior
cider qualities and all ciders are crafted on site. Robust to delicate,
still or sparkling, each Sea Cider label promises a balance of sophisticated
flavours and aromas. Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse is the first cidery on the
Saanich Peninsula and will be open to visitors for tastings, Wednesday to
Sunday, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. For more information visit www.seacider.ca.



SPINNAKERS GASTRO BREWPUB GOES A LITTLE FRUITY

Never one to shy away from new ideas, Paul Hadfield and his brewing team at
Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub in Victoria have launched a new line of
fruit-inspired craft beers. Brewed in the Belgian tradition, Mon Cheri
(cherry), Das Razz (raspberry) and Currant Noir (black currant) are made
with fresh local fruit from Victoria's Saanich Peninsula. This new category
for Spinnakers is geared towards the adventurous beer drinker. Breaking a
few rules, it is less masculine and more refined. Spinnakers is Canada's
oldest licensed brewpub and Victoria's only "gastro" brewpub defining the
art of combining regional cuisine with hand-crafted beer. Ardent support of
Vancouver Island's farmers is reflected in Spinnakers menu which uses almost
100% local product. For more information visit < href="http://www.spinnakers.com">www.spinnakers.com.



GREAT CANADIAN BEER FESTIVAL

The 15th Annual Great Canadian Beer Festival will be held September 7-8,
2007 in Victoria. The longest running beer festival in the country, the
Great Canadian Beer Festival is a showcase of the brewer's craft and serves
only all-natural varieties. Over 40 breweries from British Columbia and
across Canada as well as the Pacific Northwest will be in attendance and
most brewers are on hand to answer questions. The Great Canadian Beer
Festival was named to align the festival with two other "greats" and form an
international trilogy: The Great Canadian Beer Festival, The Great American
Beer Festival and The Great British Beer Festival. The Great Canadian Beer
Festival is held outdoors at Royal Athletic Park and a free shuttle bus will
be provided between downtown Victoria and the venue. Tickets are $20.00
CDN/$18.00 US on Friday and $25.00 CDN/$22.00 US on Saturday. Beer tokens
are $1.25 CDN each and are sold at the festival only. For more information
visit www.gcbf.com.



COWICHAN WINE AND CULINARY FESTIVAL

From September 28-30, 2007, the 3rd Annual Cowichan Wine and Culinary
Festival will celebrate Vancouver Island wines, culinary excellence and
original music and art. For three days, the wineries and farms of the
Cowichan Valley, located 45 minutes north of Victoria, invite wine and
culinary aficionados to their doorsteps to experience the best of the region
firsthand. Pre-arranged tickets are not required, however, there may be
nominal fees at each of the participating properties. Area accommodations
are also offering special rates. The Cowichan Valley means the "warm land"
in its native language and boasts the longest growing season in Canada. The
region is developing a reputation as "Canada's Provence" for its high
quality, niche food products and wines locally produced and harvested by a
handful of farms and producers who together create a cast of local culinary
characters. For more information visit http://wines.cowichan.net.



FEAST OF FIELDS

The Vancouver Island Feast of Fields is celebrating ten years. This year's
event will be held on September 16, 2007 at Keating Farm in the Cowichan
Valley, 45 minutes north of Victoria. With a wine glass and napkin in hand,
visitors wander the picturesque farmland sampling the gourmet offerings of
over 50 of the island's top chefs, wineries and micro-breweries while
enjoying a delightful day in the country. Feast of Fields is an idea
originally crafted by renowned chef Michael Standlandter when he partnered
with Jamie Kennedy to create an event that drew sophisticated urbanites out
to the farm. Feast of Fields is an annual fundraiser for FarmFolk/ CityFolk;
a BC organization that works to promote ethical and sustainable food systems
and develop relationships between local chefs and farmers. Partial funding
also goes to a chosen community project. This year funds will go to the host
farm purchased by The Land Conservancy (TLC) of Victoria to restore and
protect the site and put it back into food production operating it as
Keating Community Farm Co-operative. For more information visit
www.feastoffields.com.


Filed by Holly Lenk of Victoria