In this multi-city series, Anya Levykh explores what Canadian cuisine means in different parts of BC, as well as in the rest of Canada.
As you’ve no doubt heard, it’s our country’s 150th birthday this year. The notion of what it means to be a Canadian has gone through its fair share of debate, but certain universal truths are still undisputed. We are a people who embrace innovation and diversity. We are a people who understand the importance of our natural resources, in terms of both production and ecology. And we are a people who really like to eat well. We celebrate the vast array of foods that are grown, raised and produced in our fields. We lust after both traditional and contemporary (and sometimes fused) global cuisines.
So, it seems proper to start off this series in our provincial capital. Victoria may not have Vancouver’s population, but the sheer number and quality of its restaurants is noteworthy. In that spirit, here are a few restaurants – among many others – that offer a small taste of the many-flavoured Canadian profile.
Stage Wine Bar
It’s been almost a decade since this lively bistro opened. Its small-plates focus has been the standard through two sets of owners and various chefs, but the consistency of the concept goes beyond a serving trend. Almost everything, from breads and pastas to relishes and charcuterie, is made in-house. Gnocchi, so pillowy that they almost evaporate on the tongue, are dressed with foraged mushrooms and pancetta. Grilled halloumi is served over paper-thin rounds of golden beet and herbed rocket salad with crispy garlic “pesto.” A lightly deep-fried slab of langos (Hungarian-style potato bread) is served with a roasted garlic dip that oozes cold-fighting goodness. Pair it with some of the obscure but excellent-value wines available by the glass (this is a wine bar, after all) and don’t miss the langos bites for dessert, dusted in cinnamon sugar and served with crème fraiche and rum caramel. stagewinebar.com
Agrius
Locals have long been in love with Fol Epi, a little bakery that churns out some pretty serious bread. The owners expanded the space about a year ago and eventually opened a full-service restaurant that, in addition to offering endless plates of their hugely addictive loaves, serves up food that is not only almost entirely organic, but is almost exclusively sourced from individual growers, producers and foragers. There’s a full-time butcher on staff and all of the meat is raised in BC. The menu changes frequently, but a recent visit had us trying an amazing soup that tasted like nothing so much as pepperoni pizza. Ravioli filled with cheese floated in a chorizo-infused bouillon that was so aromatic and spicy, drinking straight from the bowl was the only choice. Yarrow Meadows duck breast with café de Paris butter and a beautiful mix of braised cabbage, sunchoke and beets was a perfect winter dish that warmed the innards and astounded the palate with the realization that cabbage could ever be considered lush. agriusrestaurant.com
Nourish Kitchen & Cafe
Named one of Canada’s 100 best restaurants for 2016, this unassuming spot lives in a restored 19th-century house in James Bay. The locally-sourced, organic and seasonal menu is served up in a full-service restaurant and a to-go café. Healthy food that makes you feel good is how owner Hayley Rosenberg describes the menu, and it succeeds on both counts. For brunch one morning, we tried the “Benny in the Moment,” a gluten-free version that featured poached eggs over roasted sweet-potato halves topped with sautéed kale and mushrooms. The kale still had a good bite to it and the mushrooms were earthy and rich, and the cashew hollandaise was one of the best I’ve tasted, period. And while there is a focus on plant-based dishes, meat is available, such as the delightful “Black Forest” bacon that is cooked in the oven and comes with thin, blackened edges. Don’t miss the turmeric-infused chai tea with almond milk and honey, or the spiked rosemary lemonade. (Yes, it’s licensed, and the cocktails are good.) nourishkitchen.ca
Part and Parcel
Counter-service restaurants might be the new “in” thing, but if the food ain’t good, people won’t come for any price. No worries at Part and Parcel, a bright, airy space in Quadra Village that offers sandwiches, soups and sundry other dishes infused with European and Middle Eastern flavours. Kamut-crusted fried chicken is otherworldly delicious, served on bread from Fry’s, a local organic bakery that mills its own flour. A salad of charred turnips, pear and smoked duck heart is odd to the ear but heaven to the palate. Moroccan fries with ras el hanout are perfect for nibbling along with a craft beer or cider. partandparcel.ca
Fairmont Empress
The storied Bengal Lounge, with its oodles of Benares brass and palm fronds, might be a thing of the past, but the classic afternoon tea service, served on china imprinted with the royal insignia, lives on. What speaks more to Canadiana in Victoria than that most classic of British pastimes? At the Empress, the service begins with a bound book that contains glassed-in wooden cubbies showcasing the different looseleaf teas available. The classic scones and sandwiches are made to order, and strawberry preserves are infused with lavender from the rooftop gardens. Don’t miss the Empress cake (a favourite of HM the Q), studded with nuts and raisins. fairmont.com/empress-victoria
Getting There
BC Ferries offers round trips almost every hour on the hour between Greater Vancouver and Victoria. Even better, it offers travel packages that include discounted hotel rates and sightseeing options.
1-888-223-3779, bcferries.com
Accommodations
The Fairmont Empress Hotel is located on the Inner Harbour and has recently renovated most of its rooms. (The added air conditioning will be a godsend in summer.) If you’re looking for exceptional service and fantastic beds, this is the place to stay. fairmont.com/empress-victoria
For more information on where to stay and eat in Victoria, visit tourismvictoria.com.
Anya Levykh is a food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
