YAM magazine Jul/Aug 2023

ISSUE 85 JUL/AUG 2023

yammagazine.com

2023

WINNER

Restaurant of the Year Page 40

FOOD+DRINK

The all-electric EQE SUV and EQE Sedan.

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©2023 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. 2023 EQE Sedan shown above for illustration purposes only. [1] All electric range up to 418km is based on the 2023 EQE 350 4MATIC Sedan. Range based on optimal driving conditions and will vary based on environment, temperature, and battery age. [2] Fast charging time of 32 minutes is based on the 2023 EQE 350 4MATIC Sedan utilizing a DC fast charging station with 500 amps. Please see Three Point Motors or Mercedes-Benz Nanaimo for complete details. Three Point Motors DL9818 #30817. Mercedes-Benz Nanaimo DL9808 #30818

and natural fibres for an effortless lifestyle

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W W W.G L A M A N D FA M E .C O M

Our biggest event ever — for the whole month of July

SA L E

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Audi Victoria A Division of GAIN Group 2929 Douglas Street, Victoria | 250.590.5849 | audivictoria.com * Battery charged from 10% to 80% at a public DC fast charger See Audi Victoria for details. “Audi”,”e-tron”, & the four rings emblem are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. ©2023 Audi Canada. DL4991427 #31246

CO N T E N T S ON THE COVER

Restaurant of the Year

10 EDITOR’S LETTER 13 HERE + NOW

PAGE

38

Best Restaurants 2023 YAM’s annual awards celebrate our local culinary heroes and all the delicious things they are cooking up. By Cinda Chavich

20 IN PERSON

RAD founder Tanelle Bolt’s radical mission to make the world accessible to everyone.

By David Lennam

24

92

All Fired Up

Beautiful

Cooking is just better outside — especially if you follow our handy guide to outdoor kitchens.

How Pacific FC stole our hearts and made us fall in love with The Beautiful Game.

By Nessa Pullman

By Joanne Sasvari

80

6

Chickens for the commitmentphobe; dopamine dressing for sunny days; a whisky trail worth a dram; luxe patio chairs; the thrills and spills of roller derby; pup-up parks; Victoria’s poets laureate; Tastes + Trends.

98

Go Big & Go Home

Smarty Plants

Make your next party a breeze by pre-batching your cocktails.

We show you how.

Not just a pretty flower: The clever orchid inspires passion and obsession.

By Joanne Sasvari

By Wendy McLellan

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023

30 LIFE AT HOME

How one family built caring for their child’s illness into the transformation of a 1912 home.

By Danielle Pope

86 STYLE WATCH

Stay cool by the seashore in bright white linen and sleek swimwear.

Styled by Janine Metcalfe

104 SCENE

Record store meets concert venue at Michael Cline’s Vinyl Envy.

By David Lennam

106 PERSPECTIVE

Look closer: It’s the sweetest time of year — fig season.

By Joanne Sasvari

Unwind in the comforts of sidney's coastal charm Situated at the shore of the Salish Sea, Sidney’s historic and vibrant downtown district is the heart of the Saanich Peninsula. Locally owned storefronts, coffee shops, eateries, and more offer unique and memorable opportunities year round.

Visit ExploreSidney.ca to plan your visit today

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES »

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C O N D O S & TO W N H O M E S »

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BEDS: 1 BATHS: 1 591 SQ.FT.

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BEDS: 5 BATHS: 5 5,377 SQ.FT. 0.26 ACRES

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The Wildman Group 250.893.9976

MacLeod Group

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S I N G L E FA M I LY H O M E S » N EW L I ST IN G

$1,750,000 231 Heddle Avenue, View Royal

$1,720,000 199 Marine Drive, Cobble Hill

$1,499,000 973 Runnymede Place, Oak Bay

BEDS: 5 BATHS: 5 2,913 SQ.FT. 0.26 ACRES

BEDS: 2+1 BATHS: 3 3,142 SQ.FT. 0.18 ACRES

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S I N G L E FA M I LY H O M E S »

« S I N G L E FA M I LY H O M E S J UST SO L D

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$799,900 419-68 Songhees Road, Victoria

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$699,000 9855 Cedar Street, Chemainus

BEDS: 3 BATHS: 3 2,012 SQ.FT. 0.15 ACRES

BEDS: 1 BATHS: 2 852 SQ.FT.

BEDS: 3 BATHS: 3 1,356 SQ.FT. 0.13 ACRES

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Victoria 250.380.3933

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Anna Sterloff

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Brad Maclaren

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250.514.6457

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Vancouver 604.632.3300

Christine Ryan

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West Vancouver 604.922.6995

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White Rock 604.385.1840

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Move Beyond Your Expectations 7801 WEST COAST ROAD, SOOKE 2264 MARKINCH PLACE, SIDNEY

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2.06 ACRE WATERFRONT LOT

BEDS: 4 BATHS: 4 4,133 SQ.FT. 4.99 ACRES

BEDS: 4 BATHS: 5 6,009 SQ.FT. 6.50 ACRES

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Victoria Luxury Group 250.881.3601

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$1,495,000 8519 West Coast Road, Sooke

$799,000 1215 Starlight Grove, Sooke

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BEDS: 1 BATHS: 1 537 SQ.FT. 1.18 ACRES

1.10 ACRE LOT

BEDS: 1 BATHS: 1 882 SQ.FT.

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The Wildman Group 250.818.2006

Simona Stramaccioni 250.744.6411

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« S I N G L E FA M I LY H O M E S NEW LI ST I N G

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$2,199,000 1713 Falcon Heights Road, Langford BEDS: 3 BATHS: 2 2,249 SQ.FT. 250.732.2267

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« S I N G L E FA M I LY H O M E S IN T RO DUC IN G

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EDITOR'S LETTER

On today’s menu?

Gratitude.

W JOIN OUR

TEAM

Turn your passion into a profession as an Expedia Cruises Vacation Consultant

hat makes a restaurant great? For a long time, it was white tablecloths, a French-ish menu, formal service and a cellar packed with Old World wines. But that’s not really the way we dine any more, especially not here in Victoria.

True, everyone has their own idea of what a great restaurant is. A young family will surely be seeking something different than an older couple celebrating a landmark anniversary or a business person on a work trip. But there are some things we always value, whether that restaurant is a grand hotel dining room or a food truck: attentive service, quality ingredients, a welcoming space and, perhaps, an exciting wine, beer or cocktail list.

First and foremost, though, a great restaurant needs a great chef. That doesn’t necessarily mean one who tweezers every dish to death like Ralph Fiennes and his tormented minions do in The Menu. The best chefs have a clear vision about what they are cooking. They will put as much effort into a smashburger as they would chateaubriand. They care passionately about where their ingredients come from and they care even more about the people who work with them.

All of which is to say that this issue of YAM is filled with great chefs and great restaurants for you to savour. Our annual Best Restaurant Awards round up the finest places to dine in Greater Victoria, from Sooke to Swartz Bay, selected by our fully independent panel of judges. It’s an exceptional selection for sure, and we hope you use this issue to fill your calendar with some terrific dining in the weeks and months ahead.

It’s not just that Victoria has a particularly robust restaurant scene, although it does. We also understand keenly just how hard it has been these past few years for the industry, and how difficult it continues to be. Every day, we are grateful that chefs are still feeding us, that foragers are showing up at their kitchen doors with buckets of wild mushrooms, that fishers are plucking prawns and crabs from the ocean around us, that sommeliers are choosing wines that delight our palates, that servers are bringing us plates brimming with delicious things that we don’t have to cook ourselves.

And while we sincerely congratulate the winners, the YAM Best Restaurant Awards are also a celebration of the entire industry, a recognition of everyone who has survived and thrived despite the challenges of the last few years.

Now, go eat!

Calling all TRAVEL ENTREPRENEURS!

Joanne Sasvari, Editor in Chief editor@yammagazine.com

An Elegant Nightcap

Call Heather at 250.656.5441

VICTORIA

Call Jeremy at 250.381.7447

10

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023

FAIRMONT EMPRESS

SIDNEY

Raise a glass (or pinkie) to the new Sunset Sips experience at the Fairmont Empress. At 8 p.m. nightly, the tea lobby transforms into a gorgeous cocktail lounge, with tea-inspired cocktails, elevated snacks and that incredible Inner Harbour view. It’s a perfect place to end your summer evening.

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P I V I TA L . C A

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri EDITOR IN CHIEF Joanne Sasvari DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTANT Amanda Wilson LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Caroline Segonnes MARKETING COORDINATOR Claire Villaraza ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Lauren Ingle EDITORIAL INTERN Liam Razzell ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Deana Brown, Will Gillis, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik FASHION EDITOR Janine Metcalfe CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cinda Chavich, David Lennam, Wendy McLellan, Danielle Pope, Nessa Pullman PROOFREADER Lionel Wild CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kevin Light, Michelle Proctor CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 16, 18, 24; Living4Media p. 28; StockFood p. 81; Stocksy p. 13, 18, 39, 82, 84, 106 GENERAL INQUIRIES info@yammagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@yammagazine.com TO SUBSCRIBE TO YAM subscriptions@yammagazine.com

WELL MADE, BEAUTIFUL, FUNCTIONAL

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES sales@yammagazine.com ONLINE yammagazine.com INSTAGRAM @yam_magazine FACEBOOK facebook.com/YAMmagazine TWITTER twitter.com/YAMmagazine ON THE COVER Roasted lingcod, hakurei turnips and greens at Wild Mountain Food + Drink.

Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet.

Published by PAGE ONE PUBLISHING 580 Ardersier Road, Victoria, B.C. V8Z 1C7 T 250-595-7243 info@pageonepublishing.ca pageonepublishing.ca Printed in British Columbia by Mitchell Press.

Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Page One Publishing Inc. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement, and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in all or part, in any form — printed or electronic — without the express permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #41295544

ADVERTISE IN YAM MAGAZINE YAM is Victoria’s lifestyle magazine, connecting readers to the distinctive lifestyle and authentic luxury of the West Coast.

For advertising info, please call 250-595-7243 or email sales@yammagazine.com.

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12

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023

BC

HERE + NOW

TRYING THE COOP Want backyard chickens but can’t commit to ownership?

Rent ‘em instead.

JUSTIN MULLET/STOCKSY

Chickens are cheerful to have around. But mostly people like their eggs. “They want to have a healthier food source,” says Kate Fraser, co-owner of Bees Please Farm. “There’s a lot of concern about how chickens are treated and the source of supermarket eggs.” That’s why, for the past eight years, she’s worked with Rent the Chicken, a North America-wide organization that sets people up with a coop, feed, gear and two to four hens that they can rent from April to September. Still debating?

Fraser will care for your chooks if you go on holiday and promises to let them retire on her farm when they get old. “Chickens are so simple,” she says. “I compare them to a cat. All they need is food, water, shelter — and you get eggs.” beespleasefarms.com

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 13

HERE + NOW

Top up Your Dopamine Summertime, and the living is bright, colourful and happy with citrusy hues.

There’s nothing like a splash of citrus to brighten a summer day and that’s as true when it comes to fashion as it is in your poolside cocktail. It’s all about dopamine dressing this season — dopamine being the happiness hormone — and that means all the cheery hues of pink, yellow, orange and green, best worn with a touch of whimsy.

That could mean, clockwise from top left: a pretty floral top from Vancouver-based Beaton Linen; the beachy “Sunscreening My Calls” from OPI’s collection of nail colours in bright pastels; John Fluevog’s jaunty Bridget sandals; Theo Swaai Stel’s trendy take on tortoiseshell at Goo Goo Goggles; or a lemony raffia handbag from Kate Spade.

NORTHWEST BY THE DRAM A new whisky trail introduces visitors to top distilleries in Washington, Oregon and B.C.

W SHELTER POINT DISTILLERY

e’ll take any excuse for a road trip around the Pacific Northwest.

But meandering through scenic countryside, stopping occasionally to sample local craft whiskies, might just be the best reason ever to hit the highway. (Just don’t drink and drive.)

It was Victoria’s own Graeme Macaloney, CEO and whisky maker at Macaloney’s Island Distillery, who came up with the idea for the selfguided Northwest Whiskey Trail. “Our goal is to showcase the incredible distilleries and whiskies found in the Pacific Northwest, and to provide a fun, educational and memorable experience for visitors,” Macaloney says.

The first of its kind to cross an international border, the trail visits seven distilleries, each with its own character, history and barrels of awards, from Shelter Point in Campbell River to Westward Whiskey in Portland, Oregon, with stops in North Vancouver, Cowichan, Victoria and Seattle. There’s a map to guide you, a passport to track your journey and even a special etched Glencairn glass for those who’ve completed the trail. northwestwhiskeytrail.com

14

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023

TAKE A CHIC SEAT

THRILLS & SPILLS Victoria’s Eves of Destruction hit the track in fast-paced, hard-hitting matches.

By Liam Razzell

T

he first match of the day begins with Victoria’s Daisy Pushers and Marysville’s Grave Danger in a frenzied scramble to block opposing players, known as jammers, from passing. The players skate at breakneck speed, ramming opponents with their shoulders and elbows, linking arms to create walls, sending opponents sprawling with thunderous hits. Eventually, a jammer barrels through, earning their team points. Roller derby is all about speed and action, and that’s the sport’s draw.

Are you still struggling with those impossible-to-open IKEA folding bistro chairs? Baring your shins to the unravelling strands of an ancient wicker sectional? Perched precariously on a dodgy plastic Adirondack?

If you are, make this the year to invest in some truly beautiful, long-wearing patio furniture. Think: powder-coated aluminum frames, weather-resistant cushions and elegant contemporary design.

Here at YAM, we’re smitten with the sleek mid-century-inspired Bolano Club Chair at PatioBAY. It’s made by Vancouver-based Ratana, known for their luxury patio furniture, and is part of a bigger collection that includes sofas and various tables. It’s also endlessly customizable with cushions that come in more than 100 different Sunbrella fabrics.

Best of all, because it’s made in Vancouver, you can have it on your patio in just a few days, all ready to impress your friends, or at least seat them comfortably. patiobay.com

ASHLEY WIRTH

Up your patio game this summer with luxurious new furniture.

Roller derby can be traced back to the roller-skating endurance races of the 1880s and marathons of the 1930s.

Since then, the sport has seen waves of popularity, with its most recent renaissance started by women in the early 2000s. Today, 427 teams of female and female-identifying players on six continents are members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, the sport’s governing body, including Victoria’s league, the Eves of Destruction.

The Eves are the successors to the Dead City Rollers, who got derby rolling in this city in 2006. Back then, they skated in parking lots; today the Eves of Destruction practise weekly at the Archie Browning

Margarita Villains vs.

Grunge City Rollers

Sports Centre in Esquimalt.

The Eves league is a non-profit organization that comprises six teams that compete across Canada and internationally: Belles of the Brawl, Daisy Pushers, Margarita Villains, The A-Team, The Hard Cores and The Rotten Apples.

They play in 30-minute halves on an oval flat-track.

Two teams field five players at a time in two-minute “jams.”

The scoring player — called a jammer — earns points by skating and checking their way past opponents known as blockers. Teammates fluidly shift from playing offence to defence and back again, depending on circumstance.

This unpredictability is part of why roller derby is

such a thrill to watch.

Players’ personalities shine on the track. While some focus entirely on the game, others wave and smile at fans to amplify enthusiasm. Players refer to themselves using nicknames like Natural Born Spiller or The Wife of Wrath.

In this way, they transform into bigger, badder versions of themselves, and that’s part of the spectacle.

Unlike most stadium sports, a $15 ticket will buy you a seat two metres from the action.

You see players’ determination seconds before they ram opponents. You hear their excited voices. You feel their joy when they’ve made a great play. And that’s $15 well spent. evesofdetructionrollerderby.com

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 15

HERE + NOW

Meet our new poets laureate These wordsmiths are capturing the city’s soul in verse.

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

T

he aptly named Marie Metaphor Specht is a published spoken word poet who performs at live poetry events and works with artists across a range of media. Eva Haas, originally from Newfoundland, is a writer, poet and UVic student whose work has been published in the university’s undergraduate literary journal, This Side of West.

They’re also Victoria’s new Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate, respectively, tasked with honouring, celebrating and reflecting the city through poetry for the next two years.

The laureates will organize public poetry events, collaborate with local writers and give community readings, while furthering their own work.

After all, says Specht, “Poetry is a way of reaching towards each other; of closing the spaces between us.”

Eva Haas (left) and Marie Metaphor Specht

MODEN MEETS MENSWEAR

We’ve expanded from ladieswear to lingerie and have now opened a third location offering elevated every day apparel for him. Visit us at 9813 Third St. or online to shop our styles now.

Moden Boutique & Moden Essentials

2418-2416 Beacon Ave. www.modenboutique.com @boutiquemoden

16

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023

Moden Men’s

9813 Third St. www.modenmens.com @modenmens

Pup-up Parks Your furbabies deserve to have fun in the sun this summer, too.

S

tart planning some doggy play dates.

Saanich has once again opened its popup dog parks, just in time for summer socializing for pet and owner alike. The pop-ups — or shall we say, pup-ups? — are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Hyacinth, Lambrick and Rudd parks. The parks were introduced in 2021 as a COVID initiative, but have proven so popular they seem to be here to stay during the summer months. Visiting dogs should be healthy and vaccinated, outfitted with collars and their human’s contact info, and able to play nicely with others. That goes for you, too — don’t forget the waste bags!

Contest Alert!

Enter to WIN DINNER at your favourite restaurant!

A Delicious Giveaway In this issue of YAM, we’re celebrating Victoria’s dynamic dining scene, and we want to share the goodies with you.

We know you have your own cherished place to dine, whether it’s the casual bistro down the street, the cozy café you like for brunch or the fancy place you go for special occasions.

We want to hear all about it, so enter below and tell us about the Victoria restaurant you love the best.

One lucky winner will win a $300 gift card to their favourite restaurant — and it might just be you.

To enter, scan the QR code or visit yammagazine.com.

Contest closes August 28. Good luck!

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 17

HERE + NOW TASTES + TRENDS

By Cinda Chavich

NEW CANS FOR THE COOLER This summer, enjoy thirst-quenching fizz without the buzz, thanks to these local producers.

MARIANA IBANEZ/STOCKSY

O

n a sunny afternoon, nothing beats a cool one on the patio or at the campground. Now you can have your hoppy IPA or craft cider and skip the alcohol this summer with some killer craft bevvies from local makers and retailers.

At the Fernwood General Store, the fridge is filled with soft selections, including the latest alcohol-free options from local Moon Under Water Brewery and Valley Cider Co. Dry Side of the Moon nonalcoholic Pilsner and IPA, both made with Island-grown malted barley, come with loads of craft character.

If bubbles are more your style, Valley Cider Co. has designed some nice NA choices. Their Modern Sparkle fizzy waters have no sugar, calories or alcohol, but come in flavours like Blackberry Gin, Mango Vino and Rum Cola. And their Modern Soda, an adult soft cider collection, includes Love Potion, flavoured with rose petals,

The Bivalve Bible Consider the oyster — wild or cultivated West Coast bivalves — and pick up Heaven on the Half Shell: The Story of the Oyster in the Pacific Northwest for a great summer read.

In this deep dive into the history of the West Coast oyster industry, science writers David George Gordon, Samantha Larson and MaryAnn Barron Wagner cover the oyster from every angle. And whether you’re interested in the Indigenous shellfish traditions, pioneers of oyster aquaculture, coastal ecosystems or just want a great mignonette recipe, it’s all here, along with wonderful historic photos.

First published by the Washington Sea Grant marine research institute in Seattle, the book focuses on the oyster industry in Puget Sound, but it’s filled with information, history and recipes relevant to oyster lovers on both sides of the border.

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lavender and damiana; Hoppity, made with Crystal hops; and Citrus Soda with essences of grapefruit, lemon and bitter orange.

Spinnakers has a line of flavoured sparkling mineral waters, drawn from their own underground aquifer, and two premium quinine-forward tonic waters (one dyed purple with pea flowers) to mix or drink solo. Or try the zero-calorie and sugar OPUS canned cocktails — Peach Bellini, Aperitivo Spritz or G&T — all from Liquid Intelligence in Vancouver.

Other city retailers are boosting their NA selections, too. Check out the shelves at The Market Garden, Cold Comfort ice cream shop and Charelli’s deli. Or try SofterDrink.ca, a Victoria-based online store with a variety of unique nonalcoholic drinks, including dealcoholized wines and bitter amarobased Italian sodas, for pickup or free delivery throughout Greater Victoria.

Stuff in Jars When you need a break in the scratch cooking department, it’s always great to know that there’s a chef out there who’s got your back. And whether you’re chillin’ at home or at the cottage or campsite, there are some local products that make summertime living infinitely easier.

Start with sauces from chef Castro Boateng at HOB Fine Foods, including his Jerk Up and Moroccan Harissa marinades for chicken or other meats for the grill.

For a fancy compound butter to slather on a steak or piece of grilled fish, look for jars of Sam’s Fancy Butters, in flavours ranging from truffle and chive to smoked jalapeño Sam’s Fancy and lime, even sweet Truffle & cinnamon, fig and brown Chive Butter sugar butter.

Chef Zachary Kenneth of Elk & Tide catering is serious about sauces and dips, too — whether his garlicky Parmesan sauce, Asian sesame steak sauce or craft cola BBQ sauce.

Another chef putting his magic into jars is Michael Williams of Urban Forage. Visit his market and café in The Atrium downtown to grab a jar of his Spinnakers Root Beer Chipotle BBQ, ancho chili, turmeric sultana or Southeast Asian sauces and marinades.

It’s all about cutting time, not corners, with these gourmet hacks — so you can soak up more summer!

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Radical Redesign RAD founder Tanelle Bolt is on a mission to make the world accessible to everyone.

By David Lennam | Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet

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IN PERSON

Y

ou’re too pretty to be in a wheelchair.

You’re too fit to be in a wheelchair.

Tanelle Bolt hears it all the time. Sure, the 36-year-old paraplegic is both attractive and in athlete’s shape, but the relentless commentary can be overwhelming.

“You can’t notice that stuff, it’ll drive you mad,” she says.

It’s a challenge to pretend she’s immune to these perceptions: the words, the staring, the uninvited approaches. But since a catastrophic accident nine years ago left her using a wheelchair, Bolt has plugged her electric dynamism into helping others with mobility issues as advocate, consultant and, often, as unsolicited mentor.

“My inbox, my phone … every day. It’s over a full-time job,” she says.

“It’s OK when someone approaches me and my time respectfully … but I don’t have time to have somebody be entitled to my time, my knowledge. I get a lot of, ‘Can you call me right now? I’m having a bad day,’ from some stranger on the other side of the planet.”

And, she adds, that all comes down to an almost complete lack of resources for the mental health and well-being of the disabled, no matter the disability. As she points out, “Nobody in the hospital comes up to you and says, ‘Here is a grief-recovery handbook.’ ” Bolt is frustrated, mostly, by the lack of accessibility wheelchair users are granted.

“I cry, probably, daily. Every time I have to leave the house,” she says. “[People with disabilities] get sick of trying to ask for things that are their rights. So this is how I’ve ended up in the space of consulting and advocacy.”

the lake, get all your stuff in here. If you’re not coming, I’m going by myself.’ ” A ripped and tanned fitness model who would turn heads not just for her appearance, but for derring-do snowboarding, trail running and “everything at the lake,” Bolt was just that: a bolt of electric performance.

She ran her own interior design company, slipped on a tool belt and worked the trades (excavating, concrete work, framing, finishing, drove truck, had her crane operator’s ticket), tended bar, powered up for fitness competitions and threw herself fully into all of it.

“I thought I should ensure that I can do every job that I was managing,” Bolt says. “Otherwise who are you to tell anybody anything? Especially when you look 12 and you’re a girl in a dude’s world. I’m bringing my pink hard hat and I’m doing the job better than you.”

She was hard at it seven days a week before she took one weekend off, went to Port Renfrew and leapt from a bridge. “It was the first weekend I’d had off in the summertime in four years,” she recalls.

“We don’t have to fix all the problems we’ve created right now, but let’s not build any more problems.”

A DREADFUL IMPACT Summer 2014. A 27-year-old Bolt is perched atop the Gordon River Bridge near Avatar Grove, she and two of her pals, 20 metres above the river. She throws off her flip-flops, counts, “One, two, three … go,” and then throws herself off.

Those last words, uttered with nervous energy, turned out to be a countdown, an unwitting lead-in to how her life would be lived from that moment on.

Bolt hit the water, feet first, and felt the feeling depart her body.

Her back was broken in two places, her T5 and T6, as well as her sternum, two ribs and 14 spinous processes, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down.

Before the accident, Bolt was beyond fit and perhaps a few rungs beyond brave. She was a hard-core “recreationer,” as she puts it. “I’d pack my truck full of all the girls in the middle of the week, and drive up-Island. ‘We’re going to

REMOVING BARRIERS

A self-described classic cynic, Bolt speaks very directly, a bit of a sufferno-fools in her voice. “I was cynical before based on assumption and now I’m cynical based on facts,” she says drily. She’s intense, but smiles a lot and doesn’t hide a refreshing sarcasm and humour. Without her sense of humour, she notes, “I’d be grey and negative and down.”

Her attitude has helped her help others.

She founded the non-profit RAD (Recreation Adapted Society), which rents and loans sit skis, surfboards, handcycles, ParaGolfers and other gear that makes the outdoors accessible to those with disabilities across B.C. But this specialized equipment can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which means constant fundraising.

As if that isn’t enough to keep Bolt busy, she also has her own YouTube channel offering pro tips for those in wheelchairs and she’s not lost much of that “recreationer” spirit. She’s the nation’s first female wheelchair bodybuilder, a medal winner in adaptive surfing and was for a while Canada’s only competitive paraplegic golfer.

And now, under her Bolt Ventures initiative, she’s advocating for barrier-free access.

Everywhere.

“We don’t need to redesign the world, but let’s start doing right from now. Let’s stop building barriers into things now. We don’t have to fix all the problems we’ve created right now, but let’s not build any more problems.”

Those barriers can be as innocuous as a sprinkler head set too low, creating a divot in the grass that will abruptly stop a wheelchair and

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As the founder of the non-profit RAD (Recreation Adapted Society), Tanelle Bolt works to get specialized outdoor gear like this handcycle to people with disabilities across B.C.

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dump its user out. They could be doors that have no push-button openers or bathrooms without wide-enough entries or bars to grip onto. A million little things.

“We could go through every building, everything,” she says. “Mobility challenges are simple. If we didn’t build barriers into our infrastructure, mobility challenges wouldn’t be challenges … and they’re simple because they’re visible a lot of the time.”

Every new home should be retrofitted for accessibility, she says. Entire planned neighbourhoods should be universally designed communities.

Bolt suggests that if the able-bodied experienced life in a wheelchair — even for a day — that would result in massive change.

Councillors, engineers, planners and public works staff should spend a day as she does.

“In and out of your vehicle, you have to find parking, you have to open doors, you have to get into a bathroom with your chair, all the way to the toilet. How many times have I peed with the door open in public? More times than I could count. Or beside strangers on airplanes because of turbulence. Barriers are everywhere,” she says.

And if you think this doesn’t affect you, think again. As Bolt points out, “We’re all one circumstance away from disability — and we’re all aging into it.”

Just as we’re ending our chat in a Langford coffee shop, a young woman with a cane and some obvious difficulty walking starts up a conversation with Bolt. As it becomes a long reveal of this woman’s health issues and challenges, Bolt listens, asks questions and offers a bit of advice.

When we’re out on the street, Bolt turns to me.

“That’s every day,” she says. “Put your game face on if you want to leave the house, and smile, and go try to change people’s perspectives.”

Have fun in the kitchen — no matter where you are!

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How to build a luxurious outdoor kitchen perfect for entertaining all summer long — and beyond.

By Nessa Pullman

F

or nearly 800,000 years, human beings caught, prepared and cooked their meals outdoors. Then about 30,000 years ago, the first oven was created (by all accounts, a roasting pit inside a Central European yurt), and so began the progression toward today’s sleek, high-tech, indoor kitchens. These days, the only time most of us cook outdoors is on a camping trip or at a neighbourhood barbecue — unless we join the growing number of people taking the kitchen back outside.

“There’s been an increasing trend towards outdoor spaces,” says Jonathan Craggs, founder of Jonathan Craggs Garden Design. “People are looking to cultivate more outdoor living.”

Having an outdoor kitchen is the best way to get the most out of the warm summer months. But it has uses beyond summer enjoyment, whether it’s hosting friends and family in a larger space or cooking elaborate meals with rich aromas and not worrying about lingering smells. Not only is getting outside beneficial to your health, it allows more room for people to gather, talk and play — and it creates an optimal setting for skipping the expensive vacation and entertaining at home.

“People always tend to gather around the kitchen,” says Mike De Palma, founder and CEO of Flintstones Construction. “You might as well be outside breathing in fresh air and enjoying the view.”

No matter the reason — or the season — outdoor kitchens provide a space that is functional and enjoyable. Here’s what you need to know to design your own.

BUILD THE BASICS When it comes to building an outdoor kitchen, the first thing to consider is the location. Whether it is attached to the main house or in a pavilion nearby, having it in close proximity to your indoor kitchen is key. “You don’t want to be hauling your food supplies across the entire house to get there,” says De Palma.

Left: An outdoor kitchen allows you to enjoy fresh air and backyard space — with many of the bells and whistles of your regular kitchen, including sink, grill and refrigerator.

Above: A pizza oven is a highly prized add-on.

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This stylish patio kitchen created by Flintstones Construction combines beauty with functionality.

The second is to determine how you want to use the space. “Building an outdoor kitchen is very à la carte,” says De Palma. “There are the basics, and then you build up from there to suit your needs.”

The fundamentals of an outdoor kitchen comprise three things, he says: a barbecue; a sink with counter space; and facilities for garbage and recycling. These items will give you the necessary base to begin cooking your meals outdoors.

However, if you want to use the space as a lively entertainment area or perhaps a luxurious staycation spot, you’ll want to consider adding a few other features.

For instance, in addition to a standard barbecue, there are several other cooking methods that have become popular for outdoor settings. The most familiar is perhaps the pizza oven, which turns homemade pizza night into a fun event for all. There are different types available The sleek Ooni Karu pizza oven depending on your can bake your pie in 60 seconds. needs, including clayAvailable at Wicker Land Patio. dome structures that are favoured for both their efficiency and rustic esthetic. But, Craggs cautions, “People underestimate how big they are. I like to incorporate them into a wall to break down the scale and create a feature.”

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The Big Green Egg not only looks cool, it’s a multipurpose cooker that can grill, smoke and bake, perfect for slow-cooked ribs and juicy pulled pork.

If smoking fish or meat is your hobby, then you may want to add a charcoal or electric smoker to your cooking area. Or consider a Big Green Egg, a stylish and popular all-in-one stand-alone ceramic cooker that can be used to grill, smoke and bake.

If you’d rather keep your space simple, an added countertop power burner is useful for boiling large pots of water for BBQ favourites like corn on the cob or freshly caught crab. Consider mounting a pot filler above to help with filling large pots of water, and install a warming drawer close by to keep food hot until it’s served.

Adding a refrigerator is useful for keeping both food and beverages chilled and safe from contamination.

And, of course, nothing makes a space more hospitable than a wet bar, perhaps with a keg tap to keep those cold beers flowing all summer long. This outdoor bar feature will surely recreate the feeling of being at a resort in a tropical destination, only in the comfort of your own home.

“No matter what you’re doing, being outside encourages a more relaxed and informal atmosphere,” says De Palma.

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FINE-TUNE THE DETAILS Once you’ve decided on the basics, consider the details.

Building an outdoor kitchen requires specific materials to withstand the harsher conditions of wind, rain and sunshine.

“You’ll want to choose strong, durable materials,” says Craggs. “A honed granite or marble countertop will hold up best against the weather.” Concrete, brick and some woods can also provide durability while adding a refined and elegant look.

For the appliances themselves, use highgrade austenitic stainless steel, which has a high resistance to corrosion.

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It’s best to build some sort of shelter over the outdoor kitchen, as in this Philco/ Ryan Hoyt project. That not only protects your appliances, it turns the space into one you can use most of the year. Here the kitchen is adjacent to a sociable place to gather and dine.

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“I always suggest putting a type of shelter over the kitchen for protection,” adds De Palma. “That’s also what allows the space to go from a summer-only event to a six- or nine-month usage.” There are numerous options that vary in coverage; however, having a semi-enclosed glass-and-beam structure will provide the best weatherproofing. If you go this route, make sure that you add a hood fan above the barbecue as it is now a combustible space.

To get the most out of your outdoor kitchen, De Palma suggests incorporating additional features nearby to encourage a more unified living space. “Having somewhere to sit and eat the food afterwards is ideal,” he says. “This could be a formal dining table or even casual bar seating off the kitchen.”

Outdoor light fixtures, including a mix of task and mood lighting, as well as gas heaters, add a warm ambience and comfort to the space when the sun goes down. To take it a step further, create a lounging area with couches and pillows, a firepit and/ or an outdoor-rated TV. Craggs suggests incorporating a pool or hot tub nearby to maximize the luxurious outdoor-living atmosphere.

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The best outdoor kitchens seamlessly combine form and function.

It is said that the kitchen is the heart of any house, so why not apply this to the outdoors as well? “There is something primal about cooking outdoors,” says De Palma. “It makes you feel more connected to nature and, more importantly, to each other.”

GEAR THAT SIZZLES Once you have the basics nailed, make your kitchen your own with stylish and practical accoutrements.

Think: tables, seating, lighting, heaters and, most importantly, cool shade on sweltering days.

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LIFE AT HOME

The Hope Next Door

A neighbourhood move helps one family construct an accessible future for their son.

By Danielle Pope | Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet

I

n 2019, the Hoskins family was navigating the complicated world of travelling back and forth from their home in Oak Bay to Vancouver, where their toddler was receiving treatment at BC Children’s Hospital.

Every time they arrived home, their house — a quirky character building that once had promise — seemed less appropriate for the family. Its steep staircases, inaccessible corners and a small kitchen made at-home care an impossibility.

Still, the Hoskins were dedicated to staying put. Their neighbours had become like family, supporting them with pizza dinners and care for their other two kids on particularly challenging days. This neighbourhood had become their home, even when their home itself no longer made sense.

It was little surprise, then, that when a nearby house went up for sale, the Hoskins’ heads turned.

“We had a quick look at it, but we were sold before opening the door,” says Becs Hoskins. “We could imagine our future there, and we knew it would be better for our son. It would mean, instead of going to Vancouver every week, being at home, with a nurse who could be there for eight-hour infusions. We had the support of our community and we didn’t want to lose our neighbours.”

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When the Hoskins first saw this home in their neighbourhood, they jumped at the opportunity to buy and renovate. The home now offers a safe, wheelchair-appropriate entrance, as well as space to garden and play.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 31

MOVING WITH EASE Simon, a twin, was two years old when he was diagnosed with a rare, progressive genetic disease called Mucopolysaccharidosis type IV (MPS IV), also known as Morquio syndrome.

The disease ultimately causes damage to different parts of the body, from his bones and joints to his eyes, heart and lungs. As yet there is no cure, but life-sustaining treatments slow its progression.

“With twins, a four-year-old, a dog and two working parents, it didn’t seem like life could get any busier. Then we got Simon’s diagnosis and everything sped up,” says Becs.

“We were going to Vancouver once a week and coming home to a house that had stairs everywhere. The steepness just to get inside was ridiculous. To be in our new house was like being in la la land.”

The new home had plenty of charm, but most importantly, it had a functional layout that could allow for some important modifications — specifically, to the lower level.

“We had always liked this house and loved the character of it,” says Trevor Hoskins, a home inspector by profession. “The basement was five feet tall, though, and the foundation was old. We knew we’d have to fix it.”

Fixing the foundation of a 1912-era home is as big a job as it sounds, especially because the family didn’t want to raise the house and add stairs. Instead, they chose to lift the ceilings by digging six feet down, then building the floor up with slab services and insulation to create an eight-foot-tall lower level. The aim was to have an entirely accessible suite, complete with a hospital-grade nursing station, which would mean their son could have a place to thrive both now and down the road.

The interior design team at Bidgood and their construction division Strong Built were engaged to help maximize the floor plan, improve efficiency and create a lasting interior palette for the home.

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Above: The dining area is designed to be a welcoming zone for all family members, and includes seating at appropriate heights as well as a kid-friendly area.

Left: The upper-floor kitchen was also renovated to make the area more spacious for ease of movement and to offer storage that keeps floors clear of clutter.

“When dealing with accessible or adaptable spaces, we always want to think about using design to enhance the independence of the user,” says Christi Rivard, principal design director at Bidgood. “We adopted polished concrete for all the hard flooring needs of the basement to reduce flooring transitions, and ensured we had adequate clearances for ease of moving throughout the space.”

The team added important touches, too, like an expansive bathroom with oversized shower space and accessible mounting heights for hooks and handles.

Just as the pandemic struck and lockdowns froze travel, treatments for Simon could be delivered at home, thanks to a setup that could be accessed by medical staff.

Left and below: The nursing station in the lower level can be easily cleaned to hospitallike standards, making treatments for Simon possible at home. Though he faces weekly infusions, the space is safe, accessible and playful for the time he spends indoors. The family dog keeps watch over the goings-on in this busy location.

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“When dealing with accessible or adaptable spaces, we always want to think about using design to enhance the independence of the user.”

Christi Rivard, Bidgood principal design director

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Clockwise from top left: With accessibility a key factor in the home, the lower-level bathroom was enlarged to include an oversized shower, reachable hooks and handles, and flat, even concrete flooring. The living room, on the upper level, captures a calm and durable connecting space for the family amidst life’s daily challenges. The entry to the lower level features a private entrance and gentle sloping grade to accommodate wheelchair accessibility.

COMPLETE EYE EXAMINATIONS BY

“Simon needs a needle in a port in his chest once a week, and you have to have hospital-like sterilization to access that. You can imagine how unrealistic it would be to do that in a typical family kitchen,” says Becs. “To have a space dedicated to this, that you can clean in less than 20 minutes and you don’t have to push lunch aside, is the best thing we can do for Simon until we find a cure.”

Along with the foundational overhaul, which included earthquake proofing and drainage work, the family renovated the main floor, transforming the space by adding two bedrooms and a bath, modifying the fireplace and kitchen, and creating a functional rec room, office and mechanical workshop.

“It was important to us to bring everything up to modern code,” says Trevor. “There were a lot of changes to the structure of the upper level, including removing stairs completely and moving the stairs to the lower level so there’s a more gradual rise.”

FINDING FLOW With the home sitting at roughly 3,200 square feet, there’s room for future proofing as well, like incorporating a lift when needed. “Eventually” wasn’t the only thing that mattered, however.

The Hoskins wanted to create an outdoor area

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filled with edible gardens and places for the kids to play now. For that, they sought the support of Bianca Bodley, owner and principal designer of Biophilia Design Collective.

“Becs and Trevor were really clear on what they were looking for: a landscape their family could enjoy, pollinator grasses, low-maintenance plants and an edible focus,” says Bodley.

She brought in coastal strawberries, blueberry shrubs and evergreen herbs, as well as raised aluminum planters for chosen veg. The family wanted the street-facing garden to be welcoming to the neighbours, so sightlines were kept open, kid friendly and beautiful. Bodley also created wide pathways around the property, using concrete for wheelchair accessibility, with smooth turns and a meandering feel.

“It was important for the kids to have space to be rambunctious and play and not be overly cautious about where to step, so we made many open areas, with a really cool playhouse that Trevor built,” says Bodley. “Access was top of mind: How are the kids going to move here, or get down there? Flow was a big consideration.”

A low-maintenance green space was a wish-list item for this family. Easy-to-care-for plants, like herbs and grasses, and raised beds for veggies offer everyone a chance to interact with nature.

The playhouse, built by Trevor, made extra room for the kids to be rambunctious together. Meanwhile, the outdoor area was engineered with broad pathways that kept access in mind.

Becs says that today their house is even more functional than they could have imagined. When grandma takes the kids for a few nights, she stays there.

“I think the fact that we live on the same block has made this experience seamless, despite so much change,” says Becs. “It was hard leaving the old place, especially for the kids, but coming home here was like we didn’t miss a beat. Their best friends still live next door, and having that familiarity instead of moving across town means the world to us.”

To learn more about the family and their mission to raise awareness about Simon’s treatment, visit curemps.ca.

PROJECT SUPPORT Designer: Jacques Boisvert, Bidgood Builders: Strong Built Excavators and house lift: Level Lift Engineering: Unisol Engineering Framer (interior): Strong Built Plumbing and mechanical: Oceanview Mechanical Electrician: Titan Electric Light fixtures: Matteo Lighting, Alora Lighting, Liteline Doors and hardware: Weiser Lock Windows: Slegg Building Materials Tile: Centura Tile Countertops: Fir Stone, Vicostone Flooring: Engineered Floors, Edgar and Miner Floor Coverings Landscape design: Biophilia Design Collective Other: D Byrne Construction & Excavating, Red Feather Landscaping and Horticulture

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 37

Best Restaurants It was a year to reset, refresh and rethink. But now that the post-pandemic dust has (mostly) settled, an exciting new culinary scene is emerging in Victoria, and things have never been more delicious. In the following pages, discover the people and places that are making this city such a dynamic place to dine.

2023

By Cinda Chavich | Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet*

W

ith summer upon us and patios again buzzing with diners, it’s time once again to celebrate the city’s top chefs and restaurateurs.

If you can say anything for sure about the restaurant business this past year, it’s that it was in flux, both expanding and contracting to embrace the changing times.

It was a year to re-evaluate and reset, whether personally for chefs and owners or collectively, as the ways of working and dining shifted for us all. There were some casualties, but The Great Pause also gave many creative cooks time to hone their plans, and as a result delicious new concepts burst onto the local scene this year.

Sadly, some fine restaurants closed, while others cut back opening hours and retooled their menus to reflect ongoing issues with food costs and labour shortages. The pool of culinary talent shifted, too, with some of our local chefs moving to other kitchens or setting out on their own. In fact, much of the

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excitement in the city restaurant scene comes from that shuffling of the culinary deck chairs — with several favourite chefs taking on new roles.

Chef Sam Harris is now in charge of the kitchen at Café Brio, while chef Gabe Fayerman Hansen leads the restaurant team at AURA Waterfront Restaurant + Patio. Rock Bay Market has expanded its offerings with evening pop-up dinners thanks to chef Cam Picyk in the house.

Chef Carmen Ingham has returned to the city after four years as executive chef at the Wickaninnish Inn, while chef Kristian Eligh is finally set to open the long-promised restaurant and raw bar from Vancouver’s Toptable Group in downtown Victoria.

And young chefs are designing their own dreams with ambitious new projects — whether it’s Corbin Mathany at Ugly Duckling; power couple Ross Bowles and Tracie Zahavich, co-owners of the awardwinning Fox & Monocle Café; or Matt Jackson, who has given Sidney diners an elegant new French bistro experience at Atelier. Funky end dive arrived, a seafood-forward kitchen and bar led by chef Mat Clarke, the long-time chef at Be

Love. And Jess Taylor of the Wandering Mollusk is wandering no more, with a permanent home for his oyster bar at Shuck Taylor’s.

Haley Landa and Curtis Helm are another powerful force, pastry chefs arriving from Vancouver to open the GoodSide Pastry House, with customers lining up for their addictive almond double-bake croissants and exquisite desserts.

On the fast food side, there’s Yukatsu & Uburger, the new Korean burger joint (in the former Pink Bicycle space) that serves bulgogi and katsu burgers. Good Ovening is offering roasted Korean chicken, for a healthier take on this popular nosh. And at Syriana in Esquimalt, a Syrian refugee family is bringing its authentic cuisine to the community, cooking up everything from savoury hand pies, kibbeh and kebabs to sweet baklava.

It’s been a year of change for the local restaurant business, but as they say, a change is as good as a rest.

So let’s embrace what’s new and celebrate Victoria’s hardworking hospitality industry.

Dine on!

* Unless otherwise noted

SARAH REMINGTON/STOCKSY

It was a year to re-evaluate and reset, whether personally for chefs and owners or collectively, as the ways of working and dining shifted for us all.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 39

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Restaurant of theYear

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WILD MOUNTAIN FOOD + DRINK 1831 Maple Avenue South, Sooke | wildmountaindinners.com

At Wild Mountain Food + Drink in Sooke, husband-and-wife owners chef Oliver Kienast and sommelier Brooke Fader offer beautiful food with a beautiful message.

“Our mission from Day 1 has been to create a local food economy and we have not wavered from that commitment for eight years,” says Fader. “It’s our absolute honour to be able to showcase the best of our region. Year round. No excuses.”

That means you will always enjoy something fresh from the Island when you dine here, whether it’s been foraged or fished nearby, plucked from an Island farm, bottled by a small winemaker or created in their own kitchens. Even the stoneware is made by a Sooke potter.

“Farm to table for real,” is the restaurant’s tagline, and that’s not hyperbole. Ask about any item on their seasonal menu and Fader can tell you where, why and how it’s sourced, from the juicy pork chop from Tom Henry’s farm in Metchosin to the crispy Fanny Bay beach oysters baked in a cornmeal crust (the cornmeal ground at nearby Nootka Rose mill) and presented with pretty cupped leaves of miner’s lettuce in a sauce of wild nettles they foraged themselves.

Whether sourdough bread, charcuterie, ferments or desserts, almost everything is made in house. Fish is sourced from Sooke fishing families.

Even the flour for their pizzas is grown and milled just a few kilometres down the road.

The cozy restaurant sits in a vintage bungalow above the Government Wharf, with much of the space devoted to Kienast’s kitchen. Outside is a little food garden and a massive wood-fired oven, a pandemic project built by local stonemason Martin Swift.

Opposite page: At Wild Mountain, a micro-seasonal dish features spot prawns and asparagus. This page, clockwise from top right: Chef Oliver Kienast dresses seafood fresh from the wood-fired outdoor oven; the menu includes tempting one-bite snacks like these bull kelp crackers topped with albacore tuna crudo; chef Kienast harvests herbs in the garden.

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Left: Oysters fresh from nearby waters.

Right: Chef Oliver Kienast ages and cures his own charcuterie. Below: As sommelier and co-owner, Brooke Fader leads a thoughtfully curated, locally focused beverage program.

There’s always an air of culinary adventure and experimentation here, with Kienast and his long-time sous chef Scott Wood riffing on the local “micro-seasons” as fresh ingredients arrive together, whether it’s spring’s nettles and morels or fall’s quince and honey.

“I’m not the same chef I was 15 years ago,” says Kienast, who started his career with Fader at Sooke Harbour House. He now loves the simplicity of cooking with fire, as well as whole animal butchery, sourdough breads and fermentation. “I’m not trying to manipulate things as much, but rather asking, ‘How do we let the ingredients speak for themselves?’ and let the food sing its song.”

There’s intention at every level here. Fader and Kienast go beyond walking the local talk — they are often leading the walk by volunteering for Slow Food and Slow Fish, supporting “our food sheds and the people who tend them.”

Wild Mountain has become a gathering spot for Sooke locals and a place for destination dining. The hospitality is warm and inclusive, whether you come for a multi-course menu, a cocktail and snack at the bar, or a takeout pizza.

Fader credits her husband and their team for driving the restaurant’s ongoing evolution.

“It is a collaborative working environment which means our capacity and our creativity is limitless,” she says.

Runners-up

Saveur, for its complex and artfully executed plates; and Nowhere *A Restaurant, which features adventurous, ever-changing tasting menus.

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Learn more about our story:

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Chef of theYear ROBERT CASSELS, Saveur 658 Herald Street | saveurrestaurant.ca

Robert Cassels has been setting the standard for beautiful and creative food since he opened Saveur restaurant nearly a decade ago.

Whether it’s his commitment to local farmers, his whimsical tasting menus or his spot-on pandemic pivots, Cassels always reminds us that being the best is doing the best.

“You’ve got to move and adapt, try to stay alive,” he says of the COVID challenges that had him shift away from ambitious tasting menus to casual dining and weekly takeout dinners, designing stylish suspended panels to keep diners safe and building his own streetside patio.

At the same time, he continued to support community causes, including volunteering to help feed people in need, and was named Our Place Society’s 2022 Hungry Hearts champion.

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This page, clockwise from top left: The chef in his kitchen; sausage-stuffed morel mushrooms with asparagus; a creatively sculpted salad. Opposite page: Robert Cassels, chef-owner of Saveur, has pivoted gracefully these past three years while continuing to produce elegantly complex dishes.

“YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE AND ADAPT, TRY TO STAY ALIVE.”

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

It’s all of that, and his stellar skills behind the stove, that impressed our judges.

As one commented: “Rob Cassels is a great chef and creates delightful, interesting modern menus using classical and new techniques — continuing to push the envelope with his à la carte and tasting menus.”

Those tasting menus are back and more popular than ever, with diners again treated to Cassels’ ever-changing, innovative combinations.

“I always have nine or 10 things going in my brain,” he says, describing a mosaic of beef, smoked oysters and pickled sea asparagus, fused naturally with bull kelp, for his next menu.

The busy father of four always has a lot on his plate, but exudes an easygoing optimism.

“Everybody always says that to me — you could be going through the worst time and you’re always smiling,” he chuckles. “I don’t know, maybe food just makes me happy.”

Runners-up

Clark Deutscher, the creative

Endlessly creative, Cassels jokes that he always has “nine or 10 things” going in his brain.

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force behind the tasting menus at Hanks and Nowhere *A Restaurant; and Mat Clarke, formerly of Be Love, for his seafood-forward local menu at the new end dive restaurant and bar.

Congratulations

to all the

YAM Best Restaurant Awards winners!

Whether you're cooking indoors or outdoors this summer, we've got everything you need!

H I L L S I D E , R O YA L O A K , V I E W R O YA L , G O R D O N H E A D A U T O S E R V I C E

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Best New Restaurant UGLY DUCKLING DINING & PROVISIONS 543 Fisgard Street | uglyducklingrestaurant.ca

At Ugly Duckling, the seasonal tasting menu offers nods to the Chinatown location in details like the Chinese sausage crumble atop a fish brandade.

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It’s never easy to open a new restaurant, but when chef Corbin Mathany launched Ugly Duckling this year, he learned it takes much more than great kitchen skills.

Mathany describes himself as “chef, owner, wine director, restaurant manager and occasional dishwasher” at Ugly Duckling, and he could add construction labourer to the list.

“Yes, that’s 200-plus hours of work with a drill, a wire brush and a respirator,” says Mathany, surveying the exposed brick walls that frame the narrow space with its modern, minimalist décor. But reviving this late-1800s building in the heart of Chinatown hits the mark for his ambitious, locally inspired menu.

“We’re calling it an edible celebration of Vancouver Island and a love letter to our Chinatown home,” he says. “We have a remarkable team of very talented individuals bringing the experience to life, but — for now, at least — I’m filling all the managerial positions as a one-man-show.”

And what a lovely show it is.

At Ugly Duckling, Mathany focuses on nose-to-tail cooking with local ingredients and Asian inspiration. His three- and

Chef-owner Corbin Mathany has transformed a neglected space into a charming and delicious dining destination.

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YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

six-course tasting menus take diners on a seasonal journey that’s artfully curated and expertly executed, from the fluffy little loaves of Chinese milk bread with charred scallion butter through the tiny pots of savoury steamed custards, cured albacore tuna with compressed cucumber, halibut napped in miso beurre blanc and housemade squid ink noodle “chow mein” with Manila clams to the tender Parry Bay Sheep Farms lamb loin with lamb shoulder soybean cassoulet.

Chefs arriving tableside to describe their plates, plus thoughtful touches like bamboo steamers of warm hand towels and a sweet ending of housemade fortune cookies, elevate the fine-dining experience.

The Ugly Duckling version of “chow mein” features squid ink noodles, clams and preserved eggs.

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Runners-up

Fox & Monocle, “a hidden gem tucked away in Canoe Cove,” featuring elegant comfort food from top chefs Ross Bowles and Tracie Zahavich; and The Block Kitchen, an outpost of a buzzy, Banff-based cocktail bar with an izakaya-style menu.

Congratulations to all the YAM Best Restaurant Award winners for 2023!

Business Starts Here.

The Business Hub at City Hall Open M – F, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

1 Centennial Square, Victoria 250.361.0629 | bizhub@victoria.ca | victoria.ca/bizhub

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Best Upscale SAVEUR 658 Herald Street | saveurrestaurant.ca Here on the West Coast, there’s a relaxed and approachable side to fine dining, and Saveur embodies that vibe with its stylish décor and innovative, seasonal menus.

Chef/owner Robert Cassels is behind every plate — from the snacks paired with sparkling wine by the glass during the Bubbles and Bites happy hour to his ambitious multi-course tasting menus — and offers diners a new experience each time they visit.

Saveur’s contemporary cuisine melds classic French technique with modern methods and Asian ideas, featuring the week’s freshest ingredients from local farms. The combinations are always surprising and artfully presented, whether it’s pork belly with black garlic jus and sunchoke chips, or shellfish custard with squid ink tuile and yuzu pearls.

At Saveur, elegance and refined culinary skills are served on every plate.

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Runners-up

AURA Waterfront Restaurant + Patio, a destination hotel dining room for beautiful, Asian-inspired dishes and exceptional desserts; and Wind Cries Mary, a popular Bastion Square hideaway to share plates and cocktails with friends.

Best Pub

Canada’s first brew pub is still the place to go for fine beer, casual bites and a warm, friendly atmosphere.

SPINNAKERS 308 Catherine Street | spinnakers.com If a pub could be all things to all people, it’s Spinnakers.

When owner Paul Hadfield opened Spinnakers in 1984, it was Canada’s first craft brew pub. It has since spawned an artisan brewing renaissance on the Island and continues to innovate, now with cask-aged ale, sour beer, cider and even spirits produced on the premises.

Spinnakers is also a popular gastro pub, with a “relentlessly local” pub menu featuring ingredients from Island farms and fishers. It also sells “provisions,” including their own chocolate truffles, artisan bread, house-smoked fish and cocktail kits.

Then there’s the patio and the view. This is the best spot to watch seaplanes land in the harbour and see the legislature lit up at night.

Runners-up

Bartholomew’s Public House, a gastro English pub known for its British beer and gin selection; and The Drake Eatery and Craft Beer Parlour, with 29 taps highlighting local craft beer and locally inspired food.

At AURA, the locally inspired fare is as fine as the Inner Harbour views.

Best Patio AURA WATERFRONT RESTAURANT + PATIO 680 Montreal Street | aurarestaurant.ca Mild maritime weather makes Victoria the perfect patio town and with eased city bylaws, more restaurants offer outdoor dining. But patios with a water view are prime spots and the best patios are purpose built, like the restaurant patio and lush gardens at AURA. With its sweeping views across the harbour, this is a stylish spot for all-day dining, and the shareable, Asian-inspired menu makes AURA’s waterfront deck perfect for a leisurely al fresco meal with friends.

It’s a lovely spot for a sunny lunch, finished with a selection of pastry chef Kimberly Vy’s stunning desserts. Or enjoy a catered event in the chefs’ rooftop food gardens, where exotic fruit trees share space with fresh vegetables and herbs for AURA’s creative cuisine and cocktails.

Runners-up The other local patios that made our judges’ list were CRAFT Beer Market’s marinaside patio at the end of Swift Street (formerly Canoe Brewpub); and the outdoor spaces with harbour views at Spinnakers.

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ss Busine nt eme Achiev

AWAREDR WINN s ployee

6-19 em

Gluten-Free Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa INGREDIENTS: Slaw 3 tbsp Smoky Chipotle Yeshi Dressing ¾ cup cilantro, finely chopped 1 tsp kosher salt 3 cups of shredded cabbage Mango Salsa 1 mango, diced 1 avocado, diced 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp lime juice 2 red chili peppers diced Shrimp 1 ½ lbs of shrimp, large peeled and deveined 1 jalapeño sliced into circles ½ cup of Smoky Chipotle Yeshi Dressing 1 pack of corn tortillas

8 Tacos

20 minutes

8 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS: Step 1 – Slaw To make the slaw, mix shredded cabbage with Smoky Chipotle Yeshi Dressing. Add cilantro and kosher salt, toss to combine.

Step 2 – Salsa To make the mango salsa, combine onion powder, garlic powder, lime juice, chili peppers, mangoes, and avocado. Gently toss to combine.

Step 3 – Shrimp Pat the shrimp dry, then toss with Smoky Chipotle Yeshi and marinade for 10-30 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly charring, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Step 4 – Stuff warmed tortillas with slaw, add mango salsa, top with shrimp and sliced jalapeños. Drizzle with additional Yeshi. Enjoy!

Owners Paul and Barbara Kleinschmidt hadn’t intended for Yeshi to become a national hit; they were simply trying to make gluten-free food taste better! A story that began in the Kleinschmidt’s family kitchen quickly grew to supplying their line of gluten-free dressings to over 700 retailers across Canada. “We couldn’t have imagined it would be so popular when we started this journey in 2017. It’s so exciting to see our community of Yeshi fans grow across the country!”, Barbara shares. Yeshi is now available in five mouth-watering flavours, and the team plans to launch a line of nutritional yeast flakes later this year. The Kleinschmidt’s are also thrilled to share their dressing line-up is now available in a four-litre format for food service! Visit yeshifoods.com to learn more.

JOIN THE YESHI COMMUNITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA @YESHIDRESSING

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Taste of the City

HEAVENLY HANDHELDS Whether it’s a classic sandwich, a burger, a taco or a wrap, handheld food is a city specialty, and these are some of our favourites.

Roast is a popular stop for a meaty porchetta sandwich with pork crackling, while Jones Bar-B-Que is the place to go for a smoky brisket or pulled pork sandwich. At Wheelie’s Motorcycle Café, try the popular rootbeer-braised pulled pork or the Discovery Coffee-rubbed smoky brisket sandwiches.

At Wheelie’s, the brisket sandwich is packed with smoky goodness.

Fol Epi and Working Culture Bread bakeries make artisan breads the star ingredient in their sandwiches. And it’s the fresh housemade pita bread that stars in the falafel sandwiches at Superbaba.

The handheld rolled and grilled tacone at Red Fish, Blue Fish is filled with albacore tuna or tempura cod and crunchy slaw. Authentic nixtamal corn tortillas come with spicy Mexican chicken tinga or beef at MAiiZ. And Benjo’s Tacos serves birria tacos stuffed with braised meats and cheese, then crisped on the flat-top grill.

Burgers from specialists like Big Wheel Burger, Deadbeetz Burgers and Burger Crush also top our handheld list.

And don’t forget your handheld breakfast. The breakfast sandwich on a biscuit at Ruth & Dean is epic, and at Rhino Coffee you can have your all-day breakfast sandwich on their housemade savoury doughnut.

The Golden Benny, topped with dukka sprinkles, is a classic for brunch at Nourish Kitchen & Cafe.

Best Brunch NOURISH KITCHEN & CAFE 225 Quebec Street | nourishkitchen.ca Nourish Kitchen is a culinary landmark in James Bay — the sunny heritage house and kitchen garden a popular place to gather for a healthy and innovative vegetarian bite.

This year, it’s once again the judge’s choice for Best Brunch, thanks to a daytime menu of favourites including their oatmeal Sleeping Beauty Pancakes and Golden Benny with mushrooms, kale and turmeric cashew hollandaise. There’s plenty of vegan fare at Nourish, but you can also add Haus Sausage or Berryman Brothers bacon to the congee, grain bowls and greens, all topped with poached eggs from Lockwood Farm.

A natural and holistic concept, the cafe offers wholesome fare to go, too, whether fresh baked goods, bone broth or pantry staples.

Runners-up Other morning fare favourites include Heron Rock Bistro, serving bennies and breakfast dishes until 3 p.m. daily; and Superflux {Cabana}, for weekend brunch on the stylish rooftop patio, with its own beer selection on tap.

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THE ISLAND’S LOCAL LIGHT LAGER

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Best Happy Hour THE COURTNEY ROOM 619 Courtney Street | thecourtneyroom.com

At Clive’s Classic Lounge, bartender Harry Tham crafts creative cocktails.

For a seriously stylish happy hour, there’s no place quite like a seat at the bar at The Courtney Room in the Magnolia Hotel.

You can enjoy $12 classic cocktails during their happy hour, from 2 to 5 p.m. every day. Pair your drinks — including house brut and local brews — with a curated menu of snacks from chef Brian Tesolin, whether you splash out with fresh oysters and kampachi tartare or nibble the crispy duck-fat-fried Potatoes Courtney.

It’s also a great spot to sip spirits, including their own bartender’s cask whisky from local Stillhead Distillery, showcased in Anton Wilson’s TCR Boulevardier made with Esquimalt Wine Co. vermouth.

A selection of happy hour sips and snacks at The Courtney Room.

Best Cocktail Bar or Lounge CLIVE’S CLASSIC LOUNGE 740 Burdett Avenue | clivesclassiclounge.com Clive’s Classic Lounge in the Chateau Victoria hotel is everything that a classic cocktail bar should be — dark, clubby, comfortable and with a team of brilliant mixologists behind the bar.

It’s one of the city’s original cocktail lounges, where Victorians were first introduced to Shawn Soole, an Aussie import and arguably the guy who birthed our local cocktail culture here. Soole is back at Clive’s, managing a great team of creative young bartenders that continues to win awards, recently listed among Canada’s top 10 bar teams and hotel bars, and named World Whisky Hotel Bar of the Year.

Chef Josh Chilton’s food matches the top-drawer cocktails at Clive’s, from grilled tuna tartare and Roman gnocchi, to charcuterie and cheese boards, and a monthly Supper Club featuring cocktail-paired dinners.

Runners-up For beautiful tropical drinks in a very stylish space, our judges singled out Citrus & Cane. They also love Wind Cries Mary for their creative house cocktails featuring Island spirits.

Runners-up

The Block Kitchen + Bar, for Asian-inspired bites enjoyed with beer and cocktails on tap; and Clive’s Classic Lounge, the dark, clubby lounge offering inspired cocktails and shareable plates during the first and last hour of every day.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 57

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Best Plant Based NOURISH KITCHEN & CAFE 225 Quebec Street | nourishkitchen.ca Vegan cuisine is having a moment, but Hayley Rosenberg led with a creative plant-based menu at Nourish Kitchen long before it was a hot topic.

From breakfast bennies with roasted sweet potatoes, kale and nut milk hollandaise, to hearty salads with nutritional yeast dressing, seedy crackers and cashew cheese, Nourish offers whole food in a sunny and stylish space.

Rosenberg recently sold Nourish to concentrate on her other popular plant-forward restaurant, Charlotte & the Quail, a café set on the edge of a botanical garden in Saanich. Nourish is now in the capable hands of chef/owner Maxime Durand (of Eva Schnitzelhaus and Agrius). Durand is expanding the menu to include dinner service, building on Nourish’s vegetable-forward cuisine and featuring local farm products.

The popular sourdough tartine at Nourish Kitchen.

Runners-up

Be Love, featuring local organic ingredients in its hearty bowls; and MeeT on Blanshard, a new Victoria outpost for the Vancouver-based vegetarian comfort-food chain.

Producer of the Year SAANICH ORGANICS 1438 Mount Newton Cross Road, Saanichton | saanichorganics.com Great restaurants need great ingredients, and here on Vancouver Island the farmers at Saanich Organics produce the fresh, organic food featured on many menus.

It’s a unique business — three farmers who came together more than 20 years ago to share the work of marketing the fruits of their labours on their three small organic farms, becoming local food heroes in the process.

Heather Stretch of Northbrook Farm, Robin Tunnicliffe of Sea Bluff Farm and Rachel Fisher of Three Oaks Farm have co-owned Saanich Organics since 2002, and were pioneers in the direct-toconsumer model, offering CSA boxes, farmstands, wholesale vegetable sales to restaurants and retailers, weekly farmers’ markets and an organic seed-supply side to the business.

As these three female farmers note in their book All the Dirt:

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Reflections on Organic Farming — an essential how-to for aspiring growers — they also mentor young farmers and work to protect agricultural land, all essential to ensure our future Island food security, fight climate change, and provide consumers and chefs with tasty organic ingredients.

Starting with just three small farms, these hard-working women now collectively employ 20 people and grow on nine plots in both Saanich and Metchosin, while providing leadership in the local agricultural sector.

Runners-up Other local businesses that are supplying food to our restaurant tables include Foragers Galley, cultivating and collecting an array of gourmet mushrooms; and MAiiZ Nixtamal, its traditional Mexican tortillas now served on several city menus.

Saanich Organics co-owner Robin Tunnicliffe helps keep Victoria restaurants stocked with organic produce.

Best European ZAMBRI’S 820 Yates Street | zambris.ca Since opening their restaurant in 1999, siblings Jo and Peter Zambri have been lauded for their Italian cuisine, wine list and hospitality.

Their stylish and lively downtown restaurant is the place for “Italian soul food,” with a contemporary Italian menu that runs the gamut from simple pasta dishes to pizza and elaborate multi-course meals. Executive chef Julia McInnis oversees the kitchen, preparing comforting favourites such as lasagna or tagliatelle with meat sauce, plus seasonal features such as a recent antipasti of housemade sausage wrapped in local chard with arrabiata sauce and rabbit cacciatore on polenta with fresh oyster mushrooms.

An active community supporter and industry leader, Zambri’s is also a carbonneutral establishment.

Modern Italian fare is on the menu at Zambri’s.

Runners-up

Marc Morrison’s Brasserie L’Ecole, with its French country cooking, big Belgian beer selection and affordable French wine list; and the wide array of authentic specialities from family-friendly Ithaka Greek Restaurant.

Taste of the City

A BOUNTY OF BAKERIES Victorians are spoiled for choice when it comes to amazing artisan bakers, the kind who grind their own organic grains and bake in wood-fired ovens, laminate buttery croissants and turn out perfect pastries.

Fol Epi, Wildfire and Fry’s bakeries all come from that artisan tradition, using wild yeasts, sourdough starters and traditional slow rises to produce delicious handformed loaves, rye breads and crusty baguettes, plus flaky naturally leavened croissants, sausage rolls and viennoiserie.

Newer arrivals include Working Culture Bread, specializing in naturally leavened sourdoughs, while The Art of Slow Food has perfected the gluten-free sourdough loaf, using a wild yeast levain process and simple organic ingredients.

GoodSide Pastry House excels on the sweet side, turning out perfect individual desserts, innovative cream puffs and double-baked almond croissants that have customers lining up.

Crust Bakery is another top spot for bread and sweet baked goods,

delightful danishes and individual tarts, all displayed for ogling in their downtown shop window.

The Dutch Bakery is a local institution, producing the kind of old-fashioned European cakes, slices and tarts that take you back to your grandmother’s kitchen. And for traditional gingerbread, hearty muffins and savoury meat pies, visit Patisserie Daniel.

Crust Bakery

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STRAIGHT TO THE POINT:

A sanctuary in the middle of it all.

Inn at Laurel Point offers a breathtaking setting on Victoria’s famous Inner Harbour - with an oceanfront walkway connecting you directly to the heart of our capital city. Better still, every room soothes the soul with an ocean view and private balcony. Book now and enjoy it all.

laurelpoint.com | 1.800.663.7667

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Best East Asian NUBO JAPANESE TAPAS 739 Pandora Avenue | nubotapas.com The Nubo Group has the local Japanese and Korean category covered with its two Nubo locations, Nubo Sushi Roll & Roll and E:Ne Raw Food and Sake Bar all spread out along Pandora Avenue downtown.

Nubo Japanese Tapas, with E:Ne next door, is their original base, and Nubo Kitchen + Bar is a few blocks away in the harbourside Janion Building. Nubo has a traditional and Japanese fusion izakaya menu, with fresh takes on sushi, ramen and sashimi, alongside modern cocktails. E:Ne boasts Canada’s largest selection of sake, with Japanese cocktails and small bites. The menu is extensive, but beyond sushi, Nubo is also popular for its tapas and noodle dishes (think kung pao cauliflower or spicy tan tan men) and teishoku set menu lunch.

Nohra Thai owner and chef Phen Bryan in her elegant eatery.

Best South or Southeast Asian NOHRA THAI KITCHEN 2524 Estevan Avenue | nohrathai.com At Nohra Thai Kitchen, owner and chef Phen Bryan has created an exotic and elegant escape in the heart of Estevan Village.

From the rich golden accents in the dining room to the modern Thai menu, she is elevating the classic cuisine of her native Thailand with innovative ideas and Island ingredients.

“In Thailand, food is everything,” says Bryan. Her southern Thai menu brings regulars back for specialties like Thai Dungeness crab cakes and Southern Thai favourites take pad Thai, crispy pork belly laab you on a fragrant journey at salad with fresh mint and crispy Nohra Thai. rice, braised Massaman lamb or short rib curry, and Thai-inspired cocktails.

This is a family business and with husband Joel out front and Phen’s warm, bubbly personality, Nohra is always a welcoming spot.

At Nubo Japanese Tapas, the menu goes far beyond sushi.

Runners-up

Runners-up

noodle bowls.

which features beautiful sashimi platters and layered oju boxes filled with tasty surprises.

Dosa Paragon, a South Indian takeout specializing in crisp masala dosa crêpes, uthappam pancakes and curries; and Green Leaf Vietnamese Bistro, with its three locations for Vietnamese pho and

Uchida Eatery/Shokudo, a Japanese gem with a hyperlocal takeout lunch menu; and the stylish Yua Bistro,

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 61

Celebrate Great Food.

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YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Best West Coast Contemporary WILD MOUNTAIN FOOD + DRINK 1831 Maple Avenue South, Sooke | wildmountaindinners.com Modern West Coast cuisine means creative dishes featuring all of the wonderful ingredients from our farms, fishers and forests.

At Wild Mountain, owners chef Oliver Kienast and sommelier Brooke Fader embody that ethos, buying direct from Island food producers, butchering whole animals and making literally everything in house. Beyond the ever-changing dinner menu featuring fish, seasonal vegetables and wild, foraged foods, there’s takeout pizza and sourdough breads from their outdoor wood-fired oven, house dressings made with honey from the family’s Okanagan farm (bottled for sale), plus various pickles, ferments, housemade charcuterie, gnocchi and pasta.

Runners-up

Casual Part and Parcel with its local, plant-forward fare (from charred broccoli sandwiches to nettle and lamb agnolotti with morels); and The Courtney Room, an elegant bistro celebrating everything Pacific Northwest on the plate and in the glass, whether beautiful breakfasts, seasonal cocktails or winemakers’ dinners.

At Wild Mountain, a Comox Valley steak hot from the woodfired outdoor oven.

Best Middle Eastern or North African YALLA 1011 Blanshard Street | letsgoyalla.ca

The halloumi kale salad at Yalla.

Yalla gets the nod this year as Victoria’s top Middle Eastern restaurant, a casual spot for a punchy palette of flavours from the Levant.

As their tagline says, it’s all about “Middle Eastern Street Eats” and that’s what you’ll find when you visit the small shop for their quick menu. Try the Persian lamb shawarma and crispy brussels sprouts, a crunchy kale salad with fried haloumi or a platter of hummus to share with friends. There are a few seats inside, but Yalla is designed for takeout and nothing beats repairing to a table in sunny Fort Commons, a secret urban oasis behind this collection of historic storefronts at Blanchard and Fort.

Runners-up Superbaba, with

its Lebanese falafel, eggplant and grilled steak wraps, rolled up in fresh housemade pita breads; and

Bold Butchery & Grill, famed for their

Afghan-style chicken shawarma seasoned with 15 herbs and spices.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 63

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Best Latin CHORIZO & CO. 807 Fort Street | chorizoandco.com

The long bar sets the vibe at Chorizo & Co., where co-owner and beloved barman Stephen Quigley shakes up cocktails and offers a running commentary while servers deliver shareable plates of Spanish-inspired comfort food.

That might be a thick slab of charred sourdough topped with white anchovies; a plate of spicy red rice, clams, shrimp and tender Humboldt squid; a rustic bowl of lentil hummus with grilled flatbread; grilled cauliflower; or the big Chorizo burger with fried egg. And behind it all, there’s the noisy buzz of music and laughter.

That’s what makes this bar and casual eatery a magnet for the downtown crowd, says Quigley. “We all love what we do and hopefully that carries through to the guests.”

Runners-up

Benjo’s Tacos, where grilled birria tacos are the specialty; and MAiiZ Nixtamal, with tacos featuring chef Israel Alvarez Molina’s handmade nixtamal tortillas, empanadas and other authentic Mexican fare.

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Chorizo & Co. serves up Spanishinspired dishes and a lively social vibe.

Best Sommelier and/or Wine Program COLIN DAVIDSON, The Courtney Room 619 Courtney Street | thecourtneyroom.com Deeply knowledgeable about wine and skilled in sharing that knowledge, Colin Davidson has both sides of the sommelier coin covered. It’s why the wine director at The Courtney Room tops our Best Sommelier and/or Wine Program list.

Davidson holds an advanced WSET certificate and training from French and Italian wine guilds and oversees the wine program at TCR, with its extensive international wine selection, all impressively displayed in a glassed-in cellar in the dining room.

Whether curating a wine list to complement the modern menu, organizing winemakers’ dinners or helping diners choose a bottle, Davidson is a warm and approachable professional, always keen to introduce wines from small, family-run vineyards and offer his expertise.

At The Courtney Room, sommelier Colin Davidson takes diners on a thrilling wine journey.

Runners-up Cheers to our other favourite spots to wine and dine — Stage Wine Bar, that bohemian French bistro with wine list to match; and Il Terrazzo, with its team of sommeliers and list of more than 1,000 selections.

Best Café or Tea Room FLOURISH BEAUTEA 667 Fort Street, 105–2830 Peatt Road, Langford

At Flourish BeauTea, pretty cakes and tempting teas.

Victoria is known for its traditional afternoon tea culture, but tea in the afternoon at Flourish BeauTea is far from traditional.

Anna Xian and Issac Han designed their pretty tea café around their own unique teaand coffee-based drinks and creamy desserts, featuring fresh fruity and floral flavours. From the popular cold, carbonated fruit teas — think peach-flavoured tea with chopped strawberries and sparkling water — to purple yam lattes and fruity coffee infused with rose buds, their stylish drinks, sold in tall transparent cans, are sweet, low in caffeine and Instagram ready.

“We are always coming up with new ideas, revolutionizing healthy, delicious recipes,” Xian says.

The pair started with pop-ups at malls and markets, then opened their downtown tea café in 2020 and a second location in Langford this year.

Runners-up

Fol Epi’s organic bakery café, with its buttery viennoiserie; and the White Heather Tea Room, serving traditional high tea for 23 years.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 65

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YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

Taste of the City

CHICKEN FROM THE FRYER

Victoria diners love fried chicken and we have plenty of choices.

Jones BarB-Que Big Crunch

Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) is the specialty at local independents like Chicken 649, Thunderbird and Smile Chicken, the crispy chicken tossed in sweet andHaida spicy Gouchie sauces after and it’s fried to perfection. late-night Naomi For Harding noshing, there’s Chimac Korean Fried Chicken & Pub downtown, and the international Korean chicken chain Pelicana now has a location in the city.

Popeyes Louisiana Chicken is another fried chicken franchise that has landed in Victoria. But there are also other locally owned options.

Chicken on the Run on Craigflower Road, an institution for more than 25 years, marinates its chicken for 24 hours, before it’s “broasted” (fried under pressure) until crisp. Jones BarB-Que serves its fried chicken with cornbread, waffles or by the bucket, at two locations.

At Deadbeetz Burgers, the crispy fried chicken strips come with kale Caesar salad or handmade beet, potato and yam chips.

And if you like your fried chicken in a sandwich, some tasty options include the fried chicken burger with bread and butter pickles at the Heron Rock Bistro, or the Kamut Fried Chicken Sandwich with slaw, cilantro and chili garlic mayo at Part and Parcel.

At Zambri’s, the star service team includes, left, longtime server Haida Gouchie and floor manager Naomi Harding.

Outstanding Service ZAMBRI’S 820 Yates Street | zambris.ca Beyond great food, it takes a skilled front-of-house team to make the dining experience special. And that’s what you get at Zambri’s, a stylish Italian eatery with a heart of old-school hospitality.

Co-owner Jo Zambri has long been dedicated to the service side, balancing her brother Peter Zambri’s creative cooking. She personally trains every new hire, ensuring they are welcoming, professional and well-versed in the food and wine menu.

“Peter, Jo and the Zambri’s team are the definition of hospitable,” noted one judge. “They have trained their staff to understand the difference between serving people and taking care of people.”

So hats off to Zambri’s FOH, including general manager Emily Davies (recently taking the reins from Jayme Beaudry), longtime lead server Haida Gouchie, floor manager Naomi Harding and lead bartender Quinn Nurmeste.

Runners-up The judges also love the smart and attentive service from the crew at The Courtney Room; and the warm welcome of the Adamopoulos family at Ithaka Greek Restaurant.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 67

Congratulations to all the YAM Best Restaurant Awards winners!

Irene’s Bakery is a local wholesale bakery that has been serving the needs of the Victoria restaurant scene for almost 40 years. Service is our bread and butter.

info@irenesbakery.ca

|

www.irenesbakery.ca

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

2023 Tastemaker CHEF DAVID MINCEY, The Chocolate Project 1311 Blanshard Street | chocolateproject.ca

YAM’s Tastemaker David Mincey has a new location for his bean-to-bar Chocolate Project.

If you love really good chocolate, you probably already know about local cacao guru David Mincey.

The chef and bean-to-bar aficionado started his Chocolate Project, delving into the wide world of artisan chocolate, when he was still the chef/owner of the late, great Camille’s Restaurant more than 20 years ago. Today he has a new store devoted to the finest artisan chocolate bars in the world — some 300 selections at any given time — arguably the finest retail collection of singleorigin, ethically sourced chocolate bars on the continent.

Mincey is the largest buyer of craft chocolate in Canada and can share the provenance of every one of those bars.

He also offers tastings and workshops to explain the challenges of small-scale cacao producers in a world dominated by global industrial chocolate companies.

In Mincey’s evolution from restaurant owner to chocolate expert, he’s never wavered from his primary goals — to get the best ingredients direct from farm to table while helping small artisan growers thrive, wherever they may be in the food world.

That commitment began in the 1990s, with Mincey’s efforts to connect Victoria chefs with local farmers.

With his wife Paige Robinson and the volunteer help of city chefs, he set up a weekly downtown farmer’s market to sell the fresh produce he collected from 30-plus Island farms. It evolved into the Island Chefs Collaborative, one of the first chef organizations dedicated to sustainable food systems and local agriculture in Canada, and a turning point for Victoria restaurants.

At Camille’s, chef Mincey changed his menu every day, based on what local farmers could provide. Fast forward 40 years, and it’s a legacy that informs all the best menus in Victoria.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2023 69

YAM BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023

About the Judging Every restaurant awards process is slightly different; here is how the YAM Best Restaurant Awards are decided.

First and foremost, the awards are proudly independent. The YAM Best Restaurant Awards are open to establishments in Greater Victoria, from Sooke to Swartz Bay. Restaurateurs do not pay for the awards, nor do they apply to enter, nor are they informed that they are under consideration for an award. In addition, the judges may not vote for any restaurant with which they have a personal or professional affiliation.

Any conflicts of interest are promptly disqualified.

The judges come from different areas of the food community. Some are food writers and bloggers; others work as chefs or sommeliers or in other aspects of the hospitality industry.

In each of the 20 categories, they are asked to nominate their top three candidates.

We crunch the numbers in house, with input from our head judge, YAM’s food writer Cinda Chavich. Sometimes there is a clear winner. Sometimes every judge has a completely different opinion. In that case, we go back for a second round of voting.

Or a third, or fourth, if we need to.

We know that winning a YAM Best Restaurant Award can make a world of difference to a small, independent business, so we take the process very seriously. And we are very grateful to our judges for their time and their thoughtful contributions. Thank you.

The Judges AWARDS FACILITATOR Joanne Sasvari Joanne Sasvari is the editor of YAM magazine and a longtime food, drink and travel writer. Her work appears in Food & Wine, Shondaland, HelloBC.com and the Vancouver Sun, and she is the editor of the drinks publications Vitis and The Alchemist.

She is also the author of several cookbooks, including the IACP finalist Wickaninnish Cookbook, bestselling Island Eats and forthcoming Okanagan Eats (Figure 1 Publishing).

HEAD JUDGE Cinda Chavich YAM’s food writer Cinda Chavich is an award-winning freelance journalist and author whose work has appeared in Cooking Light, Wine Spectator, the Globe and Mail, Canadian Living and Maclean’s.

She produces the TasteReport website and is the author of six cookbooks including the 2016 International Association of Culinary Professionals finalist The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook (TouchWood Editions).

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Castro Boateng

Dallas Harwood

Castro Boateng is the chef and owner of House of Boateng Café, Catering & HOB Fine Foods. YAM’s Chef of the Year in 2019 and 2022, he also made enRoute’s top 35 best new restaurants 2019 and was named one of the best pop-ups of 2022. His café was featured on Food Network’s My Big Bucket List in 2021.

Dallas Harwood is a co-founder and the current operator of @VicFoodGuys on Instagram. He has been helping shine a light on people doing awesome things with food for the last seven years in and around Victoria.

Janine Boom Janine Boom is a local foodie, business owner and the creator of the Instagram account @besteatsvictoria. She has lived in Victoria most of her life, and she loves exploring the local food scene in search of the best eats in town.

Daniela Cubelic Hailed as “Canada’s Queen of Tea” (Globe and Mail), Daniela Cubelic is an accomplished Tea Master and owner of Silk Road Tea. A member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, she is known for her refined palate and superb tea blends, and has collaborated with many local chefs and mixologists over the years.

Don Genova Don Genova is an award-winning freelance writer and broadcaster specializing in food and travel. He has written for the Globe and Mail, National Post, enRoute and many other publications. He is also a cooking instructor and the author of Food Artisans of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, and is working on a second edition.

Madone Pelan Madone Pelan is the general manager of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and part owner of the Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria. She also serves on the BC Hotel Association board of directors, Destination Greater Victoria board of directors and is the chair of the Oak Bay Tourism Committee.

Bonnie Todd Since she launched it in 2012, Bonnie Todd has been the owner of Off The Eaten Track Tours, a foodie walking tour company that showcases her passion for the culinary culture of Victoria and Vancouver Island. She also writes for various local publications including Edible Vancouver Island and the MicCHEK podcast.

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

ALPINA RESTAURANT Experience culinary bliss with a fusion of European flavours and West Coast delights.

N

estled amidst the breathtaking landscape of the Villa Eyrie Resort, Alpina Restaurant is a hidden gem that promises a culinary journey like no other. Led by the brilliant Michelin-star trained executive chef Mario Gross, and his remarkably talented team of chefs, Alpina offers a dining experience that tantalizes the senses and leaves a lasting impression.

Upon entering Alpina, one is immediately captivated by the aweinspiring panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and glistening waters. It’s as if nature itself has conspired with the restaurant to create an atmosphere of tranquility and beauty.

Whether you’re seeking a romantic dinner for two or a delightful brunch with friends, the ambience at Alpina sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience.

What truly sets Alpina apart is chef Mario Gross’s masterful interpretation of European flavours with a unique West Coast twist. Each dish is a testament to his culinary expertise and passion for creating memorable flavours. From the perfectly seared scallops to the succulent braised short ribs, every bite is a symphony of tastes that showcases the finest locally sourced ingredients.

Whether you’re a seafood aficionado or a lover of hearty meats, Alpina’s menu caters to all palates and preferences.

Alpina welcomes guests daily, for breakfast, brunch (Saturday & Sunday), lunch and dinner, starting from 8 a.m.; ensuring that the extraordinary culinary delights of Alpina can be savoured whenever the craving strikes.

This masterful experience is further matched by their impeccable service provided by the attentive and knowledgeable staff, and further enhances the dining experience, making every visit feel like a celebration. It’s no surprise why Alpina Restaurant has

been voted among the top 100 restaurants in Canada and the top 6 in Victoria, B.C. Such accolades are a testament to the dedication and creativity of chef Mario Gross and his inspiring team.

For those seeking a dining experience that marries breathtaking scenery, exquisite cuisine and exceptional service, Alpina Restaurant at Villa Eyrie Resort is an absolute must-visit. It is a place where food becomes art and every meal becomes a treasured memory.

From the perfectly seared scallops to their famous jagerschnitzel, every bite is a symphony of tastes that showcases the finest locally sourced ingredients.

Located just 25 minutes north of Victoria and south of Duncan 600 Ebadora Lane, Malahat | 250-856-0188 | villaeyrie.com | @VillaEyrie

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

FATHOM Seafood-forward delights

T

hough FATHOM’s concept is simple — delicious food made with local ingredients that leave a lasting impression — their dishes are not.

Open since March of this year, their seafoodforward menu reflects head chef Peter Kim’s Korean heritage. With experience at prestigious restaurants in Canada and Australia, Kim’s fascination with and passion for food translates to the plate. “Relentless research for the products we use are what I like to focus on,” says Kim. “We strive to be better than yesterday every day.”

Dinner items include spaghetti vongole made using squid ink pasta and sable fish with kabayaki butter. Top off dinner with blood orange crème brûlée or housemade ice cream. Not too hungry? Starters include chicken karaage, milk buns and beef tartare.

FATHOM offers great drinks, too.

Master sommelier Brad Royale has over two decades of sommelier experience and has won a slew of awards for his wine programs. Whisky expert Adam Bradshaw has 15 years of experience in the whisky industry and is the local ambassador for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Together, along with head bartender Patrick Wood, who has been a bartender at the Hotel Grand Pacific for over a decade, they have created a drinks menu that’s sure to please.

FATHOM’s whisky menu is comprehensive. Cocktails are excitingly creative, like their High Tea cocktail, made using earl grey infused gin, Lillet Blanc, dry orange curacao, lime, bergamot, pineapple and egg white. Wines include Unsworth’s Charme De L’ile sparkling wine and Howling Bluff’s Sauvignon Blanc.

A range of beer and cider options are available, too.

Happy hour is a great time to swing

by FATHOM for appetizers like pacific crab cakes and spicy tuna bites, as well as feature cocktails and beer and wine specials.

Located in the Hotel Grand Pacific’s newly renovated dining room, FATHOM hosts live concerts and experiences, such as whisky tastings and educational events, and are one of the only restaurants in Victoria to accept brunch reservations. Their patio and terrace offer great views to compliment dinner and drinks.

Those interested in hosting a private event can reserve The Mark, a private dining room perfect for business gatherings and celebrations.

Hotel Grand Pacific - Lobby Level, 463 Belleville Street, Victoria, B.C. | fathomvictoria.com | 250-380-4458

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

900° BISTRO & 900° WOOD-FIRED PIZZERIA Authentic wood-fired food and old-world hospitality

900° BISTRO IN SIDNEY 900° Group expands their wood-fired magic to the Saanich Peninsula, opening 900° BiSTRO in Sidney.

“There is so much you can do in a wood-fired oven besides pizza. At 900° BiSTRO, our menu is designed entirely around our wood-fired oven. We are cooking everything from pizzas to pastas to steaks in our woodfired oven,” says owner Adrian Ortiz-Mena.

The extensive menu is complimented by a wine list to match, with a 750-bottle wine cellar and a great selection of wines by the glass.

900° BiSTRO creates a completely immersive dining experience, surrounded by classic bistro décor and oldworld ambience. With only 12 tables, dinner reservations are a must. Book your table now at 900degrees.ca.

900° WOOD-FIRED PIZZERIA IN LANGFORD 900° Wood-Fired Pizzeria in Langford is celebrating its 9-year anniversary. Their success has won them numerous awards for outstanding quality, including Best Thin-Crust Pizza on Vancouver Island by CTV News, Best Take-Out by Eat Magazine, and named as one of the best restaurants in Canada by the prestigious “Where to Eat in Canada” guide.

900° Pizzeria is about as artisan as it gets — using organic Canadian flour to make their hand-rolled dough, organic whole vine-ripened tomatoes to make their sauce, freshly made fior di latte mozzarella cheese, organic vegetables and the highest quality non-GMO artisan meats to top their pizzas, 900° truly takes the meaning of artisan to heart.

Each pizza then completes its journey inside a blazing hot wood-fired oven. 900° Pizzeria also offers N.Y.-style pizzas, which are considerably larger than their original thin-crust pizzas, and are a great value and more than big enough to share.

900° completes the experience with other Italian classics such as Caesar salad, wood-fired seasonal vegetables, Neapolitan meatballs and a great selection of delicious desserts including house made tiramisu and artisan Italian gelato. At 900° Pizzeria, there truly is something for everyone, including a full gluten-free menu with over 35 gluten-free options to choose from, including gluten-free wood-fired pizzas of course!

Open Tues–Sat, 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

2360 Beacon Avenue, Sidney 778-426-7900 | 900degrees.ca

Open 7 days a week, 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

2401-B Millstream Road, Langford 250-590-4493 | 900degrees.ca

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

MAIIZ Taste the process

C

hef Israel Álvarez Molina’s culinary journey from Mexico City to the heart of Victoria has been an adventure driven by a passion for Mexican cuisine and the desire to share its rich heritage. Situated in Victoria’s vibrant Chinatown, MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortilleria & Eatery has quickly become a beloved establishment that celebrates diversity, culture and the art of Mexican cuisine.

Centred around simple, well-executed food sourced from local farms, Álvarez is cooking for the people, and sees his culinary endeavours as more than just Mexican food in Victoria; it’s a movement.

Central to Álvarez’s culinary philosophy is corn, specifically, the nixtamal process that is such an essential part of Mexican culinary heritage. An ancient Mesoamerican technique of processing corn, nixtamalization is an overnight process where corn is broken down and then ground with lava rock to create dough rich in nutritional content.

“Corn is everything in Mexico,” says Álvarez. “Without corn there is no country.”

With 64 unique varieties, each serving different purposes, corn is considered the essence of Mexico. Heirloom varieties offer not only diverse flavours, but also enhanced nutrition with higher levels of antioxidants.

In addition to Mexican techniques, Álvarez aims to highlight British Columbia’s agricultural richness and promote sustainable practices. In collaboration with farmers on the mainland, Álvarez has developed a certified organic corn adapted to thrive in B.C.’s unique climate. He also works with local suppliers to support the growth and expansion of heritage corn on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. By embracing Mexican tradition and local suppliers, Álvarez aims to showcase Mexican cuisine’s true potential by elevating it beyond the stereotype of cheap and fast Taco Tuesdays. Álvarez makes corn tortillas that are not only delicious, but also imbued with the authentic flavours and nutritional value that have defined Mexican cuisine for centuries. MAiiZ’s menu options include mouthwatering beef, chicken, huitlacoche and chapulines (grasshopper) tacos, made with their signature tortillas, then topped with salsa, feta, shredded cabbage and pickled red onion. Or try one of their chicken tinga, mushroom or cheese quesadillas, made using fresh tortillas. Top off lunch with a glass of agua fresca or atole.

MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortilleria & Eatery is not just a restaurant; it’s a celebration of local ingredients and Mexican culture, and serves as a testament to the power of a visionary chef.

540 Fisgard Street | maiiz.ca | 778-433-1544

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

THE COURTNEY ROOM Modern Pacific North West Cuisine

B

orn of the desire to showcase the best of the Pacific Northwest, The Courtney Room has become a culinary destination since its opening in 2018. The menu is ingredient driven and a true celebration of the region’s diverse culinary offerings.

Under the helm of executive chef Brian Tesolin, the kitchen team has forged close partnerships with local farms and a skilled wild food forager. Through these collaborations, they procure exceptional, locally sourced ingredients that infuse each dish with a distinct sense of place.

Chef Tesolin values the relationships with these suppliers, remarking, “We are incredibly fortunate to have such an outstanding variety of local produce at our disposal. Collaborating with our valued farms inspires us to showcase the finest offerings of each season. The commitment of our local partners and the quality of the ingredients they provide

really shows through in the final dish.”

The bar program at The Courtney Room mirrors the ebb and flow of the seasonal menu, with a deep commitment to local craft distilleries and an emphasis on housemade ingredients. Recognized nationally for their skills, the bar team delights with innovative and artful cocktails and an extensive spirits list.

The diverse wine list features more than 300 labels, with selections from recognized classics alongside lesserknown regions and producers, which recently garnered a prestigious Gold award for Wine Program Excellence at Vancouver’s International Wine Festival.

Colin Davidson, the wine program director, explains their approach: “We approach our wine selection with a sense of adventure. We are drawn to quality wines that represent a time and place with a story to tell, and our team is excited to share these stories.”

When asked about The Courtney Room’s signature offerings, food and beverage manager Renée Lauzon finds it challenging to pinpoint just one.

She acknowledges they have become recognized for their brunch, threecourse lunch and Chef’s Tasting Menu, but believes their true distinction lies in the exceptional quality of ingredients received from local suppliers. She adds: “I love watching to see what suppliers bring fresh into our kitchen each day. The way everyone in our industry works together, it truly feels like a community.”

Featuring the best of the region, The Courtney Room provides an elegant space in which to gather at the bar for fresh shucked oysters, unwind with friends over sharing plates and cocktails, or savour the best local ingredients in the Chef’s Tasting Menu.

Breakfast, Lunch, Happy Hour, Dinner — 7 days per week 619 Courtney Street, Victoria, B.C. | thecourtneyroom.com | 250-940-4090

HOUSE OF BOATENG CAFÉ

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

Simply fresh ingredients, delightfully personal service, seriously good food

A

charming café in the heart of Langford, House of Boateng Café is one of Air Canada’s Enroute Magazine’s 35 Best New Restaurants 2019 & YAM magazine’s Best New Restaurant in 2019. The café’s menu is delivered with playful and imaginative flair using Vancouver Island ingredients with an essence of African and Caribbean flavours.

Chef Castro was awarded Chef of the Year by YAM magazine (2019 and 2022) and Eat Magazine (2020).

HOB Café has a bright and modern interior with a touch of vintage charm and two patios.

Our second location, HOB Fine Foods, offers a retail shop and venue that provides year-round catering for special events and weddings, either off or on site. We also offer cooking demonstrations, classes and a venue for private and public events.

House Of Boateng #105–2854 Peatt Road, Langford | 778-432-2233 | houseofboateng.ca HOB Fine Foods 2829 Peatt Road, Langford | 236-475-8063 | hobfinefoods.ca

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

VICTORIA PUBLIC MARKET The best of Victoria in one spot

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ocated in the Hudson building, the Victoria Public Market is a one-stop indoor shopping destination.

With a range of permanent vendors, the Market offers an eclectic mix of goods, including everything from pies and roast meat sandwiches to artisanal pasta and sushi, kitchenware and clothing.

The Market houses day vendors, too, including farmers, chefs and artisans. Food entrepreneurs can develop their businesses and hone their skills in the Market’s community kitchen. With lots of public seating, you can relax, enjoy a coffee or meal, get together with friends and family, connect with colleagues or browse the web using the Market’s free Wi-Fi.

1701 Douglas Street | victoriapublicmarket.com

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FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

ZAMBRI’S Serving Italian soul food since 1999

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ince 1999, Zambri’s has evolved from a simple trattoria-like restaurant into an environmentally conscious, award-winning dining experience. With extraordinary passion and pride, brother and sister team Peter and Jo continue to move forward, enhancing Zambri’s culinary journey.

In 2011, executive chef Julia McInnis took over kitchen management. This spring, Zambri’s partnered with husband and wife team Matias Sallaberry and Emily Davies from South Fire, providing gastronomic experiences crafted by fire.

Together they bring the same fiery passion that embodies Zambri’s. Julia and Matias work together leading kitchen operations, while Emily oversees customer experience as general manager. The fire is just getting started.

820 Yates Street | zambris.ca | info@zambris.ca | 250-360-1171

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

TREETOP TAPAS & GRILL At the Grotto Spa

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reetop Tapas & Grill at the Grotto Spa is home to an experience unlike any other in Canada. Spa guests dine comfortably in their robes and sandals, while overlooking the surrounding forest, as chef James Tripe and his team present a collection of unique tapas plates. Inspired by fresh, local ingredients and blending tradition with innovation, chef James ensures the menu is ever evolving. Expect bold flavours in every bite. Don’t miss the standout crab dish featuring fresh Dungeness crab and watermelon salad with lavender and mint.

Tigh-Na-Mara Resort & Conference Centre 1155 Resort Drive, Parksville | grottospa.com | 250-248-1838

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FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

THE UNION CLUB A new creative force in the kitchen

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he Union Club of British Columbia is honoured to introduce its executive chef, Alexander Amos, who has returned to his Victoria hometown after honing his culinary skills in some of the continent’s greatest restaurants. Among them: Vancouver’s renowned Lumière, DB Bistro and Diva at the Met; Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in Kelowna; and alongside critically acclaimed Daniel Boulud in New York City.

Today chef Amos is the creative force behind the exceptional cuisine at The Union Club of British Columbia, a landmark institution founded in 1879. We are proud to have chef Amos as part of our team.

805 Gordon Street | 250-384-1151 | unionclub.com | membership@unionclub.com

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

AURA Share plates with a view

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pen for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Aura offers creative share-plates sure to spark conversation. Though their menu is internationally inspired, items are made using locally sourced ingredients — some as local as their own kitchen garden. Enjoy Outlandish Seafood Guild Oysters grown and harvested in the Discovery Islands, locally foraged mushrooms and naturally raised striploin and ribeye steaks.

Aura boasts the only restaurant in Victoria with an open-air patio directly overlooking Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Watch boats sail past and seaplanes fade into the distance as you enjoy a glass of cider or beer, a cocktail made using some of B.C.’s best spirits or a glass of red or white from their curated wine list.

Inn at Laurel Point | 680 Montreal Street | aurarestaurant.ca

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FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

PIZZERIA PRIMA STRADA Pizza. People. Passion.

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ore than 15 years ago, two people passionate for pizza founded Pizzeria Prima Strada. They fell in love with Neapolitan pizza and wanted to share it with their family, friends and Vancouver Island community.

What makes pizza from Naples so special? Fresh, simple ingredients, minimal toppings for a balance of flavour, baked in a wood-fired oven at high temperatures to create a crust that is lightly charred, slightly chewy and soft in the centre.

The best pizza, a few cocktails, good wines and beer — Prima Strada is a place for family and friends to gather for a delicious and casual meal. Salute!

Visit us in Victoria and Cowichan Bay | pizzeriaprimastrada.com

FOOD + DRINK PROFILE

EVA SCHNITZELHAUS Fun, casual, German-inspired food

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va Schnitzelhaus, located in Victoria’s historic Chinatown, has been serving to-die-for German fare for nearly two years. Head chef Emile Hudon-Dionne and team offer snacks like housemade pretzels with mustard butter, as well as a variety of mouth-watering schnitzel dishes. Beer lovers rejoice: Eva offers bold and bright brews from Germany and Austria.

Owner Maxime Durand wants people to know that Eva is about more than great food. Says Durand, “Making guests feel like they are cared for is the most important part of the equation,” as they believe creating a great work environment ultimately enhances the experience of both the team and their guests.

509 Fisgard Street | 250-516-5607 | evaschnitzel.com

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GO BIG & GO HOME Make entertaining stylish, sophisticated and oh-so-easy this summer by big-batching your beverages.

By Joanne Sasvari

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MAKE IT YOUR OWN

JENNIFER BLUME/STOCKFOOD

P

lanning a soirée this summer? Me, too. But one thing I’m not planning is getting into a sweat about it. I want to spend my time with my friends, not sweltering in the kitchen or stuck behind the bar. I still want my event to be delicious and memorable, though, and that’s why I’m serving big-batch drinks — and you should, too. Here’s how to do it right.

Every really great party should have a signature cocktail. It’s the best way to get the festivities started — just hand your guests a drink as they walk in the door (or into your backyard) and they will instantly feel welcome. Just as importantly, the right cocktail sets the tone for the event to come.

The only drawback is that cocktails take work. Someone has to make them and it’s not a lot of fun being the one trapped behind the bar when you’d rather be out there mingling with your guests. Sure, you can hire a bartender, which adds a swellegant glam to any event, but as we all know, the hospitality industry is desperately short on staffing, and it’s not so easy finding a pro during summer’s busy season.

That’s where big-batch drinks come in. Scale up your cocktails, prep them ahead of time, and they’ll be ready to serve when your guests arrive.

Not only is a big-batch drink convenient for the host, it’s also arguably the best way to make sure your drinks are consistently well-crafted, properly chilled and perfectly balanced.

Plus you can make things even easier by pouring them into attractive vessels like decanters, pitchers or punch bowls and letting your guests help themselves. Me, I like to serve my guests the first glass, then encourage them to take it from there. It’s a great way to break the ice.

MAKE IT PUNCHY

Big-batching your drinks is arguably the best way to make sure they’re consistently well-crafted, properly chilled and perfectly balanced.

If your event has a theme, it’s easy enough to match it with a drink. Planning a tropicalthemed backyard bash? Then pour your guests a Mai Tai or Jungle Bird. An Italian dinner party? How about an Aperol Spritz or Negroni?

A yacht rock shindig? Well, that just cries out for something nautical like a Sea Breeze, Salty Dog or Dark ’n Stormy.

Don’t feel you have to create something original — classics are classics for a reason, and you really can’t go far wrong with a crowd pleaser like a Margarita or spritz. You can also make a small tweak to a classic and make it something refreshingly new. That Margarita, for instance, could be made with a chili syrup, passionfruit juice or a pop-rocks rim.

Just keep in mind that ice adds dilution to cocktails, so when you scale up a recipe you will also have to add water to get the right balance. In general, plan on about an ounce of water per drink, tasting and adjusting as needed.

Aside from all that, if the weather is hot, choose something refreshing, thirst-quenching and light on booze. Fruity pitcher drinks like sangria are a no-brainer, while highballs like G&Ts and Palomas are easy to customize and perfect for sunny days. Also remember that not everyone will be drinking alcohol, so be sure to offer a nonalcoholic option or something that could be served either with or without booze.

And if you really do want to craft something unique, consider a punch.

Punches date back to the 17th century, brought from the Indian subcontinent to Britain by the sailors of the East India Company. They differ from cocktails in two essential ways. One is that a proper punch has five components (the word “punch” derives from the Hindi word “panch,” which means five): something sweet (sugar, syrup, liqueur), something sour (usually citrus), something strong (spirits), something weak (tea, juice or soda water) and something spicy (bitters, ginger beer, cinnamon sticks). The other is that while a cocktail is designed for one, a punch is always meant for a crowd. (See sidebar for the perfect punch formula.)

A FORMULA FOR PUNCH Here’s a handy little ditty from Barbados explaining what goes into its famous rum punch: One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak.

A dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice.

Serve well chilled with plenty of ice.

Traditionally, that translates to one part fresh lime juice, two parts simple syrup, three parts dark Bajan rum (such as Mount Gay), four parts water, a dash or two of Angostura bitters. Mix and serve over ice in a rocks glass (or in a pitcher or punch bowl), with fresh nutmeg grated on top. Use this as a guide to create your own flavour combinations.

A punch bowl always looks like a party and it also makes life easy for the host.

Consider one like the chicly contemporary Britta Optic 10-piece punch bowl set from Crate & Barrel.

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CAITLIN RILEY/STOCKSY

Whether it’s a punch or any other drink, you can serve it in a vintage decanter, cut crystal punch bowl, simple carafe, rustic-looking drink dispenser or pretty glass pitcher. You can make the base the day before and refrigerate it in a large, sealable jar (handy for shaking it, too). Then just before your guests arrive, transfer it into a serving vessel, add loads of ice and top it with bubbly water or wine. (Note that the more ice you add, the slower the ice will melt.)

Have fun with glassware — depending on what you are serving, you can offer tall glasses for bubbly drinks, rocks glasses for spirit-forward ones, tiki mugs for tropical drinks, coupes if you want to be fancy, even vintage tea cups. You can prep the glasses beforehand with garnishes like salted rims, brandied cherries or lemon twists attached with tiny clips. Or you can add the garnishes to the large vessel — citrus wheels floating in a punch bowl, for instance, or sprigs of mint in a frosty pitcher.

And then raise a glass to yourself for being such a smart, thoughtful host.

JEFF WASSERMAN/STOCKSY

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Two Locations

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1887 Oak Bay Avenue – Victoria 2227 Oak Bay Avenue – Oak Bay

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Savour every sip Take it on your next road trip, as you tackle errands — or just chill in your favourite spot with yournew hydration buddy.

RECIPES

Note: If you are serving a bigger crowd, just double or triple the quantities below.

Big-Batch Pineapple Ginger Margarita Who doesn’t love a Margarita? This version adds ginger spice and sweet pineapple to the classic.

• 1 ½ cups ginger syrup (see recipe below) • 1 ½ cups fresh lime juice (see note) • 1 ½ cups pineapple juice • 3 cups (750 mL bottle) blanco tequila • 1 ½ cups water • Optional: Salt or Tajín Clasico Seasoning for rim (see note)

The Corkcicle Cold Cup XL features triple insulation and a ceramic-coated straw and lid, making it the ideal way to sip in style no matter where thirst strikes.

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Place all ingredients (except salt or Tajín) in a large bowl, jar or pitcher and mix well. Keep chilled, then serve it in rimmed rocks glasses over fresh ice. Makes about 12 servings.

Note: You will need at least a dozen limes — they usually have about an ounce of juice each.

To rim the glass, run a lime wedge around the edge and dip into a saucer of salt or, if you prefer, Tajín.

Ginger Syrup

• 3 cups water • 1 lb ginger root, roughly peeled and sliced into ¼-inch coins • 2 ½ cups sugar • ½ cup honey In a medium saucepan, bring water, ginger, sugar and honey to a simmer over mediumhigh heat, stirring often, until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove immediately from heat, then use a handheld blender to purée. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

Discard the pulp. Syrup will keep, chilled and covered, up to nine days. Makes about 3 cups.

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Summer suits you

Lemon Basil Spritz (Nonalcoholic) Simple and thirst-quenching, this is a terrific starting point for endless variations. You can replace the basil with mint, thyme or lavender, add lemon juice to make it a fizzy lemonade or, if you want to make it boozy, try one of the variations below.

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• 1 cup granulated sugar • 1 cup water • 3 strips lemon peel (without pith) • 3 to 5 large fresh basil leaves • 3 cups (750 mL bottle) chilled soda water (see note) • Garnish: Basil leaves, lemon wheels

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Place sugar and water in a small pot and heat over medium, stirring often, until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat. Add lemon peel and basil leaves, then cover and steep for 30 minutes. Strain. Keep this base chilled until you are ready to serve it.

Pour it into a pitcher and add soda water and ice. Stir gently. If you like, garnish with basil and lemon. Makes 6 servings.

Note: For a boozier take, replace the sparkling water with sparkling wine, or add about ¾ cup of white spirit such as gin, vodka or tequila. Or, to make it into an herbal Tom Collins, reduce the syrup to about ½ cup, then add about ¾ cup fresh lemon juice and ¾ cup gin.

Raspberry Mint Shrub

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(Nonalcoholic) Back in the day, shrubs were also known as drinking vinegars; they still make for a refreshing drink with a pleasantly tart complexity. Note that you will need to start this a day before you plan to serve it.

• 3 cups raspberries, divided (see note) • 2 Tbsp honey • cup apple cider vinegar • 8 mint leaves • 3 cups (750 mL bottle) chilled soda water (see note)

TIKI GLASS: COCKTAILEMPORIUM.COM

Put 2 cups of the raspberries in a large bowl and lightly crush them with a muddler or potato masher. Stir in the honey, then cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, stir in the vinegar, then strain out the seeds and pulp by putting a large mesh sieve over a bowl, pouring the berry mixture into it, and pressing the liquids through with the back of a large spoon. Discard the solids.

Chill the base until you are ready to serve it. Then pour it into a pitcher and stir in the remaining berries, mint leaves and sparkling water. Add plenty of ice and stir gently once again. Makes 6 servings.

Note: You could also use a mix of berries such as blackberries and strawberries. To make this boozy, replace the sparkling water with dry sparkling wine, or add 1 cup of gin.

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A PERFECT PITCHER OF MAI TAIS The tropical classic is seductive and sweet, and a perfect opportunity to pull out your cheesiest tiki glasses.

• 12 oz (1 ½ cups) dark rum, such as Appleton Estate Signature Blend • 3 oz orgeat (almond syrup) • 3 oz freshly squeezed lime juice • 3 oz Cointreau or other triple sec • 6 oz cold water • Garnish: Sprigs of mint Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a large glass jar or pitcher and chill well for several hours. Serve over cracked ice in a rocks glass or tiki mug, and garnish with a sprig of mint. (Slap the mint gently before serving to release its fragrance.) Makes 6 servings.

Immerse. Rejuvenate. Repeat.

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STYLE WATCH Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe Photographer: Michelle Proctor

Crisp & Cool When the sun comes out to play, you should, too. This summer, hit the seaside in beautifully breezy white swimwear and linen separates.

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This page: Bright white Kivas shirt and Ninnes pants

by Part Two, available at Bagheera Boutique. Straw hat by Marc Cain, available at Hughes Clothing. Be cute line sunglasses by sabine be, available at Maycock Eyecare. Shoes stylist’s own.

Opposite page: Coconut one-piece by Left on Friday, available at leftonfriday.com.

Oversized hat stylist’s own.

This page: Alisa dress

by FRNCH, Ghala short necklace by AYRTIGHT, both available at Moden Boutique.

Opposite page: White Wren Mackenzie shirt

by AYRTIGHT available at Moden Boutique.

Coconut Sunday top and Hi Hi bottoms by Left on Friday, available at leftonfriday.com.

This page: Bright white Sonjas blazer and Anna shorts, both by Part Two, available at Bagheera Boutique. Sunday swim suit top in coconut by Left on Friday, available at leftonfriday.com.

Opposite page: Textured long white shirt dress by Purotatto, available at Hughes Clothing.

White belt by Marc Cain, available at Hughes Clothing. Hi Hi bathing suit bottom in coconut

by Left on Friday, available at leftonfriday.com. Grove black sunglasses by Lowercase, available at Maycock Eyecare. Bueno Kale sandals in Tusk, available at Heart and Sole Shoes.

Model: Simran Gill/Lizbell Agency Hair and makeup: Anya Ellis/Lizbell Agency

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BEAUTIFUL How Victoria’s pro soccer team won the hearts of the city it calls home.

By Joanne Sasvari | Photos by Kevin Light*

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“

eorges! Georges! Way to go, Georges!” It’s the very first game of the season, Pacific FC vs. Vancouver FC, and the kids around me are so excited, they’re bouncing around like overinflated soccer balls. Their hero, the defender Georges Mukumbilwa, is right there, only a few metres in front of us, so close you can see his dreads bouncing and his quads flexing and hear his teammates shouting “Go, go!” as he runs, fast as the wind, down the pitch.

The action on the field is thrilling, but the scene in the stands is almost as entertaining. There are fans young and old, male and female, from a multitude of cultures, almost every one of them wearing a purple-and-teal PFC scarf or jersey or ball cap, many of them in the Indigenous formline jersey designed by the artist Maynard Johnny Jr. There are drums and horns and the thunder of people stomping on the bleachers at Starlight Stadium here in Langford. When the ref makes a bad call, the crowd shouts at him in Spanish and Dutch and Portuguese as well as

* Unless otherwise noted.

English. But really, they are all speaking the same language.

That’s the power of soccer, the world’s only truly global sport.

Professional soccer is still new to Victoria, but this city has fallen in love with the team, and the team loves the city right back. “Being able to play professionally in your hometown is a very rare thing and it’s something I’m extremely grateful to do,” says team captain Josh Heard. “At our home games, I look to the crowd to see past coaches, teachers, family and friends and it gives me that extra bit of motivation to perform. Having the support of the soccer community that I grew up in is very special and you can feel it when we play at Starlight Stadium.”

And it’s not just about winning or losing or shiny trophies. “What attracts me to the sport is what you see in the stands,” says Paul Beirne, Pacific FC’s managing director.

When your team plays, he says, there’s a sense of identity, of shared emotion, of human connection that simply doesn’t exist in any other aspect of life. “There’s something metaphysical about it. It gives you goosebumps.”

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GET O T P U E M O S !

N U F

Starlight Stadium in Langford is home to Pacific FC, and a perfect place to while away a summer evening.

GET O UP T ESOM G N I H T !

FU N

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME It’s only human nature to see a ball on the ground and want to kick it, to see how far it can fly.

We’ve been playing some sort of football game since ancient Mesopotamia, when the ball was actually a rock. But the game we know as soccer (or football, futebol or calcio, depending where in the world you are playing it) was born in 1863 when England’s newly formed Football Association wrote down a set of rules for what had, until then, been a sort of “folk football.”

“O jogo bonito,” the legendary Brazilian player Pelé famously called it. The Beautiful Game.

Soccer is as simple as a sport can be: Two teams of 11 players try to manoeuvre a ball into the opposing team’s net, using any part of their body except their hands and arms. No matter where on the planet you are, the rules are the same. It can be played anywhere, from official pitches to streets, gyms, parking lots and beaches, and the only equipment needed is a ball. Even shoes are optional. There is almost no barrier to entry; little wonder then that soccer has become the world’s most popular ball sport.

“Football is the one sport that is everywhere and there is something special about that,” Beirne says.

@CLIMBCRAGX 769 PANDORA AVENUE, VICTORIA BC

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SHELDON MACK

PFC team captain Josh Heard is a hometown hero and role model for an upcoming generation of young players.

Professional soccer’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de Football Association, estimates that about 250 million people around the world play football. FIFA also estimates that 1.5 billion people worldwide watched the 2022 men’s World Cup final between France and Argentina. (Argentina won in a penalty shootout.) And fans should tune in this summer, starting July 20, when the women’s World Cup kicks off in New Zealand and Australia.

Although Canada may still be a hockey country on a pro level, soccer is the country’s largest and fastest growing participatory sport, with nearly a million active participants registered within Canada Soccer’s 1,200 clubs.

As Trisha Lees, the public relations expert for Pacific FC says, “Soccer is doing its own PR.” Now if Beirne and his colleagues have their way, Canada is going to become a serious soccer contender, and that starts in places like Victoria.

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COOL COLOURS In 2018, Canada had a handful of soccer teams, including the Vancouver Whitecaps, members of the cross-border Major League Soccer. But it didn’t have a national league, which meant it didn’t really have a professional path for players to follow. Instead, they pretty much had to leave the country for training and work.

Enter Beirne and the CPL. Beirne had already been involved in launching a couple of major franchises, pro basketball’s Toronto Raptors in 1994 and MLS’s Toronto FC in 2006, when he decided that Canada needed a league of its own. It took him three years to establish the Canadian Premier League; in 2018, he became its founder and first president. The timing couldn’t have been better for an initiative designed to improve homegrown talent — in 2026, the men’s World Cup will be held across North America, including, for the first time, Canada, with games planned for Toronto and Vancouver.

The CPL comprises eight professional men’s teams from Vancouver Island to Halifax. On July 20, 2018, Pacific Football Club became the seventh team to join the CPL. Right from the beginning, the team had an enthusiastic following.

For one thing, fans loved the kit.

The team’s crest features a stylized Douglas fir, split into two segments, with the right side forming the shape of the Island. Its secondary logo is a roundel with trident; hence the nickname the Pacific FC’s crest is designed Tridents. Both to represent Vancouver Island in both form and colour. come in attractive

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“A Word to the Wise”

by Carolyn Houg, 2022 Designers’ Choice, photo by SLR Imaging

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hues of “starfish purple,” “lagoon blue” and “lighthouse white.”

For another thing, the team immediately began working with the community, supporting charities, connecting with schools, reaching out to First Nations, creating partnerships wherever they could.

The games quickly became a place where everyone felt at home, even, or maybe especially, newcomers to Victoria and Canada. “When you come to our games, you see old Victoria for sure, but you also see new Victoria,” Beirne says. After all, he points out, “Canada is a country of immigrants and everyone is from a football-playing country.”

Much of the credit goes to the owners, themselves former soccer players who left Canada to play professionally. Rob Friend, originally from Kelowna, played in Germany’s Bundesliga. Josh Simpson, who grew up on the Island, played in Germany, Turkey and Switzerland. Now they are giving Canadian players the opportunity to stay and play right here at home.

A POSITIVE PLATFORM

The future of the game is in the hands of young fans like the girl who leads chants in the supporters’ end.

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Beirne, who moved to Victoria from Toronto last fall, talks a lot about the outsized platform sports has, about using it to do good and about making Pacific FC a “purpose-driven” club. He talks, most of all, about what they can do for youth. “There’s an ethos in the team from top to bottom for creating a platform for young players,” Beirne says. “People on the Island care about the future and they care about kids, and they are concerned about the future we are leaving them. How do we harness this army to positively affect the future?”

Fans love the formline jersey designed by artist Maynard Johnny Jr.

“THE COMMITMENT TO YOUTH HAS BEEN IN OUR DNA FROM THE BEGINNING.”

Village Engrains

groups in the bleachers at the far side of the stadium, where the Lake Side Buoys and Torcida Organizada Pacifica wave giant flags and sing and bang drums, and a little girl on a megaphone leads chants for the Lakeside Kids.

But they’re not the only ones cheering as midfielder Manny Aparacio appears seemingly out of nowhere to make a shot on goal, or as defender Kunle Dada-Luke slides gracefully across the turf in a determined tackle, or as the goalie, Emil Gazdov, plucks the ball from midair. When Heard walks off the pitch in the last minutes of the game, someone calls out, “Josh Heard, you’re my hero!” and the stands erupt in applause.

Now that really is beautiful.

Vallance Pottery

Paul Beirne, Pacific FC managing director

By the time he joined the club, it had already done a lot of good things, he says. The Maynard Johnny Jr. jersey, for instance, created a link with Indigenous communities and set a standard for inclusion and diversity. That work continues; Johnny is designing another jersey for 2024, and PFC just donated a five-a-side pitch to WSANEC School Board in Brentwood Bay, for the youth of the Tsartlip, Pauquachin, Tseycum and Tsawout Nations.

PFC is also determined to use that outsize platform to help young people be better prepared for a thriving future, both physically and mentally.

“The commitment to youth has been in our DNA from the beginning,” Beirne says. “The difference now is we have a focus. We’re a professional sports organization and everything we do is about physical activity. The more you are outside and running around in the fresh air, the less time you are spending in front of a screen. And that has to be good, right?”

Among their initiatives: working with partners to fund, design and deliver school programs that go beyond the traditional “meet and greet, high five”; hosting theme-driven games that promote inclusivity on, for instance, Pride Night and Orange Shirt Day; partnering with Help Fill A Dream Foundation to support families in need; supporting some 450 kids across Vancouver Island in the Trident Development program; operating the Island Training Centre, home to the VI Wave program comprising six girls’ and six boys’ teams.

“We started strong,” Beirne says, “and we’re just getting started.”

CHEERS AND CHANTS It’s another summer night and it’s a sea of purple and teal here at Starlight Stadium, from the overflowing beer garden to the long, long lineup for mini-doughnuts to the supporters’

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Smarty Plants WHY ORCHID LOVERS ARE OBSESSED WITH THESE EXOTIC BLOOMS.

By Wendy McLellan

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L A N O I S S E F O R P S U R T H G U O R O H T H G U O R O H T L A N O I S S E F O R P

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Nursery owner Bryan Emery’s greenhouse is abundant with the twining roots and colourful blossoms of dozens of different varieties of orchids.

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SMARTEST OF THE PLANTS It’s not just their pretty looks that make orchids interesting. There are thousands of varieties in so many different colours and sizes and shapes. They can be almost neon or completely white. The flowers can be so tiny you have to squint to see them, or the size of a salad plate. They can grow in the air with no soil.

At this point, experts believe there are somewhere between 30,000 and 60,000 different families of orchids and thousands more hybrids. The Royal Horticultural Society in the U.K. has been documenting discoveries and new varieties since the 1800s so orchid people can trace their plants back to the original pair.

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ou might think of orchids just as pretty plants that can spruce up the powder room or add a little living décor to your home.

Or, you might fall in love. Orchids have that effect on people.

“It’s a passion, I have to admit,” says Leda Bower, a North Saanich resident with a collection of about 800 orchids. “It’s hard to explain passion. Orchids are intriguing — they are so amazing.”

Bower, who is also president of the Victoria Orchid Society, shares her passion with others who are curious about, or addicted to, these unique plants. “It’s because of the varieties,” she says. “It’s the range and the mystery of the evolution of orchids.”

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Orchids have learned how to survive in nutrient-poor places: tree limbs, cliffs on the edge of waterfalls, swamps and shady forests among other unlikely spots. And they have evolved over generations to attract the right pollinators in order to survive — and thrive — for hundreds of years.

“Someone said the orchid is the smartest of all plants,” Bower says. “They evolved to attract their specific pollinators. It may be ants or flies or tiny flying insects.”

Angraecum sesquipedale, also known as Darwin’s orchid, is a good example. The story goes that in 1862 an orchid grower sent the naturalist Charles Darwin a white orchid from Madagascar.

Darwin famously hypothesized that the only way this particular orchid, with its large, starshaped flower, could be successfully pollinated was by a moth with a huge tongue — at least 10 inches long. Nearly a century after he predicted it, Darwin was proved correct: A moth with a proboscis that coils up on its head was observed feeding on the orchid and transferring pollen between flowers.

Another orchid, Phragmipedium, has long petals that touch the ground so ants can climb in to pollinate it. The bee orchid, Ophrys apifera, uses a trick to attract its pollinators. It has a large petal that looks similar to a female species of bee sitting on the flower. A male attempts to mate with the flower and the orchid’s pollen attaches to it in the process; when it tries to mate with another flower masquerading as a female, the pollen is transferred to the next orchid.

While more than 4,200 orchid species grow in Ecuador and Colombia, the most orchid-rich countries on the planet, you don’t have to travel that far to see them growing in the wild.

In fact, you may be surprised to learn that B.C. has more native orchids than Hawaii. The province has more than 40 indigenous orchids — including the white Phantom orchid and delicate purple Fairy Slipper — that grow in bogs or dry or moist forests. In comparison, Hawaii only has three.

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Top: The bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) seduces its pollinators through a clever disguise. Middle: Darwin’s orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale). Below: The Fairy Slipper orchid is one of several native to B.C.

Orchids for Beginners Phalaenopsis orchids — the ones found in grocery stores — are fairly easy to grow, making them a good starter orchid.

These plants need indirect light or direct light that is filtered through sheer curtains. An east-facing window or a windowsill is a perfect location.

Our indoor temperature is usually comfortable for orchids, too: not too hot, not too drafty.

Orchids prefer to be watered when they’re almost dry — overwatering will kill them. Hold the pot over the sink and run water through until it flows freely out of the bottom and the potting mix is wet.

Fertilizing orchids weekly will help them grow and bloom. After the plant is finished blooming, cut back the stem to about two centimetres above one of the nodes — they look like little green scales.

It may take more than a year for the plant to rebloom because of the forced growth to make it flower quickly, but once it recovers, it should bloom every year.

Re-pot every couple of years, after flowering. But remember that orchids don’t grow in soil — they need a special medium, available at most garden centres.

ORCHID FEVER Orchids have fascinated people for generations. There was even a word for the intensity of emotion these plants evoked in the 1800s when rich collectors hired explorers to seek out new varieties: orchidelirium.

For Bryan Emery, the fascination for orchids began when he was a kid.

“I was a typical 10-year-old boy — I started growing orchids and joined an orchid society,” he says with a laugh. His grandmother had a few of the plants on a windowsill and that was all it took. “I remember going to an orchid show when I was 10 years old. There was one plant, a perfect little triangular flower covered in itty bitty dots.”

He still loves orchids that are triangular, but he grows dozens of different varieties in his backyard greenhouse. He likes other plants, too, particularly succulents and unusual pelargoniums, which he sells wholesale from his North Saanich nursery, Bryan’s Specialty Plants.

Among the orchid collection in Emery’s greenhouse is a Masdevallia veitchiana, which has a hot orange triangular flower with a purple haze (actually fine hairs) around the edges. There’s also a Masdevallia Winter Blush, a soft peach-coloured flower with tiny purple spots, and a Restrepia that has yellow and red stripes and is shaped sort of like a beetle.

“There is some sort of mystique around orchids,” he says. “It’s fun growing something you know comes from the 1800s, and there is great reward when you get something to flower. I’ve

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been growing some for 10, 15 years and I’m still waiting to see them flower.”

Bower was a little older than Emery, in her early 20s, when she fell in love with orchids.

Stuck at home with two young toddlers, and by nature a “science-y” person, Bower read piles of books and joined the local orchid society.

“Orchids appealed to me as a challenge. I had gardened a bit, but I didn’t have a lot of perceptions to lose.

Orchids grow in a different environment than plants in the ground,” she says. “I’m one of those people who doesn’t start knitting socks — I knit a Cowichan sweater. I aspire to the highest level.”

While Bower has hundreds of different orchids, she notes that some people in the Victoria Orchid Society have only a few. “There are people I know who can stop — I have yet to discover how,” she says.

“They are all really quite different. The range of flowers in orchids is incredible. There are thousands. One genus can have 3,000 different varieties.”

ANTICIPATION OF BEAUTY The orchids you know from the grocery store and local flower shops are the Phalaenopsis genus, also known as moth orchids. Historically very expensive, they have become affordable now that commercial growers have learned

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In his Deep Cove greenhouse, Patrick van Adrichem breeds popular Phalaenopsis orchids as well as more unusual varieties.

how to push the plants so they flower more quickly than they would naturally.

Patrick van Adrichem, an orchid breeder and owner of Kingfisher Orchids in North Saanich’s Deep Cove, specializes in Phalaenopsis orchids, but also grows more unusual varieties. They may be fragrant or have smaller flowers and a wide range of colours and markings. When he offers orchids for sale to private collectors, he sells out in a couple of hours.

“My favourite orchid changes daily,” he said, adding it takes five to seven years to grow an orchid, and longer to see it flower. “My favourite ones are the ones I’ve bred and they haven’t bloomed yet. It’s the expectation.”

His father was a gardener at The Butchart Gardens and van Masdevallia veitchiana Adrichem grew up on the grounds, but it was a trip to Hawaii with his wife where he first encountered orchids.

“I got intrigued with orchids, and the idea that they don’t grow in soil,” he says. “You buy one, it lives, and it goes from there.”

Where it goes can lead you to selecting a pretty plant, or two, to brighten a room. Then again, it can lead you to a lifelong passion for the cleverest, most intriguing of flowers.

A Bounty of Orchids Supermarket orchids are a good start, but to expand your world of exotic blooms, check out these sources.

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Victoria Orchid Society holds monthly meetings where members bring in orchids to show and to share information. The group also opens their greenhouses and mentors new members. victoriaorchidsociety.com Orchid shows are held on Vancouver Island — the most recent was in Nanaimo in February — as well as on the mainland.

The Canadian Orchid Congress lists many of the shows across the country. canadianorchidcongress.ca

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Patrick van Adrichem, an orchid breeder at Kingfisher Orchids in North Saanich, shares photos of his orchids on his website and has a mailing list for people who want to buy his plants. kingfisherorchids.ca

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Paramount Orchids in Parksville grows a good variety of orchids for sale to collectors across the country. The website includes photos and pricing. paramountorchids.com Orchid Lovers and Growers of Canada shares tips, information and photos on Facebook. facebook.com/groups/ OrchidLoversAndGrowersofCanada/ The American Orchid Society provides lots of information about growing orchids, and members can access an extensive photo collection. aos.org The Royal Horticultural Society has abundant information about orchids on its website, as well as the international orchid register. rhs.org.uk

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SCENE

FOR THE RECORD Michael Cline’s Vinyl Envy — record store by day, concert venue by night.

By David Lennam | Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet “There’s a whole world in here, a nicer, dirtier, more violent, more peaceful, more colourful, sleazier, more dangerous, more loving world than the world I live in; there is history, and geography, and poetry, and countless other things I should have studied at school, including music.”

From High Fidelity by Nick Hornby Michael Cline knows that world well.

“I was pretty happy as a 14-year-old going into a record store,” says the owner of Vinyl Envy. “It was one of those social vibes I really liked as a kid.”

Growing up in southern Ontario, Cline did a lot of hanging out at the flagship Sam the Record Man on Toronto’s Yonge Street where his sister worked. The wide-eyed experiences he had there, when he wasn’t booking bands to play at his school, entrenched the understanding of record stores as the distributors of culture. A proficient proprietor could curate your future listening experience

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(maybe your whole style) while you spent half your day going through every single record as fastidiously as a monk.

“One of the most fun things to do,” explains the 61-year-old, “is turn people on to really good records they probably wouldn’t know about. Say you’re into Marvin Gaye. Why don’t I give you the new Monophonics record? Because there’s so much history steeped there you’d probably be blown away. There’s a lot of great stuff out there.

You just have to have the time to go through it, and luckily we do.”

In a recent piece in The Guardian, the playwright Mike Bartlett refers to his days working at an indie record store, observing that, “We weren’t stealing your money, we were helping you find something that would make your life better. Or, at least, a little easier to bear.”

When you walk in the Quadra Street record store-cum-performance space, which Cline opened in 2015, you’ll probably see guitarist Chris Lloyd behind the till, spinning records the Vinyl

Envy way: one full side at a time (Emerson, Lake & Palmer when I was last there). It’s sort of Cline’s formula that records should be played, at least half of them, all the way through.

“You have to get a feel for what the artist is actually trying to get across,” he says.

I mumble something about building community because it seems like that’s what I took away from High Fidelity, Nick Hornby’s entertaining novel of record store ownership (well, that and how to arrange your record collection by emotion).

“Yes, that’s it,” Cline adds excitedly. And that’s precisely where the other half of his business succeeds.

PERFECT LITTLE SHOWROOM Vinyl Envy passed the 400 live shows mark in the spring, often packing 80 people between the 129-year-old bricks. Cline likes that the room has a little magic with its three-brick-thick walls, tall ceilings and crucial sound-absorbing space beneath the floor under the stage.

“I’ve had musicians come to me and say it’s one of the coolest rooms to play, but it’s also one of the most intimidating rooms to play because everybody is watching everything BEST SELLER you do and they’re up Is there one really close.” record Vinyl Envy Cline has made his sells the most store a safe space for copies of? musicians and those Cline says the who come to watch. surprising record Every show is all-ages that has sold crazy and alcohol-free. He numbers out of his calls it an artist-led store is Billy Joel’s venue.

The Stranger. “It’s “I’ve seen three- and just one of those four-year-olds watch records you don’t their mums and dads expect to be up on stage.” there, but it is.

Singer-songwriter And it sells like Sarah Osborne has mad.” fronted her own band at Vinyl Envy and calls the cozy room hugely valuable in the community that’s been created there.

“I came up in my musical career playing house concerts and small listening rooms, so that kinda space really speaks to me, as audience and performer,” she says. “I’ve been to so many well-curated shows there and you can catch me hanging on the stairwell, loitering, when I pop in and visit.”

David Chenery, another repeat performer, both solo and with his group Black Valley Gospel, echoes Osborne’s thoughts on the value of the Vinyl Envy space — its intimacy and that it’s very much a listening room.

“And playing in a record store is awesome.

There’s a feeling to being there — you’re surrounded by all this great stuff,” Chenery says.

When he’s not performing there, Chenery loves to hang out at Vinyl Envy and talk records with Cline — sharing thoughts on one of their favourite bands, Wilco, and getting turned on to new sounds.

“As I get older [music] is my favourite thing to talk about. Otherwise you talk about politics or something that’s just depressing. I’d rather just talk about music and Mike’s a total music nerd and definitely knows his stuff.”

Cline says the conversations he hears all the time at Vinyl Envy are the kind of banter that sounds like, “Oh, have you heard of that record?

No? You like that record? You should listen to this.”

He adds: “But I think you have to help it along a little bit by creating the proper environment in the room that’s relaxed and open and not judgmental. We do that.”

While Cline and Lloyd won’t go full Jack Black (from the High Fidelity film) on their customers, they’re down for a bit of fun and occasional gentle razzing.

“One of the quotes we’ve used around here for quite a while is, ‘We will talk you out of bad records … in order to talk you into a good one.’ ”

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PERSPECTIVE

Fig Season Fill your basket with this sweet, seasonal Mediterranean fruit.

By Joanne Sasvari

he fig is among the most fascinating of fruit. For one thing, it’s actually a flower — technically, a cluster of flowers called an inflorescence — captured inside a smooth, bulbous stem that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.

The fig is rich with symbolism and myth. It is sacred to Bacchus, a sign of wisdom, a harbinger of prosperity. It is also linked to fertility, desire and, a little counterintuitively, modesty, the fig leaf being the traditional artful coverup for naughty nudity.

Originally from northern India, the fig was one of the earliest fruit trees to be cultivated. It is widely grown throughout the Mediterranean — in fact, it is so bountiful there, so versatile and so packed with nutrients, including calcium, potassium and iron, that it is known as “the poor man’s food.”

Here, unless you are talking Fig Newton cookies, figs are more of a rarity. Yet Victoria is actually a pretty good place to grow a fig. Out in North Saanich, at Fruit Trees and More, Bob and Verna Duncan grow a whole panoply of figs, including some they’ve introduced to the region. The varieties that grow best include the yellowishgreen Desert King, small black Negronne and purple, rosyfleshed Lebanese Red. Figs love warm, dry weather and rocky, well-draining soil, and they like to hang out at lower elevations. They ripen here from July through September, and are delicious on a cheese board, baked with honey and nuts, or plucked straight from the tree and enjoyed as is, no fig leaf required.

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