YAM - July/August 2021

ISSUE 73 JUL/AUG 2021

yammagazine.com

VICTORIA’S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

27

THINGS TO EAT RIGHT NOW

LOCAL BOUNTY // SUMMERY DÉCOR GIANTS OF THE SALISH SEA SPORTY STYLE

FOOD&DRINK ISSUE

CREATED FOR LIFE Designed for the city, and the rest of the world. Be in control every mile of the journey, with intuitive comfort and convenience features.

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1245 Starlight Grove, Sooke UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES » INTRODUCING

INTRODUCING

$14,000,000

$8,383,000

$9,800,000

356 East West Rd., Mayne Island

4 ACRES OF OCEANFRONT PROPERTY

BEDS: 9 BATHS: 4 4,500 SQ. FT. 28 ACRES

BEDS: 4 BATHS: 4.5 3,855 SQ. FT.

Christine Ryan

Nico Grauer PREC

Harley Shim

Exclusive Opportunity

BEDS: 20 BATHS: 10 11,375 SQ. FT. 232 ACRES

Logan Wilson PREC

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230 Smith Rd., Salt Spring Island

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CONDOS & TOWNHOMES »

« CONDOS & TOWNHOMES » INTRODUCING

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152-2345 Cedar Hill Cross Rd., Oak Bay

S304-1411 Cook St., Victoria

412-100 Saghalie Rd., Victoria

BEDS: 2 BATHS: 3 2,486 SQ.FT.

BEDS: 2 BATHS: 2 1,094 SQ. FT.

BEDS: 2 BATHS: 2 1,087 SQ. FT.

Andrew Maxwell

Brett Cooper

Andy Stephenson

250.213.2104

PREC

250.858.6524

250.532.0888

$695,000 601-525 Broughton St., Victoria BEDS: 2 BATHS: 2 1,291 SQ. FT.

Glynis MacLeod PREC Kirsten MacLeod

250.661.7232 250.686.3385

S I N G L E FA M I LY H O M E S » RECENTLY SOLD

$1,870,000

$1,899,000

4988 Georgia Park Terrace, Saanich BEDS: 4 BATHS: 3 4,068 SQ. FT.

Brad Maclaren PREC

250.727.5448

INTRODUCING

$849,900

$899,900

1245 Starlight Grove, Sooke

1270 Persimmon Close, Victoria

7-3993 Columbine Way, Saanich

BEDS: 4 BATHS: 4 2,466 SQ. FT.

BEDS: 4 BATHS: 3 1,929 SQ. FT.

BEDS: 5 BATHS: 3 2,877 SQ. FT.

Dean Innes

Robyn Wildman

Don St. Germain PREC

250.686.0279

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Connect with your local experts.

Andy Stephenson

VICTORIA 250.380.3933

Andrew Maxwell

SALT SPRING 250.537.1778

Beth Hayhurst

Brad Maclaren

VANCOUVER 604.632.3300

Brayden Klein

WEST VANCOUVER 604.922.6995

Brett Cooper

NORTH VANCOUVER 604.998.1623

Christine Ryan

WHITE ROCK 604.385.1840

Dean Innes

Don St. Germain

WHISTLER 604.932.3388

Glynis MacLeod

SUN PEAKS 250.578.7773

Kirsten MacLeod

KELOWNA 250.469.9547

For those who seek an exceptional life 503-5350 Sayward Hill Crescent, Saanich « UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES CONDOS & TOWNHOMES » SOLD

« CONDOS & TOWNHOMES

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22 - 4771 Cordova Bay Rd., Saanich

BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME - 7,178 SQ. FT. LOT

BEDS: 3 BATHS: 3 2,200 SQ. FT.

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$1,125,000 503-5350 Sayward Hill Cres., Saanich BEDS: 2 BATHS: 2 1,798 SQ. FT.

Glynis MacLeod PREC Kirsten MacLeod

250.661.7232 250.686.3385

$899,000

307 - 100 Saghalie Rd., Victoria BEDS: 2 BATHS: 2 1,447 SQ. FT.

Marsha Graham

250.857.6683

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 RECENTLY SOLD

$11,888,000 BEDS: 5 BATHS: 7 9,156 SQ. FT. 8.39 ACRES

Brayden Klein

250.588.2466

$1,920,000

$3,196,800

$8,990,000

3275 Campion Rd., Central Saanich

4823 Major Rd., Saanich

236 Stevens Rd., Prospect Lake

3595 Crab Pot Lane, Cobble Hill

BEDS: 7 BATHS: 8 7,896 SQ. FT.

BEDS: 4 BATHS: 3 2,900 SQ. FT. 10 ACRES

BEDS: 3 BATHS: 3 3,366 SQ. FT.

Lisa Williams PREC

Beth Hayhurst

Andrew Maxwell

250.514.1966

250.896.0766

250.213.2104

« S I N G L E FA M I LY H O M E S INTRODUCING

$745,000

$975,000

RECENTLY SOLD

$739,000

61 Bridgewater Ln., Parksville

4107 Cedar Hill Rd., Saanich

2479 Anthony Pl., Sooke

6920 East Sooke Rd., Sooke

BEDS: 2 BATHS: 2 1.470 SQ. FT.

BEDS: 3 BATHS: 2 1,617 SQ. FT.

BEDS: 3 BATHS: 2 1,603 SQ. FT.

BEDS: 1 BATHS: 1 732 SQ.FT.

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Sandy Berry

Sandy Berry

Tom De Cosson

Harley Shim

TORONTO

250.818.2006

Lisa Williams

PARIS

Logan Wilson

NEW YORK

250.818.8736

Marsha Graham

TOKYO

Natalie Zachary

DUBAI

Nico Grauer

Peter Crichton

HONG KONG

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Robyn Wildman

MONTRÉAL

Independently Owned and Operated. E.&O.E.: This information is from sources which we deem reliable, but must be verified by prospective Purchasers and may be subject to change or withdrawal. PREC is Personal Real Estate Corporation.

Sandy Berry

Samantha Jensson

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Tom de Cosson

SOTHEBYSREALTY.CA

32

27 THINGS TO EAT RIGHT NOW A tempting sampling of the city’s best nibbles, artisan creations and takeout dishes.

By Cinda Chavich

CONTENTS 10 E DITOR’S NOTE 13

HERE + NOW

24

HOME + LIFESTYLE

46

20

52

58

SUMMER DÉCOR FOR EVERY ROOM

GIANTS OF THE SALISH SEA

DIGGING THE LOCAL BOUNTY

Bring the season inside with a beach house-inspired look that embraces a simple palette and natural textures.

Orcas have long been a symbol of the West Coast. YAM explores the ecological and cultural significance of these majestic mammals.

Make the most of the region’s summer produce with these highly adaptable, veggie-forward recipes.

By Athena McKenzie

By Athena McKenzie

By Cinda Chavich

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

64

YAM’s latest finds in home décor, fashion, lifestyle and food.

Cliff-side living has constraints but offers creative opportunities.

By Danielle Pope

STYLE WATCH Work it out in active wear.

Styled by Janine Metcalfe

SCENE Ride the Cyclone finally gets its cast album.

By David Lennam

66 DO TELL

A Proust-style interview with Dinah Kisil of Roar in Tofino.

By Athena McKenzie

Sidney by the Sea

small town, big heart

Nestled at the shore of the Salish Sea, Sidney's quaint downtown core is home to a variety of shops, boutiques, bookstores, antique dealers, and more eateries than you can shake a stick at.

Plan your visit at ExploreSidney.ca

The best in wood and gas heating appliances 160 East Burnside Road, Victoria | 250-382-5421

wilkstove.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

Confessions of a Foodie

A

nyone who knows me will tell you that food is one of my passions. At my first real magazine job, surrounded by fellow foodies, morning chit chat usually revolved around what deliciousness we would order for lunch. Soft rotis stuffed with curry, breaded-chicken sandwiches loaded with roasted peppers, and colourful sushi rolls topped with fresh tuna were in the regular Athena McKenzie, rotation. These discussions would continue until our Managing Editor editor-in-chief, who was perpetually on a diet, would storm over to our cubicles to yell: “Are you all still talking about food?”

Guilty. I talk about food a lot.

While I identify as a “foodie,” the label does get a lot of hate. A recent piece in The New Yorker satirizing famed contrarian Fran Lebowitz imagined her saying: “I despise the term ‘foodie.’ I mean, how is this a personality? ‘I like food’ — how original. Do you also like air? Water? Shelter?”

That’s a fair point. And I’ll admit that as foodies, we don’t do ourselves any favours by constantly posting everything we eat on social media. But I would argue that there are many people who simply eat for sustenance and find preparing food a chore. Others, like me, find community in a shared passion for all the amazing things to be discovered in the world of food. It is a window into family and culture, and there are so many delicious experiences to be had.

It’s often the structure around which my partner and I plan trips. What must-have local delicacies are “not to be missed?” What hidden gems are near our hotel or the museum/theatre/park we’re visiting that day? We’ve already started looking at dining spots for a potential trip this November. (Yes, we really miss travelling.) Family gatherings revolve around nostalgic meals and treats. I’m already looking forward to the toutons (fried bread dough) and Atlantic lobster dipped in garlic butter if I get back to Newfoundland this summer.

Here at home in Victoria, we strategize about what fun takeout we’ll order on the weekend, and are looking forward to dining in again at our favourite haunts. Each week, when we get our produce box from The Plot Market Garden or the Paper Lantern, we unpack the surprises inside and immediately start searching for the perfect recipe.

Fresh, local greens with white beans simmered with caramelized lemon and onion is one of our go-to meals in the summer and fall. (Find lots of meal inspiration in “Digging the Local Bounty” on page 58.)

If pressed, I might admit this issue is the most fun to work on. I hope it leaves you, as it does me, with a list of tempting local bites that you can’t wait to try.

“Food is a window into family and culture, and there are so many delicious experiences to be had.”

BUYING OR SELLING? I am dedicated to providing my clients with exceptional service, sound negotiating techniques and constant communication throughout the real estate process.

Call Andrew Maxwell for a complimentary consultation.

250.213.2104 amaxwell@sothebysrealty.ca A N D R EW M AXWELL .CA SOT H E BYSR E A LT Y.CA Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Independently Owned and Operated. E.&O.E

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

My pr odumceeal box go-t o

You can email me at amckenzie@ pageonepublishing.ca

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

— Dr. Seuss

You are unique, your home is unique, and Luxe is not your typical furniture store.

At Luxe Home Interiors we believe in curating an inspiring shopping experience where customers can see, touch and feel great treasures that cannot be found anywhere else. We believe in shopping local, and relish the beautiful human connections that happen with in-person shopping. All of our sales people are skilled designers. Let us help you tell your unique story.

Visit us at our NEW HOME at 564 Yates Street, conveniently located across from the Bastion Square Parkade (first hour free)!

564 Yates St 250.386.7632 luxevictoria.ca

VICTORIA’S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri MANAGING EDITOR Athena McKenzie DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Amanda Wilson LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jo-Ann Loro, Caroline Segonnes

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Carla Sorrell EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Aldyn Chwelos

CONTENT MARKETING COORDINATOR Emily Dobby

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Deana Brown, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cinda Chavich, David Lennam, Danielle Pope

CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITOR Janine Metcalfe

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Bosdet, Joshua Lawrence, Michelle Proctor

CHANGE IS GOOD!

Beautiful new location, same wonderful selection.

Let us welcome you at 523 Fisgard Street (previously Moe’s Furniture).

523 Fisgard Street | 250-382-4424 | FANTANVICTORIA.COM

Come get your

PROOFREADER Paula Marchese CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 32, 53, 60, 61, 62; Living4Media p. 21, Stocksy p. 10, 22, 23, 58

GENERAL INQUIRIES info@yammagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@yammagazine.com TO SUBSCRIBE TO YAM subscriptions@yammagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES sales@yammagazine.com ONLINE yammagazine.com FACEBOOK facebook.com/YAMmagazine TWITTER twitter.com/YAMmagazine INSTAGRAM @yam_magazine

ON THE COVER The Hippie Benny from House of Boateng.

See story page 32.

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 Canada by Transcontinental Printing.

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.

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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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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

BC

PHOTO: JEFFREY BOSDET • STYLING: JANICE HILDYBRANT/YAM MAGAZINE

HERE + NOW

SUMMER SPLENDOUR For her tempting creations, baker Melissa Medve of The Fat Macaron and Desserts takes a hyper-local approach.

“We have our own garden in Oak Bay where we grow organic raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, loganberries, marionberries, gooseberries, lingonberries, black and red currants, and limes to use for our recipes as much as possible,” she says.

The bakery, which offers online ordering and pickup, specializes in macarons. They will be launching two summer boxes this year with special flavours, such as S’more, mango coconut, and raspberry cheesecake.

You can also try The Fat Macaron at the The Farmer’s Daughter and Bear & Joey. thefatmacaron.com

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

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summer’s in the bag The best totes for the season take you from the farmers’ market to the beach.

Tofino Towel Company The Wanderer Tote Perfect for casual summer adventures, The Wanderer Tote is made from extrasoft stonewashed Turkish cotton.

PEDAL PUSHERS

Available through merchantquarters.com

Bishop’s Family Cycles provides a welcoming space for families and first-time riders. By Aldyn Chwelos beside the bike lanes. It stocks plenty of bikes fit for cyclists from the first-time rider to the cargo-carting commuter, as well as accessories for both adults and children. The large stock was important to Robert who had to travel out of town to try out his own cargo bike.

“We’re trying to give people the option to testdrive here,” he says.

Creating a family-friendly space was at the forefront of their store design; all the doors are automatic to accommodate strollers, and kids are welcome to roam around.

“We want to have a very, very low barrier,” says Robert. “We are no-experience necessary.” familycycles.ca

Bishop’s Family Cycles carries an assortment of family bikes, including children’s, e-bikes, cargo, bucket and longtail bikes, as well as helmets, safety and high-visibility clothing and accessories.

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

STORE PHOTOS: MARY MCNEIL-KNOWLES / PORTRAIT: JEFFREY BOSDET

A

fter struggling to find cycling gear for their family, Liz and Robert Kemp felt there was an untapped niche in the Victoria cycle shop scene. The time and perspective afforded them by the pandemic allowed the couple to turn their dream of opening Bishop’s Family Cycles into a reality.

“We’re so lucky in this city with so many great bike shops,” says Liz. “But as a woman, as a parent and as a fledgling rider, I didn’t feel like there was a place where I was comfortable, where I could ask any question and where the safety of my kids was of the utmost importance.”

The shop, named after the Kemps’ thirdborn, opened in February at 730 Pandora Street,

Matt & Nat Schlepp Vegan Tote The aptly named Schlepp tote is giant yet stylish and can even be used as a work or gym bag.

Available through fantanvictoria.com

Lusher Sunrise Canvas Shoulder Tote Featuring a fun hand-stenciled print on classic black and tan canvas, the Sunrise Tote has a timeless appeal.

Available through lusher.co

“Think the general store from Anne of Green Gables without the puffed sleeves and barrels of nails ... ”

BE MY NEIGHBOUR

Pretty & Polished

and gift store all rolled into one, thus curating convenience for a more personal and intentional shopping experience.”

For the goods at Neighbourly, McLoughlin and her team first searched for food producers and creatives based in Victoria or on the Island, then widened that net to Vancouver and the rest of B.C. “We aim to service not only our KWENCH community, but the fine folk that live and work in our hood,” she says. “Additionally, because we support our local businesses and hold an incredible range of specialty items, we have noticed that people are making us a destination store specifically to purchase items we feature.” @neighbourlystore on Instagram

PHOTOS: JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

W

hen designing KWENCH, founder and director Tessa McLoughlin knew she wanted to have some kind of restaurant or café to serve the club’s members and contribute to its surrounding community.

“While we were batting around ideas, we began hearing from KWENCH members and people from some of the other businesses in our ‘hood’ that there was a real gap, and what it kept coming back to was the general-store concept,” she says. “Neighbourly is our revival of the general store. Think the general store from Anne of Green Gables without the puffed sleeves and barrels of nails, or the Rose Apothecary, minus David’s artful glare. We are a cafe, grocer

J’s Clay Co. makes a minimalist style statement using polymer clay.

By Aldyn Chwelos

J

enna Reid of J’s Clay Co. began creating her polymer clay earrings as a quarantine project. The UVic nursing student started to mix her own colours and used a pasta maker to roll out the clay.

While Reid had “never thought of herself as a creative person,” her designs gained traction on Instagram, so she ran a fundraiser, selling her earrings and donating the profits to the Women’s Transition House Society. Since then, she’s launched an Etsy shop and hopes to continue creating, branching out with new materials such as resin and drawing inspiration from daily life.

Through minimalist designs and a muted, earthy palette, she strives to make quality jewelry that feels timeless.

“I loved getting involved in the small business community in Victoria,” says Reid. “Everyone’s been really supportive.” @jsclayco on Instagram

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

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Gold Coast Meets West Coast

By Aldyn Chwelos

“It’s a bit of a destination spot.”

FROM FASHION TO FUNCTION, OUR STYLES HAVE YOU COVERED.

S

alina Salter wanted to create a “little getaway” with Iluka Espresso, the waterfront cafe that opened on the Portage Inlet in April.

The brightly coloured, geometric décor, beachy themes, lush plants and food served in sustainable coconut bowls all contribute to a feeling that you’ve stepped into a tropical vacation.

“I wanted people to come in and feel refreshed, like ‘Did I just go somewhere?’ ” says Salter, a travel lover who managed cafes in Australia for years.

To convey her desired esthetic, she handmade all the furniture from scratch. The shop also sells a variety of goods made or curated by Salter.

There’s candles, jewelry, concrete coasters and even Turkish towels, which she designed and then had made in Turkey.

Salter designed the business in lockdown, when she was unable to travel.

“Okay, we can’t go anywhere, but how can we create those experiences in our own backyard?” she asks.

When she found the waterfront property, everything fell into place.

“It’s a bit of a destination spot.” ilukaespresso.ca

Shop our latest fashion arrivals and wide array of lingerie, sleepwear and basics to ensure you’re ready for anything.

Bra fittings now available 7 days a week.

MODEN & MODEN ESSENTIALS 2418 & 2416 Beacon Avenue, Sidney 250.655.0774 modenboutique.com

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

A FINE ARRANGEMENT

W

ho wouldn’t want fresh flowers showing up on the regular? Bear’s Blooms is a subscription service that delivers unique bouquets on your schedule.

The company works directly with B.C. farmers to ship in-season buds, which typically bloom in 24 to 48 hours of delivery.

Each box comes with arranging tips to make styling your bouquet a part of the experience.

“There is no wrong way to arrange flowers as long as you have fun,” says Bear’s Blooms founder Tess Atkins. “But if you get stuck while arranging, you can always check out our online videos.”

Subscribers can add gift addresses to send friends and family bouquets. As Atkins says, “Sending a gift of flowers should be easy!” bearandblooms.com

Clouds of Joy Is there an easier summer hairstyle than the loose ponytail or bun? Give yours a boost with the voluminous cloud scrunchies made locally by Erika Bazuik, founder of Joiia Objects of Joy. Resembling giant flowers or fluffy clouds of meringue, these hair accessories make a fun style statement and come in a variety of seasonal colours.

“My inspiration came from my personal quest for the perfect jumbo scrunchie,” Bazuik says. “I was loving the volume, size and low maintenance of organza scrunchies but preferred the luxe look of silk. I combined these ideas and my love for monochrome into the Joiia jumbo scrunchie. A whopping metre of chiffon in each ensures all-day volume and a luxe look that elevates your day, night or casual look.” instagram.com/joiia.objectsofjoy

Eileen Fisher White + Warren Cashmere Velvet by Graham & Spencer SBase Luxury Cotton Gilmour Clothing A-G Denim Rails DL1961 Grace & Mila FRNCH Paris Beautycounter

Open 7 days a week 1887 Oak Bay Ave 250.370.5000 Follow us on Instagram @tulipenoireclothing

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

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TASTES+TRENDS

On the Burgeoning Burger Trail

ICE CREAM ON WHEELS

JOHANN VINCENT

If there’s one thing we’ve gained from this year of insanity, it’s a new explosion of creative, chef-built burgers.

V

ictoria has long had its burger bars and burger trucks, but with lots of time to work on their takeout menus, city chefs have been riffing on the gourmet burger big time. And it’s fun to explore their unique twists along the burger trail.

You can start with the big gooey To Go Burger from Stage in Fernwood (pictured above). Served medium rare, on a housemade brioche bun with gravy-mayo, and topped with Gruyère cheese and cornichons, it’s a massive juicy bomb of Gallic goodness.

Chef Brian Tesolin and crew at The Courtney Room veered into gourmet fast food to go this year, too, including barrels of fried chicken and family burger kits featuring dry aged Two Rivers beef with lettuce, cheddar and pickles to pile onto a brioche bun, with hand-cut fries on the side.

There’s also a burger kit to order from the 10 Acres Farm & Restaurants online market, featuring four six-ounce local Berryman Farm beef patties and all of the fixings.

At Saveur, the upscale handhelds include Chef Robert Cassels’ crispy Korean pork belly sandwich and local halibut fish tacos, but the star of the patio menu is the big Saveur Burger, topped with tomato, onion, smoked cheddar and Sun Wing Farm tomato jam.

At Hanks, it’s the huge half-pound burger that’s on the takeout menu, made with house dry-aged, grass-fed beef, piled with beer-braised onions and melted cheese.

Boom + Batten gives diners two burger selections, both served on their house-made brioche buns, including the cheeseburger with bread and butter pickles and “fancy sauce,” and the upscale Wagyu Burger with lemon aioli, pickled shallots and smoked cheddar.

And don’t forget the other local meaty classics, from Deadbeetz Burgers, Big Wheel Burger, Bin 4 Burger Lounge and Burger Crush, the latter with new permanent digs downtown. For vegans, The Very Good Butchers has a brand new shop and café, featuring their famed plant-based burgers.

It’s the ultimate in the “hand held” trend — burgers + beer = summer.

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

Remember the Pavlovian response to the jingling tune of the ice cream truck coming down your childhood street?

Well, now you need to tune your ears to the pedal- and solarpowered Hazel’s Ice Cream cart, cruising along Dallas Road. It’s cool stuff on a stick, from verdant Matcha ice cream pops to Coffee Toffee bars — Mount Maxwell Coffee ice cream dipped in chocolate with toffee bits. Dairyfree offerings too!

Bittersweet Your next favourite summer spritzer may be a vermouth and tonic, or just a simple vermouth on ice.

And what better place to start than a bittersweet spirit from a local distiller? The Dry Vermouth from the Esquimalt Wine Company makes a wonderful refreshing aperitif or addition to a cocktail. A light straw colour, with a touch of wormwood bitterness and rich peach, chamomile and elderflower undertones, it’s a beverage made in the French tradition, but using a honey (mead) base wine. Have it on ice or with a splash of Rootside tonic (makers Quinn Palmer and Michela Byl are also the creative couple behind Rootside Soda mixers). Or make yourself a classic martini, 1:1 with local Ampersand Gin and Esquimalt Dry Vermouth, as they do at Little Jumbo!

Look for more interesting flavours under the Rootside banner, including their awardwinning Rosso Vermouth; the new Kina-Rouge, a quinquina wine similar to Dubonnet; and a line of cocktail bitters.

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

By Cinda Chavich

Why work with Robyn?

“Robyn is so knowledgeable, courteous and insightful. She certainly has a keen awareness of the market. Her negotiating skills are outstanding! I feel very fortunate to have had her as my REALTOR®” - P.K.

Slow and gluten free

T

he local Art of Slow Food loaves are the choice for many looking for rustic, gluten-free breads — made the artisan way with slow, natural ferments and simple ingredients like psyllium husk, ground flax, sorghum flour and wild yeast levain. Look for these crusty, hand-formed breads at local grocers and farmers’ markets, whether plain or toasted sesame, rosemary poppy seed, kalamata olive, quinoa amaranth or seasonal cranberry walnut variations.

Creator (a.k.a. owner, chef,

AM

Y Contest Alert!

baker, talented musician and all-round artisan) Kaitlin Chamberlin also makes GF sourdough sorghum crust pizza, topped with locally made cheeses and charcuterie — the Vegtoria with roasted peppers, olives and arugula or Mindful Carnivore with 4 Quarters peppercorn bacon and Italian sausage — all

served from her portable wood-fired oven and pizza cart on Cook Street.

Chamberlin shares her secrets of making delicious gluten-free sourdough breads at home with hands-on workshops, and you may find this renaissance woman, banjo in hand, gigging around town with The High Quadra Ramblers.

FABULOUS FOODIE GIVEAWAY GET EXCITED! Our lucky winner will receive a variety pack full of local foodie delights!

This giveaway includes:

• Gift pack from Zambri’s with three jared sauces and a $50 gift card

• $50 gift card from Big Wheel Burger • Six assorted sauces and dressings from House of Boateng

• Two pounds of coffee from 2% Jazz • Three specialty chocolate bars from

Robyn Wildman Top rated in Customer Service Multiple MLS® Award Winner BUYING OR SELLING REAL ESTATE CALL

250.818.8522 rwildman@sothebysrealty.ca robynwildman.com

The Chocolate Project

• Gift pack from MAiiZ Nixtamal, which

includes one turkey taco kit and a meal kit for two

• Gift pack from Sherwood, which

includes a tote bag, coffee beans and a $25 gift card

• Gift pack from Habit, which includes a

T-shirt, coffee beans and a $20 gift card.

• A gift card from Queen City Cakes for an eight-inch, round layer cake.

Contest ends August 19, 2021.

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sothebysrealty.ca Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Independently Owned and Operated.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

19

Summer Décor

for Every Room Bring the sunshine indoors with a beach-house-inspired colour palette, natural textiles, gauzy fabrics and accents that reflect your personal style.

BENJAMIN MOORE

By Athena McKenzie

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here’s something timeless about summer décor and the easy, breezy accents that can give a home that instant relaxing vacation vibe.

“Keep it light, airy, fresh and fun,” says Kim Robertson, designer and owner of Beachology in Cowichan Bay. “That would be my advice. Décor can add that element of joy, and we all need joy right now — joy and something uplifting.”

The best thing about infusing your space with a summery esthetic is that it doesn’t require significant effort or investment. By swapping out certain elements, each room in your home can embody that warm-weather vacation ambiance.

“It’s all about having the indoors connect with the outdoors,” Robertson says. “There are so many things you can do.”

A BEAUTIFUL BASE

This page: A neutral white base allows you to switch out elements such as pillows, throws and art with the season. In the summer, soothing blue accents are the perfect touch in any room, as are rattan elements.

Left: Benjamin Moore’s Simply White is a multiuse white paint with warm undertones that can give one’s space a fresh and versatile foundational colour.

TANYA ZOUEV, LIVING4MEDIA

The traditional beach house gets some of its soothing atmosphere from its neutral base palette, which can be white, ivory, pale grey or beige. These neutrals provide a versatile foundation for many different colour schemes, if you want to switch them around throughout the year.

“I use a lot of white as the base, so we have a free palette and we can play,” says Susan Toby, founder of the InsideOut Homestore on Store Street in Victoria. “It’s extremely relaxing. I call it ‘easy living.’ ” This base palette can extend throughout your entire house from crisp neutral walls — Simply White by Benjamin Moore is a perennial favourite — to key pieces, such as slipcovered couches in your living room, a painted dining room set, and gauzy curtains or sheers in any room. A classic look is a simple, luxurious white duvet in the bedroom, which acts as a base for the rest of the room.

Using a neutral backdrop makes it simple to incorporate seasonal accents into your décor.

“For the summer, you just roll up that wool rug and pop it under your bed,” Toby says. “And change up all your cushions.”

Layering natural textures will make a space feel more inviting. Rattan elements have a lighter, summery feel and can be incorporated through rugs, lighting, window coverings and décor accessories.

If the season had a signature colour, it would undoubtedly be a shade of blue from the bright summer skies or the soothing ocean.

“I don’t tend to follow trends,” Toby says. “But blue is timeless and is really hot right now. There’s a French blue that’s absolutely gorgeous for summer.

And taupe stripes are really popular.”

While some associate earthy tones with the autumn, they also work well in the summer season.

Think terracotta, burnt orange and mustards, soft greens or neutrals, such as soft pinks, clay, mushroom and sand.

“It doesn’t have to be in-your-face colour,” Robertson says. “Earthy, beautiful colour can work with everything — it’s more of that idea of bringing the outdoors in.”

If your personal taste leans more towards the bright and colourful, a flower-inspired palette really suits the season.

“Bring in pops of yellow,” suggests Robertson, as a way to give a room an uplifting dose of sunshine.

While you can incorporate these colours with wall paint, using them with easy-to-switch-out elements, such as rugs, cushions and accent pieces, can add to the space’s seasonal versatility.

EARTHY TEXTURE With summer décor, you can’t go wrong with a relaxed organic feel. Taking inspiration from the outdoors, layer in texture with natural fibres, such as linen, woven cotton, jute and rattan. As with colour, one of the easiest ways to do this is with rugs, cushions and throw blankets.

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TRINETTE REED/STOCKSY

ALINA HVOSTIKOVA/STOCKSY

CALMING COLOURWAYS

Easy, Breezy Décor Simple accent pieces to add a bit of summer style to your home.

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1 Arteriors Home Lyford Chair, line carried at luxevictoria.ca 2 Tava Bathroom Accessories, potterybarn.ca 3 Tofino Towel Co.’s The Lark Towel series, line carried at beachology.ca 4 Dash & Albert Jute Ticking Indigo Woven Rug, line carried at insideoutvictoria.com

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DANIEL KIM/STOCKSY

“You can even replace your wool runners with a beautiful seagrass option,” Robertson says.

Other ways to layer in textures is through your light fixtures. Replace lamp shades or pendants with striking rattan or seagrass pieces.

This is also the time to remove heavier drapes.

For a streamlined look, you can just use shutters or shades, or you can accent windows with gauzy, flowy curtains for a vacation-house feel. Look for fabrics like cotton voile, flax linen or sheer silk, to add a softer textural element.

In the kitchen and dining room, Robertson recommends using a seagrass runner or placemats. Seagrass baskets also add stylish storage.

The bedroom is another room where there are plenty of opportunities to layer your textures for a breezier look and feel. Swap out heavier bedding with organic linen or cotton sheets.

Linen throw blankets provide warmth when needed and look casually stylish when draped over your bed or on your sofa.

And don’t forget the bathroom. Changing up your shower curtain is a quick way to add a dose of summery style, as is switching out towels.

“A light Turkish towel is another fabulous way to bring in a bit of a beachy feel,” Robertson says.

THE SIMPLE TOUCHES It’s the little touches that allow you to have fun with your summer décor.

“Some people don’t want to switch out everything with each season,” says Toby. “If you have nice comfortable furniture, it really is a matter of just clearing off the coffee table and adding a bouquet of flowers.”

From colourful bowls of fruit on the kitchen counter to a basket of seashells in the bathroom, these visual cues can help you be in the moment and embrace the season.

“Even taking some beautiful straw hats and bringing those into your home décor,” Robertson says. “You create a fun gallery in your entrance with different hats and other stuff. It really is all about bringing in moments of joy.”

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CLIENT: MAYCOCK EYECARE YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021 PUBLICATION: YAM / DOUGLAS MAGAZINE SHIPPING DATE: JULY 2020; AD SIZE: 4.94” x 9.58”

23

HOME + LIFESTYLE

A VIEW TO CALL HOME These Victoria homeowners turned the constraints of cliff-side living into creative opportunities.

BY DANIELLE POPE | PHOTOS BY JOSHUA LAWRENCE

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hen Romi and James Lagadin couldn’t find a home in Victoria that checked their boxes, they decided to buy a cliff instead.

In fact, they purchased a rocky slice of land, sight unseen, overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca along Victoria’s scenic waterfront drive. The steep elevation and craggy terrain had proved challenging for developers, as the lot had sat on the market for 10 months after a former builder changed his mind.

The site would require serious blasting to create a setback for a house. Yet the Lagadins were undeterred. Hailing from Calgary, the couple knew they could create a house to fit the spot.

“Victoria is like the Malibu of Canada, and we knew we wanted to be here,” says Romi. “James and I had built two other houses before this, and we build from the outside in. We make the inside work to fit the outside, so we knew we could do this, even with the restrictions.”

While the Lagadins had access to the previous owner’s plans, the couple decided to go in a different direction.

“Where we used to live, it would cost you thousands of dollars to bring in that kind of rock. We loved that courtyard feel, so we decided to keep it,” says Romi.

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“WE DIDN’T WANT TO OVERWHELM THE HOUSE WITH WOOD, SO THE CONCRETE FLOORS OFFER A NICE BALANCE AND GIVE IT AN INDUSTRIAL LOOK ...”

Clockwise from top left: Concrete floors offer a durable and simple-to-clean solution for the busy main floor of this home. Designer Stephanie Brown wanted to ensure warmth and esthetic consistency and brought in natural white oak cabinetry as well as wide-planked French white oak hardwood on the stairs and upper level. Thanks to generous gallery walls, homeowners Romi and James Lagadin outfitted their space with pieces from their favourite artists. Much of the artwork featured throughout the home (such as the piece in the stairwell) is from local artist Susan McLennan. The couple didn’t want to overwhelm the space with light fixtures, but did choose some striking options from Gabriel Ross to complement their modern sensibility. The Nemo Italianaluce Crown Major suspension chandelier adds visual interest to the stairwell, while a Flos Skygarden pendant in glossy white hangs over the dining room table.

Previous page: Homeowner Romi Lagadin shares that even though some of the vistas were achieved by accident, the results are spectacular and offer different ocean vantage points, year-round.

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27

A VIEW TO THE MOUNTAINS

The World of ROBERT BATEMAN

Within 11 months, and with minimal blasting, the Lagadins had created an open-concept, modern West Coast home, designed to preserve the rocky incline of the lot. Punctuated by an array of outdoor sitting areas and some surprise views, Romi says it’s almost like they planned it — though many vistas were by chance.

“We knew from Google Maps how close it was to the water, but we did not realize the extent of the mountain views,” says James.

“The Olympic mountains are snow-capped most of the year, so it’s pretty spectacular on a clear day with the water and mountain backdrop.”

Surrounded by exposed rock and mature Garry oaks, the home’s interior motifs carry the same themes. Concrete flooring offers a durable solution for indoor-outdoor lifestyles — including those of dogs and grown kids.

The kitchen is adorned with generous cabinetry in rift-cut white oak panelling and natural quartz counters, while custom windows replace the backsplash for an outdoor feel.

Dramatic marble flooring brings intrigue and pattern to the master ensuite, and the openconcept stairs to the upper level mimics the airy nature of cliff-side living.

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

Stephanie Brown, principal designer of Stephanie Brown Inc., helped Romi formulate her vision. While Brown worked on the project from afar, the two knew each other from Calgary, and she understood the look Romi was trying to create.

“Romi wanted something modern and fresh, so we spent a lot of time on the finishes,” says Brown. “We didn’t want to overwhelm the house with wood, so the concrete floors offer a nice balance and give it an industrial look, but we also paired that with white and airy backdrops. Romi likes a mix of things — traditional, and new and eclectic — which was fun to play with. Their home is really a happy background for their lives.”

Above: The natural wood barn-style feature door was installed by Hobson Woodworks and brings a homey feel to the space, while offering an easeful transition between zones of the house.

Below: The Lagadins drew design inspiration from a similar build they had seen in Austin, Texas. Living by the ocean for their first time, however, they wanted to incorporate a modern West Coast look that fits within the parameters of their zoning restrictions, with generous windows to watch the sea. Four types of materials are used on the exterior of the home, including stained cedar siding, white stucco, exposed concrete and metal cladding.

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The main floor’s master bedroom acts as a retreat space in this home and rests behind the 10-foot-tall custom-made oak barn door. The artwork centred above the bed adds colour and movement to the space and is a signature piece by local artist Deana Brown. Another master bedroom on the upper level features an ensuite bath with a floating vanity, along with a luxurious Duravit Happy D. tub.

An “escape” patio on the upper level offers a sunny perch for enjoying long afternoons with a view.

THE NATURAL CONNECTION Romi says there are still a few wish list items they hope to check off in the future.

“If we could develop the flat roof, that would be amazing,” says Romi. “Off the kitchen, there is a little dining area, and we’d like to create a natural wild space.

And, as you crawl around up to the terraces, there is this pathway in the rock, and one day we’d like to put a gazebo up there.”

Despite so many choice features, the connection to the outdoors is one of the most important elements of this build to the Lagadins.

“My favourite spot is the sundeck,” says James. “While it’s always cooler by the water, the stucco acts as a heat sink and warms up the deck considerably, so you can sit out there in temperatures you wouldn’t think — as long as it’s sunny — and enjoy the view.”

Visit yammagazine.com for a full resource list.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

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NIXTAMAL TACOS

27EAT RIGHT NOW

things TO

SEAMIST SORBETTO

CINNAMON RAISIN RYE LOAF

BEEF TENDERLOIN

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GRANOLA

CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

A sampling of the city’s best nibbles, artisan creations and takeout dishes.

BY CINDA CHAVICH

T

here’s no doubt we all have our favourite local foods, whether that’s a fresh-from-the-farm strawberry, the best chewy baguette or the most amazing fish taco.

These are the foods we crave and return to again and again — dishes and noshes we’d take to that proverbial desert island.

With its creative chefs, artisan entrepreneurs and other culinary passion projects, Victoria offers delicious diversions of all kinds. And it’s these local delicacies that we’re celebrating with our curated list of some of Victoria’s finest flavours.

Yes, it’s subjective, and, yes, we had to pare down a much longer list to arrive at these 27 terrific bites. It wasn’t an easy task, but we hope it will inspire you to get out and enjoy noshing your own way around town.

Herewith, in no particular order, are some of the things we love to eat in Victoria right now.

CHEEZE PRETZEL

GAMBERI PIZZA

TAGLIATELLE WITH MEAT SAUCE

Nixtamal Tacos | MAIIZ

Tea for Two | AURA RESTAURANT

Gamberi Pizza | FARO

Chef Israel Alvarez Molina is the real deal when it comes to authentic Mexican tortillas. His MAiiZ nixtamal tortillas and masa, made by fermenting and grinding whole organic B.C. corn, revive the ancient method of creating this traditional Mexican staple. You’ll find his tortillas in his little shop in Chinatown, at local grocers and on some of the city’s best restaurant menus.

Or order a meal kit online — vegan tacos, barbacoa, pozole — delivered with local Haltwhistle cheese curds, Haus chorizo or taco-spiced chicken from Farm + Field Butchers. maiiz.ca

Afternoon tea is a thing in Victoria, and takeout afternoon tea boxes, complete with savouries and sweets, is the latest thing. The Asian-inspired tea box for two from the chefs at the Inn at Laurel Point offers a unique selection — panko-crusted chicken katsu sandwiches on housemade brioche, Japanese braised beef steamed buns and Tamago Sando eggwiches, garnished with tiny quail eggs.

Blueberry black currant and sour cherry white chocolate scones with clotted cream, and yuzu meringue profiteroles take tea for two to new heights. shop.laurelpoint.com

Faro offers the perfect combination of great artisan pizza and comfortable patio dining at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. The chewy, thin crust arrives bubbling and charred from chef Kreg Graham’s fiery pizza oven and makes the perfect base for a variety of toppings, from Whole Beast charcuterie to local buffalo milk mozzarella. But a fan fave is their unique Gamberi pizza — drizzled with lemon and cashew romesco and garlic cream and topped with chunks of sweet, wild prawns. oakbaybeachhotel.com

Chicken Shawarma

BOLD BUTCHERY & GRILL

Tagliatelle with Meat Sauce | ZAMBRI’S

Bold Butchery is the place to go for shawarma — served in a wrap, over rice or greens and even topping their gooey shawarma poutine.

This butcher shop and grill specializes in humanely raised halal meat and poultry, so you can stock your freezer with grass-fed beef or just come by for a burger or that shawarma, made with 15 secret spices, and sliced from their spinning rotisserie to order. boldbutchery.com

Zambri’s is known for seasonal Italian food and elegant dishes inspired by chef Peter Zambri’s Italian heritage and the wild local ingredients of the West Coast.

But he’s also a master of simplicity, whether it’s hearty minestrone soup with housemade foccacia, a meatball sandwich or a plate of pasta. The Tagliatelle with Meat Sauce is a longtime favourite. zambris.ca

Fish & Chips | FINEST AT SEA FOOD TRUCK

There’s fine fish and chips served around town, but then there’s the finest — fresh from the fish mongers at Finest At Sea. When you come to the shop for your local halibut and cold-smoked tuna, plan to stay for lunch from their food truck outside, featuring B.C. fish and seafood in fish and chips, fish tacos, fish burgers and chowders.

Wild and wonderful. finestatsea.com

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Cheesecake | BUNNY’S KITCHEN Whether you’re a vegan or not, you’ll find a wide range of healthy, homestyle goodies at Bunny’s Kitchen in Esquimalt. Beyond Jenny Smart’s popular vegan or eggy breakfast sandwiches, turkey burgers and vegan mac and cashew cheese are her more-ish vegan desserts.

Try the daily vegan cheesecake — offerings include creamy Coconut Lime or a Salted Caramel Almond Butter Cheesecake, made with local Fatso almond butter. Dairy be damned! facebook.com/bunnys-kitchen

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Learn more at www.ampersanddistilling.com

Seared Scallops

ALPINA RESTAURANT A trip to Alpina, the restaurant at the top of the Malahat at Villa Eyrie Resort, rewards you with some of the best views on the Island and fine dining from a team of chefs at the top of their game, including Executive Chef Mario Gross, who brings years of Michelinstar experience. Try the Seared Scallops (served with beet risotto, horseradish sauce, watercress) or Chinook Salmon Vintner’s Style — dishes that take local ingredients to new heights. villaeyrie.com/alpina-restaurant

SEARED SCALLOPS

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ON THE COVER

Hippie Benny

HOUSE OF BOATENG CAFÉ

Chef Castro Boateng puts his elegant African spin on many dishes at the House of Boateng Café. It’s hard to pick a favourite from his brunch menu — the verdant Hippie Benny with chickpea cake, kale and wild mushrooms, and nettle hollandaise sauce is a dish that’s not to be missed. There’s African and Caribbean spice in the pantry and take-and-bake offerings too. Try vegetarian bangers and mash to bake at home, African Jamaican Beef Patty with house hot sauce and little Bofrot doughnuts rolled in cinnamon sugar. Akwaaba! houseofboateng.ca

Les Moules | VIS-À-VIS Vis-à-Vis specializes in French brasserie-inspired meals — think burgers with Dijonaisse sauce and Parmesan truffle fries, and classic steak au poivre. Les Moules is one pound of Salt Spring Island mussels simmered with white wine, butter, lemon, shallots and leeks, served with grilled French baguette — the perfect nosh to share with a glass of wine from their extensive list. visavisoakbay.com

LES MOULES

Cinnamon Raisin & Nut Rye FRY’S BAKERY

You may not be able to enter tiny Fry’s Bakery these days, but you can certainly be tempted by the array of artisan sourdough breads, all made with their own stone-milled flours, and artfully displayed in the streetside window. The squat loaves of Cinnamon Raisin &

TAKE A SIP Cocktails at THE Courtney Room Happy Hour | 2pm - 5pm www.thecourtneyroom.com | 250-940-4090 Downtown at 619 Courtney Street

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Nut Rye — an ugly duckling of a bread that gets an extra dark crust in their wood-fired oven — is loaded with fruit and nuts and is delicious to toast for breakfast. But the chewy baguette is a favourite too, and the whole wheat country loaf or pain rustique are often in my breadbox.

Check out their daily bread menu and arrive early! frysbakery.com

Granola | BEAR & JOEY The owners of the Bear & Joey café hail from Canada and Australia; hence the playful reference to local fauna in their name. Inspired by Sydney’s café culture, Bear & Joey is a sleek little spot for a good cup of coffee, a cocktail or casual brunch.

Think spinach, bacon, tomato-onion jam and fried egg sandwich or a healthy granola bowl with coconut panna cotta, mango coulis, coconut yogurt and seasonal fruit. bearandjoey.ca

Seamist Sorbetto | MOSI GELATO Gelato and sorbetto are ice cream’s sleek, slim Italian cousins — frozen treats with less fat and sugar, but tons of fresh flavour. Stefano Mosi is a third generation master gelato maker. Try his award-winning Seamist Sorbetto, a refreshing combination of seamist green tea with hints of seaweed, mint and fresh lime juice. mosigelato.com

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Cheese Pretzel

WORKING CULTURE BREAD A freshly-baked cheese pretzel from Working Culture —made with their own sourdough cultures, formed by hand and topped with Boerenkaas cheese from Natural Pastures — is a new twist on the old world classic and a serious snack from one of the city’s newest artisan bakeries. workingculturebread.com

Chicken Tikka, Eggplant Bhartha and Palak Paneer SPICE VALLEY INDIAN CUISINE

Indian food travels well, so try an authentic take-out or delivery dinner from Spice Valley Indian Cuisine. The tender tandoori Chicken Tikka, smoky Eggplant Bhartha and vegetarian spinach Palak Paneer makes a hearty meal for two, or order their saffron-scented biryani rice with raita, a one-dish wonder. Don’t forget the beautiful naan bread from the tandoor oven — the best! spicevalley.ca

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Contact me today for a complimentary, no-obligation financial review.

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Party Box | WILD MOUNTAIN FOOD & DRINK

This curated box from the chefs at Wild Mountain in Sooke is a takeaway treat filled with local goodness. From a selection of their own cured meats such as bresaola with quince mostarda to artisan cheeses like ripe SSI Blue Juliette, castelvetrano olives and housemade ferments, it makes a perfect picnic or nosh with cocktails. wildmountaindinners.com

Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. Scotiabank includes The Bank of Nova Scotia and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including Scotia Securities Inc. As used in this document, “Investment Specialist and Financial Planner”, “Scotiabank Investment Specialist” and “Financial Planner and Investment Specialist” refers to a Scotia Securities Inc. mutual fund representative or, in Quebec, a Group Savings Plan Dealer Representative who is also registered in the category of Financial Planner. Scotia Securities Inc. is a member of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association.

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Artisan Cheese | HALTWHISTLE CHEESE COMPANY

The cheesemakers at Haltwhistle Cheese start with the best local milk — much of it from their own herd of happy goats — to make their exceptional farmstead cheeses in the Cowichan Valley. Inspired by their cheesemaking mentors in France and the U.K., Cory Spencer and Kirsten Thorarinson create wheels of creamy blue Abergavenny and nutty Tomme de Vallée, semi-firm Clevedon and earthy Thombury — cheeses as fine as any import. Find them at farmers’ markets, local grocers and cheesemongers. haltwhistlecheese.com

ARTISAN CHEESE (ABERGAVENNY)

Rosemary’s Baby Ice Cream | COLD COMFORT When you need a little comfort, ice cream fits the bill, and there’s always innovative flavours at Cold Comfort Ice Cream.

Rosemary’s Baby — rosemary-infused ice cream studded with sour cherries — is one of founder Autumn Maxwell’s original ideas and is still in the creative rotation.

When you really want to splash out, get a beautiful Baked Alaska, with killer combos like chocolate ice cream, coconut sponge and passionfruit caramel under a crown of fluffy meringue. coldcomfort.ca

Pita | SUPERBABA

Fried Chicken | CHICKEN 649

Superbaba makes Middle Eastern fast food with chef-worthy chops — the warm falafel, shawarma, eggplant and grilled beef kebab sandwiches come wrapped in fluffy pita bread, baked fresh on site. Like the fried cauliflower, pickled turnips and hummus, it’s a housemade touch that takes these simple sandwiches to the next level. eatsuperbaba.com

If you like fried chicken, you’ll love the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) from Chicken 649. This inconspicuous little takeout joint fries its crispy chicken to order — try the original, with signature spices, and Yangnyeom, tossed in an addictively sweet and spicy sauce, in their “half-and-half” 16-piece box to go. chicken649.ca

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Chocolate Birthday Cake RUTH & DEAN

For so many special occasions, only a beautiful cake will do, and there may be none as delicious as a cake from Ruth & Dean, owned by Susannah Ruth Bryan and Daniela Lucchitti. Known for creating towering cakes with tasty fillings and beautiful Swiss meringue butter cream, Bryan makes a classic birthday cake, with layers of chocolate cake and fudge. There’s no better way to celebrate — or just treat yourself with a slice of the daily cake at this cozy café. ruthanddean.com

Lebanese Pizza

FIG MEDITERRANEAN DELI Is it a pizza or a flatbread? A cheese or spiced meat manoushi, hot out of the oven at Fig Deli, makes a popular lunch, just one of the tasty treats you can order at this little food store, brimming with imported ingredients, house-made rings of olive-stuffed bread, spinach pies and baklava, a wide selection of feta cheese, olives, Italian pasta, olive oil, canned fish and Middle Eastern foods.

A neighbourhood gem. facebook.com/figdeli

Double Smoked Rosemary Bacon | FOUR QUARTERS MEATS There’s always a healthy debate when it comes to which butcher makes the best bacon, but there’s no question that the double smoked Rosemary Bacon from Four Quarters Meats in Sidney is a serious contender. Butcher Geoff Pinch specializes in wholesale charcuterie of all kinds, and you’ll find his chorizo, dried salami and landjäger sausages at restaurants and local grocers. But his bacon — lean, rolled in rosemary and double smoked over hickory wood — makes a next level BLT. instagram.com/fourquartersmeats

Beef Tenderloin | SAVEUR

The

Per fect

Patio Sippers

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From the first spring nettles to fall’s forest fungus, Chef Robert Cassels always has a creative new way to showcase wild, local ingredients at Saveur. His seasonal tasting menus are legendary for their surprising flavour and texture combinations — think Haida Gwaii halibut served with crispy polenta, rapini, nettle velouté, fiddleheads and pickled tomato. His take on beef tenderloin features potato rosti, spinach purée, demi mushrooms and foie gras emulsion. saveurrestaurant.ca

Sleeping Beauty Pancakes NOURISH KITCHEN & CAFE

Like many local restaurants, Nourish Kitchen is operating on reduced hours, but you can still come in for their popular Sleeping Beauty Pancakes or order them as a meal kit (or pancake mix) to enjoy at home. A stack of spiced oatmeal pancakes, topped with seasonal fruit and pretty gorse-flower whipped cream, starts your day in healthy, homey style. nourishkitchen.ca

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There’s something about this salad that ticks all the boxes — healthy kale with chewy bulgur wheat, lots of cucumber, mint and cherry tomatoes, and those chunks of salty, fried halloumi cheese — and makes an addictive umami bomb in a bowl. Add hawaij spiced fries with preserved lemon yogurt dip or a hummus plate with fried Brussels sprouts, and share a taste of Tel Aviv in the sunshine at Fort Common. letsgoyalla.ca

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Seafood Tower BOOM + BATTEN

Baguette FOL EPI

Pulled Pork + Pineapple Fried Rice FOO ASIAN STREET FOOD

Porchetta Sandwich with Crackling ROAST

Green Sauce THE ROOT CELLAR

The Coconut Curry Biryani FISHHOOK

Fried Kamut Chicken Sandwich with Umami Fries PART AND PARCEL

Chicken Liver Parfait THE WHOLE BEAST

Brown Butter Brownie Ice Cream PARACHUTE ICE CREAM

Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodle Soup LITTLE YUNNAN

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Restaurant Profile

SHERWOOD DASHA ARMSTRONG

by Adrien Sala

M

ood matters when it comes to making your dining decisions. Maybe you feel like meeting friends for some snacks and a happy hour cocktail after work on a patio? Or maybe you’re in the mood to grab a perfectly pulled coffee and a pastry to go? Or perhaps you want the full meal deal, with multiple courses, fresh seasonal ingredients, great wine, and a stylish environment — with friendly, attentive servers ready to help guide you through the evening?

Whatever you’re feeling, Sherwood plays to the many tastes of downtown diners and is perfectly placed to satisfy any mood — at any time of day.

“I really want people to make it their own,” says owner Shane Devereaux.

“Sherwood is versatile and inventive and I think that opens it up for a range of different dining opportunities.”

Designed from inception to be a restaurant, bar and café, Sherwood fluidly transforms throughout the day, creating a unique experience for patrons. Nominated for international design awards, the timeless and playful feel of the room — with its high ceilings, tall windows and endless natural light — allows for settling in and getting lost in the experience. Inspired by European café culture, it is a place where the sun slowly slides across the room in harmony with the surroundings. Subtle music adds to the experience, curated to be the perfect soundtrack to the many versions of Sherwood that arise as time passes.

The menu is thoughtfully considered, with a quality and approachability inspired by cuisines from around the world. Fresh, local ingredients underpin a creative and diverse menu,

ranging from inventive, yet traditional breakfasts, to comforting lunches, shareplate dinners, bar snacks and brunch on weekends. This is all supported by great cocktails, low-intervention local wines and a range of refreshing drinks that deliver on the promises of comfort, inclusivity and the shifting tastes of patrons throughout the day.

“Sherwood is a take-away coffee bar too,” says Devereaux, who also owns Habit Coffee. “We use local Bows and Arrows coffee and have skilled baristas pulling it all together.”

The many versions of Sherwood have helped turn it into a hub for patrons of all descriptions. It’s a place that feels familiar, comfortable and inviting — a local gathering spot to share ideas, great conversation and fantastic dining experiences, no matter your mood.

Cafe. Bar. Takeaway. Patio.

710 Pandora Ave, Victoria // sherwoodvictoria.com // Open 7 days a week AM to PM

Restaurant Profile Restaurant Profile

GLO RESTAURANT + + LOUNGE LOUNGE GLO RESTAURANT

G

lo lo Restaurant Restaurant ++ Lounge Lounge has has been been aa part part of of the the Selkirk Selkirk Neighbourhood Neighbourhood for for the the past 15 years, providing past 15 years, providing a beautiful waterfront location for a beautiful waterfront location for residents and those working in the residents and those working in the area to enjoy. Glo offers a wide range area to enjoy. Glo offers a wide range of dining experiences: you can sip on dining canorsip aofglass of experiences: sangria on theyou patio tryona a glass of sangria the patio or a three-course mealon and a bottle of try wine. three-course a bottle of wine.

Don’t want tomeal driveand or take a cab?

Bike Don’t want drive or take a cab? down on thetoGalloping Goose trail,Bike just down onfrom the Galloping GooseBetter trail, yet, just minutes the front door. minutes from the frontor door. pull up on your kayak, see Better all the yet, pull has up on see all the city to your offer kayak, with a or ride here on the city has to offer with a ride here on the Harbour Ferry.

Executive Chef Andrew Fawcett Harbour Ferry. hasExecutive been withChef the company for Andrew Fawcett over 18 years, his career has been withbeginning the company for at Glo’s sister beginning restaurant his Med Grill over 18 years, career at Glo’s sister restaurant Med Grill

Royal Royal Oak. Oak. Since Sincehis hisstart startwith withthe the company, company, Andrew Andrewhas hasbrought broughtaa passion passion for for quality qualityfood, food,and andenjoys enjoys working with local ingredients as working with local ingredients as often as possible. Chef Andrew strives often as possible. Chef Andrew strives to create something for everyone; to create something for everyone; featuring seasonal menus, he works to featuring seasonal menus, he works to incorporate all food preferences and incorporate all foodCeliac? preferences and dietary restrictions.

Vegan?

He dietary Celiac?

Vegan? He has you restrictions. covered! Working alongside has you covered!

Working alongside Chef Andrew, Beverage Director Cam Chef Andrew, Beverage Cam Simpson has curated the Director perfect wine, Simpson has curated theaccompany perfect wine, beer and cocktail list to you beer andsunny cocktail listdays to accompany you on those patio or raise your on those sunny daysisn’t or raise spirits when the patio weather quiteyour so spirits when the weather isn’t quite so perfect.

Glo’s interior is comprised of floorperfect. to-ceiling windows and a sleekofand Glo’s interior is comprised floormodern design with and inviting booths to-ceiling windows a sleek and and plenty of seating at the 360-degree modern design with inviting booths and plenty of seating at the 360-degree

bar. bar.Without Withoutaadoubt, doubt,Glo’s Glo’s180-degree 180-degree wrap-around wrap-aroundpatio patioisisone oneofofthe thelargest largest in Victoria, and is a highlight in Victoria, and is a highlightofofthe the restaurant, bringing in all sorts of guests restaurant, bringing in all sorts of guests who love to dine in the sun. Facing the who love to dine in the sun. Facing the Selkirk Waterway, with unparalleled Selkirk Waterway, with unparalleled views of the Trestle and Halkett Island, views of the Trestle and Halkett Island, Glo’s two-tiered patio offers heaters, Glo’s two-tiered patio offers blankets, and umbrellas, so noheaters, matter blankets, and umbrellas, no matter the weather you can find asocomfortable the with weather you can find a comfortable seat an unbeatable view. seat with an view. extra at Looking forunbeatable a little something Looking for a little something extra a great price?

Glo’s award-winning dailyat a greatHour price?

Glo’sfeatures award-winning daily Happy menu an extensive Happy Hour menu features andrinks. extensive list of premium appetizers and If list can’t of premium and drinks. you make itappetizers from 2-5pm, Glo also If has late-night Glo menuGlo from youa can’t makeAfter it from 2-5pm, also 8pm close, allowing guests to enjoy has atolate-night After Glo menu from their items whenever they 8pm favourite to close, allowing guests to enjoy prefer. their favourite items whenever they prefer.

Brunch. Lunch. Dinner. Happy Hour.

Brunch. Lunch. Dinner. Happy Hour.

2940 Jutland Rd, Victoria // glovictoria.com // 250 385-5643 // Open 7 days per week 2940 Jutland Rd, Victoria // glovictoria.com // 250 385-5643 // Open 7 days per week

Restaurant Profile

BOOM + BATTEN

B

oom + Batten Restaurant and Café, built and suspended over the middle harbour within the Victoria International Marina, features the most beautiful water views in all of Victoria. Opened in June of 2019, Boom + Batten is now in its third year of operation, but due to the Covid-19 shutdown in 2020, the first Spring season was this year. Just minutes from Downtown, Boom + Batten is easily accessible by land and sea, with ample free parking, bike racks, and a harbour ferry dock a few steps from the front door.

Executive Chef Matt Cusano and Beverage Director Vincent Vanderheide create unique and beautiful dishes and drinks using local, fresh ingredients,

incorporating a feeling of the West Coast. Chef Matt also brings an Italian background to the restaurant, which is reflected in many items on the menu such as the house made pasta dishes.

Boom + Batten’s seasonally changing menus appeal to a broad range of clientele, offering variety and pricing to satisfy all tastes and preferences. Often referred to as an “elevated casual” dining experience, at Boom + Batten you can have whatever experience you choose. Looking for something more casual? Try one of the traditional forno oven pizzas or come by for the awardwinning Happy Hour menu. Looking to start your morning off right? Stop by the in-house café for fresh baked goods, treats, and a latte to go. Looking for a

more elegant dining experience? Boom + Batten offers an extensive wine and cocktail list, and a menu with high end, quality ingredients.

The addition of the promenade patio, directly along the water, has given the neighbourhood a unique European feel. Sitting at a beautiful bistro table overlooking the Victoria International Marina, it is common to see otters playing in the water, herons landing on the docks, and sea planes taking off right in front of you. Boom + Batten even has your pups covered with house made Boom Bones, and a comfortable place for them to sit just outside the patio while you enjoy your meal. Boom + Batten is looking forward to seeing you soon!

Waterfront dining at its best.

2 Paul Kane Pl, Victoria // boomandbatten.com // Open 10 am to 9pm, 7 days per week

Restaurant Profile

THE UNION CLUB OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

E

xciting times are underway at downtown Victoria’s preeminent private business and social club, as The Union Club of British Columbia embarks on a complete overhaul of its culinary facilities.

Award-winning Executive Chef Nicolas Hipperson continues to lead his team into the future with a stunning kitchen redesign. Chef Hipperson’s culinary vision of local and sustainable farm-driven cuisine will be on full display as the Union Club unveils its state-of-the-art facility in July 2021.

The Union Club is currently accepting membership applications; please contact our sales team for more information. Your new home away from home awaits!

805 Gordon Street, Victoria // unionclub.com // 250-384-1151 ex.320 // membership@unionclub.com

Restaurant Profile

HOUSE OF BOATENG Seriously Good Food

H

OB Cafe celebrates the flavours of West Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific Northwest.

Chef Castro, his wife Charlotte and their team have created a beautiful, inviting, friendly café nestled in downtown Langford. HOB has many accolades: 2020 Victoria Chamber Business of the year, 2019 Air Canada’s 35 Best New Restaurants list and the 2019 YAM magazine Best New Restaurant and Chef of The Year. We invite you to take a seat at our table and indulge in flavours with unique combinations of spices, tropical, foraged and locally farmed ingredients. The chefs are proud to serve vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free items on all the menus.

2854 Peatt Road, Langford // houseofboateng.ca // 778-432-2233 Brunch Mon-Sun 9:00-3:00 • Happy Hour Thurs-Sun 3:00-5:00 • Dinner Thurs-Sun 5:00-9:00

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Restaurant Profile

DUTCH BAKERY & DINER Three Generations of Delicious

N

ewcomers and visitors to Victoria will surely ogle the colourful bakery treats and homemade chocolates displayed in the street-facing window of Dutch Bakery & Diner, but they may not immediately notice that nestled behind the bakery display is a fantastic, nostalgic diner. The diner has been a mainstay for locals for 65 years in large part due to the consistently delectable quality of recipes handed down through the Schaddelee family for decades.

Three cousins who still run the family business — Michele Byrne, Jack Schaddelee and Brook Schaddelee — welcome you to come and enjoy breakfast, lunch or take-away treats.

718 Fort Street, Victoria // thedutchbakery.com // 250-385-1012 Monday to Saturday

Restaurant Profile

PIZZERIA PRIMA STRADA

M

ore than 10 years ago, two people passionate for pizza founded Pizzeria Prima Strada. We fell in love with Neapolitan pizza and wanted to share it with our family, friends and Vancouver Island community.

What makes pizza from Naples so special?

It’s the simple and fresh toppings, dough made with no more than four ingredients and baking in a wood-fired oven at high temperatures to create a crisp, bubbly and crunchy crust.

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!

Pizza. People. Passion. Visit us in Victoria and Cowichan Bay // pizzeriaprimastrada.com

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STYLE WATCH Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe Photography: Michelle Proctor

BOLD COLOURS, HIGH TECH FABRICS AND A SLEEK FIT TAKE FITNESS GEAR TO THE NEXT LEVEL. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

This page: Adidas Track Suit Jacket and Don’t Rest Alphaskin Padded Bra, and Fydelity Retroelectric Iridescent Visor, all available at Hudson’s Bay. Opposite page: Free People Scoop Me Up Racerback and Odessa Short, available at Merchant Quarters General Store.

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Model: Akoy Deng/ Lizbell Agency Hair & Makeup:Anya Ellis/ Lizbell Agency, using Charlotte Tilbury makeup and Moroccanoil hair products.

GIANTS OF THE

Salish Sea

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ORCAS HAVE LONG BEEN A SYMBOL OF THE WEST COAST. YAM EXPLORES WHAT THE MAJESTIC MAMMAL MEANS TO THE AREA’S ECOSYSTEM, CULTURE AND SENSE OF PLACE.

By Athena McKenzie

SYMBOLS OF THE SEA When the Royal BC Museum (RBCM) officially opened their new exhibition Orcas: Our Shared Future this spring, acting CEO Dr. Daniel Muzyka called it a “clear call-to-action,” asking guests

to take note of what is happening to orcas. The exhibit brings together the work of scientists, Indigenous knowledge-keepers, poets, artists and storytellers to explore the ways orcas and humans are inextricably connected.

“I think that what people will come away with is an appreciation for how these seemingly different perspectives actually enhance each other,” says Lou-ann Neel, curator of Indigenous collections at RBCM. Walking into the exhibit, guests pass through a striking lighted portal in the shape of an orca tail. Along with presenting a perfect Instagram opportunity, it’s a visual cue that you are entering a different world.

The first thing one sees is Mungo Martin’s orca feast dish, a large, lidded cedar bowl, similar to the ones used for Indigenous coastal celebrations and ceremonies, where it would brim with delicacies of the sea, including salmon. Along with symbolically displaying the wealth of the oceans, it would demonstrate the wealth and generosity of the chief.

“Part of my role was identifying which of the pieces from the existing collection would make the most sense to go into an exhibit like this, given the kinds of stories we want to tell, the connections that orcas have to many of the coastal Nations and the really big range of those different kinds of connections,” Neel says. “Where I’m from, which is the Kwagiulth of the Kwakwaka’wakw from the Northern Island, the old people talked about how the orca was a spirit carrier. When somebody passed away, the orcas would come to the waters surrounding the village to carry home the souls of those who had just departed.”

Other elders believed they would come back as another life form, and expressed desire to come back as an orca: “So there was a really big range, just in our tribe alone,” she says.

Other Nations, such as the Songhees, trace their connection back to the orca being their first ancestor.

“During the formation of our lands — and our country and our territories — the orcas were one of many creatures that removed the cloaks that made them an orca or a bear or an eagle, revealing the human self,” Neel says. “Those are the first ancestors of those villages.”

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

MIKE CHAREST

O

n a sunny day in late May, the passengers on Eagle Wing Tours’ Wild 4 Whales boat cluster along the starboard side to watch two transient orcas, brothers T125A and T128, hang around the waters off Port Townsend after a successful seal hunt. As one of the huge Bigg’s whales lunges his head out of the water in a distinctive maneuver known as a spyhop, the crowd lets out a collective gasp. One guest wonders aloud if the naturalists on board ever lose that sense of awe.

“I’ve been doing this since 1997, and every time I go out, it’s like it’s the first time,” says Brett Soberg, co-owner/operator at Eagle Wing. “There’s just such a strong sense of amazement and connection.”

For many locals, this sense of connection reached an emotional peak in 2018 when southern resident orca Tahlequah (known as J35 to researchers) carried her stillborn calf on the surface of the Salish Sea for more than two weeks.

This “tour of grief,” as it was called, touched hearts around the world and brought necessary attention to the challenges facing the southern resident population and their struggle for survival.

There are three known ecotypes of orcas in the North Pacific: resident, Bigg’s (transient) and offshore. Resident orcas travel in pods made up of several large extended family groups, and the southern residents are made up of three pods: J, K and L pods. While Bigg’s and offshore orcas are true “killer whales,” hunting marine mammals and sharks, respectively, resident orcas have a diet that consists primarily of chinook salmon.

“You can tell what’s going on in an ecosystem based on your apex predators,” Soberg says. “From an ecological standpoint, they are our gauge as to whether the ecosystem is doing okay. We’ve got five species of whales that live in the same waters, who are exposed to the same pollution, vessel traffic and noise, and one of them is not doing well. The southern residents are picky eaters; they like their chinook salmon, and it has not served them well.”

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THE HUMAN/ORCA BOND It could be argued these foundational beliefs grew from the inherent similarities between humans and orcas. Scientific studies show some evolutionary convergence, especially when it comes to personality traits, between killer whales and primates. A 2017 study from the University of Manchester looked at the advanced cognitive abilities required for complex social interactions. Like primates, killer whales live in tight-knit social groups; work together for mutual benefit; socially transfer hunting techniques; use complex vocalizations, including regional group dialects; play socially and have sex for pleasure.

“Physiologically, you look at a whale, and it’s so radically different from us,” says Dr. Gavin Hanke, curator of vertebrate zoology at RBCM. “But then you look In many local Indigenous cultures, whales are a powerful behaviorally, and they’re not.” link between the natural and supernatural realms.

Early in the exhibit, visitors are led Pictured: Cedar Screen by Bill Reid, 1968 (red cedar wood, 120 x 190 x 14.6 cm), Royal BC Museum. into an underwater simulation, with three 3D-printed full-size orcas. The perspective, seeing the giant mammals as you might in their environment, is striking.

There are also interactive stations that aim to translate orca experiences into human sensations, including Acoustic Turbulence, an interactive artwork that visualizes underwater noise pollution generated by large ocean vessels, created by local artist Colton Hash.

Noise pollution is particularly significant to the southern resident orcas. Residents use echolocation to locate their prey; they produce short bursts of clicks that reflect on the environment around them and produce a picture of their surroundings.

Among the displays are the skeletons of Rhapsody (J32) and her unborn calf. The 18-year-old southern resident killer whale, who died in 2014, had been pregnant with a full-term fetus.

A necropsy showed the whale had a very thin layer of blubber and had been starving.

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“Physiologically, you look at a whale, and it’s so radically different from us. But then you look behaviorally, and they’re not.”

— RBCM curator, Dr. Gavin Hanke

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Orcas: Our Shared Future is an interactive exhibition featuring life-size orca replicas, fossils, films, objects from popular culture and original artwork from the Indigenous peoples of the North American west coast.

ORCA 101

THE CENTRE FOR WHALE RESEARCH

Orcinus orca, often referred to as killer whales, are whales with teeth. They are the largest members of the dolphin family. While they are found in all of the world’s oceans, they prefer colder water temperatures, such as those here in the Salish Sea. Killer whales are apex predators — even above great white sharks, which are the main diet of offshore orcas.

“Rhapsody was a real wake-up call for me and was the one who made me go vegan,” Hanke says. “When the necropsy was finished, the tissues had to be disposed of in a landfill as toxic waste because of all the bioaccumulation through the food chain. She had been eating local salmon her entire life. I wanted to lower myself on the food chain.”

Rhapsody and Tahlequah are emblematic of the larger issues facing the southern resident whales. Southern resident females used to give birth once every five years, but their average birth frequency has dropped to once every 10 years. A 2017 study in the journal PLOS ONE found that over two thirds of southern resident pregnancies failed between 2008 and 2014.

“Low availability of chinook salmon appears to be an important stressor among these fisheating whales as well as a significant cause of late pregnancy failure,” reported the study, conducted by researchers from a number of conservation centers. “Results point to the importance of promoting chinook salmon recovery to enhance population growth of southern resident killer whales.”

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Their distinctive white markings — on their bellies, behind their dorsal fins (called saddle patches) and on the sides of their heads (eye patches) — act like fingerprints and make individual orcas easy to identify. The southern residents have been studied for the past 35 years, and each individual orca has been named.

Three pods — J, K and L — make up the southern resident population, and, while they do mate among each other, they do not interbreed with the northern residents or the transients.

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Working with OceanWise, whale watchers identify and report all southern resident sightings through the WhaleReport app.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

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“Being on the water allows the whalewatching community to act as ‘sentinels of the sea,’” says Bill Moore, captain and senior mariner at Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures. “We are often the first to see a new birth or notice a possible health issue with a whale and we share this information with research organizations like the Center for Whale Research and relevant government agencies.”

The numbers show that the southern residents are not seen in local waters as often as they used to be. Before 2010, they were on the west side of San Juan Island 80 per cent of the time between May and October.

“That’s just what they did, because the fish were there,” Soberg of Eagle Wing says. “The last five to seven years have been really poor for southern resident killer sightings in the area.

And we can only suspect that they’re finding food somewhere else.”

Conversely, the transients, who historically avoided the resident populations, have moved into the area, taking advantage of the healthy seal and sea lion populations.

“The transients are all over that like a dirty shirt, doing a fabulous job of keeping porpoise, seal and sea lion populations down at a natural equilibrium,” Soberg says. “There’s been a three to four per cent increase in population per year.

And for an apex predator, that’s a big number.”

For the past four decades, the non-profit Center for Whale Research has collected detailed demographic data on the southern resident killer whale population, recording all observed births and deaths. Their website lists the southern resident population at 74 whales, as of December 31, 2020.

Earlier this year, the organization spotted Tahlequah with a new calf, dubbed J57, “swimming vigorously alongside its mother,” in waters near the border between B.C. and Washington. Three other new southern resident calves have also been spotted.

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over the last several years, J pod is in better condition than in much of the last decade.

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

THE CENTRE FOR WHALE RESEARCH

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THE ROLE OF WHALE WATCHERS

B

ill Moore, captain and senior mariner at Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures, says whale watchers should be signatories to Transport Canada’s 2021 Sustainable Whale Watching Agreement To Support The Recovery Of The Southern Resident Killer Whale, which aims to reduce physical and acoustic disturbance.

Along with educating guests, Moore believes the role of whale watchers includes research, conservation, awareness, role modelling, and reporting violators.

“By following the Be Whale Wise guidelines we help educate other boaters,” he says. “If we see an infraction, we are in a position to inform and educate the violator or report them.”

Dr. Gavin Hanke, curator of vertebrate zoology at RBCM, says working on Orcas: Our Shared Future helped change his perspective on the industry.

“A lot of people are completely antiwhale watching, but I’ve done a come about,” he says. “They do care and they are being careful. They’re often first on the water in many cases, so they see a lot of things that scientists would miss.”

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“There are signs for optimism; in general over the last several years, J pod is in better condition than in much of the last decade,” John Durban, professor at Oregon State University, recently told The Seattle Times.

He’s also a research associate with an orca health monitoring project, SR3 Sea Life Response + Rehab + Research. Using a drone (flown more than 100 feet above the whales), they document the body condition of the orcas.

This year they are seeing improvement in J pod.

There is hope, but Durban warns, “It is fragile.”

PUSHING FOR CHANGE If there is another take-away from the Orcas: Our Shared Future exhibit, it is the potential for change. One of the areas it explores is how the Salish Sea is the historical “coast zero” for the market in captive orcas. And how those captives sparked a groundswell of change.

“I grew up in the era when we had Sealand and places like that, where orcas were held captive,” Neel says. “What I think is really interesting — and amazing — is that we’ve seen big change in my lifetime. If anyone takes away an extra message from the exhibit, I hope they are encouraged that by using our voices, we can get somewhere really good sometimes.”

Located on Salt Spring Island at 102-150 Fulford Ganges Road, t. 778 353 3344 podcontemporary.com artwork: michela sorrentino

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Digging the Local Bounty Vancouver Island is blessed with an abundance of farmers’ markets and subscription boxes overflowing with fresh produce. Make the most of the summer with these highly adaptable, veggie-forward meal ideas and recipes.

TRINETTE REED/STOCKSY

By Cinda Chavich

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

T

he beauty of a CSA box is the everchanging selection of produce — a surprise when you pick it up at the farm or have it delivered to your door.

It’s a veritable box of delights for vegetable lovers, with goods fresh from Island fields, filled with juicy strawberries and sweet corn, blushing new potatoes, baby squash, yellow beets and every kind of leafy green you can imagine.

There’s been a big uptick in demand for local food over the past year. And if you were in the know, you sewed up your weekly fresh produce supply with a CSA subscription box.

CSA (community supported agriculture) is a system that lets farmers benefit from an earlyseason shot of capital and guaranteed sales by selling direct to consumers.

You buy an annual or seasonal CSA box subscription, paying the farmer up front for a weekly box of fresh produce. It’s a great way to insure your pick of the seasonal crop.

“As a farmer, I have a lot of gratitude for our CSA customers,” says Heather Stretch of Northbrook Farm who, along with two other female farmers, is part of Saanich Organics, a business that sells organic produce collectively through farmers’ markets, direct-to-restaurant sales and a popular residential box delivery program.

“It’s important for us to have that certainty that the product is sold before planting it.”

This year, the box program was sold out even before a seed went into the ground, she says, a function of a pandemic that saw more people cooking at home, and more Islanders thinking about local food security.

“At the beginning, I think people were worried about food shortages,” she says, “but I don’t think it’s coming from fear anymore.

People realized there actually is great local food being grown right here at home.”

Stretch, who grows a variety of vegetables and has a U-pick blueberry orchard, says a typical mid-summer CSA box might include kale, beans, cucumbers, salad greens, onions, summer squash, lettuce and blueberries. Later in the season, carrots, beets, jalapeño peppers, garlic and plums may be part of the mix.

Local farmers also grow Japanese turnips, pac choi, kohlrabi, eggplant, brussels sprouts and parsnips.

Every CSA box includes about eight different items, based on seasonality and monetary value of the products, says Stretch, and, as a CSA box customer, you’re first in line for the week’s harvest.

“If we’re short on something, we think of our CSA customers first,” Stretch says, noting a Saanich Organics box might also include produce from other smaller organic growers.

Beyond boxes, you can use the new online ordering platforms, created by Moss Street and Esquimalt farmers’ markets, to preorder produce from growers that’s curated for pickup at the markets or arrange delivery from a variety of Cowichan Valley farms using the Cow-op online market.

Or drive the back roads of the Saanich Peninsula and Cowichan Valley to cherry-pick your favourite fresh fruits and vegetables right from the farms, or meet the growers at the weekly farmers’ markets held across the region.

FARM TO TOP TABLES Robert Cassels, the chef/owner of Saveur Restaurant, buys vegetables directly from local farms for his seasonal menus. Whether it’s Sun Wing farm’s tomato jam on his burgers, a concentrated carrot juice emulsion or a complete plant-based tasting menu, Cassels loves to create inspired new combinations with his root-to-shoot vegetable cuisine.

His vegan fried Mushroom Crackling served with dehydrated radish and carrot top kimchi powder requires a multi-day preparation process. But some dishes are simple, like shaved asparagus in a minted truffle dressing or blanched greens in chilled summer soups.

“My favourite thing to do with vegetables is to smoke them,” says Cassels, describing the smoked beet puree that gives his beet dish a meaty note, reminiscent of bacon, or his popular smoked tomato vinaigrette, made with roasted garlic and basil. Recent menu items include duck spring rolls with smoked beet and wild elderberry “nuoc cham” and Metchosin pork belly with basil miso and preserved lemon “gremolata” in a smoked turnip broth. Wild mushrooms get lots of love too — crispy fried and pickled chanterelles, lion’s mane, puffed wheat berries with chanterelle butter, fermented mushroom powder and Parmesan black truffle foam.

Cow-op cow-op.ca Delivery or Pickup: Thursdays

The Local Food Box thelocalfoodbox.com Pickup: Tuesdays and Fridays

Berryman Brothers Butcheries berrymanfarms.ca Delivery: Anytime

South Island FarmHub sifarmhub.ca Delivery or Pickup: Wednesdays

Fierce Love Farm fiercelovefarm.ca Pickup: Tuesdays (Haliburton Farm) or Thursdays (Fernwood)

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For a further list of CSA providers, including those already sold out for the 2021 season, visit yammagazine.com.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

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The trick to creating great vegetable dishes is treating vegetables with the same care and attention afforded more expensive proteins, he says.

“We make a mixed vegetable top kimchi, ferment it and then dehydrate it to a powder to create a seasoning, loaded with umami,” he says. “Many cooks will take a lot of time and stages with meat — brining, braising, pressing — we do the same with vegetables.”

MULTI-GREEN PESTO I like to whirl up arugula, fresh herbs and any fresh-fromthe-farm greens (even turnip and radish tops) into a unique pesto-style sauce to stir into hot cooked rice, risotto, Israeli couscous or pasta; slather on a pizza or sandwich; or combine with sour cream for a dip or baked potato topper.

USE IT UP While the first line of defence with farm-fresh vegetables is a big mixed salad — there’s nothing quite like the flavour of freshly-picked greens, ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, French radishes and garden peas — you can cook any of these tasty treats too.

Heather Stretch tells her customers to be adventurous and try new vegetables, noting any vegetable can be “boiled, roasted or shredded into a salad.”

I would add grilled, sautéed or stir-fried to that list. Think about the “mother recipes” that you can tweak by swapping out the vegetables and herbs, whether it’s a quiche, omelet, risotto, soup or savoury vegetable fritter.

If you have a spiralizing tool, it’s easy to turn a windfall of big zucchini, carrots or rutabagas into vegetable “noodles” to add to salads or to sauté with butter and garlic.

You might also roast the vegetables that are overwhelming your fridge or getting a bit squidgy — either alone or en masse — on a big sheet pan.

Start by cutting or slicing vegetables, tossing them with a little olive oil and seasoning with salt, pepper or other herbs and spices. I especially like to roast tomatoes (to serve on crostini toast with a slather of pesto or mayo or ricotta and basil) or create a Mediterranean couscous bowl with roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, eggplant, onions and peppers, topped with hummus and tzatziki.

Cooking ripe fruits, especially berries, is a great way to save them when you have an abundance too.

Think about simmering berries into a simple sauce, with a bit of sugar, to top your morning yogurt or pound cake or combining them with apples or peaches in a fruit crumble.

While you can store some vegetables in the refrigerator or a cold cellar for weeks — including cabbages, turnips, and roots like beets, potatoes and carrots — many vegetables and fruits spoil quickly and can easily become excess food waste. Pickling or fermenting is a good way to deal with a windfall of summer produce, and making old-fashioned vinegar and fruit shrubs (also known as drinking vinegar) is an option when the orchard overflows.

Spinnakers has shrubs — ginger, blackberry, raspberry and rhubarb — on their cocktail menu and adds these local flavours to their line of sparkling waters and sodas.

So get creative and enjoy the bounty of summer in a box!

• 4 cups greens (any combination of arugula, radish tops, mustard greens, basil, mint, kale, spinach, turnip greens, chard, carrot tops) • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Parmesan, feta, Asiago, Gouda) • 1 garlic clove, peeled • 1/4 cup toasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans) • 1/3 cup olive oil, plus additional olive oil for storing • 1/4 teaspoon salt Quickly blanch greens in boiling water for 10 seconds, then refresh in cold water and drain well. This sets the colour.

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to chop, then purée.

Store pesto in a jar in the refrigerator, with a layer of olive oil on top to preserve.

This pesto can also be frozen.

Local Farmers’ Markets VICTORIA Esquimalt Farmers Market esquimaltmarket.com Thursdays, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., April 1 to September 16 (fall schedule to be determined)

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Oaklands Sunset Market oaklands.life Wednesdays, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., June 30 to September 1

Sooke Country Market sookecountrymarket.com Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 24 to October 9

Sidney Street Market sidneystreetmarket.ca Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 9 to October 10

James Bay Community Market jamesbaymarket.com Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 1 to October 2

WESTSHORE Goldstream Farmers Market facebook.com/ goldstreamfarmersmarket Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May to October

SAANICH PENINSULA North Saanich Farm Market northsaanichfarmmarket.ca Saturdays, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., June 5 to October 9

COWICHAN VALLEY Cobble Hill Farmers’ Market cobblehillfarmersmarket.ca Thursdays, 5 to 8:30 p.m., June to September

Moss Street Market mossstreetmarket.com Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May to October (hours change in fall and winter)

Metchosin Farmers’ Market facebook.com/MetchosinFarmers-Market Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mid-May to late October

Peninsula Country Market peninsulacountrymarket.ca Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 5 to October 9; Wednesdays, 4 to 8 p.m., July 7 to August 25

Duncan Farmers’ Market duncanfarmersmarket.ca Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO This risotto recipe uses asparagus, but you can also add peas, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, roasted peppers, sausage and/or shrimp.

• 1 pound asparagus • 4 cups chicken broth • pinch of saffron threads • 2 tablespoons butter • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 medium onion, finely chopped • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or short-grain white rice • 1/2 cup dry white wine • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (optional) • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese • salt and freshly ground black pepper Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus, cut off tips and reserve. Slice stalks on the diagonal.

Heat chicken broth to boiling. Keep warm.

Crumble the saffron threads into broth.

In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until tender. Stir in the rice and cook together for a minute.

Add the wine and stir until absorbed, then ladle in a little hot broth (about 1/2 cup) and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often.

Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until it’s absorbed, and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add the asparagus stalks and the herbs, if using. Add more broth, stirring, until the rice is al dente (still slightly firm), about 10 to 15 minutes longer. The risotto should be loose but not soupy.

Add the asparagus tips and continue cooking until the rice is just tender, adding more broth, as needed, to keep the mixture creamy.

Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, topped with remaining Parmesan. Serves 2 heartily as a main dish or 4 with other courses.

TIP: For a brilliant green risotto, lightly steam half the asparagus stalks and purée in the food processor or blender with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. When the rice is almost tender, add the asparagus purée. You can also try this technique with spinach or fresh or frozen green peas and fresh mint.

From The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook by Cinda Chavich.

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61

SPICY ZUCCHINI AND ONION FRITTERS These Indian-inspired appetizers are easy to make — add any fresh vegetables to the tasty pakora batter (slivered carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, cabbage, etc.).

• 1 cup chickpea flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander, cayenne and turmeric • salt and pepper • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro • 1 medium zucchini, cut into julienne strips • 1 medium onion, cut into thin slivers • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped • 1/4 to 1/2 cup water • 2 cups canola oil for frying • coriander chutney (for serving) Combine the chickpea flour, baking powder, spices, salt and pepper and cilantro. Add the vegetables to the dry ingredients, tossing to coat.

Drizzle in water. Start with 1/4 cup, mixing with your hands, just until the batter comes together enough to hold the vegetables into a loose mass. (You don’t want a runny batter — it should be quite dry.)

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat.

When the oil is sizzling (about 350˚F), add battered vegetables to the oil, a small handful at a time. Cook in batches to ensure the oil remains hot. Fry the fritters slowly, until golden brown. (If the oil is too hot they will be gooey in the centre.) Drain fritters on paper towels and keep warm in a 200˚F oven.

Serve hot with chutney.

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From The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook

by Cinda Chavich.

LEMONY STRAWBERRY PAVLOVAS The lemon custard tempers the sweet meringue in this version of classic pavlova. You can fill with any seasonal fruits or berries.

•4 eggs, separated • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 /4 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1 /4 teaspoon salt • 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided • 1 /3 cup lemon juice •2 tablespoons minced lemon zest • 1 cup whipping cream (or plain Greek yogurt) •4 cups ripe strawberries, sliced (or other berries/fruit) Line a cookie sheet with parchment and draw a 9-inch circle (or eight 4-inch circles for individual pavlovas).

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Add 1 cup of the sugar gradually, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until the whites are glossy and stiff.

Using the parchment as a guide, spoon the meringue onto the baking sheet. Mound it higher around the edges, forming a bowl in the middle for the lemon custard.

Preheat the oven to 200ºF and bake the meringue for 1 hour, until crisp. Turn off the heat, leave the oven door ajar and allow to cool in oven.

In a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice and heat over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the lemon zest and set aside to cool.

In another bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled lemon custard, just to lighten it.

Alternatively, simply combine lemon custard with yogurt to create a sauce.

Just before serving, fill meringue(s) with lemon cream mixture and decorate with fruit.

Serves 8.

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Try a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, peaches or plums.

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

63

SCENE

Musical Ride

“I really feel — and I don’t care how corny this sounds — that we’ve all created something special and can’t wait for people to finally hear it all.”

An iconic Victoria stage musical, Ride The Cyclone, finally gets its full cast recording.

By David Lennam | Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

I

t’s not typical for fans of a stage musical to have to wait more than a decade for an album.

But the made-in-Victoria Ride The Cyclone has kept its rabid following salivating through umpteen incarnations of the show. Version upon version and rewrite upon rewrite (thousands, the creators will tell you) has turned and tweaked Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell’s dark comedy, from an idea honed on the Atomic Vaudeville stage as far back as 2008, to a slick singalong joyride that roller coastered across Canada and the States, selling out, vacuuming up awards and assembling a monster cult fan base.

The far-out tale of a fatal midway ride for the members of a small-town Uranium City, Saskatchewan, school choir and their chance to return to life — if they can appease the Amazing Karnak, the show’s mechanical fairground fortune teller — was a critical darling that made a sizable splash off-Broadway.

Perhaps it was some weird fortune that the bring-it-all-to-a-crashing-halt pandemic allowed the creators and cast to record a soundtrack. No one was preoccupied performing Cyclone (or much of anything else, for that matter).

Having the world hit pause did make the album project simpler — even if simpler meant wrangling singers across the continent to record remotely while Maxwell and a band of Victoria’s best musicians hammered out bed tracks and background vocals at Joby Baker’s studio for Cyclone’s leads to sing to.

Maxwell’s musical profile hasn’t been about writing musical theatre.

It’s been about playing live gigs at venues like Pagliacci’s where his group The Canoe Standers (formerly the New Standards/Gnu Standards/Knu Standards) have held court for 15 years. He’ll tell you immediately that he’s not a musical theatre guy; his tribe is musicians.

A HOMAGE TO MUSICAL GENRES It was the 49-year-old’s Beatles-influenced desire to play in such a range of styles that led him to compose Cyclone as an homage to just about every genre: hip hop to Bowie, show tune belter to cabaret confessional — and then to have to keep changing them at the whim of directors

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

Brooke Maxwell (left) and Jacob Richmond.

and producers.

“Our show has been challenging because of my indulgence as an irresponsible child in the studio because we’re literally going from a big hip hop kind of song from “This Song is Awesome,” a very big production kind of technical sound — to “Fucked Up Girl” [now titled “Noel’s Lament”], which is kind of French gypsy swing. So the shift in instrumentation is huge, and the technical demands are huge.”

And the cost was huge. Fortunately, it wasn’t Maxwell and Richmond having to pony up. Bills were paid by Ghostlight Records, the arm of Warner Music Group that handles musical theatre soundtracks.

This album, explains Maxwell, will act as a very expensive business card to continue to sell the show. A promotional device.

“But it’s so much more than that because it kills.

It’s so good. I’m so excited about it, and people have been asking for the music for a long time.

Every song sounds better than it ever has. We did it right, and I don’t know if I’ll ever have a chance to do anything like this again in my life because of the time and expenses that were involved.”

Richmond is equally sanguine.

“I really feel — and I don’t care how corny this sounds — that we’ve all created something special and can’t wait for people to finally hear it all. And stage it in their heads as they listen along. I think one of the issues this wackadoo musical had, is it couldn’t find its weirdo audience without anything

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The endless rewrites, Maxwell will admit, almost killed him. Change this, cut that, no wait, go back to the original.

“Ah, theatre,” he likes to say with a gritted-teeth disdain.

Sometimes, no matter how good the tune, the producer wanted something else.

“It was fun,” says Maxwell. “[Songs] had a certain fire to them, but you have to stand back and ask, Does it serve the greater process? If not, then you have to let go of your darlings.

I think I’ve matured in that way. I don’t know whether I’ve become a better songwriter, but I’ve definitely experienced that multiple times, to the point where I have a callus on my soul, and nothing hurts me anymore.”

So, is he working on another musical?

Laughter ensues. Nervous laughter.

“No, I will never do this again. I kind of want to be that guy that, you know, ‘I heard that guy wrote a musical once.’ Anything else is going to be anti-climatic, as well as likely kill me.”

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online. I am excited by the idea of someone who thinks they are a total freak, listening to this album, knowing somebody out there in the world has got their back.”

Apart from Maxwell and Richmond, local actor Kholby Wardell has been the other Cyclone mainstay since those early workshops 13 years ago.

He’s owned the part of Noel Gruber, Uranium’s only gay teen, and has indelibly stamped his showstopping number “Noel’s Lament” (which we all remember by its original, less family friendly title, “Fucked Up Girl”) with a certain Kurt Weill-ness.

“I can’t believe it’s actually, finally, happening.

I’ve been doing this show for the better part of my professional career. I’ve made multiple families throughout the journey, and I’m ecstatic to have gotten to lay down this show that’s meant so much to me in perpetuity for anyone to listen to … For years, people have asked for us to make a recording.”

It’s an album that will surprise anyone unfamiliar with Cyclone after it left Canada and was reworked in Chicago in 2014 and 2015. New songs, new voices, new ideas. But most of the older good stuff too.

The result is no ordinary cast recording.

They’re calling it a concept album, and it includes amazing cover art by Butcher Billy, the Brazilian artist whose vintage comic book style seems tailor-made for Cyclone.

Maxwell wrote a new underscore and Richmond created some patter between songs, and, as Karnak, set things up and interacted with the characters, “because we wanted to be of the world of Ride The Cyclone, like an experience in that world,” says Maxwell.

There’s even a line from Karnak that puts the cynicism of the writers in perspective: “Welcome to the Ride The Cyclone album,” Richmond utters in that lugubrious tone, “where, through my years of prognostication, I’ve realized that the only thing that makes less money than theatre is releasing an album on a streaming service.”

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YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

65

DO TELL

Shaking Things Up Dinah Kisil brings a storytelling approach to her cocktails.

By Athena McKenzie Photo by Chelsea Gray

F

rom a young age, Dinah Kisil had a desire to express herself in an innovative way.

“One night, while I was sitting with some friends in a cocktail bar in Quebec, something clicked,” she says. “I became fascinated by the woman who was mixing our drinks … It was in that instant that I knew I wanted to explore bartending, which, at the time, was completely populated by tattooed and bearded hipster men in suspenders and bow ties. I saw these stereotypes as a challenge.”

Her approach to cocktail bartending embraces the storytelling and performance aspects of the craft. She was only the seventh woman to bartend at The Savoy Hotel’s celebrated American Bar in London in the course of its 125-year history. The industry has recognized her skill, naming her on the World Class Top 100 Bartenders list in Great Britain and as one of the Top 26 Bartenders in Canada.

Nowadays, you’ll find her shaking up signature cocktails,

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like the flaming Denim Blazer, at the new Roar restaurant in Tofino’s Hotel Zed. “I am inspired by the opportunity that cocktails present for storytelling,” she says. “For example, Tofino is the site of one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history. The people of Clayoquot Sound stopped a massive government plan to clear-cut ancient local rainforests ... Our opening cocktail menu is my retelling of these stories through drinks, so that those who come to visit can develop a fuller understanding of this place.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Sitting with a few friends on the beach at sunset, enjoying a glass of wine and a bonfire.

Which living person do you most admire? Why? The person that immediately comes to mind is Gloria Jean Watkins, a.k.a. bell hooks, a

YAM MAGAZINE JUL/AUG 2021

theologist, feminist and social activist. Her writings about ideas of liminality and marginality as spaces of power is something that I find inspiring and, in a very small sense, relatable.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I love to travel to different places and experience the local hospitality industries. I consider it a great luxury to be able to experience someone else’s creativity and vision when it comes to food and drink. For example, when travelling was permitted, I solo-travelled to Copenhagen to experience chef René Redzepi’s cuisine at Noma firsthand.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

I am very close to my family. So, I would say that the greatest loves of my life, at this point, are my mother, father and brother.

I truly believe that family is more important than anything.

What is your most treasured possession?

I was born in Montreal. My mother found a vintage Hiram Walker cocktail guide book under one of the old built-in bookcases in our house, just after I was born. It is quite kismet. She gave it to me before I left for London to start at The American Bar. What do you most value in your friends?

Dependability. Something that I am very grateful for is the supportive people that I have in my life, who are relentlessly there to provide support in anything.

Who are your heroes in real life?

People like English primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, who speak up and stand up against injustice and champion causes that aren’t necessarily convenient, fashionable, the flavour of the month or glamorous, like all the heroes working for the rights of animals, women, marginalized people and the environment.

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