Category Archives: Reviews

Read along as we seek out the best of what the British Columbia coast (and beyond) has to offer.

08.08.10
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The Return of Ed from the Victorian Lagoon!

The Crab Pot Seafood Restaurant
1301 Alaskan Way, Pier 57
Seattle, Washington
(206) 624-1890

It’s been more than a decade since I last visited the Crab Pot in Seattle. Back then, it was known as a great place to hit by locals. And since that time, it’s risen in popularity.

I couldn’t help but be trapped by that thing tourists have to do, but when considering that three varieties of crab (Dungeness, Alaskan King and Snow) are offered in their deluxe Sea Feast menu offering, that’s what I was after. But I forgot that the meal had to be ordered in pairs.

Unfortunately, Yvonne is allergic to shellfish. But I was still able to go primal, and I resisted ordering one of each individual sized portions otherwise the meal would’ve hit epic proportions, costing around $80 USD. So instead, I tried the King Crab Legs Feast ($32.95) and I must say the only thing thar has changed was the wait.

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08.08.10
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The Journey Begins

Road trips are fun, but sometimes it sucks to wait for a ferry to get Islanders off this rock. Let’s face it, while Vancouver Island can’t be done as a three hour tour, at least there are chances to go explore and do stuff, even if it’s at the Swartz Bay BC Ferry Terminal.

Yvonne and I wandered the market that was surrounding the building where Land’s End cafe is located. And we found two places to start our culinary journey.

Not often do we touch tourist food, but with a name like Galloping Goose Sausage Company attached to the hot dog stand, I had to try it out. The garlic smokie I tried was pricey. At $6.75, it managed to hold my appetite for quite some time, especially with my next meal nearly 5 hours later. That had to be damned good meat (on a whole wheat bun) in order for that to happen.

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08.04.10
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Fairway Market’s Facelift

2635 Quadra Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 380-9773

Fairway on Quadra has a fully functional kitchen and a buffet that’s comparable to what any Chinese restaurant can offer. This place is worth hitting for those people who are tight on money; the food is good and for the speed, one can get a meal made up within minutes.

The only difference is that you have to choose what entrees you want and there’s no going back for seconds. You name it, they’ll most likely have it. To name a few, there’s dumplings, Szechuan style squid, tempura prawns, sweet and sour pork and egg rolls.

Prices begin at $6.99 and increase by dollar increments for any additional selections. While there’s no regrets buying from Fairway, there’s always tomorrow to hit the gym. Every time I consume one of those palettes of noodles with squid and prawns, I feel several pounds heavier.

Their meals are not really meant to be eaten in one go, or by just one person. Even in the smallest serving size, there’s enough for two. Sadly, while they give away squid like nothing, the prawns are limited to three per serving, and to get double that would take up a selection. The taste is about what you would expect for material made en masse. Sometimes, the squid is dry and the tempura batter greasier than oil baking out in a sun, but that’s because of how long it’s been sitting there. The people who dole out the food are probably not certified to be in a kitchen either. They take your order and look for who’s next.

If they truly cared about how to service a product, they’d be properly portioning out the food, so the packages do not feel top heavy.

I’ll be ready to tip over instead.

2 Blokes out of 5

Fairway Market on Urbanspoon

08.01.10
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Remembering a Bygone Era with Soda Shops

Note: This establishment is no longer operating.

Rogers’ Chocolates
Soda Shoppe
913 Government St.
Victoria, BC

J: Soda shops once populated the North American landscape and they are mostly are a faded memory. Places like Ma Heller’s west-side Montreal establishment was a popular hang out in the post-war era, but we can still support these simpler times by patronizing Victoria’s own The Soda Shoppe.

E: I hate to break this to you James, but there are still a few left around the world. It’s become more of a niche market. But for folks craving that old fashioned nostalgia, I’m certainly glad Roger’s Chocolates decided to open this store up. Whenever I have two spare loonies, I’d stop by and grab a cherry coke made the old fashioned way.

I still can’t forgive Coca Cola for pulling their product off the Canadian market. So I have to get my cherry pop craving elsewhere.

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07.25.10
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Denny’s Canada Lacking When Compared to American Counterpart

3100 Douglas St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 382-3844

Franchise operations are always questionable, and the quality of the food never stays the same at every outlet you go to.

After my roadtrip and a few breakfasts Denny’s in the States, I find those operations far better than in Canada. They have more tasty offerings, especially in the cherry pop department, but over across from Mayfair Mall this particular Denny’s has moreorless stayed consistently the same.

Better known for their value priced breakfasts, I went all out and tried the Meat Lover’s Trio ($11.99). That’s the works, everything, complete with a heart pump included. Well, the grease content wasn’t that bad.

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