Tag Archives: Gordon Head

05.23.15
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Saanich with a Side of Baconalooza

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Baconalooza’s inaugural event at Velox Rugby field in Gordon Head will certainly get lovers of swine food arriving in troves. The lunch-time crowd was light, but when the event started at 1pm than noon, perhaps one opportunity was missed in hopes that the dinner time crowd will be busier. This later time is probably when the bacon eating contest will take place, but for one hungry bloke (who skipped breakfast for this show), namely me, I wish I had room to partake in more.

Poor James. He phoned me early in the day to say he’s been struck down with a cold, and I just had enough room to eat for the both of us, but I was taken down by one overloaded bacon cheese burger by the Esquimalt Lions Club (I asked them to keep on piling the bacon on top). However, I did have room for dessert. I could make quibbles in where the beef is sourced and cooked, but hey, I got more than my money’s worth in bacon. I shouldn’t complain.

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04.22.15
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Let Me Sing a ‘Fig’aro and I’ll Be Back for More

Fig Mediterranean Delicatessen
1551 Cedar Hill Cross Road
Gordon Head
Saanich, BC
(250) 727-3632

Just where Cedar Hill Cross Road, Shelbourne and Cedar Hill meet is a mecca for lunch, and every regional delight is represented here. There’s 1550’s, Kuma Noodle, Young Young and Fig Delicatessen. The latter is often missed because it’s a deli. Who would’ve thought this market has a huge kitchen inside and the scents is a delight when you’re hungry.

To miss out on this hidden gem will mean hungry students will miss out in the best of what Mediterranean food has to offer. There’s bins of candied fruits, plenty of nuts, a treasure trove of spices, and scented olives to feast upon visually. It doesn’t feel as crowded as Blair Mart Mediterranean Foods downtown, and with this place very close to where I live, I don’t have to travel far when the mood hits me. Nearly all the countries surrounding the Mediterranean are represented here, and yes they have homemade Turkish delights!

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03.25.15
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The Service Is Lacking Its Bloom at Purple Garden

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Purple Garden Chinese Restaurant
#138-1551 Cedar Hill X Rd.
Saanich, BC
(250) 477-8866

E: There are times where I wonder if finding a good Chinese style buffet is even possible. I have memories of going to Raymond’s Restaurant and Szechuan City, Both are decent. With Purple Garden now added to the list — which has been doing buffet for just as long — is it even possible for the quality to go lower? Must I order dishes just to get some awesome sauce?

J: I think the problem for Ed and I is that we arrived near the end of the lunch rush. The food tasted old. That’s to be expected with barely any new food put out. The service was even lacking.

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02.20.15
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Naughty Nellie’s Slaps More Than Just Fish!

Naughty Nellie’s Not Just Fish & Chips
4081 Shelbourne Street
Gordon Head
Saanich, BC
Phone: (250) 721-5555

Not to be confused with the downtown operation, Nautical Nellies, Naughty Nellie’s in Gordon Head is certainly a delight for high school students and retirees alike. Depending on the time of day, I often see the latter type of clientele coming in. Also, certain species of fish goes faster into the frying pan or should I say fryer?

Lingcod was not available on the last two visits I made. It’s a touch frustrating since I like the flavour. Regular cod was ordered so I would not make a bad pun since I wasn’t in the mood for the halibut. The batter was nice and crunchy. It’s a familiar taste, without any amped up mix of extra spices to really kick the dish up a notch. The fish was cooked fast and fresh, for a moist center, though sometimes what I get hardly tastes exceptional. Fish n’ chips is comfort food and not many places really do anything special when crisping this dish up.

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The fries were quite good, and they’re done right. If given a chance to bash McDonald’s fries, I will because properly home cut and freshly prepared fries tastes infinitely better than anything processed at a plant and shipped cross-country to all the outlets. Even the coleslaw was nice. Some days they make it right and other days it’s just too mushy.

Overall, for the volume offered, the dish is very good. When I’m in a mood for fish and chips and I don’t want to travel far, the walk will do me good. I can do take-out, which is what this operation specializes in, but it won’t necessarily benefit burning off the meal. With a hill separating me from home to this diner and back again, I have a means to work off the calories!

3½ Blokes out of 5

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11.14.14
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Must See Movies for Nov 14 – 20, 2014

EternityTheMovieCinecenta is hosting their annual ‘Mystery Movie’. What is so mysterious about it is that it is a film that has yet to be released in Victoria. You pay for the ticket, enter the theatre, and find out what the surprise will be. The film could be a drama, comedy or documentary. It could be in English or in another language with subtitles.

The fun of Mystery Movie is in the not knowing and perhaps you’ll watch a new film you’ll come to love.

Pender Islands ‘Mother Bear’ Community Hall of Bedwell Harbour will be hosting a movie night Saturday, Nov 15th. The film that night will be Calvary starring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, and Game of Throne’s Aidan Gillen.

Father James is a good priest who is faced with sinister and troubling circumstances brought about by a mysterious member of his parish. Although he continues to comfort his own fragile daughter and reach out to help members of his church with their various scurrilous moral- and often- comic problems, he feels sinister and troubling forces closing in, and begins to wonder if he will have the courage to face his own personal Calvary.

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11.07.14
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Must See Movies for Nov 7 – 13, 2014

BigHero6The Victoria Event Centre will be hosting Secret Cinema as presented by the Rotaract Club of Victoria on November 27th at 6:30 pm. Secret Cinema is an interactive movie experience where the night’s food, scenery, characters, and activities will be based on the movie. When you have purchased your ticket a clue will be given to towards which movie you will be seeing.

Star Cinema in Sidney have an interesting documentary being screened on Nov 19th, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story explores the billions of dollars of food disposed farmers, retailers and consumers throw out each year. We follow filmmakers Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer as they pledge to stop buying their food from grocery stores and start living living off of society’s throwaways.

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