Have Rocket Will Travel…To Pluto’s

Pluto’s Diner
1150 Cook St.
Victoria, B.C.
(250) 385-4747

E: I still say that Pluto is a planet, but when James and I were looking for somewhere closer to visit, the diner of the same name was the best bet.

J: Pluto’s has a long history in Victoria. It was formerly a Pacific 66 gas station and it’s history in the Victoria eatery & music scene is well known to locals. If I can remember past advertisements correctly (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong), I believe Loreena McKennitt used to perform at this establishment over two decades ago.

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Million Dollars Can’t Buy You Happiness at Itami

Note: For some strange reason our previous host provider, eBlogger, loses some of our posts. Despite our best attempts to keep regular backups, even this article disappeared from our archives. This piece had to be ‘republished.’

Itami Sushi Japanese Restaurant
708 View St 
Victoria, B.C. 
(250) 381-8868

J: Wow, I mean really wow. Maybe really wow just doesn’t say enough on how nice Itami Sushi looks. They spent roughly one million on the interior alone. The Japanese garden at the front entrance should’ve more care and attention paid to it. And that chandelier above the serving desk, yes I thought that was excessive but there was very little else I could find wrong. I just have to wonder what their washrooms look like. But with all of this eye candy, the restaurant was barely populated on a Friday night. I asked myself why.

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Going Cukoo for Kuku’s

Kuku’s Take Out & Delivery
24 Burnside Rd. West
Saanich, BC
(778) 430-5858

J: Ed and I found ourselves in the Harriet/Burnside area which is where my old stomping grounds were. I fondly remember local streets like Cloverdale before they were industrialized.

As a child I walked along the train tracks that once existed half way down Cloverdale’s hill (now the Galloping Goose trail) which ran next to a creek that would freeze over for the winter. I remember the friends I made and the games we used to play. 1977 to 79 were some very good years for one to be a Canadian kid.

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Going down the ’66 for poutine?

Poutine 66
2637 Quadra St.
Quadra Village
Victoria, BC
(250) 385-5553

When a trip out to the Western Communities or deep into Esquimalt is out of the question for poutine, maybe the fact there is a route 66 starting at Quadra and Hillside is worth the detour. Poutine 66 may well be a side-operation of Palagio Pizza’s Quadra Village location. In addition to the standard pizza fare at affordable prices, this operation is branching out to include some funky ass delights.

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Refining Taste Buds for a New Burger Generation

The Refiner Diner Food Truck
950 Yates Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 884-5643

The Refiner Diner Food Truck has been much raved about, and why? I’d say it’s because of the fries than their signature crispy cheeseburger. I’m not always in town during lunch-time, and half their product tends to sell out fast during this part of the day. When they first started, I imagine all the people from the Victoria Police Department came here to graze and buy out all of the Refiner’s products. I’m glad this operation tends to post hourly updates on Twitter and Facebook of when certain menu items are out. In a social media generation, I have to say I love their commitment to customer service.

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Third Time is the Charm at Sidney Bakery

Sidney Bakery
2507 Beacon Ave.
Sidney, BC
(250) 656-1012

J: It appears that with Sidney Bakery the third time is the charm. My previous two visits (one per year) were horrible. This visit I was giving the bakery a final chance before I wrote them off.

From the oblivious chatty teenager behind the counter to the indifferent woman from last year, one would almost think one would need to act as Mordecai Richler’s famous Jacob Two-Two just to be served a lesser famous peppermint whoopee.

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