Foodies of all ages, rejoice

According to my husband, our ten year old son has been to more restaurants on Vancouver Island than the most dedicated food critic. While the word exaggeration comes to mind in response to this, it’s true our son has followed in my footsteps and become a dedicated foodie, or at least dedicated to eating the finest fries and most heavenly hamburgers. Fortunately for me, Vancouver Island has become a foodie paradise in the last decade or so and there are a plethora of restaurants up and down the island that cater to both his demands, and my more, um, refined palate.

Last time we were in Victoria we spent a memorable evening at Ferris’ Oyster Bar & Grill, where the specialty is BC oysters. They can be had fresh, barbecued or tucked into a variety of dishes including pasta (and yes, there is an oyster burger on the menu). My son’s favourite part was sitting at the bar (the only seats available) as waiters rushed around us and the personable bartender regaled us throughout dinner with (mostly) age-appropriate tales.

If we don’t make it as far south as Victoria then we head to Merridale Cidery in Cobble Hill. My son spends his time exploring the acres of apple trees, and, when he was a younger, looking for fairy homes (they really are there). I prefer sipping a selection of made-on-the-spot ciders and both of us enjoy indulging in a bistro lunch where even I don’t mind indulging in the burger – the house lamb and rosemary burger that is.

By far my son’s favourite restaurant on Vancouver Island is at the Chemainus Theatre. Yep, you read that right. The staff at this delightful theatre created the perfect day or evening out when they started a pre-show buffet. No need to worry about that glass of wine you just had and forget about watching the time — you’re already at the theatre so you aren’t going to be late. The plays are family-friendly and some of the best I’ve seen on the island, although my son still insists his favourite part of the day is eating the “hash-browny” fries in the restaurant.

If your child is not distracted by the gaggle of goats eating grass on the roof at what the locals refer to as Coombs Market in, well, Coombs, then he or she will get lost in the fantastic toy section inside. Adults can browse shelves that are stuffed with goods from all over the world and then indulge in some of the most delicious baked goods this side of the mainland. And yes, they also have hamburgers and fries.

Where they don’t have burgers and fries is at Hot Chocolates – a chocolate-lovers heavan in Courtenay. My son doesn’t seem to mind his favourite foods are not on menu here, as the hand-made artisan truffles and home-made gelato are enough to make him slow down long enough for me to sip one of their mochas and indulge in my own grown-up chocolate delight.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes

After reading that the US is “mulling” the idea of fencing the Canada-US borderto “help keep out terrorists and other criminals”, I thought, “Crikey, here’s a perfect editorial topic.” Then, I reconsidered. After all, why dwell on how badly Obama has let us down, when we could instead discuss something far more interesting and timely – shoes. Yes, shoes. They are a timely subject, for the seasons are a’ changing and when that happens, almost every woman in the northern hemisphere peers into her closet with one question in mind – how can I justify buying new shoes for the new season? I’ll admit many (though not all) men find the topic of shoes confusing, but there is a fundamental reason women everywhere love shoes: no matter what size or shape we are, all of us look fabulous in a great pair of shoes. Like a good friend, shoes support us, are there for life’s ups and downs, and help us celebrate every occasion. There’s the, “let’s party shoe”, the “I need to be comfortable shoe” and the “I’m a professional, take-me-seriously shoe”. There are even shoes for women who profess to not care about shoes (Birkenstocks anyone?). However, there is one problem with shoes I never thought I’d fall prey to – owning too many. Then a friend wanted to know how many pairs of shoes I had. I said no more than 10, and was quite shocked to discover the number was, ahem, slightly higher. As a result, I’m now on a shoe-buying moratorium, living vicariously through other people. Well, I was, until I looked at my favourite-shoe website, El Naturalista. And suddenly I’m thinking…one more pair can’t hurt, right? After all, I don’t yet own a “jumping across a completely unnecessary border-fence shoe”.

West Coast Summer Nostalgia

Looking at the long weekend weather from the vantage point of Friday morning, it looks like our worst-weather-on-the-west-coast summer might, finally, be shifting. I hope this proves to be true and you’re all reading this with a smile on your sun-kissed faces. If not then read on – this is your reminder of what our summers are usually like and why you don’t need to pack up and move to warmer climes. Because the reason we live where we do is there’s no better place on earth than the west coast during a proper summer. Where else can you…

…catch a Pacific salmon in the afternoon and barbecue it for dinner accompanied by locally brewed beer or a delightful BC vintage

…take a break from the summer heat wandering through rainforests

…buy, beg, borrow or steal a boat and cruise through sheltered waters accompanied by speckled seals, orcas, dolphins, eagles, cormorants etc

…sip a beverage of choice at an ocean side pub and watch the sunset over some of the most spectacular mountains in the world

…spend hours at the beach, discovering purple starfish, limpets, crabs, and tiny fish

…jump, dive, somersault off spectacular sandstone cliffs, or just go for a swim in ocean water warmed by sundrenched sand and rocks

…camp surrounded only by local wildlife

…spend lazy summer evenings at the beach with a picnic dinner.

I could go on but word count restricts me. But maybe, if the summer weather continues to fluctuate madly, we should start a Sounder column about our favourite west coast summer activities. At least that way we can remember why we actually live here…or is that just a painful reminder of what we’re missing out on?