This taco joint has been on the Vagrant Foodies “Must Try” list for some time now. We have been hearing good things for a couple years now.   We waited 45 minutes for tacos at a beach-side parking lot, on a hot day with no shade to be found.   To be fair, the wait is always long, and they have a sign posted right near the window stating the wait is usually 30 minutes to an hour. It’s a popular place.     It’s truly a shack. A tiny shed like structure with a dozen or so picnic tables out front of it. We stepped to the window and browsed the menu which consists or six or so tacos, all of which can be made into burritos or salads as well.   We decided on four tacos between the two of us: one prawn, one fish, and two beef.   When we got there all the tables were occupied, so we sipped Mexican soft drinks and sat on the rocks and watched the ocean surf. It’s quite a beautiful location.   Although it it a busy place, I was struck by...

    Day drunk and starving. This is how we approached the door to Fishhook at Mermaid Wharf in Victoria. D and I had started another day in Victoria looking for a way to shake the day-before’s combination of sleep deprivation and hangover (both food and alcohol) So naturally after touring Value Village looking for treasures for our future Van, we went to the brewery for a couple hours. Without breakfast. This Brought us to noon and Fishhook where I personally planned to devour anything I could find.   Fishhook is an Indian/seafood restaurant. Really. In all the fusion type places we have eaten and all the shows that we have watched I had not seen anyone proclaim themselves that. I was very very interested in what Fishhook had to offer. The view was beautiful looking out at the water and the restaurant itself did a very good job of feeling “nautical”. Sea and stormy blue colours and local art. A split level dining room with just a slight ramp separa...

 Chef D and I are believers in  the golden rule of food. The locals know where to eat better than the internet does. In the case of NUBO , the locals and the internet agreed. I was personally a little nervous about the idea of Japanese tapas, wondering about the description we had read which was vague. Japanese style tapas. That was really all we could find. There seemed to be a huge menu online to look at and most of it sounded excellent. So, we made a reservation for a late dinner and walked the 10 blocks or so from our hotel to try and find this place. The neighbourhood looked very residential, there was construction and apartment buildings, and seemingly out of place there were two Japanese restaurants side by side. We will talk about the other one another day. My first impression of NUBO was that it reminded me of MOMOFUKU noodle bar in New York. Very long skinny dining area and a seated bar surrounding the chefs who were working in the open. I liked the vibe b...

  You know when fate steps in? Well this is what happened the morning that D and I ended up at the Blue Fox Café . The plan had been to got to Floyd's for an astounding breakfast that I had only heard rumours about.   We were disappointed to find that Floyds had been permanently closed and we were sadly not going to be able to flip double or nothing for our breakfast.     Cold and still wanting breakfast we had to make a call, and I remembered The Blue Fox, a kitschy breakfast nook I had been ages ago with a friend, so we went searching.   The Blue Fox is unassuming from the outside, with small sign out front with the name of the restaurant and the simple statement of specials. We wandered in.     The dining room felt a lot like you were cramming into Gramma’s kitchen, red brick walls and tables were stuffed cheek by jowl. It was packed. We were given menus in the small waiting area, and we got the impression quickly that the ide...

  In a small hole-in-the-wall location on Cumberland BC's main drag, lives a hip yet unpretentious taco joint called Biblio Taco . So named because of its location the the Old Library building on Dunsmuir avenue, this place dishes out only a handful of Mexican inspired dishes. I, personally, had been looking forward to trying this place out ever since I heard of it. Mexican food is some of my favourite, so on Saturday Whiskey and I, having no plans, whipped down to the small community of Cumberland for a short afternoon food adventure.   Biblio Taco has a tiny storefront, and while not all that large inside, has an ample food preparation station set out in full sight taking nearly half the room. The small menu written on a chalk board near the ordering counter describes about a dozen items available. Tacos, burritos, tortillas, huevos rancheros, quesadillas and a few others Mexican treats.  The decor is only a hint of Mexican, it definitely feels of Cumberland, which ha...

I have recently made the decision to embark on an eating lifestyle that I have done in the past and I know makes me feel better in my body and in my life. I am also a die hard foodie and these two things do not always work very well together. If you have ever had any sort of dietary restriction and you love food then you know how daunting it can be to look at a menu and see it as more of an algebra equation as you try to figure out what to eat. I promise you , when those orders go to the kitchen, it can make a chef''s life a nightmare if you are not competent at the way you order. So to give a little context, in my world I have opted to go into a low carb high dietary fat eating style.  Also known as Ketogenic due to the process it begins in your body of using stored body fat for energy. I wont get too in depth in my reasoning except to say there is excellent evidence to support this way of eating in the fight against cancer and other body ailments that I am genetically v...

Super Mario's Bar and Lounge is the most recent incarnation of this little nook hidden in plain sight in Willow Point B.C. , about 15 minutes south of Campbell River.  Last week when Chef D and I were scratching our brains trying to decide where to eat we lit upon the idea to check out Super Mario's again as the first time was a really good vibe. This little lounge is tucked between a liquor store and the entrance to a drive through with a supermarket on the other side in the middle of a busy strip mall. It does not look like much from the outside but when you walk in the atmosphere is that of a lazy supper lounge. On this day particularly they had a Rod Steward concert playing on the TVs and we were the only people in the lounge. Round booths lined the outside perimeter of the room in a semi circle all facing the small stage which local bands play on the weekend. The whimsical ambiance was topped off by the stone pizza over behind the bar, long since retired of its o...

  Wednesday evening I strolled downtown to check out Campbell River's " CR Live Streets Evening Market " (catchy name, I know), while Whiskey was having a girls night with old friends. Although, primarily a craft/farmer's market, I was there for the street food, and there was quite a bit. Locals turned out in throngs, it was much more bustling than I had imagined it would be, but then again what else is there to do on a August Wednesday evening in sleepy Campbell River?   In attendance were local restaurants with small offerings from their menus, notably Honey Lemon Grill (Vietnamese cuisine) and Baan Thai restaurant, where I simply could not resist getting a cold Thai iced coffee.   Stonehouse Teas also had a presence selling a variety of hot and cold beverages. Signature Oil and Vinegar had a small tasting bar set up with a few samples paired with french bread. In addition there were food trucks. Cocoa-Nuts coffee was slinging java and Comfort Zone Foods was...