CITY EATS October|November 2020

Despite everything happening in our industry right now, there is still such resilience. Businesses are changing their service models, and some are even growing! One such example is on Fort Street, where Bruce Gillespie, the owner of Little Jumbo has taken over the space next door (formerly Picnic) with plans for an early fall opening of a French-style café. Check out eatmagazine.ca for the First Look. littlejumbo.ca

Other good news includes Victoria’s Superbaba expanding operations and opening a location in the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver, on Main St. near Broadway. Superbaba opened in Victoria in 2017 and has had a food truck in Vancouver since 2018. eatsuperbaba.com

The Palms has opened in the space at the Rialto Hotel (formerly Veneto) with chef Kyle Damsy at the helm in the kitchen. The Palms offers approachable, locally sourced global cuisine and is open for happy hour from 3-5.30pm Wednesday-Sunday, followed by dinner until 9pm and a late night menu until midnight. hotelrialto.ca

The Adamopolous family and team at Ithaka Greek Restaurant are excited to announce that they will be re-opening this fall at 716 Burdett St. (formerly Millos). Ithaka opened on Yates St in 2013. ithakagreek.ca

Dumpling Drop has opened a new pickup location and storefront at 556A Pandora. It’s still a good idea to pre-order online as they continue to sell out at the speed of light. dumplingdrop.ca

Paradise Parfait is a new pop up serving Japanese-style parfaits from 1-3pm on the first Sunday of the month. Each month feature parfaits are made with fresh fruit, Avalon organic dairy, Japanese matcha, nuts, and local free-run eggs. Ingredients vary month to month and they strive to use local and organic ingredients wherever possible. paradiseparfait.com

January Gin Joint and Eatery is planning a fall opening at 1820 Government Street. januaryinvictoria.com

Bubby Rose’s Neapolitan Pizzeria & Café is opening in early fall at 2571 Quadra Street. bubbyrosesbakery.com

We are sad to share that Mo:Lé announced the permanent closure of its two locations at the end of June. Glenrosa Farm Restaurant on Rocky Point Road in Metchosin also closed its doors in September.

Part and Parcel made the decision in late summer to offer takeout only and recommend placing your order by phone, Tuesday-Saturday, 12-8pm. partandparcel.ca

Fall is foraging season and mushrooms are not stopping for Covid. Bill Jones of Deerholme Farm is continuing to offer his wild mushroom foraging workshops throughout the month of October and into November. The course is a fun day exploring and tasting the wild foods of the Cowichan Valley. deerholme.com

For the past three years, the Oak Bay Beach Hotel has hosted its iconic Winemakers Long Table Dinner series. As a result of new health guidelines, the hotel has had to change the way they organize their long table-style dinners, removing the shared table setting and creating a more intimate, exclusive winemaker’s dinner with individual tables in the Grand Lobby. Guests are invited to experience the culinary delights of local BC winemakers in a socially distanced oceanside setting. Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy four courses prepared by Executive Chef Kreg Graham with British Columbia wines presented and poured by guest winemakers and/or winery owners. Dinners are scheduled for October 29 and Nov 12 2020, with doors opening at 6:45pm and the winemaker’s welcome beginning at 7:00pm. Tickets for each dinner are $149 Cdn per person, plus tax. Checkmate Artisanal Winery (Oct 29), Noble Ridge Winery (Nov 12). Oakbaybeachhotel.com

The London Chef is now offering virtual cooking classes as well as smaller, socially distanced in-person classes at their space on Fort St. The virtual classes include an option to have ingredients delivered to your door. You can prepare the dishes anytime with a pre-recorded video or follow along with a scheduled live-streamed class. thelondonchef.com

Without the possibility of any international travel on the horizon, I’ve been turning to books and cookbooks to satisfy my wanderlust. For this reason, I am eagerly awaiting the early November release of Bisous and Brioche: Classic French Recipes and Family Favorites from a Life in France. Local author Laura Bradbury, author of the Grape Series memoirs, teamed up with EAT’s own Rebecca Wellman to create a stunning cookbook that is the next best thing to a trip to France. With evocative recipes and anecdotes, Bisous and Brioche will be perfect for lovers of French cuisine and anyone needing a little vicarious escape right now.

November 27-28, Rancho Vignola hosts its annual Vancouver Island Harvest Sale at Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre Friday 9am-7pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Take home the best nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and confection and fill your pantry with this year’s new crop!​ www.ranchovignola.com

Illustration: iStock.com/Andrew_Rybalko