Exceptional Eats! Reader’ Choice Awards 2011

BEST DELI: Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen Pictured: Melanie Lonsdale, Monica Pozzolo, Andrew Moyer, Maylia Janzen, Emilie Day, Sarah MacDonald, Piper Phillips, Riley Coxford, Christine Mulhall, Shinji Nagata, Derek Laframboise, Denise Jones, Natalie Peacock, Drew Pollhammer.

You voted for your favourites—the best places to eat, dine, and shop for food and wine on Vancouver Island—and here are your results to all thirty-two questions. Taken together, they make a delicious snapshot of a moment in our culinary times. There are no losers; we all win by shining the spotlight on a robust and healthy food scene on the Island. Our neighbours can only drool with envy. Not only do we get the mildest climate in the country but we also have some of the best food products around for our chefs, vintners and brewers to create with.

In looking over the tally of votes it’s immediately clear that ours is a not food scene controlled by big corporate enterprise with profits sent to head offices in far away places, but, like peas in a spring risotto, it’s a food scene where small, independent, local businesses dot our communities and     neighbourhoods, satisfying our appetit e for eating and drinking local.

We’ve organized the results into four groups: eating in, eating out, drinking and finally, giving credit to those who inspire us. You’ll find some of the questions are different this time around—because isn’t this year different from the last?

These are our food and drink heroes. Thank them, support them, and enjoy them— indeed, we are all very lucky to live on this island.

—Prepared Gary Hynes with assistance from Gillie Easdon and the EAT contributors.

let’s eat in

You are totally transfixed by the wall of olive oil selections. What store are you in?

Specialty Food Shop or Deli

Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen (GOLD)

Charelli’s Cheese Shop and Delicatessen (SILVER)

Blair Mart (BRONZE) 924 Pandora Avenue, Victoria

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• The Market on Yates & Millstream

• Mediterranean Speciality Foods (Lakehill Grocery) 3949 Quadra Street, Saanich,

• Italian Food Import 1114 Blanshard Street, Victoria

• Plenty Epicurean Pantry bsp;

A dear friend is in the area for the first time. What local food or local ingredient from our Islands do you have on hand to tempt them.

Best Take-Out/Delivery

Pizzeria Prima Strada (GOLD)

Foo  (SILVER)

Little Thai Place (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Noodle Box

• Baan Thai

• Fujiya’s Japanese Foods

• Cooks Day Off

On Saturdays, you like to drive to the farm stand. Which one has your loyalty and respect?

Local Farm Produce

Moss Street Market (GOLD)

Root Cellar (SILVER)

Red Barn Market (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Sun Wing Greenhouse

• Madrona Farm

• Michell Brothers Farm

• Dan’s Farm

“MsoNormal”>Artisan butchers are in a renaissance period. Where do you go for that unique cut of rarebreeds pork or the finest quality charcuterie?

Butcher Shop

Slater’s First Class (GOLD) 2577 Cadboro Bay Road, Victoria

The Village Butcher (SILVER) 2250 Oak Bay Ave, Oak Bay

Island Meat & Seafood (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Choux Choux Charcuterie

• Glenwood Meats

• Ronald Orr & Son Family Butcher

• Quadra Village Halal Butcher Shop 2618 Quadra Street, Victoria

You’re not a fan of big-box shopping. Pick a store that deserves merit.

Grocery Store

SMALL

The Root Cellar (GOLD)

Red Barn Market (SILVER)

Niagara Grocery (BRONZE)

LARGE

Market on Yates/Millstream (GOLD)

Thrifty Foods (SILVER)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Plenty Epicurean Pantry

• Ambrosio Markets 1503 Wilmot Place, Victoria

• Peppers Foods

• Fairway Market

let’s eat out

Consistently excellent food, fantastic service, welcoming and wonderful ambience. What restaurant can you always say that about?

Restaurant of the Year

Brasserie L’ecole (GOLD)

Zambri’s  (SILVER)

Cafe Brio (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Markus’ Wharfside

• Stage Small Plates Wine Bar

• Bistro 28 < /a>

• Ulla

• Camille’s

• The Superior

Pleasure for the taste buds, easy on the wallet, where are you going for lunch these days?

Place for Lunch

Relish Food and Coffee (GOLD)

Hernande’z Cocina (SILVER)

Pig BBQ Joint (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Zambri’s

• Pagliacci’s

• Foo

• Pizzeria Prima Strada

• EdGe

You go to this restaurant because they cook with local seasonal ingredients very very well. Which one is it?

Restaurant Cooking Local

Cafe Brio  (GOLD)

Markus’ Wharfside (SILVER)

Devour (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Brasserie L’ecole

• Zambri’s

• Rebar Modern Food

• Spinnaker’s Gastro Brewpub

• Stage Wine Bar

• Bistro 28

Table for one? Stool at the bar? What restaurant do you go to when dining alone?

Place for Solo Dining

Pig BBQ Joint (GOLD)

Stage Wine Bar (SILVER)

Hernande’z Cocina (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Brasserie L’ecole

• Foo

• Relish

• Zambri’s

• Pizzeria Prima Strada

What is your favourite restaurant that’s within walking distance in your own neighbourhood?

Neighbourhood Resto

Stage Wine Bar (GOLD)

Pizzeria Prima Strada (SILVER)

5th Street Bar and Grill (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Fernwood Inn

• Heron Rock Bistro

• Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub

• Bistro 28

You have kids. You want to eat out with them because this should be a   beautiful thing. What restaurant “gets” it?

Place to Feed a Kid

Pizzeria Prima Strada  (GOLD)

White Spot  (SILVER)

Crumsby’s Cupcake Café (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• 5th Street Bar and Grill

• Ferris’ Oyster Bar & Grill

• Pagliacci’s

Sweet! Tell us at which restaurant you had an ending to a meal that rocked your socks. And what was the dessert?

Restaurant Dessert

Goat cheese cake with preserved sour cherries, fennel biscotti– Stage Wine Bar (GOLD)

Chocolate truffles – Cafe Brio (SILVER)

Crème brûlée – Brasserie L’ecole (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Chocolate cake, rice crispy crunch, hazelnut cream and brittle – Ulla

• Maple tart, pecan crust, whipped cream – Bistro 28

• Warm ginger cake –The Marina Restaurant

The best bite of the year. What restaurant dish made such a lasting impression that you wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to your B.F.F.? Name the dish and the restaurant, please.

Best Plate of the Year

Steak Frites, red wine & shallot sauce, Roquefort butter – Brasserie l’école (GOLD)

Spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino – Zambri’s (SILVER)

Preserved lemon risotto, pan seared West Coast scallop – Stage Wine Bar (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Crispy chicken roll, Israeli couscous, carrots, bacon, chanterelles, chicken jus – Ulla

Local mussels, caramelized onion & fennel, maple chipotle cream sauce – Bistro 28

Brio Family Meal – Cafe Brio http://www.cafe-brio.com/

Margherita pizza, Fairburn Farms mozzarella di bufula, fresh basil – Pizzeria Prima Strada

You’ve got a ten-spot. What’s your best bet for a bite? Where and what?

Dish Under $10

Tacos de Pollo – Hernande’z Cocina (GOLD)

Pulled Pork Sandwich – Pig (SILVER)

Vietnamese Ginger Caramel Chicken – Foo (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• BBQ Wild Salmon Tacones –Red Fish Blue Fish

• #20 or #34 – Pho Vy 772 Fort Street, Victoria

• Chicken Club with Brie – Relish Food & Coffee

Just a drink and nibblies. Or maybe two drinks. And a few more nibblies. You don’t want to leave yet. Where are you?

Place for Appetizers and Drinks

Stage Wine Bar (GOLD)

The Tapa Bar >(SILVER)

Veneto Tapa Lounge (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Clive’s Classic Lounge

• Ferris’ Upstairs

• The Mint

• Bengal Lounge

• The Oyster

• Cactus Club

Food carts are here. Which one tops your list?

Best Mobile Eatery

Puerto Vallarta Amigos (GOLD)

La Taquisa  (SILVER)

Mr Tube Steak (BRONZE) Outside Capital Iron

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Galloping Goose. Sausage at Moss St. Market

• Pizzeria Pr ima Strada mobile oven

Hankering for that naughty perfect pastry, gelato or other  delight? Where will you go? What will you have there?

Place for a Snack Attack

Pain au Chocolat – Fol Epi  Bakery (GOLD) 398 Harbour Road, Victoria

Cinnamon Bun – Bubby Rose’s Bakery (SILVER)

Lemon Tart – Pure Vanilla Bakery & Cafe (BRONZE) 2590 Cadboro Bay Road, Oak Bay

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Gelato – Ottavio Italian Bakery

• The Elvis – Pink Sugar Cupcakes

• Almond Croissant – Patisserie Daniel 1729 Cook Street, Victoria

• Fruit Tart – Wildfire Organic Bakery

let’s drink

What shop has the most comprehensive wine selection and has the most knowledgeable staff and best customer service?

Best Wine Store

PRIVATE

Everything Wine (GOLD)

Cascadia Liquor (SILVER)

Spinnakers Spirit Merchants (BRONZE)

GOVERNMENT

Fort & Foul Bay  (GOLD)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Hillside Liquor Store

• Cook St Village Liquor

• The Wine Barrel

• Vintage Spirits

• Victoria Westshore

• Blanshard Square

A true foodie knows craft beer. What store knows theirs?

Place to Buy Beer

Spinnakers Spirit Merchants (GOLD)

Cascadia Liquor  (SILVER)

Cook St. Village Liquor (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Phillips Brewery

• Hillside Liquor Store

• Swans Beer & Wine Shoppe

• The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants

Drinking beer is a highly social activity—and pubs come in all shapes and sizes. Which one do you like best when you want to hoist a pint or two?

Pub

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub (GOLD)

Canoe Brewpub  (SILVER)

Fernwood Inn (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Bard & Banker

• Swans Brewpub

• Irish Times

• Penny Farthing

• The Beagle

Was there a local wine, beer, cider, tea or any other drink you tried this year that surprised you with its originality? Tell us what it was and which company made it.

Innovative Beverage

Heatherdale Ale – Salt Spring Island Ales (GOLD)

Victoria Gin – Victoria Spirits (SILVER)

24-Mile Blueberry Pail Ale – Phillips Brewing (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Rumrunner – Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse

• Belle Royale – Driftwood Brewery

• Oolong Tea with Fresh Grand Fir Needles – Silk Road

Coffee. Coffee. Island owned and operated—where do you go to buy, and drink, that sublime nectar?

Café

Discovery Coffee (GOLD)

Habit Coffee  (SILVER)

Caffe Fantastico (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Serious Coffee

• Bean Around The World

• Street Level Espresso 714 Fort Street, Victoria

• Black Stilt

• The Stick Coffee House

You’re heading out of the country (or to another province) and want to take a local wine to impress your hosts. What do you bring?

Local Wine

Brandenburg No.3 – Venturi Schulze (GOLD)  ;

Célébration Brut – Starling Lane Winery (SILVER)

Damasco – Zanatta Winery (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Cowichan Blackberry – Cherry Point Vineyards

• Pinot Noir – Averill Creek Vineyard

• Pinot Noir – Alderlea Vineyards

• Ortega – Blue Grouse Vineyards

let’s give credit | people | groups | food heroes | trends

So many events, festivals, classes and seminars on food and drink—which one really did it for you?

Food/Drink Experience of the Year

Feast of Fields (GOLD)

The Great Canadian Beer Festival (SILVER)

Defending Our Backyard (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Chef Heidi Fink cooking classes

• The London Chef cooking classes

• Fernwood Bites

• Victoria Tea Festival

Who raised your awareness and gave you a deeper appreciation of food issues in your community?

Group, Association, Business or Gang

EAT Magazine [aw shucks. thx- editor.] (GOLD)

Island Chefs Collaborative (SILVER)

Lifecycle Project Society (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Victoria Downtown Public Market Society

• Farm Folk City Folk

• CAMRA

• Food Roots

• Slow Food

What was your favourite local food trend?

Top Trend of 2010

Eating local food (GOLD)

Cocktails (SILVER)

Small plates/half portions (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS< /p>

• Food carts

• Charcuterie

• Downtown farmers markets

• Traditional, simple food

• Eating less meat, more vegetables

• local, free-range meat

• Vancouver Island salt

• Sustainable fish

• Chocolate-covered bacon

What was your least favourite local food trend this year? (feel free to rant)

Worst Trend of 2010

Pork belly, pulled pork (GOLD)

Cupcakes (SILVER)

Sliders (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Foam on food

• Small portions

• HST

• No reservations policies

• Cilantro

• Lame food words – gastro, deconstruct

• Being asked “Are ya still workin’ in it?” at restaurants

• Nutraceuticals/Bio Yogurt/ Engineered Foods

• Chocolate-covered bacon

class=”MsoNormal”>Who, in the food and beverage industry, do you turn to for advice (on food and beverage, people). A stalwart. Let’s fete him/her now!

The Foodie’s Foodie Award

Heidi Fink (GOLD)

Gary Hynes (SILVER)

Shawn Soole (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Andrew Moyer

• Dan Hayes

• David Mincey

• Larry Arnold

• Denise Marchessault

Whose writing makes you sit up and take notice?

Local Food Writer

Eric Akis (GOLD)

Pam Grant  (SILVER)

Elizabeth Smyth (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Heidi Fink

• Gillie Easdon

• Treve Ring

• Don Genova

• Elizabeth Levinson

• Jeremy Ferguson

Best new addition to the food and drink scene on the Island in 2010?

Best New Restaurant, Shop, or Café

Ulla Restaurant (GOLD)

Relish Food & Coffee (SILVER)

Zambri’s Atrium (BRONZE)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

• Pig BBQ Joint (Atrium)

• NOW- Noodles of the World (Duncan) 161 Station St.
Duncan

• Simon Holt (Nanaimo)

• The Moon Under Water

Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 (PAST WINNER: David Mincey)

Greg Hays

Greg Hays has been raising the bar on Victoria’s food and wine scene for close to 30 years. This is the man who started the legendary Herald Street Caffe in 1982, went on to redesign, rebuild and reinvigorate the Marina  Restaurant and, most recently, dream and bring to life one of Victoria’s best-loved restaurants, Café Brio. Since its opening in 1997, the restaurant has accumulated a well-deserved collection of accolades,      receiving top honours from Zagat, Fodor’s, Frommer’s and Where to Eat in Canada, as well as glowing reviews in Gourmet Magazine and Condé Nast Travel. In 2003, together with his wife and business partner Silvia Marcolini, Greg received the prestigious Provincial Restaurateur of the Year Award for Fine Dining from the BC Restaurant and Food Association. Greg is also known for his wine pricing innovations, first implemented at the Herald Street Caffe. The $10 mark-up on all wines makes higher-end bottles more accessible—definitely a worthwhile and appreciated measure when facing the ever-changing yet always impressive wine list that Café Brio offers. With this award, we honour Greg for his longstanding and ongoing commitment to supporting the region’s ingredients and wines. Bravo! —R.Baugniet

The Winners of the Prize Draw

Acer Fine Woodworking – 2 Bamboo Trays

WINNER Julie Akeroyd

Bubby Rose’s Bakery & Café – Gift Certificate

WINNER Karen Cooper

Butchart Gardens – Admission & High Tea for 2

WINNER Cindy Bendall

Carrot on the Run – Gift Basket

WINNER Sean Fenzl

Cascadia Liquor – An Expert Guided Wine Tasting at Home for 12

WINNER Meg Dunning

Chef Heidi Fink – Culinary Tour of Chinatown for 3; Cooking Class

WINNER Denise Hogue

WINNER Brandy Patterson

Devour Food – Gift Certificate

WINNER Niki Sacoutis

Endless Pawsibilities – Gift Basket

WINNER Chivonne Graff

Fernwood Inn – Gift Certificate

WINNER Kasia Waissmann

Lifestyle Markets – Gift Certificate

WINNER Lani Caldwell

Muse Winery & Bistro – Gift Certificate

WINNER Karen O’Mahony

Ottavio Delicatessen – Ottavio T-shirt & Apron

WINNER Kim Smith

Rocky Creek Winery – Wine Tasting Experience

WINNER Catherine Holt

Sea Cider Farm & Cider House – Long Flight & Platter for 2

WINNER Katie Tomlinson

Silk Road – Group Tea Tasting

WINNER Lon Temereski

Sips Artisan Bistro – Dinner for 2

WINNER Erin FitzPatrick

Sooke Harbour House – 1 Night Stay, Breakfast & Dinner for 2

WINNER Kristina van Vloten

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub – Chefs’ Table for 2 w/ Wine/Beer Pairings

WINNER Dan Macdonald

Stage Wine Bar – Gift Certificate

WINNER Danielle Topliss

True Grain Bread – Gift Certificate

WINNER N. Moen

Wickaninnish Inn – 1 Night Stay, Valet Parking & 3-Course Dinner for 2

WINNER Bob Tyrrell

Victoria Spirits – A Gift Basket

WINNER Michelle Cowan