Tofino-Ucluelet News for September 2017

Fall in Tofino brings with it the opportunity to visit favourite eateries again as the lineups start to ease, but it’s no wonder people are flocking here with new options being added regularly.

A new business that sprung up recently has the aim to introduce visitors to Tofino’s ever growing food scene. Kate McCallum and Adam Doolittle launched Tofino Food Tours earlier this year. Kate is originally from Prince Edward Island and landed in Tofino after travelling across the country in 2016. Impressed with Tofino’s culinary scene, she and Adam designed a 2.5-3 hour walking tour of downtown Tofino with food and drinks from seven local establishments. “We like to think that taking our food tour is a great activity for day one when visiting Tofino,” Kate said. The tour gives visitors an introduction and insight to where they want to eat for the rest of their stay. Starting with Rhino Coffee House for a taste of their signature doughnuts and in-house roasted coffee, the tour continues with salmon chowder and Tofino Brewing Company beer at The Schooner Restaurant. Then it’s on to waterfront deck at Tofino Sea Kayaking for some Picnic Charcuterie house-cured meats, cheeses, jellies and jams before a visit to the Dockside Smoked Fish Store, where guests taste locally caught smoked salmon. Calypso Roti Shop, also located on Tofino harbour, is another stop for Caribbean style fare, and the final stop is the Ice House Oyster Bar for the Unami Tsunami oyster and a cider. A voucher for a homemade ice cream from Chocolate Tofino is the final gem in this culinary experience. But food isn’t the only thing on offer during this three hour tour –visitors also get insight into local activities, stories and history. Kate explains: “A lot of guests expect to simply eat on a food tour, but we take great pride and pleasure in telling our guests all about why Tofino is a great place to live and visit.” For more information on the food tour, please visit www.tofinofoodtours.com.

Tofino Licks is another new startup that has hit town this summer. Located at #110-605 Gibson St. in the Gateway building, Tofino Licks serves organic soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt topped local treats, including Red Can brownies SoBo’s key lime pie, and berries sourced from the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild. For more information and store hours please visit Tofino Licks on Facebook.

Tofino council gave the go-ahead to Lil’ Ronnie’s Backyard Barbecue to open in the back lot at the Schooner Restaurant in July. Preparations were well underway at press time, but it had yet to open. Billed as a pop-up barbecue spot serving “quality, local resources,” this outdoor operation made it to a few local functions – including Tofino Brewing Company’s annual BrewBQ – and the reviews were positive. Look for more news in an upcoming column and in the meantime, check it out on Facebook.

Chef Francis Wolf of Manoir Hovey in Quebec will be joining the Wickaninnish Inn’s Chef Warren Barr and his team on October 22^nd for a chef’s table dinner. The two chefs’ passion to combine the local, fresh ingredients from their respective regions was the impetus for the evening, which will start with a gin tasting followed by the six course dinner. Wine pairings can be added. For more information and for tickets, please visit www.wickinn.com or contact specialevents@wickinn.com.

-Jen Dart