YAM Magazine Jul/Aug 2025

Best Restaurants

YAM’s

By

Joanne Sasvari

YAM Staff

Pause,

Emily Bruser

Janine Metcalfe

Audi Victoria Audi Nanaimo

12

15

EDITOR’S LETTER

HERE + NOW

Mango the flamingo, a casual capsule wardrobe, beachy accessories, summer reads, a wellness checkup. Plus: the YAM contest.

22 IN PERSON

How a tragic loss motivated a teenage Olivia Hahn to rewrite her life and, hopefully, help others, too.

By David Lennam

24 LIFE AT HOME

Life is always better at the lake, especially in a house that’s perfectly designed for lazy days and summertime fun.

By Sara Harowitz

84

GET ORGANIZED

You need these pretty containers for corralling all your little tchotchkes.

By YAM Staff

87 FOOD + DRINK

Savour the best flavours of the season: an abundance of zucchini, a new farm-totable destination, the latest restaurant dish, a guide to food trucks, recipes for the highly anticipated return of B.C. stone fruit and our essential guide to making modern highballs.

104 SCENE

Put on your walking shoes and get ready to explore the AGGV’s annual Paint-In. Plus: Culture Calendar.

By David Lennam

106 PERSPECTIVE

Look closer: We read the tea leaves.

By Joanne Sasvari

Stone Fruit Galette recipe on page 92

With Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.’s 24th Anniversary in the local craft beverage scene, it’s celebrating with new and exciting 2025 endeavours.

From May to September, Phillips has partnered with Victoria’s food brand Roast to bring a new pop-up to the tasting room, perfectly pairing fresh local food with locally made craft beer. Two neighbourhood-grown brands coming together to serve the Victoria community.

Phillips is also further leaning into Spirits with their Sanctuary Single Malt Whisky Handcrafted with local ingredients from Vancouver Island, this single malt uses 100% malted barley from Phillip’s in-house Maltworks and is barrel aged in bourbon, beer and wine barrels from 5 to 9 years. Sanctuary Whisky embodies the spirit of creativity and care that defines Phillips’ approach to all their craft beverages. Learn more at SanctuaryWhisky.com

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE PHILLIPS BACKYARD MUSIC FESTIVALS

Tilt Weekend – July 4 to 6 | Reverb Weekend – August 8 to 10

Buy your tickets at PhillipsBackyard.com

PHOTOS: JAY WALLACE, TYSON ELDER, CHRISTINA BLACKWOOD

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Happy hour sips and snacks at Bray’s.

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Hope you’re hungry!

Over the past few months, our expert judges have been checking out the city’s restaurants, discovering new places, revisiting old favourites, savouring Victoria’s most delicious dining, all in service of the YAM Best Restaurant Awards. (I know, I know — tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.)

You’ll see the results in these pages, and I hope you discover a new favourite or two among them. We sure have!

Awards like these are about more than just selecting the tastiest places to dine. They are also about celebrating the hard work that our chefs, sommeliers and servers do, and shining a light on what their restaurants mean to a community. That’s something we thought about again and again as we were noshing on Cafe Malabar’s parotta bread or the wood-fired chicken with chili crisp at Janevca or the miso-glazed sablefish at Marilena.

I know that many of us have gotten used to ordering Skip from our sofas and spending more time in front of our screens than socializing IRL. But I think that’s left us hungry — make that starved — for the type of social interaction restaurants have to offer.

Don’t you miss catching up with friends over a long, wine-soaked dinner? Unwinding with colleagues over beer and nachos? And wouldn’t we all be better off if we spent more time gathering around a table, eating good things and actually listening to each other?

I mean, who can stay mad when they are dining omakase-style at Chobap or digging into an African bowl at House of Boateng?

It’s telling that even the finest of fine-dining establishments are all about share plates these days, whether small tapas-style bites or family-size portions to divvy up around the table. It also says something that we’ve fallen in love with happy hour — it’s not just that we’re looking for a bargain on food and drink, these post-work sessions are a whole lot of fun.

We crave connection, and that’s just what restaurants deliver. The Michelin stars, World’s 50 Best rankings and glamorous Instagram feeds all have their dazzle, but what really makes a restaurant great is warm, genuine, sincere hospitality. Reporting from the front lines of Victoria’s restaurant scene, we can tell you that’s just what you will find here.

That, and delicious flavours that come from all over the world to create the unique taste of this beautiful place on Earth.

Joanne Sasvari, Editor-in-Chief editor@yammagazine.com

PREMIUM EUROPEAN PRODUCTS

PREMIUM EUROPEAN PRODUCTS

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Products within this category have clear and indisputable links to the region in which they are produced: all the aspects of production, processing and preparation happen in that specific region

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Products within this category have clear and indisputable links to the region in which they are produced: all the aspects of production, processing and preparation happen in that specific region

THE EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORTS CAMPAIGNS THAT PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos Georgina Camilleri

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joanne Sasvari

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelly Hamilton

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Deana Brown Jennifer Dean Van Tol Cynthia Hanischuk Brenda Knapik

ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten

MARKETING & EVENTS

CO-ORDINATOR Lauren Ingle

FASHION EDITOR Janine Metcalfe

COPY EDITOR Lionel Wild

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Emily Bruser, Sara Harowitz, David Lennam, Bronwyn Lewis, Christine Sismondo

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dasha Armstrong, Andréa Conforti, Alison Kuhl, Leila Kwok

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 34, 74, 79, 94, 106; Stocksy p. 80, 82, 87, 90, 92, 95

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ON THE COVER Executive chef Kristian Eligh, Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar

Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

Published by PAGE ONE PUBLISHING

580 Ardersier Road, Victoria, B.C. V8Z 1C7 T 250-595-7243 info@pageonepublishing.ca pageonepublishing.ca

Printed in British Columbia by Mitchell Press.

Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Page One Publishing Inc. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement, and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in all or part, in any form — printed or electronic — without the express permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #41295544

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YAM is Victoria’s lifestyle magazine, connecting readers to the distinctive lifestyle and authentic luxury of the West Coast. For advertising info, please call 250-595-7243 or email sales@yammagazine.com.

HERE + NOW

MANGO’S BIG YEAR

Still in the pink after half a century.

One of Victoria’s most colourful residents is celebrating a milestone birthday this year. The team at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens is happy to announce that Mango the flamingo turns 50 this November. Felicitations!

Like all the critters that call the gardens home, Mango was donated. He and another male flamingo, Houdini, started life together at the Crystal Gardens Conservation Centre, which closed in 2004. Since then, Mango has lived in the tropical environs of the Butterfly Gardens. (Houdini, sadly, passed away five years ago at the ripe old age of 45.)

Fifty, for a flamingo, is an impressive milestone. The birds typically live 30 to 40 years in the wild; the oldest known flamingo died at the age of 83 at the Adelaide Zoo in Australia. It’s true that Mango has slowed down some over the years, but he’s still flocking happily with the other animals and staff in his tropical paradise.

5 EASY PIECES

1. THE TERRIFIC TEE

The essential layering piece to wear under a jacket or sweater, a tee can also be worn on its own with skirts, shirts or jeans, as a bathing suit cover-up or as a pyjama top. Try: The Circular Crop Tee, made from a blend of recycled and organic cotton, by Anián. anianmfg.com

2. THE BUTTON-UP SHIRT

A slightly oversized linen or poplin shirt looks professional tucked in and worn with a blazer, but can also be tossed over a sun dress or bathing suit and worn as a light, unstructured jacket. Try: The Skye Stripe long-sleeve linen shirt by Ecolgyst. ecologyst.com

3. THE LINEN TROUSER

Stay cool no matter how hot it gets with lovely, loose, temperature-regulating linen. The most stylish (and practical) trouser this season is wide-legged, generous in fit and judiciously cropped. Try: Alembika floral linen pants, available at Adventure Clothing. adventureclothing.ca

4. THE CHIC LAYER

Add the right cardigan or blazer and you instantly add polish to your look — even a pair of jeans looks ready for business when worn with a tailored jacket. Look for lightweight linen or cotton, in punchy brights for fun or practical neutrals for investment dressing. Try: The loose-fitting, single-button Generation blazer in Crepette by Aritzia. aritzia.com

5. THE FLOATY FROCK

Every woman needs a sun dress, something that’s cool and comfortable, but still pretty enough to wear out to dinner or to garden parties or, when topped with a blazer, to the office. Try: Gwen mini-check linen dress by Naïf, available at Tulipe Noir. tulipenoire.com

It’s a funny thing, but the more clothes you have, the harder it seems to be finding anything to wear. That’s why we love the idea of a capsule wardrobe, especially during the long, lazy days of summer when we have better things to do than worry about what we’re wearing. A capsule wardrobe comprises a limited number of well-edited, mix-and-matchable clothes. (The 5-4-3-2-1 theory, for instance, suggests you only need five tops, four bottoms, three pairs of shoes, two layering pieces and one dress.) That curated collection should provide you with all the outfits you need while cutting down on clutter, creating less waste, saving time getting ready in the morning and still looking stylish and pulled together. Who wouldn’t love that?

To create your own capsule wardrobe, choose versatile, classic pieces in neutral colours. Opt for quality over quantity. Make sure every piece fits properly and flatters your body shape. And start with these five foundational items.

Beach Day

LOUNGE BY THE SEASIDE IN STYLE WITH THESE ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES.

Bold Sunglasses

Express your inner diva (and protect your vision) with a pair of oversized cats-eye sunglasses like the 1961c style by Oliver Peoples. oliverpeoples.com

A Straw Tote

Elevated Flip-Flops

Be comfortable and chic in a sandal that you can wear to the beach — and to all but the most formal events — like the Olukai ‘Ohana lightweight flip-flops, available at Heart and Sole Shoes. heartandsoleshoes.ca

SUMMER READS

Detecting butlers, fat-camp survivors and lovestruck astronauts: Theirs are the stories you’ll want to pack on vacation.

Contemplation of a Crime

By Susan Juby (HarperCollins Canada)

In her third Helen Thorpe mystery, the Nanaimobased author sends the Buddhist-nun-turneddetecting-butler to assist at an island retreat designed to heal ideological divides. But with so many highly (and hilariously) unpleasant people in one place, is it any surprise that things soon take a turn for the deadly?

Fat Camp Summer: Advice I Would Have Given My

Parents

By Moira Dann (Sutherland House Books)

This memoir by a Victoriabased author is at once funny, poignant and thought-provoking as Dann recounts the summer her parents forced her to attend a weight-loss camp in the Catskills. Not just a personal story, it is also a journalistic investigation into the issues that surround chronic obesity.

This summer, it’s all about the elevated Provençal shopping basket, so perfect for lugging everything you need for work, party or beach. We love the Justine Basket Bag by French label Sézane. sezane.com/ca-en

Atmosphere: A Love Story

By Taylor Jenkins Reid (Doubleday Canada)

It’s been three long years since the bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six released her last book (Carrie Soto is Back) and at this point we’d be thrilled just to read her grocery list. But a soaring love story involving female astronauts, Top Gun pilots and the 1980s space shuttle program? Sounds like the summer beach book we need right now.

WE BOOKS

Checking out the city’s 900th Little Free Library.

In a city with so many independent bookstores it’s perhaps not surprising that we’d take to those Little Free Libraries. But this city really, really loves them, so much so that the 900th LFL was just unveiled in Saanich. And the initiative, led by the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network, just keeps on growing.

LFLs are those charmingly decorated boxes of books that people set up outside their homes. They’re based on the “leave a book — take a book” principle, although many of them also offer plants, yarn, games or art supplies. Since the initiative began in 2017, it’s estimated that more than 123,000 books have made their way through LFLs across the CRD.

“Little Free Libraries are more than just book boxes,” says Saanich Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff. “They’re powerful placemaking tools that help turn neighbourhoods into communities.”

The 900th LFL is located at 567 Walter Avenue. For a map to all the Victoria area LFLs, visit: victoriaplacemaking.ca/ little-free-libraries.

LOCAL GETAWAY GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a sweet staycation!

The lucky winner will enjoy a luxurious onenight getaway at the Delta Hotels

Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort — plus a $100 gift card to LURE Restaurant & Bar.

Located on the Vic West waterfront, the property offers a spa, indoor pool, tennis courts and spectacular views of the Inner Harbour, and it’s just a short stroll from all of downtown’s great boutiques and attractions.

To enter, visit yammagazine.com or scan the QR code. Some restrictions apply — see details on contest entry page. Total value $420. Contest ends August 26, 2025. Good luck!

 Saanich Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff (left) and Mayor Dean Murdock unveil Greater Victoria’s 900th Little Free Library.

How Are You Doing?

Halfway through a truly chaotic year, this is a good time to check up on the wellbeing of our, um, well-being.

Right now we’re all supposed to be focused on holistic health and intentional living, but with so many distractions, it’s almost impossible to actually slow down, reconnect with ourselves and embrace balance. Here are five ways to do just that — and what not to do — for the next half of the year.

DO: Spend more time in nature. What the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, can significantly reduce stress, lower blood pressure and improve your mental clarity.

DON’T: Spend long hours at work without taking a break. Instead, be sure to include both short breaks during the day to refocus and longer ones to rest and recover. Sitting at your desk for hours and hours may seem productive, but will eventually lead to diminished focus, poor posture and burnout, both physical and mental.

DO: Give yourself positive affirmations every day. Telling yourself “I am capable,” “I deserve happiness” or whatever confidence booster you need can rewire your brain over time.

DON’T: Indulge in negative self talk. It’s easy to focus on our flaws, but self-criticism undermines our confidence and happiness.

DO: Take a digital detox, even if it’s just for an hour a day. Put down the phone. And while you’re at it, replace any harsh-sounding alarms with soft chimes, calming music or sounds from nature.

DON’T: Be ruled by your notifications. Being constantly plugged in means you are never fully present for the people around you. It is distracting and disruptive and the endless stream of alarming headlines is bad for your mental health.

DO: Set boundaries. Learn how to say no to demands that sap your time and energy, leaving no room for the things you really care about.

DON’T: Say yes to everything. Create space for other priorities, especially self-care. And don’t get sucked into the vortex around toxic, negative people — they will just drain your energy and well-being.

DO: Make your workouts fun. Embrace the joy of movement with playful activities like trampoline jumping, pickleball or dancing like nobody is watching. It’ll boost both your endorphins and your fitness level.

DON’T: Set unrealistic goals for beauty, weight loss or fitness. You’ll just feel worse if you can’t reach them. Instead, love yourself, just as you are. Experience expert mobile massage + acupuncture in the comfort of your home or office. Nowofferinglymphaticand facialsculptingmassage.

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MOVING FORWARD, WITH JOY

How a tragic loss motivated a teenage Olivia Hahn to find her voice — and speak out for other young people, too.

By

David Lennam | Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

Olivia Hahn was just 14 when she found out her mother had only two months to live.

It was 2022, and Patricia Kilshaw had a cancer she wasn’t going to survive. So Hahn became determined to live those fleeting moments for her mom.

“I didn’t really focus on it too much because I thought, well, there she is, she’s right here,” she says. “And every time I thought, ‘She’s not going to be there in two months, I’m going to go and hug her.’ In those two months I just wanted to make everything I could for her.”

Small meaningful gestures. Cleaning the kitchen every day or bringing her home her favourite doughnut from Tim Hortons. “Little things that would make her smile. Every single thing I did I wanted to give her some joy.”

There was always some hope in the back of Hahn’s mind that everything was going to be all right. The waiting “was harder than having an actual death,” she says. “In the moment, it feels like that’s still a lot of time, but how do you even make sense of that? You’re going to keep living your whole life and they’re not.”

And when the end came, unaware of how to cope with a massive emotional blow, Hahn felt lost, like so many of us unfamiliar with grieving. Searching the library for books offering some help, some solace, she was perplexed. All she could find were volumes written by adults, not people her age, looking back on some early grief from the distance of time.

perspective. She says women like her are judged on how they look, presumptions are made and there’s very little of trying to have a deeper relationship beyond the immediate and physical. The song tries to empower those who have had their self-worth shattered, or at least put to the test.

A post on Hahn’s Instagram explained it. “If you’ve been lusted over, it feels like you’re nothing. It feels like you’re being objectified and the person’s only intention is that they want your attraction.”

The title’s a bit daring, but comes from experiences Hahn had modelling for local fundraisers. She was — how can we put this — approached by men whose intentions were not virtuous.

Hahn wrote it to be an anthem for women, but calls it gender fluid.

“Even men get played by women, too. I wanted to come across with a real story that was relatable and inspiring and from a real place.”

That’s where local producer Wynn Gogol came in to coax a blossoming voice and provide some shrewd advice.

“There needs to be more storytelling in your voice,” Gogol told her.

“

Hahn says on their first meeting she presented her lyrics and told him she wanted to record a song.

If [my mother] didn’t pass away when I was young, I probably wouldn’t be like this. It pushes me to do everything. I have big ambitions.”

Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth KüblerRoss’s famous five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance — didn’t line up for Hahn. They arrived out of order.

“I was like, ‘Why is mine all messy and jumbled?’ I can feel this one second and this another second. It was more like a roller-coaster,” she says. “I figured there must be another 14-yearold girl somewhere in the world who has lost her mom and she’s doing the same thing I am, looking for help and she can’t find anything.”

It seemed perfectly natural for her to write her own book. And in 2023, still a student at Reynolds Secondary School, she self-published Healing Our Wounded Hearts: A Real Life Story About Loss in the Voice of a Teenager, written for teens, in the voice of a teen as a journey through mourning.

CHANGING THE TUNE

Hahn, now 18 and a Reynolds grad, looks back on that book, and two more she wrote along the same emotional tangent, and admits she has moved on. Or, at least, forward.

“What I want to do,” she says, “is music.”

Hahn released her first song in March across all the streaming services. Lust Over Love has nothing to do with grief, the loss of her mother or those books. None of that.

According to Hahn, Lust Over Love explores the superficiality of our society from a female

“And he’s like, ‘Mmmm, your voice isn’t there yet. We have to do a lot of work to get there.’ I’m glad he told me that. I wouldn’t just want to create something that was not the potential it could have been because I was impatient.”

Asked if she felt compelled to write the song, as she had with her books, Hahn says both sprang from the same intention: to reach out to others feeling the same way she was.

“And I feel like life’s short and if you don’t try everything … I could see myself as an 80-year-old going, ‘Oh, I wanted to write a song, but I never did.’ That’s what made me do it.”

LIFE LESSONS

Perhaps this experimentation with music is, ultimately, how Hahn processes the death of her mother — by using what she left behind for her daughter: wisdom, truths, advice and love. And a get-it-done energy. A bit of the old carpe diem.

“If she didn’t pass away when I was young, I probably wouldn’t be like this,” says Hahn. “It pushes me to do everything. I have big ambitions.”

Considering herself something of a deep thinker and a dreamer, Hahn is moving on from heartache, “taking the grief out from underneath her bed” as she wrote in her book, with the understanding that her mother’s energy lives on in her.

“In 14 years of my life we had a bond that some people don’t have in a lifetime with their mom,” she says. “She gave me so many lessons of life that are impactful that I can carry through my whole life. It’s so rare … Now I think it kind of shapes who I am now. I remember my mom always telling me she wanted me to find joy again and not stay in the grief.”

Lake House Living

Forget that dark, gloomy log-cabin vibe and opt for a bright and cheerful place where you’ll want to hang out in your bathing suit all day long.

By Sara Harowitz | Photos by Dasha Armstrong

Life by the lake — it’s a romantic notion. But not all lake houses are created equal.

When Danielle Keogan was approached to redesign a vacation home on Shawnigan Lake, she knew that she wanted to do it. Where other people might have seen hurdle after hurdle — dated colours and materials, a confusing layout, a lack of natural light — the founder of Victoria’s Maverick Design saw only potential.

Interior design, after all, is about “walking in and seeing what we’re dealing with,” she says, “and knowing what it could be with some thoughtful changes.”

Those changes have transformed the Shawnigan property from drab and uninspired to luxurious lakeside living.

“Lake houses, for me, are very nostalgic,” says Keogan. “I grew up in cottage country myself, and I spent a lot of time understanding why I felt good in those spaces — and I always try to recreate that for my clients.”

Her client, in this case, was Kathy Gingras, who lives in Victoria with her family and had dreams of a lakefront vacation home. In the summer of 2020, she came together with two other families to purchase the Shawnigan property, which comprised a main house and a carriage house. Keogan started work on it a few months later.

“I am a terrible designer,” Gingras admits. “I have zero sense of interior style. So it was all Danielle.”

Keogan confirms that she was given “carte blanche” on the space to make it bright, airy, sensible and contemporary. It’s now a shining example of what a successful lakeside home should be.

Before

not only more functional, but a fresh and attractive place to

Above: The original lake house kitchen and dining area was dark, cramped and very brown. Left and opposite page: Danielle Keogan and her team brightened up the space and made it

hang out in.

When the designers removed the dated river rock around the fireplace (see inset, below right), they discovered a brick wall, which they painted a fresh, clean white. They also captured the lakeside esthetic in white shiplap (below, left), simple furnishings and lake-blue accents.

KEEP IT LIGHT

Another crucial factor in any lake house is ample amounts of natural light.

“It’s moving away from that heavy, log cabin, kitschy esthetic,” Keogan explains, “but still having that warmth and coziness.”

Before

One of the first things she did was enlarge the windows and bring in glass doors to replace the solid ones. That way, “even when you’re retreating inside, you’re still part of the environment, which is the focal point.”

Keogan also knew that she wanted to do away with the river rock fireplace, which looked like it was straight out of a 1980s ski chalet. When the material was pulled off, a pleasant surprise was revealed: exposed brick. It’s now one of Gingras’s favourite parts of the home.

“We painted that and brightened it up,” she says, “which made a huge difference.”

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

One of the most important aspects of a lake house, Keogan offers, is its practicality. It can’t just look nice — it has to function, too, and be able to stand up against the energetic rhythms of vacation life: kids, pets, spills, dripping-wet bathing suits.

“It’s about finding hardy materials that will last and endure,” says Keogan. That showed up most importantly with the flooring.

“We chose an engineered product that performed very well with water: a wideplank white oak, so the more you [use] it, the better it looks over time,” she says. “And with a low sheen, so you’re not getting a lot of slip.”

That durable mindset is evident in subtler ways, too, from the ample hooks ready for wet towels to the water-toy storage right near the door to the durable, highperformance fabrics like cotton duck and linen, which stand up better against wet animals, dirty feet and sun exposure.

EXTRA SPACE FOR GUESTS

In addition to the main house, the property also has a carriage house, perfect for guests or when one of the families needs a little privacy. Here Keogan kept the same general idea of a fresh, bright, breathable space, but infused it with the pretty lake blue similar to the accent colour in the main house. In the kitchen, brass details play beautifully against the soft blue hue. Guests can gather around the island, with its inset range, chatting to the cook and enjoying the view at the same time. Plenty of storage and a functional layout make it a pleasure to spend time in, even on the laziest of days.

Furnishings are fuss-free and durable, in light neutrals with lake-blue accents.

NOD TO THE SURROUNDINGS (BUT DO IT MINIMALLY)

Location-specific homes run the risk of being too literal. (Think about every beach home you’ve been in where the entire design motif seems to be “seashell.”) Keogan says that bringing in elements of place is important, but it needs to be done tastefully.

“I think that gets tired fast,” she says. “So it’s being a little bit more selective about where you bring those elements in while still supporting the modern esthetic and lifestyle. It was important for me to listen to the clients, as well. It’s not just coming in and creating a theme park.”

For this project, that meant natural materials like wood as nods to the outdoors. But it also meant pops of strategic colour — such as in the carriage-house kitchen, where Keogan chose a lake-like blue for the cabinets.

“Everywhere you looked outside was green,” Keogan says. “So it was this perfect balance.”

MAKE ROOM FOR WHIMSY

Even once the project was underway, there was one area that Keogan and her clients weren’t sure what to do with: the space under the stairs. It ended up being Gingras’s two daughters who came to the designer with a pitch for a secret room.

“The girls led the design — all the details,” Keogan says. “It was fun for them to have some agency in the process.”

Now that everyone has had a few summers at the lake under their belt, Gingras is more convinced than ever that this home — secret room and all — was the right fit for her and her loved ones.

“It’s really functional and bright,” says Gingras. “It basically feels like home away from home.”

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All Decked Out

The best part of a lake house is, well, the lake. These designforward outdoors pieces help you make the most of time spent beside it.

1

Sundays Make Waves Outdoor Chaise

Kick back and watch the world go by in this cloudlike chaise lounger. Dreamed up by Vancouver brand Sundays, it comes with a removable cover for easy cleaning, and its frameless design gives it a decidedly relaxed, vacation-like feel. sundays-company.ca

2 Fieldbar Drinks Box

Keep cans of bubbly water (or bottles of bubbly wine) cold with this exceptionally chic 10-litre cooler from South African brand Fieldbar. With an easy-to-clean interior, condensation-free construction and non-slip silicone feet, the Drinks Box was ethically handcrafted in Cape Town. Plus, its beautiful design — retro inspiration, contemporary taste — means it will stand out for all the right reasons. fieldbar.com

3 Audo Carrie Portable LED Lamp

Danish design company Audo has created the perfect portable lamp with the Carrie. The large circular LED bulb gives off a warm, comforting glow, while the handle’s brushed brass finish makes it feel fresh and modern. Cordless technology makes it a breeze to recharge and take onto the deck. Available at Gabriel Ross. grshop.com

4 Article Marais Outdoor Low Planter

With a lightweight, powder-coated steel frame, this outdoor planter from Vancouver’s Article is great for adding a little greenery to your outdoor space. Flowers, ferns, herbs — you name it, the Marais will make it look even better. article.com

Local experts. Personal service. Insurance that fits.

Local experts. Personal service.

Insurance that fits.

Local experts. Personal service. Insurance that fits.

From family homes to thriving local businesses, Waypoint Insurance is proud to protect the heart of our communities across British Columbia. With deep local roots, trusted advice, and coverage tailored to your needs, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

From family homes to thriving local businesses, Waypoint

From family homes to thriving local businesses, Waypoint

Insurance is proud to protect the heart of our communities across British Columbia. With deep local roots, trusted advice, and coverage tailored to your needs, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Insurance is proud to protect the heart of our communities across British Columbia. With deep local roots, trusted advice, and coverage tailored to your needs, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Restaurants Best2025

Hungry? You will be once you’ve discovered all the delicious winners and runners-up in YAM’s sixth annual restaurant awards.

By Joanne Sasvari | Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet,

unless noted

Afew months ago, we gathered some of Victoria’s most knowledgeable and opinionated foodies around my dining table to kick off the judging for the YAM Best Restaurant Awards. And one thing quickly became clear.

We’re truly lucky to have the incredible range of talented and passionate chefs, line cooks, producers, sommeliers, bartenders and servers that we do here in Greater Victoria.

As the judging progressed over the following weeks, a few other things became apparent. The big one? After five tumultuous years, hospitality is back. That’s not to say that it ever entirely went away, or that the industry isn’t still struggling in so many ways. But time and time again, the places we loved the best were the places that went out of their way to make us feel welcome, cared for and nourished, both in body and soul. All three of our top award-winning restaurants are raising the bar for service and hospitality in this city, and that can only be good for everyone.

There are some other trends we’re excited to see. Among them, we’re thrilled by the renewed attention to wine, especially adventurous wines from small producers and less well-known regions, at restaurants of every style and price range. There’s also been an exciting influx of culinary talent from Vancouver and elsewhere, happy to find a home in Victoria and quite frankly amazed by all this city has to offer.

As always, we are impressed by the hospitality community in this city, the way they lift each other up and help each other out. We know nothing is perfect; we’re heartbroken by the loss of restaurants like Nowhere and Little Jumbo and worried about how the economic situation is affecting consumers and the restaurants that rely on them.

We love our restaurants, and the YAM Best Restaurant Awards are a sincere celebration of all the hard work, passion and talent that goes into them. We think you’ll love our judges’ selections, too — and we can’t wait to see what delicious adventures the next year will bring.

And now. For the Best Restaurants of 2025, please turn the page. We hope you brought your appetite.

Restaurant of the Year

MARILENA CAFE & RAW BAR

1525 Douglas Street | $$$

marilenacafe.com | Reservations strongly suggested

It’s rare that a restaurant comes along and ticks all the boxes the way Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar has done since opening in June 2023. Beautiful room? Check. Gorgeous food? Check. Attentive service? Yep, it has that, too. But Marilena is more than an exceptional fine-dining restaurant. It’s a place that truly understands what Victorians have been hungry for.

And that, more than anything, is why it is our Restaurant of the Year.

Marilena is busy every night, but on Fridays and Saturdays, this joint is jumpin’. Week after week, it’s packed with friends old and new, hopping from table to table to catch up with each other. Executive chef Kristian Eligh loves it. “It’s been quite the experience for me to come back to the city I grew up in and see all the familiar faces,” he says.

Mind you, it took a while to get here. When Vancouver’s Toptable Group (Elisa, Blue Water Cafe, Araxi) decided it needed a grand seafood restaurant in Victoria, the plan was to open in 2020 with Eligh at the helm. Instead, COVID came along. It took another three years before the papers came off the windows at the building across from City Hall. “Painful as the wait was, the timing of when it opened was really ideal,” says Eligh. “Patience was a real virtue.”

Like all the Toptable restaurants, Marilena is designed to perfectly balance an elevated dining experience with an approachable one. Or, as Eligh says with a laugh, “While you might see us tweezering in the kitchen, we keep that to a minimum.”

He adds: “We’re sitting in a beautiful dining room with all the things that speak to very high-end dining, but it’s been clear from ownership that the goal is always approachability and filling the room with families and business folk and everyone in between.”

That starts from the minute you walk through the revolving door into the elegant dining room to be greeted by the friendly — but not too friendly — staff. Marilena has introduced a polished style of service that is something of a game changer for Victoria. “The feedback has been overwhelming,” says restaurant director Aaron Matsuzaki (who, sadly, has announced that he is leaving this summer). “We feel they are coming into our house and we are hosting them.”

That polish extends to bar manager Jayce Kadyschuk’s excellent cocktail program, sommelier Shrawan Khanna’s deep and adventurous wine list and the immaculate nigiri from sushi chef Ilhan Yu’s flashing knife.

But above all there is chef Eligh’s food. Before joining Toptable in 2018, he had worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and Napa and spent six years as culinary director for Vancouver’s celebrated chef David Hawksworth. So he has some serious culinary chops. But most importantly, he gets his hometown.

The menu is designed to mix, match and share creatively. Want some sashimi to start, a pasta to follow and a whole branzino for the table to share? Why not? Some 60 per cent of his menu comprises standards like the lobster tacos, tuna tartare, seafood tower and

Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar executive chef Kristian Eligh

salmon oshi. “The other 40 per cent we’ve had a really fun time changing it seasonally and elevating it somewhat,” Eligh says. That could mean a seasonal twist on the Wagyu beef carpaccio, a creative filling for fresh pasta or a delicious take on spot prawns.

Just be sure to leave room for pastry chef Dominique Laurencelle’s decadent sweets.

Victoria loves Marilena, but we’re not the only ones. Marilena is currently one of only two Island restaurants on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants (it’s No. 39; Pluvio in Ucluelet is No. 36). Last year, Marilena was C100B’s No. 1 Best New Restaurant and No. 3 on enRoute’s list. It’s also won several of this year’s YAM Best Restaurant Awards (read on to find out which ones).

As chef Eligh says: “Good things come to those who wait.”

Runners -up: Cafe Brio | Cafe Malabar

Chef(s) of the Year

KIRAN KOLATHODAN & KARMA TENPA, Cafe Malabar

100 – 407 Swift Street | $$ | cafemalabar.ca | Reservations highly recommended

It seemed like the worst possible luck when, just weeks after placing fifth on enRoute’s powerhouse Best New Restaurants list, word came down that Cafe Malabar was losing its kitchen in the Victoria Public Market. But since then, chef-owners Kiran Kolathodan and Karma Tenpa have found a terrific new waterfront location. Even better, more and more people are finding them.

“The move has been really good,” Kolathodan says, though they both admit it has come with a bit of a learning curve. Previously, they’d worked in large, well-staffed luxury hotels, most recently The Westin Bear Mountain, where all they had to do was cook. Now they are doing everything themselves, from purchasing to training to decorating. “In hotels it was a completely different ball game,” Kolathodan says, with a laugh. “We’re getting our hands dirty for sure.”

Co-chefs and co-owners Kiran Kolathodan (left) and Karma Tenpa of Cafe Malabar

Cafe Malabar’s Kiran Kolathodan

They have assembled a service team as warm, enthusiastic and welcoming as they are, every one of them eager to tell guests all about the bright, aromatic Keralan cuisine the chefs brought from their South India home. The emphasis there is on rice and seafood, and Victorians have fallen in love with the kochi kochi (prawn masala and fried prawns with tapioca), fragrantly spiced biryanis and delicate fish curries, every bite made from scratch. “We don’t have a single can in the kitchen,” Tenpa says. “Even the bread we do, we ferment the batter and when [guests] ask for it, we make it fresh.”

Just in the past few months, not only have these chefs moved and opened a brand new restaurant, they’ve added a well-edited wine and cocktail program, launched a separate patio menu (lots of sharing boards) and are preparing to offer brunch. But they are most excited about the seafood program they’ve developed with a local supplier who drops off a weekly “mystery box” they transform into delicious things.

“People are literally saying it’s the best Indian food they’ve ever eaten, and the best seafood they’ve ever eaten,” Kolathodan says. “The satisfaction is great. It’s very exciting.”

Runners -up:

Kristian Eligh, Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar | Sam Harris, Cafe Brio

Cafe Malabar’s Karma Tenpa

Best New Restaurant JANEVCA KITCHEN & LOUNGE

janevca.ca | Reservations highly recommended

Chef Andrea Alridge still remembers her first time cooking over live fire. She was working at Vancouver’s CinCin Ristorante and the cook who usually worked the massive wood-fired Grillworks Infierno hadn’t shown up that day. “You’re on,” executive chef Andrew Richardson told her. “It’s your turn, suck it up.” She fell in love instantly. “I think it was fear focused, but I tell myself it was love,” she says with a laugh. “It was a really good challenge that I fully embraced.”

Since then she’s been a finalist on Top Chef Canada (Season 9), head chef at Vancouver’s beloved Osteria Savio Volpe and is now executive chef at Greater Victoria’s most exciting new restaurant, where she plays with fire every day.

In a year that saw plenty of dynamic newcomers to the scene, Janevca Kitchen & Lounge still manages to catch the eye. Located in the lovingly (and expensively) remodelled heritage Rosemead House in Esquimalt, it is an ode to maximalism, all rich colours, lush patterns, antique furnishings and a giant faux tree whose branches arch over the diners.

Service is polished and helpful. The wine program, led by Jacques Lacoste, is thoughtful, wide-ranging and getting better all the time. The lounge, with its plush magenta seating and view into the open kitchen, is a great place for cocktails. The desserts, from pastry chef Brian Bradley, are perfectly tempting.

But what brings us back again and again is Alridge’s cooking. She draws on her Jamaican-Filipino heritage, expertise in fine Italian dining and love for local ingredients to create something totally new. We love the wood-fired pizzas and steaks, tender handmade pastas and flavourful salads. We love the way she infuses spice into hearty pork chops with pickapeppa sauce (a.k.a. Jamaican ketchup) and the woodgrilled half-chicken with zingy, smoky siu haau sauce (a.k.a. Cantonese BBQ sauce) and chili crisp. “I’m very proud of that one,” she admits.

Most of all, we love how Janevca Kitchen & Lounge has brought something thrillingly new to Victoria’s dining scene while also embracing the heritage that’s made this city what it is.

Runners -up: Chobap Sushi Bar | Kinu by Sizzling Tandoor

Executive chef Andrea Alridge

Romance Begins at the Curb

Best West Coast Contemporary BRAY’S

460 Pandora Avenue | $$

braysvictoria.ca | Limited reservations available

Although Bray’s is a chic, modern West Coast tapas and wine bar, it also has a deep connection to Victoria’s past. Bray’s is not only located in the historic Janion building, it’s named for one of the city’s earliest entrepreneurs, and a delivery service that evolved into the Bray’s Transfer trucking company. The restaurant was opened in 2023 by partners Brent Ryan and Gareth Bray-Bancroft (yes, the same Bray family), with chef Harris Bredin serving up the menu of grazable dishes that perfectly capture the West Coast vibe. Think: truffle popcorn, white fish crudo, burrata with tomato jam, seared albacore tuna with soy gochujang emulsion and, of course, a generous charcuterie board, with a well-priced and wide-ranging wine selection to go with. A glass of orange wine and truffle popcorn enjoyed on a patio overlooking the Johnson Street Bridge? Sounds pretty good to us.

Runners-up

Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar

Wild Mountain

Best Big Night Out

MARILENA CAFE & RAW BAR

1525 Douglas Street | $$$

marilenacafe.com | Reservations strongly suggested

For those times you really want to celebrate, or you need to impress someone, or you’re just craving something truly indulgent, can we introduce you to La Tour: three chilled tiers of oysters, jumbo shrimp cocktail, clams, mussel escabeche, tuna tartare, ceviche, sushi rolls and, oh why not, a whole Atlantic lobster? Not fancy enough? Add a caviar service, vintage Champagne and attentive hospitality in an elegant and beautifully lit dining room. Swoon. Once again, our judges have named Marilena as the best place in town to celebrate a big night out, and for good reason. From executive chef Kristian Eligh’s creative ways with fine local ingredients to the wine cellar packed with lust-worthy bottles to a service team whose mission is to pamper their guests, a deliciously good night out is guaranteed.

Runners-up

Janevca Kitchen & Lounge

Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions

Best Casual

PART AND PARCEL

2656 Quadra Street | $$

partandparcel.ca | Reservations recommended

You might not expect a casual restaurant to host winemaker’s dinners, offer a 10-course tasting menu or to serve duck confit (and in butter-tart form, no less). But maybe you should. This tiny spot in Quadra Village has been around for over a decade, and it’s still got that easygoing DIY décor that suggests you could roll in for brunch without changing out of your PJs. Luckily, the team here is making more of an effort than that. Front of house manager Sarah Gottwald is adding exciting wines, many of them low-intervention styles from small B.C. wineries, to the list, while head chef Nick Maharaj composes beautifully inventive plates from quality ingredients from local farms, such as aged duck breast with kiwi salsa verde, pork belly with apple butter or sablefish and mussels with spicy vodka Caesar broth. Now that’s the kind of casual dining we love.

Runners-up

Faro

Spinnakers

Part and Parcel front of house manager Sarah Gottwald

ALISON KUHL

Best Brunch

HOUSE OF BOATENG

105 – 2854 Peatt Road, Langford | $$ houseofboateng.ca | Reservations for groups of eight+

Forget your boring old bacon and eggs: At House of Boateng, chef Castro Boateng is always cooking up something exciting and different, layered with complex flavours drawn from his Ghanaian roots and from all over the world. His African rice bowl (jollof rice, chicken sausage, spicy smoked shrimp aioli, scrambled eggs and pickled veg) is a local classic, but we also swoon for the unexpected spice of the banana bread French toast topped with brie and candied jalapeño-and-bacon jam, his takes on shakshuka and huevos rancheros, and the surprise of a variety of Bennys on pavé rice or sweet yams. A true master chef and gracious host, Boateng makes mornings beautiful. The HOB Jerk Caesar (garnished with jerk chicken skin and pickled vegetables) helps, too.

Runners-up

John’s Place

The Breakfast Shop

Best Happy Hour

BRAY’S

460 Pandora Avenue | $$ braysvictoria.ca | Limited reservations available

The best happy hours aren’t just about cheap eats and drinks. They are an experience, a convivial way to wind down at the end of the workday. And Bray’s has created a cozy but contemporary vibe in a terrific location, housed in the historic Janion building at the foot of Johnson Street. It’s an unbeatable spot for people and sunset watching, especially during the two daily happy hours — one from 2 to 5 p.m. and another from 9 p.m. to close. Come for the great deals on wine, beer, Shafts (of course) and a couple of other classic cocktails; stay for the smoked eggplant tartine, meatballs with brown butter crumb and the thoughtfully friendly service.

Runners-up

Boom + Batten Ferris’

Best East Asian

CHOBAP SUSHI BAR

610 Courtney Street | $$-$$$

chobapsushibar.com | Reservations essential

You may have met the talented chef Clark Park before, at Yua Bistro or Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar or across the strait at Miku in Vancouver. But you’ve never seen him like this, conducting a flawless culinary symphony at his beautiful little eight-seat sushi bar. He serves only omakase style (an elevated multicourse experience where the chef decides what to prepare based on what is freshest and most delicious that day), each meal a precise 90 minutes, one meticulously prepared course appearing after another from his deft hands. This is dinner as theatre, but it is also a refined performance honed by years of training in Osaka, Japan, and on this side of the Pacific, too. But what stands out even more than the rare sakes, buttery torched tuna belly and cleverly composed small plates is the warm, sincere and genuinely kind hospitality.

Runners-up

Nubo

Yua Bistro

Best South or Southeast Asian

CAFE MALABAR

100 – 407 Swift Street | $$

cafemalabar.ca | Reservations highly recommended

For Victorians who grew up dining on rich, creamy northern Indian fare, cuisine from Kerala, in the country’s south, is a bracing palate cleanser. In the hands of talented co-head chefs Kiran Kolathodan and Karma Tenpa, it’s bright, intensely flavourful and zingy with spices like pepper, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and chilies. Since they moved their popular Cafe Malabar from the Victoria Public Market to its new waterfront location, they’ve added a well-edited selection of wine, beer and cocktails, along with cheerfully helpful table service and a patio perfect for sipping and snacking. Guests are happy to line up for all of that, as well as the fragrant prawn masala, slow-cooked beef bathed in aromatic spices, chili-flecked crispy fried chicken, irresistibly chewy parotta bread (trust us on this) and, most of all, the warm hospitality.

Runners-up

Kinu by Sizzling Tandoor Nohra Thai Kitchen

Chobap’s sushi master Clark Park

Best Plant Based

NOURISH KITCHEN & CAFE

225 Quebec Street | $$-$$$

nourishkitchen.ca | Limited dinner reservations available

It may seem strange that a restaurant famed for its meaty, collagen-rich bone broth is also our favourite place for vegetableforward dining. Yet year after year, Nourish is just that place. In part it’s because it is just so darn adorable, with its vintage furnishings in a heritage James Bay house. But mostly it’s because chef-owner Maxime Durand loves his veggies, and handles them with care. His brunches feature hearty grain bowls, tartines and a legendary pancake. At dinnertime, he gathers the freshest local vegetables and prepares them simply and flavourfully in pastas, risottos, salads and sides served alongside a small selection of animal proteins. Chef Durand makes us love his veggies as much as he does.

Runners-up

Be Love MeeT

Best European

ZAMBRI’S

820 Yates Street | $$-$$$

zambris.ca | Reservations recommended

Say you need to host a business lunch, or take a date somewhere special, or organize a party for a friend’s milestone birthday. Chances are good that you will end up at Zambri’s, a stylish spot in The Atrium that just also happens to be one of Victoria’s most welcoming Italian restaurants. Credit owners and siblings Peter and Jo Zambri, who have just celebrated 25 years since they first opened their eponymous eatery in a strip mall on Yates Street. A quarter-century later, now with head chef Matias Sallaberry and Julia McInnis leading the kitchen, they are still serving their crispy-fried broccoli and classic pastas like the orecchiette with housemade sausage and rapini. Heading to or from a show? It’s the place to stop for a white pizza with mortadella and crispy sage along with a glass from an impressive Italian wine list. It’s all about hospitality here, Italian style.

Runners-up

Cafe Brio

Eva Schnitzelhaus

Zambri’s head chef Matias Sallaberry

Best Middle Eastern or North African

NILOO PERSIAN KITCHEN & GRILL

#108 – 4440 West Saanich Road | $-$$

IG: @niloorestaurant | Walk-in only

While this cozy little Persian grill tucked away in a Royal Oak strip mall serves plenty of koobideh and other kebabs, it’s also much more than that. Opened last December by co-owners Aylar Ebrahimi, Arash Sichani and Iman Ronaghi, Niloo also offers breakfast (think: shakshuka and the savoury hand pies known as fatayer) and has become something of a destination for decadent sweets like Persian saffron ice cream and a wonderfully rich, flaky, nutty mashup of baklava and the Dubai chocolate bar. The menu meanders throughout the Levant, featuring traditional favourites like hummus, fattoush salad, shawarma and the like, with platters of appies and roasted meats available for bigger groups and prix fixe menus for special occasions. But perhaps the best reason to visit is the simplest: the saffron rice, the fragrant side dish of your dreams.

Runners-up

Syriana Yalla

Best Latin

MATADORA TAPAS

559 Fisgard Street | $$ matadora.ca | Reservations recommended

It was just supposed to be a vacation. But that trip to Spain changed the lives of Veerle Peeters and Vanessa Davies. The mother-daughter duo were so smitten by the culture of tapas and the cheerful conviviality that surrounds them, they came home to open the charming Matadora Tapas. In this moody and intimate space, they serve traditional small bites, olives and marcona almonds, daily croquetas, garlicky shrimp, conservas and pintxos, an ever-changing selection of savoury snacks on slices of baguette. Peeters (the mom) is the chef, cooking up chorizo and white beans in apple cider or West Coast octopus in romesco sauce; Davies (the daughter) manages the front of house, keeping guests supplied with wine, cocktails and flights of vermouth. Since that transformative trip to Spain they’ve been back many times. Step into Matadora, and you’ll feel like you have, too.

Runners-up

Bodega MAiiZ Nixtamal

Best Pastry Chef(s)

HALEY LANDA AND CURTIS HELM OF GOODSIDE PASTRY HOUSE

1805 Fort Street | $-$$ goodsidepastryhouse.ca | Takeout only

Only good things happen on the GoodSide. That could be the coffee and dulcey tart, the passionfruit brioche bomb, lychee-raspberry cheesecake mousse or even just the plain croissant, which might be the butteriest and flakiest you’ve ever bitten into. But it’s mostly the sense of community that Haley Landa and Curtis Helm have created around their wonderful little bakery. It is, after all, what they came to Victoria to find after a decade of working in high-intensity kitchens in Vancouver. That was in 2020, and Victorians have been happily lining up for whatever they’re baking ever since. They’ve brought with them refined French techniques, a taste for West Coast flavours and a knack for creating just what we’re craving most right now.

Runners-up

Brian Bradley, Janevca Kitchen & Lounge

Kimberley Vy, Inn at Laurel Point

Best Patio

AURA WATERFRONT RESTAURANT + PATIO

Inn at Laurel Point, 680 Montreal Street | $$-$$$ aurarestaurant.ca | Reservations suggested

In a city with no shortage of great patios, from sweeping seaside hot spots to cozy secret nooks, Aura still manages to offer something special — so special that it has won this category three years running now. There is that view, of course, from an unbeatable location overlooking all the action in the Inner Harbour. But mostly there is the food, from a talented team that includes restaurant chef Gabe Fayerman-Hansen and Kimberley Vy, YAM’s Best Pastry Chef of 2024. Global flavours mesh with local ingredients, some from the Inn’s own edible gardens, whether it’s a signature breakfast Benny served on the Japanese pancake known as okonomiyaki, smoked albacore tuna at happy hour or a leisurely dinner of swimming scallop linguine. Enjoy a glass of wine along with the sunset and, trust us, you won’t want to miss dessert.

Runners-up

Glo Restaurant + Lounge Spinnakers

GoodSide Pastry House co-owner Haley Landa

Best Cocktail Bar or Lounge

HUMBOLDT BAR

722 Humboldt Street | $$ humboldtbar.com | Walk-in only

Who are we to argue with Canada’s Best Bars and North America’s 50 Best Bars? Both of these celebrated programs have recognized Humboldt Bar (at No. 22 and No. 69, respectively, the highest ranking for any Victoria bar) for its tight theme and romantic ambience. Bar manager Brant Porter has taken inspiration from the 19th-century naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt and used his many discoveries to create a cocktail program of unusual depth. The cocktail that gets all the attention is the Cyanometer, named for the device Humboldt used to measure the blue in the sky, but we especially love the nostalgic notes of the Irish-whiskey-based Republic of Letters. There is a small but excellent selection of wines and snacks, but it’s all about the well-crafted cocktails here and the exotic journey they take you on.

Runners-up

Citrus & Cane

Clive’s Classic Lounge

Best Sommelier and/ or Wine Program

MARILENA CAFE & RAW BAR

1525 Douglas Street | $$$ marilenacafe.com | Reservations strongly suggested

All across Victoria, restaurants both new and established are paying increased attention to their wine programs, and that has made this category harder to judge than ever before. (Not that we’re complaining — the more good wine the better!) So we raise a glass to Marilena’s well-trained crew of wine stewards led by wine director Shrawan Khanna. A wine educator, ambassador and agent in his spare time, he continues the tradition of wine excellence established by Marilena’s parent company, Vancouver-based Toptable Group, and its award-winning wine director Shane Taylor. Marilena offers plenty of impressive labels, but it also offers a wide range of wines that are challenging and comforting, spendy and reasonably priced. Most of all, the team is clearly passionate about what they pour, and thrilled to share that passion with their guests.

Runners-up

Janevca Kitchen & Lounge Rabbit Rabbit

Humboldt Bar manager Brant Porter

Marilena wine director Shrawan Khanna

Outstanding Service

MARILENA CAFE & RAW BAR

1525 Douglas Street | $$$ marilenacafe.com | Reservations strongly suggested

Service is the secret sauce that elevates a restaurant from good to great to, at Marilena, exceptional. Credit departing restaurant director Aaron Matsuzaki for overseeing a polished team that is dedicated to making guests feel happy, spoiled and extremely well fed. Service here is professional but never snooty, friendly but never intrusive. It’s so smooth that you may not even notice the intricate ballet between the restaurant’s different zones. Whether it’s the kitchen pass or the sushi counter, the wine stewards or the bar team, each area has its own manager who ensures wait staff keep plates and glasses moving seemingly effortlessly. Those managers are also remarkably good at remembering guests’ names and preferences, making return visits feel like coming home. At Marilena, service is not only attentive and thoughtful, it has raised the bar for restaurants across the city.

Runners-up

Cafe Brio

Janevca Kitchen & Lounge

Producer of the Year

SILK ROAD TEA

1624 Government Street | silkroadteastore.com

Perhaps no other city in Canada embraces tea and the culture around it quite the way Victoria does. That’s because they don’t have Silk Road Tea. Pity.

Silk Road was founded in 1992 by tea master and ambassador Daniela Cubelic, who learned everything she could about Camellia sinensis directly from Chinese and Taiwanese herbalists and tea masters, then studied aromatherapy in France. She has a profound knack for blending flavours that not only taste delicious, but play with our emotions, like the Mystic Rainforest, a black tea that whisks us to the woods, or the Happy Wellness tea, an uplifting blend of green and white teas.

She sources the finest and freshest organic herbs, flowers, tea leaves and other ingredients to blend her teas, not only for superior flavour, but higher antioxidant levels. Tea, after all, is not just refreshing, but has health benefits, too, which she has used in a line of skin-care products.

You can, of course, find all of this and more at the Silk Road store in Chinatown, but many restaurants and cafés across Victoria also serve Silk Road tea, hot and cold, in desserts and cocktails and just as it is. And why not? It’s the perfect taste of Victoria.

Runners-up

Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.

The Whole Beast

Tea master

Daniela Cubelic at Silk Road Tea

SHERRI

KOSTIAN

Tastemaker (s) of the Year

JO AND PETER ZAMBRI OF ZAMBRI’S

820 Yates Street | $$-$$$

zambris.ca | Reservations recommended

When the brother-sister team of Peter (the chef) and Jo (front of house) Zambri, along with their business partner Calen McNeil, opened their tiny restaurant on Quadra Street, they wanted “just a kind of little family-run shop,” says Peter Zambri. “It’s evolved into something quite different.”

A quarter-century later, Zambri’s has fundamentally changed the culinary landscape in Victoria. The Zambris not only introduced an authentic style of Italian cuisine to the city, they have also produced, trained and inspired a legion of cooks, servers and wine professionals.

That’s why Peter and Jo Zambri are YAM magazine’s Tastemakers of the Year 2025.

Originally from Toronto, in 1991 Peter landed a job cooking at Sooke Harbour House. He fell in love with the West Coast, but the land of his heritage beckoned, and after three years he left to study Italian cuisine. “I went [to Italy] thinking I’d be there for a few months and ended up staying for four years,” he says. “It was a great experience.”

Meanwhile, Jo was trying to talk him into opening their own place. Finally, on October 18, 1999, they did — but not in Toronto. “When we decided to do something for real, I decided to come back here,” Peter says.

The original idea was a simple sandwich shop with prepared foods to grab and go. But, Peter recalls, “At that time I was cooking at a very high level. I had fire in my belly.” They quickly expanded the lunch menu. Then they added dinner. Then they hired a somm. Before they knew it, they had “a full-on restaurant.”

Eleven years after opening, they moved downtown to the then-new Atrium building, a much bigger location with glass walls, chandeliers and a private dining space. They’ve now been there for 14 years and are still serving authentic, honest Italian food to a host of loyal regulars. They’ve become a go-to place for special events and have won buckets of accolades, including Peter’s 2017 induction into the B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame.

So what’s next? They have some ideas in the works, but Peter will only say, “We’re keeping up with the times, because they always change.”

Jo (left) and Peter Zambri

About the Judging

Every restaurant awards process is slightly different; here is how the YAM Best Restaurant Awards are decided.

First and foremost, the awards are proudly independent. The YAM Best Restaurant Awards are open to establishments in Greater Victoria, from Sooke to Swartz Bay. Restaurateurs do not pay for the awards, nor do they apply to enter, nor are they informed that they are under consideration for an award. In addition, the judges may not vote for any restaurant with which they have a personal or professional affiliation. Any conflicts of interest are promptly disqualified.

The judges come from different areas of the food community. Some are food writers and bloggers; others work as chefs or sommeliers or in other aspects of the hospitality industry.

In each of the 21 categories, they are asked to nominate their top three candidates. Then we crunch the numbers in house. Sometimes there is a clear winner. Sometimes every judge has a completely different opinion. In that case, we go back for a second round of voting. Or a third, or fourth, if we need to.

We know that winning a YAM Best Restaurant Award can make a world of difference to a small, independent business, so we take the process very seriously. And we are very grateful to our judges for their time and their thoughtful contributions.

Thank you to our judges

Joanne Sasvari Awards Facilitator

Joanne Sasvari is the editor-in-chief of YAM magazine and a longtime food, drink and travel writer. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Virtuoso The Magazine, HelloBC.com and Vancouver Sun, and she is the editor of the drinks publications Vitis and The Alchemist. She is also the author of several cookbooks, including the IACP finalist Wickaninnish Cookbook, bestselling Island Eats and recently published Okanagan Eats

Janine Boom

Janine Boom is a local foodie, business owner and the creator of the Instagram account @besteatsvictoria. She has lived in Victoria most of her life, and she loves exploring the local food scene in search of the best eats in town.

Robert Cassels

Chef Robert Cassels grew up cooking in his godparents’ Victoria restaurant, Antoine’s, and held his first chef position by the age of 19. After staging in Paris and Chicago (including a stint at the famed Charlie Trotter’s), he returned to Victoria to open the French-inspired, multiaward-winning Saveur, YAM’s Restaurant of the Year (2019) and Chef of the Year (2023). A member of the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame, Chef Cassels is working on his next project.

Clark Deutscher

Until recently, Clark Deutscher was the chef and owner of Hanks, Nowhere, Somewhere and Ate restaurants in Victoria. He was also YAM’s Chef of the Year in 2024.

Don Genova

Don Genova is an award-winning, Victoria-based freelance food journalist. He has written for the Globe and Mail and National Post and created food columns for CBC Radio. His book, Pacific Palate: Food Artisans of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, has just been published.

Dallas Harwood

Dallas Harwood is a cofounder and the current operator of @VicFoodGuys. He has been helping shine a light on people doing awesome things with food for the last nine years in and around Victoria.

Jenny Leung

Jenny Leung is an avid food enthusiast who enjoys sharing her culinary passion on Instagram as @i_am_miss_jen. Alongside managing her boutique marketing agency that specializes in the restaurant industry, she also contributes to Edible Vancouver Island magazine. In her downtime, she enjoys sipping on London Fogs and exploring the local food scene.

Madone Pelan

Madone Pelan is the general manager of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and part owner of The Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria. She also serves on the BC Hotel Association Board of Directors, Destination Greater Victoria Board of Directors and is the chair of the District of Oak Bay Tourism Committee.

Dana Reinhardt

Dana Reinhardt began her career in the hospitality industry at the age of 12, spinning cotton candy at the PNE. After completing her chef’s education at Dubrulle Culinary School, she launched the Cellar Door Bistro at Sumac Ridge Winery, the first winery restaurant in the Okanagan. She then apprenticed at the famed River Cafe in London, England, before returning to Vancouver to open CRU. Now living in Victoria, she hosts culinary tours to France and Italy.

Charlayne Thornton-Joe

When this “retired server/current foodie” was growing up, her mom was known for making the best clubhouse sandwiches and her dad worked at Don Mee Restaurant, where she spent much of her childhood hanging out. She became a server at Oak Bay Marina, a city councillor for 20 years and is currently the visitor experience manager for the Victoria Chinatown Museum. She is still happiest around good food, atmosphere and service.

Bonnie Todd

Since she launched it in 2012, Bonnie Todd has been the owner of Off The Eaten Track Tours, a foodie walking tour company that showcases her passion for the culinary culture of Victoria and Vancouver Island. She also writes for various local publications including Edible Vancouver Island and the MicCHEK podcast.

The YAM magazine Best Restaurant Awards celebrate the exceptional culinary talent and vibrant food culture that make our region so unique. This celebration would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners whose commitment to excellence helps us shine a spotlight on the talent and creativity that thrive in our city.

Thank you for making it all possible. We’re proud to share this table with you.

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

EVENT SPONSORS

THE COURTNEY ROOM

A culinary gem in the heart of Victoria

Nestled within the Magnolia Hotel & Spa, The Courtney Room continues to captivate both locals and visitors with its refined Pacific Northwest cuisine and unwavering commitment to hospitality. As of 2025, this downtown Victoria establishment has solidified its reputation as a premier dining destination, earning accolades such as YAM magazine’s Restaurant of the Year and Platinum Distinction in the 2025 VIWF Wine Program Excellence Awards 2024 and 2025.

Executive Chef Brian Tesolin leads the kitchen with a strong farm-to-table ethos, crafting menus that showcase sustainably sourced seafood, locally foraged ingredients and produce from nearby farms. The restaurant’s commitment to supporting a sustainable food network not only enhances every dish, it also strengthens the broader restaurant industry and contributes to Vancouver Island’s vibrant and diverse dining scene. Creative dishes like Butter Potato Agnolotti with Dungeness crab and garlic emulsion and the Fraser Valley duck breast with pork sausage exemplify the kitchen’s dedication to excellence and creativity, with delicious results.

The award-winning wine program, recognized with a Platinum distinction at the Vancouver International Wine Festival in both 2024 and 2025, complements the cuisine with a curated list of over 300 labels. The extensive list

features both classic and rare selections, and up to 30 wines available by the glass.

The Courtney Room’s cocktail program is a standout in its own right, featuring expertly crafted drinks that highlight regional spirits, house-made infusions and seasonal ingredients. The bar team blends classic technique with inventive flair, resulting in a menu that’s both approachable and adventurous — perfectly suited to the restaurant’s elegant brasserie vibe.

The Courtney Room’s ambiance marries old-world charm with modern elegance, featuring high ceilings, Art Nouveau accents and a central black granite bar. Whether enjoying a casual

happy hour with fresh-shucked oysters and craft cocktails or indulging in a multi-course tasting menu, guests are treated to impeccable service and a warm, inviting atmosphere.

With its harmonious blend of culinary excellence, exceptional wine offerings and sophisticated setting, The Courtney Room stands as a testament to Victoria’s vibrant dining scene.

FATHOM

From Europe’s finest kitchens to Victoria’s Inner Harbour

After years of crafting culinary excellence across Europe, Vancouver Island-born Chef Landon Crawford has brought his Michelin-honed skills home to lead the kitchen at Fathom. Drawing on the Island’s rich natural resources, Crawford blends regional ingredients with global expertise to craft a dining experience that feels elevated yet grounded.

Crawford’s journey began in the heart of Vancouver Island’s vibrant culinary scene before expanding to Europe, where he was positioned as Chef de Cuisine, helping Kai-3 Restaurant in Germany earn a Michelin Star. From the luxury kitchens of Gstaad to the globally acclaimed Noma in Copenhagen, Crawford developed a philosophy centered around precision, seasonality and storytelling through food.

At Fathom, located in Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, Crawford

leans into a European foundation while honouring local ingredients of the Pacific Northwest. This thoughtful blend of tradition and locality forms the backbone of Fathom’s evolving identity.

“I believe restaurant concepts are living things,” he explains. “Constantly growing, evolving and adapting to their environment.” His menu features retroinspired sauces, bold yet clean flavours and a focus on seafood, drawing from his coastal upbringing.

What truly energizes Crawford is his team. “The enthusiasm here is great,” he says. “Creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to improve not only strengthens our kitchen, but also enhances the guest experience.”

His passion for mentorship ensures that Fathom’s kitchen isn’t just producing great food — it’s fostering a culture of growth, learning and leadership that resonates far beyond the pass.

Seasonality is paramount. With close relationships with local farmers and foragers, Crawford sources the freshest regional ingredients, sometimes grown specifically for Fathom. To extend the life of these fleeting flavours, particularly foraged items, the team uses preservation techniques that allow their menus to highlight local delicacies year-round.

Whether welcoming longtime locals or curious travelers, Crawford wants guests to feel both comfortable and inspired.

“We strive to create an atmosphere that is welcoming and familiar,” he says, “while encouraging diners to explore and try something new.”

Blending local knowledge, global technique and a passion for mentorship, Landon Crawford is redefining Fathom’s identity — one where every plate is driven by purpose, inspired by the seasons and crafted with intent.

Chef Landon Crawford

MARILENA CAFE & RAW BAR

Led by Chef Kristian Eligh, inspired by the Island

Set in the heart of Victoria, Marilena is more than a restaurant — it’s a return, a tribute and a celebration of craft. Named after the late Elisa Marilena Carlotto, a beloved matriarch known for her warmth and generosity, the space reflects the hospitality she embodied and the connections built around her table.

Since opening in June 2023, Marilena has been recognized on both local and national stages. It debuted at No. 3 on enRoute’s Best New Restaurants in Canada, won Restaurant Design of the Year and was honoured with Best New Restaurant, Big Night Out and Outstanding Service by YAM magazine. In 2024, it was named #1 Best New Restaurant and ranked #27 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. Most recently, it placed No. 39 on the 2025 list and earned Best Victoria by Vancouver Magazine

to the Island after nearly two decades in some of Vancouver’s most respected kitchens. “Growth comes from pushing beyond what’s comfortable,” he says. “I’m more motivated than ever to challenge the team, grow our food program and deliver consistently amazing hospitality.”

His menu blends West Coast ingredients with global technique.

Marilena also marked a homecoming for Executive Chef Kristian Eligh, who returned

Seafood takes the lead — from Bluefin Tuna Tartare and Aburi Sockeye Oshi to the Tsunami, featuring torched Hamachi with jalapeño and citrus ponzu.

Dishes like Miso Glazed Sablefish and Crispy Skin Striped Bass reflect clarity and composition, while Lobster Spaghetti brings a bold finish.

At the raw bar, Sushi Chef Ilhan Yu showcases premium ingredients through Aburi-style sushi. “We focus on letting natural flavours shine,” he says. “It’s about blending traditional and modern techniques.” His craftsmanship is clearest in the Oshi Sushi Aburi Sablefish, made with miso-marinated sablefish and red chili.

The beverage program reflects the same care. Bar Manager Cole Canevaro curates a gin-forward cocktail list, while Wine Director Shrawan Khanna notes, “Our goal is simple — to make people happy. Our list is full of happy choices. We look to find that perfect fit for everyone.”

There’s an ease to Marilena — in the thoughtful pace of service, the open kitchen’s rhythm and the way each detail feels intentional without being overdone. The design is refined but inviting, anchored by hand-carved salt mirrors, warm marble and soft light. The experience is confident, personal and unmistakably West Coast — the kind of place you leave already planning your return.

A bold reimagining of Indian cuisine

Victoria’s Indian food scene gets a bold refresh at Kinu, a design-forward tapas-style restaurant in Uptown. At the crossroads of tradition and modernity, Kinu blends ancestral Indian flavours with global technique. Dishes like Pakora Gnocchi, Tokri Chaat and crowd-favourite Kinu Chicken offer a fresh take on familiar flavours. The cocktail list draws from Indian history and symbolism, with vibrant, balanced sips that match the room’s energy.

While classic Sizzling Tandoor favourites remain, Kinu charts its own course with a largely original menu and seasonal additions. It’s a culinary statement, a design moment and a celebration of Indian dining, redefined.

Open for breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner, Aura celebrates the region with a menu that showcases Vancouver Island’s freshest seasonal ingredients. It’s also the only spot in Victoria with a true open-air patio perched directly over the Inner Harbour. Sip a craft cocktail made with B.C. spirits, enjoy freshly shucked oysters or a chilled pint, and watch boats and seaplanes drift by. With daily happy hour, locally inspired dishes, and a one-of-a-kind view—it all comes together at Aura.

Taste the art of indulgence

t Treetop Tapas & Grill, the experience is as refined as it is unexpected. Set within the Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara, this exclusive dining venue invites spa guests to unwind in robes and savour an endless chefcurated tasting menu. Each dish arrives with intention — a creative nod to coastal ingredients and West Coast flavour. There’s no rush, no fuss — just exquisite food, attentive pacing and a setting that quiets the world. It’s not just a meal; it’s the moment you’ll keep coming back for.

House of Boateng Café in Langford shines as a culinary gem, earning Best Brunch Restaurant in 2024 and Chef of the Year in 2022. Chef Castro Boateng masterfully blends African and Caribbean flavours into brunch delights, like the African bowl and their signature crab benny. By evening, the café transforms into an elevated dining experience, offering globally inspired dishes that showcase Chef Castro’s creativity and depth of flavour. Beyond the café, HOB Fine Foods offers over 15 years of exceptional catering services, from intimate gatherings to grand events.

A Victorian tea experience, reimagined

Step into a world of timeless elegance at Pendray Tea House, a historic setting nestled in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Honouring the city’s storied tea culture, the Tea House offers elevated breakfast, traditional Afternoon Tea and the newly introduced Scottish High Tea — all crafted with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Surrounded by stained glass and antique charm, every visit is a unique, thoughtful experience. With a focus on sustainability and a commitment to supporting Island producers, each dish reflects care, quality and a connection to the region. A place to savour the flavours, the tradition and all that is uniquely Victoria.

Rustic fine dining

arm to table, forest to fork and pasture to plate since 1997. Cafe Brio reflects the bounty of the seasons and terroir of Southern Vancouver Island. Locally sourced, artisanal cuisine isn’t just their business, it’s their way of life. Cafe Brio butchers whole animals, cures their own salumi, ferments, pickles, stuffs pasta and makes their own ice cream. The produce comes from local organic farms and foragers, their meat is naturally raised and their seafood is sustainable. Go and taste the best the Island has to offer.

HEAT OF THE SUMMER

When the temperature rises, keep your cool in breathable, lightweight fabrics and loose, flowing fashion.

Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe

Photographer: Jeffrey Bosdet

MADE IN THE SHADE

on consignment

Beaded Bebe vintage dress,

from Ata Collections, available at De Mode En Vogue. Gold Feldde necklace by ELK, available at Moden Boutique.

SHORTS STORY

Breezy Lane ruffle top and shorts by Sage The Label, both available at Amelia Lee Boutique. Straw hat from Roberta’s Hats.

EASY AND BREEZY

Organic European cotton jacket by EKRU and relaxed French linen pants by Linen Luv, both available at Butik Naturals. Straw hat from Roberta’s Hats. Gold bikini top, model’s own.

COOL DOWN

ISEO one-piece swimsuit in French navy by FIG Clothing, available at Adventure Clothing. Arizona sandals by Birkenstock, available at Heart and Sole Shoes.

ORANGE YOU GLAD?

Orange sun dress by Minimum, Pink Punch Brikka earrings by ELK, both available at Moden Boutique.

Model: Alexandria Jansen/Lizbell Agency Hair and makeup: Anya Ellis/Lizbell Agency

Cosmetics: Make Up For Ever Hair products: Aveda

Special thanks to Jonathan and Karen Aitken.

ROAD

The YAM Guide to TRIPPING

What could be more Canadian than heading out on the highway, looking for adventure? Before you begin your summer road trip, though, follow our guide to make the journey a breeze.

By YAM Staff

Ifyou’re like us, nothing thrills you quite like an empty road and a full tank of gas (or fully charged battery, if your wheels are of the EV variety). With the world’s second-largest land mass and second-longest national highway to explore, we Canadians are experts at the road trip. We’ll happily drive for hours just to enjoy a great meal, a stunning view or the chance to spend time with old friends or meet some new ones. We really do get that it’s not (just)

the destination — it’s the journey to get there that makes it worthwhile.

And this summer promises to be a great time to hit the road. We’ve fallen in love with our home and native land all over again, eager to discover its wonders from coast to coast to coast, especially here in our own backyard. So fill ’er up and let’s go!

But before you set your GPS for destinations unknown, here are some things to keep in mind.

Be Organized

It’s all well and good to be spontaneous, but without at least some sort of plan you’ll likely end up disappointed or, worse, lost and cranky. Consider what you want out of the trip. Beautiful views?

Delicious food? High-energy adventure? Do you have a goal in mind — say, to hike the Stawamus Chief near Squamish, soak in a Rocky Mountain hot spring, learn about Indigenous culture or add to your birding life list? What’s your tolerance for sitting still for hours at a time? More to the point, what’s your family’s?

Perhaps most importantly: How much time do you have? You’ll want to use it wisely, and for that you need a plan. Create an itinerary and remember to share it with a friend or family member who’s not on the trip in case of emergency.

Be Mapped

Everything starts with the route you plan to take. It should be designed to get you where you’re going and back again, with interesting stops along the way. It should include breaks for rest and recreation, and avoid potential dangers, such as roads that are too narrow for your vehicle or that have been damaged through natural disasters.

Google Maps is a handy tool for determining both the best route and points of interest. But don’t rely on GPS and technology alone. In remote areas it can send you in directions you’d rather not go and, indeed, can stop working altogether. Bring a paper map, just in case.

And remember: The best journeys involve getting off the major highways and taking your time to explore, so plan a few scenic detours along the way.

Be Booked

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

There’s nothing as sure to send your trip off the rails as arriving in a destination tired, hungry and without a hotel reservation, only to find all the rooms in town booked for the night. Whether you’re camping or staying in a luxury resort, it’s wise to reserve your accommodation ahead of time. You can always cancel if the road takes you in a different direction (but beware of any cancellation restrictions before you do so). Similarly, if there is an attraction you want to see, a bucket-list activity you want to experience or a restaurant you’re hungry to try, book it ahead or risk disappointment.

Be Prepared

(and make sure your car is, too)

Yes, yes, road trips are all about freedom, but that nice police officer who pulls you over won’t be so understanding if you don’t have your driver’s licence and insurance at the ready. Make sure your documents are all current and complete, especially if you’re renting a vehicle or driving abroad, where you’ll need rental papers and an international driver’s licence is recommended.

In addition, your vehicle should be in roadworthy shape. Inspections should be up to date, fluid levels topped, tires checked, any worrisome problems taken care of. And don’t forget your emergency kit!

In addition to basics like a spare tire and jumper cables, it should include, at the very least: flares, blankets, a first aid kit, a flashlight, extra batteries, basic tools, snow brush and scraper, and a small shovel. For more suggestions, visit caa.ca.

Be Well Provisioned

I Spy and roadside fast food will only get you so far. Pack healthy snacks and plenty of water to keep everyone, especially the driver, energized and well hydrated. There’s nothing like a car full of “hangry” passengers to make you wish you’d stayed home.

And while you might think the scenery and activities en route should be enough to keep everyone happy, the truth is that long drives can be boring for anyone who’s not behind the wheel, especially young kids. Bring books, puzzles, games and/or devices to keep them entertained, and create a road-trip playlist to boost the mood.

Also: Pack what you need for the activities you plan to do, but don’t overpack. Loading and unloading a bunch of stuff each night is a miserable exercise and besides, you want to leave room for discoveries to bring home, like cases of wine or works of art. In any case, try to pack the vehicle the same way each time — future you will be grateful if you ever need to find something urgently.

There are plenty of things that can go wrong on a road trip and, while you shouldn’t let anxiety keep you at home, some caution is a good idea. Get enough sleep before and during the trip, take plenty of breaks and limit your daily drive time — four to six hours’ driving is usually the max for most people. Stay well hydrated (that will help keep you alert) and use every chance you can to take a bathroom break. Keep your car well-fuelled, too. Navigating a remote mountain pass while your fuel gauge is pinging on empty is no fun at all. Don’t ask us how we know.

Be aware of weather and road conditions. Wildfires, storms, flooding, landslides and other disasters have become more prevalent in recent years and if there is an advisory to avoid a region, follow it. You’re not just putting yourself at risk, but also any emergency personnel who will need to come to your aid. Follow Drive BC for updated road conditions.

Be Flexible

Despite all your well-laid plans, something is sure to go awry. How you handle it determines whether your summer road trip is a disappointing disaster or a journey filled with delightful surprises. Embrace the unexpected, enjoy the view, make new friends and always take the road less travelled.

5 Great B.C. Drives

No plans? Not sure where to go? Start with these gorgeous routes right here in British Columbia.

1. Pacific Marine Circle Route

THE JOURNEY: 255 kilometres, one to three days, departing from Victoria.

If your time is short but your craving for adventure is huge, then this drive is for you. It’s a wonderfully winding route that covers breathtaking beaches, towering old-growth rainforests, the Cowichan Valley wine region, plenty of great eats and stunning views of Juan de Fuca Strait. Even better, you can do it in a

Taste of Ghana: A Culinary and Cultural Tour with Chef Castro

Join Chef Castro Boateng on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to his homeland of Ghana. Timed with Ghana’s Independence Day, this adventure features street food in Accra, cocoa farms, fishing villages and historic coastal sites. Through hands-on cooking and shared meals, experience the warmth, flavours and spirit of Ghana — hosted by one of Canada’s most celebrated chefs.

March 2-11, 2026

$6,999 per person based on two sharing

single day from Victoria, and you don’t even need to board a ferry. Just head west toward Sooke and keep going through Cowichan Lake, Duncan and back down Highway 1 to home.

2. Coastal Circle Route

THE JOURNEY: 560 kilometres, three to seven days, departing from Victoria.

Hit the Island Highway and head up the east coast of the Island to Courtenay-Comox. Then hop a ferry to Powell River and Lund on the Sunshine Coast; from there, head south to Vancouver through Sechelt, Gibsons and Horseshoe Bay. This journey is all about beautiful coastal scenery, exceptional seafood, intriguing Indigenous culture and funky little communities where you can meet artists and artisans in their studios, then a big-city adventure at the end. Just note that it will involve four ferry rides before you get back home again.

3. Sea-to-Sky Highway

THE JOURNEY: 162 kilometres, less than a day, departing from Vancouver.

Whistler-Blackcomb is never not a good time, but even better is the journey to get to this worldclass four-season resort. Highway 99 northwest of Vancouver meanders through dramatic scenery — towering mountains, breathtaking

fjords, canyons, waterfalls — with “must” stops along the way. Among them: Britannia Beach with its historic mine and growing foodie scene; the Stawamus Chief, one of the world’s largest granite monoliths; and the Sea to Sky Gondola near Squamish. Take time to stop at the seven interpretive kiosks shaped like cedar-bark hats to learn about the region’s Indigenous history.

4. Hot Springs Circle Route

THE JOURNEY: 851 kilometres, seven days, departing from Cranbrook.

If your idea of a perfect road trip involves both spectacular scenery and steamy natural hot springs to soak away the cares of the day, the Kootenay Rockies are beckoning. This route meanders through towering mountains and historic communities, and offers plenty of wildlife viewing, outdoor adventure and pristine parks to explore. It also boasts everything from high-end resorts to rustic hot springs tucked away in the forest. Ahhhh.

5. Route 97:

The Okanagan Corridor

THE JOURNEY: 214 kilometres, one to five days, departing from Vernon.

If you crave a more indulgent sort of journey, then this trek through wine country should whet your appetite. It follows Route 97 from the relatively cool lake country around Vernon in the north to the desert lands around Osoyoos in the south, with stops at fruit stands, wineries, cheeseries, bakeries and world-class restaurants along the way. Among the highlights: savouring Kelowna’s urban wineries (and breweries, and distilleries), exploring the Kettle Valley Rail Trail by e-bike, stopping at Tickleberry’s for ice cream, climbing the Skaha Bluffs and being moved by the Indigenous experience at the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre. Be sure to leave plenty of room in the car to bring wine home with you.

For more info on these and other great drives in B.C., visit hellobc.com/travel-ideas/road-trips

SEAPARC Recreation Centre

2168 Phillips Road, Sooke

Purchasers’ Preview Event July 25, tickets available online

West Coast Ghost by Lyle Schultz, Designers’ Choice Award 2024

How to harness the power of breathwork in the pursuit of clarity and relaxation.

SEEKING STILLNESS

By Emily Bruser

LET ME BE CLEAR:

I am not a person who puts a lot of faith in “woo-woo” or anything that leans heavily on mystical or unquantifiable concepts. But I am a curious person. So, when I heard friends talking about a session they had attended recently that made them feel “reborn,” I had to check it out.

The following Saturday evening, I wander into a yoga studio where Lizzy Parsons sits crosslegged surrounded by a dozen still bodies lying prone, with sleep masks over eyes and headsets covering ears. Under the light of the pink moon and the glow of twinkly lights scattered around the cozy studio, Parsons’s harmonious voice urges us to relax and breathe deeply as melodic beats throb. The smell of sage and sweetgrass hangs in the air.

This is “PRU” (Pause, Reset and Upgrade), a powerful two-hour experience that employs connected breathing techniques to foster improved clarity. In today’s chaotic world, where overwhelm, burnout and dysregulation are all too common, PRU offers curious folk a unique opportunity to explore the path of tranquility. It gives them permission for stillness.

LETTING GO

Parsons is co-owner of the Heaven Spa on the Rock in Oak Bay, and in addition to her expertise in skin care, holds certifications in subconscious reprogramming, manifestation coaching and spiritual life coaching. She is passionate about self-care and shares that passion with a growing following (the “PRU Crew”). “When you step into a PRU event, you step into a place where you are fully seen, deeply supported and lovingly guided back home to yourself,” she says.

We start with three rounds of guided breathwork, lulling us into a state of deep relaxation. Some of us are so relaxed we fall asleep, mouths agape. But no one minds or even notices, blind and snug in individual cocoons, welcoming new vibrations. Parsons states her personal intention for the session, a mantra she will carry through the evening: “I am open to receive.” She encourages each of us to ponder our own intention and amplifies the sound bath vibe, playing a harmonious crystal singing bowl.

“Ask yourselves what it feels like to let go of what doesn’t belong to you and what doesn’t serve your heart,” she encourages.

The idea behind PRU is a one-two punch of release and relaxation, giving those who try it a chance to explore deeper connection with their higher selves. For many of us, life is too busy to schedule — let alone indulge in — regular retreats or wellness experiences requiring a bigger commitment. One full moon evening a month, PRU encourages us to look within and reset while acknowledging the often-frenetic pace of everyday life.

The benefits of breathwork and meditation are backed by science, with studies showing that these practices provide a powerful and

Glow this Summer

Our expert estheticians will custom-curate the perfect treatment to deliver dramatically luminous, firmer skin that friends will notice immediately this summer.

Free parking is available.

Burgers, elevated

BREATHWORK

ACTIVATES THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ... HELPING TO CALM THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, LOWER HEART RATE AND REDUCE STRESS HORMONES.

accessible pathway to improving physical and mental health by harnessing the body’s natural ability to regulate its nervous system and brain activity. Breathwork activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s rest and digestive functions, helping to calm the nervous system, lower heart rate and reduce stress hormones. Experiences like PRU “lower cortisol levels, improve sleep and create more emotional capacity,” Parsons says, “so you can move through the weekend feeling lighter, calmer and more centred.”

SaltSpring Kitchen Co. offers spreads to elevate your favourite burgers and sandwiches. They make a thoughtful gift for the burger lover or anyone who loves a great sandwich. Pairs well with cheese, snacks and movie nights!

I leave the session feeling a deep sense of serenity, as if I have somehow decluttered my mind. I feel present in the here and now, not beleaguered by tomorrow’s schedule or other frenzied thoughts. As someone who struggles with focus during ordinary meditation, the addition of the headsets, eye masks and music allow me to connect more with my intention. This mysterious but captivating mix of breathwork and meditation has brought me peace, and it’s a relief to have my mind be still, however briefly.

Check out upcoming sessions at heavenspa.ca.

6 OTHER BREATHWORK TECHNIQUES TO

The basic premise of activities like PRU is breathwork, which involves consciously controlling your breathing patterns in order to influence mental, emotional and physical well-being.

TRY

DEEP ABDOMINAL BREATHING

Research has shown that deep breathing can help balance blood pressure, reduce inflammation, improve deep sleep, make our respiratory system stronger, elevate our mood and release the stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol from the body. Over time, regular breathwork can have significant emotional and mental benefits: less depression, anxiety and distraction; more focus, contentment and joy. It’s even been credited with helping survivors recover from emotional trauma.

Here are five techniques that may help.

What it does: Tells your body to relax. How to do it: Take a long, deep breath in. As you inhale, visualize your breath filling up your body and let your belly and chest expand. When you exhale, let your chest relax and your navel pull in toward your spine.

4-7-8 BREATH

What it does: Quiets and focuses your mind.

How to do it: Count as you breathe. Breathe in for four beats, hold your breath for seven beats, exhale for eight beats. A longer exhale encourages you to completely empty your lungs.

ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING

What it does: Encourages balance in mind and body. How to do it: Start with your right thumb applying pressure to your right nostril. Breathe in using only your left nostril. Release your right thumb, holding your breath as you switch sides, then use your right index finger to apply pressure to the left nostril as you exhale through the right nostril. Pause, take another deep breath in, and repeat.

BREATH OF FIRE

What it does: Provides a sense of steadiness. How to do it: Inhale with your abdominal muscles relaxed. As you exhale, engage your core and use it to help push air out of your body. This advanced technique may take some practice.

BOX BREATHING

What it does: Reduces stress, improves focus and lowers blood pressure. How to do it: Inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and hold your breath for four seconds, creating a box shape with your breath.

HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK

What it does: Helps with emotional healing and personal growth. How to do it: This therapeutic breathing practice involves breathing in and out at a fast rate, in a continuous pattern with no pause in between, for several minutes or even hours. Done right it can lead to a state of heightened consciousness; however, it’s not recommended for everyone and it’s always best to practise this with the help of an experienced instructor.

Contain Yourself

We love these storage ideas that are as beautiful as the precious things we store in them.

By YAM Staff

Pretty pebbles and sea shells, beloved cat’s eye marbles, your favourite party earrings, euros from that last trip abroad, unused gift cards — we all have beloved little things that need a home, as well as the functional items that seem to multiply when we’re not looking, like elastic bands, spare change, paper clips and old invoices.

All of these need something to contain them. Why not choose something that’s as attractive as it is practical? Sure, a plastic bin will do the job, and might even be the best idea for something bigger, especially if you’re concerned about moisture or insects getting at it, and even moreso if you’re putting them into long-term storage.

But the petite things we treasure deserve to be kept close at hand and on display where we can enjoy them. Consider using containers that are as lovely as they are functional, like these ones.

BEAUTIFUL BUCKETS

Hachiman is an award-winning, family-owned Japanese company that uses elegant proportions and delightful details to reimagine the kind of household objects that are typically hidden out of view. Now they’ve formed a partnership with Chilewich, the company known for its modern placemats, which is bringing these adorable lidded buckets into Canada. They range in size from the four-litre mini to the 20-litre extra large, which, at 13 inches high, can be used as a seat or small table when the lid is on. Perfect for kids’ toys, pet paraphernalia and other items — just toss your clutter in one of these and carry it away. Available at Muffet & Louisa. ca.chilewich.com

DESIGNER BOXES

Few things are as perfectly designed for storing things, especially paper, as a traditional cardboard box, but admit it: most bankers boxes and other cartons are not exactly beautiful. So we were thrilled to discover Harris & Jones, a U.K. company that lets you create your own boxes using patterns by established designers such as William Morris, Cressida Bell, Nina Campbell and Jemma Lewis Marbling. Each box is handmade to order, and a much prettier way to store your old tax returns and bank statements.

harrisandjones.co.uk

GINGER JARS

Traditionally, ginger jars were used in China to store spices, especially ginger. Today these elegant and beautifully decorated ceramic pieces are used as decorative items — but they also make great containers for keeping small items out of sight. Stylized floral patterns in blue and white are a classic motif and can be found everywhere from antique stores to the new collection at Williams Sonoma. williams-sonoma.ca

HURRICANE CANDLE HOLDERS

These tall, wide glass containers are great for more than protecting candle flames from a brisk breeze. They are also ideal for displaying collections of beautiful things, such as sea shells, glass fishing floats or pine cones wrapped in twinkly fairy lights. Consider swapping them out seasonally for an easy decorating hack. crateandbarrel.ca

GLASS JARS

When you have lots of little things to store — office supplies, pantry staples, collections of marbles, elastic bands — matching lidded glass jars are a chic, practical and inexpensive way to corral them, especially if you want to be able to see what you’ve got. You can, of course, pick up a flat of canning jars almost anywhere, but we love the retro apothecary vibes of IKEA’s Vardagen jars. ikea.com

JEWELRY CASES

If you have an extensive collection of jewelry, you will want a secure place to keep it — a safe or safty deposit box, perhaps? But for your everyday pieces, especially those you want to carry with you on a weekend getaway, something small and chic is the answer. Embrace your inner French girl with this petite case from Sézane, the dreamy Paris boutique, which is covered in a patterned cotton velvet designed by Maria de la Orden. sezane.com

MAPLE MARINATED SALMON SALAD

Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a side

INGREDIENTS

250g wild BC salmon, skin off, cut into 1" cubes

2 ears of corn

2 peaches, skin on, cut into 1" cubes

1 small head butter lettuce, or other greens

3 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle

1 Tbsp kosher salt

¼ cup torn basil leaves

2 Tbsp chopped chives

HOW TO MAKE IT

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Roast corn in the husks for 10 to 15 minutes or until corn is tender.

While corn is cooling let’s marinate the salmon. Combine maple syrup, kosher salt, olive oil and cider vinegar together.

Pour mixture over the salmon pieces, mix well and pop in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Once corn is cool, husk it and cut the kernels off the cob.

Toss corn kernels, peaches, and herbs in with the marinated salmon.

Tear the lettuce and lay out on a plate. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Top the greens with the salmon mixture and enjoy in the summer sun!

Always be sure that any raw fish you eat has been previously frozen. If raw fish isn’t your jam, this would be delicious grilled or baked first then marinated the same way.

A BOUNTY OF BASKETS

Blankets for the patio, towels for the pool, pet paraphernalia in the mudroom … the uses for a basket are pretty much endless. They fit smoothly into today’s nature-loving décor trends and are great both for storing things and for lugging them around. A wide variety of basket styles is available these days, but you can find both rustic rattan and chic market styles at local retailer such as InsideOut Homestore. insideoutvictoria.com

Food + Drink

88

The Dish

What’s cooking on Victoria’s dining scene, from a new farm-to-table event space to a sad farewell.

90

Sweet, Sweet Summer

After a disastrous 2024, B.C. stone fruits are back, and we have the recipes to help you make the most of them.

96

Keep on Truckin’ We round up some of the Island’s best food trucks for all your summer exploring needs.

102

Chill Drinks for Hot Days

How to create a summer cocktail that is refreshing and will impress your coolest friends.

IN SEASON

Don’t Fear the Zucchini

If you are a gardener, or just have one in your close-friend circles, there comes a time in summer when you might start to dread the zucchini. The summer squash is a profoundly prolific vining vegetable. (Technically, it’s a fruit, in fact, a berry, if you want to be persnickety about it.) The zucchini descends from squashes that were first domesticated some 7,000 years ago in Mesoamerica, but was bred in Italy in the late 19th century to have a softer, edible rind and seeds. Luckily, given its abundance, zucchini is endlessly versatile. It’s delcious grilled, sautéed, roasted, pickled or battered and fried, in pasta, soup, ratatouille, fritters or frittatas, hidden in chocolate cake or sliced fine and eaten raw in salad. There are so many ways to prepare zucchini that you may run out of it before you run out of ideas. Yes, really.

RECIPES

91 Plum or Cherry Clafoutis

92 Stone Fruit Galette

94 Grilled Peaches or Nectarines with Burrata

95 Apricot Jam

103 Pink Drink

103 Toucan Sam

103 Infamous Highball

A TASTE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND VICTORIA

This summer we’re savouring farm-fresh fare and Korean snacks, while saying a sad farewell to a beloved restaurant.

Someone once told chef Paul Moran that the Saanich Peninsula was the farm-to-table capital of the world. Whether or not that’s actually true, it sure feels that way, especially now that he’s leased a farm and started his own culinary enterprise here called Sixty Forty. “We’re happy to have this as our home base,” he says, adding, “It’s nice to be back.”

Moran, famously, was the winner of Top Chef Canada Season 7. That was in 2019, when he was the executive chef at Tofino Resort + Marina and had already won some pretty prestigious culinary contests, including the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship and San Pellegrino Young Chef Competition for Canada. After that, he spent some time foraging (he comes from five generations of foragers), then hopped across the Rockies for a couple of years as the culinary director of an Eataly-esque market/ restaurant complex outside Edmonton.

Now he’s happy to be back in B.C., back on the Island and back getting his hands on all the delicious things that grow here.

Moran and his wife, Danielle Fox, have leased the old Marley Farm on Mount Newton Cross Road, where they are offering catering services, hosting private and occasional public events, and leading culinary adventures like the one they just finished up in Haida Gwaii. “What we are really focusing on is our event space,” he says, noting that they have the room, the ingredients and all the equipment they need “to do a very skookum meal for 40 people.”

Those meals are typically eight-course dinners featuring as much produce from the farm as possible, supplemented with local seafood and “lamb from down the road.” After all, that’s what Sixty Forty is all about: 60 per cent of what they serve will come from their property, where some 100 organic vegetables are grown on site by Square Root Organic Farm; as much of the other 40 per cent as possible comes from around the Pacific Northwest. Or, as Moran says, “If it’s not coming off the property, it’s coming off the neighbour’s.”

Their venue space is the old Marley Farm Winery, which has been closed to the public for about a dozen years. They’ve been renovating it and now have their eyes on the five-acre vineyard that once produced respectable Pinot Grigio, Ortega and Pinot Noir.

“We’re working on rehabilitating the vineyard and starting to make wine with it. We could have a restaurant if we have a winery,” Moran says, though he hastens

to add that’s not in the plan. At least, not yet. Right now, he’s just happy to discover all the Saanich Peninsula has to offer.

“I’ve been coming to the Island a lot since I was a kid and the peninsula was always an afterthought,” he says. “Now I’m just blown away by what’s out here.” sixtyforty.ca

Chef Paul Moran is thrilled to be back on the Island and cooking up new culinary experiences with Sixty Forty. He’s leased a farm on the Saanich Peninsula, with an event space where he serves as much local produce as possible. Along with ingredients from his own farm, he’s dishing up plenty of local seafood like the spot prawns to the left.

OPENINGS

The wait is over! Hundreds of people were already in line on May 22 when the Asian-style supermarket H Mart finally flung open its doors at Mayfair Shopping Centre. A traditional lion dance kicked things off to bring good fortune, followed by four days of celebration that featured K-pop bands, taekwondo demonstrations, endless lineups and, no doubt, a huge sense of relief, given that this was all originally scheduled for November 2023.

The first H Mart opened in Queens, New York, in 1982, as a small corner grocery store. (The “H” stands for “Han Ah Reum,” which roughly translates to “one arm full of groceries.”) It has since expanded to become the largest U.S.-based grocery chain specializing in Asian-style products, with nearly 100 stores across the U.S. and U.K., eight on the B.C. mainland and now the Victoria store, located in the old Toys R Us space.

Wondering what to buy there?

Start with: instant ramen (Shim Ramyun is the go-to brand); Korean snacks, chips and candies (try the Shrimp Flavored Cracker, Sweet Potato Snack and Goraebab, a tomato-flavoured chip); Asian pantry staples (sesame oil, soy sauce, the red pepper paste known as gochujang, black bean paste, tofu, miso, various pickles); fresh seafood; bones for bone broth; tropical fruits; and especially the wide selection of frozen dumplings. Happy shopping! hmart.ca

TRANSITIONS

It truly is, as the Hanks’ social media accounts posted in mid-May, “The End Of An Era, All Things Die.” We are saddened to report that chef Clark Deutscher’s cluster of beloved restaurants has announced that it would be no more as of June 1. Thankfully, Hanks has been purchased by the restaurant’s head chef, Mark Taggesell, so please drop by and say hi! But Nowhere, the tasting-menuonly restaurant that placed No. 5

on enRoute’s prestigious list of Best New Restaurants in 2019, has closed. The Filipino-inspired Ate no longer has a physical location, but will appear at local markets. And their pop-up, The Snack Bar, is gone, too. These bold, hyper-local, deeply personal restaurants transformed this city’s culinary scene, and while we are relieved to see Hanks live on, the loss of Nowhere and Ate is huge for our community. We are deeply sorry to see them go.

EVENTS

It’s our favourite way to spend a summer afternoon — wandering around an idyllic outdoor space, wine glass in hand, noshing on great food produced by the city’s finest chefs. We’re talking about the 24th Annual Vancouver Island Feast of Fields, of course, which will be held at Heritage Acres from 1 to 4 p.m. on August 24. This wandering gourmet harvest festival highlights the connections between farmers and chefs, field and table, and farm folks and city folks. It’s a whole lot of fun, but it’s also a fundraiser for Farm Folk/City Folk, B.C.’s oldest and largest food and agriculture charitable non-profit organization. So come on out, enjoy the live music, eat all the tasty things, share in the

Saanich Peninsula’s rich farming history and support this great initiative. farmfolkcityfolk.ca/feast-offields/vi-feast

IN OTHER NEWS

Sheringham Distillery is just sitting there on its hill in Langford, quietly making big waves across the continent. In early May, right in the midst of all the U.S.-tariffrelated brouhaha, the awardwinning craft distillery expanded into select markets in California and Washington, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and Seattle. And then, in June, its flagship Seaside Gin officially earned a rare and highly coveted spot on the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s general list. This is just the latest triumph for the distillery, which originally launched in 2015 and has won countless awards including World’s Best Contemporary Gin at the World Drink Awards in 2019, BC Food & Beverage Product of the Year in 2020 and double gold at the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition in 2018. sheringhamdistillery.com

We’re not entirely sure how we missed it when it was released back before Christmas, but we’ve

recently discovered Island girl Pamela Anderson’s cookbook and what can we say? We’re smitten. I Love You: Recipes from the Heart (A Cookbook) is one of the most beautiful cookbooks we’ve ever picked up, with a magical coastal vibe and the kind of recipes you actually want to make.

It seems that in between Hollywood and activism Anderson has always been a passionate cook and gardener. Now, she invites you into her romantic kitchen to share her green goddess mason jar salad, tomato galette, maple-glazed cinnamon rolls and sourdough loaves, along with insights into life, love, entertaining and preserving nature’s bounty.

ELIZABETH NYLAND

The roaming harvest festival known as Feast of Fields returns to Heritage Acres in August.

Food + Drink

By Joanne Sasvari

SWEET, SWEET SUMMER

Nothing captures the flavour of the season like stone fruits. These recipes will help you make the most of them while you can.

Is there a sweeter taste of summer than a peach plucked straight from the tree, its velvety skin warmed by the sun, its juices like honey? Well, maybe a handful of cherries or a perfect plum, apricot or nectarine, each so headily fragrant and juicy.

Summer is the season of stone fruits, the most tempting, tantalizing and fleeting tastes of the season.

But these are not tastes we’ve had much opportunity to enjoy these past few years, at least not from B.C. orchards. Stone fruits, also known as drupes, tend to have a soft, juicy, delicate flesh around a hard pit or stone that contains a seed. B.C. is famous for its stone fruits, especially peaches and cherries from the

Okanagan Valley. Last year, though, some 90 per cent of the entire crop of Okanagan stone fruit was wiped out in the same deep freeze that devastated the vineyards. That January cold snap, when temperatures plummeted to –27°C after an unusually long, mild fall, killed off buds that had only just begun to recover from the 2021 heat dome and the harsh winter of 2022-2023.

But this year promises to be different. Thankfully, most of the trees survived the winter event even if their buds didn’t, and farmers have been cautiously optimistic about the 2025 harvest. That means B.C. stone fruits should be trickling into markets, well, right about now.

(Although stone fruits will grow in sheltered areas on Vancouver Island, and you may even have some in your own yard, the climate is too cool for them to be a serious commercial crop here. There’s a reason why the hot, sun-drenched Okanagan Valley is the land of peaches and beaches.)

The apricots are typically the first to flower; in early April, their blossoms are like fluffy white clouds against the dull, dusty backdrop of a landscape still emerging from its winter slumber. By the end of the month, the cherries, peaches and plums have caught up, the valley a bower of pink and white blooms fragrant with the promise of delicious things to come.

The first to ripen, though, are the cherries,

Cherry Clafoutis: A classic French fruit dessert.

and in a good year we will have cherries from mid-June to late July. They’re followed by apricots in early July to early August. Peaches come next, ripening from late July to early September, plums from early August to late September and nectarines from mid-August to early September.

It’s not a long season, so it’s best to make the most of it while it lasts. These recipes will help.

Plum or Cherry Clafoutis

This classic French fruit dessert is not quite a custard, not quite a pancake, a little of both and thoroughly delicious.

Serves 6 to 8

• ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided, plus extra for baking dish and sprinkling

• 2 cups pitted and halved cherries or pitted and quartered Italian prune plums

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ½ cup all-purpose flour (alternatively, all-purpose flour plus ¼ cup almond or hazelnut flour)

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

LIVE EDGE

• Optional: Powdered sugar for serving

Place rack in centre of oven; preheat oven to 350°F.

Toss ¼ cup sugar with the prepared fruit and set aside.

Butter and sugar (about 1 tablespoon of each) the bottom and sides of a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet or ceramic baking dish. Spread the sugared fruit evenly in the prepared pan, then transfer to a baking sheet and set aside.

Prepare the batter: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup sugar with the all-purpose flour, almond flour (if using) and salt.

In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest until well combined, about 1 minute.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk very well until everything is fully incorporated.

Pour the batter on top of the fruit. If you like, sprinkle the top with about a tablespoon of sugar to create a sweet, golden crust.

Bake until the clafoutis is puffy, browned and set, 55 to 65 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for at least an hour before serving (it will sink a bit as it cools). If you like, sprinkle it with a little icing sugar just before serving.

Clafoutis can be served warm, cold or at room temperature; it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Saanichton Spritz

The Mix

0.5 oz Aperol 1.5 oz Dillons or Tanqueray Dry Gin 1.5 oz Grapefruit juice Dash of grapefruit bitters Ice

The Method

Shake Aperol, gin, grapefruit juice, and bitters with ice. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a slice of ruby grapefruit.

Stone Fruit Galette

This easy and endlessly versatile recipe comes from my friend, food writer Julie Van Rosendaal, adapted lightly from her cookbook Out of the Orchard (TouchWood Editions). It’s the perfect bake for a lazy day, especially if you’re intimidated by pie. You can use whatever stone fruit you have available, and if you have an excess of blackberries, you can use them to fill any gaps and add a lovely sweet-tart flavour.

Makes one 8-to-10-inch galette

Pastry:

• 1 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces

• ¼ cup cold water

Filling:

• 3 cups pitted and sliced fresh peaches, nectarines or apricots, or a combination

• 1 cup pitted and halved cherries or sliced plums

• Optional: 1 cup blackberries

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch or all-purpose flour

Assembly:

• Cream, for brushing

• Sugar, preferable demerara, for sprinkling

Make the pastry: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until it’s well combined, with lumps of fat the size of a pea. Add the cold water and stir until the dough comes together.

Alternatively, place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Add the butter and continue processing until it’s well combined, with lumps of fat the size of a pea. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the cold water and keep pulsing until the dough comes together.

Whichever process you choose, gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc about an inch thick, then wrap in plastic wrap and rest for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toss all the fruit in a large bowl with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, stir the sugar and cornstarch or flour together, then sprinkle over the fruit and toss to coat.

On a lightly dusted countertop, roll the pastry into a 10- to 12-inch circle; it should be about ¼-inch thick. Transfer to a parchmentlined baking sheet. (Alternatively, you can roll the pastry right on the parchment paper and use it to transfer the pastry to the baking sheet.)

Mound all the fruit into the middle of the pastry, spreading it out to within an inch or two of the edge.

Fold the edge over wherever it wants to go, enclosing the fruit. Brush the folds with a little cream to help them stay shut, then brush the surface of the pastry with cream and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is golden. Let cool to at least lukewarm before you cut into it. Best served warm, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Grilled Peaches or Nectarines with Burrata

This is less a recipe than a way to enjoy some of summer’s best flavours. These sweet fruits love a little smoke. Grilled peaches or nectarines are delightful sliced and served with ice cream for dessert, or alongside creamy burrata for an irresistible appetizer.

Serves 2 to 4, or more

• 1 handful of arugula per guest

• 1 ball of burrata for every 2 to 4 people

• 1 peach or nectarine, preferably a freestone variety, per guest

• Vegetable oil for brushing

• Optional: 1 or 2 slices of prosciutto per guest

• Balsamic oil for drizzling

• Mint or basil leaves for garnish

Arrange arugula on a serving platter, then place burrata in the centre and tear open to expose the creamy centre.

Bring a grill or grill pan to medium heat. If cooking directly on the grill, make sure it is immaculately clean. If you use a wire brush, run a paper towel dipped in a little oil over the grill to remove any errant wire bits that could end up in the food.

Cut each peach or nectarine in half, remove the pit and brush the flesh side with a little vegetable oil. Place each half flesh down on the grill and cook until grill marks form, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat, cool slightly, then slice and arrange around the burrata. If you like, add a few slices of prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and garnish with a few torn mint or basil leaves. Serve with a crusty baguette.

PHOTO: JEFFREY BOSDET

spinnakers

By Bronwyn Lewis

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’

If you’re exploring the Island this summer, wherever you go, a food truck isn’t far away, serving up great eats from every corner of the planet.

Co-owners Madi Greyson (left) and chef Kei Lowes serve up a warm welcome at their Tofinobased Japanese street food truck, Toki Doki.

When the sun is shining and your stomach is rumbling, a food truck is a welcome sight. With more than 40 in Victoria alone, Vancouver Island has a variety of food trucks offering a range of tasty cuisines from Japanese street food to Mexican baked goods. Most are family-owned operations, offering culinary entrepreneurs a way to break into the food industry without the cost, commitment and risk associated with bricks-andmortar restaurants. They also offer mobility and flexibility, a four-wheeled way to engage with the community and share the food their owners love.

We talked with the owners of some of Vancouver Island’s best food trucks to learn more about the highlights and challenges of truck ownership.

TOFINO

B.C.’s first food truck was arguably the 1918 Model T truck Nat Bailey converted into a travelling lunch counter to serve hungry sightseers at Vancouver’s Lookout Point back in 1928; it was the precursor to his White Spot restaurants. But the province’s modern food truck boom started in Tofino when chef Lisa Ahier opened SoBo in a purple truck in 2003, five years before the L.A. chef Roy Choi fired up the gourmet food truck trend with Kogi BBQ. And it really got rolling six years later when what would become the province’s most famous food truck pulled up outside a Tofino surf shop.

Tacofino

In 2009, Kaeli Robinsong and Jason Sussman launched the Baja-inspired Tacofino Cantina at the back of the Live to Surf parking lot. From the beginning, the lineups were epic and wait times in summer can still exceed two hours. The company has since expanded to include multiple locations in Vancouver, Squamish, Victoria and Tofino.

Try: The original fish taco — tempura-battered ling cod, chipotle mayo, cabbage and salsa fresca tucked in a flour tortilla.

Toki Doki

Madi Greyson believes a food truck is a “great way to get your menu out there and let people try your food.”

Greyson is co-owner with her husband, chef Kei Lowes, of the Japanese street food truck Toki Doki, which serves juicy Hokkaido-style fried chicken, okonomiyaki and a daily “staff meal” special priced at just $8. (As their website says, sorry, no sushi.) Their Airstream trailer is set up outside Tofino Brewing Company, a location that Greyson calls “lucky” as it draws its own customers — and besides, their food goes great with beer.

Try: Okonomiyaki — a savoury, saucy, cabbageand-carrot pancake that can be dressed up with cheese, mushrooms, seafood or braised pork belly and an optional fried egg. your new creative manufacturing hub www.makespacefor.art @makespacenorthpark tools + skills + workshops for everyone plus great coffee + sandwiches + treats

SOOKE AND THE REST OF THE ISLAND

These days every community on Vancouver Island has its own selection of food trucks, many of them serving international cuisines at an accessible price, often set up at parks, events and popular hangouts.

In the Comox Valley, for instance, you can savour East African cuisine at Tameet Food Truck, Indian at Mirch Food Truck and Mexican at Churro Chica. In ParksvilleQualicum, there’s Filipino fare at Country Kusina and Irish at Knockananna Grill, as well as plenty of trucks serving ice cream to the beach-going set. In Nanaimo, The Spud Barn serves baked potatoes and Turkish coffee. Trucks at the Duncan Farmers’ Market dish up plenty of good eats including salads and sandwiches at Digable Roots Farm, smashburgers at Phat Bastard Eats and Argentinian fare with the Scorpion Chef’s “Artisan Empanadas.”

And then there is Sooke.

Hide N Seek

The Hide N Seek truck can usually be found serving its Japanese and Vietnamese comfort food at 5611 East Sooke Road. Coowner Minako Nozawa says the team saw a food truck business as being “easy to start and then easy to maintain” and “way more affordable” to operate than a restaurant.

Although space is a challenge, Hide N Seek still prioritizes presentation and showcases local ingredients in its gyoza, spring rolls, chef’s omakase and other dishes.

Try: Buddha bowl — rice topped with greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, namuru carrots, mushrooms, pickled carrots and daikon, and yuzu miso sauce.

VICTORIA

Not surprisingly, the biggest cluster of food trucks on the Island can be found in and around Victoria. As many as 43 food trucks have been counted in the capital city, serving everything from breakfast food to ice cream to burgers and a range of international cuisines.

Kattia’s Kitchen

Although she now has a café at the Saanich Recreation Centre near Elk Lake, Kattia Graham started her Mexican food business with a food truck, and the Kattia’s Kitchen truck still rolls up to FC Pacific games and other popular events. She is a

FOLLOW THAT TRUCK!

How do you know where your favourite food truck will be? Most will post their locations on their own websites or social media, especially Instagram, but you can also check out these sources:

• In Victoria, there’s an app for that: streetfoodapp.com.

• The City of Nanaimo has a food-truck scheduling calendar at nanaimo.ca/ foodtruck as well as a Nanaimo Food Trucks Facebook group.

• Facebook also has food truck groups for Parksville, the Comox Valley and other communities.

• Yelp, TripAdvisor and some tourism boards cover food trucks.

• You can also find food trucks at farmer’s markets, sporting events, festivals and other large gatherings.

Mellow Sooke vibes at the Hide N Seek truck.

passionate supporter of community, especially her food truck community, always helping, ready with extra forks and napkins on hand, so much so that others affectionately call her “Mother Trucker.” “We work a lot together,” says Graham. “We are a family.”

Now, because she understands the challenges of operating a food truck and wants to help others in the business, Graham is working to create a food truck association in Victoria. One of the benefits of an organization is that trucks could share staff through the slower winter months, therefore keeping as many people employed year-round as possible.

Most of all, though, as a natural host, she loves that food trucks can participate in fun events and jokes that Mexicans “just need an excuse to make parties.”

Try: Street tacos — six-inch organic corn tortillas topped with, slaw salad, avocado, salsa and your choice of protein, such as tinga de pollo, Mexican pulled pork or barbacoa beef.

Expect to see the vibrant Kattia’s Kitchen truck at an event near you this summer.

Greek on the Street

Jonni-Lyn Friel and Thomas Piniara, owners of Greek on the Street, share Graham’s joy at celebrating special occasions with customers. “We do weddings and you’re part of the event,” Friel says with pride. “We’re part of the community. We’re friends.” The husband-andwife team launched their food truck in 2022, shortly after they moved to Vancouver Island from Greece with “a dream of having Greek street food.” Their logo has since become a popular sight in Victoria, where they have two trucks, one van and locations in Cook Street Village and Langford.

Try: The lamb platter — herbed spring lamb, slowly oven-roasted and served with rice, pita bread, tzatziki sauce and Greek salad.

Morning People

Jonathan and Eve Ballantine started the Morning People food truck in 2019 as a way to break into the food industry. “I thought it would be fun,” says Ballantine, but the truck was also “a pilot project to see if the concept stuck.” Morning People’s breakfast concept did stick. Their menu is dialled in and includes fully loaded sandwiches, mighty breakfast hashes and açai bowls. They’ve even moved into a more

permanent location at Cook Street Village, and are exploring a second location in Victoria and one in Vancouver as well.

Because they serve breakfast, Ballantine realizes that “we might be someone’s first interaction of the day.” He can make someone’s day — not only with a coffee and the Wake n’ Bacon sandwich that comes with smashed avocado, Paradise Island cheddar and thick-cut bacon, but also a smile and a kind word.

Try: Smashed Hash — crispy fried and seasoned hash browns topped with scrambled eggs, Paradise Island cheddar, garlic aioli and housemade BBQ sauce, topped with seasonal garnish.

The Summer Series

Greek on the Street serves popular street food.

Food + Drink

CHILL DRINKS FOR HOT DAYS

How to transform modern classics into long, cool, thirst-quenching summer sippers.

The pundits have called it. Key finalists for this year’s “Drink of Summer” include the Pisco Sour, the Spa Spritz, spicy Margaritas and, perhaps our favourite, the Naked & Famous, a modern classic cocktail invented by Joaquín Simó at New York’s Death & Co nearly 15 years ago.

It’s easy enough to make a Naked & Famous. Shake up equal parts (¾ oz) Aperol, smoky mezcal, yellow chartreuse and fresh lime juice and fine-strain it into a small, chilled coupe glass. No garnish required.

Even so, there are a couple of things that make this (admittedly tasty) cross between a Paper Plane and a Last Word less than ideal for summer drinking. First of all, nobody wants to spend their precious and fleeting warm-weather time sourcing hard-to-get herbal liqueurs and/or chasing down Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal, the spirit this cocktail originally called for. It’s summertime. The living is supposed to be easy.

The second problem with the drink is that the Naked & Famous is gone before you know it. It’s a bright, sturdy, elegant and delicious cocktail that, with dilution, clocks in at about four ounces of liquid — nowhere near enough to slake a thirst.

Although not everyone will agree, we think summer cocktailing is a time for long drinks and slow afternoons. It’s a time for pitchers and punch bowls, fresh flavours, tall glasses and plenty of ice. So, for this year’s summer drinks program, we’re going to suggest a compromise, namely: modern classic highballs.

Turning a modern classic into a highball is generally pretty easy, but it’s not quite as simple as just adding soda and ice. The formula is as follows.

First: Pick a smart, contemporary classic drink you love. Let’s say it’s the Espresso Martini (2 oz vodka, ½ oz coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa, 1 oz espresso, ¼ oz simple syrup).

Second: Think about ways to make life easier and dumb down the recipe a little. In this instance, skip the fresh espresso and add a healthy pour of cold brew coffee to the vodka and coffee liqueur mix instead.

Next: Figure out how to lengthen the drink with a mixer that will be a good fit. Keep in mind that, thanks to flavoured tonic waters — cucumber, grapefruit, elderflower — the possibilities are endless. Sicilian lemon tonic water works well in an Espresso Martini highball.

Finally: Mix it up and look around the back garden or grocery store to find a seasonal flourish, such as herbs or edible flowers, to add to the glass as a garnish. In the case of the Espresso Martini, a big sprig of mint is the perfect way to brighten up the drink. Here are three more options for modern classic highballs.

By Christine Sismondo | Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

PINK DRINK

Special thanks to Penna & Co. Kitchen & Giftware

PINK DRINK

This rosy highball is like a longer, more thirst-quenching Cosmopolitan.

• 1½ oz vodka

• ¾ oz orange liqueur

• ½ oz fresh lime juice

• ½ oz cranberry cocktail

• 4 to 6 oz pink grapefruit tonic water

• Garnish: 1 sprig fresh thyme

Stir the vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry cocktail and lime juice together over ice in a tall glass. Add the grapefruit tonic. Garnish with fresh thyme. Serves 1.

INFAMOUS HIGHBALL

Loosely based on the Naked & Famous, this long drink calls for tequila, lime juice, Aperol and botanical tonic water.

• ½ oz tequila

• ½ oz Aperol

• ½ oz fresh lime juice

• 4 to 6 oz botanical tonic water (cucumber should also work if it’s hard to find botanical)

• Garnish: 1 fresh nasturtium

Stir the tequila, Aperol and lime juice together over ice in a tall or double rocks glass. Add the tonic water. Garnish with the nasturtium or any edible flower. Serves 1.

TOUCAN SAM

This tropical and refreshing cocktail takes inspiration from the Jungle Bird, a rum-andCampari drink invented in the 1970s in Kuala Lumpur.

• 1½ oz dark rum

• ¾ oz Campari

• ½ oz pineapple juice

• ½ oz fresh lime juice

• 4 to 6 oz ginger beer

• Garnish: 1 sprig of fresh mint

Stir the rum, Campari, pineapple and lime juice together over ice in a tall glass. Add the ginger beer. Garnish with a big sprig of mint. Serves 1.

TOUCAN SAM

Art on the Street

For 36 years, Paint-In has drawn thousands of people to connect with artists in an event unlike any other.

By David Lennam

Timothy Wilson Hoey doesn’t usually decide how he’s going to present at the Paint-In until he’s almost ready to set up somewhere along the 10 blocks of Moss Street where as many as 50,000 people will be ambling by, perusing works by 165 local artists.

“Every year I try to do something different. I don’t try to make it a day of selling stuff,” says the artist recognized for his Hudson’s Bay/Canadiana-themed paintings framed by hockey sticks. “I make it a day of painting and participating. Once you put it in that context, it’s a really fun day.”

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s signature event, in its 36th year this July 19, is the gallery’s biggest day and its chief fundraiser, with a beer garden, activities for the kids, even something for all those dogs who wander the two kilometres of leafy boulevards sniffing out fresh canvases (or treats).

Nancy Noble had never experienced a paintin until she arrived as the gallery’s CEO and director three years ago from the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. But she immediately recognized something special was happening.

“It was astonishing to me … I had no idea what to expect,” she says. “I could not believe that an organization this size put on an event that big and how great it was for the community and how the community loved it.”

The Paint-In is a calling card for the AGGV to break down the sort of barriers that often keep people away from art galleries. “They can be seen as elitist,” says Noble. “This is a way for us to give back to artists, to promote local and regional artists in a way we can’t always do in the walls of our gallery.”

Simply, she says, this opens up people’s exposure to art. Last year nearly 14,000 of the Paint-In attendees took advantage of free admission to the gallery.

In 1987, the inaugural year saw a handful of artists working and showing in the gallery’s parking lot. Within a decade, 20,000 people showed up to see 90 artists.

“I don’t know of another Canadian gallery that does it to this scale in one day,” says Noble. “It’s an immense amount of work, but so much pleasure.”

While the majority of artists on display are fairly straightforward in how they display their work, Hoey, who’s been a fixture at 15 Paint-Ins, has tried to make his a sideshow.

“In your own studio you can fake it. But Paint-In is live. You’re there working in real time and people decide whether it’s good or not.”

“[The singer] Carolyn Mark told me once when people come to a rock show they really just want a show, it’s not about the music,” he says. “When I did the Paint-In those first few years it was like, ‘This is what I do, these are my paintings.’ Then I thought, ‘What can I do to make things fun?’ ”

One year he made it a circus theme with a tent full of oddities. Other years he’s brought his old motorcycle down and hosted curb-side singalongs. This year he’s sharing a booth with his partner and recent painting collaborator,

Zandra Xōchitl, adding, “What we end up doing at the event, that can change at the last minute.”

Hoey refers to Paint-In as a bit of a weird venue — out in public, laying everything bare.

“In your own studio you can fake it. But PaintIn is live. You’re there working in real time and people decide whether it’s good or not. But by the end of the day I have no voice. You spend the whole day talking and there’s just a nice buzz about it … a real community feel which, in so many ways, we don’t have anymore.”

Partners and painting collaborators

Timothy Wilson Hoey (left) and Zandra Xōchitl try to come up with a new theme each year at the AGGV’s annual Paint-In event along Moss Street.

THE CURTAIN FALLS

Michael Shamata to exit The Belfry

Theatre.

After 18 years as artistic director of The Belfry Theatre, Michael Shamata has announced his retirement, effective September 2026.

Shamata began his 50-year theatre career as a member of the Shaw Festival’s stage crew, became stage manager at the Shaw and Stratford festivals and ultimately moved into writing and directing productions at many of Canada’s most famous theatres.

Since taking on the Belfry role in December 2007, he has helped build the theatre’s reputation as one of the country’s leading producers of Canadian plays, including numerous commissions and first productions. And he has done it all while helping the Belfry maintain a healthy financial reputation despite the 2008 recession and COVID pandemic.

In announcing his departure, Shamata said, “While I am retiring from the Belfry, I am looking forward to future artistic challenges.” We hope that means there’s still more to come.

The Belfry will conduct a national search for its next artistic director. Details at belfry.bc.ca.

CULTURE CALENDAR

MERYL MCMASTER: BLOODLINE

Until October 19, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

The large-scale photographic works by this remarkable Canadian artist reflect her mixed Plains Cree/Métis, Dutch and British ancestry, focusing on her Plains Cree female forebears and evoking themes of memory, containment, erasure and self-determination. Also check out Lekwungen: Place to Smoke Herring, a film by Brianna Bear and Eli Hirtle. aggv.ca

BEYOND THE BEAT: MUSIC OF RESISTANCE AND CHANGE

Until January 5, 2026, Royal BC Museum Discover how music has shaped the course of history and inspired social change with this travelling exhibition from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This exhibition features dynamic displays, interactive experiences and artifacts including Neil Young’s harmonica and Elton John’s stage outfits. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

VICTORIA PRIDE 2025

July 1 to 6, multiple venues

Get ready to be fabulous — Pride is back with a week full of events, including the Memorial Drag Ball Game (July 1), Pride in the Word (July 3) and, on July 6, the Victoria Pride Parade featuring 140 entries and 70,000-plus attendees. It all culminates in the Victoria Pride Festival in the Park when the grounds of McDonald Park become ground zero for an afternoon of live performances, identity, solidarity and lots and lots of rainbows. victoriapridesociety.org/ pride-2025/

NORTHWEST DEUCE DAYS

July 17 to 20, Inner Harbour

Hundreds of pre-1951 hot rods will roar into town for the world’s largest gathering of deuce coupes, an event held annually for nearly a century, almost as long as the 1932 Ford has been around. (“Deuce” refers to the “2” in 1932; a coupe is a passenger car with two doors and fixed roof.) northwestdeucedays.com

SYMPHONY IN THE SUMMER

July 24 to August 3, Inner Harbour

The highlight of Victoria’s Symphony’s summer festival is the return of Symphony SPLASH! to the Inner Harbour after a five-year hiatus — just in time to celebrate its 85th anniversary. This free event has now expanded to two days during the B.C. Day long weekend, each featuring two musical sets on a barge floating in the Inner Harbour and showcasing a diverse range of musical styles and artists. Plus there will be fireworks. victoriasymphony.ca

ArtisTREE FESTIVAL

July 26 and 27, Government House

This celebration of music, art and artisans returns to the beautiful gardens around Government House. Discover more than 150 artisans, as well as musicians, an interactive children’s area and some of Victoria’s top food trucks. artistreefestival.com

THE BOOK OF MORMON

July 28 to August 2, Royal Theatre

The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” Entertainment Weekly calls it “the funniest musical of all time.” Dozens of awards including nine Tonys suggest they may all be right about this satirical Broadway musical following two Mormon missionaries who are sent to a Ugandan village to convert its residents, with decidedly mixed results. rmts.bc.ca

GREAT WORKS THEATRE FESTIVAL

July 29 to August 10, The Belfry Theatre

The Great Works Theatre Festival features two timely works of 20th-century theatre, held on alternating nights. Blood Wedding updates Federico García Lorca’s 1932 tragedy about the destructive power of hatred, while David Hirson’s 1991 comedy La Bête pays homage to the genius of Molière and the triumph of vulgarity over taste. belfry.bc.ca

VICTORIA DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

August 8 to 9, Inner Harbour

One of the city’s most colourful events returns as paddlers hit the water in this combination of local and Chinese cultures for a magnificent celebration. victoriadragonboatfestival.com

VICTORIA FRINGE FESTIVAL

August 20 to 31, downtown

The 39th annual Fringe takes over downtown for 12 unconventional days of comedy, dance, musicals, drama, magic and other live performances, featuring artists from around the world. There’s also a pop-up Indigenous artisans market, craft beer and more. intrepidtheatre. com/festivals/fringe-festival

SAANICH FAIR

August 30 to September 1, Saanich Fairground Is it even summer without a roller-coaster and cotton candy? This annual tradition offers plenty of fun for the whole family, including the midway, petting zoos, horse and dog shows, plus other entertainment. Also, local farmers will be selling fresh, often just-picked produce. It’s a great way to spend the Labour Day weekend before everyone has to return to reality. saanichfair.ca

Tea Town

By Joanne Sasvari

There’s this idea out there that every afternoon, everyone in Victoria stops what they’re doing and settles in for a nice cuppa tea, preferably with some buttered scones. And while that perception isn’t completely wrong, it doesn’t tell the whole story, either.

True, the city has several lovely tea rooms serving up tiers of sweet and savoury treats alongside pots of fragrant orange pekoe. The Fairmont Empress, for one, has been offering afternoon tea since it opened in 1908 and now pours some 550,000 cups a year; there is also the White Heather Tea Room, The Butchart Gardens, The Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden and Pendray Inn & Teahouse, among others.

The local tradition of afternoon tea goes back to the 1840s when British settlers, likely members of the Hudson Bay Company, brought tea to Victoria; the trading company had earlier introduced tea to Canada, back in 1716. Canada was actually a little late to the tea party. Tea, which is made from leaves of the evergreen Camellia sinensis plant native to East Asia, has been enjoyed in China for at least 5,000 years and in Europe since the 1500s. It is the world’s most consumed drink after water, and the third most popular in Canada, beaten out by coffee.

Victoria was also home to Canada’s first tea company, Murchie’s, which was established in 1894 by a blender who’d

once provided tea for Queen Victoria herself. A century later, master blender Daniela Cubelic opened SIlk Road Tea, where she concocts award-winning teas from fresh, premium-quality, organic botanicals. Now young entrepreneurs are fermenting tea to make kombucha, a slightly fizzy beverage said to have certain health benefits, especially for digestion. Tea itself is said to improve cardiovascular health while reducing the risk of diabetes and cancer, along with stress and anxiety. Then again, maybe that’s because we stop what we do and take a break to enjoy it, with or without the bone-china cups, floral teapots and buttered scones.

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