Summer all food, fun and drink marathon - Bard and Banker Pub · Sunday June 29, 2008 by colin newell
If I was to take a snapshot of one moment in time on the Government Street arcade in Victoria B.C. Canada – it would include thousands of people; people with ice-cream cones, people on honeymoon, locals experiencing the color, buskers making a sweet noise, the less fortunate and the too fortunate.
Smack dab into the middle of this conflagration is the brand new Bard and Banker Public house. The Bard and Banker is one in a chain of locally owned and operated pubs; including the likes of Irish Times (2 blocks away), the Penny Farthing in Oak Bay village and others…
Like coffee houses, T-shirt emporiums and real estate – it is all about location.
And the Bard and Banker is within that oh so precious sweet zone along Government street that supports the tourist foot traffic. Like everywhere else, people who stay in downtown Victoria (at one of our many fine hotels) walk up Government Street probably as far as Pandora or Fisgard – and that is it.
The Bard and Banker has been open for about 24 hours so ours was the first visit. Their menu is traditional pub grub with some unusual twists (I will go more into that on my second visit and follow-up). I had Steak and Ale pie with a fine Kilkenny Irish Cream ale – and Andrea has the Bison Burger with a Boddingtons English Ale. Despite the fact that they have been open a night maybe two, they were on their game. All the wait staff appeared to be sharp and responsive; girls in tartans somewhat more modest than their Irish Times counterparts and the boys in kilts – a nice touch.
I loved my meal. There are few comfort foods more satisfying than Steak Pie – this particular version is like a thick Irish stew with lots of baby carrots and mushrooms – bite size chunks of sirloin in an impossibly rich Bass ale infused sauce. I would not hesitate to order this again… and again… and again.
Andrea would tackle her Bison burger again – its caramelized onions and Stilton cheese were great components – I think she would have preferred her fries a little thinner in the cut and perhaps all dressed.
The Bard and Banker is a winner – the layout, staffing, menu and kitchen are obviously in order and it is a heck of a great place for people watching with numerous interesting site lines.
Come on down. For a pint and some great pub grub.
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Summer all food, fun and drink marathon begins · Friday June 27, 2008 by colin newell
Beginning, well, now we will start the all summer, all food, coffee and fun marathon of blog posts.
I am so done with Olympic rants. I am so done with gas price rants. I am so done with political stuff.
Folks. I just don’t care anymore. I just want to have fun and enjoy life.
For at least 2 months.
So buckle up.
Let’s begin our 60 days of reckless and irresponsible abandon with this little tid-bit: The self-stirring mug. What could be more hedonistic than a mug that stirs itself. Yes, friend – it is true.
There was a time that coffee brewers seemed radical. Now we have devices for stirring. Soon, very soon, we will have surrogates that drink the coffee for us, waving their arms and smoking cigarettes as they become increasingly agitated.
Not for me though. I would rather do my own arm waving.
Welcome to the Summer of 2008.
Seen in passing - coffee time - as the crow flies · Wednesday June 25, 2008 by colin newell
I have coffee at 10AM and 3PM where I work (on a Vancouver Island University campus) – and I generally have coffee with colleagues.
Except today I had a special guest – a good old black crow. A friendly one at that. This one was different. It was banded!
As it turns out, it is from the United States of America – from the University of Washington – another campus in a different country.
The 1st thing that crossed my mind (as I mused out loud to the curious bird)…
“Hmmm – you are a American bird in Canada… I guess you are not on any No-Fly list, huh?”
Nyuk nyuk cackle.
I sat at an outdoor table and shared my multi-grain fruit muffin (make them myself) with the bird – hoping that there was nothing harmful to the creature in the recipe.
Food West Coast Texas Chili Vancouver Island Style · Wednesday June 25, 2008 by colin newell
Did this recipe two nights ago with some fine tuning so I thought it would run it again. Vegetarians (love you dearly): Avert your eyes!
2 pounds AAA Angus Sirloin, Strip loin or whatever is available
2 tablespoon corn oil
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
24 fluid ounces of beer, medium ale being the best
2 (16-ounce) container salsa
60 tortilla chips
2 chilpotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
2 tablespoon adobo or chilpotle hot sauce
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and toss with the oil and salt. Set aside.
Heat a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot over high heat until hot. Add the meat in 3 or 4 batches and brown on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per batch. Once each batch is browned, place the meat in a clean large bowl.
Once all of the meat is browned, add the beer to the pot to de-glaze the pot.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back to the pot along with the salsa, tortilla chips, chilpotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Cover pot. Cook for 40 minutes at medium heat. Serve immediately.
Goes well with more beer and more corn chips.
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