Summer food fun and drink - great food at Santiago`s Victoria · Sunday September 7, 2008 by colin newell
Everyone needs or should have an alternative kitchen. That special place for celebrating special things… like Tuesdays… or the third Sunday of the week… or a crescent moon… or that you and yours have survived another day in the paradise that is Victoria B.C. Canada.
Days where you do not want to cook. Days where paradise doesn’t seem so great. Days that you just want to be frivolous and let someone bring you food in exchange for a few bucks.
Santiago’s in scenic and historic James Bay, Victoria is not only that place (for us) but I think it is the place for a few other locals (and tourists) as well. Santiago’s restaurant is a stones throw from the inner harbor and the economic tourist heart of greater Victoria. Another good thing. For us, it is a 7 minute drive from our miserable neighborhood of million dollar homes in Rockland. How depressing is that?
Anyway – we have been going to Santiago’s several times a month for a couple of years now – and I guess it’s time we let a few people in on the secret.
Their menu is somewhat Chilean. Somewhat Thai. Somewhat Spanish.
And while some might find this a bit of a mish-mash… We find it delightful.
Where else are you going to go when you are not sure if you are in the mood for the cities best Nacho’s, or one of the cities best burgers, or one of Victoria’s best bowl of Chipotle Mussels, or an awesome quesadilla?
The menu at Santiago’s is extensive, yes – but they do it all well, really well.
And consistent? I have had some of the dishes over a dozen times and I have never been let down. There is never an evening where the kitchen is off. It has yet to happen for us.
I do have a few favorites: The chipotle prawns is a balance of heat and delicate flavors – its heat is not for the faint of heart. I get it with a side of rice (arguably the best rice in town – blazing hot with the consistency of snow flakes…) and I always have their food with a sleeve of draft beer. Their small order of Nachos is large enough for 3 people and comes with an in-house Salsa, Guacamole and corn chips. Yes, they make their own corn chips! Finally, my wife loves the Chipotle Mussels. It is hot and creamy with a seductive smokiness – and served with a brick of fresh bread for dipping. You will be dipping. Trust me.
We have been there dozens of times now and I love these folks. After a hearty meal, they always offer up the dessert menu – and we have succumbed once – for an ice cream treat that is suitable for 2 or 3 people and big spoons.
At under $40 for two, including drinks, Santiago’s in James Bay-Inner Harbor Victoria represents fabulous value and incredible eats!
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Summer food fun and drink - Say no to an unnecessary election · Monday September 1, 2008 by colin newell
Prime Minister Stephen Harper… leader of the ruling party in Canada… a minority government. Until now a reasonably effective minority government.
But apparently that is not good enough for Steve-o-reno. No no no.
He wants it all.
So he is breaking a law he created.
He wants to call an election. He wants to bring down his own government by throwing in various monkey-wrenches of his own creation and by urging various government committees to futz up their own functionality – triggering a lack of faith in government…
triggering a collapse of this minority conservative government.
Photo above: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper really needs to pick another arm gesture/salute.
Stephen Harper: I am a borderline conservative but you are a conservative fraud. You are running election ads before there is an election. Shame on you.
You struck a law setting fixed elections. You are breaking that law. Shame on you.
I am not a big fan of Liberal leader, Dion… but I am now much less of a fan of you and your self-serving conservative wonks and cronies.
And you know what I think we are going to end up with in the Fall… after this next staged phony election?
Another minority government and millions of wasted taxpayer dollars.
Shame on your Mister Prime Minister, you no good Conservative Wonk!
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Summer food fun and drink - Who wouldn't enjoy a coffee scrub · Friday August 29, 2008 by colin newell
I enjoy a good cup of coffee from time to time. Ok. Every day. Sometimes several times a day.
I also enjoy a good shower once a day. Ok. Sometimes more than once a day… depends on what is going on.
And when it hit me… the water from the shower head that is. It occurred to me, that if I could combine these two simple pleasures somehow, I could save a step or two in the average persons day.
So I tried combining a coffee maker with a shower head… and then I tried pouring hot coffee on my body… that didn’t work very well. And I tried actually drinking my black coffee while showering… and the coffee was diluted.
Looking around the shower room for ideas… I spotted the soap… in the tub… in front of me. As I stepped forward, onto it… and slipping… it hit me… the back of the tub. After I died, I figured, that had I added the coffee to the soap or a sudsing scrub… an exfoliating product would have resulted that would fit my requirements perfectly; it is an exfoliant scrub, it sudses and it has coffee in it. Perfect.
Before I gasped my last breath, I passed along my idea to a friend who produces wonderful soaps and lotions – and here it is. Check it out. Buy some. I would have wanted it that way.
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Summer fun food and drink - 2010 Vancouver Oly rant · Friday August 29, 2008 by colin newell
My definition of irony:
Gordon Campbell and his band of merry scoundrels (The Liberal Party) are dropping in the polls.
Now wouldn’t it be ironic (Don’t you think…) if Gordo was ousted in the next election? An election date that he cast into law.
And he would miss Jock Fest 2010…
At least as premier of the Province that is…
By then he could be a member of VANOC… which is largely land developers anyway.
Something to think about. In the photo above, Mister Premier deflects bad words, thoughts and odors with his fingertips – let’s see if he can pull the next election out of his hat. What!? No hat? Whoops!
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