Cafe Bliss is one of James Russell's picks of 2008

Serving Suggestions

Looking back at my top eight restaurants of 2008

The looking back has begun. From Pitchfork’s 20 worst album covers of 2008 (I actually really like about half of them!) to Project Censored’s top 25 stories that “didn’t make the news” (see page 13), everybody is writing lists—especially online. Lifehacker.com even has a list of lists called “the most popular Top 10’s of 2008,” which includes Top 10 Harmless Geek Pranks and Top 10 How-To Videos. Check them out. My favourite so far? 2008 Mug Shots of the Year from thesmokinggun.com. LOL!

My year-end list begins with an important caveat. This is not a “best eight restaurants of Victoria” list. Instead, these are the eight restaurants—chosen only from the 26 or so I reviewed in 2008—that I most look forward to visiting again and would highly recommend. So, in alphabetical order, here goes:

Aura, the Inn at Laurel Point

As the Canadian Culinary Federation’s 2007 chef of the year, executive chef Brad Horen is no stranger to lists. The menu is creative, the food fabulous, and the wine list boasts over 60 island and B.C wines. Floor to ceiling light boxes add to the waterfront ambience.

Highlights: crispy wonton crusted spot prawns with togorashi mayonnaise ($15), and the surf and turf ($28), a Pacific Rim inspired medley of braised short rib, Silk Road tea smoked scallops and warmed tempura vegetable maki sushi. (680 Montreal, 250-386-8721)

Baan Thai (Oak Bay)

A Victoria institution, this newer location provides a bustling, modern Asian themed space to enjoy the consistently excellent Thai tastes. Get there early, as it closes around 8 p.m.

Highlights: Pad Thai Gai ($12.50), red and green curries, Tom Kah Goong, that superb prawn and mushroom soup in a citrusy chicken, coconut milk broth ($7) and either of the deep fried banana desserts. Wine pairings on the menu and lots of beer on tap. (104-2000 Cadboro Bay, 250-598-0057)

Brasserie “l’école”

Awards for this casual French resto include many first-place finishes. The unsurpassed food and wine expertise, dedication to local meats and produce, relaxed atmosphere and superb value for classic French country style cooking is no doubt due to the fact that the chef (Sean Brennan) and the sommelier (Marc Morrison) own and operate the place.

Highlights: duck confit ($12-13), steak frites specials, cheese board, wine list, best French fries in town ($7) and dozens of Belgian beers ($5.50-$40) to wash them down with. (1715 Government, 250-475-6260)

Café Bliss

When hometown hero Simon Whitfield first chowed down on one of chef Cosmo Meen’s yam omelets at Mo:Le, he probably didn’t foresee raw-food enthusiast Meens accompanying Canada’s triathletes to Beijing as team chef. I like to think it was Meens’ living green smoothies and raw cacao beans that propelled Whitfield across that finish line in August. Meens’ next adventure is as the chef at Victoria’s only organic, vegan, raw-food restaurant.

Highlights: tons of juices made fresh to order, chocolate “mylk” shake ($8) made from the mylk of house-sprouted raw organic almonds, warm butternut squash soup ($6) and the substantial and screamingly fresh Sombrio salad ($8 sm/$14 lg) with tenderized kale, B.C. kelp, organic arugula, marinated shiitake mushrooms, raw cashews and house-pickled ginger. (556 Pandora, 250-590-5733)

Pizzeria Prima Strada

As proven by the lineups and rave reviews of Cook St. Village’s new Neapolitan pizza restaurant, simplicity wins—only six varieties, one size only, no delivery. Thin, soft crust, limited yet quality ingredients and baked in a wood-fired oven at 850 degrees for about three minutes. Awesome.

Highlights: Melanzana & tonno appetizer ($7), Funghi pizza ($13) with porcini cream, roasted mushrooms and onion and mozzarella and pecorino sheep’s milk cheese, Nutella pie ($6.50). (105-230 Cook, 250-590-8595)

Smoken Bones Cookshack

Chef and winner of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, Ken Hueston has taken his passion for local food, local beer and Southern BBQ and turned a strip-mallspace into the best rib shack around.

Highlights: slow-cooked, tender, barbequed meat, and lots of it, and sides such as butter fried local cabbage, corn bread and bbq beans. All local Phillips beers on tap. (101-721 Station, Langford, 250-391-6328)

Upstairs at Ferris’ Oyster Bar

With a different menu and a different feel than downstairs, the hip and casual second-storey former gallery space provides its own twists on the classic oyster, along with plenty of larger food choices and creative cocktails that are always a double.

Highlights: marinated picholine olives ($5), bourbon bbq smoked pork sandwich ($12) trio of spreads ($9) and oysters galore. (536 Yates, 250-382-2433)

Village Café

Bright and laid-back, and located in the sleepy Estevan village, this is the kind of place Sunday brunch was invented for.

Highlights: Jewish breakfast delicacies such as latkes ($10) and challah French toast ($7/10), Montreal smoked meat eggs benedict with silky lemony hollandaise ($9/12), great coffee drinks, and all that southern light pouring in (free). (2518 Estevan, 250-592-8311)

Happy New Year and happy eats! M