tasting victoriaEst. 2019Vancouver Island
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What's happening in Victoria's food scene this week?

A $1,200 wine tasting, the best soups in town, a multi-course gala dinner, and more!

Eva Rasciauskas·Oct 19, 2023·7 min read
Tasting Victoria
Newsletter №017

Good morning foodies!

As the weather starts to get shabbier day by day, it’s important to focus on the comforts in life to get through the rain and gloom. Among them? Soup, in every wonderful brothy or creamy form it may take. Or perhaps soup’s not on your radar at all; rather, it’s a seven-course wine degustation with some of the world’s finest vintages. Whichever option you’re dreaming of, this week’s newsletter has both.

The best soup is...

  • A good, simple broth
  • Creamy, like corn chowder
  • Spicy, with lots of noodles
  • I don't like soup...

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😍 5 spots to try right now

Menbow Ramen Bar: The best place in Victoria to enjoy authentic Tonkotsu ramen.

Stage Wine Bar: For a chic, dimly lit date night. Picture fine wines, eclectic tapas and charcuterie.

Be Love: Vegan farm-to-table with mindfully sourced, seasonal ingredients.

Blue Fox Cafe: Victoria’s OG all-day breakfast joint. Their pancakes are to die for.

Crust Bakery: Sourdough boules, fine pastries and hearty sandwiches in a cozy cafe setting.

Know a great place we should add here? Reply back and let us know!

FEATURED

Victoria is getting an exclusive wine tasting event

📸: Fairmont Express / Instagram

If you’re a die-hard wine lover, this one’s for you.

Victoria’s Fairmont Empress is hosting a one-night-only exclusive wine tasting night for the first time in history, providing guests with one of the most lavish dinners accompanied by the finest red, white and sparkling wines.

Think 2004 Dom Pérignon and 1983 Chateau Palmer paired carefully with luxurious dinner items like lobster and caviar in what is sure to be one of the most extravagant seven-course dinners one can experience in a lifetime. It’ll also set you back $1,200 per person.

Find more information about the wine tasting event here.

SPONSORED BY TOURISM WHISTLER
TOURISM WHISTLER

Sip, sample and savour this fall at Whistler's premier event, Cornucopia

From November 9-19, enjoy over 70 tastings and events. Delight in live multi-course culinary demonstrations, spirited parties, seminars, tastings and winery dinners.

Elevate your experience with lodging and ticket bundles starting at $95 pp/pn, plus enjoy a complimentary $100 dining voucher.

🤔 What would you like to read about more here in our weekly newsletter?

  • Chef profiles
  • Unique food stories
  • Seasonal listicles

Subscribe to participate in polls.

FEATURED

Top 10 soup destinations in Victoria

📸: Barb’s Fish & Chips / Instagram

It’s hot, it’s steamy, it’s SOUP SEASON.

Which means that while the weather is getting colder, rainier and a little bit more dreadful, we’ll be just fine tucking into the delicious comfort that is soup—be it chicken noodle, clam chowder, or beef brisket pho—in every form it may take.

And as it turns out, Victoria is a city full of amazing soups. Allow us to introduce you to some of them and, though it pains us to choose favourites, take you through a list of some of the finest.

Check out our list of the top 10 soups in town.

🗞️ News

A win for Victoria bird sanctuaries. Celebrating their 100 year anniversary this year, the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary is inviting people to come celebrate their historic achievements.

A reusable cup exchange program to tackle fast food waste. A&W is officially launching an exchangeable and reusable cup program across the country to address fast food waste. Customers can now pay $3 for a reusable cup when ordering a beverage.

The Island’s latest menace? A fluffy owl. Perched comfortably above the trails of Reay Creek Park in Sidney, a Barred Owl has had multiple run-ins with people while trying to defend its territory.

Have a restaurant, business, or event to promote?

Get in touch with our team for small business-friendly advertising plans.

🗓️ Events

The Best of BC: Join executive chefs Brian Tesolin and Geoff Molloy for an exclusive multi-course gala dinner, marking the 25th anniversary of Magnolia Hotel & Spa. All proceeds will go to the Central Okanagan Fire Relief campaign.

Imagine Afternoons: You can drop by Victoria Event Centre every Friday to meet new people, play games and engage in lively conversations. The best part? Coffee, sandwiches and baked goods are all free.

Trivia Thursday: Brickyard Pizza is hosting a lively trivia night this Thursday with a bunch of fun prizes to win at the end (among them, of course, delicious pizza). Rally the troops and tuck right in!

Drop Dog Wednesdays: If you’re in the mood for a good hot dog, save your appetite for Smiths Pub - they sell $3 dogs with an endless list of toppings to choose from every Wednesday from 4pm to 10pm.

Herbal Winter Wellness: There’s no better time to fill our pantries with immune-boosting goodies than now—this two-hour wellness class will teach you how to make them.

 💸 Deals

• 2 for 1 fish and chips at Bard & Banker every Monday (with a purchase of a beverage, as if we could even fathom fish and chips without beer!).

• $5 fish tacos and $5 shots of tequila at Craft Beer Market each Thursday, all day, for a match made in heaven.

• $20 prime rib and yorkshire pudding dinner from 4pm to close every Sunday at Oak’s Restaurant & Tea Room.

🧑‍💻 Jobs

  • Second Cook at Hotel Grand Pacific

  • Executive Chef at The Truffles Group

  • Assistant Manager at Second Slice Pizza

  • Restaurant Supervisor at Lure at Ocean Pointe Resort

  • Bartender at Earls

That’s it!

If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, consider forwarding your friend; if not, let us know down below.

What did you think of today's newsletter?

  • 😋😋😋 Tasty and delicious
  • 😕 So so, needs some spice
  • 👎 Send it back

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tasting victoria
Est. 2019Vancouver Island
Don't waste a meal.

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