November 17, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Victoria, Dining
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On November 2nd, 2009 at noon my friends and I went out for lunch at Pescatores Seafood and Grill in order to experience a real west coast gastronomic meal. Having read numerous mixed reviews online yet hearing good things from locals, we were intrigued to find out the truth for ourselves.
Product - Upon calling and making the reservation I was automatically impressed by the professional and friendly manner in which my conversation was dealt with. The product that developed from the moment we arrived was stunning to say the least. The warm, inviting hues of dark mahogany and orange set the mood and raised the bar for all the culinary delights we were about to receive.
Place – My friends and I decided that in order to truly receive a west coast experience, we wanted to go a restaurant that utilized the local farmers, wineries, breweries, and fisheries. We reviewed their website and were awed by the amount of local products they claimed to promote through serving.
Story – Our server greeted us by bringing bread whilst we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. He was courteous, genuine, and most of all, knowledgeable. Being curious about the legitimacy of the websites claims of local product, we had many questions for our server. He was more than capable in expressing opinions on the dishes and wines offered by Pescatores and also made suggested pairings of our chosen dishes with some of their local wines. In the end we ended up consuming Kusshi, Effingham, Whaletown and Fanny Bay oysters.
Delivery - The presentation of the food was more than appealing and whetted our appetites even further. The poached Dungeness crab eggs Benedict were wonderful and laid out in a classic fashion with pan fries. The crepe Pescatores was larger than we were expecting and everyone in our party was able to try some! However the stars of the meal were the oysters! Having never eaten oysters, I was more than a little terrified to try them! But learning from the server’s recommendations and my other group members’ encouragement, I was able to “bite the bullet” so to speak. Let me tell you! There is nothing quite like a freshly shucked fanny bay oyster!
Take Home – My reflection upon our experience at Pescatores is one where I learned a great deal through and about the locality through the food I consumed. As only one member of our group is from British Columbia, albeit not Victoria, we were thrilled to discover a restaurant that was able to endorse sustainability, thus promoting the agricultural economies of the area, and still be a fine dining experience. We all came away with a wonderful last memory and would recommend it anyone wanting to try a variation on classics with some West Coast flair!