For The Love Of Prawns
As the Feast BC photographer I will be a part of the official and unofficial adventures that ensue. I have spent the last few evenings with Peter Zambri who is chef and owner of the acclaimed Zambri's in Victoria. He is truly a brilliant chef and great company to adventure with. Last night we hopped on a float plane with a couple guys from Shelter Restaurant and flew to Ahousat to meet up with a prawn boat. If you are at shelter tonight you just may find one of these delicious little guys on your plate. Peter will be cooking and as you can see... he loves the spot prawn.
Fresh Food
Lisa is the culinary master and owner of Sobo Restaurant. When I think of her food two things come to mind: FRESH. Only the finest and freshest ingredients make it into her kitchen. The second is FISH TACO. Back in the days of the dusty parking lot and the Sobo bus I was introduced to my first fish taco ever. I am admittedly a creature of habit but am mildly embarrassed to say that of the 200 or so times I have eaten lunch at Sobo I have never tried anything but the fish taco; it really is all I want. The dinner menu is open for exploration always but Sobo lunch only means one thing for me. Two fish tacos and a cookie. Thank you Lisa for the love you put in your food.
Professional Food Lover
Where there is a social gathering you can almost bet that Bobby will bring oysters. He prefers his working title to be read "professional food lover" as his job has many facets in and out of the kitchen. From teaching elementary school kids the fundamentals of sustainable, healthy food to private cooking classes for adults he is always smiling. Bobby is also the Community Food Coordinator for the Tofino/Ucluelet Culinary Guild where he sources food from fisherman, foragers, farmers and distributors who are all about value. A quote by Oscar Wilde I found in Bobby's bio seems to sum it up nicely. "nowadays everybody knows the price of things and the value of nothing". Thank-you Bobby for keeping our food real.
In The Front Line
Trish has bravely taken on the inevitable chaos of planning a month long festival. This is the woman behind the scenes of Feast BC. I've always had a lot of respect for someone that steps forward to be responsible for so many intricate details and certain last minute changes. Event planning is something only a small percentage of people can do. Thanks for all your hard work Trish.
For The Love of Food and Wine
When I think of Artie the first thing that comes to mind is family man. A family man with a great appreciation and knowledge of wine and pairing it with his wife's magnificent culinary creations. He and his wife own and operate Sobo (Sophisticated Bohemian) restaurant. I have been a regular customer of Sobo since it was a bus in the dusty parking lot behind Beaches Grocery. Since, it has evolved into an award winning venue for dinner and become a locals hot spot. They have certainly earned their place in the high ranks of Canadian cuisine. Nice work!
Comfort Food
There is certainly no shortage of great seafood to be had here on the coast. I do love seafood but I really love a good hunk of slow cooked meat. Vince is the chef and owner of The Spotted Bear Bistro in Tofino. He shares the same appreciation for meat as I do only he possesses the skills to take it to the next level. His objective is comfort food. Combine that with one of the most comfortable rooms in town and you're in for one great dining experience.
Tofino Roasting Co.
I have known Mike for many years now. We've played music together and even worked as photographers together. Over the past winter Mike has been working very hard perfecting Tofino's very own organic, fresh roasted coffee. I can admit that I am a coffee snob on some level so when I tried Mikes coffee and smiled, he knew it passed my test. Tofino Roasting Co. is located on Industrial Way across from the brewery. We Tofitians now have fresh coffee for the morning and fresh beer for a nightcap. All located just around the corner... life is good.
Best Cooking Show Never Created
Nick loves food more than anyone I know. I can honestly say that the three best meals I've ever had were cooked by this man. Watching him cook is not only a delight to your senses but hilarious and highly entertaining. Sort of like the best cooking show never created. He is the Chef De Cuisine at the Wick Inn's Pointe Restaurant in Tofino and is launching a new menu today. This is a dinner experience that should be had at least once. It really is more than just food.
Out To Sea
Jeff is the fish man behind the Wildside Grill. He is also the man who is behind 90% of the fish that makes it into my oven or onto my BBQ. I was lucky to catch him with this moody sort of lighting. His boat was actually running in this image as he is minutes away from going fishing for spot prawns. If you're lucky some of them may end up on your plate.
May the Feast Begin.
As yesterday was the official kick off to Feast BC I thought I'd center my blog around food people for the next week or so. I love food. If you love food then this month is the perfect time to be in the Tofino/Ucluelet area. This stoic looking gentleman is Joel. He is the chef at Shelter Restaurant and a stoked surfer. I think his car was in a movie recently... which I guess makes Joel and his surfboard the cars entourage.