More Eatery (Campbell River, BC)

A lifetime ago I wrote a rambling treatise on how to stay sane in the culinary industry. I’ll spare everyone and summarize what, back then I thought would save cooks from burning out in a pre-covid world that already had it in for our tortured little industry: Love. You really had to love eating and kitchen folk and the process of cleaning, prepping and transforming food. I’m ashamed to admit it but despite my own words etched into the internet, I abandoned my tribe nearly two years ago after losing the love.

Fortunately people much smarter, more resourceful and talented stuck around. People like Joe, Carmen and the team over at More Eatery love what they do and do a damn fine job of it. They opened a restaurant in the middle of the pandemic, in a small town that often doesn’t understand good food, in the abandoned location that housed a legendary local diner. Any one of these factors alone would have smothered a fledgling kitchen, but they quickly clawed their way to the top of the town’s eating scene and have had a regular clientele since, me included.

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Sessions Taproom and Kitchen (Campbell River, BC)

A couple days before our Ace Brewing adventure, our crew met up at a Campbell River joint to plan some of our holiday adventures. Sessions Taproom and Kitchen had been suggested to me numerous times but despite biking by it to and from work for two years I’d never had a chance to sit down and enjoy it’s hospitality.

Shame on me for such an oversight. Not only does Sessions deliver an exceptional lounge/drinking experience, but it has – I’m not messing around here – the best pizza in our town.

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Beachfire Brewing and Nosh House

beachfire-1It’s been little over a year since all the rumours about a CR brewery were confirmed and the buzz amongst local food ‘n beer nerds began. The survey followed quickly after and the anticipation grew, then came the zoning meetings and it grew a bit more. By late spring we were a frenzied mob! Our Lucky-lovin burg was getting into the craft brew scene, just like the big boys… Then it was quiet all summer long.

Boom, clang! Like a ninja the Beachfire Brewery and Nosh House appeared and opened for business seemingly overnight without me or many of my fellow industry folks noticing. Its beer time kids! I hopped on my bike after an early admin day and beelined to a block of downtown I haven’t visited in years.

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Winter Kaiseki Night @ Wasabiya

Kaiseki Course 3On a Monday night just before the Christmas holidays, an entire roomful of food service professionals (if any member of our clan can be called that) sat down to a very special dinner at Wasabiya Japanese Sushi Cafe in Campbell River.

Our illustrious guests were the kitchen and front-end staff of Quay West Restaurant and Catering, who had just hosted our Christmas party the night before. Chef Marc McGraw’s only request for the night’s food: “Make it something really unique, something Japanese… Stuff they may never have the opportunity to eat again.” Read More