Despite unseasonably cold and rainy weather, I thoroughly enjoyed a recent jaunt through western Canada that included stops at some of the region’s culinary hot spots. As uncooperative as it was, the cranky climate was redeemed by a virtually uninterrupted stream of fabulous food, not to mention wine. It warmed the cockles of a locavore’s heart.

Things got off to a low-key but distinctive start in BC’s lush Cowichan vally, a hotbed of organic farms, artisanal food producers and burgeoning wineries, about a forty-five minute drive north of Victoria. We were a group of six, headed to Fairburn Farm, a “culinary retreat and guesthouse” near Duncan B.C. Fairburn is home to Canada’s first herd of water buffalo and I was almost as excited by the domestic animal aspect of the experience as its potential gastronomic delights. These personable creatures are adorable and looking into their deep soulful eyes, ignited my never-completely-repressed fantasies of owning a farm.

Although the weather dampened (no pun intended) our enthusiasm for exploring the valley, compensation came in the form of cocktail hour in front of a roaring fire. The rustic living room is very cozy. Views of an exquisitely pastoral landscape peep through the windows and it’s the perfect setting to sink into a sofa with a comforting glass of champagne. Since Fairburn Farm is a BYOB establishment, we arrived with an abundance of wine (and some spirits) to ensure our pairings would do justice to our seven-course dinner. Chef Mara Jernigan didn’t disappoint, providing the ultimate farm-to-table dining experience, from house-made charcuterie to squeaky-fresh asparagus served with the farm’s own buffalo mozzarella.  The melt-in-your-mouth pasta, made by hand on site, was served with yellow tomato sauce, fresh spinach and local scallops, the meat course was the farm’s own lamb and dessert included fennel ice cream made by Mara’s son, Julien.

The next morning, after feasting on a hearty farm-fresh breakfast, we were off to Sooke Harbour House, via Victoria.  While Italian food is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when contemplating the culinary delights of Vancouver Island, it is the home of Peter Zambri, an acclaimed chef who cooks some of the best Italian food I’ve eaten anywhere in his eponymous restaurant, Zambri’s. Peter’s specialty is light, simple and slightly rustic food featuring fresh local ingredients. It’s easy to miss Zambri’s, because like its chef and co-owner, (his business partner is his sister, Jo), the restaurant is extremely unpretentious, even though it has won prestigious awards and glowing reviews.

Seasonality has always been integral to good Italian cooking, so it was quite in keeping to be greeted with a huge platter of just harvested spot prawns in a luscious tomato sauce. Simply splendid, it was a great way to start the meal.  Peter’s house-made charcuterie is also to-die-for and we enjoyed some fabulous sausages, followed by crispy grilled asparagus. The restaurant has an excellent wine list, nicely balanced between Italian and BC wines. As we departed, they were waiting for the arrival of a locally-made gin.

If you enjoy superb food and wine in an environment that envelops you with pampering and the sense of having escaped from it all, Sooke Harbour House may make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven. It’s my second visit to this  “romantic little white inn by the sea” and I plan to return as often as I can. Owners Sinclair and Frederique Philip were pioneer environmentalists and have always been at the forefront of the Island’s emerging locavore culture. It’s soul-satisfying to stay at a place that is so luxurious yet qualifies as a poster location for the principles of sustainability.

Although I still have many places to visit and restaurants to enjoy, in my opinion, the wine and food at Sooke Harbour House is among the best in the world, an opinion that’s shared by hospitality arbiters such as Gourmet magazine, Travel and Leisure and the Wine Spectator who has honored the inn with its highly selective Grand Award, an tribute shared with less than one hundred other restaurants in the world. I never drink anything but BC wines when I’m there because they have the best examples, those that never travel farther than the provincial borders. The food is all locally sourced, either grown in their own gardens or by area farmers and the seafood and fish is freshly caught in local waters.

While I always enjoy good locally-grown ingredients, I’ve now eaten in more than a few restaurants that hide behind the locavore mantra to cloak uninspired presentation. This is certainly not the case at Sooke. Chef Edward Tuson really knows how to cook. He also knows how to delight his audience with charming bits of whimsy that punctuate the menu such as daylilly flowers, gooseneck barnacles and nodding onion oil, not to mention prized. foraged items such as pine mushrooms and various kinds of seaweed, all of which are quite delicious.

This time I didn’t take the seaweed “field trip” under the tutelage of  Diane Bernard, aka “the seaweed lady” because I did it on my previous visit and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  It’s fascinating to hike across the beach at low tide listening to her informed presentation on the various examples of this unusual food, which cling to rocks or sprout from bits of flotsam, such as old logs. Seaweed is extremely nutritious and Diane is a leader in promoting it as a food product, which she sells to local chefs. Because of her enthusiasm, it is now turning up on menus across the island.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end.  We had a great hike up the coast, experienced a mamma bear and her baby crossing the road, and I managed to finish a good book in front of the fire, before departing for Vancouver and points east.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 18th, 2008 at 2:57 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.