Category: Vancouver Island

Great Food from the Heart of Vancouver Island – Locals Restaurant

Posted on by Travelling Wilbys

Good Friends, Good Food, Good Times

One thing I love about living in the Comox Valley (Vancouver Island) is the abundance of locally grown food close to home. Whether it be from your home garden or the plethora of local farms. Local businesses pride themselves on using fresh ingredients which are locally sourced. In this day of endless fast food restaurants and pre-packaged meals, I believe that is a pretty big deal. One local business that does this perfectly is Locals Restaurant.  In fact, they pride themselves for serving “Food from the Heart of the Island”. Now that sounds pretty good to me.

This little gem of a restaurant has been high on my list of places to try since moving to the Comox Valley. I’ve been trying to get my husband there for awhile now, but it wasn’t until we recently had friends visiting from out of town, that we finally made it. It was the perfect excuse. Not that an excuse or occasion is required, we should all treat ourselves once in awhile. It also gave us ladies a reason to get dressed up for a lovely evening out. The restaurant has an atmosphere of casual elegance and what better way to spend a summer evening than with “Good Friends and Good Food”.

This restaurant has a delightful drinks menu and the evening started out with a drink to celebrate long time friendship. I started the evening with one of their house cocktails, a Black Raspberry Mojito. Perfectly refreshing on a hot summer evening.  True to nature, my husband stuck to a pint of beer from a local brewery, of which there are many.  Our friends stirred things up and went all James Bond with the perfect martini – “shaken, not stirred”. They also have a fabulous selection of British Columbia wines, as well as Old World and New World, to pair with dinner. I think you will find one that meets your sipping pleasure.

Dinner choices were many. The Charcuterie Board and the Artisan Cheese Board make for great starters. Dining on the West Coast, you can never go wrong with a seafood choice for dinner. Seafood not your thing, there are a great selection of entries from the Farms and Fields.  Don’t forget, this restaurant prides itself on locally sourced, so you are getting the best of the best, and quality is tops. We stuck to the West Coast seafood, and it was a definite hit.  My Island Girl roots were showing. Two in our group ordered the Locals Seafood Trio and the other two had the West Coast Seafood Pasta. Both dishes were a definite hit. I truly don’t think you would go wrong with anything on their menu, it’s just a matter of preference.

To end the night, we couldn’t pass up dessert to finish the celebration. There are many sinfully decadent choices such as the Chocolate Truffle Cake or the Crème Brule Trio, but I was most impressed with the Locals Pie of the Day. It was an individual short crust rhubarb pie with a scoop of lavender vanilla ice cream. The crust was delightfully light tasting, not at all heavy, and the hint of lavender in the ice cream finished it off perfectly. I’m still dreaming of this pie today.

I am so happy that I can finally cross this restaurant off my Bucket List and add it to my Must Do Again list. It didn’t disappoint and the beautiful, elegant atmosphere made for a lovely dining experience with local flavour. We all had nothing but great things to say about it and would highly recommend for a special evening out, or whatever occasion suits your fancy.

A little history on the Building

Locals Restaurant is in the newly remodeled Comox Valley Heritage building which is known to local residents as The Old House. Much care was taken to preserve as much of the original building as possible and to blend the new with the old.  The Old House is valued as an eclectic example of Arts and Crafts architecture in Courtenay during the city’s first post-war expansion. It was constructed in 1938 as a residence for the Kirk family, and the house features locally produced wood construction with masonry detailing.

1760 Riverside Lane, Courtenay (Vancouver Island), BC

New and Old Memories in Cowichan Bay

Posted on by Travelling Wilbys

It’s hard to pick one place to start blogging about. There are so many reasons I love Vancouver Island. Cowichan Bay is one of those, and the perfect place to start. I want you to be able to feel what I do, as the words gently flow.

See the boats bobbing in the marina. Smell the sea carried on an ocean breeze. Feel the water lapping at your feet or dripping from your paddle as you gently glide through it.  Hear the call of the seabirds flying overhead. And, Yes, I want you to taste the fish and chips at my favorite haunt, sip a glass of wine or a pint while taking in the view, and enjoy the smell and taste of my all-time favorite Ginger Cookie.

Cowichan Bay has much to offer, a little something for everyone. A unique and historic little waterfront community located on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, a perfect mixture of all things I love.

As a child I spent many a weekend down at the village wharf with my family. Life revolved around fishing, and Cowichan Bay was the place to be. It attracted sport and commercial fishermen from all over, all vying for the chance to bring in the biggest catch, and my dad was one of its biggest fans. A salmon fishing capital, long before other places, it attracted the likes of John Wayne and Bing Crosby. It was a fishermen’s dream, and I was a captive audience to it all. If we weren’t heading out in the boat to fish, then we were down at the dock watching the fish come in.

General excitement and chatter was always about who had the biggest fish, where was it caught (as if they would give up their secrets), what did they use to catch it, and how much did it weigh. This is the place fishing stories were built. I remember fishing derby’s, boat festivals, and bullhead fishing. I was never much for fishing, but I’ve gained a huge appreciation for it as an adult.  What I wouldn’t give to have that abundance of freshly caught fish now, especially when you see the jaw dropping prices in the supermarket.

As for the bullhead fishing, that is a story in itself, and a major lesson in frustration.  Heaven forbid if you were anywhere near me.  I could get that hook tangled in anything around me – clothing, boat ropes, poles, myself, and occasionally other people. Maybe it was then I decided I wasn’t a fisherman, but I found my love for the sea. I much preferred to watch the fish swimming around the wharf, the starfish clinging to the rocks, the seals watching you with their puppy dog eyes, or the crabs scurrying about. It was my childhood playground.

Children grow up though, and places change. The fish were gone, the people stopped coming, and Cowichan Bay was lost for a time. It needed time to re-invent itself, and I needed time to realize how much I love this little place.

No longer just a fishing village of the past, it has managed to maintain its history and re-awaken as a trendy little tourist destination. Attracting those that can’t resist the lure of these little waterfront communities. A delight for boaters, kayakers, whale watchers, photographers, diners, artisan shoppers, and those that just want to BE.  I know my husband loves nothing better than a lazy afternoon with the perfect pint, overlooking the marina, at the Cowichan Bay Pub.  The ideal location to watch the comings and goings of the busy little marina. And, yes, you can still head out in hopes of bringing in that elusive Biggest Catch of the Day.

My old memories of Cowichan Bay remain close to my heart, and plenty of new ones have been created. A trip down Island is never complete without a visit. My love for the ocean came from my childhood experiences in places like this. It is part of being an Islander, which I appreciate even more now.

Favourite Things to Do While in Cowichan Bay

A walk on the wharf while enjoying the view and activity of the marina. Fish and Chips at the Rock Cod Café. Fine Dining at the Masthead Restaurant. A casual meal or drink at the Cowichan Bay Pub. Perusing the little shops and local businesses, and so much more.

Find your favorites, visit the village, and see what it has to offer.

Oh, and if you like Ginger Cookies, check out my favourites at the True Grain Bakery in Cowichan Bay, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Vancouver Island, that One Special Place

Posted on by Travelling Wilbys

I genuinely believe that we all have that one special place in our heart that feels like home. It may not always be the place we were born but more the place we feel we belong. That one place that no matter where we are in the world, the second we set foot back in that place, we know we are home. Embracing us like a warm hug, welcoming us back.

To me, that place is Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Yes, I was born here but spent more years away than here, only returning to stay in the last few years. I used to say on each and every visit that as soon as that ferry hit the island, I was home again. As a born mainlander, I do not think my husband ever fully understood it until he started to feel it himself. A few trips to the island were all it took. Washing away the stressors of chaotic city living for a short time.

Do not get me wrong, as a young adult I could not wait to get off the island. Big city living called my name. There were bigger and better things to see and do. I needed to discover, experience, and travel to find my way home. City living has its benefits, and beauty at times but it is hard to find yourself in a sea of so much chaos. I met my husband, we made a wonderful home and created memories, but the island still called.

Travel being a wonderful passion has also opened my eyes to so many new places. Places I have fallen in love with wholeheartedly, but more often than not, they are places that remind me of home. Give me a sandy beach, rugged coastline, spectacular mountain range or a forlorn lighthouse anywhere in the world, and I am at peace with myself.

So, this “Island Girl” is HOME but I should say, “we are home”. My husband has passed his probation to become a true islander. He drank the can of Lucky Lager. You must be a true Vancouver Islander to understand that one. I wouldn’t tell his buddies though as he considers himself a bit of a beer aficionado. I am sure he will be sharing some of his favourites with you in the future.

We cannot wait to share the beauty of Vancouver Island with you, and so much more. Our love of travel brings us to so many incredible places. Life is a little different now due to covid restrictions, but we will eventually see a return to a new normal. Until then, it gives us more time to support and promote local which we love to do.

Vancouver Island has so much to offer.  Amazing windswept shores, sandy beaches, stunning mountain ranges, old growth forest, and wonderful quirky little places to explore.

“A place your feet may leave but your heart will always be”.