Tinkerblue

Copper Sky Cafe and Gallery

Michelle came to visit on the Labour Day long weekend. Instead of me cooking breakfast, we decide to grab something on the way to Skookumchuk Narrows. We had no idea where we were going to stop, we just hit the highway and hoped for the best.

 

We passed quite a few places - fancy resort restaurants, pubs, cand cafes before finally settling on Copper Sky Cafe and Gallery in Madeira Park.

 

Love this sign - it's an old fridge door

 

It was a beautiful, sunny day so we decided to sit outside and enjoy.  Breakfast was a choice of eggs  and toast, omlettes, french toast, fried egg sandwiches, homemade granola and a selection of baked goods. I order a banana butterscotch muffin, Michelle went with 2 eggs and toast and jam in her coffee.

 

Inside the gallery

 

While we were were waiting for the hot food, I took a quick look in the gallery side. There was a lot of art that I wouldn't mind having in my non existant house. Photos by Andy Cotton in particular. I could do a big chunk of my Christmas shopping here.  But the only thing I bought was my breakfast.

 

 

The cafe made us laugh. Or more to the point the staff made us laugh. It was like granny was in the kitchen and she was in a foul mood.  She was yelling at the staff, but nobody seemed to mind. It was like a scene out of a movie. You know the scene in a diner, with the gruff cook but good food.

 

 

My muffin was a little dry, nothing some butter didn't fix. Michelle ate all her breakfast so I'm assuming it was good. 

 

 

We'd go back again. Food was good. Price was reasonable. And the entertainment was priceless. 

 

 

Copper Sky Cafe and Gallery

 

 

Chocolates, Hot Pools, Beer and Pizza

I'm almost home. I'm spending a week in Melbourne first with Narelle and Justin and their boys, Dale, Liam, and Tait.

Today I was lucky enough to spend the day with some other friends, Nicole and Brendan.

We started the day with brunch at Blue Mini Cafe in Rosebud. It was delicious and well with the detour to get there - don't ask Brendan for directions, he took us an extra 20+ km down the highway!

After we filled our bellies we headed over to Flinders to Mornington Peninsula Chocolates. See the fish in the photos? They are all chocolate. Nicole and I indulged in the tasting session - almond praline, honey ganache, and orange ganache. Mmmm, the honey ganache literally melted in my mouth. So good. I bought three to take away as a treat for later - raspberry ganache, grapefruit ganache, and ganache noir. The ganache noir was my favourite, I could have inhaled an entire box of them. They are "Stonier vintage sparkling wine with Force Noir Chocolate ganache dipped in dark couverture." I'm not hundred percent sure what all that is, but it was so good.
http://www.mpchocolates.com.au/

We spent the better part of the day at the Peninsula Hot Springs. Here's the description from the website:
"The Bath House has over 20 bathing experiences on offer with areas suitable for visitors of all ages including a Hill Top pool with 360 deg views, reflexology walk, Turkish steam room, sauna, cave pool, family bathing area and many more".

We spent a good few hours here. The outside temperature was 32c, the hot pools were hot, bloody hot, 42c. The cool pools were 31c! It was so nice and relaxing. Rose, are you reading this? It was similar to Scandinave, but more pools and a more natural setting. You'd love it. I liked the view from the hilltop pool, but it was too hot to sit in. The plunge pool was cold, take your breath away cold, but it felt good. Nicole wasn't a fan, but I loved the reflexology walk.
http://www.peninsulahotsprings.com/

We finished the evening off with pizza and beer at the Mornington Peninsula Brewery. I had the Aussie Ale, a medium bodied beer, made only with Australian ingredients. It went down quiet well.

I paired it with the spiced lamb pizza. I miss lamb, don't eat much of it in Canada. I've had it everyday since I've been back. The pizza bases are made with the brewery's beer. They were very tasty. I'd recommend it if you happen to be on the Mornington Peninsula.
http://www.mpbrew.com.au

A great day. Thanks Nicole and Brendan. I needed today.

Salt Tasting Room

A friend of mine told me I need to set goals for myself. Small goals. Baby steps. One step at a time. My goal for this year is to spend more time with friends.

For years now Michelle has been trying to talk us into going to Salt in Gas Town. Dave and I never made it. Finally I did.

On Friday night I went with Michelle, Katie, Rose and Thierry. Michelle, Katie and I started with a beer (Innes and Gunn for me) at the Irish Heather.

We met up with Rose and Thierry at Salt. Cheese and wine. This place is my idea of heaven.

There are various options but I went with the 2 cheese and 1 meat platter. I like my cheeses strong. Like blue cheese, Stilton... Rather than me picking, I just told the waiter what I liked an he brought his best recommendation.

On my plate....

Corned beef with Guinness mustard. Bet you didn't know I like mustard? The grainier and stronger, the better. I ate the whole bowl of mustard and a second. Michelle was horrified and/or embarrassed when I licked the spoon and yes, the bowl.

St Paulin cheese and hazelnuts. This is a soft creamy cheese and mild. It was good, especially with the hazelnuts. I' have like something a little stronger but I'd have it again.

Shropshire cheese and honey. This was my favourite. The Shropshire was suitably sharp and tasty. Add the honey, and it was oh so good. I need to have this in my fridge at home.

I also ordered a wine flight, and again left it to our waiter to match the wine to my cheeses...

Las Perdiers Pinot Noir with the corned beef.
Tellus IGT Marche with the St Paulins.
Kettle Valley Viognier with the Shropshire.

I enjoyed them all. I'd buy a bottle of either one of them.

It wasn't a cheap night. $15 for the cheese/meat platter and $15 for the wine flight. But it was a fun night. I really enjoyed it. And I can't wait to do it again.

Thanks Michelle for the suggestion and for driving (in the snow).

Advent Calendar Day #3 - Treat Yourself to Some Holiday Goodies

I'm a little out of order in posting. Originally I planned to bake some shortbread but working 10 to 12 hour days 7 days a week kind of put the kybosh on that.

So instead I treated myself to a Bratapfel from Das Apfelhaus at the Christmas Market after work.

Mmmm. I had the Black Forest version with the dark chocolate, crumbled biscuits and cherries and the hot vanilla sauce.

Yep, that was dinner. Don't judge.

$30.00 Anniversary Dinner at Araxi in Whistler

We asked my old mate Joern for dinner recommendations in Whistler. His first answer was Araxi.

Normally not in my budget, but right now they are offering a set menu to celebrate their 30th anniversary. A five course meal for $30.00. Yes please.

Even on a Sunday night in the middle of dead season, Araxi was packed. At 7pm the next table wasn't available until 10pm. Unless we were okay sitting at the bar. Umm hello, we ain't fussy, we'll sit at the bar.

First course - a bowl of local corn and basil soup. I inhaled mine. Even Kath who doesn't do soup ate all hers.

Second course was a choice of BC Albacore Tuna Tataki or or Quebec Fois Gras Parfait or Roasted North Arm Farm Beet Salad. All three of us went for the Beet Salad. It had me at blue cheese. Not to mention spiced pecans. More please.

Third course was my least favourite. Hand Rolled Ricotta Gnocchi. I'm surprised I didn't like this dish. Ricotta, I like. Gnocchi, I like. Tomato sauce, I like. Parmiggiano-Reggiano, I like. But not tonight. Ah well 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Moving on to course #4. We had a choice of Yarrow Farm Duck Breast, Beef Tenderloin Steak, Lois Lake Steelhead or Crisp Parmesan Polenta. I had the duck. Nom, nom, nom. God, it was good. I literally licked my plate clean. There was not a crumb left.

What would dinner be without dessert? Two choices, Valrhona Chocolate Fondant or Okanagan Poached Pears. Which one did I choose? The chocolate? Nah, wrong. Me, the chocoholic, I ordered the poached pears. Brandy poached pears, sour cream ice-cream, vanilla mascarpone cheesecake and almond streusel...Shazza and Kath assure me the chocolate was good, but so were the pears.

Finished the evening with a special hot chocolate. We were so very full. Nothing left to do other than roll home.

(excuse the bad no flash iPhone photos, it's all I got).

We Fly For Pie

Raspberry pie at Chilliwack Airport. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

OMG I so new to go for a run this week. Maybe even more than one run.

Murietta's Bar and Grill

I was going through my phone and found a whole whack of photos from the train so....

In Canmore (where the crew spend the night after the guests detrain in Banff), I normally have dinner at the pub right across the road from our hotel.

I should have eaten at Murietta's more often. One of the Guest Service Managers recommended it, and he wasn't wrong.

I started with a California Lemonade - vodka, simple syrup, soda water and fresh lemon juice. So good.

The Courtyard Salad fed my craving for fresh veggies. I'll have to replicate this at home - mixed greens, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, mandarin orange, roasted cashews and an orange ginger dressing.

Main course was Lamb Meatball Spaghetti with Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce. Not a chance of leftovers. I ate every last bite. I love lamb.

I'd eat again. There's also a Murietta's in Calgary and another in Edmonton.

24 Hours in Whistler - Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre

Out last stop on our whirlwind tour to Whistler was the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre.

We stayed overnight at a friend's condo. Our plan was to have breakfast and visit the SLCC before boarding the Rocky Mountaineer back to Vancouver. Considering the train leaves at 3:30pm that should be plenty of time. Right?  Not so much. We were off to a late start. We had under two hours at the cultural centre and that included eating lunch. So we only saw a very small part. I'll definately have to go back.

Just as we were arriving a tour was starting up...

Legends and language
Capture a glimpse of how our ancestors lived by hearing folklore and seeing examples of cultural practices. This tour will provide insights into our connections with the earth and the beauty of our surroundings. 

It took about an hour, and I really enjoyed it. The guide shared many stories from her family and her ancestors, in particular stories from her mother. The tour ended in the longhouse where we each wove a cedar bark bracelet. It's relatively easy to do, but it does make  your wrists sore, and I have no idea how anyone can weave an entire basket. 

 

 

After the tour we went down to the cafe to have lunch. I had Indian Tacos. Instead of tortillas they used bannock, a deep fried bread. It was very good and very filling. Barb had the Venison Chili, which from memory she enjoyed.

 

 

Then it was time to head to Delta Hotel for the bus pick up back to the train station. There was so much of the Cultural Centre that we missed. Next time.

24 Hours in Whistler - Zogs

After spending a couple of hours at the top of the Mountains we needed to grab a bite to eat and warm up. Where did we stop? Zogs.

 

 

Zogs is quick, easy and relatively inexpensive. I've eaten here many times before. Usually after midnight, and after a few beers. I think this might have been the first time I've eaten here sober. Sshhh. It's right at the base of Whistler Mountain so it was convenient. We slit a poutine - french fries, cheese curds and gravy. Sound gross, looks bad, tastes good.

 

 

And finished off with Beavertails. A Beavertail is a heart attack waiting to happen. Fried dough, sugar and various sweet toppings. Rose had something chocolatey and I think mine was lemony. They were good, and induced a sugar high sufficient to last a few hours.

 

Bonchaz

Nope, I am not swearing at you, or giving you a blessing in some strange language. Bonchaz is a coffee bun from the Bonchaz Bakery Cafe.

Up until about 18 months ago Bonchaz was a stall at Farmers Markets and a food cart in Vancouver, now it's a cafe on Hastings Street, not far from Waterfront Station. It smells so good when you walk by.

 

 

 

"The Bonchaz recipe and namesake were inspired by concha, a festive Mexican pastry best know for its soft dough and cookie-like crust."  Maybe that's why I like them so much. They do remind me of the sweet breads we used to eat a lot of in Mexico.

 

 

I had a French Truffle Bonchaz and a hot chocolate. Just what I needed to warm me up on a chilly Vancouver afternoon. I sat and read a gossipy magazine and watched the world go by, while waiting for the next Westcoast Express home.  

 

 Look at all that ooey gooey warm chocolatey goodness.

 

I had a SwamJam coupon for $12.00 that I had purchased for $6.00 sometime ago but hadn't used yet.

 

So I ordered a boxful to go - 2 each of the original (butter and sea salt), apple cinnamon, banana walnut and french truffle. They are best reheated in the oven. They are definitely better hot than cold.

 

 

But they are certainly at their best when eaten baked fresh at the bakey, with steam still circling off the top.