Northwest Travel

Spinnakers is a hand crafted jewel

By Patrick Robinson

The term 'hand-crafted' can refer to many things but it's not commonly paired with the words 'dining experience' This is what my wife and I enjoyed in Victoria B.C. at Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses. The name is accurate because it is definitely a brewpub, in fact the first in Canada, opening in 1984. But Spinnakers is far more.

Hand crafting at Spinnakers includes all fresh food,herbs, breads, chocolates,vinegar and even the sparkling water from their own artesian well. The concentration here is on local, organic and exceptionally high quality food.

The building, designed by architect Paul Hadfield, now the Publican and Owner, sits on a small bluff overlooking Victoria's Inner Harbor. However it is not alongside the other tourist restaurants. Spinnakers is in West Victoria. This is significant because the madding crowd of tourists generally don't venture far from downtown. Now, West Victoria is alive with new construction and is one of the fastest changing places in the city. Yet Spinnakers stands alone as major attraction in this part of the city.

The experts

Our dinner was "Created by: Chefs Jeff Penner and Alison Ryan and Orchestrated by: Librettist Brian Storen." If that strikes you as borrowing from musical theater it is strangely appropriate. Brian Storen, more commonly referred to as their sommelier (in house wine expert), is truly expert in both wines (their list extends to over 130) and beer (they brew over 25 a year in house) plus he understands the chemical poetry of food combination and sequence. Meals prepared here are genuinely 'composed.' much like a piece of music. Storen is also a gifted writer with a degree in journalism. Here's a sample of what he wrote about one wine on their list, a Venturi Schulze Pinot Noir, "Focuses you on something you hate to love: your innate innocence relative to what you are experiencing. Incomparable precision, zero irrigation, forcing the roots to chase moisture to the wet pan thereby hovering up mineral salts to the organically grown fruit. Simultaneously rich and lean in a mason basinet of blackberries. Exquisitely illusive." I tasted it. He's right.

Hand-crafted dinner

Dinner consisted of and I quote from the menu also written by Brian Storen:

"Vancouver Island Rose Creek oysters with craft brewed ipa vinegar & golden beet mignonette"

I would not normally order oysters but the in house made vinegar made them zingingly palatable.

"Grazing down with salad of Sun Wing Farm Saanich grown tomatoes & baby cucumbers reclined in a still warm from the sun bed of mixed Saanich organic greens couching nests of David Woods Salt Spring Island Goat's chevre roosting Metchosin's Butler Farm organic hazelnuts under a barley wine malt vinaigrette showered crown of Saanich Organics turnip chips"

Every part of this salad was intensely good with the vinaigrette very lightly applied.The turnip chips were crunchy, the julienned carrots sweetly crisp and the chevre fresh and smoothly textured.

"sustained by paradox under honeysuckled floral meanderings & cumulus nimbus cloud density of Similkameen Valley's Orofino Vineyards 2005 GewŸertzraminer. The most refined honeydew misted elegance in a bottle imaginable by John & Virginia Webber from their, 'only one in Canada straw hay bale' built, zero echo impact winery."

This wine had such a powerful bouquet that I seriously thought some flowers had been delivered to a nearby table . If you like GewŸertzraminer, find this wine and buy it.

Throughout this dinner other flavors were presented in the form of tasting size beer glasses. To wit:" Spinnakers' infamous, English pale & crystal malted, horizon & east kent goldings hopped Extra Special Bitter, sighted as "one of Canada's top beers" by Maclean's Magazine for its copper -hued, satiny dry ripped muscular finish."

Next was some pork tenderloin which was appropriately toothsome with an edge of salt contrasting it with natural sugars in the currant compote, "Port Albernie pork tenderloin reclining Diva like, on a locally foraged oyster mushroom pancake under a nest of Saanich Organic's braising greens and last season's black currant compote."

After the tenderloin another taste of beer (Jamiesons Scottish Ale to be precise, quite strong) and then, "Rare seared egg wash bathed juniper berry & Red Fife flour crusted Faulkland B.C. venison loin sprinting over parsley creamed pancetta & locally foraged Morel mushroom risotto." . The venison was tender, with the juniper berry bursting through the browned flour crust and the risotto was round and rich, letting the Morel flavor dominate. Toward the end of the meal they did something I wish more restaurants would do. Instead of the usual dessert tray full of what appear to be plastic coated cheesecake and tirramissou they brought hand crafted chocolates. Presented were "Wasabi ginger white chocolate truffle feeding the frenzied fog of Iceberg Ale brewed with Willamette Valley hops underpinned by Salt Spring Island Moonstruck tom d'or.

-Lavender Aphrodisiac truffle beckoning Unsinkable Molly Brown brewed with hops from the Yakima & Willamette Valleys sustained by the boney dry personality of Comox camembert

-Black currant truffle & Titanic Stout & under the star dazzled luminosity of our 'Erotica' theme Mon Cherrie ale from cherry tress in the brewpub yard resting at the bottom with Salt Spring Island Moonstruck blossom's blue."

And for the final dish, "house made Basil Ice cream float with Brazen Blackberry Mead from Tugwell Creek Meadery."

That's right it was basil ice cream (very light and refreshing) in blackberry mead. The contrast between the herbal richness of the fresh basil and the sweetness of honeyed blackberry mead kept alternating as the ice cream itself melted.

Don't think however that Spinnakers is some kind of purely gourmet restaurant priced outside the range of average diners. The most expensive item on the menu is the 9 oz. Strip Loin Steak at $21 and they feature a wide range of 'normal' and well priced pub fare.

Guesthouses

We also stayed in a room of one of the aforementioned guesthouses. Spinnakers has nine places to stay with a few that can accommodate four people. There are two heritage houses (restored historic buildings) and one more contemporary apartment style building all within easy walking distance from the pub. These are quiet, nicely decorated rooms but while they have wi-fi internet capability there are no televisions (though I understand they will provide one on request). We liked the room we had in the 1884 Heritage House (#2) which is equipped with a fireplace, jetted tub,queen size bed and access to a brick patio. The mattress was firm but we slept very well. Spinnakers provides you with in-room breakfast, brought in a basket at the time you request, consisting of whatever is freshest from the bakery, some fresh squeezed orange juice (what else!) and some kind of fruit or granola. Truly fresh food for breakfast really starts the day out right.

Rates and more info

The room rates run from $149 to $249 depending on the season and the room.

If you plan on a visit to Victoria B.C. go to Spinnakers. It's absolutely a special experience.You won't find a brochure extolling the virtues of Spinnakers at the B.C. visitors center. They have a solid reputation for outstanding food, excellent wine and beer that puts them in a class by themselves.

For more information visit http://www.spinnakers.com.