14 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

This summer the former Pablo's Restaurant space (and prior to that, Chongo's) at 225 Quebec Street in James Bay will become the second location of Nourish Kitchen and Cafe, a popular eatery on Quayle Road in Saanich.

 

The building includes three levels, the first two which are occupiable while the top floor will require quite a significant investment to make it usable. A restaurant and a cafe will occupy the building initially and the owners plan to also include a space for yoga classes.

 

This location has been tough for restaurants, but then what works for one entrepreneur may not work for another, so hopefully this goes well for them.

 

[Nparker]

The original Pablo's was great.

Edited by Nparker, 20 April 2015 - 07:47 AM.

[thundergun]

I've heard great things about Nourish but never find myself out that way looking for food. Looking forward to trying out this more central spot.

[Baro]

I remember Chongo's, a lot of the kitchen staff from Bart's that left when the hotel shut the ground floor down for renos.  Bart's food hasn't been the same since, but Chongo's was located in the middle of nowhere hotel district.  Never even heard of the switch to Pablo's and now this.  Most people I know think of this area of town as a sort of void, a place they never have any reason to go to or written off as nothing more than a strip of hotels.  Other than tourists and locals in the neighhourhood it's sort of hidden away and just far enough out of the downtown core to not be on most people's dinner radars.  Tricky location indeed.

[tedward]

It was also Niche between Pablo's and Chongo's. The story I heard was "Pablo" tried to pass it on to his son to run. Lasted a very short time.

[Jill]

^I thought it was his daughter, the one who married Duncan Morrison and renovated the Old England Inn.

[Greg]

Yes. I believe the sequence was Original Pablo's - then Niche (taken over by daughter) - then renamed back to Pablo's to try and save it (still daughter) - then sold (independent party) and renamed to Chongo's. The original Pablo's was successful and frequently fully booked I believe.

[Dexter]

Nourish is indeed up and running. Great place for coffee and lunch. Tried their oatmeal pancakes with nut butter and bacon jam the other day; it was so good I went back twice more for the same thing. Maybe I'll get around to some of the other goodies.

[Rosie G.]

I attended an event at the new Nourish and the food was beyond awful. Waited almost 30 minutes for a drink at the 'bar" which had only one person making drinks for over 60 attendees. The food was so scant as to leave the guests dying for something to eat. One guest left to go eat somewhere else and then came back to honour the person the party was intended for. Hard to believe that the management would think little curls of veggies and hard tack crackers, with tiny amounts of some spreads would be adequate. The hosts told me what they paid per head which made the amounts served even more shocking. I know I won't be heading back there anytime soon. 

[Donna Lockhart]

I was recently a guest at a retirement party of a wonderful Victoria mid-wife. Her party was held at Nourish, 225 Quebec St. I am writing this review to give feed back to any future persons that are thinking about hosting a large/private gathering in this establishment. The restaraunt is charming but the food was awful. We were charged $50 per person. All that was served was rice cakes, pita wedges, finley shaved vegetables & a beet puree that you had to dig around and scrounge for. They lighting over the food corner was horible. No one coud tell what was on the platter. On rare ocassions they would put out a very small platter or meat and cheese. I have never attended a function, especially with that price of admission where the food was so sparce and medicore. In addition there was a no host bar. A glass of wine was $9 and I waited 25 minutes to get it. There were only 5 people in front of me. They were understaffed and disorganized. Better stick to dining off the menu. Completely dissappointed.

[amor de cosmos]

Hayley Rosenberg, the owner/operator of Nourish Kitchen and Café, wasn’t expecting to have her restaurant named one of Canada’s 100 best, but she wasn’t surprised by the honour.

To her reckoning, the café’s approach to food preparation represents the future of dining; a locally sourced, organic, seasonally sensitive selection of environmentally friendly foods.

“We try to support beautiful, environmentally-friendly agricultural practices, and that approach translates into what we put into our bodies and how we approach the world,” said Rosenberg.

The restaurant has been located at 225 Quebec St. for the past eight months but had occupied a much smaller space at the Saanich Horticultural Center for the previous six years.

http://www.vicnews.c.../371401161.html

[Mike K.]

I wonder if they'll be one of Topsoil's customers: http://victoria.citi...dockside-green/

[JanionGirl]

Nourish is a nice spot.  Eclectic to be sure, and you need to check their menu before you go because it's not extensive, but it's a special spot, for sure!

[thundergun]

I went here the other week with a group and everyone really enjoyed their meals. Definitely recommended.

[Bingo]

More at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific.

 

Our company has called this location home for many years now.  It was, at one time, where we witnessed our dreams turn to reality.  Where Nourish Kitchen & Cafe heart started to beat.

http://www.charlotteandthequail.ca/