857 replies to this topic

[nutsinmay]

Did something change with Felicita's? It's still there, but first on your list here.

 

Ah interesting, thanks for totally setting me straight - last time I set foot in there was maybe '89, and I thought I heard in the ensuing decade that it got decommissioned when the the SUB building got significantly expanded on.

Great that it wasn't!

[Nparker]

Anyone remember Henry-O's, in the bank building at Broad and Yates? Gourmet burgers. I like to think its soul lives on at Pink Bike...

Not anymore, I believe the Pink Bicycle is now permanently closed. 

[Mike K.]

What!? No!

[Nparker]

I heard a rumour about PB about 10 days ago, and now it seems as though it is true. 

[Mike K.]

Yeah, looks like it. What a shame, it was a hidden gem.

[Matt R.]

Hidden? Wasn’t it insanely popular and busy? Used to be when I lived in vic.

[Mike K.]

Busy yes, but it was off the beaten path. 9/10 people would have gone to Bin 4 before thinking of PB, I’d imagine. And I guess it ended up that way, ultimately.

[Nparker]

PB had rather limited dining space. It could also get very warm inside.

I also have to wonder if it was another victim of staffing shortages.

[DJP64]

La Ville D’is - Fine French dining tucked away in Bastion Square with Yates Street parkade behind it. Owner later opened Triskele in Parksville, BC.

 

Camilles on Fort Street… Camille retired and at some point the restaurant, under new ownership, relocated into Bastion Square near corner of Langley.

 

Loved Metropolitan diner… remember trout stuffed with banana (true story).

 

San Remo @ Quadra & Hillside was very good in the mid ‘80’s but went downhill a bit if I recall correctly.

 

Cory’s - Bastion Square @ Wharf St. (North side) - fine dining, lunch & dinner, good memories

 

I was a cook/aspiring chef at Cory’s and La Ville D’s and met original Camille before he retired as I worked with his son at a different restarant.

 

 

 

 

[Rujiroj]

Floyd and Floyd's Flying Rhino Diner? Loved that place, especially Friday nights for daal.
Also miss Herald St. Cafe. And the Old Towne Cafe. And La Boheme.

Does anyone know anyone who used to work in the kitchen of the Flying Rhino?

[Niblos48]

I remember Grinders and Chillies. One in View Royal. One in Esquimalt. Dinos next to tillicum mall.

[nutsinmay]

I have asked before but there was a restaurant somehwere around the tourist zone when I was a teenager. They had a burger called the Super Cow it had like a 2 lb patty and was meant to be shared. I think it may have been exec house but but am not sure. this was before I lived here and we used to bug the parents to take us there when in Vic.

That would be the Cultured Cow, at Blanshard and Fort. (or was it Quadra and Fort?) Funny, eccentric, mustachioed proprietor - "One glasas o'moo comin up" - drove around in the first small hybrid I saw in this city, painted white, with black patches, like a cow. Yeah, my buddies and I would have to fast before having one of those glorious Super Cows - The Greatest Hamburger of All Time. Period.

Could be mistaken, but didn't the Longhorn Steakhouse have health violations?

Sure, not a restaurant, but if you're old enouugh to remember the Bacchanalia (even worse - actually patronizing it), then, well, my condolences.

Hopefully the Vic. Curling Club cafetetria will still hold on, just yet.

Speaking of cafeterias, I miss KMart's somewhat bleak Fiesta Grill. Trying to remeber the name of the reasturant, there, that was replaced by a bank, and opened up into a small mall that had a Radio Shack just before you entered KMart.

Heh - the old Racquet Club cafeteria?

I'm sure good ole Humpty's on Bay has been mentioned.

Was there something about the El Rancho being a meeting place for gangster types?

 

 

In the late 70s it seemed that every restaurant or club had some kind of dark, window-less underground cave theme--knights of old (Ivanhoes, Olde England Inn etc.); rich, meaty ethnic German or Hungarian food with dimly-lit, rock-walled grottoes. Industrial themes were popular (The Old Forge, Spaghetti Foundry).

 

 

Heh, did someone say The Medieval Inn?

Edited by nutsinmay, 16 November 2023 - 12:37 PM.

[Nparker]

That would be the Cultured Cow, at Blanshard and Fort. (or was it Quadra and Fort?) Funny, eccentric, mustachioed proprietor - "One glass o'moo comin up" - drove around in the first small hybrid I saw in this city, painted white, with black patches, like a cow. Yeah, my buddies and I would have to fast before having one of those glorious Super Cows - The Greatest Hamburger of All Time. Period...

https://www.timescol...alk-gum-4625814

[nutsinmay]

Interesting! Thanks! Wonder if he's still at the gum removal.

[Nparker]

He's at least 79 now. His best gum removal days may well be behind him.

[Victoria Watcher]

Shane Arsens Obituary

 

 

 

ARSENS, Shane Paul

 

 

August 31, 1954 – December 29, 2024

 

Born on August 31, 1954, Shane spent his early years building tree forts, playing Monopoly, and running around with the neighborhood kids of St.Charles Street. He honed his work ethic early on, working alongside his father at Paul's Motor Inn and the Laurel Point.

In his middle years, Shane's passion for cooking and hosting shone brightly. With his late wife Sylvia and mother-in-law Julia, he owned and operated Hampshire Grill, creating countless memories and meals.

 

Wednesdays were reserved for Boys' Poker Nights, where laughter and camaraderie flourished. Whether it was hosting unforgettable parties or spending summers at Shawnigan Lake, Shane always found joy in bringing people together.

In his later years, Shane enjoyed new adventures, spending time at his Lake Cowichan home Shane and Sylvia built together with their sons. He delighted in hosting legendary Greek parties, live music, fireworks, cooking, fishing, golf, tennis and a game of cards. He also treasured the joy his grandchildren brought into his life. In recent years, he became a snowbird, spending time traveling with his girlfriend Darla and enjoying sunny winters at the home he cherished in Los Barriles, Mexico.

Shane is survived by his children Kristina, Paul, Cody, and Brandon, (Nate, Christina, and Sacha), his siblings Wallace, Lani, Shelly, and Paula; and his beloved grandchildren Riley, Kai, Myka, Bruno, and Carmen. He was predeceased by his son George and his late wife, Sylvia.

Shane's legacy, love of hosting and personal connections will forever live on in the hearts of his many family and friends. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered as a devoted father, loving grandfather, and a man who embraced life to the fullest.

 

 

 

https://www.legacy.c...ary?id=57307018

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 January 2025 - 06:31 PM.

[KMo]

Hi Everyone---some awesome places that were around but sadly closed. Loved Louie Louie's
Does anyone remember if Victoria ever had a Pig & Whistle Restaurant ( pub?) Not sure if was part of the hotel where the Quality Inn is on Blanshard or in the downtown area perhaps around Nootka Court. It would have been in the lat 80's-early 90's. Thanks to anyone who may know the answer

[KMo]

Hi there, my parents (Jake and Julie Moore), and Harry Godfrey worked together at the Harbour Public Market (now Value Village), and ultimately they decided to open a British restaurant together and picked a common UK name, The Pig & Whistle; it was in Nootka Court. Previously , the Great Canadian Steakhouse had occupied that space. My dad did most of the renovations and transformed the space into a British restaurant on one side and a pub/lounge on the other- separated by a corridor of sorts. It was a huge place and there were nightly Scottish themed musical dinner shows on one side and an English piano player/singer on the pub side. My parents are Scottish and Harry was English, so that was part of the allure with them running the place. It was very successful but the owner of the property wanted to sell and so their lease wasn’t extended, and that location was vital to its success. It was a great run though, and a super fun place!!
 

Hi Everyone---some awesome places that were around but sadly closed. Loved Louie Louie's
Does anyone remember if Victoria ever had a Pig & Whistle Restaurant ( pub?) Not sure if was part of the hotel where the Quality Inn is on Blanshard or in the downtown area perhaps around Nootka Court. It would have been in the lat 80's-early 90's. Thanks to anyone who may know the answer