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Romantically Wild! 

 

 

Once in a lifetime you experience the trip of a lifetime..........Abigail's Hotel and Eagle Nook Resort & Spa are proud to bring you that trip.  

 

Experience breathtaking scenery and amazing contrasts that Vancouver Island has to offer.  Spend two nights at Abigail's then take an exciting helicopter ride directly to the exclusive Eagle Nook Resort, on the wild west coast.  Accommodation, helicopter ride, return float plane ride and whale watching excursion are all included in this one package that will give you the experience of a lifetime.    

 

Starting from $4,300 per couple 

 

To book or inquire about this package please contact 1-800-760-2777  

 

 

Restaurant Review: There's A lot to Love About Cafe Brio

We recommend so may restaurants to our guests and trust they will have a pleasant experience, but how many of these restaurants have our staff actually experienced first hand?  As the saying goes "the proof is in the pudding", so over the next few months, we will be sending our experienced writer and Guest Service Agent, Kelly, on a culinary adventure and report back to us on his findings.  We will be showcasing his restaurant experiences on our Blog and in upcoming newsletters.  Here is his first review of a staff favourite: Cafe Brio:   

 

There's a lot to love about Cafe

Brio. You walk in the front door and the tastefully dimmed lights envelope you in cool shade. You breathe in 

a deep breath that floods your senses with the knowledge that you've found something special. Try them once and you'll know exactly what I mean. If you're anything like me you'll find a lot too love too.

As for me, I love the atmosphere; I love that the service is quick, affectionate, and knowledgeable; I love seeing the owners, Greg Hays and Silvia Marcolini, busy surveying or gabbing away with guests; I love that the décor is simple and suitable and the hanging art quietly mingles into your view with the smoothness of a well coupled wine selection; I love the price and how the half order of a dish is actually a half order in both size and price-oh so perfect for splitting multiple dishes with a date. But I know what you're thinking: enough about all of that stuff-what about the food?

Fair enough. Let me tell you about my latest trip to Café Brio:

My meal opened with the Romaine Hearts as all meals should at Café Brio. I have to be frank with you: I'm not much of a salad person. I'm a meat eater; born into a family of cattle ranchers and raised with BBQ in my blood, but this is no ordinary salad. Imagine a crisp and flavourful romaine delicately dressed in a sauce that is the height of elegant, dreamy citrus and is decorated with sliced Parmesan and house-made croutons. Put it all together and you have a dish that I will order every single time.

From the salad I went to their Salumi with some trepidation, but settled on the lamb prosciutto. It turned out to be the right choice. Brio's salumis are top notch and generally around five dollars per order-the perfect size and amount to sample and try with a date or with friends. The prosciutto was served up with pickles and two types of mustard, and while both were fantastic I have to say that I was a bit fonder of the spicy than the seeded.

The main dish was the Braised Mussels and Clams, served in shell in a cream and white wine sauce with vegetables and breadcrumbs. This was a revelry of savoury flavour and delight. A single taste of the broth and you will have to spend every ounce of your willpower not to lick the bowl clean.

 

This post wouldn't be about Café Brio if I didn't mention the Olives Ascolane. These are Italian olives stuffed with a meat blend (pork and beef, I believe) and then lightly fried to an amber brown and served up hot. They're fantastic. The recipe is old world tradition all the way from an Italian town called Ascoli Pinceno

 

Written by Kelly Clark  


Chef Matt's Savoury Cheddar and Onion Scones

This is probably one of our most requested and sought after recipes which Chef Matt would like to share with our readers.

 

1/2 lb of all purpose flour

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt 

2 tbs white sugar

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup of good quality cheddar, cut into 1/2 cm cubes

1 cup of heavy cream

 

Knead all the ingredients together by hand until well mixed

Form into a disk, 7-8" in diameter and 1 1/2" thick

Cut into 8 pie shaped pieces

 

Cook in a convection oven on 375 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes   

 

Enjoy! 

 

Events Around Town

Island Farms Victoria Day Parade

May 23

Victoria's largest parade event complete with marching bands, floats, clowns and more. With over 120,000 spectators, it is fun for the whole family. The parade starts from Mayfair Mall at 9:00am and proceeds along Douglas Street finishing at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt in the downtown core.

For more information please call 250-382-3111

 

Swiftsure International Yacht Race

Ship Point

May 28 & 29 

The Swiftsure Yacht Race is the Pacific Northwest's premiere yacht race and has been drawing the best racers to Victoria since 1930. The boats will start coming into Victoria's Inner Harbour on Wednesday, May 25.  The race officially begins on Saturday, May 28.  Clover Point is the best place to view the race.     

Click here for more details 

 

Riverdance

May 30 - June 1

The Royal Theatre

Nothing compares to the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of RIVERDANCE.  An innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song which draws from Irish tradtions. Tickets $86.00, $73.00  

Click here for more details 

 

 

In This Issue
Restaurant Review - Cafe Brio
Savoury Scones
Events Around Town
Social Spaces
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"The Pearl" Spa Spring

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Unveil yourself to the warmth of Spring with Waterfall's, "Summer Prep" promotion;  Book a lower leg wax and receive either an eyelash tinting or underarm wax at no extra charge, or book an eyelash and eyebrow tinting combo for just $25 (reg $32).

Call 1-800-561-6565 to book your appointment with Waterfall 

Offer Expires June 15, 2011