Dry Stone Bridge at Dominion Brook Park

We stopped by Dominion Brook Park to see how the dry stone footbridge construction was progressing. The wooden frame was being assembled in the parking lot and masonry work being done on the creek bed. Water is being diverted during building. When completed, the bridge will be 15 metres (16 feet) long, 1.2 metres (4 feet) wide and have a 2.4 metre (8 foot) span. The design is a traditional Scottish style and locally quarried granite and fieldstone will be used. 

North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival: Part 2

Checking the locations of places I wanted to visit, I decided to take the bus to the furthest place and walk home instead of riding my bike.

Sidney Laboratory - Centre for Plant Health
(Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
8801 East Saanich Road, North Saanich, V8L1H3

Established as one of Canada's Dominion Experimental Farms in 1912, the centre's main functions are now quarantining imported fruit trees and plants, researching and developing tests for related viruses and serving as a repository for "virus-tested clones of important commercial varieties for export certification".  Heavyweight science is happening here but research staff, Michael Rott, Ismail Abdulahi (centre of photo below), Allison Gratz, & Harvinder Bennypaul, make it interesting and accessible to tour participants.

Dominion Brook Park
8801 East Saanich Road, North Saanich
V8L 1H3

Retired educator, Ian Cameron, led our group on a very informative walk through this 11-acre park that was established in 1912 as an arboretum and ornamental garden.  The park is being restored and maintained by a non-profit society called Friends of Dominion Brook Park in cooperation with the Federal and District of North Saanich Governments. There are some incredible and rare specimens that are thriving in our microclimate, including the Cedar of Lebanon seen here.

Roost - Farm Bakery and Vineyard Bistro
9100 East Saanich Road, North Saanich
V8L 1H5

Many local shops and restaurants are experiencing difficulty in hiring and keeping staff and the NSFTF has brought a lot of folks to the Roost this morning but I am still shaking my head after this experience.

I order a "Half and Half Combo" which promises a half-sized salad, bowl of soup and a slice of focaccia bread.  I order the spinach salad and mushroom soup.  The server apologizes that they are out of focaccia and offers me a choice of other breads and I pick multigrain.  When the soup and salad arrive, I notice that it's mixed greens and not spinach but think "no biggie" and let it go. Twice the server assures me that the toast will be coming soon. After about twenty minutes, by which time I have finished eating my food, a slice of untoasted bread arrives. Again, in itself not a big problem but when you're paying $12 for a light lunch, you want what's advertised. I call over a hostess and ask "Am I missing something? I waited twenty minutes for this and it's not even toasted". She defers to a manager who sits down and my table, apologizes, explains that the kitchen is "overwhelmed" and offers me a 15% discount and complimentary cookie.  The last time we were at the Roost, we made a game of counting how many times the servers said "sorry" to customers. Not sure if the root problem is with staffing, training, supervision or a combination thereof but I would hesitate to bring guests to the Roost and won't be rushing back anytime soon.

North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival: Part 1

Hubby was away at a vintage car racing event in Mission BC so I decided to check out a few stops on the NSFTF on my Brompton bicycle, Ruby.

Snowdon House Gourmet Gifts
1890 Mills Rd, North Saanich, V8L 5S9

I purchase some Blueberry Cinnamon Fruit Infusion Vinegar and Douglas Fir Infused Vinegar at promotional prices and order a
yam & lentil wrap and a bottle of lemon verbena water for lunch. I have to remind myself that I'm not in the big city anymore when service is a bit lackadaisical. While waiting for my food to appear, I get chatting with a family from the US and enjoy watching the antics of the free-range chickens.

The Fickle Fig Farm Market
1780 Mills Rd, North Saanich, V8L 5S9

There's something about the internal layout of this place that I find discombobulating so I grab a Salted Caramel Brownie, $4 to take home and head back out on my bike.

Holy Trinity Anglican Church
1319 Mills Rd, North Saanich, V8L 5T2

The brochure promises complimentary tea/coffee, scones with local berry preserve and cream starting at 2 pm. While waiting for the church hall to open,  I get chatting with a charming group of local women who invite me to sit with them. After this delicious treat,  we proceed outside at 3 pm for a guided tour of the historic cemetery which highlights founding families, local business people and well-loved characters. I finish off a very interesting afternoon with a look at the interior of Holy Trinity Church which was consecrated in 1885.

Victoria Lavender Farm

After reading in the local paper that Kent, UK native Alan Mayfield will be scaling back operations at Victoria Lavender Farm, we decide to pay a visit. The farm will be closed to the public after this weekend's North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival, however, the shop on Beacon Ave in Sidney will remain open.

The farm is also home to a herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, peacocks (regular and white), ornamental pheasants, and a number of dogs. I have to admit that the idea of participating in "Goat Yoga", a regular activity here,  does not appeal to me personally.

While hubby & Alan get into car talk, I choose three lavender plants, which have been discounted by 25 %, for my garden. Unable to decide which gourmet product to try, I opt for the sample pack which has four 60ml sized jars:  Lavender Raspberry Jam, Lavender Honey, Marmalade, Jelly.



Read the newspaper article here. 

The Roost Vineyard Bistro and Farmhouse Bakery

We cycle out to the Roost for hubby's birthday lunch. I'm proud of myself as I conquer a fair sized hill in second gear. No Polkadot Jersey yet though. En route we stop to pick blackberries which grow so abundantly in the area, people consider them as garden pests.

The Roost offers two options, table service and full menu in the bistro and counter service for baked goods and drinks. We chose the former and are quickly seated. I ask for cranberry juice but the server comes back and says they won't have any for a few minutes, I ask for water instead (their loss). Hubby channels Rick Nelson and chooses the "Garden Party" pizza that comes topped with tomato sauce, mixed mushrooms caramelized onion, roasted garlic, mozzarella, Edam and fresh dill, $17.25. I order the soup & salad combo picking lentil tomato soup, spinach & berry salad and Russian Rye bread, $9.75. Everything is fresh, tasty and well presented. Total including tax and tip $32.60. Recommended.

The Roost Vineyard Bistro and Farmhouse Bakery
9100 East Saanich Road, North Saanich, BC
Open daily from 7 am - 8 pm

PS: Blackberry & Apple crisp with plain yogurt I made with the berries we picked.

Melinda's Biscotti

A biscotti factory in a business park may not be the obvious choice for brunch but then again Melinda Cownden is not your average entrepreneur. Her success story is a remarkable one. She started selling her biscotti to family and friends, moved on to local coffee shops and then expanded to grocery stores. Demand grew so much she and husband Alun Hodgson started up this commercial production bakery and added a cafe at the front. She writes, "Dreams are built on hard work and dedication and the team at Melinda's Biscotti is happy she never gave up."

I try the Green Goddess Bennie (pictured here) - avocado, poached eggs, pesto hollandaise on an English muffin - with hashbrowns on the side, $12.95. Not an obvious flavour combo but truly delicious. Hubby opts for the Breakfast Burrito which is packed with veggies, scrambled eggs and cheese, $9.25, and is equally tasty.   Add two bottomless cups of coffee, tax, tip and special deal on a six-pack of assorted biscotti = $40. Recommended.

Melinda's Biscotti
101, 10134 McDonald Park Rd, North Saanich, BC
Open Monday to Friday 7:00 - 16:00, Saturday 8:00 - 15:00, closed Sunday. For breakfast, lunch, coffee and biscotti.