Best Fish & Chips ~ Centennial Beach Cafe

Fish and chips cafes in Metro Vancouver are almost a common as sushi restaurants, and many offer their own variations on the traditional working class British fare. It is actually believed that deep fried fish was introduced to Britain in the 1600s CE by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain, and derived from pescado frito. The chips came later, probably sometime around the mid 1800s.


Without doubt the best fish and chips we've encountered this summer is found at the Centennial Beach Cafe . It's part of the wonderful beach park of the same name in Tsawwassen. The sky and beach seem to go on forever, and the fish and chips never disappoint.

In particular, the halibut is excellent.Thick and moist, with a light (almost slightly healthy) batter and not overcooked, this dish is first rate. Perhaps a little stingy on the cole slaw side, and I can't recommend any of the add-on salads, the fish and attending chips are highly recommended. Some of the other menu items are well worth a look too; the chowder looks great, and the views aren't too bad either.

Vancouver Coffee Shops ~ Part 6: VanDusen Gardens

A gem of a place, the coffee shop at VanDusen Gardens is actually Truffles, a company that specialises in event catering in Metro Vancouver. At the Gardens, the location is wonderful, and location is everything. What could be better on a sunny day than to sit outside in such a beautiful setting. Inside... it's a bit utilitarian.




The coffee is good, with all the basic espresso drinks available. Not quite the flavour of Viva Java, or the cool hipness of Elysian, the coffee at Truffles is fine. The service is great. The staff is actually delightful, courteous, helpful and attentive.



There are food items of course, and for a simple lunch of sandwich and soup, or afternoon tea, Truffles is a great place to spend time. And the gardens are okay too.

Full moon over Vancouver ~ July 22

View some other full moon photos from Dawson City, Yukon and Buenos Aires, Argentina on the links below:

Dawson City Journal Moon     Buenos Aires Full Moon     Buenos Aires Full Moon Centro

Sign of the times...

On a street corner in Vancouver...

Lakeside Gardens Resort on Salt Spring Island ~ The gate and more...

Lakeside Gardens is a magical place. It is also a quirky place with a sense of humour. This is not a high tech resort. While wi-fi is available, the signal isn't always strong, which is as it should be: this is a place to get away from phones and tablets.

About twenty years ago, Deb and Mark Toole bought what was then primarily a campground.The campground is gone, cabanas have been been added, and as Mark says, they have "tweaked" things over the years. Many customers have been coming here each summer for years.







St Mary Lake is stocked with trout and bass and some people come for that reason alone. No power boats are allowed on the lake; paddles, oars, sails and small electric motors are the only form of propulsion on the lake. That and swimming.





Nearby are other "resorts" and the home of famous CBC Radio personality Randy Bachman, who always seems to be mowing his lawn (or perhaps that is someone else, one never knows with radio celebrities).

Mark shares a humorous moment with Sherry. Did I say something?

                               
                                                           

Lakeside Gardens has a website, but it's always best to phone or email for information and reservations. That personal touch is part of the charm of the place too.