Island's Best series - The Crow and Gate · Monday July 2, 2007 by colin newell
In 1972
something truly magical happened. No, it was not the year I was born. If only.The Government of British Columbia introduced changes to the beverage industry to allow neighborhood pubs in the Province.
Click the image at right for an enlarged view
Like the specialty coffee revolution (currently well underway in Canada) the arrival of the Pub on the Canadian dining scene would forever change the fabric of the eating out experience.
So let’s celebrate shall we? Please raise a glass to one of Canada’s finest pubs (and I have visited a few); The Crow and Gate Pub in Cedar, British Columbia – a few KM south of Nanaimo.
The C&G is somewhat unique in that it is located kind of in the middle of no where. Well, countryside is not exactly in the middle of no where. Close perhaps. It is a bit of a drive for the average Island resident. From Victoria, it is about one and 1/2 hours at the posted speed limit – just under 100 km. Do yourself a favor. Take the Island Highway straight up along the East Coast of the Island, past Duncan, Chemainus and Ladysmith and turn off at the Cedar road exit. Do not panic – it is probably about 12 km down a series of country roads and there are signs everywhere. The Crow & Gate pub is at 2313 Yellow Point Rd., Cedar, B.C.
The Crow & Gate is a very solid copy of an English pub. It is not a Pub Style restaurant by any stretch. It is a Pub. Keep this in mind if you are a family with children. You must be 19 years of age or older if you wish to partake of the food and drink here.
The Food – Everything is made fresh at the Crow & Gate. Nothing comes out of a can. Typical English favorites include Steak & Mushroom, Steak & Kidney Pie, Ploughman’s Lunch, Fried Oysters, Scotch Egg, Melton Mowbray and the like. If you do not like English food at its very best, you are not going to like this stuff. I do and the quality is superlative.
The Drink – The Crow & Gate does not serve watered down American Beer. This is the real deal folks; Kilkenny, Smithwicks, Guinness and a wide selection of local and regional artisan beers are on tap. The beer and the food are the perfect compliment to each other.
My meal – In the photo above, I ordered the Steak and Mushroom Pie. It is, as always, the best I have ever tasted. Perfect pastry surround a wonderful beef stew filling with just the right amount of beef gravy. Each meal comes with a serving of side green salad and potato salad. Pate is an option if you are eating with someone who has ordered a Ploughmans. The Pate here is incredible.
Summary – If you like food and drink (and who doesn’t?) and are visiting Vancouver Island, the Crow & Gate Pub is a must do while you are here. No exception.
In a continuing series on Island food and drink, Colin Newell critiques the best of the best among Island establishments.
Pumpkin Espresso Muffins · Monday July 2, 2007 by colin newell
I wanted to make my Kitchen Sink muffins tonight but I did not do a weekend shop and I had little to no Whole Wheat flour…
I did have 1/2 of a can of Organic pumpkin from a previous muffin experiment; Pumpkin & Praline muffins… Yea, they were good. I will write up those bad-boys when I get a moment.
click on the image at left for a slightly larger view
Anyway – here are the ingredients.
Note – the pulverized Pecan meal is totally DIY – I used the business end of a K-Bar hunting knife and a big-ass stoneware mug in place of a mortar and pestle – you know, to help maintain the manly-man aspect of this recipe.
1 cup White Flour – 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 TSP Baking Soda – 1 TSP Baking powder
Pinch Salt
1/2 TSP ea. – Nutmeg, Cinnamon and ground Ginger
1/2 cup pulverized pecans
1 Egg – 1/4 cup sugar – 1/3 cup Veg.Oil –
1 cup pre-cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup Milk
Instant espresso powder
Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl.
Pulverize 1/2 cup whole or chopped Pecans into powder or meal.
Add to dry mix.
Make a well in center of dry mix.
Beat egg in bowl. Add sugar, cooking oil, pumpkin and milk.
Pour into center of dry mix well
Stir long enough to just moisten everything. Do not over mix.
Divide batter between 12 muffin tins.
Sprinkle tops of uncooked muffin batter with espresso powder.
Bake at 400 degrees (F) for 15 minutes.
Let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm, with butter and lots of hot coffee!
Too innocent to arrest to dangerous to fly 2 · Saturday June 30, 2007 by colin newell
Alistair Butt and Alistair Butt both have the same problem — they can’t fly because of their name.
One Butt is a 15-year-old Ottawa boy — a star athlete and 2003 Ontario junior citizen of the year. The other Butt is a 10-year-old home-school student from Saskatoon who just finished Grade 4.
Both Butts were barred from their flights after their name popped up on a no-fly list, which is intended to flag airline security threats.
Canada’s no-fly list in an obvious waste of time and money that will do nothing for aviation security.
What’s more, when one of the Butt parents asked what they could do to fix this situation they were told:
“...perhaps it would be best to change the child’s name.”
Why? Because the child could be barred for flying for life.
And he will never be told why.
Because it’s a secret.
Fcuk. Fcukity Fcukity Fcuk.
Who stole Canada?
Comment [3]
Too dangerous to fly - Too innocent to arrest · Friday June 29, 2007 by colin newell
The neo-cons I have coffee with every morning do not get it.
“Very few innocent people will be caught in the snare of heightened security at Canada’s airports…”
That is not the point, I keep harping.
Canada’s No-Fly list was a bad idea from the get go.
It needs to be abandoned, scrapped, shelved, whatever.
This is Canada after all – not America.
My coffee buddies argue: “There are only 1000 people on the list right now…”
Yes, I reply. 1000 too many. And there are 5000 other people that have the same name as these people.
And how guilty are these 1000 people on the list?
Well, apparently not guilty enough to arrest.
Apparently we are entering a time in Human history where it is against the law to think about stuff… not actually do anything bad but contemplate doing something contrary to public order.
In some countries, for instance, this blog entry would be considered an act of terrorism.
Boom.
