A week of food, people and good detours around B.C.
This week took me from CooksCamp in Pemberton to Diver’s Catch in Steveston, then out to Abbotsford in search of good autumn eating. It was a full, properly B.C. kind of week: thoughtful conversations with people who care deeply about food, a dinner worth lingering over, a first taste of a new cider and one breakfast sandwich I am still thinking about.
There are weeks when the calendar feels like a list of obligations. Then there are the ones that remind me why I like saying yes to the long drives, early mornings and last-minute packing. This was the second kind.
Where I went
CooksCamp in Pemberton was the heart of the week. There is something restorative about getting a group of chefs, growers, producers and hospitality people together somewhere that makes everyone slow down a little. The setting helps, of course: mountains, farm country and the particular feeling that the day’s conversations might just carry on around a table after dark.
Later in the week, Diver’s Catch at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery offered a different but equally welcome kind of food gathering: seafood, cider and a beautiful historic setting in Steveston. It was one of those evenings that makes you stop and appreciate just how much food culture in this province is connected to place.
What I ate
Two Pemberton meals stood out for entirely different reasons. Fish and Rice was once again a treat. The Pemby Roll with wild salmon, tuna, scallop, avocado, crunchy and spicy mayo and soy sheet was excellent, as was the kimpara, a carrot and burdock root salad and takoyaki. A perfect little dinner trio.
Beer Farmers came with the gorgeous mountain-and-farm-country backdrop that makes the drive up feel so worthwhile. I didn’t actually eat the burger, just stole a shot from a neighbouring table, but the rosé and hibiscus sour was exactly right after a long day outdoors: tart, floral and refreshing, with a view that made it very easy to linger, but dinner was calling.
Then there was the breakfast sandwich at Steam and Sugar during Taste of Abbotsford. More accurately, it was a cheese scone with ham and egg, and it was exactly the kind of thing that makes you immediately understand why people are willing to detour for breakfast: rich, flaky, warm and completely satisfying.
Taste of Abby’s night market was equally full of reasons to linger. I loved the chicken ragù from Chef’s Acre, the corn risotto from Restaurant 62 and Ripples Winery’s ginger gin—a bright, unexpected combination that felt made for an early-fall evening.
What I’m sipping
I finally had the chance to try Sea Cider’s Serendipity 01 this week. It is the inaugural release in a new small-batch series, made with apples, juicy apricots and a delicate lift of elderflower. Bright acidity keeps its semi-sweet fruit character refreshing, rather than heavy, and the name felt exactly right for the moment: a happy discovery, and one I was glad not to rush.
At Beer Farmers, we kept things simple and drank beer while eyeing the burgers that looked particularly good coming out of the kitchen. My favourite pour was the rosé and hibiscus sour: tart, floral and exactly right after a long day.
Editor’s note: I work with Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse.
On my bedside table
One of our newest cookbook arrivals is by Alex Snodgrass, and I have been enjoying the simple pleasure of sitting down with a new book before deciding which recipe to make first. Its 100 recipes are built for real-life cooking, from make-ahead breakfasts and filling salads to skillet and sheet-pan dinners with shorter ingredient lists and fewer dishes to wash. A good cookbook should make you hungry, certainly, but it should also make ordinary dinner feel a little more possible. I will report back once I have cooked from it.
What I’m driving
The Nissan Pathfinder Platinum has been a genuinely useful companion for a road-heavy week. Between luggage, cider, event gear and the accumulated odds and ends of a working trip, I appreciated not having to negotiate every bag or bottle before getting in the car. Its seven-seat layout, with second-row captain’s chairs, makes it especially workable when people and cargo both need space. The 3.5-litre V6 produces 284 horsepower, while Intelligent 4×4 and a 6,000-pound maximum towing capacity give it the proper all-weather, load-it-up credentials for weekends beyond the city. It has the kind of room that makes a busy week feel less fiddly, which is more of a luxury than it sounds.
Looking ahead
Next up is Cowichan for Harvest Table and Merridale. For now, I am still holding onto this week’s best bits: campfire conversations in Pemberton, a memorable dinner, a first sip of something new and a breakfast sandwich worth driving for.
What have you eaten, sipped or discovered lately that made your week better?
