S M A L L D I S H E S

SOUP OF THE MOMENT beer and onion cup 4 bowl 8

ROOT CHIPS sweet chili aioli 8

FRITES sweet chili aioli 8

OLIVES chili, mint, orange 5

DULCHE DE LECHE cambozola, toast 6

B O A R D S

CHARCUTERIE bison & jagermeister terrine, pork cretons, chicken bourbon mousse 14

CHEESE PLATE ash ripened camembert, hilary’s you boo blue, chevre with fig syrup 15

olive fig tapenade BRUSCHETTA, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese 10

S A L A D S

SPINACH prosciutto, balsamic reduction, goat cheese, crispy onions 12

MIXED LEAVES white grace cheese, candied pecans, vanilla pear vinaigrette 9

roasted beet and goat cheese TERRINE, truffled honey vinaigrette, sesame cracker 10

grilled CAESAR, gem lettuce, croutons, balsamic dressing, pecorino 9

ENDIVE SALAD apple, bacon, blue cheese, mustard vinaigrette9

V E G E T A B L E S

roasted delicata SQUASH, maple glaze 6

roasted POTATOES, chorizo, salsa verde, goat cheese 6

crispy fried BROCCOLI, cilantro mint vinaigrette, crispy shallots 6

risotto ARANCINI gorgonzola, mushrooms, scallion oil 11

goat cheese GNOCCHI, forest mushrooms, pecorino 12

S E A F O O D

dungeness CRAB FRITTERS salsa verde aioli, fennel peashoot salad 15

TUNA TATAKI togarashi, cilantro mint vinaigrette, crispy shallots 12

manilla CLAMS, chicken sausage, squash, miso, saltspring pale ale 16

albacore TUNA, lentils, brussel sprouts, pickled beach mushrooms, bacon cider jam 15

M E A T

buttermilk fried QUAIL, grits, braised greens, maple 15

braised LAMB BELLY, roasted corn, farro risotto, caramelized onions 16

smoked CHICKEN WINGS, maple chili glaze 14

GRILLED CHEESE, pulled pork, white cheddar, root chips 12

ginger hoisin PORK RIBS 15

F L A T B R E A D S

SINATRA tomato, basil, buffalo mozzarella 13

LIBERACE figs, prosciutto, caramelized onions, goat cheese 15

FEATURE jerk chicken, pineapple chutney, white cheddar 13

A travelogue by Ronald Holden

Originally published on the blog Cornichon.org

November-December 2009

Victoria’s Secrets (III of IV): Stuff of Superior Dreams

Just a few blocks from the well-known tourist attractions of Victoria (Empress, Royal BC Museum, Parliament Buildings, Undersea Gardens, Wax Museum, etc.) lies James Bay, the oldest residential district (north of San Francisco) on the west coast of North America. And it’s here, on a damp, overcast Wednesday night, dolled up in vintage attire, that Cornichon and Hedonista found yet another treasure: T

he Superior. HEDONISTA says: Ever since I first tried this wonderfully whimsical place, I’m now happy to say that I’m as close to a regular as one who now lives in Seattle can be. A small plates eatery with a focus on small local food producers and BC beer and wine, The Superior supports local artists and musicians. From the peaceful patio to the always-interesting interior, The Superior - which opened in October 2005 – is all about the ambiance. In fact, the entire restaurant serves as owner Lisa Boehme’s own personal canvas, which she redesigns seasonally (or whenever the mood takes her). Her goal as an artist and visionary: to challenge people to think outside of the box, to change the way one thinks and, by doing so, to make the world a better place. Much like the interior and exterior, the menu at The Superior Café is also a blank canvas; for, here, art is food and food is art. Not over the top, mind you – just good, creative-yet-simple small bites served up with an artistic eye. They do weekend brunches (10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) and evening meals Tuesday through Sunday (5:00 p.m. ’til “late”). (They don’t currently do lunches.) They do offer a “soup of the moment.” And their menu changes up weekly. In the evenings they host art and cultural events, be they movies, music, or even dating games. That night – in my crushed black velvet dress, black stockings and patent leather Mary Jane-heeled shoes tied with black ribbons – we enjoyed the 1941 flick TheMaltese Falcon – complemented by their version of a Cosmopolitan, sans rose: white cranberry juice, cointreau & vodka, served up with a lime wedge. Very nice – think gin & tonic meets lemonade…. Their noshies are very pleasant – their root chips, for example, get on like a house on fire with their beer, wine, and spirits … not to mention their film noir (think a creativelyclassy alternative to the traditional movie fare of potato chips and popcorn).

CORNICHON says: Film Noir night at a cafe just off the Inner Harbour. Film noir as in Bogie. It’s been almost three-score years and ten since the great writer-director John Huston and his gang of players (Bogie, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre) launched their concept: hard-driving, fast-talking, high-contrast urban adventures. Guns, dames, cigarettes, booze. Quick cuts interspersed with long, long takes. Actors who created dark characters; scripts that told a dark story. Thus does Cornichon find himself, of a Wednesday evening, in ascot & leather jacket, watching the iconic Maltese Falcon. Best supporting actor fo

r Greenstreet in his first movie. Bogie misquoting Shakespeare (“The stuff dreams are made of”) as the elevator takes Mary Astor away. Lights up and The Superior’s owner, Lisa Boehme, appears. We recognize her–don’t we?–from Toulouse-Lautrec’s sketches of Paris nightlife: a savvy dame who plays the role of a slightly loopy femme fatale. Superior’s lofty space across from Fisherman’s Wharf Park was built as a gathering spot for under-age, off-duty seafarers; later it became a Unitarian church. Now it’s an arty restaurant, an elcectic performance venue and unofficial community center. Hundreds of shoes festoon a tree in the courtyard: a fundraiser for battered women, an expression of Lisa’s open-hearted, California-girl, earth-mother personality. There’s food and drink here nightly, as well as a popular weekend brunch. Organic, of course. A “culinary artist” named Torin Egan’s in charge of the kitchen. But the spirit of the place comes from Lisa, self-described “visionary,” who has the creativity to keep all the wheels spinning without going off the tracks.

The Superior, 106 Superior St., Victoria, BC, 250-380-9515

click here to read other articles from this post

S M A L L D I S H E S

SOUP OF THE MOMENT maple bourbon pumpkin cup 4 bowl 8

ROOT CHIPS sweet chili aioli 8

FRITES sweet chili aioli 8

OLIVES chili, mint, orange 5

DULCE DE LECHE, toast, cambozola 6

B O A R D S

CHARCUTERIE chicken liver mousse, ham hock terrine, bison & jagermeister terrine 14

CHEESE PLATE ash ripened camembert, hilary’s red dawn, smoked goat cheese 15

olive fig tapenade BRUSCHETTA, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese 10

S A L A D S

SPINACH prosciutto, balsamic reduction, goat cheese, crispy onions 12

MIXED LEAVES white grace cheese, candied pecans, vanilla pear vinaigrette 9

grilled GEM LETTUCE, buttermilk ranch, pumpkin seeds 9

roasted beet and goat cheese TERRINE, truffled honey vinaigrette, sesame cracker 10

V E G E T A B L E S

roasted TURNIPS & KOHLRABI, salsa verde, pecorino 6

crispy fried CAULIFLOWER, kimchee vinaigrette, apple 6

baby golden and white BEETS, beet greens, fig glaze 6

risotto ARANCINI gorgonzola, mushrooms, scallion oil 11

S E A F O O D

dungeness CRAB FRITTERS salsa verde aioli, fennel peashoot salad 15

salt spring island MUSSELS, tabasco butter, squash, phoenix lager, parsley 16

TUNA TATAKI togarashi, cilantro mint vinaigrette, crispy shallots 12

beer battered OYSTERS, pickled mustard seed aioli 12

LING COD, squash puree, tuscan kale, beach mushrooms, bacon cider jam 16

M E A T

grilled PORK BELLY, pumpkin brioche, red onion slaw, root chips 12

braised SHORTRIBS, white polenta, brussel sprouts, cranberries 16

smoked CHICKEN WINGS, maple chili glaze 14

GRILLED CHEESE, pulled pork, white cheddar, root chips 12

ginger hoisin PORK RIBS 15

bison CORNDOGS, cranberry mustard 10

F L A T B R E A D S

SINATRA tomato, basil, buffalo mozzarella 13

LIBERACE figs, prosciutto, caramelized onions, goat cheese 15

FLATBREAD chorizo, salsa verde, red onion, tomatoes, feta 13

S M A L L D I S H E S

SOUP OF THE MOMENT maple bourbon pumpkin cup 4 bowl 8

ROOT CHIPS sweet chili aioli 8

FRITES sweet chili aioli 8

OLIVES chili, mint, orange 5

DULCE DE LECHE, toast, cambozola 6

B O A R D S

CHARCUTERIE chicken liver mousse, ham hock terrine, bison & jagermeister terrine 14

CHEESE PLATE ash ripened camembert, hilary’s red dawn, smoked goat cheese 15

olive fig tapenade BRUSCHETTA, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese 10

S A L A D S

SPINACH prosciutto, balsamic reduction, goat cheese, crispy onions 12

MIXED LEAVES white grace cheese, candied pecans, vanilla pear vinaigrette 9

grilled GEM LETTUCE, herb vinaigrette, smoked feta, hazelnuts 9

roasted beet and goat cheese TERRINE, truffled honey vinaigrette, sesame cracker 10

V E G E T A B L E S

sweet dumpling SQUASH, mole, pumpkin seeds, cilantro 6

roasted TURNIPS & KOHLRABI, salsa verde 6

crispy fried CAULIFLOWER, kimchee vinaigrette, apple 6

risotto ARANCINI gorgonzola, mushrooms, scallion oil 11

S E A F O O D

dungeness CRAB FRITTERS salsa verde aioli, fennel peashoot salad 15

salt spring island MUSSELS, bacon, leeks, phoenix gold lager 16

TUNA TATAKI togarashi, cilantro mint vinaigrette, crispy shallots 12

whaletale ipa battered OYSTERS, pickled mustard seed aioli, red cabbage slaw 12

LING COD, israeli couscous, squash, kale, tabasco butter 16

M E A T

grilled PORK BELLY, pumpkin brioche, kumquat marmalade, root chips 12

fireside ale braised SHORTRIBS, parsnip polenta, brussel sprouts, beach mushrooms 16

smoked CHICKEN WINGS, maple chili glaze 14

GRILLED CHEESE, pulled pork, white cheddar, root chips 12

ginger hoisin PORK RIBS 15

bison CORNDOGS, cranberry mustard 10

F L A T B R E A D S

SINATRA tomato, basil, buffalo mozzarella 13

LIBERACE figs, prosciutto, caramelized onions, goat cheese 15

FLATBREAD pulled chicken, barbeque sauce, red onion, squash, gruyere 13