Just as a postscript for anyone who happens to stumble upon this thread in days (months? years?) to come, I have the following food suggestions:
- Kalvas was good for a nice dinner. They have a semi-standard menu, but their seafood is fresh and prepared well. Cozy atmosphere. Good service. They're closed Monday nights (they only do dinner service), and are situated at Hwy 19A x Moilliet (about 2 traffic lights north of Hwy 4A).
- Cuckoo in Coombs (Italian restaurant hidden in the middle of the Coombs Country Market, where those goats usually hang out on the roof of the market) was very good for lunch, and I trust their dinner service is fantastic. The server was quite lost (literally - the manager had to serve us initially), but the food was excellently prepared and very tasty. They're hidden in behind the market in a white building. Worth seeking out.
- Chameleon's at McMillan and Hwy 19A (hidden between two BMO storefronts) was where we had dinner the night before we left, and the food was fresh and freshly prepared. The only lament I have of this place is that it's unfortunate the cook doesn't taste his own food - bland, bland, bland. It's almost as if the cook thinks of seasoning as a naughty word. However, the service was great, and the food was good, just lacking seasoning. Only open for lunch and dinner.
- Lefty's (beside the Thrifty's Foods on Hwy 19A) was also self-advertised a "fresh food" joint, and although their menu seems a bit eccentric at times, the food is actually quite good, and the portions were sizeable. Open for all 3 mealtimes.
- Bread and Honey was a last-minute good find on our part. We had scones there, which were freshly made, of perfect consistency, and very tasty. They make a sweet(ish) scone and a savoury scone every day; they have a facebook page that they update every morning. We arrived too early for their sandwiches; they make some very interestingly matched sandwich offerings, but we didn't get to try them. It's hidden away at Harrison (2 streets west of Hwy 19A) between McMillan to the north and Hwy 4A to the south, next to a craft store. They close at 3pm (unless they have a Dr's appt, which they did the day before we finally got to try them).
For the price we paid vs. the food quality we got, I'd keep away from Bayside Bistro (at the Quality Inn on Hwy 19A at Dogwood). The food is ok (as in edible), but they charge high-end prices.
One other place worth checking out is the Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. Lots of cheese and some fruit wines that are made there. The cheeses can be sampled (and the wines can be tasted), and there are no shortage of cheese samples available.
