Simply Put... The Clay Pigeon, Ladies and Gentlemen

            Here I go again in grandly selfish fashion, I have found another joint to eat that I want everyone to love as much as I do. I want you to love it too so that it will succeed and I can keep going there. Such is the case with The Clay Pigeon, a little bistro that opened up a couple of months ago. One of the great and somewhat subversive things that bring a smile to my face is that I am able to shake off the shackles of my corporate job and use the money that I have earned to support good local eateries. I take too much pleasure in this fact. My days off are filled with farmers markets and amazing local places to grab a bite to eat. I love it. But that is beside the point. I am writing this to tell you about the Pigeon. Go there, go now, give it a try, you will not regret it.

            So there I was eavesdropping on a conversation as I sipped on a coffee and there was mention of the new bistro that opened up on the corner of Broughton and Blanchard (in Victoria BC for those who are not hip to where the Condor roosts) and that the food was fantastic. I am a firm believer that people are way more honest when they don’t know you are listening so I resolved that I would go and give this joint a try. I was not disappointed. A friend and I breached the doors to have a little lunch and see what the Clay Pigeon had to offer. We were greeted by our waiter, Christopher Vickers (you will know him by his truly epic mustache), and seated. Christopher’s service was great. Quick with a witty quip and able to make great suggestions about the menu, his service made eating there all the more enjoyable. We took some of his suggestions and he was dead on in how they would compliment what we ordered. He honestly seemed really happy to be there, a seeming rarity in the service industry. So I will say thank to him for that.

            On to the food, now I can only comment on what we ordered but if those two dishes are any indication of the level of tasty that comes out of that kitchen the world now has a little bit more light in it. I will start with my friends dish, she ordered the Porchetta sandwich. It was served up on a fantastic baguette with apples. It was crazy tasty. We split a side of Kale Slaw, thanks again to Christopher for the suggestion, which balanced the rest of the meal. It was smooth and fresh and pretty much fantastic. As for me I went for the Ruben, a sandwich that I will always have a soft spot for. It was tweaked a little bit but it is one of the best that I have ever had. The major tweak is that they use bison tongue that is corned in house. Now before you make that face that I know you are about to my Lovelies you need to know it is so good and you are not allowed to judge unless you have given it a try. Johnny would not lead you astray. Everything about this sandwich was great, the bread was good, and the sauerkraut added the acid that the dish needed and was not overpowering, the gruyere added a nice richness but was not too much and the Russian dressing was perhaps the best that I have ever had. It was a great sandwich, truly great. We finished our meal with an espresso and a house made apple fritter. The fritter evoked more than one, I want to be alone with this thing noises, though out its consumption by my dining partner. So I hope that this lets you all know how good the food was and I hope that it inspires you to go and check it out.

We were also fortunate enough to be able to chat with the head chef Genevieve LaPlante and it was an absolute pleasure to be able to chat with someone in the industry that loves the food that she is creating to the point that you feel it too.  She quite simply wants you to love what she cooks for you. In our short chat a few things became apparent. The first is that she has a commitment to bringing in locally sourced products, as much as she can. If you were wondering where one gets bison tongue, the answer is right here on the island. The second thing is that her standards are exacting. She spoke about the balance needed a simple dish and how if one component is off so is the whole dish. I was reminded of why I consider myself to be a serviceable cook and why I am not a great one. My big fix is to put more bacon on whatever it is, Chef La Plante solves those issues for real.

One of the signs of a good restaurant for me is, when I look at the menu after I have finished my meal and I start figuring out what I want to try the next time I am in the place. It stops becoming a question of if and turns into a question of when. The menu as a whole is bistro fare and I love that, you should too. There is something on it for both the adventurous eater and those who are less so. All of it is good. I have already planned out what I am going to try next. Just so you know it is the Crispy Pig Ear appetizer followed by the Basque Lamb Stew, and the house made marshmallows, nutella cookies, and chocolate chaud for dessert. It sounds fantastic and I can wait to go back and eat there again.

Did I mention that they are brewing their own root beer. How freaking cool is that? So my Lovelies be brave, go, eat there, fall in love with the place. It is worth both you time and your cash so give it a go.

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