Mulligan's

The front of the restaurant looked run down but I thought it might just be one of those well hidden diamonds in the rough. As I walked in, I kept holding on to that possibility but my grip was slipping. I found my way to a formica-top table in the back of the restaurant sitting under a big picture window. What a beautiful view of a big willow tree and pond out back.

The menu was huge! By the time I read the last item on the second page, I had to go back to the beginning of the first page to remind myself what I read. From western fair to Greek cuisine and some things in between, it was extensive. Having a big selection is one thing but this was overwhelming.

After a long read of the menu and the waitress begrudgingly checking for MSG, I finally ordered the Thai Noodle Salad. For an appy, we ordered the naan bread with Hummus and tzatziki. Ok, so is it East Indian or Greek? Hmmm, Fusion I guess.

I must give the tzatziki credit. It was almost as good as mine. Rich and creamy with the right amount of garlic. My salad looked very beige. Salad isn’t supposed to be beige. The shredded carrot on top was a nice touch. Once the carrot was gone though, everything was bland. The noodles were over cooked and mushy and the lettuce was wilted and brown. The chicken was not the chicken breast I expected but little cubes of processed chicken dredged in a teriyaki sauce. I had a few bites and waited for the waitress to return to ask her to take it away. She took my plate and concerns and said “that’s funny this dish is very popular” and acted like I was in the wrong for not liking it. I’m sorry, I don’t like old lettuce.

Everyone has a bad day from time to time and everyone makes mistakes. I like to let businesses try to do right by offering me something else or taking it off my bill or at very least apologizing. This waitress returned with the bill and informed me quickly as she dropped the bill and ran, "I've only charged you for half of the salad". HALF?! Why on earth would I pay half? I chased down the other waitress and asked her if I could speak to management so I could try to set this straight. Imagine my surprise when she informed me that my waitress, the one that acted like it was out of her way to serve us, was management, in fact, she was the owner. In the end she finally took it off the bill then turned to her staff and complained about me in plain view. In Golf, to take a mulligan is to ask for a do over. I don’t think I’ll be giving this restaurant a second shot.

Mulligan's in Sooke BC. Come for the view...

then go somewhere else.

The Superior

It's a beautiful night for a Moondance and a beautiful night to go to The Superior. It was a great girl’s night out but it's a good thing we were loud girls. They have bands play six nights a week from 8 to 10:30 and I don’t know how often they have jazz playing, but that big bass went fantastic with my steak and espresso sauce main.

The portions are not huge so don't expect to have to loosen your belt but it's all about quality not quantity at Superior. You can get good quality spirits like the famous Victoria Gin and Organic Botanical tonic but not a lot of those pretty foo-foo drinks or sugary flavoured vodka martinis. They serve some amazing local beer like Phillips Blue Buck and Longboat Chocolate Porter. Don’t forget to ask your server about the Phillips feature beer as well!

We started our meal with some spreads and chips. The home made chips were so light and crispy it almost doesn't feel guilty eating them." I'll take a bag home for the movie later please". The waiter didn't think I was serious but I was. They were made with different kinds of roots and veggies like lotus, taro and beet, each one with it's own distinct flavour. I don’t like olives and I didn’t think I liked tapenade but turns out I like theirs. Instead of picking at it and pretending I liked it, I was asking the rest of the girls if they were going to eat theirs!

All four of us ordered the steak with four different levels of doneness which didn't faze the Superior chef, or waiter, at all. Sometimes when you throw a curve ball like that the waiters get all flustered and you end up with your friends well done and she’s gagging because she’s gotten your blue/rare. We all got the right doneness served in front of us and all served at the same time. The steak melted in my mouth along with the special espresso butter it's laced with. Imagine, just one more way to love coffee... on your steak!

You should reach dessert time with room left for a treat and what a treat it was. We shared four of the sweets on the menu and I think we all found our favourites. I liked Nicola’s and Nicola liked Sheryl’s and so on and so on. I may have found two for myself. The Olive Oil Orange Cake tied for first with the Fire 'n' Ice ice cream. I totally accepted the fact that no one else at the table liked the ice cream and I emptied the bowl on my table’s behalf. I guess red wine ice cream is an acquired taste which I've definitely acquired thanks to the Superior.

If you can drag yourself away from the live band and the amazing food, there is an art gallery beside the dining area to the right of the stage (that's stage left for all you thespians). With featured artists like Cameron Kidd and Marlene Davis, you can get your fill of eye candy to finish off the night.

The Superior at 106 Superior street Victoria BC is a wonderful way to please almost all of your senses. From the smell and taste of the food, to the sound and sight of the art and music, it’s a superior experience.