The Salad Loop

The Salad Loop

• Located on Government Street. Directions are unnecessary as I would not want to assist anyone in finding this salad 'poop'
• Offering unsanitary salad buffet and other tasteless wastes
• Caters to the downtown stressed and depressed, black powered-suited, environmentally careless cloned 'workers'
• The so-called fresh salad offerings are limp and tasteless but the biggest downfall of this boring place was the tall stacks of large plastic environmentally UNfriendly take out tray packs and plastic 'cutlery'.

• Owners are clearly unconcerned about the wastes/throw outs going into our environment.
  
• This is yet another establishment feeding Earth Mother a constant intravenous of embalming chemicals.
• Regretfully, power-suited clones support these tasteless, cheap joints because it reflects their trashy lifestyle and attitudes....a rush-more, eat-me-dump-me society.

• I will not patronize and support, nor will I recommend a business that blatantly disregards the concept of recycling and Mother Earth just to make a buck. In fact, just walking in there and seeing the promotion of plastic made me lose my appetite.

• This 'loop' will not be a part of my frequent eating establishments!

Nezza Naturals

Nezza Naturals

• Location: 101, # 3 Fan Tan Alley, Victoria, British Columbia
• Proprietor: Sasha Prior
• Contact: 250-388-9171
• Email: info@nezzanaturals.com
• Webpage: www.nezzanaturals.com
• British Columbia/local made natural health, cleaning, animal products

Below street level entry makes this gem a potential miss, especially if you are in a vehicle. The nicely, wood-designed shop is filled with all things odoriferously pleasant and healthy. There is a preventative or remedy salve, cream, oil or soap for all human and canine/feline needs yet it is presented in more spa rather than 'vitamin/health/clinical supply' way.

I definitely have my favorite soaps, shampoo, carrot facial cream and pure essential oils but I often end up picking up yet one more new item each visit.

I appreciate when Sasha is attending the shop because of her range of knowledge as an aromatherapist. Other staff are very pleasant and helpful. The shop has a very non-rushed, positive vibe.

Dots Clothing Store

Dots Clothing Store

• Location: 724 Fort Street, Victoria, British Columbia
• Contact: 250-383-2683; dotstore@telusplnet.net
• Featuring designer labels, samples (generally size 8) and small quantity of men's shirts at reduced prices

When I am not in a rush and when the store is not too warm and smelly (please people, stop douching yourself with 'perfumes' and other fumigating body products. Many others are highly sensitive or allergic to them.) this is my treasure trove of all things unique and inexpensive. Home of the tacky, Dots is the place to find the unusual.

The racks are so full it becomes an upper arm exercise just to move the clothes. When browsing through racks of clothes, be aware of other shoppers before you aggressively push a pound of clothes into their area of the rack. Also, gently shift through all clothes by using your hand to guide the top of the hanger along, thereby keeping hands (food stained, sweaty & greasy) away from the material....especially whites! Most people damage clothing by their disrespectful handling...I think too many people are accustomed to shopping from second-hand store bins like bottom of the food chain scavengers. If you pick up a top or sweater, do not carelessly drop or toss that article of clothing back on the table. DO try to fold it and return it neatly!

Courtesy is a must when passing others in the narrow aisles. When someone needs to pass by you with an 'excuse me', please have the decency to draw your behind in as much as you can to let that shopper pass. I think people often misjudge just how big their behinds are because they don't seem to want to draw them in enough to allow easy passage. Also, when shopping ( or traveling) in close quarters, remove backpacks and big purses from your shoulders. When you turn, you are often hitting someone with your bags.

When trying on clothes, DO remove them from your fitting room. No one else wants to deal with your mess.

The clerks at Dots are often chatty and gossipy (amongst themselves) but pleasant to customers. Their demeanor is in keeping with most outlet or discount low-end stores. Most take the time to neatly fold your purchase before placing it in the bag and offer a thank you, which is a fading customer service, unfortunately.

Pink Sugar Cupcakery

Pink Sugar Cupcakery

• Location:773 Fort Street, Victoria, British Columbia
• Contact: 250-590-8055
  
• Email: info@pinksugarcupcakery.com
• Webpage: pinksugarcupcakery.com
  
• Proprietor: Adrienne Jopp

My new addiction! A delightful, generous dollop of delicious icing tops a wide variety of cleverly named cakes waiting for you to secretly cup into your hands as you race out the cartoon-like shop towards the closest alley in order to quickly honour your taste buds with this latest fix. Pink is where it's at! 'The Elvis' is next on my list.....

I adore this new establishment! It is so much tastier than the cupcake shop that was located in English Bay, Vancouver. The recipe tastes more old-fashioned and denser than the cheap-o fluff-o stuff that other cupcake makers have used....it doesn't taste like it came from a box.

Restaurant Rating Scale		(Rating out of ten)
	Taste	8
	Presentation	8
	Décor	9
	Delivery	6
	Cost	6
	Location	7
	Washroom Cleanliness	n/a
	General Cleanliness	8
	Server Etiquette	n/a
	Average Score	7.43

Pig BBQ Joint

Pig BBQ Joint

• Location: 749 E View Street, Victoria, British Columbia
• Contact: 250-381-4677
• Tiny, limited stools-facing-the-wall pigesque pen
• Approximately 10 items on the chalkboard menu and nothing over $5.00
• Featuring: pulled pork, beef brisket or smoked chicken bunwiches and choice of coleslaw, cornbread, bbq beans or pickle on a stick for sides ($1-$1.50)

I have tried all the bunwiches and savored every juicy bite. A great place to grab and go...for a picnic with a generous supply of 'wet ones'. Because the city lacks green/park space (especially space not occupied and taken over by addicts/mentally ill/homeless), I find sitting on the steps of a nearby church sufficient when I am too excited and hungry to walk further.

The big draw for me is the simple name and logo...I like pigs alive and dead for eating. The portions are manageable and the price reflects the portions...most of all, it tastes great!

Restaurant Rating Scale		(Rating out of ten)
	Taste	8
	Presentation	4
	Décor	4
	Delivery	n/a
	Cost	8
	Location	7
	Washroom Cleanliness	n/a
	General Cleanliness	6
	Server Etiquette	n/a
	Average Score	6.17

Wild Fire Bread & Pastry

Wild Fire Bread & Pastry

• Location: 1517 Quadra Street, Victoria, British Columbia
• Contact: 250-381-3473
• wildfirebreads@shaw.ca
• Specializing in organic cake and pastry
• An autumn-in-the-country essence permeates the air when their oven is stoked with firewood. It creates a warm, cozy grandma-is-baking-bread feeling that stays with me as I walk down the street.

As I stand in line, their entire line of breads compete for my attention yet I can only choose one...a difficult decision. I won't freeze bread, not since the days my Mother purchased cheap, white bread (4-6 loafs per bag) and shoved them in our deep freeze/stasis...the gastronomical burial.

It is easier to choose one of their in-season fruit tarts, lavender short bread cookies or creatively, healthy personal-sized pizzas. Their charming cakes are calling me, yet I haven't yet indulged.

There is limited seating, so if there is room, I like to sit at one of the wood tables, plant feet on the wood floor and brace for incoming delectable sensations.

You can't miss the brilliant, artistic exterior murals...always a provocative socio-political ground level message.

Restaurant Rating Scale		(Rating out of ten)
	Taste	7
	Presentation	n/a
	Décor	6
	Delivery	n/a
	Cost	6
	Location	7
	Washroom Cleanliness	n/a
	General Cleanliness	6
	Server Etiquette	n/a
	Average Score	6.4

Georgie's Cafe & Emporium

Georgie's Cafe & Emporium

• Formally 'The Bagel Queen' and 'Mount Royal Bagels'
• Location: 4649 West Saanich Road, Victoria, British Columbia
• Phone: 250-479-6747

July 13, 2009

I was surprised to find the adjacent European deli and produce market no longer in business.

The former Bagel Queen had opened up the space and extended their seating capacity, leaving one section for gift ware. Some items were locally crafted and expensive. At the end of the building, a nursery/ garden business had opened.

Bagels are no longer made on the premises but are still a central feature on the cafe styled menu.
They offer: bagels, soups, sandwiches & sweets according to their business card. Order from the counter and pick up from counter but prepared food is sometimes brought to your table.

Some of the dining chairs had loose legs and were placed on the slope of the floor. Flies were a nuisance, especially when one landed in our bowl of salad. After the dressing weighted its wings down, we were able to remove it... dead.

I had the sausage soup and bagel with garlic cream cheese. Delicious. On another visit, I sampled the chicken pasta salad and white, lemon cake. Delicious.

The young, counter staff is pleasant but rather reserved and not particularly talkative or friendly. At least they didn't constantly bother us or ask us if we were 'still working on' our food. The staff member in the gift section was more friendly.

The washroom facilities were reasonably clean. The establishment would benefit from a funky new plant job and a new, even floor...and a Venus fly trap.

Prices were competitive...not overly expensive but not cheap either. Two of us enjoyed lunch, including beverages for approximately $20.00.

Restaurant Rating Scale		(Rating out of ten)
	Taste	7.5
	Presentation	5
	Décor	4
	Delivery	n/a
	Cost	6.5
	Location	5
	Washroom Cleanliness	6
	General Cleanliness	3.5
	Server Etiquette	5
	Average Score	4.69

I Cringe When The Following Are Observed:

I Cringe When The Following Are Observed:

• Sun visor styled hats.
• Leather patchwork purses or jackets.
• Fanny packs.
• Slacks fitting too snuggly and/or pulled up too high on the waste.
• Manual or digital emptying of the contents of one's nostrils. Cyclists do this.
• The smell of cigerettes and smoke, especially when a portion is saved (behind the ear) and brought in doors or on a bus.
• Body odour; scratching or loosening or pickings of the skin/scalp/nails or other body debris while in public places to land on seats or areas where others have to sit or stand.
• Mirco-managers; bullying in the workplace.
• Spitting in public; on the sidewalks.
• Incessant, over-use of the word, LIKE...like...like...it's like...like...it's like.....
• Drivers who make turns on a pedestrian's walk light while there are pedestrians waiting or in the process of walking on the cross walk and drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians on a cross walk.
• Walkers, bikers, rollerbladers and skateboarders who do not keep to their right on a sidewalk, especially when there are two or more abreast and they fail to merge into a single line when there is an approaching walker.
  
• Application of make up, hair brushing or blowing one's nose in public and especially while dining. That is what the washrooms are for.
• More to come.