Dollop of Cream: up island

I have been hunting and gathering up Island in the Comox Valley and this is what I've found: spicy beans, salsa and sauerkraut from the farm down the road from my dad's land. The farmers were just putting up a new greenhouse in the mud as we walked up, their big, friendly dog trotting along beside us.

Further down the Island highway, we managed to find Woody's wild-flower honey, and locally-roasted coffee beans in Royston.

This was all part of a long weekend we created with my dad to celebrate my birthday. Instead of a cake, we made huckleberry-bramble-buttermilk pancakes for breakfast and sat at the table with quince blossoms dad had forced. Then we went out for lunch. Actually, we went out for a few lunches . . . a couple of cafés so good that I've added them to my favourites in hop & go fetch it. (Look for Courtenay and Cumberland.)

This got me thinking about other favourite restaurants in other cities I've been meaning to add to hop & go fetch it. Finally, this weekend, I put them in. If you're looking for new restaurants in Toronto, Vancouver or Victoria, voilà!