Weekend Ninety-Three: El Caminos

After a quick BC Ferry ride from our secret location, Dave and I arrived at El Caminos on Main St. Dave and I ate brunch at El Caminos many years ago, pre this blogs existence, when it opened and have been itching to go back. The menu has since changed and the restaurant space looks much bigger, luckily the food was still delicious.

Dave ordered the Spicy Prawn Scramble ($14). Dave said he enjoyed the scramble, it was spicy and flavourful, but there just wasn't enough on his plate. The potatoes and crunchy (read: dry) toast were good but he really wanted more scramble.

I ordered the Desayuno Classico with double smoked bacon ($9) and a side of hollandaise sauce ($ not listed). This may be a cop out considering all the interesting and inventive menu items, however I was looking for something simple..... and hollandaise. The eggs were cooked as I requested, the bacon was crispy, and the toast was crunchy, but the hollandaise was the star. When you, dear reader, go to Le Caminos, get a side of hollandaise, for realz.

Weekend Ninety-Two: Five and Dime with Grandma B

We left our secret location with a mission; a mission to take Grandma B out for brunch. Grandma B moved to Sidney by the Sea almost a year ago. Her normal and weekly brunch location is a popular haunt for seniors everywhere: Smitty's. Today, however, we thought she might enjoy something different so we went to Five and Dime.

When we arrived, there was a short wait along with some other patrons trying to get brunch before more snow arrived. We were comfortably seated and had ample space for Grandma B's transportation device. Normally one might shy away from restaurants like Five and Dime when dining with a senior citizen due to the noise (which may cause difficulty hearing) and overly trendy food, however, this did not deter us. In fact, the noise levels were not overly loud so Grandma B could hear us just fine (with her hearing assistance device) and the food is perfect for members of the Greatest Generation and newer. In addition to these pluses, the staff were extremely patient with Grandma B.

Dave ordered the Pulled Pork Burrito ($13.95) and drank water. Dave very much liked his burrito. He really enjoyed the pulled pork in a burrito idea and thought the fresh guacamole was outstanding. I ordered the Traditional Benny with Bacon (13.95) and a Tea ($2.95). I loved the benny. The hollandaise was creamy and thick, the eggs perfectly as I ordered. Grandma B ordered the Apple, Bacon, Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($11.95) and a Tea ($2.95). Grandma B said she very much enjoyed her food and she finished the vast majority of it, which is quite a feat for her. She did struggle a little bit with the hardness of the crust on the toast because her dentures are old and not quite as sharp as they used to be.

Five and Dime gets an all ages high five from this group. This is just the beginning of Grandma B (perhaps the B stands for Brunch) as a guest star. Look forward for more brunching with Seniors on the Saanich Pennisula.