Restaurant Review: Smitty's Oyster House

When the sun cracks the sky first thing Friday morning,

and you find yourself seated at this gleaming bar in Gibsons by noon…

and the bartender hands your boyfriend an icy, midday brew within minutes of arriving,

then shucks shells that reveal the freshest oysters,

that you slurp with a squirt of lemon, a quartet of  hand-cut salsas and freshly grated horseradish,

and a pound of clams arrive, plump and steaming, bathed in a buttery white wine and shallot sauce,

perfect for soaking up with slabs of soft, sweet bread,

and you get to eat three of the four fresh fish tacos (because let’s admit it, he ate almost all of the clams),

and the warm corn tortillas don’t fall apart when you stuff them full of seared halibut, pico de gallo, avocado, and shredded lettuce,

and you chuckle to yourself over the quirky artwork,

as well as the quirky view,

You know it’s the start to a good, good Friday… and a fabulous weekend to come. Make your Friday (or any day) a good one:

Smitty’s Oyster House

Address: 643 School Road Wharf, Lower Gibsons, British Columbia
Phone: 604.886. HOOK (4665)

Tucked next to one of Canada’s few remaining working wharfs by the Gibsons Harbour shoreline, Smitty’s Oyster House serves up slurp-worthy oysters (surprise!), fresh local seafood, and a solid list of suds and wines. Best of all, it is a short, scenic, and (if you are lucky) sunny sailing over from Vancouver via the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast ferry.

Full disclosure: I was under the influence of the Friday off and the sunshine, but loved this spot immensely. The oysters were fresh, the clams plump and perfectly cooked, and the fish tacos tasty (though I could have used more of a little of those taco fillings! ). Stop by on your next trip to British Columbia’s gorgeous Sunshine Coast.

This past Sunday, under the bluest of September skies, Michael and I headed to Vancouver’s 15th Annual Feast of Fields. In an open grassy field at the UBC Farm, surrounded by towering West Coast forest, over 60 of British Columbia’s finest chefs, wine makers, brewers and artisan food makers transmuted farm fresh harvest ingredients into a tantalizing array of small plate delights.

Feast of Fields, UBC Farm

With a wine glass in one hand and white napkin in another, we wandered from tent to tent and feasted on small, bite-sized gems:

Pear Cupcakes with Blue Cheese Buttercream, Savoury City Catering

Tomato Tarts with Goat Cheese Cream, Twisted Fork Bistro

Organic Vegetable Salad (C Restaurant)

Scallops Over Potato Salad Nicoise, The Cannery

Seared Duck Breast and Sausage with Plum Compote, Restaurant 62

Smoked Organic Pork Sausage with R&B Lager Mustard, Boneta Restaurant

Smoked Sablefish (with Tomato Gelee with Apple & Watercress Slaw), Hyatt Regency

Apple & Calvados Apple Brandy Tartlet, O'Doul's Restaurant

Local Blueberry Tarts with Basil Creme Fraiche, Terra Breads

Local Summer Berry Pavlova, Araxi

But best of all, we wandered through the fields, and discovered small gems of a different sort:

Welcome Fall.

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