What's in a name?? Well, when it comes to a restaurant, usually a lot. It's the ultimate first impression. So it's no wonder Victoria locals hesitate to visit Nautical Nellies. With a location on the tourist side of the waterfront, you don't really need a local clientele, but it would be nice, right?

So drop the Nautical - just call it Nellies...please!!!!  Nautical Nellies simply doesn't get the attention it deserves as a legitimate restaurant, because its name incites bawdy renditions of 'Yohoho and a bottle of rum.'

Certainly not the most elegant restaurant, it has a somewhat juvenile nautical theme, including lots of boat cleats, fish tanks and anchors, but is generally speaking comfortable and the space managed well.

You would be surprised by the quality of the food they're serving. The regular menu, although clearly geared to meet the needs of hungry Americans, is diverse and thoughtfully compiled. Drawing on contemporary and Asian themes, you'll find a menu that features both seafood and steak diners a like. We were pleased to also see vegetarian options featured prominently.  Nautical Nellies advertises an oyster bar and indeed they have a large selection of local and not-so-local oysters. However, we noted that prices were much higher than elsewhere in town. 

I started with the Jonah Crab Salad. A hearty serving of crab on a tabouleh base. The mango tomato compote was a little overwhelming for the rest of the dish and I thought it would have been a better lunch salad, than an appetizer. Patty had the tomato bisque starter, accompanied by brie and brioche. Patty described it as "the smallest grilled cheese sandwich in the world." Not a mind blowing dish, it was competently executed and presented with flare. Our guest Rob had the Thai prawn hot pot, fresh and flavourful,  I thought was a bit basic. Our other guest Jasmine had the 'Mac and Cheese.' It was extremely cheesy with good-quality Applewood smoked cheddar, but the pasta was simply a vehicle for the cheese.

For our mains, Patty and I both had the 'Death by Chocolate' sirloin steaks. Huge portion, the steaks were served with chocolate sauce and stuffed with blue cheese - a combination I liked, but thought could have been a bit  more chocolaty. Also, for our blood thirsty preferences, the steaks arrived a little overdone. Overall, this dish was a success.

Jasmine had the black tiger prawns, she noted another large serving, good flavour - not a wow'er, but I didn't think it would be.  Rob had the stuffed soft shell crab, an interesting selection, we were all intrigued by the choice. The barley risotto and corn accompaniments garnered praise and the crab was good, but a little over-fried.

The dessert selection was good and broad. Patty was delighted with his warm gingerbread, and Rob and I were both happy with blueberry strudel. Jasmine's bread pudding was the winner, served steaming hot with crème anglaise.  

The wine list is better than you would think, with a large selection of moderately priced, mostly new-world wines. Notable is the number of wines available by the glass. We all liked the notations for seafood-friendly red wines.

Our server, a seemingly competent and professional man, provided good service, but we could tell he'd been serving a lot of tourists recently. He made one flub that deserves mentioning, assigning Patty the task of tasting the wine, when I had ordered it. I'm pretty sure he later overheard me complaining about it, because he did not repeat the mistake with the second bottle.

All in all, it was a much better dinning experience than we were expecting.   Nautical Nellies, obviously has a chef that cares and is working to build an interesting menu, that appeals to more than just tourists. Among the downtown waterfront restaurants, Nautical Nellies appears to stand out with regard to menu creativity. If they changed the name and the decor, they'd have a competitively sophisticated restaurant.  

Value of Food: 88/100

Quality of Food: 79/100

Service: 75/100

Ambiance: 58/100 (lose the under the sea thing)

Wine and beer list: 85/100 (great for this style of restaurant) 

  Reviewed: February 19, 2006

 

$25 Set Menu Appetizer: 'Mac and Cheese' -smoked apple wood cheddar, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic Or Mixed Green Salad -apple caraway vinaigrette Or Red Pepper Bisque -fresh basil creme fraiche Entree: Duo of Risotto -wild mushroom and fresh herbs with lemon curry oil, roasted beet root and goat's cheese with candied walnuts and rapini Or Roasted Lamb Sirloin -white bean cassoulet, citrus fennel slaw and olive tapenade Or Black Tiger Prawns -lobster pernod cream, grilled asparagus and sweet potato pancake Dessert: Bourbon and Sun Dried Cranberry Bread Pudding -white chocolate and vanilla crème anglaise Or Warm Gingerbread -apple compote, caramel drizzle and vanilla ice cream

$35 Set Menu Appetizer: Brioche Toast with Brie and Apple Wood Smoked Cheddar -tomato bisque demitasse Or Jonah Crab Salad -mango tomato compote, mixed greens, tabouleh and white balsamic vinaigrette Or Thai Prawn Hot Pot -with Asian vegetables in a basil, lemon grass and kaffir lime scented broth Entree: -12 0z. centre cut Sterling Silver sirloin stuffed with blue cheese, dusted with house Cajun spices and served with roasted shallots, port reduction and garlic mashed potatoes Or Braised Chicken and Leeks -champagne chevre cream tossed with linguine Or Stuffed Soft Shell Crab -with Dungeness crab and barley risotto, sweet roasted corn, chanterelles, scallions and pomegranate reduction Dessert: Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake -with hazelnut praline Or Blueberry and White Chocolate Strudel -with vanilla ice cream and berry coulis Or Warm Gingerbread -with apple compote, caramel drizzle and vanilla ice cream

Yohoho and a bottle of rum
Well I'm in the gutter and I've got the gun
I've got 16 men on a dead man's chest
I need a little lead for a little rest
So go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
I said yohoho here's the fun
You get to go and I get to come
I've got six bold strokes and no new jokes
The lost & found is your only hope
And I said one's for shit and one's for shame
Now your hurt can fan my flame
Pull me in drag me down
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling always down
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
Always down
Fear not what you can't see
The pulse the pain the ecstasy
A hollow space an empty grave
The best laid plans are meant to fade
Here's the lard in a leather glove
Answered dreams straight from above
And I said one's for shit and one's for shame
Now your hurt will fan my flame
Pull me in drag me down
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling always down
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
Always down
Go slow
Go slow
Always down
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
Always down
Oh yohoho and a bottle of rum
I said 16 men on a dead man's chest
I need a little lead for a little rest
So go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling always down