|
|
An oldie, but a goodie, Rebar is a familiar face, particularly among
Victoria's veggie community, as well as weekend brunch goer's. A
loosely vegetarian menu (includes limited seafood, dairy and eggs), the
food is hearty with a pleasantly therapeutic quality. While vegetarian,
the food isn't necessarily super-healthy, as fat maintains a central
role in many of the dishes. In other words, you can feel like you're
doing something good for your body, while still enjoying your food. For
the same reason it's the perfect hangover food.
On this mid-week morning Patty and I arrived at 11am. A bad time to
arrive, since there is a service gap between 11-11:30 am as the kitchen
shift from the breakfast to the lunch menu. We were told to come back in
half an hour. A bit inconvenient I thought, but I was later assured by a
former employee of Rebar that the transition time is absolutely
necessary due to kitchen size and menu complexity. For whatever reason,
this is not the case on the weekend.
Usually, when I dine at Rebar I order the enchilada. I love the
enchilada. However, today, I decided to order the vegan burrito
($11.50). Served with a small serving of yam fries, guacamole and some
sort of barbecue sauce, it was a very nice meal. That said, its
veganness was apparent, as the burrito crumbled quite severely as I cut
into it. While not dry, it clearly lacked a binding agent. The flavour
was nonetheless tasty and I enjoyed the accompaniments. In future, I
must say, I will likely return to the enchilada.
Patty ordered the Reuben sandwich ($11.50), made with tempeh instead
of beef and also included sauerkraut and beets as filling. Served on rye
bread, there was a substantial amount of fat used for the grilling
process - not an issue for Patty. Overall the Reuben was a success, "
For a guy who doesn't go for veg, it was pretty damn good!" Patty said.
Patty and I both enjoyed drinks from the extensive list of fresh
fruit and vegetable juices. While delicious and nutritious, it's a quick
way to add $5-10 to your bill.
Besides the hostess being a bit obsessed with maintaining the
integrity of 30 min respite for the kitchen, the service was good, quick
and friendly. The ambiance at Rebar is always the same, quick paced and
funky, with a good dose of granola on top.
I'm hard pressed to get some of my more meat-centered friends to
embrace Rebar, but most non-veggies walk out completely satisfied. An
institution in Victoria for many years, Rebar has maintained their
reputation for fun, creative and accessible vegetarian cuisine. Not a
sophisticated restaurant, Rebar feeds you well, but you could probably
get away with turning up in your PJs.
|
 Patty
says...
As Christabel stated
earlier I am generally not a vegetarian cuisine lover. I try to
eat enough veggies to curb the onset of scurvy, but most of my
meals include an animal part of some sort. This being said, I
have to bow to the skill of a chef who can make flavourful
vegetarian food. Meats are generally an easy way to add fat and
flavour to a dish, in the absence of meat it takes a substantial
amount of skill to create flavourful food.
|
|
Wine notes
A British Columbia-centered wine list,
Rebar isn't really a wine kinda place. Their selection is small
and acceptable, despite the appearance of a cheap Jackson
Triggs. That said, they do have a fairly extensive selection of
beers from Philips and Tree breweries. The beer list, in my
opinion is not only more interesting than the wine list, but I
think it pairs better with the hearty, heavily seasoned and
often spicy food. |
Value
of Food: 6.5/10
Quality of Food: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Wine List: 6/10
Reviewed: September 8, 2005
|
