– by Lara Gladych –
This is the last in a six-part series of profiles on some of the Saanich Peninsula’s wonderful restaurants and pubs.
I’m having an early lunch with my husband and two of my kids at the Charles Dickens Pub, and am still taking in the new reality of kid-friendly pubs in our neighbourhood.
My boys relish the moment they walked into the Charles Dickens for the first time, plunking themselves down at a table on the upper level to take in some sports television. I reel them in from the dart boards and pool tables, which remain part of the adult-only realm, but they’re content to let that be. Children are now welcome at the Charles Dickens Pub, accompanied by an adult, any day until 10 p.m.
I rattle-off menu items that I’m sure will excite them: Mac n’ Cheese with Bacon and Butter Chicken, in particular. I’ve already settled on the day’s special, Chef Dena’s homemade cabbage rolls with perogies and salad.
Before lunch, I met with Sean Kelly, Pub Manager, Travelodge General Manager Nick Coates and Chef Dena Bystedt. Much of our conversation centered on two big changes: first, that they are now welcoming families, and second, that they are launching a revamped menu, all aiming towards luring more of a dining crowd.
Dena has just recently joined the Charles Dickens family. She’s been busy putting her own twist on existing menu favourites while working out a new menu which they hope to debut at the end of October. Customers will “taste mama’s love” in her cooking, she insists. You can look forward to three specials every day, homemade soups and pies, and a children’s menu, currently in the works.
In the face of change, there’s a great deal that you can count on to stay the same. They still carry the largest liquor selection in Sidney, and they offer a great variety of draught beers from Ireland, Belgium and England, as well as local brews and Canadian domestics. The authentic pub atmosphere remains as welcoming and comfortable as ever. You can watch every NHL game being played on any given night, and you can stay up later at the Charles Dickens because they’re the only pub between Sidney and Victoria that is open until 2 a.m. Sean emphasizes that their shuttle service continues to be offered for your safety. It will pick you up and drive you home between the hours of 9 p.m. – 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Octoberfest and Halloween are on the horizon. On October 5th you can enjoy a special menu including Weiner Schnitzel and Apple Strudel. Halloween night is costume night and there will be prizes for the best costumes. Bring a canned good to cover your entry, with donations going to support the food bank.
So, how was lunch? It was perfect pub food. Lucky me, I had the opportunity to see and sample more than one dish, given that there were four of us at the table. My cabbage rolls were a meaty variety, tender and hearty. Dena added perogies with bacon, onion and sour cream, and a salad as well, to make it a completely comforting meal. Two orders of homemade mac n’ cheese with bacon came to our table, and I was pleased to see (and taste) that it wasn’t a heavy version of the pasta that it sometimes can be. Light and smooth, which made way for the flavour-punch of the bacon. Butter chicken is my eldest son’s favourite dish, and Dena’s version got the thumbs up. Served with naan bread and rice, it was exactly what you’d hope it would be.
My visit to the Charles Dickens Pub was a real treat for me. I so enjoyed meeting the staff, and can’t say enough about the lengths they all went to to ensure that our visit was a great one. Sean said goodbye with an invitation to come back soon for a drink with my husband. I think I just might take him up on it.
The Charles Dickens Pub, 2250 Beacon Ave. Sidney, 250.656.5042.
