– by Lara Gladych –
This is the fourth in a six-part series of profiles featuring some of the Saanich Peninsula’s wonderful restaurants and pubs.
The bustle of the holidays has died down, and we’ve officially entered the lull of winter that comes with January. The pace at Port Sidney isn’t what you’d find in the busy summer months, but it still has that beautiful seaside quality that lures us throughout the year.
The same can be said for the Rumrunner Pub & Restaurant. The draw in January is that it has a warm, rustic, familiar appeal that is inviting on a cold, bright, post-Christmas day such as this, and that mesmerizing ocean view we can’t get enough of.
There’s something very cozy and hearth-like about the Pub on a crisp winter afternoon. People come in with heavy coats, and are greeted by a warm fireplace. They order heartier, more substantial comfort foods than usual to ward off the cold.
As owner Bill Singer has remarked in the past, the view outside is like an everchanging piece of art. The Rumrunner in wintertime is a place to warm up, shake off the chill and absorb the ocean, island and mountain views. There’s no rush here, so just relax and take it in.
Bill and I meet at the bar, where I often find him conversing with friends. He is, as always, a cordial and welcoming host. He suggests that we take a table, but I have the idea that writing from the viewpoint of the bar would be a nice change.
I peruse the menu; there’s an enticing array of seafood dishes and other classic pub foods. I order the nachos: the quintessential bar food. Sometimes it’s fun to order an old standby.
Bill leaves me momentarily. His longtime customer and friend, Peter Chance, and I strike up a friendly conversation. Peter has known Bill since his days at the Snug, at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, and after all these years, Peter still comes in to the Rumrunner to see Bill regularly. “I’ve known him for a long time,” he says pensively, then grins, “and he’s been good. He’s a genial and generous host, for whom I have great respect.”
My order is placed on the bar top in front of me, along with a sleeve of Blue Buck. Really good nachos, strangely, can be hard to come by. A good indicator to me that they’ve been carefully prepared is when no chip has been left untouched by cheese and toppings. This order hits the mark: each bite is full of cheesy, flavourful goodness.
I take a second look over the menu. It’s an appetizing, seafood-heavy selection, though there’s something for all palates. There’s a children’s menu, incidentally, and celiac-friendly fish and chips, as always.
When Bill returns we talk a bit about how much the business front has changed in this part of Sidney since my last visit. New businesses have moved in and brought with them a new crowd of fresh faces and vigour. It’s a welcome change for Bill, who is delighted to have neighbours. “There’s a higher presence, and the buildings are being brought back and refinished. It raises the profile of the whole site.” An onslaught of foot traffic will be the natural result of the new developments on Seaport Place. There’s a new distillery coming in next door, which is something else to look forward to. “People beget people,” Bill says.
I rattle off some questions for him, just for fun, starting with: “What’s the best sunny cold day meal at the Rumrunner?” to which he responds: “Calamari, a burger and a Lighthouse IPA. This beer cleanses your palate and keeps tastes fresh.” Best February rainy day meal? Seafood chowder and the Asian Jumbo Shrimp Salad, with a glass of either pinot gris or sauvignon blanc. Bill’s other favourite choice for a rainy winter day would be the baked onion soup and a pot pie. Hearty and comforting. Come in and warm up.
For more information visit www.rumrunnerpub.ca.
