– by Lara Gladych –
This is the fifth in a six-part series of profiles on some of the Saanich Peninsula’s wonderful restaurants and pubs.
Bill Singer has owned the Rumrunner Pub & Restaurant since 1990. As we introduce ourselves he cordially asks where I’d be most comfortable sitting. I choose the bar side, as it’s a rarity that I make it out anywhere without my children, seizing the opportunity to do something “grown-up”.
Perhaps a testament to his 26 years in the business, Bill anticipates many of my questions. I ask him what he eats from the kitchen, and he can’t put his finger on just one thing. “The corned beef sandwich, the seafood cioppino, the burgers. The salads. Steaks.”
I ask Jenni, our server and Bill’s daughter, to order for me, ‘server’s choice.’ She recommends the fish tacos, the cioppino, or any of the shrimp and crab dishes, if I like seafood. The chowder is one of their most popular items, she continues, made with salmon and corn. It’s shellfish-free, which is a treat for those with shellfish sensitivities. Jenni and Bill decide that I really ought to sample the chowder, and to go with it, Jenni chooses the seafood crepes.
The Rumrunner is located just above Port Sidney Marina. Bill makes a presenting gesture with his hands in the direction of the uninterrupted views of the water and Gulf Islands. “This is my office,” he says, which needs no further explanation. He contemplates his words further. “This is the business I’ve chosen, and it behooves me to take care of it. I want my customers to come back. I can’t please everybody, but I really try to.”
We talk for a long time, a great deal about food, a lot about pickles and smoked meat, but also about many other things. I start to pine for a pint as we chat the time away in this cozy spot. It must be the atmosphere.
It is primarily the chef, Terry, who comes up with the menu items, but the sous-chef, and occasionally Bill too, will jump in on the collaboration. The West Coast menu boasts primarily seafood, and I’m glad that Jenni ordered for me because I wouldn’t have been able to pick something on my own. Everything sounds really, really good.
Their fish and chips has quite a following. It’s celiac-friendly, and cooked in a fryer that has no contact with any gluten-containing foods.
Jenni returns to the table and slides my food in front of me. Bill leaves me alone to eat. I can tell at first glance that the chowder isn’t floury, which I like. The pink of the salmon and the bright yellow of the corn add great colour. I have to ask for help discerning what this one particular flavour is, and Bill tells me that smoked salmon is used as an alternative to bacon to give the soup a smoky taste: it’s a really pleasing difference. It’s light and not overwhelming, leaving lots of room for me to sample the crepes.
A fantastically buttery and creamy sauce compliments the crepes, which are stuffed with tender shrimp and crab. This sauce is not for the faint-of-heart, reminiscent of French cuisine.
I finish what I can, but Bill isn’t quite satisfied that I’ve sampled enough. Next is the Montreal Smoked Corned Beef sandwich, and their very special deli pickle. The meat is tender and lean, and the sandwich is uncomplicated. Horseradish faintly kicks up the coleslaw that tops the meat.
I look at my watch and realize that we’ve been sitting together for over an hour and a half. It’s this place, the view and the genuine company: I’ve completely lost track of time, which I suppose is something we’re all looking for in our neighborhood pub, isn’t it?
Visit the Rumrunner Pub & Restaurant at 9881 Seaport Place. You can find out more about them at www.rumrunnerpub.ca, and contact them at rumrunnerpub@shaw.ca or 250.656.5643.
