Nanaimo Seawalk: The Shops and Restaurants

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Nanaimo's Lovely Seawalk

As you can see, Nanaimo's Seawalk is under construction, so return often. More menus, more photographs and more great scenery is coming soon!



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Kenneth McVay Photography by Kenneth McVay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.
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Newfoundland to Nanaimo 

Newfoundland to Nanaimo describes itself as: "A must see little shop on Nanaimo's waterfront offering a selection of gifts, souvenirs, jewelry and other special treasures from across Canada."

"In addition to unique gift items for all occasions, we carry a variety of well-known brands such as Mussels & More Pottery, Clayworks Designs, Chelsea Jewelry, Basic Spirit Pewter, Garneau Leather Slippers, Rogers' Chocolates & SeaChange Seafoods."





There's some neat stuff in this shop, but it pays to be discriminating. Check out the etched glassware featuring First Nations motifs!

Off The Seawall 

It's FUN to shop in here!

Looking for comfy cotton boxers emblazoned with "kiss my bass," "nice bass," or "bear bum?"

How about super cozy cotton sleep shirts declaring you're "dog tired," or labled "cat nap," "nightmares," or "hot flashes?"

These are just a few of over 30 cute designs you'll find at "Off the Seawall!"

Long story short: This place is FUN!

(Click on the image below and follow your nose to their online store.)



Javawocky 

Gourmet Coffee & Munchies

Aside from the obvious (this is my favourite Latte shoppe), Javawocky offers a delightful selection of treats, including my nomination for Sandwich of the Year, an Alvacado, Sprouts & Cream Cheese wonder you won't soon forget.



There's lots more, of course, including the World Famous Nanaimo Bar, so take a break the next time you're Walking the Wall and grab one!

The Lighthouse Bistro & Pub 

The Lighthouse Bistro and Pub is located on the water off the Nanaimo Seawall. There is a restaurant on the lower level with an 80-seat patio situated on the water.

The pub is on the second level, and features a pub menu and extensive drink list. Alas, although the Guinness is from Ireland and tastes great, the food leaves much to be desired.

Today, I took my daughter there for lunch, and ordered Nachos, which, the menu proclaimed, included fresh Jalapeno peppers.

When the dish arrived, it included pickled Jalapenos.

Two issues here.

As any pepper lover will tell you, there is no comparison between freshly diced Jalapenos and their rich pepper flavour and the limp pickled variety.

The only flavour the pickled peppers can boast of is vinegar and capsicum. Great for a hot summer day, but not remotely the same as fresh peppers.

The second issue is that the menu misrepresented the Nachos, something I take far more seriously. If it had said "Pickled Jalapenos," I would still have ordered, simply expected less.

The menu promised fresh and failed to deliver.

We had to send the Nachos back to the kitchen for more cheese... we couldn't find more than a tablespoon full on the dish brought to our table.

We both ordered the special, which sounded terrific: beef sandwich with gravy. Alas, the Nachos should have warned us. The beef was dry and rubbery, as if it had been heated in a microwave oven, and the gravy was plastic and bland.

I hope you'll forgive me if I don't sample the restaurant fare. I won't be going back any time soon.

This building also serves as the Seaplane Terminal with flights to Vancouver.

The [Ex] Dock Shoppe 

Marine Supply Company



Sad to say, as Monty Python would put it, this is an EX shop, pining, perhaps, for the fjord.

Darned shame - I never did find out what they sold.

Just Desserts 

For All Seasons

Tea on the Quay 



Tea on the Quay offers simple fare in a beautiful setting.

Teas include Peppermint Breeze, Orange Spice, Apple Cinnamon, Green, Ruby Mist, Ginger Peach, Jasmine Blossom and 8 or 10 other varieties.

Fresh muffins, cinnamon buns (served warm), awesome cookies and scones are the featured baked goods.

Sandwiches are served on either whole wheat or multigrain bread, and include egg (tomato or cucumbers added for an extra quarter), Asparagus and Cream Cheese and Tomato and Cucumber served with Creamed Cheese.

Soups are also available, served alone or in combination with sandwiches or scones.

A menu highlight is Vegetarian Quiche, baked in-house, served alone or in combination with soup or salad.

The house speciality is High Tea for Two, with silver tray service, a selection of finger sandwiches, scpmes. scprbet amd dessrt squares. Reservations are recommended for High Tea!

Sweets include dessert squares, pies, cheesecakes and a nearly endless choice of ice creams and sorbets... after all, the Tea Room is attached to an ice cream shoppe!

Nanaimo's Seawalk 

The View

Views along the public wharf portion of Nanaimo's seawalk.

curated content from Flickr

Troller's Fish & Chips 

I confess to having a built-in bias where Troller's is concerned.

My Lady and I visited once, since we both love Fish and Chips, because the location is spectacular, and because the place is a popular spot on the docks.

Alas, our Fish was so greasy that neither of us really enjoyed it, and we've never been back.In fairness, however, friends have insisted that there are some terrific taste treats on the menu, so I'm going to give them another try.



That was a few years back, and things could have changed, so in fairness to Troller's, I'd suggest you check them out and judge for yourself.

I will get a copy of their menu the next time I'm on the seawall, and post highlights here.

Penny's Palapa 

Excellent Mexican Cuisine Floating on the Water in the Heart of Nanaimo

I need to get something off my chest. Nanaimo has some nice Mexican restaurants, but none of them serve, er, Mexican food.

Penny's, on the other hand, does.

Their Enchilads Suiza, described as "Corn tortillas filled with uniquely spiced chicken and roasted onion, smothered in green tomatillo-poblano chile sauce, and baked with Jack and Cheddar cheese, drizzled with crema and cilantro," is a taste treat for anyone who appreciates Mexican fare.

My partner tells me that their Chipotle Chicken Quesdadilla is superb, and I suspect that the rest of their creations are, too.

I intend to return as often as I have to in order to sample the Tortilla soup, Palapa salad, Ceviche Mixta, Penny's Famous Fish Tacos, Red Snapper Pescadillos with Fiery Cilantro-Mint sauce, Pasilla Chicken burrito and Chipotle Shrimp burrito... I can't go on; there's a lot more on the menu than we have room for here!

Be forewarned... they close for the season in October, and on rainy days, and the waitresses don't "wait," they deliver... you have to order your food at the front counter, pay for it, then find a table.

Penny's Palapa is a gem, so make a point of dropping in at your earliest opportunity.



Did I mention the fresh Lime Margaritas? The Limes are fresh, and juiced each morning, then maintained in a "freezy" machine in semi-frozen condition.

Penny's doesn't make the best Mararita in town, but it's darned close, and it's absolutely light years ahead of the sugary insult served by most of the local bars. Have one with lunch, and see if you don't agree!

Penny's also offers organic Fair Trade coffee, teas and imported beers and wines.

Canadian Coast Guard 

John P Tully

The location of this photograph is unknown. The last two were taken from the dragon boat U Bette in Newcastle Channel (Nanaimo harbour) on October 26, 2008.





The John P. Tully is an oceanographic research vessel based in Sydney, B.C.
You can track its movements here.



Tully's statistics can be found here.

Nanaimo Harbour 

The Boats

curated content from Flickr

More information about Nanaimo's Harbour 

Off the Seawall Shop
OFF THE SEAWALL is located... you guessed it!
Off the Nanaimo seawall on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC

We specialize in humorous and novelty sleepwear, casual clothing & fun or whimsical gifts.

Newfoundland to Nanaimo
A Unique Shop on Nanaimo's beautiful Waterfront offering an assortment of Quality Gifts from across Canada, as well as a good selection of Souvenir Items.


Spectacular scenes of Nanaimo's Harbour
A floating pub, Blue Heron Rookery, Native war canoes, dragonboats and outrageously silly boats can all be found in the harbour, as these spectacular photographs demonstrate.

Harbour Air
At Harbour Air we take pride in providing a safe and professional flight experience. With over 25 years of service and more than 30 aircraft we have grown to be the largest all-seaplane airline in the world. Experience scheduled services, scenic tours and private charters that will show you spectacular British Columbia from a new point of view.

Seair
Explore one of B.C.'s most breathtaking alpine lakes. Situated at the end of Howe Sound, nestled in among the mountains that ascend above the town site of Squamish. In just 40 minutes the aircraft touches down in the glacier fed Lake Lovely Water. Bring your hiking boots and follow one of the trails up into the alpine. Smell the flowers, relax and take in the outstanding scenery that surrounds you. On departure from the lake, cruise over the Garibaldi National Park and the protruding Black Tusk. Get a birds eye view of this magnificent landscape of mountains, glaciers and pristine lakes.

Tourism Nanaimo
Welcome to the picturesque city of Nanaimo, British Columbia.

With breathtaking views, exciting attractions, and friendly people, Nanaimo is the premier gateway to Vancouver Island.

Tourism Nanaimo is here to guide you to everything that this great city has to offer, from its oceanfront scenery and stunning mountain views, to the charming downtown area.

Whether you're looking for local eateries, outdoor adventures, or a guide to the arts scene, you'll find extensive resources inside to make your trip planning easier.

The City of Nanaimo
The City's website, with extesive maps and information.

New Guestbook 

isabella wrote...

Welcome to the Best Islands Guide!

ReplyPosted October 23, 2008

anthropos wrote...

Thanks for joining "Anything and Everything Travel" Group. We look forward to seeing your other travel related lenses in our group. Keep up the good work. For a categorized list of my travel lenses and other lenses see my Lensography..

ReplyPosted September 20, 2008

KimGiancaterino wrote...

Gorgeous photos. That chocolate bar looks divine! Welcome to All Things Travel. Squid Angel Blessed.

ReplyPosted September 15, 2008

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