Devour

Closed! :( 

Address: 762 Broughton St
Phone: (250) 590-3231
Website: http://www.devour.ca/
Price: ~$15 main
Notes: Lunch Monday-Friday, Dinner Thursday & Friday. Visit between 3 and 5 on Thursday and Friday for wine and platter specials.


Devour is definitely one of the best places in Victoria. I'm regularly sad that they are only open for dinner two days a week!

This really defines hole-in-the-wall. It's almost so hole-in-the-wall that it's cliche to mention it in a review. There's probably 6 tables for 2 and one table for four and very little elbow room at that. It doesn't feel cramped I think because the windows are so huge, and I think the ceilings are pretty high as well.

I've chatted with the chef/owner a few times and am always overwhelmed by how incredibly humble she is. This is a quality I like in people, so I am drawn to devour even more. There is no "oh thank you for your compliment" it's "I am just trying to hold my own with all the other amazing food in town."

One thing I like about here is that the portions aren't too big. It kind of encourages a really nice meal - you could do an appetizer and a main and a dessert and not be too stuffed, but have every taste bud happy and exercised. I think it is her attention to the local connection of the ingredients in her cooking that makes such a stand out place.

I almost feel like at tease sharing food pictures from here, because the menu changes every day - so what you see today will be gone tomorrow. But... replaced by something equally amazing!


Service:
April 28, 2011
The service here has always been great. The server tonight was not the same person we had had before, I think I heard she's gone, but she was still very friendly and attentive and lovely!


Food:
April 28, 2011

Chorizo And Ricotta Parpadelle With Pesto Marinara via foodspotting.com

This was my partner-in-food-and-life's choice. The pasta was absolutely perfect, and certainly homemade. The flavours worked incredibly well together. The dry chorizo was lovely, but we both thought the contrast between the softness of all of the other textures and the dryness of the chorizo felt not quite intentional enough.

Flat Iron Steak With Stilton Cottage Cheese via foodspotting.com

This whole meal was fabulous. This was probably the nicest piece of meat I've had in ages! It was incredibly flavourful and the char on the outside was excellent. Did I mention the stilton cottage cheese?! It blew my mind. Also: roasted beets! Roasted beets are my new favourite thing. My mouth is watering just imagining adding them to our dinner rotation. 

Sour Cherry Clafouti via foodspotting.com

We weren't sure what claflouti was before trying it, but kind of compared it to a sweet yorkshire pudding with cherries. It was quite delicious! I like that the sour cherries made it not too sweet.