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What's in a name?? Well, when it comes to a restaurant, usually
a lot. It's the ultimate first impression. So it's no wonder Victoria
locals hesitate to visit Nautical Nellies. With a location on the
tourist side of the waterfront, you don't really need a local clientele,
but it would be nice, right?
So drop the Nautical - just call it Nellies...please!!!!
Nautical Nellies simply doesn't get the attention it deserves as a
legitimate restaurant, because its name incites bawdy renditions of 'Yohoho
and a bottle of rum.'
Certainly not the most elegant restaurant, it has a somewhat juvenile
nautical theme, including lots of boat cleats, fish tanks and anchors,
but is generally speaking comfortable and the space managed well.
You would be surprised by the quality of the food they're serving.
The regular menu, although clearly geared to meet the needs of hungry
Americans, is diverse and thoughtfully compiled. Drawing on contemporary
and Asian themes, you'll find a menu that features both seafood and
steak diners a like. We were pleased to also see vegetarian options
featured prominently. Nautical Nellies advertises an oyster bar
and indeed they have a large selection of local and not-so-local
oysters. However, we noted that prices were much higher than elsewhere
in town.
I started with the Jonah Crab Salad. A hearty serving of crab on a
tabouleh base. The mango tomato compote was a little overwhelming for
the rest of the dish and I thought it would have been a better lunch
salad, than an appetizer. Patty had the tomato bisque starter,
accompanied by brie and brioche. Patty described it as "the smallest
grilled cheese sandwich in the world." Not a mind blowing dish, it was
competently executed and presented with flare. Our guest Rob had the
Thai prawn hot pot, fresh and flavourful, I thought was a bit
basic. Our other guest Jasmine had the 'Mac and Cheese.' It was
extremely cheesy with good-quality Applewood smoked cheddar, but the
pasta was simply a vehicle for the cheese.
For our mains, Patty and I both had the 'Death by Chocolate' sirloin
steaks. Huge portion, the steaks were served with chocolate sauce and
stuffed with blue cheese - a combination I liked, but thought could have
been a bit more chocolaty. Also, for our blood thirsty
preferences, the steaks arrived a little overdone. Overall, this dish
was a success.
Jasmine had the black tiger prawns, she noted another large serving,
good flavour - not a wow'er, but I didn't think it would be. Rob
had the stuffed soft shell crab, an interesting selection, we were all
intrigued by the choice. The barley risotto and corn accompaniments
garnered praise and the crab was good, but a little over-fried.
The dessert selection was good and broad. Patty was delighted with
his warm gingerbread, and Rob and I were both happy with blueberry
strudel. Jasmine's bread pudding was the winner, served steaming hot
with crème anglaise.
The wine list is better than you would think, with a large selection
of moderately priced, mostly new-world wines. Notable is the number of
wines available by the glass. We all liked the notations for
seafood-friendly red wines.
Our server, a seemingly competent and professional man, provided good
service, but we could tell he'd been serving a lot of tourists recently.
He made one flub that deserves mentioning, assigning Patty the task of
tasting the wine, when I had ordered it. I'm pretty sure he later
overheard me complaining about it, because he did not repeat the mistake
with the second bottle.
All in all, it was a much better dinning experience than we were
expecting. Nautical Nellies, obviously has a chef that cares
and is working to build an interesting menu, that appeals to more than
just tourists. Among the downtown waterfront restaurants, Nautical
Nellies appears to stand out with regard to menu creativity. If they
changed the name and the decor, they'd have a competitively
sophisticated restaurant.
Reviewed:
February 19, 2006
Yohoho and a bottle of rum
Well I'm in the gutter and I've got the gun
I've got 16 men on a dead man's chest
I need a little lead for a little rest
So go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
I said yohoho here's the fun
You get to go and I get to come
I've got six bold strokes and no new jokes
The lost & found is your only hope
And I said one's for shit and one's for shame
Now your hurt can fan my flame
Pull me in drag me down
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling always down
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
Always down
Fear not what you can't see
The pulse the pain the ecstasy
A hollow space an empty grave
The best laid plans are meant to fade
Here's the lard in a leather glove
Answered dreams straight from above
And I said one's for shit and one's for shame
Now your hurt will fan my flame
Pull me in drag me down
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling always down
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
Always down
Go slow
Go slow
Always down
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
Always down
Oh yohoho and a bottle of rum
I said 16 men on a dead man's chest
I need a little lead for a little rest
So go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling
Go slow
On the torture-show
Go slow
You can be the Kapt'n as we're tumbling always down
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