3 Whiners With A Twist We love great food, we love to drink, and sometimes we get to do it all together.

Whiner #2 and I just returned home from a fantastic cruise on the Crystal Symphony to Alaska. Crystal is known for the quality of food they serve on board. One of it's specialty restaurants is a Nobo - that should give you an idea. So why would we go looking for food in port? Well, that's just what we do.

One of our ports of call was Victoria, B.C. It was a short port call - 8am to 1pm. I'm not an early riser, so by the time we were off the ship we only had a couple of hours in port. We went directly to the Empress Hotel in hopes of a cup of her infamous tea and a bite of breakfast. We were too late, yet too early for lunch. We wandered around the beautiful grounds and returned at 11:30am when they reopened for lunch.

We looked over the menu, blah, sandwiches, salads, then I spotted "Grilled Artisan Bread with a Trio of Spreads". That sounded interesting. The trio included a delightful Hummus, a super yummy Goat Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes, and the third was some of the best Tapenade I'd ever had.



We were delighted! I love when you just happen on to something so good, that hits the spot, and ads to your memory bank. No, this isn't the fanciest dish I've ever eaten, but there I sat, on the veranda of the Empress Hotel, where Queens and dignitaries have also enjoyed a cup of tea and a bite of food, with the man I love, enjoying something lovely, that I will remember for a long time to come.