All good things must come to an end including our vacation at home on Vancouver Island. We tried to cruise up the coast through Oak Bay and so on in heading for the ferry terminal at Schwartz Bay. Before we left Victoria though we had lunch at The Very Good Butchers. They are located in the Victoria Public Market at the Hudson on Douglas.
I am a big fan of a vegetarian or vegan diet for many reasons and so upon realizing that VGB was actually a vegan butcher, we decided that we needed to try them out.
Trying a burger seemed like a good place to start. The Cascadia Burger on top of their veggie patty had seitan bacon, avocado, greens, tomato, "bacon" jam, and red onion on a really decent bun. This was a fully decent burger and I would eat them on a regular basis however, anyone expecting it to be "meaty" will be disappointed. The overall experience was great but it's about the condiments and toppings more than the "meat." To be honest, I would preferer a black bean burger or quinoa or other type of patty to their "meat' patty.
We had the same experience with the Clucken eh Buffalo Style. Again it was about the toppings and condiments. This one had an onion ring and Buffalo sauce. The patty was crispy on the outside but definitely meat substitute on the inside. More healthy, environmentally friendly, no one died and decent tasting. These are all good reasons to choose this chicken burger over the usual fast-food sandwich.
Same with the ribs folks. Liked the sauce and the char but not amazed with the 'meat". If you are not expecting ribs then they, are OK but should probably be called something else.
The Mac and Cheez was pretty good. I have been experimenting with cashew cheese at home and this was as good as any that I have made. After having it a couple of times, I miss cheddar less. Give it a try.
The frites were also good but no huge points on being vegan here. I would expect nothing less than good french fries.
They have a few more meat-like items on their menu and offer mail out boxes of their product. For those of us having trouble leaving the animal products behind, they provide a good starting option. The market has a lot of tables (and other vendors, of course) nicely spread out and offering a safe place to eat but you can get your food to go also.
Food 3 out of 5
Comfort 4 out of 5 (space more than anything else makes me comfortable)
Service 4 out of 5 (counter service but they did deliver to our table
Value 4 1/2 out of 5 (value to the planet is factored in)
Our little meander towards Schwartz Bay (where we again had a reservation - Don't cheap out unless you have several spare hours to waste in line) afforded us some lovely vistas of Haro Strait and the San Juan Islands.
When we travelled here from the mainland a few days ago, masks were not yet mandatory (we wore them anyway) but now new measures are in effect and travel is a little different. 
It shouldn't be creating a big hardship for most people. If you have kids it's maybe awkward but then isn't everything awkward if you have kids? I think people who are complaining about their right not to wear masks are probably the ones still complaining about their right to smoke in public. These are mostly folks who cannot help but put their own desires and needs ahead of everyone else's. Unless medical science reverses their stand on masks, why not just try to cooperate?
If it's an insurmountable problem, I guess you could always fly...or swim.
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