Dinner at Wolf in the Fog
By Keith Edwards
Some places are legendary must-visits, so on the second night of my visit to Vancouver Island I’m definitely excited when I score an invitation to dine at Tofino’s award-winning small-plate restaurant, Wolf in the Fog.
Leader of the pack, Ontario-born Chef Nicholas Nutting’s approach is, he claims, that cooking is simple: “Honour the ingredients enough to let them speak for themselves and create the kind of dishes that you’d proudly want to share with friends.”
The evening begins well. I start with one of Nutting’s signature
dishes of potato-crusted oyster with, of course, a glass of paired wine—a 2016 Anthony Buchanan Pinot Noir. Gooseneck barnacles in an emulsified tomato broth with toasted bread and basil follow. It’s a dish with lovely zingy flavours and soft chewy textures. To round it off, I dig into a darkly intense Bamfield seaweed salad with shiitake mushrooms, wild rice and daikon. It’s fresh, nutritious and sustainable, with the authentic saltiness of the sea—a Wolf
in the Fog classic that’s been on the menu since day one. Oh, and did I mention, I had another glass of the delightful Pinot Noir.
In case you’re wondering, Bamfield is a tiny town on the west side of the island, where the rugged coastline is a goldmine for the best kelp anywhere. Husband and wife kelp experts Louis Druehl and Rae Hopkins operate Canadian Kelp Resources. Together, they harvest and air-dry a regular supply for Nutting.
