A Taste of Tuscany (on Bowen Island)

Okay foodie Phans, brace yourself now for the mother of all blog posts! Three of my closest girlfriends JG, KL, MR and I decided to take a spontaneous trip to Bowen Island for the weekend to relax and clear our minds (which indeed we did). However, I definitely did not foresee the amazing foodie adventures we stumbled upon! Just an inexpensive boat ride away, was a land of tasty treats! My absolute favorite dish of our mini getaway is the pulled pork eggs benedict I had at Artisan Eats. Imagine that! I don't know why I never thought of this combination before or why I haven't come across this in all my brunching years!!! There can be no wrong done with this satisfying dish. It's a MUST for food lovers and it truly paves the way for all the other bennys out there. WOW. DROOL.

Another scrumptious dish we devoured there was their lemon ricotta pancakes. UNHEARD OF, I KNOW! Super fluffy and perfect in texture and flavor, this morning was a blasphemy of indulgence. Seriously, I would pay the ferry ride over to Bowen Island just for this exact same meal.

And of course, a lovely carrot and goat cheese soup as well. This restaurant was so lively yet quaint and offered a beautiful view of the water. I stared at their menu and counter top offerings for a good while before I made my decision, I'll tell you that.

Now Artisan Eats is the sister cafe of their famous Tuscany restaurant. (Trust me, you'll want to make reservations in advance for this place.) Nestled right on their 'busiest' strip in a romantic old wooden house essentially, this dining spot sure was happenin'!

JG and I shared a hearty and decadent lobster bisque to start the night off right. Mmmm, Magnifico!

Now these two photos look exactly alike because they are both baked and smothered in cheese but let me assure you, they were very different. Above, you will see a portobello mushroom cannelloni (my favorite of the night) in pesto tomato sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella. Serve me any dish that includes a wide mixture of mushrooms and cheese and I'm yours!

Below is a baked eggplant Parmesan with basil pesto and crushed tomatoes, topped off with bread crumbs. Such a staple in Italian eats.

And we had their special vegetarian pizza of the evening smelling of sun dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke, basil and everything 'healthy and delish'!

Finally we ended the evening with a few scoops each of their vanilla panna cotta topped with pear, pomegranate seeds and drizzles of caramel. Be envious my friends ... now go and have yourself a meal there! :)