MicCHEK

We're back on the hunt to showcase some of the newest culinary offerings in Greater Victoria. In this episode, Joe reviews some of the newest spots in the region as well as two popular spots for a drink in the morning and at night, that are worth revisiting if you haven't gone lately.

In this episode we ask whether it's time for the City of Victoria to try and bring the Juno Awards to the capital city. We'll take a look back at past attempts to bring the music show to Vancouver Island and talk to several people who know what it takes to land Canada's biggest night in music.

Do coffee! Do coffee! After several requests for coffee content we decided we'd revisit one of our more popular discussions featuring Captain Nespresso (aka. CHEK's Rob Shaw). Enjoy this MicCHEK Rewind featuring some of our favourite coffee shops in Victoria (Episode first aired June 2021).

What restaurants in Greater Victoria do you eat at so often it's borderline embarrassing? That's what we discuss in this episode with Bonnie Todd from Off the Eaten Track and Amy Ayer from 49 Below. We'll each lay out five spots that have turned us into repeat customers and discuss specific dishes we can't get enough of.

Vancouver Island is in the midst of a pro wrestling boom. Attendance is up at local shows, and word is spreading about the island's own local wrestling league. In this episode, we sit down with two pro wrestlers, Rose and Dane Loucks (AKA "Damien Canes") to learn a bit more about their passion and what's pulling them into the ring.

Victoria's tourism sector has had a remarkable bounceback following the pandemic but work is still underway to get Victoria on the radar of travellers in the US. In this episode we sit down with a couple of industry leaders to discuss the state of tourism in Greater Victoria and what needs to happen to get more people to our slice of paradise.

Looking for a new place to grab a bite? In this episode Joe reviews some of the newest businesses in Greater Victoria's food scene.

In 1984, 24-year-old Mark Sutton became a bit of a household name on Vancouver Island when he decided to pursue a Guinness World Record for pole sitting. Perched on top of a pole at the corner of Herald and Store (near the Value Village today), Sutton spent 488 days living in a makeshift tree house. In this episode Joe shares what he's learned about Mar and his story and revisits some of the more memorable moments from Mark's time in the sky.

Arnold Lim's been a photojournalist in Victoria for more than a decade but his real passion is making films. This week his new short film "My Name Is Arnold" is making its Vancouver Island debut at the Victoria Film Festival. In this episode we discuss what it was like being a Korean-Canadian boy growing up in rural British Columbia. We also chat about the film industry locally, the struggles for anyone trying to break-in, and where Arnold sees the film industry going over the next few years.

In this episode we discuss overcoming adversity with a guy who has bounced back from two traumatic brain injuries. In 2014 Dan MacQueen had everything going for him when out of the blue he was told to go to the hospital. His life was about to change forever. In this conversation Dan shares his story and explains what it was like to relearn how to walk, talk, and smile and the lessons he learned taking on the biggest challenge of his life.

It's been one of the most talked about Victoria council decisions of 2023. In this episode we sit down with the man behind the floating barge that's been cleared to set up shop in the city's inner harbour. HAVN CEO Nick Van Buren joins us to discuss where this idea came from, how it turned into a reality, and what people can expect when the floating sauna eventually welcomes customers on board.

Time to put the food on hold for an episode and talk about some local businesses that don't specialize in cuisine. In this episode Kyle and Joe pick some of their favourite non-food local businesses that deserve some love and attention.

When Tess van Straaten went on air on New Year's Eve to deliver the weather on CHEK News, she never imagined that weeks later she'd be discussing what she wore that night (she never thought she'd EVER have to talk about it). In this episode we discuss an email that has become news around the world, and the sleeveless dress that (almost) offended one viewer.

To wrap up the year we've invited two of our favourite guests back onto the podcast to give us their 2022 CHEKie Award winners for top restaurant of the year. This is our second year handing out the highly coveted CHEKie Award. In this episode we compile 20 locations that we believe were industry leaders in cuisine over the last year.

How did a single Instagram post turn into one of the most popular sandwiches we've ever encountered in all our years covering food on Vancouver Island? In this episode we sit down with Julie, the woman behind HERO, an Italian Deli pop-up in Victoria (Interview begins at 11:30).

In this episode Joe and Kyle discuss the 1966 plan to erect a massive observation deck near the Legislature that would give people a bird's-eye view of the capital city.

It's been a while since we've had a food chat and a lot can change in a few weeks. In this episode Joe discusses his new love of matcha, a breakfast sandwich that deserves recognition, and a sandwich so tasty it's worth traveling to Salt Spring for.

One of the questions that gets asked a lot is what's being done to fix BC's toxic drug supply and stop the alarming number of overdoses in this province. In this episode we hear from two people who are part of a unique program aimed at giving construction workers access to harm reduction services.

Chances are Sharon Lam has drawn one of your favourite places in Victoria. From restaurants to buildings, to shops and pubs. If it's popular in the capital region then Lam has probably sat down with her iPad and has created a digital masterpiece of it. We're big fans of Lam but have never had a chance to sit down and talk to her until now. In this episode we learn about her past, her craft, and the inspiration for her incredible work.

In this episode we offer up a comment on a commentary and explain why we believe, despite all of its problems, Victoria is a great city.

Our conversation with the next Mayor of View Royal, Sid Tobias.

In this episode we sit down with the man who defeated Stew Young to become the next mayor of Langford. Who is Scott Goodmanson? Why did he want the job? And what does he have planned for Langford?

In this episode Joe and Kyle lay out five food recommendations they think people would enjoy this fall season. Three of them are new spots that have opened within the last year. Enjoy!

MicCHEK returns with a conversation with Vancouver Island's beloved columnist, Jack Knox. (Jack's interview starts at 23 minutes into the episode) For decades islanders have woken up to his humorous takes in the Times Colonist on all things Vancouver Island. We chat about Jack's new book, plus get his thoughts on the current state of Victoria and why he's taken a break from Twitter. Also, Joe and Kyle discuss where they've been for the last three weeks.

In this episode, the guys sit down with the owner of Wandering Mollusk to chat about all things Oysters. How are they harvested, how do you shuck them, eat them, and are they truly an aphrodisiac?

For only the second-time in MicCHEK history the guys hit the road and head out to Langford to see first-hand why people are raving about the Langford Station. Located at 720 Station Avenue, the Langford Station combines some of MicCHEK's favourite things all into one strip: food, drink, local businesses and music. In this episode you'll get to hear from the people involved in Langford's new arts and culture precinct.

We know it's not soup weather just yet. But after the soup Joe recently had at the Deep Cove Chalet in North Saanich, he just HAD to discuss soup. In this episode, Joe gets you ready for the fall season with five of his favourite soups in Greater Victoria.

In this episode we sit down with Jess Gibbard who has set out to help transgender people around the world find their voice.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a place in the world that loves Lucky Lager more than Vancouver Island. Somehow it's become synonymous with the hard-working folks who called the island home. In this episode, we get the story behind the brew.

Filipino ice cream, a cafe in a curling club, and a trip to the South Pacific via Fisherman's Wharf. Those are three of the local gems contained in Joe's most recent list of five restaurants you should check out in Greater Victoria.

Just because you don't like something doesn't mean you shouldn't learn about it. That's our motto heading into a conversation with the man behind a local hot sauce company. In this episode we sample the hottest sauce he has to offer and learn everything there is to know about hot sauce and why people love extreme heat.

After receiving several requests from listeners we've decided to tackle SUSHI. Who makes the best sushi in Greater Victoria? It's a tough question but we've lined up a few experts to help us out. Enjoy our 15 recommendations for great sushi on the south island.

We sit down with three Victoria residents who have concerns and questions regarding Victoria's Missing Middle Housing Initiative. Ken Roueche is a homeowner in Fairfield, Bob June is a homeowner in the Rockland neighbourhood, and Susan Simmons is a renter in James Bay. All three have been following the discussion around this housing plan and share their thoughts in this episode.

In this episode we chat with Nanaimo's Whitney Wood about what it was like competing on Jeopardy!

In this episode we get a crash-course in missing middle housing. We've asked an expert in housing development to explain what he thinks are the five biggest myths about Victoria's missing middle housing initiative.

In this episode Joe and Kyle sit down with the man who opened Santiago's in James Bay. Tim Strachan explains how he wanted to bring small-plate tapas to the city and discusses the ups and downs of running a restaurant over the years.

In this episode Joe gives us five restaurants in Greater Victoria that have impressed him over the last month or so. He'll break down what dish to try and we'll even hear from some of the restaurant owners.

In this episode we take a look at the hundreds of illegal Airbnb operators in the City of Victoria and find out why the city is struggling to regulate this industry. We sit down with Laura Brougham and Nicholas Pescod, the two digital editors at Chek who spent months digging into this issue to learn about the problem, how it's playing into Victoria's housing crisis, and what the solution to fixing it may be.

In this episode MicCHEK kicks off "Top Slice Victoria", the search for the best pizza by the slice in Greater Victoria. Listen as our panel blindly tastes, discusses, and scores the first slices in our hunt for a champion (First slice gets tastes at the 14:00 mark). Slices will be scored based on five categories: taste, toppings, crust, appearance, and value. In the end we'll have a winning pizza place for each category but remember, this is just the first ten slices. There's a long way to go until we get through EVERY slice in the region. Will the winners remain on top? Stay tuned to find out.

In this eye-opening discussion, Joe and Kyle learn about one family's connection to the earliest days of Victoria. Fern Perkins' ancestors were the first Métis family to call Victoria home. Her great, great, great, grandfather Charles Ross was friends with Sir James Douglas and helped build Fort Victoria for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1843. In a surprising twist that Fern didn't realize until later in life, her husband Mark also had ties to the early days of Victoria. Mark's great great great grandfather was Peter Skene Ogden, the man Ogden Point is named after. In this episode we learn about Fern's journey in discovering her Indigenous past. We also discuss reconciliation, land acknowledgements, the history of W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations, and Fern's message to everyone during this National Indigenous History Month.

Who sells the best pizza by the slice in Greater Victoria? That's the question we're preparing to answer as MicCHEK launches its first official food ranking. The plan? To have a panel of culinary experts taste, then score every slice of pizza in Greater Victoria that can be purchased by the slice. In this episode, Joe and KC Kyle ask award-winning CBC journalist Justin McElroy (BC's #1 expert in all things lists and rankings...and just an all-around good guy) for direction and guidance on how to execute what's being called "Top Slice Victoria".

In this episode we pick up where we left off last episode with an idea for one of Victoria's most underrated buildings that doesn't get a lot of attention. Situated where Humboldt, Government, and Wharf Street collide you'll find Victoria's Tourism Centre. It used to be an auto shop and an Esso Station and if our guest had his way, it would have been home to Club Balisage, the hottest jazz club on the west coast.

It was one of the biggest events ever held on Vancouver Island and if one local architect had his way, it would've been on a barge. Actually multiple barges. In this episode we learn about the plan that helped Victoria land the 1994 Commonwealth Games. In the end though, it was just too costly and too extreme to pull off.

In this episode we sit down with North Saanich mayor Geoff Orr to chat about his decision not to run in this fall's municipal election. We also discuss some of the challenges he encountered as mayor and the big issues that North Saanich residents are currently grappling with. Plus, Geoff opens up about what it's like being a politician in the CRD and offers up advice for anyone thinking about running in the October 15th municipal election.

In this episode Joe lays out ten specific dishes on the south island that he believes deserves some love. Not only will you learn about the food, but we've also put together some audio from customers and restaurant owners to give you a real taste of each location.

Who is Krista Loughton? What's her vision for the City of Victoria? Why is she running for council in this fall's municipal election? The Victoria filmmaker joined us in studio to discuss these questions and more in a wide-ranging interview on some of the big issues in the City of Victoria.