The Dutch Bakery

The Dutch Bakery (718 Fort / 250-385-1012) is one of those places that are good to go to when it's raining out for the eighth straight day or your best friend in the world just died. Opened in 1956, the inside of the Dutch Bakery looks like it hasn't changed in at least 50 of those years. A pastry and chocolate bakery in the front and an old-style diner cafe in the back, it gives a sense of permanence and stability that just doesn't normally exist in the dining world. That stability, combined with the friendly staff, good hearty food, and cheap prices can only mean one thing: comfort. So the next time you're feeling blue, do what I do: head to the Dutch Bakery, grab a table against the wall, order a cup of coffee, a sausage roll, and a meat pie, and you'll soon be feeling that things aren't all that bad. Finish it off with a "vanilla slice" or some other pastry and life will be looking pretty good again.