From Divey Dougie to Rico Rialto

Ah, the Douglas Hotel … a veritable flophouse with the type of bar that became a “first shot/drink” rite of passage for young men on their 19th birthday (19 years of age being the legal drinking age in B.C.). In short, a seedy operation that no self-respecting young woman would step foot in (your Hedonista is a UVic alumna, dear hedonists). Think Rick’s Café meets Shawshank Redemption.

But those days are now loooong over and done with. It closed in December 2007, re-opened in June 2009, and invested approximately $10 million (Cdn)  during this time period. The result: the Hotel Douglas has gone from “When it’s your turn to be shanked” to the “chic et boutique” Hotel Rialto – “When it’s your turn to be spoiled.” (Seriously; just like their website says, think “Old World Italian with hints of Chinese influence.”)

The make-over is absolutely incredible – it’s gone from “I’d never step foot in there” to “I LOVE this place!” The 31 rooms and suites are modern yet quaint; the renovation went right down to the lovely historical bones (a necessity, I’m sure, given this place’s colo(u)rful-yet-shady history) yet added just the right amount of modern chic. As a result, the rooms are comfortable and accommodating in a luxury-meets-history kinda way.

Then there’s the Hotel Rialto’s restaurant and bar Veneto Tapa Lounge – easily one of my two favo(u)rite martini bars in town (the other, in case you’re wondering, is Clive’s in Chateau Victoria). Veneto has been featured as one of Canada’s Best New Restaurants of 2009 by whereCanada, and with very good reason, as the solids and liquids are pure bliss. Tasting notes highlighted below:

Liquids: Their martinis ($7.50) are fab – the Geisha’s Gaze martini (vodka, sake, lychee liqueur, cranberry juice and white grape juice) tastes like a spa for the mouth – basically everything I’ve ever dreamed a cosmo could be. No wait, even better than that: red like the lips of a Geisha, just waiting to be savo(u)red in a devouring kiss. Then there’s their Devil’s Hand martini; with chocolate vodka, caramel toffee liqueur, hazelnut Kahlua and dark chocolate shavings sprinkled on top, this beverage tastes exactly as it sounds: hedonistic and heavenly. Trust me, the Devil definitely had a hand in this. Try it and skip dessert (or, better yet, order it with dessert).

Tapas Trios ($14-$17): Anything and everything and all of it good – high-end good. I was partial to the smoked albacore nicoise salad (with smoked chile vinaigrette), the blue crab maison salad stack (with Belgian endive and saffron red pepper sauce), the Creole crab cakes (with roasted corn salsa and
chipotle tartar sauce), and the seared scallops in butternut soup (with sage brown butter drizzle). Executive Chef Tod Bosence – who’s experience dates back to the ol’ Dougie days – has risen his kitchen to the level befitting of an establishment worthy of seeing and being seen in beautifully. Bravo! And Wes Hunter – the F&B Manager and Sommelier – knows his business; his pairings – at $10 for a flight or anywhere from $6.50 to $10  for a glass – definitely won’t disappoint.

Side Dishes ($6-$16): There are also side dishes  – such as sweet and spicy green beans, grilled flat bread, grilled lobster and blue crab dip, and an artisan cheese board.

Dessert Trios ($9): Although you have several dishes to choose from, the trio of milk chocolate-peanut butter crème brulée, the flourless chocolate ganache cake with vanilla gelato and cinnamon sugar, and the marscapone & grand marnier mousse cone with a black sesame seed ginger snap did the job nicely.

(Oh, and don’t forget Breve Bistro – a great lil’  breakfast place post-Veneto-night and post-Hotel-Rialto-overnight!)

The moral of this story: whereas the Hotel Douglas was a must-avoid, the new and (a multi-million-times) improved Hotel Rialto is a must-see, must-try, must-place-to-be.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.