Nanook’s West-coast Gourmet
We like our food fresh and local, it not only tastes the best but is naturally the best for you! Fortunately for our guests and family alike, our pristine waterways provide an abundance of rich seafood. The farms, on near-by Vancouver Island, offer us fresh local produce and meats..
Whether it be Grass-Fed Beef Mignon’s paired with Chilled Dungeness Crab or Fresh Chinook Salmon caught and prepared that same day. We know you will enjoy this over the top daily menu we offer. We aim to please, let us know what your craving!
The growing season in the temperate rain-forest allows us to serve local produce throughout the spring, summer and fall. The rich plant life native to the coastal northwest includes many berry varieties, great for homemade desserts and fresh morning smoothies!
Not to mention the wide array of tasty wild fish we keep fresh in the sea until time to catch and cook! All 5 species of Pacific Salmon swim the waters that surround Nanook and there isn’t anything like wild Chinook served hot off the grill by our chef! Ling Cod and several species of rock fish are routinely on the menu and make tasty delights with white flesh and a mild taste.
“It’s all part of the daily catch as we are always thinking about what’s for dinner!”
Our custom oyster bar is open daily after fish serving cold Micro Brews on Tap while devouring fresh oysters prepared in a variety of way with a smorgasbord of sauces off of live edge slab maple tables overlooking Cordero Channel as the Tide rumbles below!! The main course is yet to come…
Our Dining Room and Bar features custom, seating arrangements both inside and out. We offer house beer and wine with a daily menu. Once arrived at Nanook, a hot lunch will be served before activities, and boat lunches to go upon request. Choose to watch the sunset over your surf and turf dinner items, or outside on the 1,000 sqft deck by the fire. Be sure to leave some room for an organic dessert or nightcap before dark or bedtime, whichever comes first!
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| “A yearly experience that I look forward to. It allows me to relax, reconnect with nature and good friends. The food, services are friendly and exceptionally well delivered.” — Yannick Himber, Corporate Dining Services Director, Sodexo |
-Seafood!-
Fresh seafood anybody? We set out traps daily for prawns (large shrimp) and Dungeness crab. The traps need to “soak” for several hours, perfect time to do some fishing! We take advantage of the morning hours to hunt for salmon and troll the waters waiting for bites and leave time to jig along the calm rocky shores for bottom fish such as Ling and Rock cod. And before it’s time to call it a day all of us help out in pulling traps, cleaning and feasting on the bounty! Try for a halibut or go to shore for clam’s and oysters.
-The White Spring & Marble Chinook-
Pacific salmon are widely known for having beautiful red flesh varying from light pink to deep red depending on specie and time of year. We have a special run of salmon that frequent the Stuart Island waters locally known as the White spring or marble flesh salmon which can be marbled red and white or even some that are totally white in flesh color, blindfolded you cannot taste the difference but these marbles and whites are thought to be a special fish and science proves they have more fat content, omega 3’s and 6’s than the nutrient rich red variety! Please come visit and possibly catch and taste one of these beauties!
–History in The Great Bear Rainforest–
The Salish first nations people lived in the Great Bear Rainforest for thousands of years and relied on the ocean and forest for food and materials to survive. This coastal environment has always been known for rich resource in terms of fish and plant life which historically speaking often meant wealth and prosperity. The Kwakiutl and hundreds of other bands of first nation peoples, all commonly referred to as the cedar people, relied on the cedar tree for a cure all material which provided them with wood for canoes, longhouses, clothing and even rope. These ancient societies seemed to advance with technology and art faster than other native populations around Canada, this is due to the amount food the ocean and forest would provide throughout the entire year.
A common phrase “When the tide is low, the table is set” refers to the low tide and abundance of shellfish and inter tidal creatures that can be eaten all year round. The local first nations near Stuart Island are locally involved with salmon enhancement and forestry, their presence of their ancient spirits still hold strong on the coast. We are happy to share more history and local knowledge from the area during your next visit!
*Sam’s Smoked Salmon*
What is caught fresh out of the ocean, cleaned, prepared and smoked? Did I mention it tastes unbelievable! Sam has been perfecting his smoked salmon recipes over the years and they are to die for! Nanook donates smoked salmon for different occasions throughout the year. Music fest’s, private function’s and the local Stuart Island hosted Salmon enhancement auction, held every year in support of Gillard Pass Fisheries Association. Sam always has 3 or 4 smokers in operation with the newest addition, a homemade stainless steel fridge smoker that is the master smoker of them all! Come try some and get some tips on smoking your own!!