Mali Munroe calls herself an unabashedly enthusiastic foodie.
Munroe, a therapist who works in Duncan and lives in Nanaimo, has been visiting restaurants in southern Vancouver Island and featuring them on her YouTube food vlog, called Famished Foodie, since last summer.
She has visited approximately 20 eateries so far, including the Cowichan Valley’s Kahuna Burger, Brunch on 3rd, Duncan Garage Cafe & Bakery, True Grain Bakery, Neko Ramen and Genoa Bay Cafe.
“The cost of a restaurant meal has increased 13 per cent over the past three years, so eating out is more of a financial investment then it was pre-COVID,” Munroe said.
“Planning for a social event, a perfect proposal, a graduation, a birthday celebration or simply going out to enjoy a leisurely meal, you don’t want anyone saying, ‘Well, at least the company was good’. It’s my mission to take the risk out of eating out by my sampling food and sharing my impressions with you as you join me in some fun foodie adventures at Famished Foodie.”
Munroe said she has received emails and correspondence from people all around the world thanking her for her restaurant reviews.
“My long-term goal is to visit and feature restaurants on the mainland, and across Canada and the whole world,” she said.
“It’s a great pleasure for me to support local eateries and give a big shout out as I showcase each restaurant’s own brand of yumminess.”
Eggs Benedict with Bacon at Brunch on 3rd will air on Jan. 7, and Huapia Pie and Passion Fruit Cheesecake from Aloha Bowls will air on Jan. 14. Find her at Famished Foodie on Youtube.
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Duncan’s only movie theatre has closed its doors.
Caprice Cinemas, which has operated for 10 years at 404 Duncan St., closed permanently as of Dec. 30.
The theatre’s Facebook page extended a “massive” thank you to everyone who supported it over the past decade.
“We could not have done it without you,” the Facebook posting said.
“This was not an easy decision and we understand it was sudden, but know that we are all absolutely devastated by it. Again, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for 10 fabulous years. We will miss all of your smiling faces.”
The theatre’s Facebook page received hundreds of comments from people who have attended movies there over the years, sharing their memories and saying goodbye to a beloved facility in the community,
Kim Elrick said she was saddened to hear that Caprice Cinemas is closing.
“I loved having a local venue to go to,” she said.
“I understand the costs have become prohibitive and the volume of movie goers has decreased, but please know we valued your business immensely and you will be missed.”
Beverley Schoyen thanked the theatre for hanging in there for so long and trying to remain competitive with all of the streaming services available and massive televisions.
“The community can’t complain because we didn’t come enough, simple as that,” she said.
“It’s a sign of the times.”
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There will be a food tasting at reFRESH Cowichan on Jan. 16 to allow the store’s kitchen team to introduce a new line of frozen meals that will be added to its fridge and freezer section.
In 2018, Cowichan Green Community started reFRESH Cowichan, a food recovery program that collects thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each week from local grocery stores and distributes the donated produce to regional partners, such as food banks, day cares, soup kitchens, shelters, and schools.
Manager Sarah Knight said reFRESH Cowichan, located at 360 Duncan St., also sells to the public at its store and is working towards becoming a low-income shop where everybody will want to do their grocery shopping.
She said the nine new frozen meals that will be tested by the public at its menu tasting on Jan. 16, which include such nutritious favourites as lemon pepper chicken, are fresh-frozen meals that can be microwaved at home.
“We’re holding the free public tasting (which runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) to get feedback on our new menu before we sell it in the store,” Knight said.
“We’re asking people to RSVP us so we can get some idea of how many people to expect.”
The store can be reached at 250-748-8506, and Knight can be emailed at sarahk@cowichangreencommunity.org.
