Take a Look Inside ‘Nowhere’, Now Open in Victoria

We mentioned in early May that Andrew Mavor and Clark Deutscher, chefs at one of our favourite Victoria restaurants, the fun and irreverently exceptional Hanks, were opening a second eatery close by. We’re happy to now report that Nowhere – love that name! – is now in its second week of service. For a refresher on the new spot, here’s an excerpt from our recent story:

The good folks behind Hanks have secured the 750 sqft unit right behind them at 1001 Douglas Street in downtown Victoria. That might sound like a tiny space but it’s about twice the size of Hanks. With it, owner/chef Andrew Mavor is planning to open a new, 30 seat restaurant called Nowhere.

They took possession of the little spot on March 23rd and hope to have it open before the third week of May. The photos Mavor sent over show the raw space, but if you put your imagination hat on you might see the pair of booths that seat 6 people, the three tables that seat 4, and the six bar stools that oversee that cooking. Knowing the spirit of Hanks, I think we can also expect a ‘no reservations’ policy, loud (but good) music, endearingly bullshit-free service and a near-total dedication to scratch cooking.

I extrapolate thus because the concept, Mavor tells me, will be similar to Hanks, minus all the meat. Expect big, bold flavours, uncommon and undersung seafoods, and lots of vegetables. “We are going to have a small menu of 10 items that we can get year round” Mavor says, adding that the dishes will change every few months but the proteins will largely stay them same. There will also there be a list of daily specials.

If you’re on that side of the Strait be sure to check it out. The first reports I’ve heard from friends have been very positive, so I’m planning to head over as soon as I can for some meals. Reservations can be had here.

THE SCOUT GUIDE TO VICTORIA

Andrew was kind enough to send over some pictures for us to share with Scout readers. Take a close look and zoom in on the menus. That spot prawn cupcake has me curious, as does the pastrami tuna and the crab jambalaya — can’t wait!