It seems like years now that we've been hearing about the importance of eating local foods in season.

It's better for us, for our economy and for the environment. We have books, cookbooks, even reality shows focused on the subject.

But for all that, we don't have it dialed in like Victoria does.

In the Lower Mainland, many upscale restaurants are cooking what's fresh and in season, changing menus to suit what's available. There -- just 70 kilometres across the Strait of Georgia -- it seems almost every chef "gets it" to some degree. From fine dining to family, chefs are working with farmers and fisherman to source ingredients for their menus.

Take Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub. Notched against the waterline on a western corner of Esquimalt, the establishment has been making the most of local ingredients since before it became fashionable to do so. Though they may not always have realized it, guests at the country's oldest brewpub -- going on 26 years now -- have been eating and drinking the bounty of the Saanich Peninsula and other local growing regions for decades. Ales are made on-site with imported hops and grains (and depending on the season, fruits and vegetables grown nearby). The menu is similarly stacked with local players.

It's little wonder that the pretty pub has gained a reputation and following for its close-to-home philosophy.

I sampled the best of it during a recent visit to the brewpub and guesthouse with my family. We slid into high stools at the polished wood bar that buttresses the open kitchen to watch chef Ally Ryan and her team prepare dinner for us.

The five-course meal at Spinnakers' chef's table is $48 per person with beer pairings or $68 with wine pairings. A deal, no matter which way you want it.

An amuse bouche of fresh-shucked Cortes Island oysters was brightened with the brewpub's own IPA vinegar and mignonette made with kelp from Bamfield. The plate was sprinkled with delicate, and edible, nodding onion flowers from the gardens of Spinnakers guesthouses. It was perfect with the pub's crisp pale ale.

Next, a light taste of summer: heirloom tomatoes from Sunwing Farms, served with spring greens from Saanich Organics, buffalo milk mozzarella (from Canada's only herd of buffalo at Fairburn Farms) and this time, a reduction of the malt vinegar. My dinner date, Big J, had his salad with the nicely malty IPA, while I enjoyed mine with the deliciously aromatic Venturi Schulze Millefiori.

West Coast Cioppino, made with plump swimming scallops, tiny shrimp from Hornby Island (who knew?), clams and mussels was nicely matched by both Spinnakers' Nut Brown Ale and Peller Estates Chardonnay.

My favourite course was a dish not typically served in summer: ragout made with wild morels and lamb from Dragonfly Farms, topped with a wedge of truffle-scented polenta and thick shavings of parmigiano reggiano. It was beautifully matched by the Scottish Ale, and Pinot Noir from Duncan's Averill Creek held up against it as well.

Even dessert -- made by pastry chef Crystal Duck -- gets a hyper-local twist: our housemade truffles included one infused with stout and topped by chocolate-coated barley, another with currant and red wine, and a third with espresso and vanilla. With it, we sipped blackberry port from Salt Spring Island.

Lucky for us, we didn't have to travel far to get back to comfortable lodgings: Spinnakers Guesthouses include rooms in a heritage or contemporary house, just a few steps from the restaurant.

For more information, visit www.spinnakers.com.

dlancaster@nsnews.com