Warren Barr was already a veteran of destination restaurants in remote coastal towns — The Inn at Bay Fortune, in Souris, P.E.I.; The Pointe, at the Wickaninnish Inn, in Tofino, B.C. — when, in 2019, he set out with his wife, Lily Verney-Downey, to open Pluvio in the fishing village of Ucluelet (population: 1,717). It was voted C100B’s best destination restaurant in 2022. The setting is warm and casual, down to the bare wood tables and earth-tone plates. Local ceramicists and woodcarvers supply all the custom service wear. Service, managed by Verney-Downey, is highly polished, and the food likewise. The tasting menu of five-plus courses is hyperseasonal, and sourcing is committedly local, from the foraged to the farmed citruses and truffles. Artisanal farms in the nearby agricultural region of Port Alberni supply all meats. In spring, expect braised lamb gordita with nixtamalized organic heritage B.C. corn and fresh cheese made from Cowichan Valley milk. Fermentations, preserves, vinegars, soy sauce — all are done in-house. Wild-rice koji lends delicate floral notes to carrot cake, its caramel sauce made with wild-rice miso. The wine list is heavy on B.C.’s finest, but not at the expense of the old world.