Dine Out Vancouver is on until February 3, 2013 and if you are looking for a room with a view, Dockside Restaurant in Granville Island is an excellent choice. Dine oceanside with views of False Creek and if you want to have a mini staycation, the Granville Island Hotel is an elevator ride away. The menu here is $28 and well worth the money. Wine and beer pairings are available as the restaurant also houses an onsite brewery where brewmaster Mark Simpson crafts a wide variety of beer styles. Chef Simon McNeil wasn’t in the night we visited, but the kitchen was left in good hands and all flowed smoothly on the floor. If you have the chance to sit in monsieur Julien’s section don’t miss it.
The dinner begins with an amuse of creamy tomato fennel bisque served with a cheddar puff pastry. Off to a superb and tasty start.
We then chose the crab and corn bisque with a tasty rice cracker and pepper crab butter. Time had been taken to roast the crab shells giving the bisque a divine richness.
The Arugula salad with goat cheese and tomato chips had just the right amount of the zippy olive oil and roast pear vinaigrette.
The sablefish was roasted to perfection and the accompanying vegetables and barley the perfect companions.
The lamb neck inside the tortellini was tender with a flavourful smoked carrot and roast apple veal jus, but the pasta dough needed some work, and was a bit tough.
The vegetarian option, a grilled leek and carrot quinoa sounded like nothing particularly special, but was truly the highlight of the meal, full of layers of flavour and accented with a butternut squash and almond hash. Beautifully done.
Do save room for the dessert and make your tablemates share as you will want to try both the eclair pastry and the dark chocolate cream cup with brandied black cherries.
Great value at $28 and a perfect pre or post-theatre meal. Ride the Cyclone is currently on at The Arts Club Granville Island stage and absolutely blew me away – roaringly funny!
APPETIZER
Amuse Heirloom Tomato and Fennel Bisque Irish Dubliner Sharp White Cheddar Puff Twist
Dungeness Crab and Corn Bisque Jade Rice Cracker with Peppered Crab Butter
Arugula with Goats Cheese and Tomato Chips on Citrus Olive Oil Grilled Crostini Roasted Pear and Gewürztraminer Vinaigrette
Braised Lamb Neck filled Tortellini on Smoked Carrot, Roast Apple and Veal Jus
Roasted Sablefish Haricot Vert and Corn Seedlings with Smoked Cod and Toasted Barley Heirloom Tomato with Capers
Grilled Leek and Carrot wrapped Quinoa, Butternut Squash and Almond Hash Asparagus and Shallots on Yellow Tomato Coulis
Paris Brest Éclair Pastry with Hazelnut Praline Custard Salted Honey Caramel
Valrhona Manjari Dark Chocolate Cream Cup with Marzipan and Brandied Black Cherries Cherry Compote
