Combination of delicious food and warm service makes for a perfect outing
Michelle Hopkins
Sun
At Steveston’s Tapenade Bistro (from left) Bill Laboucan, Tina Merces, Justin Cheungand Chef Alex Tung with organic beet risotto. Ian Lindsay/Vancouver Sun
When the blustery weather comes, there’s nothing I crave more than good down-home comfort food. At Steveston’s Tapenade Bistro they not only know how to do it well, they take it up a notch. The portions are generous and the menu contains some rare gems that you don’t tend to see at your local Mediterranean eatery. The service is personal and warm: If owner Vince Morlet is in the house, he personally greets each guest at the door.
So on a recent cool fall night, my dining companion and I headed over to Tapenade. I knew we were in for a treat, as I have dined here often. On this occasion, however, there was a surprise. Alex Tung, the restaurant’s longtime executive chef, had recently returned from a six-month hiatus, bringing with him some fabulous new dishes.
The chef, who recently unveiled the bistro’s new fall menu, has always been big on sustainable food practices. “My team is definitely cooking with more of a conscience and, wherever possible, we source the local, the free-range, the organic and sustainable products,” says Tung. “We’re committed to sustainable seafood and recently got on board with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.”
However laudable their ethical standards might be, the real reason to come to Tapenade is the food. While you are deciding on what to have, warm bread is brought to your table. I have to stop myself from indulging too much because I know what’s coming. I started with the beet risotto appetizer ($11) because I knew it would be simply delicious — and it was. If you like risotto, I highly recommend it. Is the secret in the aged Carnaroli rice, the red beets, the goat cheese, Rice Crispies or the sherry vinegar reserve? Whatever, I was tempted to order it for my entrée as well.
My dining companion was equally impressed with his harvest salad ($9). It is a refreshing palate cleanser, with Barnston Island organic greens as a counterpoint to the tangy, sherry maple vinaigrette sprinkled with dried cranberries, poached pear, crisped ham, candied pecans and blue cheese.
For a main course, my companion opted for the sablefish ($28). It was textbook: moist, ovenroasted and maple-glazed, served with couscous, cherry tomato, saffron and confit garlic. I went for the Prawns Provençal ($24) — sautéed tiger prawns, crispy gnocchi, buttered peas, pearl onions in a wonderfully flavourful Provençal pan sauce.
As always, the plating is a delight, done with a little flair and drama.
Tung’s food philosophy is simple: “We use as much seasonal and organic product as possible and love supporting the local farmers and local suppliers,” he says. “Most of the vegetables and herbs were supplied by Barnston Island Herbs, the mushrooms were foraged on Vancouver Island and the squash in the soup came from a local farm on No. 3 Road.”
Adds Tung: “We’re having lots of fun here, not taking ourselves too seriously. We’re not fine-dining, we’re a neighbourhood bistro with good food, great service and fantastic wine.”
When choosing a wine, the first thing you notice is that owner Morlet has really thought out the wine list. You aren’t going to find pages and pages to choose from; rather, there are more than 100 really good wines, with a strong focus on the finest from B.C., California and France. We went with B.C.’s Old Main red by Kettle Valley on the Naramata Bench. It was smooth and full-bodied, just the way I like it. Although it is said you should have white wine with fish, I still believe this red paired well with our meal.
Many restaurants talk about consistency, and that’s something that Morlet and his staff have worked on. Tung crafts fantastic meals and you will receive superior service from Morlet’s longtime staff in great surroundings. What’s not to like?
Tapenade seats 72 inside and, during the summer the heated patio can hold 70.