It's a warm winter Valentine's day on their parking-spot patio, and the sea breeze blows through the sides. It's a tasting menu for all at this time, with all of the dishes incredible.
A Japanese Hamachi Sashimi to start, a pearly pink cut cooking in a cool citrus ponzu. Avocado adds to the smooth, buttery texture, and the subtle sweetness contrasts a kick of chile.
Atlantic Salmon Tartare soaks in a subtle sauce which whispers with ginger and pear. Perfect dip for chips, and they serve it with giant fried wonton.
We splurge for the SS Minnow, but there's plenty of food on the tasting menu alone. Unnecessary but unregrettable, the butter-brine west coast oysters are a spectacular slurp. Clams taste like a salty, tender sea, and the PEI mussels make a sweet-y, meaty middle, the perfect transition to succulent shrimp and lobster.
Service stops at this point, and I'm none too pleased. We're in no hurry, but the lag between apps and entrees and the blank stare when we ask leaves us on a sour note.
We eventually receive the Pan Roasted Pacific Striped Bass. The skin is super crisp, and the fish is pure perfection. Topping a sweet potato, tempered by a sharper swiss chard, this dish is one of the best fish entrees I've had this year.
Steamed Purple Clams and Salt Spring Island Mussels sizzle in a spicy tomato soup with fatty bits of chorizo for flavor. A spear of baguette is spread with a rich aioli, make for soaking in sauce.
They still make the best Key Lime Pie, a tart filling beneath a magical meringue and above a crumbly graham cracker crust.
The Chocolate Praline Bar is a rich chocolate crunch, a hunk mousse-y chocolate with hints of hazelnut. Little dots of pear butter add a little floral fruit, and the ice cream cools it down.
I don't want to say it, but we never recovered from being forgotten. The parking meters are strictly policed in this part of town, and one of us had to leave the table early while the other person paid. It's a long time to be waiting at lunch, and it's terrible to feel forgotten at a place of this caliber. The food is still fantastic, and I'll still be back for more, but it's worth mentioning that this visit didn't go well at a place that's usually the total package.
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