Dining Out Pam Grant

Markus’ Wharfside Restaurant
Rating:
****1/2 (4 ½ stars out of 5)

Here, the time to savour slow food is worth it

Artists see things differently from the rest of us, cousin Dermot reminded me recently, which may explain why, when chef Markus Wieland noticed a little building in Sooke about a year and a half ago, he didn’t see a 1950’s bungalow and a former fish store near a government dock, but a potential restaurant.
Markus and wife Tatum have just passed their first year in this unique little establishment. They serve carefully prepared versions of Mediterranean classics in an unhurried atmosphere, consistent with the philosophy of the slow food movement to which Wieland is devoted.
The antithesis of fast food, this trend promotes the use of local, unprocessed ingredients and rejects the trend of homogenized restaurant food, prepared with mediocre ingredients, eaten too quickly robbing the diner of the many layers of pleasure involved in a fine meal.
The décor is comforting, but it doesn’t overwhelm or compete with the food. In daylight hours, there are fine views of the water, or you can let your eyes wander indoors. The walls currently feature the works of local artist Kay Lovett.
Because Wieland uses the freshest ingredients only, the menu changes a couple of times a year. When Dermot and I visited recently, it took a while to decide on the appetizers. We thought about the pan-seared semmelknoedel ($12.75) - soft German bread dumplings with parsley, sage and bacon-served on a bed of sautéed wild mushrooms, perfect on a cold and damp West Coast evening.
We toyed with the possibility of risotto or warm goat cheese enveloped in fresh herbs served with peppery watercress and vinaigrette flavored with roasted garlic ($11.75).
The call of the sea was overwhelming, though, and we succumbed to the Tuscan-style seafood soup ($10.75 appetizer. $19.75 main course) and a seafood salad ($10.75).
The soup was a superb prawn broth with just a whisper of tarragon- the salad a mix of organic greens with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Both were replete with the freshest clams, snapper, prawns-and giant scallops so divine that we talked about them for several minutes.
The entrees gave us more pause for thought. Smoked Black Cod ($29.75) was braised with tomato and finished with peppers, onions and Spanish green olives; scallops ($27.75) were grilled and served with a salsa of fresh cucumber, tomato and mint. My cousin decided on the roast free-range chicken with rosemary, sage and lemon. ($22.75).
There is no comparison between this type of bird and the mass produced variety- the flesh is moist and indescribably flavorful, the skin crisp and golden.
Each part of his plate held a new fascination for him- carrot cooked only until it just yielded to the slightest pressure from the knife, broccoli finished with butter and seasonings. It was pronounced the best he has ever eaten.
I opted for the classic veal saltimbocca ($25.75). Tender pieces of veal are seared then topped with fresh sage and thin slices of procuitto, browned and the flashed in dry white wine, producing an intensely flavored sauce.
Thought this dish is often served rolled, Wieland ignores this step, and presents it flat, with a generous portion of risotto, made exactly as this dish is meant to be. Tender grains of Arborio rice that retain definition are bound in a creamy sauce, in this instance finished with winter mushrooms and sharp Parmesan Reggiano cheese. We truly savoured our dinners and I think if anyone had taken our blood pressures, it would have shown a drop of 20 points from the time we stepped out of the car.
The only slight bit of dissension occurred when we argued mildly about who had the better dinner. A tough call, really.
Dessert would have meant another bout of indecision, but one of the options was a trio of desserts, allowing us to sample all three for about a dollar more than the price of an individual dessert, and hey, who wants to choose?
The Pannacotta- usually too bland for my liking- was rich yet light and drizzled with the best caramel sauce I have ever tasted.
The Belgian chocolate mousse was divine, served with a compote of fresh berries. Tiramisu was reworked with Amaretto and puts the corrupted versions of this dish that have spread around the world like a computer virus to shame.
Service is consistent with the food. We were very impressed with the level of knowledge and true professionalism. Our server was polite, friendly without being overly familiar and attentive without hovering.
Wouldn’t it be nice if a good service movement could develop to complement the slow food movement?

Pam Grant can be contacted at:

pamgrant@shaw.ca