The dining room–nearly empty upon our arrival. (Recall Mike’s anxiety about not being able to snare a table?) The view–gorgeous, even though the skies were overcast. The service–impeccable. The flowers–fresh tulips. The art–classy British Columbian. The food–art in itself.
Beginning with the wine list…113 pages long. The restaurant is legendary for its outstanding wine cellar and experienced sommeliers.
Mike with the very thick wine list
Toasting Mike’s 46th!
When I called to make the reservation, the woman at the Sooke Harbour House asked me if we had any food allergies or special needs. I told her about Mike’s wheat sensitivity, and she duly noted that. The bread arrived in two small baskets–one for me, and a nonwheat variety (oat) for Mike. Off to a great start!
The menu is prepared daily at 5 p.m., and prepared with seasonal, fresh, and locally grown or caught ingredients. One can choose from the basic four-course set menu, or the gastronomic feast (each course paired with a different wine choice). We went for the “basic” with a glass of wine. For each course, we had a choice of two or three options.
We both chose the soup for our starter. Instead of the smoked tuna cake and crispy seaweed (both of which contained some wheat), Mike had a small sablefish fillet and tenderly fried onions garnishing his soup. Parsnips are one of Mike’s very favorite things (I had never tasted a parsnip before I married him, sheltered American that I was…but I too now like them).
Course 2:
Fresh Mussels
They were the most tender mussels I have ever tasted!
Course 3:
Gorgeous, and amazing!
Mine looked like it was surrounded by seafoam–must have been the “lovage pear cream.” Sablefish, also called black cod, is a very tender white fish.
Course 4:
By almost three hours later, more tables were filled (although the dining room was not full), and we were, as Mike’s dad used to say after a good meal and a good wine, “feeling very content.”
Every Day Is a Miracle 