Beach Side Café

[Paul B]

 On Saturday night my wife and I did the DOV thing at the Beach Side Café here in West Vancouver (it’s located in the 1400 block of Marine Dr.). Even though it’s just down the street, I had never been there before. It always looked a bit too stuffy and stiff for my tastes. But, hey, $25 DOV, time to check it out.

It’s actually a very nice room inside: elegant and nicely decorated. The staff are friendly and not entirely unattractive. The only odd glitch we found when we arrived had to do with seating. We were put in a booth, but then asked almost immediately to switch to another table because a regular had arrived who always insisted on that particular booth. We didn’t care, and I guess this shows that the restaurant takes care of its special guests. (On a side note, the clientele

seems to be old money West Van types – a lot of people were braying about their portfolios and trustafarians were sucking up to parents. It was actually pretty entertaining.)

Anyway, the food. There were two appetizers: a pea pate with chilled, beet-poached scallop and cardamon sauce; and smoked salmon wrapped black pasta & green tomato salad with curry-coconut dressing. The pea pate was a bit bland. The purple scallop sitting on top of it was tasty though a bit small. The salmon appetizer, on the other hand was great. Nice presentation, strong flavours and an interesting combination of tastes. Very good.

The two main courses were pan roasted black cod filet & lobster-cauliflower pudding with leek-lime sauce & mini beet-potato gnocchi; and slow roasted, prawn-stuffed veal breast with cream cheese potato croquette & lemon-arugula cream. The cod was nice: a big piece, perfectly cooked, perched on top of the “pudding,” which was tasty. The little gnocchi on the plate were fine, but I would have liked them a bit bigger. They teased rather than satisfied. The veal was also fine, with a nice stuffing. Nothing to write home about, but pleasant.

One of the DOV desserts was sold out – the pannacotta. The server substituted an orange creme brulee which was fine. It’s pretty hard to mess up a creme brulee. The other dessert was a white chocolate cupcake with raspberry mousse. The slice of mouse was balanced on the cupcake making for a very odd presentation. It was fine, but the cupcake was too dense and did

not taste of white chocolate at all.

So, not a bad night, but I’m not sure I’d rush back there once DOV is over. I'll take Le Regalade any day.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Paul B (log)

[kurtisk]

 The only odd glitch we found when we arrived had to do with seating.  We were put in a booth, but then asked almost immediately to switch to another table because a regular had arrived who always insisted on that particular booth.  We didn’t care, and I guess this shows that the restaurant takes care of its special guests.

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When I worked at Beach Side years ago, there were a couple regular older clientele who insisted on a certain table. I'm betting we're talking about the same people and table. Anyways, one night they came in without a reservation and lo and behold, there were people in the middle of dinner at THEIR TABLE. They marched right in and plunked themselves down at said sat table, and wouldn't budge. The people who'd already been there for an hour were so perplexed and shocked that they now had these "guests" sitting with them that they immediately bolted up and relinquished their seats. The intruders didn't bat an eye, no 'thank you', no nothing. In fact, they seemed perturbed that it took the original folks almost a whole minute to give up their seats.

I don't miss serving those people.

k

[nwyles]

You can't be serious !

I do not know how the restauranteur might have dealt with it but if I was the people at the table, I know how I might have dealt with it. What could have been going throught their heads at the time !

We cherish our regular guests but sometimes they can push to the limit of being unwelcome. I worked with a management team that insisted that we let this guest do what ever they wanted, despite the protests of the other guests. I was the lone opposition voice, but as the Chef, not one the floor managers, was ingored. I do not want to say that eventually I won out but it became unbearable to have this person there. I was doing a "floor" shift one day and we had an incedent : I barred him for a year. Much to my surprise, my actions were met with a hearty round of applause from staff and guests alike.

Moral of the story : get rid of one poorly behaving customer, three nice ones are ready to take their place.

Edited January 23, 2006 by nwyles (log)

[merlin]

Too funny...great thread.

I would have loved to have seen that couple plunk themselves down beside the unsuspecting previous occupants.

I hope you got "comped" something...even though it was DOV...for obliging the restaurant's request to move. They sat you there after all.

When visiting family in Oakville ON. I frequent one spot where from looking around it is abundantly apparent that a monied, older clientele have their regular tables but at least mgmt. appears to know this and does not seat unsuspecting "interlopers" there [grin].

It has been a few years [was Chef Chow once there?] since we were last at BeachSide. Usually only for lunch and we were definitely out of place in our dog walking clothes amongst what was usually a predominantly well coiffed and bejewelled clientele. Remember that they used to have quite a good wine list. First place I had Burrowing Owl and Blue Mountain wines.

Edited January 23, 2006 by merlin (log)

[Zucchini Mama]

Funny, this happened to me in a more modest setting-- Mui Garden on Main. I was asked to leave my seat so a regular could use that booth. I think my son was still a wee baby then, and I was just so surprised and embarrassed I didn't go back there for three years. Normally I don't think it would have bothered me so much, but I was just having a bit of a bad day and it really unsettled me.

Zuke

[Paul B]

Well, it was odd, but we didn't care because the server was so nice and apologetic about it. And the people who took the booth were an eccentric and wealthy older woman and a young man that we took to be her grandson or nephew. Their conversation was batty. She began by declaring, "When I want to see you it always costs me $100!" He spent the evening dropping hints about how expensive it is to go to school. It was like something out of a P. G. Wodehouse novel. So we felt the table shift was worth it for the entertainment.

[fud]

They marched right in and plunked themselves down at said sat table, and wouldn't budge.    The people who'd already been there for an hour were so perplexed and shocked that they now had these "guests" sitting with them that they immediately bolted up and relinquished their seats.  The intruders didn't bat an eye, no 'thank you', no nothing.  In fact, they seemed perturbed that it took the original folks almost a whole minute to give up their seats.

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Well now I can link this forum with the one on DOV manners. What a perfect opportunity for a guest to pull a "spill water" move on the intruders. I'd be aiming for water IN the purse. Maybe even water on the inside of the jacket.

The restaurant doesn't need to comp on behalf of a guest right?

I'm going to Beach House tonight so thanks for the review Paul B! I'm looking forward to the experience now more than ever!

[fud]

Funny, this happened to me in a more modest setting-- Mui Garden on Main. I was asked to leave my seat so a regular could use that booth. I think my son was still a wee baby then, and I was just so surprised and embarrassed I didn't go back there for three years. Normally I don't think it would have bothered me so much, but I was just having a bit of a bad day and it really unsettled me.

Zuke

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Minor Segway but I had the same experience at a place in Hong Kong. Middle of dinner, asked to leave because people who were going to spend more money had arrived.

I almost strangled the waitor who looked so smug when he said it.

[kurtisk]

I'm going to Beach House tonight so thanks for the review Paul B!  I'm looking forward to the experience now more than ever!

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Um, we're talking about the Beach Side here...

k

[Andrew Morrison]

No worries. He's probably got reservations at both.

Just kidding, fud. You rock.

[fud]

No worries. He's probably got reservations at both. 

Just kidding, fud. You rock.

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I'm an idiot I admit.

I just drove by "Beachside" on the way to Beach House tonight.

Ok please throw stuff at me liberally

[the_real_sparky]

When I worked at the Beach Side years ago it was funny how often only half a reservation would arrive on time because the other half was waiting at the Beach House. It was also funny how you could not pick up a plate from the kitchen pass without getting nailed in the back of the head with the kitchen door.

[merlin]

It was also funny how you could not pick up a plate from the kitchen pass without getting nailed in the back of the head with the kitchen door.

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Sparky....that might explain a myriad of things

See ya next month