During our B.C. Day long-weekend stay up at Whistler, we hit the restaurants of Four Seasons for dinner twice.
The first, on Thursday night, was for a casual all-you-can-eat BBQ dinner at Fifty Two 80 Bistro and Bar. You can read about that experience here.
The second, on Sunday night, was at Sidecut.
We started with cocktails at Fifty Two 80. I had the best Margarita I've had in a very long time. This sipper was not the bright green, Kool-Aid-y slush you get in so many places; instead, it had real lime juice and was poured over rocks! Rick had a dark rum and Coke. I didn't pay attention to which rum or even ask him if his drink was good—I was way too busy going on and on about my own.
Starters
When we moved into the dining room, we were greeted and attended by Joanne DiGeso, a dedicated student of wine and server extraordinaire. With four years at Four Seasons, she knows how to look after a table and, more importantly, the people around it. Joanne brought us each a glass of bubbly to start, the Brut NV ($24/12.5 ABV) from B.C.'s Blue Mountain.
This is a good time to tell you that David Foran, wine director at Four Seasons Resort Whistler, has opened up his wine list to sell by the glass. He'll open any bottle of wine for you, as long as at least two glasses of the wine are ordered. It's a fabulous way to try some of the more hard-to-find or expensive wines.
We continued sipping the sparkler with the first course: I had marinated lobster and spot prawns, served with heirloom tomato and avocado drizzled with a truffle vinaigrette.
Rick had a salad of iceberg wedges, heirloom tomato, boar bacon, and cucumber, with a creamy ranch dressing. Of course, the sparkling wine served us both well.
Mains
For our main courses, I chose the New Zealand rack of lamb (that's something I never cook at home) and Rick chose the 10-oz New York sirloin steak. Then, we had to pick our rubs. Of the six, we both decided on the Edison's Medicine.
From the dinner menu, we decided to share a side dish of potatoes (fingerling and bacon Lyonnaise), roasted mushrooms, and roof-top-grown carrots.
With our meal, came six sauces for enhancing the flavours of our meats. Small sauce boats, set into a long wooden tray, offered up:
Argentinean Chimichurri
Light, fresh and citrusy with garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice. Especially good with beef and pork.Yuzu Butter
Freshly squeezed yuzu and zest, with butter tempered with cream and chives. Good with all meats.Mushroom Bordelaise
Veal stock reduction enriched with port, red wine and mushrooms. Especially good with beef or game.
Crème Fraiche Bearnaise
Traditional bearnaise vinegar and tarragon reduction, with a touch of Tabasco and lime. Good with all meats.House Steak Sauce
Tomato-based sauce with tamarind and brown sugar, finished with horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Especially good with beef or game.Wasabi Mustard
House-made spicy mustard, with brown and yellow seeds blended with Dijon mustard and brandy, finished with wasabi and cream. Good with all meats.
To complement our entrées, we ordered a bottle of 2007 Laughing Stock Portfolio ($40), a Bordeaux-style blend from B.C.'s Okanagan. On the nose, this wine showed aromas of dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco, blackberries, and rich, ripe black cherries. On the palate, it was smooth and silky, yet structured, with a certain elegance accompanying flavours of espresso, dark chocolate, cherries, blackberries, vanilla, and spice. It was a perfect counterpart to both the lamb and steak.
Dessert
We had a tough time deciding on a dessert so Chef selected for us. He created a combination of bourbon ice cream and house-made apple fritters with three sauces for dipping. Pure decadence. And so nice for a change.
Après
Of course, Joanne asked us if we wanted anything after our dessert. But we had consumed so much we had to tell her, "No, thank you."
David Foran came and sat with us and we shared the end of our Portfolio with him. That was a nice way to cap a fabulous evening.
Salut!
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.
