Experience Dine Out at Water Street Cafe – extended to February 9

Last night I had the opportunity to venture out and try another Dine Out menu from one of the over 300 restaurants participating this year. I chose the Water Street Cafe. Water Street is a favourite of mine for a variety of reasons; always a warm and friendly , and sincere welcome; efficient staff that provide good service; a wine list that features an excellent choice of wines, including many from BC; terrific people watching location; dining room with a view on the lights and excitement of Gastown; and of course the cuisine.

Just like their regular menu Dine Out includes many favourites and West Coast inspired dishes. Dinner offers a three course menu for $35. but there are also some great add-ons for an additional $5 or $10 that really elevate your dining experience.

We opted to do some sharing and also having some of the selections from the Dine Out menu. I appreciate that the restaurant shows some flexibility so you can tailor the meal that works best for you and your appetite.  Here is what we enjoyed:

The evening started with a glass of BC wine for each of us and an amuse bouche of tasty Mushroom paté on a house baked crostini.

If caprese salad is on the menu, I will be ordering it. This one did not disappoint with a generous portion of creamy buratta, flavourful heirloom and roma tomatoes. The sun dried tomato pesto was sharp and tangy and the white balsamic glaze rich and sweet giving each bite a different flavour pop. The salsa verde adds another layer of complexity to the dish. My companion and I shared this dish but I’m not sure if I would do so next time, it was kind of too good to share! This dish was + $5.

I enjoyed a glass of CedarCreek Reisling to start and it stood up well to the Buratta Caprese. My companion is all about the red wine so he enjoyed a glass of Corcelettes Merlot which he really enjoyed.

We each ordered a main with my choice being the Lobster Pappardelle, a + $10 item. How could you resist? I have always enjoyed excellent seafood at Water Street and this one was no exception. The lobster was cooked to perfection, flavourful and succulent. I was surprised by how much lobster was on the dish once I’d attacked the claw and other sundry shells. The pappardelle was rich and creamy with delicate spices. So delicious.

For the main I paired a Mission Hill Estate Series Sauvignon Blanc while my companion enjoyed a second glass of the Corcelettes Merlot.

My companion ordered the Duck Lasagna with creamy white sauce. The sauce was robust and plentiful. A nice size portion of pasta and duck smothered in asiago cheese. The combination of garlic rosemary pako enhanced the rustic flavours of the dish.

Our week had been a long and busy one so we decided to just enjoy our glasses of wine and skip the dessert this time. I guess I will just have to go back again because I am totally a Lemon Tart officiato.

Water Street will be extending their Dine Out Menu until February 9th offering Brunch, Lunch and Dinner.

I’ve included the three Dine Out Menus below as well as a schedule for their Live Music on The 2nd Floor which you can combine with the Dine Out Menu option.

Dine Out Vancouver Festival