Celebrate L’Amour with Provence Marinaside This Valentine’s

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” The words of the classic Jackie DeShannon song couldn’t be truer at this time. The incurable romantics at Provence Marinaside believe that cooking and serving good food IS an act of love. “We wouldn’t be in this business, if we weren’t passionate about cooking for people and sharing a bit of comfort and love with every dish,” says Provence Owner/Executive Chef Jean Francis Quaglia. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, Chef Quaglia and his team have come up with two delicious ways to share l’amour with those you love. The first is a ‘Heat and Eat’ four-course take-out dinner available February 12, 13 and 14. The second is a Dine-In Valentine’s Day Dinner available only on Sunday, February 14.

Heat and Eat Dinner for Two is a four-course seafood dinner that is easy peasy to prepare at home in 30 to 45 minutes leaving your plenty of time in your evening for a romantic, lingering dinner by candle light. Priced at $139 (plus taxes), the dinner kit comes complete with preparation instructions, and there is a handy video posted online showing you how to plate your dishes for maximum ‘impress affect.’ The Heat and Eat Dinner is available on Friday the 12th, Saturday the 13th, or Sunday the 14^th but it must be ordered in advance, no later than February 10.

Start your dinner with a classic Prawn Cocktail and end it on a sweet note with a selection of Mignardises.

If you’d like a bottle of something special to pair with your meal, Wine Director Joshua Carlson has chosen some exceptional wines which are available to add to your takeout order. These have been substantially discounted for Valentine’s and include:

• Pierre Paillard ‘Les Terres Roses’ Grand Cru Extra Brut Rosé, (Pinot Noir/Chardonnay) NV, Bouzy Champagne, France  $86.25 (reg. $178.25)
• Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut, Glera NV, Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy $34.50 (reg. $51.75)
• Le Grand Cros ‘L’Esprit de Provence’ Rolle (Vermentino) 2017 Côtes de Provence, France $34.50 (reg. $73.60)
• Jean-Luc Colombo ‘Cape Bleue’ Rosé (Syrah/Mourvèdre) 2019 Méditerranée, France $34.50 (reg $73.60)
• Mas de Gourgonnier Provence Rouge (Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carignan) 2018 Les Baux de Provence, France $40.25 (reg.$69)

In addition, Provence will be holding a ‘plate and rate’ photo contest on Instagram for those who are dining at home with the Heat and Eat Kit. Post photos of how you have plated the Mignardises Dessert Course on Instagram with the hashtag #provenceathomeand tag @provencemarinaside and you could win a $100 Provence Marinaside gift certificate.

Valentine’s Day Dine-In Dinner features an elegant five-course menu with several delicious options. Priced at $95 per person, the dinner also has an optional wine pairing available for an additional $55 pp. This ‘memory-making’ experience is available only for dine in on Sunday, February 14^th. Provence will suspend its regular menu for this one night – the Valentine’s Dinner will be the only menu available that evening. Reservations for this special dinner are required and must be secured with a credit card. Chef Quaglia and his brigade have brought their French flair to designing an exquisite dining experience filled with l’amour while Wine Director Carlson has chosen a thoughtful selection of wines to enhance each course. In addition to the five-course dinner, guests have the option to augment their meal with two additional starters – Northern Divine Organic Sturgeon Caviar ($95) and Half-Dozen Read Island Oysters ($20)

Seafood Platter Provençal
½ lobster tail, prawns, scallops, mussels, fish,
market vegetables, seven grain rice
Le Grand Cros ‘L’Esprit de Provence,’ Rolle (Vermentino)
2017 Côtes de Provence, Provence, France
Or

Rack of Lamb with Truffle Panko Crust
Market vegetables, truffle risotto
Jean Luc Colombo ‘Terres Brûlée’ Cornas, Syrah
2017 Cornas, Northern Rhône, France
Or
AAA Canadian Beef Tenderloin & Lobster Provençal Duo
Market vegetables, smoked mashed potato, red wine peppercorn jus
Thierry Germain’s Domaine des Roches Neuves, Cabernet Franc
2018 Saumur Champigny, Loire Valley, France
Or
Seared Sable Fish with Northern Divine Caviar
Zucchini, house-made gnocchi, celeriac velouté
Domaine Comte Abbatucci Faustine Rouge, Sciaccarellu/Niellucciu
2018 Ajaccio, Corsica, France
 ***
Fifth Course
Mignardises
Lemon Tarte, Opera Cake, Macaron, Thomas Haas ChocolateM. Charpoutier Bila-Haut Banyuls, Grenache Noir
2017 Banyuls, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

While “Money can’t buy you love,” a reservation at Provence Marinaside can assure you and your beloved a most memorable Valentine’s Day experience while you dine on exquisite food, drink wonderful wines and rejoice in one another’s company, leaving behind the cares of the world.

Provence Notes:

Provence Marinaside is committed to the health and safety of its guests and staff in keeping with the protocols set by the BC Ministry of Health. You can find the details of Provence’s standards here.

In addition to Dine-In service, Provence Marinaside continues to offer its Takeout Menu for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner daily.  If you prefer to cook Provence’s food in the comfort of your own kitchen, they also offer six French Food Made Easy kits and two Cocktail Kits (Moscow Mule and Caesar). All are available through Provence Marinaside’s website along with Chef Sheldon’s Online Grocery Store for individual ingredient items such as meats, dairy, baking supplies and other miscellaneous items.

Provence Marinaside is also supporting The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre with the donation of meals and funds along with a donation option on their website should the public also wish to support the organization.

Media release and images provided by Nancy Wong, Culinary Communications. Photo credits, except as noted, Emrys Horton, EPH Photography.