Provence Marinaside Pairs with Unsworth Vineyards for 2024 Dine Out Festival

Provence Marinaside’s Dine Out Menu a Perfect Pairing with Wines from
Vancouver Island’s Unsworth Vineyards

For this year’s Vancouver Dine Out  Festival , Provence Marinaside is partnering with respected Vancouver Island winery  Unsworth Vineyards to create a ‘Perfect Pairing’  three-course dinner featuring some of Provence’s classic French dishes paired with signature wines from Unsworth. The three course dinner is available for $59 per person with the optional wine pairing available as either a regular pour for $40 for three wines or petit pour at $25 for three wines. Wines are also available individually by the glass or the bottle.

“Dine Out is a small slice of what we offer at Provence – a glimpse into our menu of classic French dishes with a West Coast twist. We’ve been a part of DOV since its inception.  It’s a great way for Vancouverites to test the dining scene by having a three- course meal at a reasonable price – kind of like speed dating for diners.  Each year new faces have become new friends. These new friends have become regulars and are now old friends,” says Provence’s Owner and Executive Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia.

“This past June, I along with Chef Quaglia, Asst. Wine Director Ryan Johnson and Manager Emrys Horton travelled to Mill Bay in the Cowichan Valley to taste Unsworth’s wines, tour the vineyards and meet with winemaker Dan Wright to select  the pairings for this year’s menu.  Dan and his team currently farm 12 acres of grape varieties at Unsworth Vineyards. The oldest block is Marechal Foch, which was planted  in 2007—the grape behind their award-winning Ovation. It is paired with our Fondant au Chocolat on the Dine Out menu.  In 2011, several Blattner varieties were planted, which are integral to Unsworth’s Allegro and Symphony blends which we are also featuring on this year’s Dine Out menu. In 2013 they added Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vines,” says Provence’s Wine Director Joshua Carlson.

Provence’s 2024 Dine Out Menu features three choices of appetizers along with three choices of entreés and two dessert choices. All of these dishes are favourites with Provence patrons, and some, like the Warm Goat Cheese Salad and the Bouillabaisse for instance, have been on Provence Marinaside’s menu since the restaurant opened 22 years ago. “We wouldn’t dare take them off,” says Chef Quaglia. “The Bouillabaisse is representative of my upbringing in Marseille but of course we give it a West Coast nuance by using OceanWise local seafood. The rouille is a classic accompaniment.”

Provence Marinaside & Unsworth Vineyards
2024 Dine Out Vancouver Menu
Three-course menu $59/person
Three-course wine pairing $40/person
Three-course petit wine pairing $25/person

APPETIZERS
Choose one

Herbes de Provence Crusted Goat Cheese Salad
Beurre blanc, balsamic reduction, mixed greens
Unsworth Vineyards Allegro
Sauvignette / Petit Milo / Amiel
2022 Vancouver Island, BC
$13 glass/ $55 bottle

or
Escargot
Garlic, parsley, brandy, butter sauce
Unsworth Vineyards Chardonnay
2021 Vancouver Island, BC
$15 glass / $64 bottle
or

 Paté de Campagne
Cornichon, frisée, house made crostini
Unsworth Vineyards Rosé
Pinot Noir
2022 Vancouver Island, BC
$14 glass / $60 bottle

ENTRÉES
Choose one

Bouillabaisse
West coast style, prawns, scallops mussels, clams, fish, fingerling potatoes, gruyere et la rouille
Unsworth Vineyards Saison Vineyard Pinot Gris
2022 Vancouver Island, BC
$15 glass / $64 bottle
or

 Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Prawns
White wine butter sauce, garlic, fresh tomato, herbs
Unsworth Vineyards Saison Vineyard Pinot Noir
2021 Vancouver Island, BC
$32 glass/ $135 bottle
or

Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin
(add $6 when ordering this dish)
Green beans sundried black olive mashed potatoes, red wine peppercorn jus
Unsworth Vineyards Symphony
Cabernet Libre/Labelle/ Corivese/Petit Milo
2021 Vancouver Island, BC
$15 glass/ $64 bottle

DESSERT
Choose one

Crème Caramel
Palmier cookie, fresh whipped cream
Unsworth Vineyards Cuvée de L’Ile
Pinot Noir
2018 Vancouver Island, BC
$18 glass/ $75 bottle
or

 Fondant au Chocolat
Rich chocolate mousse, raspberry coulis, palmier cookie
Unsworth Vineyards Ovation
Marechal Foch Fortified.
nv Vancouver Island, BC
$14 glass/ $75 bottle

Treat yourself to an evening of delicious food paired with wonderful wines from Unsworth Vineyards at Provence Marinaside for this year’s Dine Out Vancouver. The 22nd Annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival runs from January 17 through February 4. It is always an extremely busy time at Provence Marinaside and reservations are a must – either online or by calling the restaurant at 604-681-4144.

Vancouver’s Dine Out Festival is a wonderful opportunity to explore, and support, the city’s rich culinary scene with budget-friendly prix fixe menus. Who knows, you may discover a new-to-you  favourite restaurant or re-discover an old one.

Provence notes:
Established in February 2002, Provence Marinaside is the ‘bebe’ of Owner/Executive Chef (and Chevalier of France) Jean-Francis Quaglia. Reminiscent of Chef Qualia’s native Marseille, Provence is located at the south end of Yaletown, adjacent to the False Creek Seawall and with patios overlooking the Quayside Marina. Open every day for Brunch, Lunch, Happy Hour and Dinner. Hours are:
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.In addition to Dine-In service, Provence Marinaside continues to offer its regular menus for brunch, lunch and dinner as Takeout for personal pick-up or through delivery services Door Dash and Uber Eats.

Wine and Cocktails List , Brunch Menu, Lunch Menu, Happy Hour Menu, Dinner Menu, Dessert Menu

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 should the public also wish to support the organization. Details can be found on Provence Marinaside’s Home Page.

About Chef Jean Francis Quaglia
A native of Marseille, France, Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia comes naturally to the culinary world as his mother was acclaimed Chef Suzanne Quaglia of Marseille’s famed Le Patalain and one of the very first female chefs in France. At age eight, he made his first Tarte au Citron from his mother’s recipe. This same tarte is now featured on Provence’s menu. Following graduation, Chef Quaglia apprenticed at Hôtel Sofitel in Marseille, worked Chef Elie Mazot at Relais et Chateau’s Le Chateau de la Chevre D’Or in Eze and was Chef de Partie Tournant under the direction of his mentor, Chef Dominique LeStanc, at Hôtel Negresco in Nice (2 Michelin stars). Upon arrival in Vancouver he was Sous Chef under Chef Bruno Born at Le Coq D’Or and followed him to the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel where he became Executive Chef of the hotel’s Indigo Bistro Moderne. He opened his first restaurant, Provence Mediterranean Grill in 1997 in Point Grey and went on to open Provence Marinaside in 2002 and TWB-The Wine Bar next door in 2012 (it is now amalgamated into Provence Marinaside). In August 2021, the government of France honoured Chef Jean-Francis by naming him a Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre du Merite Agricole – one of France’s highest honours, second only to the Legion of Honour.

Media release provided by Nancy Wong, Culinary Communications. Photo credit: Emrys Horton