Eat, Drink and Be Merry at Provence Marinaside This Festive Season

Eat, Drink and Be Merry at Provence Marinaside
This Festive Season

Pop! And just like a cork popping from a champagne bottle, the holiday season is suddenly upon us. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa or none of these, this is the time of year when people gather to eat, drink and make merry. It’s the most wine-derful time of the year! Meeting with friends and family over good food and drink helps dispel the gloom during this darkest time of the year. At Provence Marinaside, Chief Elf (er Chef) Jean-Francis Quaglia and his team are cooking up some tasty ways to have a tree-mendous time while Wine Director Joshua Carlson has made sure the cellar is stocked with plenty of prosecco-ho-ho-ho and Bar Manager Ryan Johnson has crafted special cocktails sure to get you in the holiday spirit(s).

Turkey-To-Go:
Executive Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia and the kitchen brigade are coming to the rescue of weary cooks by offering Provence’s popular Turkey-To-Go, a traditional Christmas dinner for only $49 per person. Each individual dinner is pre-cooked and only requires re-heating to serve. The full meal includes carved turkey, roasted vegetables, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, dinner roll and chocolate fondant for dessert. Turkey-To-Go orders must be placed online. Please note: The deadline to place Turkey-to-Go orders is December 22 and Turkey-to-Go orders are available for pickup only on December 24, 2024, until 2:45 p.m. so you will need to select that date when placing your order.

Give the Gift of Good Taste:
Provence Gift Cards are always an appreciated present. Gift Cards may be purchased online in any denomination. E-Gift Certificates are delivered by email directly to you or your chosen recipient. If you prefer a physical gift card, they can be purchased in person at the restaurant. Note: Purchase your gift cards online before November 30 and receive a $20 bonus card for yourself for every $100 spent up to a maximum of $200 in bonus cards. The Gift Card promotion applies to online orders only – physical cards purchased at the restaurant are not eligible for the bonus.

Festive Cocktails:
In addition to its regular menu of tasty cocktails, Bar Manager Ryan Johnson has crafted three limited edition holiday cocktails – The Antidote, Mont Blanc and Rompope.

Spice-forward with a pineapple backbone, alcohol-free The Antidote (Seedlip Spice 94, L’Antidote verjus, pineapple and cinnamon) is the perfect pick-me-up to chase away the dreary day blahs. “I wanted to offer something bright, fruity and sangria-like that can be enjoyed during brunch or as an aperitif,” says Johnson. “The Mont Blanc (L.N. Mattei Gin, Green Chartreuse, lime juice, Orgeat, coconut cream, orange bitters, nutmeg) is rich with an underlying delicate herbal note and reminds me of a snow capped mountain. I think it pairs well with our grilled avocado and shrimp with espelette and lime dressing. The spice of the espelette balances the sweetness of the coconut and Orgeat.” If you like eggnog, then Rompope is your drink. Essentially, it’s a Mexican version of eggnog but lighter with more cinnamon notes than the traditional drink. Johnson says “it’s sweet and creamy with a rich texture and warming spices which always reminds me of the holidays. It makes a lovely after-dinner drink. It also pairs well with our Fondant au Chocolat.”

Bubbles Galore:
Whether you are looking to make merry with friends after work, or enjoy an elegant dinner for two, you are sure to find just the right bubbly at Provence to turn any occasion into a festive one. With one of Canada’s largest wine lists, Provence offers more than a dozen sparklers by the glass from Prosecco to sparkling wine to Champagne ranging in price from $12 to $44 per glass. The extensive Sparkling and Champagne menu also includes more than 25 available by the bottle including budget favourites such as Bottega Il Vino dei Poeti Prosecco Brut (Treviso, Veneto, Italy) at $50/btl, Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Brut,(Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, BC) $60/btl and Benjamin Bridge Méthode Classique Brut (Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia) $105/btl through to the very special occasion extravagance of Louis Roderer Cristal Brut (2009 Reims, Champagne, France) at $800/btl, Krug Vintage Brut (2002 Reims, Champagne, France) $825/btl and Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Rare Brut (1998 Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France) at $1,500 for a 1500 ml bottle. The collection also includes two very special limited editions – Dom Perignon featuring label and box artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame with artwork by Yayoi Kusama.

December Menus:
Provence will be offering its regular menus for brunch, lunch, Happy Hour and dinner throughout December so you can enjoy all your favourite French comfort food during regular opening hours. Don’t feel like going out? No problem. Provence dishes are also available for takeout or save yourself the trip and order-in through Uber Eats.

Holiday Hours:
The restaurant will be open regular hours in December with exceptions as noted below:

Christmas Eve, December 24: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Brunch 10 a.m.- 11:15 a.m./ Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.) Note: early closing at 3 p.m.
Christmas Day, December 25: closed
Boxing Day, December 26: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Brunch 9 a.m. – 2:45 p.m./ Happy Hour 3 – 5 p.m./ Dinner 3 – 9:45 p.m.)
December 27– 29: same as December 26
December 30: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Brunch 10 – 11:15 a.m./ Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m./ Happy Hour 3 – 5 p.m./Dinner 3 – 9:45 p.m.)
New Year’s Eve, December 31: 10 a.m. – after midnight (Brunch 10 a.m.-2:45 p.m./ Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m./ Dinner 3 p.m. – 1 a.m. Note: the last reservation is at 10:45 p.m.)
New Year’s Day, January 1: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Brunch 10 a.m. – 2:45 p.m./ Happy Hour 3-5 p.m./ Dinner 3 – 9:45 p.m.)
January 2 & 3: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Brunch 10 – 11:15 a.m. / Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m./ Happy Hour 3 – 5 p.m./ Dinner 3 – 9:45 p.m.)
January 4 & 5: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Brunch 9 a.m. – 2:45 p.m./ Happy Hour 3 – 5 p.m./ Dinner 3- 9:45 p.m.)
January 6- 9: Provence Marinaside will be closed for maintenance and will re-open at 11:30 a.m. on January 10.