Bisque in Courtenay: tucked away on 14th and Cliffe Ave.

Hans Peter Meyer - May 24, 2009

Chef Steve Dodd telling tales about the \'80s and Gourmet by the Sea... a gastronomic lifetime ago on the shores of Oyster Bay.

Chef Steve reflects on experiences at the once-beloved Gourmet by the Sea on the shores of Oyster Bay in the 1980s...

Chef Steve and partner Maralee opened Bisque in Courtenay about 16 months ago (winter of 2007). But they’re not new to the industry as they’ve been working the food thing for years now. Steve was with one of my favourite regional fine dining spots, the much missed Gourmet by the Sea, in the 1980s, and then tagged up with Maralee at various restaurants in the Comox and Cowichan Valley’s.

Bisque is tucked away on 14th Street, just off Cliffe, amongst some small shops that don’t attract much attention. This can be a problem in a place like the Comox Valley which is well-endowed with highly visible good places to eat. However, the word on the street counts for more than location, and the words I’ve been hearing have been positive about what Chef Steve is up to.

I dropped by Bisque to get a taste recently. I was joined by a veteran of the service industry whose commentary and mere presence certainly didn’t detract from the evening’s positive impressive. All told, I’m happy to report that, despite the hit that almost all restaurants are feeling due to the general financial tightening, Steve and Maralee are hanging in. Not only that, but they’ve got some items on the menu that we thoroughly enjoyed. And, as my date pointed out, certain details, like the fresh, flavourful bread, signal a level of care and service worth noting.

There were two gastronomic highlights to the evening. One was the serving of scallops in a potato nest. I’m generally pretty easy when it comes to scallops, and these were done just right: lots of flavour, not overdone. The treat was the combination of a bisque sauce and a tomato jam. What did my date say? “I like the presentation; it’s springlike – eggs in a nest.” And about the tomato jam, “tasty, tart, plummy, and sweet.”

The second highlight was the orange chocolate mousse we shared for dessert. “Fluffy, smooth, light, lots of air – the way a mousse is supposed to be,” she said between mouthfuls. My date has vowed to come back and check out the lunch menu. Not sure if the mousse is appropriate for mid-day…

She takes the last mouthful of Chef Steve\'s delicious orange chocolate mousse and vows to return for more...

She takes the last mouthful of Chef Steve's orange chocolate mousse and vows to return for more...

Bisque is tucked away from the main event in downtown, but not hard to find at the corner of 14th and Cliffe Ave in Courtenay. It’s a little place with a growing following, so reservations are recommended. Telephone: 250-334-8564.

©hanspetermeyer.ca / 2009

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