Dockside Brewing

A GuestLife Vancouver
Great Restaurant

Dockside’s greatest asset — besides its friendly and well-trained staff — is its fabulous location from which it derives its name. Granville Island is a destination in its own right, but Dockside in the Granville Island Hotel should also be on your must-do list. Everyone remembers its former incarnation as The Creek, yet Dockside is even better: renovations have opened the space up, and updated menus have added spark to the whole scene.

From a culinary vantage point, the fare is both uncomplicated and in the words of Food and Beverage Director Glenn Cormier, “non-fussedover. It’s pretty straight-up. Our service people aim to change the old image, to be approachable, warm and welcoming, not stuffy.” Small touches underscore this approach: regular customers are remembered. Special diets and allergy-alerts are graciously accommodated.

Seafood is still king, and Executive Chef Brian Fodor is proud of the fact that though the food draws on international inspiration — Asian, Mexican, French and Italian, among others — “I don’t cross any ethnic lines,” he says. “Each dish is true to its ethnic origins.” That may be one of the reasons why the weekend à la carte brunch is such a draw (Sunday Jazz brunch — with a live jazz band — is an added bonus). Both the crab-stuffed croissant and smoked salmon scramble are top sellers. More salmon? Only wild Coho meets Fodor's discriminating standards. Sous-chef Tony Austin has been the driving force behind many recent menu changes and Gavin Stevenson, the new restaurant manager, brings a strong presence to the floor, perfecting customer service.

A weekly fresh sheet spotlights such must-try entrees as Risotto al Frutti di Mare (clams, mussels, calamari, salmon, halibut and saffron) and woodgrilled Fijian Escolar (a wondrously fatty white fish, balanced with a tropical chutney of banana, guava, pineapple and mango). An everyday favourite is the chili squid, the pan-seared Halloumi cheese is a delight, and dishes like smoked salmon penne, and the wood-grilled Chilean sea bass are sure to please a well-travelled palate. Not to be missed for dessert is the classic crème brûlée.

Finally, the Docksiders are justifiably proud of their in-house brewmaster, Peter Haupenthal. With more than 30 years’ international experience, the braumeister offers eight hand-crafted beers inhouse, skewing toward lager. With all this to offer, Dockside still remains quite affordable with halfprice beer nights in the bar every Tuesday.

Dockside Brewing
1253 Johnston Street (Granville Island)
604-685-7070

Menu Highlights

pictured: Background: Balanese Chili Squid; Foreground: Wood-oven baked brook trout

Appetizers

Dockside’s number-one seller:
Chili Squid is crispy pan-fried with garlic, ginger and lemongrass

Pan-seared Halloumi cheese,
roasted tomato, garlic bruscetta, Kalamata olives, virgin olive oil and lemon

Beef Satays
flatiron steak wood-grilled with Indonesian peanut-coconut milk and Sambal sauce

House-smoked salmon chowder

Classic Caesar salad

Entrées

Fresh, wild Coho salmon,
alder-grilled to perfection with a Saskatoon berry and rhubarb glaze

Wood-oven-baked Halibut
encrusted with herbs and pine nuts, lemon, dill and tarragon beurre blanc

Wood-grilled Chilean sea bass
sauce Vierge with diced tomato, black olives, herbs & extra-virgin olive oil

Vegetarian Moroccan cigars
in filo pastry, sided with Mediterranean vegetables steeped in ginger, garlic, turmeric & coriander with raita

Wood-grilled lamb sirloin
stuffed with Okanagan soft goat cheese, black currants and thyme, served with house-made raspberry mint jelly

Desserts

Classic crème brûlée
with brown sugar snap

Seasonal fruit galette & lavender gelato
with Madagascar vanilla bean crème Anglaise

Tiramisu cheesecake
with espresso almond cake

Tropical sorbet trio
(lychee, passionfruit & mango-pineapple carpaccio)

Valrhona Manjari chocolate bombe
with chocolate pecan cake & sour Morello cherry mousse

Best of the Cellar

White Wines

Château de Sancerre

Quail’s Gate Chardonnay

Mission Hill Pinot Gris

Château Ste. Michelle Semillion, Columbia Valley

Mondavi Chardonnay 1993

Frescobaldi/Mondavi Dazante Luce Pinot Gris

Red Wines

Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf de Pape

Burrowing Owl Cabernet Sauvignon

DeLoach Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

Yalumba Grenache, Barossa Valley 1997

Marques de Riscal Rioja Riserva

Les Meysonniers Crozes Hermitage M. Chapoutier Syrah

Castello Banfi Brunello Montalcino 1995

Masi Camporfiorin Ripasso Valpolicella

In-House Brews

Some eight hand-crafted, lager-style beers, especially the Jamaican-style lager with hibiscus concentrate