Visitors to the Lower Mainland often wax lyrical about our geography, remarking on the rare situation of a major metropolitan centre between mountains and ocean.
Our tourism industry likes to brag about how locals can ski and surf in the same day, a feat that may be technically possible, but is one I have yet to achieve in the nearly 30 years that I have lived here.
While our mountains are indeed imposing, majestic and inspiring, I am more of a water guy; the way the grey and emerald shorelines of our fjords, channels and bays yield to chilly, darkened depths still takes my breath away.
This preference likely accounts for why I find Deep Cove to be such a spectacular place. I make a point of taking out-of-towners there, usually for a paddle around the little islands immediately off Panorama Park.
Though it is on the North Shore and can be reached by a 15-minute drive from my home, Deep Cove still feels like a destination to me, a place away from the immediacy of my life. I never just stumble into Deep Cove; I escape to it.
Perhaps this is why a recent meal at Arm’s Reach Bistro, perched at the farthest end of Deep Cove’s small strip of town on Gallant Avenue, made me feel like I was dining at a resort.
I visited the restaurant alone on a cloudy and cool Tuesday evening, finding welcome refuge within its warmly lit, surprisingly bustling space. Had I been dining with a guest, I suspect we might not have been able to find a table. Reservations here are recommended.
As a solo diner, I took a seat at the bar, situated in the centre of the room in front of the kitchen. From that vantage point I was afforded a good look at the outgoing meals, all of which, it must be said, were very generously portioned.
I was on a mission to try the restaurant’s prix fixe menu, available only on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The prix fixe consists of an appetizer, main course, dessert, and three, two-ounce pours of wine, all for $39. The menu represents good value when you consider that a la carte appetizers range in price from $7 to $23, mains from $17 to $35, and desserts from $9 to $13.
Fortuitously, I secured the last prix fixe meal available that evening and was treated to a thoughtful, well-constructed dinner that began with Golden Beet Carpaccio.
Paper-thin slices of yellow beets provided the foundation for a salad of peppery rocket tossed in a fennel and orange vinaigrette, crumbled goat’s cheese, and grilled slices of peach.
The dish was subtle and elegant; the goat’s cheese was sparingly applied and provided just enough rich pungency to balance the sweet and earthy beets, spicy arugula and peach.
(I note with interest that the restaurant’s website lists grilled apricots rather than peaches on this dish, though my server mentioned the latter when she presented the plate and the size of the fruit slices indeed suggested peaches; when served warm and with grill marks, the fruit is admittedly harder to identify.)
Despite the inclusion of small pours of wine with each course, I elected to sample wines by the glass from the main list instead. I am a wine geek, after all, and the list at Arm’s Reach Bistro, while small, is far too interesting and well-considered to resist.
I opted for a glass of Picpoul de Pinet, an often-overlooked Languedoc white varietal, offered here from the producer Ormarine. The steely, minerally palate of the wine, with its solid acidity and reserved fruit, makes it exceptionally food-friendly.
The main course of the prix fixe was a staggeringly large dish of Linguini Puttanesca. A mountain of pasta was tossed in a lovely sauce of tomato, chili, olives, capers, garlic and onion, all lifted with the addition of fragrant lemon rind.
The citrus helped to brighten what is typically a deep and pungent sauce. Two enormous prawns, grilled to perfection, topped the pasta. I commend the kitchen on their commitment to authenticity, evidenced that night by the inclusion of a morsel of anchovy in the sauce.
Though not listed on the menu, the heady, salty fish is a vital ingredient in classic puttanesca. A glass of Nerello Mascalese, a Sicilian varietal with a deep, fleshy, stone-fruit character, married well with the pasta.
The final course was an unexpectedly magical house-made gelato of raspberries and preserved lemon.
I have grown weary of ice cream (and gelato, semifreddo, frozen yogurt, etc.) through the sheer frequency with which it is consumed with my children, but I have to say, the tart freshness of this frozen creation from Arm’s Reach made me grin like a six-year-old and provided an exceptional closing to a very good meal.
Arm’s Reach Bistro is located at 4390 Gallant Ave. in Deep Cove. armsreachbistro.com
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
