New Owners
Excerpt of Article from the January/February 2003 Issue of EAT Magazine, by Gary Hynes.

[The owners] have hired Amy Wong, a graduate of Dubrulle Culinary School (Vancouver), as their chef. Wong had worked at the Wickaninnish Inn, the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel and the Hotel Grand Pacific. "We want to support sustainable farming," says Des Biens of the restaurant's goals. "We buy duck from Cowichan Bay Farm, free-range chicken from Karin's Country and produce from nearby organic farms." The wines are also local. The Masthead's wine list boasts no fewer than twenty-three Vancouver Island wines.

The menu is strong on seafood, meat and poultry. For starters, there's Amy's Chowder ($8); Warm Spinach Salad with sautéed maple-cured bacon and Portobello mushrooms and honey balsamic vinaigrette ($8); and Mussels Puttanesca, Salt Spring Island mussels with garlic, caper, olive and anchovy sauce ($10). I tried a very unusual starter of Grey Goose vodka-marinated octopus, squid and cuttlefish served in an icy martini glass. Sublime.

The Masthead's main courses are large and satisfying. The Albacore Tuna loin is served rare with chive risotto ($19). The Steamed Dungeness Crab, a Cowichan Bay classic, is given a spicy treatment with sambal aioli ($20). The Braised lamb Shanks, slow- cooked in red wine, and accompanied by garlic-whipped potatoes ($25) makes for a comforting winter dinner. One of the Island's excellent reds would pair beautifully with this dish.    [09 Feb 2003 14:37:05]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Fresh local seafood, produce and wines

     ­Mike Race, Sydney, Australia