No matter how you slice it, you can enjoy a sharp deal at Carver's Steakhouse in Richmond with the current Dine-Out promotion.
For $38 you have a three course dinner with four choices of appetizers, four main courses, and three desserts.
Dine-Out Vancouver which is on until February 2nd is a successful way for restaurants to attract diners during a quiet time when people are budgeting and on diets. With enticing prices, it's a popular way to discover new places and to revisit old favourites.
Although Carver's is in the Executive Airport Plaza Hotel, it is built for the local community, not the hotel clientele.
On a foggy Tuesday night, there was a full house in this classic American-style steak house with its subdued lighting and generous use of wood.
While the staff is dressed formally and the décor looks elegant, the service is friendly and knowledgeable.
Maître'd Michael Hajdukovich and servers Senka Zelic and Jordana Pandolso, work as a team, each familiar with what you ordered and doing their best to make you feel comfortable and special. Senka suggested we share each other's courses, which made our night out a culinary adventure.
All their beef is Certified Angus and the fresh seafood is sustainable and certified by Ocean Wise. To cater to the Richmond clientele, several items have tasty Asian ingredients.
And to raise the dining experience to a higher level, each of the selections is paired with a delicious BC VQA wine.
At $8.50 a glass, it's a bargain for the quality offered.
While waiting for our appetizers, my guest and I sipped a Sumac Ridge Stellar Jay, B.C.'s excellent version of Champagne, and Blue Mountain's Sauvignon Blanc.
And as we toasted our evening out, we enjoyed the freshly baked walnut and cranberry bread and a French baguette with its classic crunchy crust.
My guest ordered the iceberg salad, which is enjoying a renaissance. On a long white plate, the salad is spread out with wedges of lettuce, sprinkled with Stilton blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, radishes, French dressing, and lardons.
But the star of the salad is thick squares of double smoked Berkshire bacon. My companion would come back just for the salad! I chose something new for me, the roasted bone marrow which came with crispy sourdough croutons and a small parsley salad.
The marrow adds a contrast to the fried bread with its thick jelly against the crunch of the sourdough.
It's more about texture than flavour. Surprisingly, the salad was full of personality and added a lovely crescendo to the plate.
My currry braised chuck flat included six large cubes of steak on top of Jeera hash, a mildly spiced curried rice, and accompanied by sesame-flavoured stir fried gai lan. I enjoyed the meaty flavour of the Angus beef and its melt-in-your -mouth tenderness.
It paired well with the Inniskillin Cabernet Sauvignon, bursting with cassis fruit and smooth mocha character.
When my guest's halibut arrived, she could tell that it would be moist inside.
And sure enough, under the crispy sear, was a moist, meaty piece of fish. Not what you might expect in a steakhouse! Underneath the halibut was an equally tasty quinoa salad with toasted almonds, cranberries, pomegranates, and dried apricots.
The Inniskillin Chardonnay, with its buttery oak and fruit character, was a delicious companion.
To end the relaxing evening, we both enjoyed sharing the trio of cheesecakes, lemon, chocolate with banana, and raspberry.
Our second dessert was a chocolate terrine, which Senka described as a "queen of a dessert."
It was indeed a royal dish, with its silky chocolate mousse balanced with a layer of vanilla mousse, all sandwiched between crispy cookie wafers and strawberry and cream on top.
Very elegant yet light. And marvelous with the port-like Sumac Ridge Pipe, full of sweetness, cherries, plums, and coffee.
. Carver's Steakhouse: Classy and they make you feel pampered! 7211 Westminster Highway. 604-207-7107.
