The Coast Magazine August 22 - August 29, 2003

Food Fetish by Liz Feltham

Swept away by the Oceanstone

Every now and then rumors float into town about a great eating-spot just outside the city; tales of he freshest seafood or the most decadent desserts – enough to get salivary glands flowing and culinary curiosity piqued. Oceanstone Dining Room and Café is reported to be such a place, nestled near the sea in Indian Harbour, just past Peggy’s Cove. The roadside billboard reads “casual fine dining,” and I am skeptical. Generally, this means very casual and not so fine, and few places can strike a balance between the two.

At first glance, Oceanstone appears to hit that balance. The interior is simple, with framed natural photographs on the walls and a durable indoor-outdoor carpet leading to an outdoor eating area. The fine dining part shows up in the careful place settings, and in the demeanour and formality of attire of the wait staff. Jazz music nicely bridges the gap, and the mood is effectively set.

The menu is fairly small, offering just a half-dozen each of appetizers and main courses.  None of the apps are over $10, and with the exception of an Angus beef striploin, the mains are under $20.

Our waiter – friendly, yet reserved – brings a basket of warm, heart shaped tea biscuits and some soft butter.  Unfortunately, he makes one big mistake – he brings us an odd number, which leads to a battle over who gets the last one.  He recovers by offering to bring us more, which we happily accept.  The melt-in-your-mouth, buttery biscuits are a good omen: Chances are, when attention is paid to an often overlooked detail loke the bread, the rest of the meal will follow suit.

We start with the soup du jour ($6) and a mesclun salad with poached pear and stilton ($7).  The soup, a delicious chicken and seafood gumbo, is chock full of scallop bits, shrimp, chicken and vegetables, with just enough zingy after-bite. Crispy mesclun Greens tossed in a poppy seed dressing form the base of the large salad.  The stilton is used sparingly, but there’s enough to impart a distinct blue cheese flavour, which goes well with the poached pear.

For our entrees, we choose two of the evening’s specials.  The poached haddock ($17) is a large filet topped with caramelized onions and served with perfectly roasted rosemary mashed potatoes and just cooked carrots.

The one-pound lobster ($17) has been shelled and reconstructed on the plate, its claws embracing a ramekin of Thai dipping sauce. The red chili sauce is counter-balanced by sweet mango and red pepper salsa, and is a refreshing change from the usual butter.

Our eyes are glazed over with seafood love, but I’m not about to pass up “homemade” dessert. (An increasing number of restaurants cut costs by bringing in frozen, pre-made products, so whenever I hear “homemade,” I’m in.)

The brownie ($5) is two triangles of rich chocolate heaven, real whipping cream (or ice cream) and fresh blueberries.  It defies description – if everything else had been terrible, this brownie would make up for it all.

But my investigation of Oceanstone is not complete – I’ll have to return for more brownie research.  My preliminary conclusion: Oceanstone is what it claims to be: casual fine dining by the sea, and well worth the half-hour drive.