The Fireside Grill sits on a rise in the Royal Oak area of Saanich. A Tudor cottage, designed by Hubert Savage and built as a dance hall in the 1930’s, it works its English country charm on visitors even before they step through the door. Our party was seated in the great hall. As it was such a busy evening we were surprised and delighted by the luxury of a table by the hearth. The Fireside Grill, with its warm welcoming feel of wood and stone has the perfect ambience for a special occasion or a romantic soirée à deux.
The Dine Around menu at $25 offered a selection of appetizers. Dungeness Crab Pierogi, an Oysters Duo, and a Gorgonzola, Endive and Jicama salad provided enough selection to satisfy our party of four. My friend selected the salad, which she declared to be absolutely the best ever. The crab pierogi was overshadowed by the Boursin cheese, lobster cream, and lemon caper crème fraîche leaving me to wonder if someone had been distracted in the kitchen and had neglected to put in the crab. The oyster duo was a huge hit with the guys—one a gazpacho shot and the other on the half shell with tequila lime sorbet. The only complaint
being that they would have preferred that the duo be a quartette. The recommended pairings of Mt. Boucherie Summit Reserve and Gehringer Brothers Riesling was well suited to our chosen appys.
There was not much time to linger as our main courses arrived promptly and with beautiful presentation. My ever-enthusiastic friend was wild about her Wild Coho accompanied by shellfish ravioli and a lemon caper butter sauce. My Bison Flat Iron Steak was nestled on a bed of potato griddlecakes, light and airy. The steak was drizzled with a rye whisky demi-glace, which surprised me in its ability to compliment both the steak and griddlecakes. Expecting the texture of good quality steak I was somewhat disappointed that the bison was not so tender. Looking for something different another tablemate ordered the Chorizo and Creole Chicken Risotto. The risotto was cooked perfectly el dente in a spicy cream sauce full of chicken, chorizo, cremini mushrooms, red peppers and spinach.
Our server Kathy gave our group flawless yet non-intrusive attention. She recommended the Chilled Strawberry and Rhubarb Soup topped with lavender ice cream for those of us looking for something light to finish off the evening. Of course I went for the Molten Chocolate Lava Cake as I always manage to find room for chocolate. I was not disappointed!
Having such a positive dining experience in a suburban location with ample parking made me wonder why most people head downtown to dine. The quality of the food and service received top marks from all my dining mates. We shall definitely return to the Fireside Grill to sample what they have to offer in the future.
—Your Secret Diner
Fireside Grill
(250) 479-1222
4509 West Saanich Road
