The Goods from Provence Marinaside

Vancouver, BC | This is still comfort food season. Provence Marinaside’s Owner/Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia is craving some of the classic and comforting bistro dishes from his native France and wants to share them with diners in a unique format Provence is calling ‘Quelle Surprise’ (‘What a Surprise’). This special food feature, which will be available only from March 15 through April 15, 2023, is value-priced at $49 for two courses.

What exactly is ‘Quelle Surprise’ and what makes it a surprise? Each morning Chef Jean-Francis, and his Chef Team, will make a limited number of dishes from a rotating assortment of bistro favourites (see below). “Some days we’ll make a dozen orders of a particular Appy and Main and other days, depending on the availability of ingredients and what inspires us, we might make two dozen, or only ten” says Chef Quaglia. ‘I won’t know until that day what we’ll make or how many. So it could be Os à Moelle (Roasted Bone Marrow) and Canard Confit (Duck Confit) one day or Soupe aux Oignons (French Onion Soup) and Daube de Boeuf (Provençal Beef Stew) the next. There’s no set order to what dishes we will make, how often they’ll be presented or how many will be available each day. I think it’s a fun way to keep things fresh and the kitchen brigade get to make things not normally on the menu.

There will also be a few wine ‘surprises.’ According to Wine Director Joshua Carlson, “I have a few bottles in one’s and two’s that I’ll open depending on what the food surprises are that day. There will also be a sommelier recommendation for each of the dishes available by the glass. Each glass will be value driven, French, and limited in availability.”
Quelle Surprise will be offered in addition to Provence’s regular lunch and dinner menu. The server will inform guests at the table what the ‘Surprise’ of the day will be. Once that day’s set of dishes are gone, they’re gone.

The two-course rotating list will include such bistro favourites as:

2023 Quelle Suprise Menu
Two-course menu $49/person

APPETIZERS
Pissaladiere et sa salade
Salade Niçoise
Soupe aux Oignons
Ratatouille
Os à Moelle
Foie de Volaille à l’Ail et Persil
Huitres au Gratin
Petite Omelette aux Champignons et Fromage
Petites Sardines à L’Huile d’Olive, Salade
Moules Gratinée
Oeuf Mimosa

ENTRÉES
Blanquette de Veau aux Petits Légumes
Canard Confit
Bavette à L’Echalotte
Tartare de Boeuf
Coq au Vin
Thon aux Olives
Daube de Boeuf
Vol au Vent au Lapin
Quiche
Tartine de Boeuf
Parmentier

The restaurant ‘may post’ what the daily surprises are each morning on its Instagram page or perhaps a photo of the mise en place to tempt you. People are encouraged to follow them if they want to catch a heads up on what the daily ‘surprise’ will be. But then it wouldn’t be a surprise, so maybe just take a chance and drop by Provence Marinaside from March 15 through April 15 to enjoy some delicious surprises.

Provence Marinaside

Neighbourhood: Yaletown

1177 Marinaside Crescent

604-681-4144

WEBSITE