Provence Marinaside has two locations: one in Point Grey Village and one at the very end of Davie Street (at Marinaside). Despite the grey and drizzly day, the views from the bay windows that run along the front of the restaurant were breathtaking. The view alone was well worth our Friday morning visit.
Theresa’s brekkie
This was my first visit to Provence Marinaside and I was quite looking forward to it especially after seeing the menu on their website. I started off with tea, and I wanted to try one of their juice blends. When I asked the waiter how many ounces the drinks were, and whether it would serve two, Jenn sensed some attitude from him. I, however, was oblivious and our single order of the Pomalicious, mix of pomegranates, tart limes and ripe raspberries arrived in two glasses without further comment. It was wonderful, sweet and tart and cold. Even half a serving was generous, so they may do well to offer smaller sizes. For breakfast, I ordered the grilled chicken crepes made with a mixed mushroom and asparagus sauce, fresh herbs and grated gruyere. It didn’t do it for me. I don’t know if it was because it felt more like a lunch dish, or that I suspected the mushrooms were canned. It was just okay. Breakfast was more than redeemed with freshly cut pineapple, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and orange. Yum!
Jennifer’s brekkie
Theresa had arrived ahead of me and was already sipping her tea when I strolled in. I was welcomed at the door by our server, offering me a cup of tea or coffee to start off my morning. Nice touch.
We began with one of the aptly-named “Healthy Start Beverages”. And Theresa is right on the money with her Pomalicious accolades – head and shoulders above your typical breakfast OJ! My three-egg vegetarian omelette was wrapped around roasted asparagus, zucchini, yellow and red pepper, green onion, and herby pesto. The pesto made the omelette a bit oily but did not detract from its overall appeal. The roasted potatoes were scrumptious, with just the right amount of crispiness outside and tenderness inside. The fresh fruit that accompanied the omelette – cantaloupe, pineapple, orange and honeydew melon – was bursting with flavour in its own right, far surpassing the common orange slice garnish. As demonstrated by a plate cleaned right down to the melon rinds, breakfast at Provence gets the thumbs up from me.
The facts
Provence Marinaside
1177 Marinaside Crescent
www.provencevancouver.com/marinaside
Breakfast for two cost us $39.80.
Theresa’s rating: 3 eggs out of 5
Jennifer’s rating: 4.5 eggs out of 5
Unlike Theresa, I’m not a huge fan of Joe’s Grill; I once ordered the vegetarian hash for breakfast and it arrived looking suspiciously like a regular stir-fry using those packaged frozen mixed vegetables. Veggie hash? I don’t think so. But I was willing to give Joe’s another try. I played it safe with The Basic: my version comprised two scrambled eggs, hash browns, four sausages, and whole wheat toast with peanut butter and jam. To wash it down, I went with the classic OJ (from frozen concentrate) and a cuppa tea. Although not overwhelmed by my traditional breakfast, I was satisfied. And that’s what counts when my stomach’s a-growlin’ on a Saturday morning.
The good news is the breakfast was exquisite. The Brunch Burrito consists of chipotle scrambled eggs, corn, roasted red peppers, refried beans, roasted potatoes and aged cheddar wrapped in a flour tortilla and is served with fresh tomato salsa, guacamole and hash browns. The eggs were fluffy, creamy and buttery. Perfect…my mood lifted considerably. The tomato salsa and guacamole were fresh tasting and well seasoned. Jenn and I debated about the potatoes; we weren’t sure if they were frozen. I think they were fresh and double fried to make them crispy.
