North Shore Dining: French with a light West Coast twist

Owner Perienne Sadler and head chef Kyle Wainwright prepare for the opening day of Saucisse Restaurant.

Michaela Garstin

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Perienne Sadler is on a mission to prove Deep Cove dining has what it takes to compete with the best downtown has to offer.

But for this to happen, something had to change. She transformed her deli, Cove Fine Foods, into a Saucisse, a French-inspired restaurant with a light West Coast twist.

“I wanted a lighter, fresher spin to fit the lifestyle of the community,” says Sadler, sitting down for a minute while staff prepare for the restaurant’s grand opening.

The intimate dining room and lounge are a mix of relaxed and comfortable with elegant and upscale.

“We should have a restaurant here just as good as downtown, somewhere a lot of people can walk to,” says Sadler, who lives in Deep Cove with her husband, young daughter and another one on the way.

With appies like Pacific Steamer Potage ($16), Salmon Rillettes ($12) and mains like Yarrow Meadows Duck Confit Cassoulet ($22) and Pink Peppercorn encrusted Smoked Ling Cod ($22) customers get a taste of France and B.C. combined.

But it’s the dry aging process, says Sadler, that will give Saucisse its claim to fame.

Beef is aged in-house for a minimum of 45 days in a dry aging chamber, where enzymatic change intensifies the flavour, deepens the colour and tenderizes the meat. And, adds Sadler, Saucisse is the only restaurant in the Vancouver-area that does so.

“It’s the next step up from the best steak you’ve ever had. It has a cult following.”

Also on the menu: 45 Day Dry aged NY Striploin and 45 Dry Aged Rib Eye (both $38).

“My background is Danish, so I love food,” says Sadler, who grew up cooking with her mother and “best friend,” who she lost to breast cancer two years ago.

“We had dreamt of opening a beautiful restaurant where we could serve the food we love to more than just our huge dinner table full of family.”

Realizing this dream could really come true, Sadler put the culinary skills her mom taught her into action to open Saucisse.

Don’t expect to see a lot of tomato or avocado on the restaurant’s menu during the winter. Keeping ingredients local, says Sadler, is important because the product is fresher and it helps support B.C. businesses.

“The term locavore definitely applies to me,” says Kyle Wainwright, Saucisse’s executive chef, on a break from prepping the lunch menu.

“We don’t want to bring Roma tomatoes in from Mexico in the middle of December.”

It’s not difficult to eat according to the season, says the chef, since B.C. has one of the longest growing seasons in Canada.

As for refreshments, B.C. craft beer is the only thing on-tap, while Sadler incorporates Okanagan wines into the mix.

Saucisse Restaurant is located at 437 Dollarton Highway in Deep Cove. Visit them online at saucisserestaurant.com or follow them at twitter.com/SaucisseRestau.

mgarstin@northshoreoutlook.com
twitter.com/michaelagarstin