To give a basic first impression, as you walk in the door The Creek is small and fairly dark (even though we went during the early evening) with darker art, chairs and walls. Not that it was depressing in any way, just more of a classic Bistro "Artsy" which is deceptively different from the upscale cuisine they presented us with.
Starters:
Roasted garlic baked brie, served with a side of roasted apple, raisin and cinnamon, sliced apple and "Crustini".
Flash fried baby calamari, dusted in chipotle and cumin and served with a Moroccan sauce.
Mains:
Prosciutto wrapped chicken breast stuffed with smoked Gouda, served with a wild mushroom risotto.
Rib eye steak with a wild mushroom cream sauce, served with roasted new potatoes and "seasonal" vegetables.
Dessert:
Cream cheese peanut butter pie.
Fresh fruit crisp with heavy cream.
We went earlier than most at 5:30, as well I had made reservations earlier in the week to ensure we would have a table. We were seated straight away and asked if we would like something from the wine list, the only dim spot in the evening was the waiter's lack of offering us anything else to drink (which I rectified by asking for something.)
I was impressed though even with the first sip of water, which was perfectly perfumed with lemon. Often the lemon added to water can be overpowering, or even worse the plain water can have an awful taste to it. So right from the get go my olfactory sense and pallet were pleased! I know this seems like a little thing, but having a glass of water that tastes off in some way (which can happen in Regina, especially in spring) can really throw off the rest of the meal, and it's this attention to detail I found lasted throughout the entire meal.
The Calamari and Garlic Brie arrived shortly after the fragrant smell of roasted garlic started to emanate from the kitchen, which is located very close to the guests due to the limited space available in the restaurant (a good thing in my perspective, it means they have nowhere to hide how they cook.) The Calamari was beautifully tender and the flavours of the Mediterranean encompassed each piece, and the Moroccan sauce added a very nice kick to let you know this wasn't your average fair. The Brie required some participation on our parts, as the components came separately and required assembly atop the crustini. The combination of apple, raisin, cinnamon, garlic, and brie don't automatically yell out AWESOME to most, but believe me this was an incredible melding of flavours which all seemed made for each other.
My meal consisted of a Med-rare (on the rare side) Rib eye steak partially covered with a wild mushroom cream sauce, along side beautifully roasted new potatoes and a host of vegetables that included carrots, parsnips, snow peas, and "Ching-Chiang" a small Asian cabbage. The steak was perfectly cooked to my specifications. The wild mushroom sauce was rich, creamy, earthy, and complimented the steak perfectly. I was once again completely impressed by the selection of vegetables, which were anything but standard fair, and all cooked to the perfection.
My wife's meal consisted of a Chicken breast, stuffed with smoked Gouda and wrapped in prosciutto. The Chicken was moist and tender, even on the ends, and neither the Gouda nor the prosciutto overwhelmed the dish, but they were well balanced and complimented each other. The wild mushroom risotto was creamy, rich and earthy, yet you got a sense of brightness added by the wine used in it. The vegetables were again perfectly cooked julienned peppers, carrots, and onions.
My dessert was a Fresh Fruit crisp, made with apples and berries, including blueberries and blackberries, with a classic crumble topping and along side was heavy cream. even though I was pretty much full from supper, I just couldn't stop eating until it was done. This crisp was SO fresh I probably should have slapped it! LOL But honestly the apples still had a little crunch, and the berries were excellent, and to balance the sweet and tartness the heavy cream was absolutely perfect.
My wife's dessert was a Cream cheese peanut butter pie. We both kind of expected this to be a little heavy (and she might have to take some home), but I think they had to add the caramel sugar piece on top to hold it on the plate! The flavour was excellent, not too much peanut butter or chocolate, and it was beautifully whipped and very light!
I don't usually go over the deep end like this with praise, because I evaluate every restaurant we go to for both good and bad qualities. The Creek Bistro hit a sweet spot with me tonight, because from what I saw every dish tonight was executed beautifully! This was not an inexpensive meal, but if you are looking to be impressed The Creek sure impressed both of us tonight!
May all your meals be dine-o-mite. (Just like tonight was for us!)
Bob
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