by Eva van Loon

“The most awesome oysters I ever had!” proclaimed my dining companion. He was enjoying himself so thoroughly, I had to sample. Sure enough, the steam-shucked mega-oysters were flavorful and tender, almost tempting me back to seafood.

I contented myself with the gravlax (okay, that was seafood, too—until it decided to swim upriver) with capers and goat cheese, a tasty, moderately sized and attractive composition of bites on a rectangular plate.

It took three visits to sample most of Manzanita’s ever growing menu. Oysters are a specialty but there’s plenty of variety and some interesting vegetarian dishes. I loved the beet salad, the green salad with soy/engevita dressing, and the warmed brie with blackberry balsamic-vinegar reduction.

One Monday night (yes! Another restaurant open Mondays!), I had to take home some of the sumptuous salmon with maple-citrus-chile glaze on a bed of broccoli, carrots, and baked radishes with curried butternut squash risotto and red cabbage with apples and onion. Very sexy veggies, those. The dog got nothing of that doggy bag.

Then there were the dressed winter pears with candied almonds…. The bacon-wrapped medjool dates were a little rich for me, but a new dish is always appreciated.
Lots of people love Manzanita’s crème brulee and Guinness chocolate cake (not to be taken together!). Not a dessert person? Choose a final glass of wine from their collection of four or five whites, four or five reds, with about two local choices on each side of the wine menu.

What we appreciate particularly about Amy and Karen is their ingenuity in marketing by creating unusual dinner shows and their unflagging enthusiasm in bringing their food to public gatherings like the Midsummer Feast and shows in the Rec Centre, to name just two venues where people can sample their good cooking in the community. Watch for their coupons and deals in collaboration with entertainment venues like the Patricia Theatre, too. Any week, driving to Townsite to dine at Manazanita is a worthwhile pilgrimage. Manazanita, with good service and interesting, delicious food, offers an unbeatable evening, reminding you of all the good reasons to come to Powell River.