I love a good hotel restaurant. After traveling, there’s nothing better than checking into your hotel, taking a quick nap in your freshly made bed, and then heading downstairs to a curated dining experience that seems like it’s there just for you. So when Garrett and I checked into the Four Seasons in Whistler BC after 7pm (after leaving our house before 8am that morning), we were ready for a good meal.
Getting a Reservation
We hadn’t made a reservation, so I called down to the restaurant to see if they even had any availability on a Friday night during the dinner rush. It turned out I was speaking to the manager who asked me when we would be interested in dining. I said sooner rather than later but that we could be flexible. He took my name and said we could come down whenever we were ready.
So, about 15 minutes later, we walked into the restaurant. I gave the hostess my name, and she led us to a table. It was that easy!
The place didn’t seem too busy, so that may not always be the case, but we didn’t have any trouble getting a table at the last minute.
The Service
Based on my experience with the manager on the phone, and the staff at The Four Seasons in general, I had a good feeling the service at Sidecut would be good. And it really was!
Our hostess brought us to our table right away and was interested to hear about our day. When the waiter arrived, he was happy to make recommendations on drinks and food, and when I ordered the Oaxaca Spritz, he double checked to make sure that I liked a smokey flavor in my drink.
Being a resort town, Whistler has folks from all over the world working there. Everyone was so friendly and interesting. When we realized that we booked our trip over Canadian Thanksgiving without realizing it, we had a good laugh with our British waiter about not knowing which day the holiday was usually celebrated on. Additionally, the service was responsive and professional. They really made us feel like special guests.
The Menu
Garrett and I are always suckers for a good pre-fix menu. So when we saw that Sidecut offered a three-course dinner option, we went for it. We considered the wine pairing but decided to go with cocktails instead (spoiler: correct choice).
The prefix menu provided three starter options, three main course options, and two dessert options. Here are the choices we made:
Duck Pate en Croute
The Duck Pate en Crote was a fantastic start to the meal. The flavor of the duck pate mixed with the foie gras and apricot sauce was excellent and made for a great spread on the bread that was brought to the table.
Warm Goat Cheese Phyllo
I was surprised by what a small portion of the plate the cheese-filled phyllo took up. So, I started with the accompanying side salad. The salad ended up being really good; it was generously dressed with a vinaigrette. When I got to the actual phyllo, I was so excited. It was creamy, melty, rich, and so delicious. I was very pleased with my choice.
Seared Tuna
The tuna was perfectly seared on the edges and slightly warm inside. The butter sauce was amazing and refreshing; a great compliment to the tuna and the table bread. Delicious!
USDA Prime NY Striploin
The Prime NY Striploin was a great cut of meat and prepared perfectly. The mini twice-baked potato that came as a side was delicious, but a little smaller than expected. The steak itself was prepared with the Blueberry Hill rub that was one of the three offered steak rubs. Everything was fantastic, but perhaps not mind-blowing. Garrett was happy and felt like it was worth the asking price.
Caramelia Mousse
For the final course of our meal, the Caramella Mousse was very satisfying. The texture of the mousse was light and fluffy. The richness of the mousse paired nicely with the light flavor of the pear sorbet. The chocolate cake crumbles were mainly a garnish and would have been more welcome if the quality of the cake was a little fresher.
Almond Cremeux
Poached peach and jelly, almond crunch
This was essentially a creamy custard beautifully decorated on the top with silver beads and an almond crunch. It was a great way to end the meal, but not the most amazing dessert I’ve ever had.
The Drinks
I cannot say enough good things about the drinks at Sidecut. Maybe that’s because we had so many… but in all seriousness, we could not get enough! Here is the sampling of cocktails we ordered:
Volcan de Fuego
Garrett’s first cocktail was also on the smokey side. The Volcan de Fuego arrives tableside in a smoke-filled box that fills the table with smoke when opened. Once the smoke clears, and you take your first sip, you’ll realize this is a pretty strong cocktail (rum!)
Oaxaca Spritz
My first choice was the Oaxaca Spritz. I love an Aperol Spritz (the cocktail that inspired this one), and I will pretty much drink anything if Prosecco is involved. I only recently had Mezcal for the first time, and I honestly didn’t quite get it. But this cocktail? I got it. The Mezcal was like an extra, extra smokey tequila that mixed with prosecco without overpowering the hibiscus flavor.
The Matterhorn
tanquerary no. ten gin, white port and clingstone peach bitters, clementine and cinnamon, sparkling wine, picked clementine
My next cocktail was The Matterhorn because it was the closest thing on the menu to my favorite drink – a French 75. It was pretty similar, except with cinnamon and an amazing clementine thrown in for good measure.
Amber Moua
pistachio & mango infused mt. gay amber rum orgeat, lime, coconut foam
The Amber Moua was a bit of a surprise of a drink. Inspired by the Mai Tai, the expectation was that the drink would be strong and fruity. It was certainly strong; the mango-infused rum was definitely more rum than mango. If you like strong drinks, go for it! But if you’re like Garrett and prefer something a bit sweeter, maybe this isn’t the best choice.
Moscow Mule
This was a pretty standard Moscow Mule, well-made and enjoyed. It was refreshing, and a nice light final drink of the night.
Bloom
Eggwhite drinks aren’t my thing, so I went ahead and order the Bloom without them, changing the flavor profile of the drink. It was on the sweet side, and very floral.
Overall
Maybe it was the drinks, but this meal was a highlight of our trip. The food was good, the drinks were great, and the service level was truly some of the best I’ve ever had. If you’re staying at The Four Seasons Whistler, you definitely need to spend a night at Sidecut!
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