Basquing in it

Vents du sud brings welcome warmth to winter

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

One sign that you're in for a good restaurant meal is a server who has an intimate knowledge of the items on the menu. At Vents du sud, the bustling hostess not only described the ingredients but also the cooking process behind the many Basque specialties on offer. And for the most part, these intriguing dishes lived up to their mouth-watering descriptions.

The Basque homeland straddles the border of Spain and France, set apart by the Pyrenees and a distinctive language that is unrelated to other Indo-European tongues. At this Basque-owned Plateau eatery, you'll find French and Spanish dishes along with regional specialities involving seafood (shrimp pil-pil for example) and various meats (such as veal axoa d'Espelette), often taking the form of tomato-based casseroles. Take advantage of the bring your own wine factor and spend your money on the table d'hôte, which ranges from $18.95-28.95 including appetizer, salad, dessert and coffee or tea.

Choosing from a list of unusual appetizers (including things like smoked lard), we shared a creamed cod croquette encased in a sweet red pepper, baked with a thick tomato sauce. Far from fishy, the light, fluffy stuffing was delicious and intriguing. Less exciting was a subtly flavoured terrine starter, a little too dry and firm for our tastes despite having been made with care.

The soup offered with the night's table d'hôte was delicious. A smooth and pungent purée of wild mushrooms with a kick of pepper, it was substantial and gourmet all at once. The excellent escargots casuela, also from the daily menu, consisted of plump and tender snails in a tangy tomato paste adorned with fresh parsley.

A highlight of the main courses was the marmitako du marin pêcheur. This dish consisted of cubes of fresh tuna almost sizzling in a tangy sauce of tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions, garlic and potatoes, with a hint of wine to give it added zest. It was fantastic and different, somehow managing to bring out the delicateness of fish and the heartiness of stew at the same time.

You'll have to take my other companion's word on the tripe, which he declared the best he's ever tasted. The intestines were simmering in a rich, spicy sauce that was a deep burgundy colour, infused with bay leaves and piquant peppers. It was served in a rustic ceramic pot, with one whole potato added for contrast.

My order of magret of duck was beautifully cooked, the slices of pinkish breast meat fanned out over cep mushrooms. Although the meat was by no means dry and the gelatinous mushrooms had a pleasant woodsy taste, I craved some sort of sauce. The accompanying vegetables--asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomato, potato--were fresh but somehow off the mark in texture and taste. I regretted not opting for one of the Basque dishes.

After the meal came a much-appreciated dressed green salad that worked as a digestive. It allowed us to make room for desserts, most notably the crème brulée, which was light and melt-in-your-mouth, with a plentiful topping of hardened sugar. The cake of cherries and powdered almonds was dense and delightful, while the slightly spicy pear cake contained a lovely cooked fruit in the centre. All went down well with a mug of coffee and, like everything else we tried, had a homemade quality.

Vents du sud is a warm, cheerful space, despite being almost too-cutely decorated with pale yellow walls, a blue tin ceiling and somewhat glaring lighting. It has the atmosphere of a bed and breakfast by the sea, except that the last thing you'll be thinking about after such a meal is breakfast.

Vents du sud

Address: 323 Roy E.

Phone: 281-9913

Hours: Tue-Sun, 5:30-10pm

Best features: tangy Basque specialities, desserts

Vegetarian friendly: fish

Wheelchair access: one step up

Alcohol: BYOB

Price: $25/person without tax, drinks or tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH