Opening Menus and Blues

WOW! Opening a restaurant is one crazy task! Most do not understand the insanity involved in the restaurant business. No other business resembles. Addictive as hell. It's the rush. The moment of opening. The feeling in your stomach somewhere between desperate anxiety and stifling nervousness. The one thousand checks on your list if you've done everything. So much to do so little time...

"Ninety miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive

You tell me it's alright, you don't mind a little pain

You say you just want me to take you for a drive"

- Jimi Hendrix

I got a great crew in the kitchen to work with this summer... Andrew, Animal, Amanda, Andrea. Aswah and Duncan. Crap that's a lot of a's! Well, we are in Canada... oh you crazy Canadians and your ays. sorry about the poke! Without their help I would be in fetal position crying. It's fun getting to know everyone personalities. I am always amazed how it comes together and gels. Who hasn't opened a restaurant that knows that crazy and insane feeling you get at about 2:17 on the first day. The walls haven't been painted. tonight's special is stuck in Halifax, the lights don't work... A million unconcieved things happen... really.

Organizing a crew is a tricky thing to do. It's building the chemistry between five or so people that your only interaction is the frantic pace of the restaurant. From the time you enter the building you start prepping the days long mise en place list to when, after 250 dinners where you constantly crack on each other while plating up 18 ribs, 12 steak all different temperatures, three halibut and one codfish. Rushing to have people enjoy a leisurely paced dining experience. People never think past their plates. But then why should they? They are the ones paying for the experience.

I love Marco's saying that goes: "at the end of the day it's just food, just food." Orders need to be called in. The bad codfish has to be sent back. A million things zooming past in a hurried, organized way. Kitchen crews are the ninjas of the restaurant business. They are the ones who work in the dark, behind the walls, rarely getting credit for their efforts. Why do we do it? Sometimes I wonder about that... It is a love and hate relationship with food that I have. Impossible to have an in between. Somewhere behind the wall the kitchen crew lurks.

SMALL PLATES


Raw Oysters
½ dozen: $15; dozen: $28
Colville Bay, Raspberry Point, Pickle Point, Sand Dunes, Carr’s Malpeque
Ginger ~ Wasabi mignonette and cocktail sauce

Mussels $10
Island Blues steamed in White Wine, Garlic and Herbs

Provençal Sunshine $12
Island Blue Mussels steamed in Pernod,
Leeks, fire roasted Sweet Peppers and Cream

Potato, Leek and Oyster Soup $9
pureed Potato and Leek soup
garnished with Crème Fraîche, fried Oysters and Herbs

Island Chowder $8
an ever changing Seafood chowder
featuring the beautiful marriage of land and sea

Smoked Salmon and Lobster Carpaccio $14
luminescent Smoked Salmon drizzled with creamy Dijon vinaigretteMesclun, Apple, Celeriac and smoked Lobster salad, toasted Brioche

Ceviché of Scallops, Papaya and Cucumbers
marinated Scallops, Papayas and Cucumbers
Bulls Blood Micro Greens and Wasabi Caviar

Crispy Crab and Lobster Cake $12

Asparagus, Lemon vinaigrette and Snow Crab salad

Dayboat Green Salad
local grown organic Greens tossed in Maple – Dijon Vinaigrette

Warm Goat Cheese Salad
toasted Goat Cheese, roast Beets, candied Walnuts, Micro Greens, Shallot Vinaigrette

Local Asparagus with Crunchy Farm Egg
Parmesan Fonduta, crispy Pancetta, Frisée Salad

Steak Tartar $12
Hand cut aged Beef mixed with Capers, Shallots and Cornichon

Micro Green salad and Brioche toast points

LARGE PLATES

Arctic Char

seared Scallops, crushed White Beans,
Tomato Confit, shaved Fennel salad, Basil vinaigrette

Olive Oil Poached Codfish
Provençal Mussels and soft shell Clams, grilled Potatoes, Saffron jus

Wild Halibut
tournedo of Prosciutto wrapped Halibut, roasted Vegetables, creamy Polenta
Lemon Caper and Sage Butter


Cioppino
Seafood stew with Lobster, Codfish, Halibut, Mussels & Clams
simmered in Red Wine, Vegetables and Tomato broth

Lobster Sybil

Butter poached Claws, grilled Tail and sautéed Knuckles
Seasonal Vegetables, Ray’s Fabula Potatoes

35 Day Wet Aged Atlantic Steak
smoked Olive Oil, Espelette Peppers
Red Onion Cipollata, mashed Potatoes, grilled Asparagus

Island Back Ribs
dry rubbed, slow cooked, grilled Baby Back Pork Ribs
Dayboat Coleslaw and hand cut Fries

Duckling
roasted Duck breast, caramelized Apples, Shiitake Mushrooms
Celery Root Puree, Apple Sauce

Lacquered Black Pork³

Pork Shoulder Confit, salt cured Pork Belly and Pork Mignonette
Red Peppers and Green Beans ~ Ginger glaze

Desserts

Caramelized Apple Tart

caramelized Apples on Shortbread topped with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Brown Sugar and Cider Sauce

Panna Cotta

a Menage a Trois of Italian Custards
Orange, Strawberry ~ Vanilla and Coffee ~ Caramel
served with a plate full of yummy little cookies

the Bombe

toasted Almond and bittersweet Chocolate mousse
toasted Almond Anglaise, Chocolate sauce

Chocolate Fondant

hot Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sauce
Caramel Ice Cream

Pistachio – Olive Oil Cake

roasted Strawberries, Rhubarb Compote

Chef François de Mélogue


Dayboat proudly features food farmed, fished and foraged

from Prince Edward Island’s small producers