I’ve decided to post reviews of all kinds of things – restaurants, gadgets, products, cookbooks, and any other home/garden stuff I might want to share.
Take them all with a grain of salt, especially if you like things really salty, like my husband.
So here it is – my first restaurant review.
Wolastoq Wharf
Wolastoq Wharf is one of the newest restaurants in Fredericton’s dining scene, located at 527 Union Street, on Fredericton’s north side.
We liked Wolastoq Wharf as soon as we walked in. We were greeted by the smell of seafood wafting out of the kitchen, and a friendly hostess standing in front of a gorgeous water wall. Having made a reservation, which is recommended, we were seated almost immediately at our table for two.
After getting seated, we took a minute to take in the atmosphere. The dining room is bright and clean, decorated with brown and beige tones. The tables were dressed with white linen tablecloths and folded brown linen napkins, and were each set with bread plates, spotless heavy silverware, sparkling wine glasses, and a small soft white lantern. Very nice, we thought.
Our friendly and personable waitress was quick to take our drink order, presenting us with our menus and a description of the daily dinner special – a truffled risotto with mushrooms and leeks. We were off to a great start.
The menu was just the right size – comprised of about a dozen choices each for appetizers, lunch, and dinner courses. There is also a good list of wines that would compliment any of the dishes on the menu. The menu is suited to most any taste, with fish and seafood options, as well as beef and chicken dishes.
Once we had really looked over the menu, which had detailed descriptions for each dish (I LOVE this), we thought we’d each try an appetizer, and an entree. We opted for the salmon 2 ways and local oysters on the half shell as our appetizers, and seafood risotto, and prosciutto wrapped halibut as our entrees.
I was thrilled when our appetizers arrived shortly thereafter, each a perfect size.
The Beau Soleil oysters came served on a bed of sea salt with mignonette. They tasted of the ocean. They were clean and very fresh. The mignonette was a slightly sweet accompaniment and complimented them very well.
The salmon two ways comprised of a maple hot smoked salmon and a tequila beet cured salmon, served with cream cheese, crostini, capers, and one of the most delicious tapenades I’ve ever eaten. I’m going to try my best to make a version here at home with roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, green olives, onions, and parsley.
We weren’t disappointed with our entrees either.
The “risotto” was filled with chunks of lobster, shrimp, and scallops. It was creamy and steaming hot when it arrived. I am calling it “risotto” because it wasn’t a risotto in the true sense, in that it wasn’t made with arborio rice. Regardless, it was creamy, hot, and slightly sweet. It was full of fresh herbs. I didn’t even season it at the table. As a matter of fact, there are no salt nor pepper on the tables – they are offered to you if you’d like them, and you grind them yourself.
The halibut, served on a bed of honey wilted spinach, with herbed smashed potatoes and shallot butter, also arrived steaming hot. It was cooked perfectly, bright white, and moist. The potatoes were nothing short of divine.
When we were offered dessert and our waitress told us that all of the desserts are made in house, we couldn’t resist. We opted for the cheesecake.
I was delighted with the presentation. The edible flowers were a cute accent. The crust was nice and thick and gave just the right amount of resistance to my eager fork. It was smooth and creamy, not grainy or stiff. Simply delicious.
We had a great experience at Wolastoq Wharf. The service was fantastic, the food was fresh and served hot (or cold where appropriate), and the atmosphere was cozy and comfortable. Overall, a really really great eating experience. I hope they continue what they’ve started, changing the menu with the seasons to provide more new dishes.
Other menu highlights:
Appetizers: fish cakes with tzatziki, steamed PEI mussels, Atlantic seafood chowder, fresh catch platter, wharf burger, salads, soup
Lunch: lobster roll, butter poached shrimp farfalle, pulled pork, angel hair jambalaya, crispy shrimp baguette
Dinner: beef tenderloin, pan fried salmon, goat cheese stuffed chicken, fish and chips, tuna steak, scallops, lobster dinner
Dessert: cheesecake, brownie, apple danish, creme brulee
If you’d like to visit Wolastoq Wharf, you can find it at 527 Union Street in Fredericton. When they say reservations are recommended, they mean it. It’s a bustling spot, and several patrons waited for tables while we were there. Appetizers range from $5-$17, lunches range from $10-$14, and dinner entrees range from $14-$30.
