The Boathouse Restaurant
900 Quayside
New Westminster
Ph: (604) 525-3474 or Reserve Online

On an icy cold day, when the wind whipped against my skin till it burned red as if scalded, a friend and I rode the Skytrain out to New Westminster Quay. We had spent the morning riding the new Canada Line to the Airport and back to the Waterfront Station. Our plan was to enjoy a pleasant lunch and explore the Quay area.

Alas we had not realized that large parts of the Quay were closed for redevelopment and remodeling, and we found to our dismay that most of the restaurants were closed. We inquired, without success, of a couple of passers by who lived in the area whether any restaurants were open.  Finally by trial and error, driven by a desperate need to warm up, we found ourselves at The Boathouse, one of a local chain of restaurants.  And hooray, it was open for lunch.

We were shown to a table by the window, and were soon warmed up by the heat radiating out from the fireplace. I thought "so what if its the middle of the day - I am not at work"  and decided to order a glass of BC Gewurtztraminer. 

We shared an appetizer of crispy calamari frites served with tsatsiki and a sweet chili sauce. It was attractively presented and the calamari was delightfully crisp outside and tender on the inside.

Then I enjoyed a shrimp club sandwich with bacon, lettuce and tomato - interesting flavour combination, bacon and shrimp but it works - served with mayonnaise on whole grain bread. Very satisfying. My friend had blackened salmon on a bed of spinach and declared it perfectly cooked.
 
Reluctant to head out into the biting wind I ordered decaffeinated coffee and cream while my friend enjoyed peppermint tea. We both enjoyed our meal and fortified for the Skytrain ride back to Waterfront we wandered past deserted building, back to the station.

I look forward to seeing a rejuvenated Westminster Quay, whenever it reopens for business.