Pre-Concert Dinner at Chambar...

Looking for a spot for dinner before an event at Rogers Arena? Try Chambar out. We went pre-Katy Perry Concert and loved it. Just a short walk to the stadium afterwards, it is quite the ideal location. Dinner started off with a yummy bevvy called the The Blue Fig. The name says it all, figs are oven roasted and then steeped in gin. Freeze the concoction and there you have it. Why Blue? Well, they serve it with a side of Danish blue...don't put this in your drink, but just nibble and sip. The sharpness of the cheese mellows out the sweetness of the figgy gin.

The other pretty drink at the table is their Pura Vida Punch, made with 5-year old rum, chartreuse, cinnamon and shaken with pineapple juice, then a splash of prosecco on top to finish it off. If you're a fan of tropical cocktails, here is one you should try.

Below are some great words to live by...just leave your day at the door. 

We started off with their scallop appetizer, which is simply seared scallops, with some smoked kurobuta pork cheek, thinly sliced cheese all sitting on a bed of pickled green beans & drizzled with a horseradish vinaigrette.

Three to an order, I took one portion and have to say, this combination of salty, tangy sourness with a bite of sweet really made me happy. I'm not a huge scallop fan, but they do it well here, so if you are a fan, you're in for a treat.

Oh yay, bread! This is the second place I've been to in as many weeks that charges for bread. See my other post for Hawksworth. Warm and served with paprika butter, this was quite good, and at $3 dollars, it seemed like a worthwhile deal. Afterall, you can't have mussles with bread to soak up the juices with, right? 

The next dish to arrive was the Canard et chevre, a roasted duck breast with a healthy dose of goat cheese & tarragon gnocchi. There's a smattering of julienned apples along with sauteed scallions, and a hazelnut sauce to round out the dish.

And then, the moment we were waiting for, the Coquotte! A big ole bucket of mussels steamed in a white wine cream sauce. 

Once opened, you see the smoked bacon lardons and spring onions. Oh boy, I forgot how much onions there were until I just looked at this picture again. But hey, I'm a fan of bacon and green onions, so load my mussels up, I can take it! 

Don't mind me, I'm just going to help myself to a little bit. Perfectly cooked musssels, most in their shell, little flecks of bacon and freshness from the spring onions. Yes, this is a good bite indeed. Be sure to save the bread to soak up the white wine cream! 

And yes! Frites are included...nice crunchy exterior and a soft middle, these runs give McD's a run for the money, but they are definitely less liberal with the salt here.

Given its close proximity to Rogers Arena, I'd highly recommend this place for your next pre-event dinner. They do take reservations via Open Table, something I'd recommend just to be on the safe side.