vale

20.- Wedneséay, July 26, 1989 ~ North Shore News

SEVEN SEAS owner Diamond: Alreas and his son Matt present a
seafood sculpture from the restaurant's legendary seafood buffet. The
North Vancouver restaurant has been moored at the foot of Lonsdale
for almost 30 years.

Seven Seas fare doesn’t match —
restaurant’s good NV location

THE SEVEN SEAS RESTAURANT, FOOT. OF LONSDALE, NORTH

VANCOUVER, 987-3344. VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS

ACCEPTED. OPEN FOR DINNER TUESDAY TO SUNDAY.
| HAVE spent a lot of time on the bounding main, but | had
never, until recently, savored The Seven Seas.

The North Shore institution has
been moored at the foot of Lons-
dale for almost 30 years and was
virtually the only restaurant on the
North Shore before there were
such things on this side of the in-
et.

By virtue of its historical
significance as one of three origi-
nal passenger ferries that crossed
Burrard Inlet and its prime water-
front location, The Seven Seas has
become a local tourist haven.

And perhaps by virtue of those
same two factors it has remained
adrift in some past culinary era.

The former ferry, whose main
cargo now is The Seven Seas’ leg-
endary seafood buffet, is still the
closest diners can get to North
Vancouver harbor waters without
getting wet. .

And its piano lounge cocktail
bar provides an excellent seaside
retreat at which to enjoy a drink,
casual conversation and the gentle
roll of the harbor.

But the restaurant itself is in dire
need of interior redecoration and
culinary overhaul.

Our introduction to the Seven
Seas’ dining experience came in
the restaurant's piano lounge,
where my wife and | had retired to
enjoy pre-dinner refreshment.

In place of the customary system

- in which a hostess or maitre d’

if 2 The BASSMASTERS

TREK

Sundays

Bring the outdoors to your home and enjoy your favorite
Sport! TNN also entertains you with travel adventure on
“Side By Side” on Saturdays. And there's more adventure

in the kitchen with “Country Kitchen" and on stage with

“Grand Ole Opry Live".

REACT,

. RIERZNNED -GMeATED - INRARMED

ear

leads diners from a restaurant’s
holding lounge to their table when
itis ready, The Seven Seas an-
nounces diners’ names over the
ship’s public address system, cafe-
teria style.

TIMOTHY
RENSHAV

table hopping

Patrons unfamiliar with The
Seven Seas layout are then left to
wander amidships in search of the
source of the voice. (For future
reference, it’s at the cashier’s
window upstairs, where you will -
then be ushered to your table by a
Seven Seas hostess).

Seven Seas’ waiting staff is
smartly attired in cruise ship’s
steward uniforms, but the ship’s
attire itself was somewhat less im-

pressive: the white window blinds
near our table were stained and
mildewed.

Seating in the ship’s former
bridge area was crowded, due
prima- ‘ty to the ship’s layout,
whici-.«as not designed for a res-
taurant, - :

But the view is magnificent:

It combines a panoramic sweep.
of Burrard Iniet and an intimate
sea level view of industrial traffic
to and from C.H. Cates & Sons Ltd.
and Versatile Pacific Shipyards
Inc., the restaurant’s immediate
neighbors. _

It’s a great visual introduction for
locals and tourists alike to what:
makes the Port of Vancouver's in-
dustrial heart tick. ee

The Seven Seas menu-remains
largely incidental to its Seafood.
Buffet (now $28.75 per person);
which includes close to30 °°.
varieties of seafood, myriad salads
and vegetable dishes. ;

1, however, am nota’.
smorgasbord fan. The system, to
me, subverts the more subtle —
aspects of the complete dining __ -
experience by making waiters
redundant and overwhelming the
senses with the kind of driftnet ~~

See Buffet -
Page 23

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