SCENE AND BE SEEN
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COMOX VALLEY RECORD • Wednesday, December 28, 2011
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THE APPETIZER PLATTER, (above) is an ideal way to kick off a dining experience at Monte Christo on the River. Right: Saganaki will light up before your eyes. PHOTOS BY MARK ALLAN
A Mediterranean flavour on the Courtenay River Mark Allan Record Staff With one of the biggest menus in the Comox Valley, Monte Christo on the River is bound to have something to quell your appetite and tease your tastebuds. It was easy for my dinner companion and me during a visit to the Courtenay restaurant. Owner Chris Sabanis started Bob and me with an appetizer platter. Sabanis, a proud Greek, gave it a real Mediterranean flavour. There were too many things on the platter to recall them all, but I fondly remember baked mushroom caps, which were difficult to find under all the melted cheese. Cream cheese, shrimp, crab, herbs and seasonings all smoothly contributed to one tasty appie. Greek salad, a favourite of mine, was a nutritious and colourful alternative to the other appies. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions and olives with oregano and olive oil topped with feta cheese — it’s hard to resist. On the other hand, I’ve never been much for kalamari, as the Greeks call squid — but it was so good I ate more of it than in any one previous sitting. Tzatziki, a Greek cucumber and yogurt dip, added to the experience. As we awaited the next course, we chatted, learning that Sabanis operated Columbo’s restaurant before the
Monte Christo. Columbo’s is where Stavros is now in East Courtenay. Sabanis has owned the Monte Christo for 14 years. The building was constructed in the 1920s on a side channel off the Courtenay River. Sabanis closed off what was previously the deck overlooking the water, building a deck out further than that. When the river rises, it backs up close to the deck, he says, but it’s a terrific place to dine when the weather is warmer. What the heck is that noise? It sounds like something’s on fire behind my left shoulder. Surprise! Saganaki is kefalotiri cheese that is set alight at your table with brandy. You slice it up while it’s still hot, smear it on pita bread and enjoy. Bob and I did.
CHRIS SABANIS has owned the Monte Christo for 14 years. PHOTO BY MARK ALLAN Our tanks were no longer empty, and we hadn’t even hit the main course. “Do you like Greek?” asked Sabanis. “Yes,” I replied simply. I think he already knew the answer after how we had reacted to two courses of appetiz-
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ers. There was a gleam in his eye as he disappeared in the direction of the kitchen. Bob and I enjoyed our wine and chatted some more with our host. He revealed that he’s a diehard steak man. Not having access to
much beef growing up in Greece, he quickly fell in love with it once he tasted it. He said he still personally cuts beef each day. He believes that he and George of nearby George’s Food Bar are the last of the old-time Comox Valley restaurateurs who still get that involved on a daily basis. It’s clear that Sabanis has a strong work ethic, that he’s proud of his restaurant and that he expects his team to work together to maintain the high level of consistency that any good restaurant depends on for longterm success. Whoa, there’s no more time for reflection. The main course has arrived — Greek platters for each of us. Each platter was covered with so much food,
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sampling every dish on our plates, if not quite finishing it all. Dessert was out of the question. By now, I’ve probably convinced you the Monte Christo is just a really good Greek restaurant, but remember when I said it has one of the largest menus in the area? The lunch menu includes wraps, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, halibut and chips, and something called Nova Scotia Toast. A peek at the dinner selection reveals seafood, barbecue, chicken, pasta, steak and, of course, Greek dishes. Monte Christo has a separate pizza menu. There’s a full bar, and also a children’s menu. For hours and menus, visit www.montechristoontheriver.com.
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they seemed to contain something from all the major food groups. Moussaka was the first Greek dish I fell in love with. Layers of eggplant and potatoes in tasty meat sauce, crowned with creamy béchamel sauce. Yum. Chicken souvlaki, which includes rice, is rightly a Greek standard. The platter included spanakopita (spinach baked in a light pastry) and dolmathes, a wonderful Greek dish that tightly wraps ground beef in grape leaves. Did I say beef? Of course, the main course included a delicious cut of steak. Sides of tzatziki and hummus, a Greek garlic paste with herbs, stood by if we wished to add to the flavour of anything on our platters. We both did out best,
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