Owner chef Piccolo Lyytikainen obtained his formal culinary training in the fine restaurants of Helsinki. There, classical techniques were drilled into him daily as he apprenticed to his calling. This rigour accompanied him years later when he set up shop on Saltspring Island, a jurisdiction where, until recently your deodorant was confiscated as you got off the ferry.
This resultant addition of the formal to the militantly casual equals the happy sum that is House Piccolo. With only 36 seats, it is an airy, attractive room that indicates the meal that awaits. The gleam-ing glassware, the copper pots, the fresh flower arrangements; the whole scene says, "sit back, relax, you're going to enjoy this." The fact we had the nice corner table on a beautiful balmy summer evening didn't hurt either.

Most of the clientele were of the yachty type and, as the daylight ebbed, you could actually see them radiating the glow of wealth. It is to these be-Rolexed ones that befall the fruits of House Piccolo's wine cellar, which earned a Wine Spectator award of excellence in 2000.
But fortunately for those of us who only travel on boats whose names begin with "The Spirit Of -..." or "The Queen of -..." there are plenty of affordable bottles with lots of attention given to B.C. wines. Our by-the-glass selections of the beautiful, round, chocolatey Falesco Vitiano ($10) and the more acidic but still satisfying Chalet Estate Vineyard's Cabernet-Merlot ($9) exemplify the consideration that goes into Lyytikainen's selec-tions.Before we get our starters we get our complimentary pre-starter. Crunchingly fresh mixed greens for two is brought to our table in a small glass bowl, unexpected, as so many good things are. Once the salad has had time to become a memory, the appetizers of salmon chowder Finlandia ($7) and scallops Ceviche ($13) arrive. Thinner than a typical North American chowder, the bowl is a light combination of milk, stock and butter that allows the chunks of salmon and potato to prosper. Another flavour that benefits from the soup's light composition is the judicious sprinkling of fresh dill.Throughout the meal the presence of extremely fresh herbs was a pleasing constant.The scallops were shaped into a round that sat on top of a doily of paper-thin slices of cucumber encircled by a necklace of chili oil studded with dark jewels of Lingonberry purée. The scallops vibrated with the tang of their lime marinade. If this wasn't enough to startle your palate to attention, then a dip in the chili oil would be. The sour of the lime, the heat of the oil, and then tiny measures of sweetness in the purée all visited upon luscious scallops; that's memorable stuff.

We go all carnivorous on the main courses. The charbroiled beef fillet with Gorgonzola sauce was voluptuous, with a tenderness that was almost buttery. The excellence of the meat was matched by the rich, brown, silky sauce that just man-aged to contain the fine raunchiness of mature Gorgonzola so the cheese's exuberance didn't overwhelm the aristocratic beef.
The venison is denser and has a swarthy tang to it. Think nine parts beef flavour, one part liver flavour. I know this doesn't sound appealing but, believe me, it is. Betraying his classical training, Lyytikainen chooses a Grand Veneur sauce with the Northern European twist of substituting juniper and rowan berries for the traditional red currants. The resulting sauce is smooth and decadent due to its Demi-Glace base, but because of the juniper berries it actually tastes a bit like gin. This perfectly complements the venison loin, which has come out of the oven moist and tender.

Both dishes come with carrots and green beans. These are, typical. Puréed parsnips are not, and serve to remind one that every detail is carefully considered by this kitchen. And up the ante in the sides game, we also received a bowl of creamy scalloped potatoes to share between us. At this point we nearly high-fived. The pace of the meal was gradual and relaxed but never lagged. The service was attentive and professional at all times in an easygoing island kind of way.

I didn't expect desserts to top what had preceded them, but they held up their end with honour. The Alsatian pear and almond tart ($8) came as a self-contained buttery pastry with a clean sweet custard supporting the topping of sliced pears and almonds.
The tart sat in a pool of a crème Anglaise like sauce, just in case the delectable pastry wasn't enough on its own. Our other choice of raspberries with Chantilly cream was a relatively simple dish of supple, sweet, soft berries in a sugar pastry basket dressed with the sweet light cream. The pastry and the cream didn't upstage the raspberries which, being local and fresh, required only the proper setting in which to shine.

Prime ingredients, prepared flawlessly and served in an informally elegant setting; those taskmasters back in Helsinki would be proud.

"AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE"

CRITICS' CHOICE WHERE TO EAT 2003

EAT MAGAZINE, VICTORIA, April 2003

House Piccolo ($$$) One traveling critic believed he had an exclusive: "I seem to be the only one singing the praises of this little gem on Saltspring but so be it. The restaurant is charming, the service friendly and warm and the food absolutely brilliant. The kitchen is creative taking from the many cultures that call this coast home but at the same time remaining true to its classical French roots. The award winning wine selection covers a lot of ground and you can have a superb meal and still be on the last ferry home."
However other critics had also "discovered" this little cottage of fine dining in Ganges: "From the first splash of Alderlea Vineyard Bacchus in your wine glass to a buttery Alsatian pear and almond tart, Owner chef Piccolo Lyytikainen has completely mastered the refined dining experience. In between, silken wild salmon gravlax and prawn risotto lead up to an expansive dish of roasted venison with juniper berry jus and the best scalloped potatoes this writer has eaten this side of Mom's. My advice? Give House Piccolo a permanent place of honour in your little black book of addresses."