Everybody knows that Rib n Reef has the best steak in Montreal, but our Seafood is pretty great too. When you think of the best foods for summer, a few things may come to mind – whether it’s a salad with fresh dressing, a glass of white wine, or a steak cooked in a loved one’s backyard, your taste buds will surely be salivating. But during the summer, seafood (including fish and caviar) may be the best bet when combating the heat.

 

The fresh, vibrant flavors of tuna tartare and salmon tartare are perfect for summer. Because these dishes (which are hand chopped and served at your table) are rich and tuna has a fatty quality, Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with tuna tartare. For salmon tartare, which has a different yet equally delicious taste, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are perfect matches. For these dishes, you want to avoid ordering or a wine with residual sugar or pronounced fruitiness, as this will distract from the dish’s flavor. If you loved tuna tartare at the restaurant, you can make your own at home to dazzle your dinner guests. You will need:

 

– ½ sheet gelatin
– 1 avocado
– 3 ounces yuzu juice
– 1 small red onion, finely diced
– 1 lime, juiced
– Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
– 8 ounces sashimi grade yellow fin tuna, diced into ¼-inch cubes
– 2 radishes, thinly sliced
For the dressing, you will need:
– 1 tablespoon wasabi powder
– 1 tablespoon mustard, Dijon-style
– ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
– ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
– 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
The dressing for this recipe can be prepared the day before you serve the dish, and is prepared by simply whisking all of the ingredients together. The full recipe can be found here.

 

Aside from tuna and salmon tartare, another perfect summertime appetizer is calamari. The sweet-tasting squid, which is floured and fried, pairs perfectly with wines with a bright, citrusy flavor such as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. In this case, you want the wine you select to play off of the fried flavor of the calamari – you want to avoid ordering any wines that are too dry, or heavy wines like Cabernet Sauvignon that may overpower the taste of the dish. Another perfect appetizer, Oysters Rockefeller, tastes perfect with a vintage Sauvignon Blanc. The fruity profile of this wine pairs well with the baked oysters.

 

Once you’ve moved past appetizers, there are still a number of seafood options you can order for lunch or dinner – and are equally perfect for hot or tepid days alike. If you order a halibut filet, which has an excellent yet briny flavor profile, pair it with a Riesling or Chardonnay – the vivid, tangy flavors will play off the shellfish well. More hearty fish, such as salmon and halibut, have a flavor profile that can accommodate both white and lighter red wines.