Markus' Wharfside: an enduring dining delight
Dining by the seashore
As published in MapleLine Magazine: Aug.5, 2009
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by Mary P. Brooke
Coming up size years at the seaside, Markus Wieland and Tatum Claypool have brought a special but simple quality of dining to Sooke's tourism profile.
As if stepping into a timeless space, at their Markus’ Wharfside Restaurant there is good food, good company, and great views. The food preparation is consistent, with guests returning year after year for the Tuscan Seafood, soup flavoured precisely as before or pork chops done ‘exactly so’.
German-born in Mexico, Markus travelled and dined throughout Mexico and Europe with his family. “Markus grew up not ever wanting to ever have to eat bad food,” says his wife Tatum. The couple met in 1999 in Lumby, BC at a horse riding stable. Markus had discovered Sooke 10 years previous to that, and to its shores here in Sooke they came to start their dream restaurant in November 2003. Tatum runs the front and Markus works the back. Tatum loves having half-days to ride her horse Otto. The family dog Diego guards the premises from the couple’s new home (built in 2008) right next door.
Wedding receptions are held four or five times a year at Markus’,
starting on the patio and moving indoors as the Sooke Harbour breezes
pick up around six o’clock in summer. About three-quarters of the
restaurant’s clientele is local. “The quality of every meal experience
at Markus’ is what brings
customers back,” says Tatum, adding that word-of-mouth referrals are a
strong plank of their marketing strategy. Their website performs well
enough in the search engines to be found when tourists plan Sooke
vacations or arrange to stay at nearby B&Bs.
The menu is affordable by today’s standards. Appetizers range from $12 to $15 while entrees ranging from risottos to fish to ‘big meat’ will cluster in the $25 to $32 range depending on seasonal food costs. Various herbs are grown on the property year-round and their own vegetable patch is harvested from June through September.
The maximized property – restaurant, home and garden – is a good example of “high density” land use. The respectful dining service presented in a down-to-earth way is the ‘magic mix’ of fine dining without pretense that Markus’ Wharfside strives to produce. Their efforts have been acknowledged with dining industry awards but their biggest reward is seeing the same locals return for a special dinner evening. Tatum and Markus greet every guest at some point in the evening. Markus is a European-trained chef, earning his 4-year apprenticeship in Germany and has cooked for the past 20 years in many European and Canadian locations.
The restaurant at 1831 Maple Avenue South in Sooke seats 38 at maximum capacity, open 5 days a week (Tuesday through Saturday). Even with four tables seated per night in the winter months there is enough business to continue a steady operation in this challenging economy. Whatever proves to be effective, they stick to that, avoiding unnecessary experimentation. Creations by two local artists (paintings by Kay Lovett and metal sculptures by Bev Petow) are consistently displayed for sale. The pace is mellow, the ambience elegant but relaxed. Inside the boundary of the Markus’ Wharfside premises there seems a sudden elevation of spirit and everyone enjoys their stay.
One of the keys to the success of this venture by Markus and Tatum is the quality staff they have had from day one. “We have been surrounded by employees who work with the care and precision as though it were their own place. We have been really lucky to find such hard-working people that have become our family,” says Tatum.
For this relatively small business operation, remaining faithful to a proven menu and friendly to the returning clientele has no doubt contributed to the stability of Markus’ Wharfside in what has been a bumpy economic ride for some other businesses in 2009. MM
ADVERTISERS on this page (pages 10-11) in the Fall 2009 PRINT ISSUE of MapleLine Magazine:
Markus' Wharfside Restaurant, 1831 Maple Ave. S., Sooke, BC
Salts Organic Clothing, 2052 Otter Pt. Rd., Sooke, BC
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This article (as first published on pages 10-11 in the print edition of Fall 2009 MapleLine Magazine), is Copyright 2009 Brookeline Publishing House Inc.