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Jim Gordon and Leeta Liepins host “Our City Tonight,” which can be seen Sundays on CHEK TV at 10:30am, weekdays on Novus TV, and on their YouTube channel. Follow them on Facebook & Instagram.
Our City Tonight visited one of their downtown locations, Hydra Estiatorio Mediterranean Restaurant & Wine Bar. We were joined by Claire Wright, partner and director of operations.
Hydra envelops you in a feeling of warmth with the visually stunning colours reminiscent of the Mediterranean, or more specifically, the Aegean Sea.
“Our Island- inspired classic Greek pasta is a decadent dish,” Chef Scharien said, “designed to share with fresh-caught whole Atlantic lobster, local fresh tomatoes, and a splash of Greek brandy.”
We continued our seafood feast and tasted the Atlantic lobster pasta.
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We opened Hydra in 2019, partnering with the Exchange Hotel. Our locations, while we are in hotels, are all concept-based. The consistent element is that when you walk into each restaurant, you feel like you are on a vacation, and it is a specific vacation.”
“We always offer the amenities of breakfast, lunch, and dinner that you would expect to see in hotels,” Claire said, “and we are open from 7 a.m. until late each day.” She also mentioned the very popular, daily “happy hour” that extends from 3-6 p.m., which is integral at all of their locations
Executive chef, Brad Scharien, suggested we try a customer favourite, the seafood tower, consisting of chilled lobster, prawn cocktail, tuna tartare, marinated octopus, scallop & prawn ceviche, and local oysters.
We arrived at Hydra during “happy hour.” Bar & beverage manager, Steve Bath, was excited for us to try a new signature cocktail for spring and summer, playfully named “I’d Like a Word with Your Manager.” Based on the classic cocktail, “The Last Word,” Bath has given this cocktail his own take using Patron Reposado, Yellow Chartreuse, Amaro Montenegro, lime juice, and grapefruit juice.
Executive Table Group have clearly met the challenge of opening new restaurants in the lower mainland. “It’s all about the people you work with,” Wright told us, “and we have been very blessed to have a superb team around us. We were able to re-build during the pandemic, and my husband, Mark Greenfield (director of culinary operations), and I have been fortunate to surround ourselves with talented people who have made this restaurant, and the others, successful.”
