ANNOUNCER: What the heck is a hidden gem, anyway? The phrase rises from the mist of culinary cliché, a cheery, primordial beast eager to swallow any eye-opening South Sound dining experience that wanders unchained out of our delicious quotidian. So precious! So unexpected! So Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar!



JAKE: Hidden in plain sight, the year-old Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar is a slick-looking gourmet bistro that most people speed past on their way to Olympia’s Farmers Market. Ah, what they’re missing: some spiffy seafood dishes still wriggling; mind-blowing ravioli dish; killer wine list; and attentive service.



JASON: You can’t easily find many spots in the South Sound with quiet views of sailboats bobbing in a marina — but the Dockside sports one. Rain or shine, views of the Puget Sound and boats lift the spirits, and with an interesting wine list, the Dockside is all about spirits (I adored the Torres Gran Vina Sol Chardonnay 2005 from Spain that the Dockside placed in their list of “creamy whites”). I also enjoyed the intimate room with dark woods and large, expansive windows. My service was top-notch the first visit and a little under-staffed the second, but overall, I liked the mood in the room.



JAKE: Another spirit lifter is their Sunday night jazz concerts featuring notables such as Susan Pascal Trio, Pearl Django and Gail Pettis Trio. Pearl Django will perform this Sunday at 6 p.m.



JASON: For lunch, I popped in for two breaded fried chevre and tomato slices on organic greens with confetti size green apples, candied pecans and grilled flatbread. The goat cheese nestled nicely between the relatively fresh tomato and not-too-greasy breading. The flatbread reminded me of an herb pancake — the flavor tasted rich and reminiscent of griddle cakes. I added a cup of gumbo with sausage, crab and okra on the fresh sheet. My server said the creator of the soup hailed from gumbo land, a recommendation that didn’t miss a beat.



JAKE: OK, can’t wait any longer. Order three rounds of the butternut squash ravioli — one to accompany a red from the Rhone Valley in France (several on the massive wine list), one to munch like popcorn on the drive home, and one just before bed so as to dream about Dockside’s butternut squash ravioli with boulder-size chunks of Wynoochee River blue cheese. You could argue that the dough, made in house, is a touch too thick, but the flavors of butternut squash, sage, blue cheese and brown butter are wonderful together. It reads as Italian, yet tastes indisputably French.



JASON: My wife reported her curried sea scallops tasted equally amazing — pan seared with a heavy curry sauce and served over basmati rice — delectable. My seabass, unfortunately, caused a small argument. My wife contends it tasted too fishy, I thought it was slightly overcooked. A week later we are still arguing. The pea vine on top of the fish, however, met with unanimous applause from both of us — perfectly salted, crisp and unique.



JAKE: If you can’t find a wine among the thousands offered by Dockside, then it’s time to start growing your own grapes. The staff is as knowledgeable as anyone can be about 70-plus types of wine, and eager to turn you on to something new. Add to the vintage experience by sipping at a window-side table and gazing out into the yachts floating in the harbor.

Menu

• Fried Chevre >>> $11


• Mushroom Strudel >>> $12


• Butternut Squash Ravioli >>> $18


• Chilean Seabass >>> $26


• Lamb Rack >>> $28


• Curried Sea Scallops >>> $28


• Venison >>> $36

Dockside Bistro

Where: 501 Columbia St. N.W., Olympia, 360.956.1928



Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday



Scene: Small, cozy two tiered with booths on the upper level, and small window side tables down below. Wine bar anchors the north end. Live jazz Sunday.



Cuisine:Salads, beef, pork, chicken and dessert. Seafood dishes rule.



Drinkies: Revolving 70-plus wine list plus beer, including Olympia beer in a can.