Mill Street Brewpub's 3rd Brewmaster's Dinner - June 21, 2012

Round 3 - FIGHT!

Seriously though, this is the 3rd installment of Mill Street Brewpub's Brewmaster's Dinner, and after the first two, my expectations were pretty freakin' high. Said expectations were also fed by the fact that the Brewpub posts the menu ahead of time on their Web site to get the ol' mouth watering. Par for the course with the 1st and 2nd Brewmaster's Dinners, the second (appetizer) and fourth (main hunk o' meat course) courses were the ones that were most intriguing for me. The app was a Trout Cake with pickled veggies (a new passion of mine) and the main was Braised Beef Short Ribs (DROOL!).

Needless to say, I'm a pretty big supporter of the Brewpub and as long as they keep putting on these Brewmaster's Dinners, I'll be there! Another bonus was that this Dinner was in honour of Ontario Craft Brewing Week. So, as might be expected, Brewmaster Joel Manning had a lot to say about the recent growth of craft brewing in Canada. In a nutshell, Canada had its brewing industry decimated by the temperance movement and prohibition in the 1920s, leaving only a few stragglers who learned to make beer that is, as Mr. Manning put it, "extraordinarily OK". Luckily, restrictions have eased in the past ten or so years, allowing for far more interesting and tasty Canadian-made beers to hit the market. And that makes me a very, very happy little drunkard!

OK, time to move on to the food! Before we get started, here's what was on the menu:

Looks tasty, eh? So, let's get into it!

1st course - Meatball in pastry w. Blueberry-Shallot compote - with Blueberry Wheat Beer

Ah, the amuse-bouche. There's been a kind of humorous chaos in each of these dinners where the service and presentation of this course seems a bit slapdash, probably because there are always stragglers filing in while the servers are trying to get things underway.

But, how's the food? Well, in this case, I was quite pleased by two out of the three elements, a little ambivalent towards the third. The pastry shell in which the meatball was served was spot-on: buttery, crisp and flaky, but still light-tasting. The sauce was totally delicious: bright, sweet, tart with the undertone of umami that can only come from a shallot. As for the meatball, well, it was good, but not great. There was a nice bite of fennel, but no spice and the meat itself was a bit dry.


Oh, the blueberrific goodness...

As for the beer, it was an absolutely perfect pairing. The blueberry in the sauce brought out the blueberry in the beer without making it too sweet or cloying. This will certainly not be the last glass of Blueberry Wheat Beer I'll be consuming this Summer! Oh wait, as of this writing, I've had at least two bottles of it...

2nd course - Trout Cake topped with Pickled Vegetables w. WeissBier

Oh yeaaaaaaah, now it's getting interesting! As you may or may not know, I loooooooooove fish, I also loooooove crab cakes, and the resulting fusion was a beautiful rendition of an old classic that was moist and flavourful, and not nearly as rich than one would expect from a crab cake, probably because of the use of such a light-tasting fish. That was not a bad thing (keep in mind, 3 courses remain!) The addition of pickled vegetables also added a nice tangy element to the dish, giving a pleasant, almost refreshing, balance.

Almost too pretty to eat. Almost...

Then there was the beer... The WiessBier was a refreshing Summery white German-style beer with all kinds of freaky little flavour notes. The tasting notes on the menu made mention of a bit of clove flavour coming from the yeast they use, but on top of that there were hints of turmeric, fennel, and even banana chips!

When paired with the Trout Cake, the result was a kind of flavour explosion that blended into a beautifully creamy finish on the palate. All in all, it was a very well done pairing. Once again, the second course was one of the meal highlights. I'm beginning to wonder if there's some of tradition in the 5-course meal that courses 2 and 4 are meant to be the standouts, or is it just how Mill Street's Chef Shawn Jackson operates? Regardless, he and his staff three-for-three on epic appetizers/soups!

3rd course - Salad w. Apples, smoked cheddar and prosciutto w. Pilsner

Next up was the salad course (an absolute necessity on this hot Summer night). Now, last time, I was disappointed by how small the salad was. Clearly, my mental projection of dissatisfaction was heard by the powers-that-be in the kitchen. This was a very simple salad, only 3 elements other than the lettuce (not counting the dressing): apples, crispy prosciutto and smoked cheddar, but they came together to provide a whole range of flavour combinations: sweet, salty, smoky, creamy, tangy and bitter. The apple-honey dressing was a simple flavouring that highlighted the apples and made the whole thing come together very well.



Now THAT's a salad!

The Pilsner beer pairing was an added bonus in this dish. It really served to tie all the salad elements together and make a very well-rounded course. And now, a little something about Pilsner. As someone who lived in the land where Pilsner was invented (the Czech Republic), I can tell you that what we have here called Pilsner beer (e.g. Labatt Blue) is a poor imitation of what the real thing is supposed to taste like. So, when Mill Street starting putting out a Pilsner at the Brew Pub, I was intrigued to see if I'd enjoy it. Turns out I do! They very capture the Czech flavour profile very well.

Unfortunately, the menu writers made a small mistake when printing the beer menu. They say the beer is in the "German style". Not even close! German-style beers are usually much more bitter and less tasty (in my opinion). I was glad Joel the Brewmaster cleared up the mistake and pointed out that this is in the "Bohemian style" (Bohemia is a region of the Czech Republic). So, as a good Czech beer fan, I couldn't let the typo stand:



Making a critical correction.

 
4th course - Braised Beef Short Rib w. Stilton jus, potatoes, grilled asparagus and crispy onions w. Brown Ale

Main event, I mean course, time!

Oh man, did they ever get this one right! This was a symphony of beefy goodness. Stilton jus? Crispy onions (think onion rings without batter)? Asparagus? Drooooooooool...

The beef was fork-tender, coming off the bone effortlessly (all I really had to do was look at it) and so rich and salty (but not too much so)and delicious! The jus added even more depth of flavour and richness. It was like the best elements of a pot roast done to the nth degree.

The asparagus was a perfect bright contrast, giving the plate a bit more lightness and making it easier to justify all that meat.

If I have one complaint, it's that I found the potatoes a little dry. Luckily, there was a lake of gravy deliciousness to soak 'em in!


Image slightly blurred due to meatgasms

Oh, what's that next to my beefy masterpiece? A Brown Ale you say? How did you know that's one of my favourite styles of beer? You peered into my dreams? OK, well thank you for invading my brain, Beer Faerie! You're kinda the best!

Yeah, the beer pairing took the Short Rib home run and turned it into a grand slam. The beer's deep caramel colour and flavour, with nutty, chocolate elements all served to bring a fantastic mouth-feel. One comparison I made to my table-mates was that the combined elements were like God's Bovril. Another bonus to the Brown Ale is that, while have a deep rich flavour, it's actually a pretty easy-drinking beer and not at all as filling as a dark beer can tend to be.

All in all, they totally nailed the main course.

5th course - "Banana Split" - Spice cake and banana ice cream w. praline and vanilla-beer sauce w. Ambre de la Chaudière

I have to admit it, the dessert courses from the first two Brewmaster's Dinners were good, but they didn't blow my mind. This one, however, came pretty damn close! The cake was moist and tasty but not overpowering with the spices (not even close to the painfully overflavourful fruitcake-type dessert one thinks of when they hear 'spice cake') and paired very well with the banana ice cream, which was also made with the Ambre de la Chaudière beer, but I didn't taste too much of the beer in it, more a sort of a nice complimentary richness. The vanilla-beer sauce (the dark spots on the side of the plate) evoked my beloved Vanilla Porter, so that was a win also. The only flub was in the pralines, which were delicious, but a little to hard to bite through. I kept thinking I was going to crack a molar!


Beer and ice cream? Why not? Beer in ice cream? Even better!

Moving on to the pairing, well, it was Ambre de la Chaudière, which had also been the dessert beer at the first Brewmaster's Dinner. I didn't much care for it then, except when tasting it alongside the dessert, and it was the same case here. The beer was really only good when tasting it with the cake and ice cream (and it was pretty darn good then).

I know the Mill Street folks are really jazzed about their Ambre de la Chaudière and if you're a fan of that style of beer, I'm sure it's the cat's PJs. I simply don't enjoy the "bière de garde" style on its own. It does pair very well with sweet food though!

And there you have it, another grand ol' time at the Mill Street Brewpub! If I was to rank all three dinners Olympic-style, I'd say the April one gets the bronze, this one gets the silver, and the first one in March narrowly gets the gold, mainly due to the Lobster Bisque (best. soup. EVER!).

On the "sad trombone" side of things, it appears that the next Brewmaster's Dinner won't be until October, in celebration of Oktoberfest. Let's hope it doesn't conflict with Beau's Oktoberfest!

Until then, I'm going to have try a beer and food pairing dinner of my own! If you do the same, please let me know how it turns out via comment.

Cheers!

Mill Street Brew Pub - 1st Brewmaster's Dinner - March 15, 2012

And I'm back! Miss me?

Alright, I admit, I'm kind of a fan of the Mill Street Brewpub, as my last post may have indicated. I love their beer, the service is really good if you get the right server, and the food is generally quite tasty (and even that which didn't 'wow' me was still adequate).

So, when the Gods of Food and Birthday Interaction decreed that the first Brewmaster's Dinner was to take place on the magical date of March 15th, which just happens to be the lovely and talented Kari's birthday, it seemed pretty clear we had to go to this thing! So, we booked our tickets quick like little bunnies and waited giddily and impatiently for March 15th to arrive. And when I say 'giddily', I mean jumping up and down giggling like Deadheads on nitrous as the date got closer.

Well, sure enough it did and, funnily enough, we had no idea what to expect, except for the menu (which totally added to the giddy) which had been posted weeks in advance. We walked in to the back upstairs room to find our places set as follows at a large 20-24 person table (luckily we had the end seats):



Really impressive table setup, not so impressed with their spelling of "Brennan"

So, pretty neat score of a bottle opener! AND there was still food and beer to come!

We did notice a bit of an 'energetic' vibe coming from our table-mates. I'm not sure what their story was, but by the end of the night we'd earned the moniker of the "Loud Table". At one point in the evening, I was a little worried we'd be known as the "Started a Brawl Table" after a heated exchange between the guy sitting next to me and someone at the table behind us. Eep! Luckily, cooler heads prevailed before night's end and no one had to be arrested.

But, that's neither here nor there, what matters is the BEER! Well, and the food...

So here's the setup: It was a five-course menu, each course paired with a glass of beer (of varying sizes depending on the beer in question). The menu had been online for weeks, so it wasn't a surprise and that's probably for the best because I have to commend the chef on putting together such an interesting sounding menu.

See for yourself:

First course - Wild Boar Sausage on Potato Pancake with In-House Mustard paired w/Organic Lager

Well, this was a quick little bite, but it was tasty. Admittedly, the boar sausage (which reminded me of grilled summer sausage from when I was a kid, always a plus) and mustard overpowered the flavour of the potato pancake, so I have no idea how good the pancake really was. The beer pairing was pretty basic considering that Organic Lager is the most "mainstream" tasting beer Mill Street brews. So, really, a flavourful trip down memory lane, but nothing that totally blew me away. I also could have used a second piece...




A small bite, but tasty!


As for the beer itself, well, it's Organic Lager, so obviously good for the planet and so on, but not a very flavourful beer when put up against powerhouses like Tankhouse of Coffee Porter. This is more of a "serve ice cold on a hot day and quench your face" kind of beer. At least, it is to me. Also, as with the potato pancake, it was subdued by the strong flavour of the sausage.











Second Course - Vanilla Scented Lobster Bisque with Saffron Crème Fraiche paired w/Vanilla Porter

OH MY VANILLA SCENTED GOD! This was quite possibly the best bowl of soup I've had in my life, I kid you not! The soup was rich yet delicate, creamy yet briny, and just so damn delicious! I've had/made Lobster Bisque before, but this was something far different. For one thing, it wasn't overly salty or 'fishy', which is something that has always made Kari averse to seafood and fish. In this case, she was gripping the table the soup was so good. The flavours were all complimentary between lobster, cream, vanilla and saffron. SO. FREAKING. GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could eat this all day, every day...

I'll take a gallon please!


And what could make this spectacular dish even better? Pairing it with our good friend Mr. (Ms.?) Vanilla Porter! It was absolutely complimentary with the soup, adding even more creamy depth. I think Kari's expression says it all...



Bliss in a glass

Third Course - Chickpea-Cauliflower Curry on Basmati Rice paired w/Tankhouse Ale

Well, this was the "come back down to Earth" course. After the nearly-transcendent and sinful soup, this was a much more comforting plate with the great earthy tones one expects from a good curry. I can't really say that it 'wowed' me, mostly because it's Chickpea Curry, I've had it more times than I can count and no matter how well it's made, it's probably never going to blow my mind. But it was really tasty and cooked perfectly. The chickpeas were firm, the cauliflower tender but not mushy - same with the rice. 

Must remember to photograph before eating...

As for the beer pairing, it was Tankhouse, which is my favourite beer, so no complaints here! In fact, there was a little more than the standard heat you'd find in a Chickpea Curry and the Tankhouse did a great job of cutting through the spice, but not overpowering the flavour of the dish.

Fourth Course - Scotch Ale Braised Lamb Shank with Smashed Potatoes and Grilled Broccolini paired w/Scotch Ale

Now THIS is a main course - A big ol' hunk of meat and potatoes (and something green in there somewhere)! This was the second best course of the meal (sorry, but that Lobster Bisque won my heart). It was a beautifully cooked piece of lamb shank, braised until dissolvingly tender. The meat fell apart off the bone as soon as I put my fork to it. The flavour of the meat was rich and fresh (Ontario lamb) and not gamy the way most people think lamb is. It was impossible not to shovel bite after bite into my mouth. The flavour of the veal stock and Scotch Ale it was braised in came through and yet was nicely complimented by the rosemary jus on top (and the jus was deftly handled by the kitchen staff, no small feat considering how easy it is to add too much rosemary to a dish). As for the potatoes and broccolini, I must admit that they kind of got eclipsed by the awesome tastiness of the meat. Not that they weren't good, just that it's hard to remember how good Jimi Hendrix's drummer is in the middle of a guitar solo... I do remember that the broccolini was cooked to perfection and the potatoes were made with a lot of butter. Sorry sides, that's all I got... Now, back to the lamb. DROOOOOOOOOL....



Steak knife = unnecessary



Wait, I'm forgetting something... Oh right, THE BEER!!!! Well, the Scotch Ale obviously paired well with the meat since the meat was cooked in it, but how did it taste? Well, it was delicious! It was a darker beer, but not thick in the way of a stout or porter, so it went down very easily. It reminded me of the love child of Upper Canada Dark and Newscastle Brown, but lighter tasting. The lightness served as a good balance for the meat, a heavier beer would have made the main course a bit of a slog.


Fifth Course - Baked Brie and Berry Compote Tartelette with 'Bière de garde' Syrup and Pecans paired with Ambre de la Chaudière (French-style Winter beer - Bière de garde)

So, it was now time for our final course, a tasty little bit of dessert with a very sweet beer to match. To be fair, I'm not a big dessert person and my taste buds were a little overloaded at this point, so my review might not be doing the food justice. Now, that aside, I did really enjoy the flavours of the tartelette. The crust was crispy and flaky, the brie was creamy and understated (which is how I like cheese in desserts), and the compote reminded me of a really good homemade fruit jam, which is one of the best flavours in existence.

Now, I can say that the beer paired well with the dessert, with the fruitiness of the beer complimenting the fruit in the tartelette. The only problem is that the 'Bière de garde' is pretty much my least favourite style of beer. There's something in the aftertaste that reminds me of the way formaldehyde smells. I've tried to get over it, to force my palette to expand, but I'm not there yet. Luckily, the acid in the fruit was able to cut through that aftertaste and left me with a fairly happy and refreshed palate. So, I guess the lesson here is that some beers need a complimentary food!



Dammit, did it again...

Another bonus feature of the meal was, between courses, descriptions of each beer were given by Brewmaster Joel with great enthusiasm and passion. I learned more about how beer is made, and the different varieties of beer that exist, than I ever knew was out there! It got hard to pay attention to each description (some tangents were set off on) and none of the guys next to us at the "Loud Table" could give a flying fig, and made that fact quite vocally evident (hence the potential brawl with the next table who told them to shut their holes while Joel was talking). But, I enjoyed learning about the intricacies of the beer-making process. Oh, and we got to keep our pint glass!

So, that was the first Brewmaster's Dinner! All that goodness for 60 bucks plus taxes each, including tip! It was a great value for a night out and a great way to celebrate my favourite lady's birthday.

I'll be posting again soon on the second Brewmaster's Dinner that took place a few weeks ago and, God and shift-trading colleagues willing, attending the Mill Street Brewery vs. 13th Street Winery "Street Fight" later this month. Maybe they should put me on the payroll? Does Mill Street need an official blogger? HA! I wish...

Till next time! Enjoy!

A Toast To My Hometown's Better Eateries - Mill Street Brew Pub

Oh Mill Street Brewery, how you've moderately screwed up my life and waistline...

To begin with, Mill Street (originally out of Toronto) makes what is currently my favourite Canadian beer: Tankhouse Ale. It's a punch-in-the-mouth of flavour and hops that finishes remarkably smoothly. It's by no means a cheap beer, going at about 13 bucks for a six-pack, but life's too short for crappy beer. As the months and years have gone by, Mill Street beers have been appearing more and more frequently at some of my favourite establishments, including Smoque Shack, and festivals, with Mill Street supplying all the beer for Ottawa Bluesfest.

It was at Bluesfest that the signs began to appear: "Mill Street Brewpub - Coming Fall 2011". The excitement started to grow and grow as we found out that the location was to be the former Old Mill, a fairly high end steakhouse in the 80s that had let itself slip over the years and had been closed for a while. The Old Mill building is exactly that: an old grist mill from the 19th century overlooking the Ottawa River, allowing for a beautiful location for a restaurant, if a bit isolated from the main drag of the Byward Market and Elgin Street.

Fall came and went and the anticipation grew. Unfortunately the opening had to wait until January 24th, which is understandable considering the sheer size of the building and the logistics of opening such a large establishment. But the magical day finally came on the 24th and, while we didn't get to show up for opening night, we managed to be there on their second night.

It was absolute bedlam: We arrived at around 5 o'clock and it was already a 30-minute wait for a table for 4. I wasn't really surprised or bothered though. We sidled up to the bar and had some beers to keep us occupied while waiting for our table. In good time, we were brought upstairs to one of the four dining areas.

Now, here are some of the non-food/drink details about the place. First off was the decor. Well, it was a lot flashier than I expected; a weird mix of comforting wood and decoration with a lot of stainless steel as trim. To this day, after about a dozen visits to the place, I still feel like it's a bit to 'classy' looking for a brew pub. Oh well, that's something I have no problem getting over, especially because the views and the building itself are spectacular.

Next up is the service. Well, like most new restaurants, the service had some ups and downs. The front of the house needs work; the hostesses seemed a bit overwhelmed when busy, something that hasn't really changed since it opened. There have been some inconsistencies in the table and bar service, but for the most part it's been pretty good, especially in the case of the waiter we had on our first visit and he's been around a few times since. His name is Dane and I salute him, he was awesome. So, if any of the powers that be from Mill Street read this, treat Dane well! He's a definite asset to your business.

OK, so let's get to the meat of the matter: BEER AND FOOD!!!

Well, one of the things that caught my attention right off the bat was the beer menu. It's freakin' huge! There are something like 20+ beers on tap, including varieties that are exclusive to Ottawa, seasonal beers and the standards (Tankhouse, Organic, Coffee Porter, Belgian Wit and so on). A particularly brilliant offering for those who aren't sure what they want is the Beer Flight, which gives you a choice of 4 small glasses of different beers for $7.50. A VERY good deal!

Now, on to the food. The four of us at the table split a charcuterie plate that had some tremendous elements to it, but unfortunately, what they were exactly was kept a mystery to the wait staff! Whoops... Mind you, because it was only their second day in business, it was common that not all the wait staff had tried everything on the menu. Still it would have been nice to know exactly what we were eating. There was a dry salami that was excellent and ash-rind goat cheese that was the bee's knees.

Next, I had the Brewmaster's Mussels, steamed in Wit beer with smoked pork belly and leeks and all other kinds of goodness. The mussels themselves were pretty normal mussels, but the pork belly made the dish that much better and the bread on the side was baked using a Pilsner beer and was some of the best bread I've had in a long time.

Mussels with Pork Belly?!? OK!!

After the mussels, I got the Caribbean Baby Back Ribs. These were quite tasty and well smoked, albeit not the most tender. The flavour was really good, reminiscent of a milder Jerk sauce, but the portion seemed a bit small for 12 bucks - that's 3 bucks a rib. Still better than Ribfest I guess... The Jicama Slaw on the side was a really nice touch, much earthier than a regular slaw but still tangy.

Ribs!

While I was enjoying my Mussels and Ribs, Kari was partaking of the Stout and Onion Soup (Mill St.'s take on a classic French Onion soup). That one got kudos all around (see look of pure joy captured below). Her next course was the Duck Flatbread, which , while tasty, was a bit stingy on the duck.

What stood out most, other than the great service and surprisingly good food (pub fare is hard to make remarkable), was a seasonal brew called Vanilla Porter. This is like cake in a glass, but not too sweet. It's smooth, creamy, delicious and complex, while still being refreshing and quaffable. It's become Kari's absolute favourite, and one of mine as well. Unfortunately, it's no longer being offered. I guess we'll have to wait till September... le sigh...


So, all in all, Mill Street still has some kinks to iron out and there are hits and misses throughout the menu. I've been back a few times for regular menu fare and brunch fare and some things are better than others. If you are doing brunch and are feeling particularly decadent, get the Chicken and Waffles. Pretty epic...

Happiness = French Onion Soup and 4 glasses of beer

But before I leave you, there are a couple more points in the Mill Street Brewpub's favour that I think are really great touches. First, they have the "Master of Beer Appreciation" card, which is essentially a 'frequent drinker miles' card of sorts. Every time you get on of the multiple kinds of beers on the menu, you get a slot filled on the card. The more slots you fill, the cooler the shwag you can earn, including meals, tours of the brewery, and at the pinnacle, your name engraved on a special keg.

The second (and far more important) thing Mill Street does is a monthly special dinner. The first and second of these were the Brewmaster's Dinner, a five-course meal with special beer and food pairings. The first was held in mid-March and the second in mid-April. We've been to both and I will be blogging about them individually in Part 2&3 of this Toast to Hometown Eateries. Coming up in May is the "Street Fight" involving both wine and beer pairings with special food offerings. I look forward to being at that one too!

So, in the end, I'd say Mill Street Brewpub is the real deal with a lot of care going into both the beer and food menus and lots of space for patrons (although you'll still be waiting 30 minutes + for a table on a Friday night). Now that they've got their patio open, I expect it to get that much crazier. Of course, the fact that it takes 10 minutes from my couch to their front door doesn't hurt either!

Next time, I bring you a recounting of the first Brewmaster's Dinner.

Enjoy!

(Dammit, now I really want a Vanilla Porter...)