Mountain Shadow Inn

The Mountain Shadow Inn... Wow... I haven't seen you in ages! 15+ years in fact... I still remember the cheap burger and brew deals which really hit the spot after a long day listening to boring lectures. The carefree days where we could schedule all of our classes into 3 days and have 2 off to do... whatever! Stay out really late... on a Wednesday night! Spend all of my hard earned money on my... car... Completing 25 page essays the night before... Okay, back to reality. Those days are long gone and so are the cheap burgers. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to return. What makes it even stranger is that the Mountain Shadow Inn is only a stone's throw away. Well, it is finally time to revisit an ol' friend and just like an ol' friend, it hasn't changed much.
Like a winter chalet of sorts, the place has its charm.

We started with the Calamari and unlike many typical versions, this one was very flavourful since it was marinated in lime, ginger and cilantro. It was crisp and peppery exhibiting a slight chew while still being easy to eat. The flavour quotient was further raised with the chili aioli. There were a lot of flavours going on here and we really liked the heat. Initially, I was in no mood for a burger since I've had so many in the past couple of weeks. My appetite and health were not too anxious for more greasy meat. However, when no one decided to go for a burger, I had to take the hit. C'mon, it's a pub! I got to try the burger! And especially one that was so tasty according to the description. The Peppercorn Burger boasted a peppercorn dressing with pepper jack cheese, bacon and an onion ring on top. When the darn thing arrived, it was massive. I was pleasantly surprised at the use of a brioche bun considering the venue. I love brioche and that suited me fine. One bite into the burger revealed a peppery sauce that leaked all over the place. Perfect, that's how a burger should be - messy. With all of the aforementioned ingredients, the burger had flavour and lots of it. I got spice, sweet, savoury and smokiness in every bite. The meat itself wasn't dry nor juicy; but the abundance of ingredients and sauce made the burger moist. Very satisfying indeed. As a substitution, I got the Poutine. This was an okay poutine with crisp fries and gravy. However, the cheese was all melted and it was not cheese curds.

Viv had the Braised Beef Shortrib Sandwich consisting of 5-hour braised beef, truffle oil and Swiss cheese on a French baguette. Although the shortrib was moist and tender, I found it to be somewhat lost in the dense baguette. However, this was somewhat alleviated by the "beef dip" type of presentation. But then, the dip made it soggy. I guess there was no middle ground. At the end, I would've preferred the sandwich to be just a sandwich with maybe a softer or airier bread. She got Yam Fries as a substitution and they were not as crisp as I would've liked them to be. Rounding out the dishes at the table were the Steak Sandwich and Pulled Pork Sandwich. Usually, a steak sandwich is a steak sandwich. Nothing incredibly interesting really. However, this one was prepared well. The steak was tender and cooked beautifully. Furthermore, the fried onions on top really added texture and a level of sweetness. As for the pulled pork sandwich, it was surprisingly good as well. The meat was properly sauced and thus not being dry. The sauce itself was more on the sweet tangy side rather than being smoky.

Surprising. That's how I would categorize this latest visit to the Mountain Shadow Inn. Although I have always remembered that the food here was decent, I really liked how they changed up the menu to include some interesting items. I wouldn't say the food was anything that would win any culinary awards; but for a pub, this is more than acceptable. Also, the prices are reasonable for what you get. My only other wish is to relive my youth again since the places brings back memories. Wait. Much like the Pepsi commercial, I think I'll just stay in present time. It seems to be working for me...

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Solid eats all around
- Service we got was good

The Bad:
- Menu is a bit limited