The Library Square Pub

The Library Square Pub has been around since 1995 and at one point, was part of the Donnelly Group and subsequent Freehouse Collective.  They are now an independent outfit and still offer up a killer location for those wanting to grab a bite before or after events at the nearby stadiums and theatres.  We were there recently for the Superbowl party and watched the Seahawks capture their second Vince Lombardi trophy.  Atmosphere was electric and the food was reasonably-priced.  This time around, we were here for their Sunday specials, in particular, their Steak & Lobster for only $25.00.  Yes, you read that right.  Steak & Fries are only $13.00!

Let's get right to the point of this blog post - the Steak & Lobster!  So just because it costs only $25.00, we weren't getting something crappy.  Resting on a bed of crispy Cavendish fries, we found a 6oz NY steak prepared medium-rare.  It was actually quite tender despite the low price tag.  On top, there was a decent sized broiled lobster tail.  The meat was bouncy and sweet.  Pretty good with all things considered.

Now if you want to get a bit more spendy, for $30.00 you get a 6oz NY Steak with Lobster and Snow Crab Legs.  Things were the same with the steak but it was topped with some caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms.  That in itself added more umami to each bite of steak.  The snow crab was pretty typical where the meat was briny with sweetness.  

We tried other items from the Sunday Feature Menu including the Fresh Shucked Oysters.  These local Pa'aje oysters are famed by the Tla'amin Nation in the waters of Okeover Inlet.  Rather than being briny, these had a subtle melon finish.  There was still sweetness and they were fresh.  We didn't find any shell fragments and the oyster shells themselves were presented nicely.  This came with mignonette and creamy horseradish.

Served in a toasted bread bowl, the Seafood Chowder was thick and rich.  It started off a bit more brothy, but then settled into a denser viscosity since it started to soak into the bread.  Not a bad thing though as we tore off the bread and it was delicious.  The chowder itself had some brininess to got with appealing sweetness.  Lots of chunky ingredients and this was definitely filling.

Staying with the seafood theme of the menu, there was also the 1/2 lb of Mussels in a chorizo & white wine sauce.  Really enjoyed this as the mussels were plump and cooked just enough.  That broth was so packed with flavour that was part spicy, a little sweet and plenty garlicky.  Those grape tomatoes provided some brightness and tang.

We got 2 cheesy dishes in the Baked Smoked Oysters and the Escargots.  Both were served with crostinis and that was critical because we definitely needed something to balance out the richness.  For the smoked oysters, they were the typical ones you would find in a can (hence the serving vessel), but were topped with a inordinate amount of cheese.  As for the escargots, they were their usual bouncy-textured self while spiked with a lot of cheese and garlic.  Very aromatic and yah, needed that bread.

We couldn't come to a pub without having some drinks right?  From left-to-right, we had the Sangria, Cocktail Tower and a Caesar with prawns and a crab claw.  Naturally, the cocktail tower would be best shared and it consisted of fruity flavours mixed with tequila.  Loved the sangria as it was refreshing but still had enough wine in it.  Caesar was at its tomatoey and briny best with the bite from Vodka.

We ended things off with their rendition of PNE Mini-Donuts.  Hey, I've worked at the actual stand at the PNE and in comparison, these were pretty darn good.  With the sugar and cinnamon crusted onto each soft and fluffy donut, these were legit.  A side of dulce de leche dip added even more sweetness.  As you can see, the food here on the Sunday Feature Menu at The Library Square is both affordable with more-than-acceptable eats.  You really can't beat that.  I would recommend that you try it out for yourself.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Incredible pricing

- Good food quality for that price point

- Generous portion sizes

The Bad:

- It can get busy, due to the pricing, so you need to be patient

The Blarney Stone

 

Oh here is an ol' favourite, all the way back to my University days!  I remember the live music, but not really anything about the food.  Well, the food wasn't really the draw here, but more recently, they have began to focus on that by revamping the menu.  As such, we were invited to try some of those new dishes and to see for ourselves if The Blarney Stone can be known for its food in addition to its reputation in being a fun place for some beverages.

So of course we had a few pints of Guinness, but also something related in the Jameson-Glazed Wings.  These were really good with a delicious whiskey glaze which was not too boozy, but at the same time, we could taste it.  It was well-balanced due to the good amount of sweetness.  As for the wings, they were fried enough so that the skin was crispy and rendered.  Inside, the meat was juicy and tender.

I loved the play on words with the Shephard's Fries where the ingredients of a shepherd's pie topped the "potato" of the dish.  This was super addictive and paid homage to the classic poutine, but with a Guinness gravy, potted beef and legit cheese curds.  Loved the taste of the meat mixture as there was depth and plenty of savouriness.  Despite the wet ingredients, the fries were still crispy on the edges.

The fries were pretty solid, but the Irish Hand Pies were off the hook!  The beautifully browned puff pastry was crispy on the outside, but buttery and layered on the inside.  About the inside, the filling consisted of 63 Acres beef, peas, mashed potatoes and potted beef onion gravy.  So you can imagine a pot pie but in your hand!  The rich beef flavour was evident as well as the sweetness from the onions. 

The most-appealing-to-look-at-dish was the Crispy Fishwich Sliders.  The large piece of fried haddock was flaky and moist while the beer-batter was crunchy and airy. Adding in American cheese and tartar sauce, this had serious Filet-O-Fish vibes.  However, this was more interesting with a crunchy and tangy slaw on the bottom.  Furthermore, the bun was soft, but benefited from a nice toasting.

Our last appie was the Roast Beef Sliders with potted beef and horseradish mayo on the same toasted brioche bun.  There was some real au jus on the side for dipping.  So instead of packet jus, this was actual roast beef drippings.  Hence, there was plenty of meatiness and less saltiness.  The shredded roast beef was fairly tender and had plenty of meat texture.  Loved the horseradish cream as it had just enough bite.

Onto the mains, we had the classic Bangers & Mash featuring Spolombo sausages, roasted root veggies, mashed potato and Guinness & onion gravy.  As simple as this dish appeared, it was actually very delicious.  First off, the sausages had a nice sear on the outside while beyond the snap casing, the meat was lean and well-seasoned.  The mash was super smooth and that gravy was so rich and flavourful.  Lastly, the veggies were barely cooked through, retaining a fresh crunch.

Continuing on with the comfort food, we had the Irish Stew with slow-cooked lamb, potato, celery, carrot and onion.  This was a hearty and rich stew that was natural-tasting without too much salt.  It was still flavourful from the sweetness of the veggies as well as the unmistakable taste of lamb.  About that lamb, it was super tender and plentiful.  The side of garlic toast was so crunchy and buttery.

Lastly, we had the Cottage Pie with 63 Acres ground beef, mixed veggies, buttered mashed potatoes and house-made tomato gravy.  Oh this hit the spot!  The tomato gravy was rich and had a muted tanginess.  The meatiness of the mixture was evident while the creamy mashed potatoes enveloped the ground beef like a warm hug.  The comfort food here at The Blarney Stone was on point and very reasonably-priced.  I would come back in a heartbeat for the eats, brews and of course, the live music!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Solid comfort food
- Reasonable pricing
- Still has that Blarney Stone vibe

The Bad:
- Parking isn't the easiest to find nearby
- Neighbourhood is a bit sketchy

Microbrasserie de l'Île d’Orléans - Pub Le Mitan

Last time we were in Quebec City, it was the second-to-last stop on our cruise from Boston to Montreal.  Hence, we only had a day and weren't able to hit all of our intended stops.  This time around, with rental car (or mini-van in this case) in hand, we drove out to Montmorency Falls.  After many many stairs down the side of a hill to get the money shot of the falls, we were tired from the hot weather.  We took a break under some trees and planned out next destination - l'Île d’Orléans.  This was not too far from where we were as we crossed the Orleans Island Bridge.  We were looking for lunch and yet again, we did the random restaurant approach and ended up at Pub Le Mitan, attached to the Microbrasserie de l'Île d’Orléans.

Well, since we were at a micro brewery, the right thing to do is have a beer n'est pas?  So Costanza had the Pilsner while I went a completely different direction with the Gose Fraises Basilic (Strawberry Basil).  I will readily admit that I like lighter beers, in particular fruitier ones such as grapefruit radlers and sours.  This one was off-the-hook with a clean and crisp taste while having a generous hit of strawberries with a mild basil finish.  I liked this so much, I bought some to go from the store afterwards.

Onto the food, we had some of their Chicken Wings served with BBQ sauce.  Surprisingly, these were some of the best wings I've had recently.  Since they were brined in beer, they had good flavour and the meat was super juicy and tender.  The skin was beautifully rendered and was crispy despite being glazed with BBQ sauce. We had some extra BBQ sauce served in the middle of the basket and it was tangy with some spice.

For my main, I had the Smoked Meat Sandwich served on toasted rye.  It came with pickles as well as a healthy side of mustard.  As a sandwich, this ate quite well.  Naturally, this wasn't the smoked meat that I was looking for (that would be in Montreal), but it was definitely serviceable.  Unfortunately, the fries were not very good.  They were fried far too long and were dry and lifeless.  I did enjoy the side of coleslaw as it was fresh and had a nice tanginess.

Elaine and Costanza weren't too hungry and decided to share some Fish & Chips as well as a salad with their own order of wings.  Well, this had the same unfortunate fries and they were not very appealing in texture.  The beer battered fish was okay with a moist flakiness.  Batter was relatively thin with a crunchy exterior.  However, the batter closest to the fish was a bit wet (usually it is, but it was more so here).

Viv wasn't hungry either and went for their Smoked Salmon Baguette with a lot of cream cheese on the side.  This was served with onions and capers much like you would find on a bagel.  Also similarly to a bagel, the baguette was a bit dense and hard.  We put all the cream cheese on it to add some moisture and it helped.  Overall, we thought the food was serviceable at Pub Le Mitan but not great, except for the wings.  However, the main draw here is the beers.  I loved mine so much I am looking into getting some shipped back to Vancouver!

The Good:

- Menu has something for everyone

- Excellent beer

- Comfortable dining space

The Bad:

- Food is fine but not the draw here

Britannia Brewing Ladner

Although there are 2 locations of Britannia Brewing in the Lower Mainland, I've never had a chance to visit either spot.  It finally took the Dine Around Delta to get me out to the Ladner store.  For those who don't know, Dine Around Delta is their version of Dine Out Vancouver.  It is running until March 19th and Britannia Brewing is offering a 3-course meal for only $40.00.  We came out here to try all of the options for that as well as adding in a few extra dishes.

There are 2 choices for appetizers including the Brant Lake Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with Dijon shallot aioli, fried capers, arugula and parmesan.  This was a large portion of thinly-sliced beef that was tender, yet retaining a meatiness.  It tasted great by itself where the creaminess of the aioli provided moisture while the fried capers and parm added saltiness (personally I could've done with even more saltiness though).  Even by itself on the regular menu, it is only $14.00!

The other option was the Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with pickled red and golden beets, whipped goat cheese, pistachio granola, gremolata and extra virgin olive oil.  This was another winner where the beets were tender, earthy and full of tanginess.  There was a considerable amount of creamy goat cheese accented by the gremolata.  To add texture, the crunch from the granola was welcomed.

We added an appie from the regular menu with the KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflower) with spicy gochujang sauce, sesame seeds and lime.  Loved how the cauliflower was cooked through without becoming mushy.  The exterior was lightly crispy, but softened by the sauce.  There was just enough of it where it clung onto each piece without being saucy.  It was tangy, spicy and sweet.

Onto the mains, we had a choice of 2 including 1 lbs of Salt Spring Island Mussels in a Adrift blonde ale broth with double-smoked bacon, tomato, garlic, cream and fries.  The mussels were cooked beautifully being plump and tender.  The broth prepared well where the ale had been cooked down enough and the plethora of garlic and bacon added aroma and flavour.  The side of fries were starch-covered and crunchy. 

The other main offered in the Dine Around Delta menu was the Red Wine Braised Lamb Shank atop Mediterranean pearl barley, winter carrots and rosemary & garlic jus.  That lamb shank was perfectly braised where it fell off the bone.  Gelatinous and moist, the lamb was not too gamy.  At first, I thought it could've used more salt, but the olives and tomatoes in the barley helped add bursts of flavour.  Loved the roasted carrots as they were crunchy with a smoky char.

We added the Truffle Mushroom Fettuccine from the main menu just for kicks and it was a good decision.  First of all, the pasta was perfectly al dente.  Secondly, there was enough crimini and portobello mushrooms for woodiness as well as texture.  Lastly, there was the right amount of cream to cling onto each noodle without being too saucy.  The amount of truffle oil was restrained, which was a good thing.

Onto dessert, we were given 2 choices including Cinnamon Sugar Churros (with chocolate ganache) and Sticky Toffee Pudding with caramel sauce.  The 2 churros were crunchy and naturally sweet due to the dusting of sugar.  We found the sticky toffee pudding to be surprisingly not too sweet.  That is what we prefer as most versions are far too sweet.  This one had nice smoky sweetness while being moist.

Of course we couldn't forget the drinks where we had a Flight consisting of Peach Witbier, Adrift Blonde Ale, Amber Lager and Stout.  Really loved the stout as it was smoky with a coffee caramel finish.  For our cocktail, we tried the Westham Sour consisting of Empress gin, egg white, lemon juice and cranberry bitters.  Naturally, this was fruity and light.  It went down really smooth even though it was a sour.  So overall, this was a solid meal and considering the reasonable prices, it is somewhat of a rarity these days with such high food costs.  I would definitely come back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Nice vibe

The Bad:
- Some dishes could use more salt  

Match Eatery & Public House (New Westminster)

Now back to another restaurant that I've never visited before - Match Eatery & Public House.  Okay, before you leave me comments indicating that it is another chain restaurant and there is good reason I haven't visited it yet, please be aware that I happened to like some chain restaurants.  Just because a spot isn't a hidden gem or small bistro doesn't make it immediately a place that we should avoid.  Besides, I'm not a food snob.  Anyways, the reason I finally made it out to Match was due to their limited time Burger Bender menu.

As such, I decided to try all of the burgers and sides starting with the Sunny Side Luther featuring a 6oz griddled smash patty, American cheese, smoked crispy bacon and fried egg in between 2 house-made maple-bacon glazed donuts with breaded onion rings. I liked this as the donuts were light while holding up to the ingredients. Just sweet enough to balance the saltiness.  The strips of bacon were super crispy and that fried egg...  perfect.  On the side, the onion rings were large, crunchy and not greasy.

Stabbed with a steak knife, the BBQ Ranch Hand featured a 6oz charbroiled steak spice chuck burger, cheddar, coleslaw, onion ring, pulled pork and spicy BBQ sauce on a pretzel bun with a side of poutine. Meaty, thick and not over done, the patty was nicely charred. The slightly crunchy exterior gave way to tender meat.  A good amount of pulled pork lay on top of the melted cheddar.  There was an aggressive crunch from the onion ring and further crunch from the slaw.  As for the poutine, it sported plenty cheese curds and thick gravy atop potatoey fries. 

Onto our next burger, we had the Food Truck Double Down with 2 x 3oz patties (appeared to be a 6oz patty in this case?), American cheese, caramelized onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles and special sauce on a soft potato roll with a side of  dirty fries. This was a pretty classic burger that was meaty and featured all the usual ingredients.  I thought the caramelized onion stood out with its sweetness.  The saltiness of the American cheese provided flavour while the special sauce also added to the classic burger taste. The dirty fries were thin and crispy and the loads of bacon and sauce on top made sure we didn't need any further condiments.

I loved the fact they included a Nashville Hot Chicken because if you don't know already, I'm still trying to find the best fried chicken sammie (check out my IG account dedicated to it!).  This included a double breaded spicy chicken breast, pickles and coleslaw with a side of hand-cut fries. I found the chicken to be moist with a crunchy breading.  Spice was mild and personally, I could've done spicier. The bun was soft and tangy coleslaw was creamy and crunchy. The fresh-cut fries were crispy with plenty of potatoey goodness inside.

With a play on words, the Filet O' Crispy Fish sported hand-dipped beer battered Atlantic haddock, tartar sauce, slaw, butter lettuce, Old Bay mayo, dill pickles and lemon on brioche with Caesar salad. The large piece of fish was flaky and moist. I found the tempura batter to be fairly thin where it was crunchy and cooked through.  I quite enjoyed this sandwich.  On the side, the Caesar was dressed just enough and also had a drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze.  

Possibly the most surprising burger was the Grilled Chicken Goddess.  I was drawn to the other offerings first, but in reality I really enjoyed this one.  It featured a fire-grilled chicken breast with sliced avocado, goat's cheese, butter lettuce, tomato, sprouts, pickled red onion and green goddess dressing on multi-grain bun with yam fries. The chicken was nicely charred and smoky but still moist.  There was a wealth of flavours and textures. Yam fries were fried perfectly being crispy while not dry.

We decided to try a few more items including the Salt & Pepper Wings with carrot and celery sticks as well as blue cheese dressing.  Since Match is essentially a sports bar, this is one dish that needed to be good.  Well, I'm happy to report that they were excellent.  The skin was nicely rendered and crispy while the meat was juicy.  There was enough seasoning for the wings to stand on their own.

Since it was pasta night, we ended up ordering a few including the Mushroom Pesto Rigatoni with pumpkin seed arugula pesto, cremini mushrooms and red pepper topped with caramelized onions, goat's cheese and parmesan. This large portion sported al dente rigatoni bathed in a mild-tasting pesto.  I got the pepperiness of the arugula, but since we got the parm and goat's cheese on the side, the flavour profile changed when they were added.  More creaminess and saltiness was evident and that was probably the intention of the dish.

We also got the Ultimate Mac & Cheese with cheesy mac sauce, pulled pork, bacon and slow roasted grape tomatoes topped with bread crumbs and crispy onions.  This was definitely cheesy as the cheese was quite visible.  It could've been a bit smoother, but the lack of filler meant it tasted quite good.  The choice of Cavatappi pasta was perfect as it was al dente and held onto the sauce well.  Of course, the addition of bacon and pulled pork made this more of a meal.

For dessert, we had the Sticky Toffee Pudding with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.  This was super sweet but honestly, that is what sticky toffee pudding is all about.  The whole thing was ooey gooey and full of smoky deep toffee flavour.  The side of ice cream wasn't just for show, it was creamy and of course went well with the pudding.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the meal at Match.  The burgers were solid and the other items were pretty good.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- All around solid food given its venue
- Large portions
- Large dining space with big TVs (for sports)

The Bad:
- Possibly some needed renos

SeaQuake Brewing

A long time ago, Viv and I stayed over in Crescent City on our way back home from the Bay Area.  I remembered that we had eaten at some random Chinese restaurant on US-101 and it sucked balls.  Well, it was our fault for doing so!  This time around, we were not going to do that again.  Originally, I had planned on visiting Chart House, but once again, like restaurants in Coos Bay, it was not open for dinner on a Tuesday.  As a backup plan, we made the short 10 minute walk to the newish SeaQuake Brewing down the street from where we were staying.

The place was absolutely hopping for a Tuesday night and luckily I called ahead of time to put my name on the waiting list.  Things got off to a strong start with the Calamari served with both tomato and tartar sauce.  Featuring large strips of tender squid (that still had a good amount of bite left) coated in crunchy panko breading, the whole thing ate well and it went fast.  We thought the tomato sauce was too sweet though.  Normally, a Caesar Salad isn't anything exciting to talk about but this one was pretty tasty.  First of all, it was a large portion for $7.00.  Second, the flavours were impactful without being salty.  Huge hits of buttery garlickiness from the crunchy croutons.  The massive amount of cheese on top didn't hurt things either.

We also shared a La Carne Pizza sporting pepperoni, salami, bacon and sausage.  This thing was covered with ooey gooey cheese.  Either there wasn't any tomato sauce or there wasn't much of it because all we could see was thick layer of cheese.  On top of that, there was so much meat that we could've made a sandwich with.  As such, this thing ate very hearty and had loads of salt and spice.  Lastly, the crust was medium-thick and not dense.  The kids split a Mac n' Cheese and it was plenty cheesy as well.  The sauce was a bit thin though, yet still tasted good.  Loved the addition of bacon in the cooking process as it was smoky and salty.  Noodles could've been less cooked.

Viv and I shared the Burger and it was prepared medium.  The patty was so large, it was wider than the soft brioche bun.  It was nicely seared on the outside and moist on the inside.  Big beef flavour.  Loved the sweet onion jam as it added plenty of punch.  Fresh tomato completed this good burger.  The side of parm fries were a little overfried, hence losing most of the remaining potato texture.  We also shared a Flight consisting of Guava, Mango Cider, Citra, Blonde, Pale Ale and Lime Sour.  My favourite had to be the lime sour as it was tangy and helped cut through the greasy and salty food we were eating.  The citra was on the same track except being more refreshing than sour.  So we weren't expecting solid eats on our stop at Crescent City, but thankfully we stumbled upon SeaQuake as it was actually good.  If you are ever passing through, give it a try.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Good brews
- Relaxed casual setting

The Bad:
- Wait can be long
- For some reason, the inside seating was much pretty warm, sitting outside was better, but then got pretty cold