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

Dubh Linn Gate: Irish Pub

Wait...  Wasn't there just a post recently on Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub?  Yes, I had been invited to a menu tasting a few months ago and came away pretty impressed with the food.  With a change in Executive Chef, I was invited back to do another tasting with a nearly complete revamping of the menu.  I was curious to try the new menu items as well as holding high expectations based on the last visit.  Turns out I should've brought my Joey Tribbiani stretchy pants because they didn't hold back with the selection of eats!

We were started off with the Mushroom & Barley Croquettes done in an Arancini-style and served with ranch dressing.  These were hot and crispy with the thinnest of breading.  They were not greasy at all and featured a creamy and mushroomy filling that had a bite due to the barley.  It was definitely different than using arborio rice, but I thought it worked.  It really didn't need the ranch dressing as they tasted great on their own.  With an intoxicating aroma, we were surprised with the Pulled Chicken Curry.  It was pretty legit-tasting being full-flavoured where we could taste the spices including the cumin and turmeric.  There was also a low rumble of spice accented by the nutty crunch from the almonds and brightness from the cilantro.  Although the grilled naan bread was not done in a tandoor (and we didn't expect that either), it was good for what it was being toasty, nutty and crispy with a chew.

Although the Smoked Ham Hock Mac n' Cheese didn't look like anything special, it was actually one of our favourites.  It consisted of Two Rivers smoked ham hocks mixed with pale ale aged cheddar cheese sauce and green peas.  The smoky and purposefully salty ham added plenty of punch to the creamy and full-bodied cheese sauce.  Loved the succulent ham and the pop of the sweet peas together as well as the crunch from the topping.  This was seriously tasty and if there wasn't more food on the way, I would've dusted this off by myself!  But alas, my absolute favourite dish arrived next in the 7 oz AAA Flat Iron Steak with peppercorn sauce, Brussels sprouts, sauteed Yukon potatoes, cabbage and bacon.  This was seared uniformly medium-rare and well-rested with a beautiful char.  Hence, the meat was juicy, ultra-tender and well-seasoned.  Even the veggies were on point in terms of texture and taste.

Of course we had to have some greens too right?  Well, not really, but since we were served 2 of them for the tasting, I had to do the obligatory sample.  The first was a familiar one in the Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with red, golden and candy can beets, walnuts, poached pears and chevre tossed in a rhubarb dressing.  The thing I enjoyed about this salad was the variety of flavours and textures.  Some beets were sweet being roasted while the others were tangy being pickled.  The dressing was aggressive, but welcomed due to the creamy tang.  We also had the Cider Glazed Prawns and Grapefruit Salad, which was really all about the prawns.  They were large, meaty and exhibited a strong natural sweet prawn flavour and aroma.  The mint cilantro citrus dressing was refreshing and appetizing going well with the rest of the ingredients including pumpkin seeds, feta, avocado and pickled onion.

Back to the meat, we were presented with the Chicken Parmi sporting an Australian version with a breaded chicken breasts topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese served over fries.  This was really a simple dish where the chicken was aggressively breaded where the coating was crunchy and remained so despite the sauce.  The meat itself was a little dry but the amount of tangy sauce and melted mozzarella made up for it.  Loved eating it with the fries though as it was sorta like a chicken parm poutine.  Something just as cheesy was the Ham & Cheddar Toastie featuring Two Rivers nitrate-free ham on Swiss Bakery sourdough with aged cheddar, creamy apple spread and house made piccalilli relish.  This was loaded with ham and was extremely messy!  Lots of ooey gooey cheese to go with the wealth of sweet, tangy and salty hits from the ingredients.

Moving onto a different type of cuisine, we had some tacos.  The first to arrive was the Tacos de Carnitas with ancho-marinated pork butt braised in garlic, onions and limes.  This was pretty good with juicy tender pork that was flavourful from the braise.  There was a pointed spiciness and heat from the habanero hot sauce which was somewhat cooled by sweetness and sharpness of the pineapple salsa.  The amount of cabbage was just right providing a crunch and relief from the spiciness.  The second version was the Crispy Cod Tacos with beer battered Ocean Wise north pacific cod with guacamole, chili lime sauce, cilantro cabbage and pickled red onions.  The moist and flaky cod was enveloped in a crunchy batter while flavoured by the spicy and tangy chili lime sauce.  Layers of flavours appeared from the bright cilantro and acidic pickled onions.

On that note, we also had more cod in the Fish n' Chips with a humongous 7 oz. filet of the same beer battered cod atop house fries accompanied by tartar sauce and slaw.  Since the piece of fish was even bigger, the flakiness was even more apparent.  The fish was on point being super moist and tender.  Like the taco, the batter was crunchy, marginally greasy and nicely seasoned.  Underneath, the fries were uniformly crispy and were extra tasty when dunked into the creamy and tangy tartar sauce.  Even the slaw was on point being crunchy and easy on the dressing while still tangy.  I didn't get to one of the earlier appies until I tackled some of the mains.  This is where I sampled the Hummus & Olives.  Okay, nothing special here right?  Well yes and no.  The hummus was unique where they added harissa which added a je ne sais quoi quality to it.  There was a spiced Earthiness to go with the garlickiness.  The hummus was fairly smooth with a bit of textural chunkiness.

One of the last dishes to arrive was curiously the Brasserie Board consisting of Guinness Cheddar, Chevre, Rondoux, Bresaola, Two Rivers Ham Hock Rillette, pickled veggies, pickled egg, apple mustard, raisin chutney, beer jelly and Swiss Bakery sourdough.  This was a pretty board with plenty of things to share.  I particularly liked the Guinness cheddar as it was slightly tangy, rich and marginally pungent.  The shredded ham hock did its best impression of a chunky rillette.  The saltiness was tempered by finely diced onions.

Onto the sweets, I was pleasantly surprised by the Pot of Cheesecake baked in a mason jar.  Normally, one look at a dessert in a jar and I have this negative bias towards it.  But this was actually good with crispy graham cracker crumbs and a smooth cheesy mousse.  The ample sour cherry topping was juicy and not overly sweet.  As for the Flourless Chocolate Cake, it ate more like a rich ganache square.  This was not a bad thing because it was chocolately, purposefully sweet and appealingly bitter.  The sweet caramel sauce and raspberry compote were nice compliments in terms of sweetness and tang.  These were a delightful ending to a successful tasting.  Once again, the food was solid at Dubh Linn Gate, even with the changes.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid eats for a pub (and in fact any place)
- Good portions
- Moderately-priced

The Bad:
- Fries aren't bad, but for me, they are a little generic