Review: Beertown (Waterloo)

There are at least four analogies that I've half-written to sum up my feelings towards Beertown, the glitzy brewpub in Uptown Waterloo and the latest addition to the Charcoal Group's holdings in & around KW.

The Beergarden! (co-starring the California Cheeseburger)

Most of the analogies are positive - it's hard not to like a place that has beers like Innis & Gunn and Maudite on tap, and their burgers are great. Equally so, and somewhat improbably so, is the Beergarden salad. Poached pears, beet strings, radishes, Napa cabbage, craisins, and candied pecans add texture and flavour to one of the most inventive and delicious side salads I've seen in a long while. Moreover, my weakness for terrible puns remains intact.

I liked that their menu caters to a wide variety of beer enthusiasts, which definitely makes Beertown more friendly for groups, not all of whom might be equally passionate about the pub's namesake beverage. Depending on your level of interest, there's a comprehensive book that describes everything on tap, then divides up the bottle list into ales and lagers, and then into subsections (the ale category features fruit ales, dark/brown ales, amber ales, IPAs...); a subtle, helpful "if you liked this, consider that." There's also at least three ciders available, an intriguing list of beer-based cocktails, and a short but robust wine list with a "good-better-best" ranking/pricing system that at once seems oddly honest and eye-roll-inducing.  Regardless, five points for featuring wines from Malivoire, one of my favorite Niagara vineyards!

Tour of Beer & brewery coasters. (Snag the Flying Monkeys'; it's redeemable for a brewery tour!) 

Choosing by not choosing, I went with the Tour of Beer, a sampler paddle of four ales which showcased an interesting mix of ale varieties and flavours, some new and some well-loved (and some, like the Smashbomb IPA by Flying Monkeys, almost too hoppy to drink without the savoury flavours from my burger to mellow it.)   To run with the restaurant-as-student-type analogy, Beertown's definitely One Of The Cool Kids; a football player, perhaps, with a ready smile, a knack for throwing shindigs, the best beer fridge in town, and a weakness for classic rock anthems and the latest indie hits. From Welcome to the Jungle to We Are Young, the music was upbeat and lively, though increasingly auxiliary as the night went on and the conversations got louder.

my Mushroom Burger w/ Swiss cheese, arugula, & truffle mayo

This is the case even if you are, as our table of four was, tucked away in a corner behind the bar. Although the brewpub's ambiance is modern and welcoming, with cool touches ranging from using mini-kegs as seating area dividers to the warm glow of the tungsten lights overhead, several building materials (tin detailing on the roof; tiling) reflect sound instead of absorbing it.  On the upside, we weren't shouting, no voices were lost, and when our food arrived - in a timely fashion especially for a busy Friday - we weren't talking much, digging in to our burgers, salads, and chicken entrees with gusto!  I still have to quirk an eyebrow at their choice of programming - I've never mourned the loss of the NHL season more than the moment of looking up to the flatscreen over my head and seeing Scooby-Doo, not Sidney Crosby.

Service was good; as a newer establishment, there will always be some wrinkles, but they're a hard-working team. S's half-chicken entree with side salad was served as a quarter chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, but our server was quick to bring out the salad once S noted the mix-up, and one of the kitchen staff arrived soon after with the other chicken portion. (Tables seem smaller, so at this point, we were almost out of tabletop, but we made it work, and our server checked in regularly to see if we needed anything or to clear empty glasses.)

As an aside, our hostess pointedly asked if we were celebrating anything - so it's likely worth mentioning to yours, if you are when you visit! A pint on the house, or one of their decadent brownies with a sparkler on top, could be a lovely addition to your night.*

(* = these ideas are conjecture/wishful thinking; no sparklers or free pints were witnessed over the course of our meal.)

It's not a place to go for soulful conversation or a quiet night out; even early in the evening, Beertown's received lots of buzz around town and so is both packed wall-to-wall (with lots of very pretty/handsome folks) and unabashedly loud. But if you're looking for a lively evening with friends and an opportunity to try a couple of new brews, Beertown could definitely be just what you're looking for.

Review: Masala Bay

Although I love winter, and suspect I always will, there was something almost magical in opening the door to Masala Bay yesterday evening. In that moment, we were transported from the chill in the air brought by the first snow of the season to a haven of bright walls and rich wall hangings; of inviting aromas and sizzling plates of tandoori whisking past us.

Seating at Masala Bay is perhaps best described as intimate; it's a smaller space nestled on Regina Street in Uptown Waterloo, just beyond Erb, but it's possible that proximity to other diners helps to give it the air of a large family gathering: if chaotic at times, warm, welcoming, and friendly. It's certainly the first time another diner, with whom we hadn't even spoken during our dinner, pursued the four of us outside with our forgotten leftovers in hand and a great smile.

As I write this the next morning, munching happily on leftover Murg Tikka Makhani (butter chicken) and saag paneer, I'm very glad he did!  Even the last bits of the dishes made a lunch for kings (or at least, hungry bloggers with a slightly purple pen.)

The Murg Tandoori was not part of my lunch, as it had disappeared in a flash yesterday evening.  It was the first dish to be brought to our table, the chicken sizzling from the tandoori oven, but thoughtfully layered on top of a piece of tin foil, so as to not lose half of it to the heated plate.  Splitting the two pieces between the four of us still resulted in sizable portions, and the chicken itself was moist and beautifully spiced.

The rest of our choices followed soon after: two large half-circles of naan, studded generously with garlic and herbs; fragrant jasmine rice, the lamb Pasanda, and Murg Tikka Makhani nestling into the  brass tray holder in the middle of our table, lit from below each dish with tealight candles to keep the dishes warm. (It was a device that reminded me at once of a lazy-Susan and a chandelier, but your mileage may vary.)

Lamb Pasanda was a favorite at the table. Though all of the dishes were enjoyable - with a close runner-up's berth to the butter chicken, which, unlike most of its counterparts I've tried, carried a notable amount of heat with each bite - it would likely be what I would seek out next, upon a return trip.  I enjoyed the texture and flavour of the lamb, and its thick sauce, flavoured with cashews and saffron, was delicious. Perhaps it's the lure of a new mix of tastes; most of our choices were dishes we'd tried before in other restaurants, or have tried (with varying degrees of success) to make at home. This was something new.

So we shared thoughts and naan, and spun the dishes around the table until our bellies were full and our  trays (almost) empty; caught up in a story of summer shenanigans and mile-long portages through Algonquin, so happily full that we didn't even think of our leftovers until being reminded of them just outside the door.

There's something about this new season of cold that makes it the perfect time for comfort food; Masala Bay is a wonderful place to find it.

Review: King Street Trio Uptown

King Street Trio Uptown is gorgeous - I've been in love with the curving ceiling installation that mirrors the train tracks just outside with a deliberate yet playful air since I first saw pictures of them as the restaurant was opening.  Better yet, they've been upcycled from the old floorboards, like the vintage tin tiles on the walls (which were moved from the ceiling.)  Reinvention is always exciting.

Still, I'd not yet been in to check out the place (and the food!) so when M suggested it for our anniversary dinner, I was excited to wander over. One of the perks of dining early was that we were able to sneak in without reservations on a Friday (if dining after 6:30, I'd recommend them!)

From the door to the delivery of our dessert (the evening's feature, a pumpkin-white chocolate bread pudding served with [great!] ice cream, Chantilly cream, and strawberries, with a sparkler on top), service was friendly and professional. Our server was welcoming and very knowledgeable about the food and beverage options.

Along the line of beverages, I can't help but wish that the wine list displayed a little more variety, finding it more weighted towards the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir varieties than I'd hoped.

...With that taken into consideration, the first two of those reds match well with the steaks featured on the menu - all of which are local Ontario beef, which is great to see. As to the last variety, Pinot Noir is well-known. And to be fair, there were a pair of Argentinian Malbecs, an Aussie Shiraz, a couple of French Bordeaux, and an Italian Ripasso and Chianti, all available by the glass. (The white wine list mirrors this, with six of the fourteen whites available by the glass or bottle being Chardonnay.)

When you look at it that way, the list is comprehensive in that a lot of the classics for each wine region are covered - but I'm thinking I'm spoiled in that I wished for something a little different, a little more out-of-the-ordinary.

...I know I shouldn't complain! The wines we chose were tasty, and maybe the choice of varietals helped me see past my usual VQA wine blinders (as an import to Ontario, I've always figured that, when in Rome...) and try the Valpolicella Ripasso. M enjoyed the Kaiken Malbec, and found it a great match for his steak and garlic mashed potatoes.

My salmon, served with a rutabaga mash (autumn-y, comfort food gloriousness) and shredded brussels sprouts, was cooked to order and not overwhelmed by either the mash or the brussels sprouts.

The attention to detail and plating was excellent throughout - though I couldn't help but wish for a little more of the berry puree that was swirled artfully around the salmon, which was more tease than coulis, portion sizes for the main courses and desserts are filling, leaning towards generous.

At the end of the day, King Street Trio prepares classic, if safe, food choices very well, with an eye towards some local sourcing, in an atmosphere that's chic, welcoming, and romantic.

Gastronavigation: Four Days in San Francisco (part 1)

Still adjusting to being back on Eastern Standard Time - California was a welcome change of scenery (though not particularly pace) and after spending a great weekend in Yosemite Park, M and I hopped across the Bay to San Francisco. He'd put a lot of thought and time into the Yosemite leg of our trip, and basically left the "city" part of the trip up to me. Which meant...

On our first day, we hopped on a bike tour out of Hayes Valley with a company called Streets of San Francisco - it was a blast, and although a lot of companies try for the "cruise the city with a cool friend who lives there already" vibe, these guys pull it off completely. We had a blast, and due to an ingenious route called the Wiggle (would I kid?) we did dodge the worst of the hills. Post Half Dome, my legs were very grateful for this reprieve.  It helped that our tour guide, Josh, was as savvy about food trucks as he was about the copious amounts of street art around the city's downtown.  

Lunch on our bike tour day found us darting under the San Francisco Chronicle's building for a small Off The Grid event - in the alleyway beneath the building, five or six food trucks waited. Food trucks, from what I could glean, have been booming in SF for the past two years, and as the trend is fairly new to Waterloo Region, it's inspiring to see what two years of ingenuity looks (and tastes) like.

It was tough to choose what to order, so Mike waited in line at The Chairman for steamed and baked bao, and I headed over to The Taco Guys' truck (right) for a summer squash taco and a Maui fish taco.  The summer squash taco and the pork belly bao (Chinese baked bun) with pickled daikon were standouts - summer-bright and packed with flavours that were at once comforting and unique.  ...mmm, pickled daikon.  We ate them too quickly to take pictures!

That said, both of these food trucks have a pretty serious food enthusiast following - we were glad to have the chance to try them at a smaller event. We found these food trucks again at the larger food truck gathering on Friday evening, and the lineup for the Chairman looked like it might be twenty to thirty minutes of waiting in line, easy!

At the end of the tour, we found ourselves back in Hayes Valley and wandering over to Smitten Ice Cream and its Kelvin machines that turn fresh cream and locally sourced ingredients into ice cream by using liquid nitrogen.  M was intrigued by the science, I by the sweet corn with berries ice cream. Though sweet corn was a flavour I chose for its quirky factor, bypassing salted caramel, which would normally be my YES PLEASE, NOW? choice, it was a worthy experiment. (And the blackberry sauce was perfect.) The texture of the ice cream, which the shop notes is less 'icy' than most ice creams as ice crystals don't have a chance to form in the flash-curing from the liquid nitrogen, is very smooth, allowing the delicate flavour of the sweet corn to shine through. Unusual, but yummy.

Day two, and M and I were en route to the Ferry Building's Farmer's Market... until, as we chilled out on a streetcar (we'd figured we'd take the scenic route) a bright green truck in the Financial District caught our eye.

"It's called the 'Nom Nom Truck," I explained as we waited at a stoplight. "If I don't get off this streetcar and check it out, my foodie friends back in KW (and some of our climbing buddies) will disown me."

M only laughed, following me across the road.



We split a lemongrass-chili banh mi (Vietnamese submarine sandwich; right) - the guy who took our order was great and split it in half for us. These are one of my favorite kinds of sandwiches, as I enjoy the collision of tastes, from the fresh, crunchy cucumber and carrot matchsticks to the sweet heat of the lemongrass chili chicken - the add-on of their vegan vegetable pate was brilliant. It added a savoury, earthy quality to the sandwich in the best of ways, and was completely different from anything I'd tried on a banh mi before.  (Now, to start talking with KW's own Givral Deli to see if they'd make something similar...)

 The Ferry Building's market is definitely a fantastic experience - not least because I was able to track down one of my favorite Japanese foods, okonomiyaki - with a Korean twist at Street Food Namu, Namu Gaji's traveling booth. (M has a picture of me smiling with said second breakfast in the minute before devouring it, but he's notorious for never uploading his pictures.)



Kimchi made for a satisfying twist on the pancake-like treat I'd enjoyed in Japan, and while I still think that Osaka-style okonomiyaki is my favorite, I floated around the Ferry Building somewhere around Cloud Nine.  M & I marveled at the wide variety of specialty mushrooms and their colours; my photo doesn't do the brilliant, burnt-orange-crimson colour of the lobster mushrooms justice!


I also got a kick out of the grow-your-own-mushrooms on display under massive bell (?) jars, and there were kits for sale, but I can't imagine Customs taking too well to my bringing one home as a souvenir!


At left is the inside of the Ferry Building. It reminded me of Chelsea Market in NYC on a variety of levels, and it was fun to have a fellow wanderer (M) with me, this time around.

We snacked on everything from airy vanilla bean marshmallows to a tall glass of Cowgirl Creamery milk - the latter of which was simple perfection, and probably a wiser treat than the home-made donuts in every shade and flavour just down the hall. (Another trip!)


Part Two will come; I'll leave you with a fun piece of chalkboard art:

Review: Bread Heads

Cities are wonderful things. I studied them, a little, back in my undergrad days - ten stories up at the top of the Tory tower with a formidable prof and a class of whipsmart fellow Poli Sci students. It's fascinating to see some of what we talked about take effect in downtown Kitchener; as the Shops on Duke Street become an increasingly interesting place to eat out; as Holy Guacamole expands, Exclamation puts a new face on the corner of Frederick and Duke Streets, and Bread Heads opens.

 Bread Heads is the newest addition; after a coworker talked happily about a new place that served great wood-fired pizza right around the corner, what could I say but "next Tuesday?"
Wandering over, we raised our invisible caps in gratitude to the friendly young team that didn't slow down as they made our pizzas, despite the fact that the inside of the cafe had to be warmer than outside - and the air outside was sweltering. 

We snagged two of the bar stools and took in the space. It's warm (in more than one way), welcoming, quirky, and played right in to my love of always having reading material at hand. I liked that all the books were on-topic.

The small sketches & paintings tucked behind the potted plants on the bar counter were a sweet touch; one of the little (and not so little - like the 'baker's calculator' on the wall) details to enjoy. The cafe isn't a large space, mostly intended for take-out, but a couple of small parties could still fit in, provided the waiting lines aren't too long.

Pizzas are assembled and cooked to order; K omitted the caramelized onions from his Duke (mozza, cremini & baby bella mushrooms, & pepperoni on tomato sauce) and I nodded gleefully when the cashier/prep chef asked if I'd like extra balsamic on my Breadheadigan (cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, & parmesan with a balsamic reduction & olive oil base.)  The summer salad looked tempting: mandarins, blueberries, and goat cheese in spring mix? Yum. Next time, I'll ask about the breads and muffins on the tray below the menu, too. The muffins intrigued, but I was too focused on pizza - and watching the flames dance in the wood-fired oven while trying not to boil, myself - to ask.

At $8 even, tax included, for each pizza, it's an arguably more expensive lunch as quick food goes, but the toppings are fresh, tasty, and plentiful (and, according to the website, stocked locally and seasonally as much as possible.)

 I was more than happy with the mix of flavours and toppings on my pizza - it's hard to go wrong with cherry tomatoes, dark balsamic, and goat cheese, and the Breadheadigan gets it very right.  The pizza dough is great, too: pleasantly chewy with crispy bits around a couple of air bubbles and flavourful without being heavy. K was equally happy with his Duke (pictured left), and recommended I try one of the pizzas with a tomato sauce base next time.

...that said: see you Tuesday?

Cheers!

Review: Los Comales (London)

I attended a conference on social media this past week, and a recurring topic of discussion was how modern media enabled consumers' feedback so that they became prosumers; increasingly able to discuss a product with fans, followers, and flamers, and impact others' outlook as a result.

Along these lines, it's inspiring to see that a young man in London who just enjoys Los Comales' food volunteers to maintain their social media presence. Particularly with National Volunteer Week around the corner, it struck me as a great way to share his time and connect with others. It also says a lot about how some food can inspire loyalty!

Loyalty that, in this case, is deserving. From catching up with friends over Salvadorean pupusas, fish tacos, and yuca frita to listening as owner/chef Ana muddled mint for our mojitos in her mortar and pestle behind the bar to enjoying the wandering guitarist who played throughout our meal, it was a great night out.

The four of us started out with yuca frita: fried cassava/yuca, which is deliciously starchy and served with chicharron, salsa, and a vinegar-y Latin coleslaw of shredded cabbage and carrots. While I grew up eating mayo-centric coleslaw, this alternative is quickly growing on me! M also ordered a pupusa with zucchini, green peppers, and cheese - I wish I'd tried it, but M was starving and only smiled half-guiltily after its prompt disappearance. In his defence, he said that it was delicious.

Past Urbanspoon reviewers had noted that, because the restaurant is small, makes a lot of its own tortillas and base sauces, and is very much a labour of love, the food can take some time to get to you. We'd braced for it, and while there was a wait, the four of us didn't feel it was unreasonable, and all of our food arrived together and hot. We'd decided on two orders of fish tacos and one of each of the combo platters. My combo platter featured a pupusa (I chose the pork & cheese variety), an empanada Colombiana, and a chimichanga, with a mix of rice and beans and a little bit of green salad to fill the plate. The empanada's corn patty was hearty without being heavy, holding the spiced ground beef and veggies together quite well, and the chimichanga was delicious from start to finish.

When making Latin-inspired food at home, M and I usually fall into making tacos or pseudo-quesadillas; visiting Los Comales has reminded us that there's a much more diverse range of food to sink our teeth into (though he and S enjoyed their soft tacos with fish a lot! S also commented that though they're a simple dish, the refried beans served with the tacos were very tasty, too.)

We left the restaurant happily full, some of us with leftovers in tow that we figured would be perfect late-night nosh after the Said the Whale concert that had turned our feet towards London in the first place. (We also left feeling sad that we'd discovered a great place that was too far away to return to regularly - fortunately, it sounds like London has a solid music/concert scene...)

Review: Bhima's Warung

I'll admit to not quite understanding Bhima's Warung for some time - the storefront was quirky, but never drew me in. And so it was, until a coworker-of-sorts told me about how his first reaction to one of their desserts was anger.

Anger, he said, with the kind of smile usually reserved for talking about things like Sherlock on BBC or the band Teenage Fanclub. The gulab jabon, he told me, were beyond decadent. Spice-scented, donut-like morsels drizzled with rose syrup and gold dust, served with a house-made cinnamon-cardamom ice-cream... Anger, because upon his first bite, he knew they wouldn't last long and they were three steps past delicious.

Now I was curious.

So M and I circled our anniversary on the calendar, M scrawling "Bhima's Warung" across the square. We had a date.

We arrived on the late side, closer to 8, smiling back at the friendly hostess and trying not to stare too openly at the open-concept kitchen. I'd love to return and sit at the bar and absorb the goings-on, perhaps with another Castro in hand - not the politician but an enticing cocktail featuring a 7-year-old rum and fresh passion fruit - just to have a different view and perhaps pick up an idea or two.

After yo-yo-ing around the appetizer menu, we dove in blind with the bhima's bocas: an appetizer platter featuring the chef's selections. At just over $40, it's an investment - but oh, was it a wise one.

Good food takes time; the time that the chefs took to prepare the various elements of the platter gave M and I some time to catch up (March has been hectic, and doesn't look to be changing its pace!) That said, the wait was not unreasonable, and when it arrived, the platter required its own table.

A small table, true, but still.

My photo doesn't do it justice - my camera has nearly given up the ghost, and the lighting at Bhima's certainly leans towards "romantic" (that said, ten points for the real orchid sprigs on the tables!)

But back to the food. Everything was tasty, and brought different flavours to the mix. From the earthy tofu, sweet pineapple, and peanutty flavours of the gado gado (which, I decided upon second bite, was scrumptious and should be eaten more often) to the crispy vegetable pakoras and their dynamite spicy tamarind sauce - they're the more spiky entities in the middle of the platter in the picture, and along with their dipping sauce, were one of the standouts - we enjoyed every bite. Even, to my surprise, the freshly shucked oysters. They've never been my seafood of choice, but was willing to give them another try. This likely had something to do with their topping, a cool, compelling blend of ginger, lemongrass, chili, and garlic. I'm glad I did.

A special kudos to the chefs who prepared the dipping sauces; I wish I'd been less hungry when I started so I'd have paid more attention to the distinct elements of the sweet and sour sauce intended for the peanut-encrusted prawns beyond noting that I'd have happily eaten it with a spoon. (KW chefs take their sauces seriously, it seems, and Bhima's is no exception. ...the mango butter, served with a chicken/scallop dumpling is also to live for! From Little Mushroom's 40 Creek BBQ sauce to the blueberry mustard down at 41, I can remember leaving catering events and restaurants alike waxing poetic about sauces. I don't remember having done that before moving here.)

Somehow, we ate our way through the platter, but we're both hearty eaters, it was late, and it was dinner for me; M's hollow leg is the stuff of legend. Portions are large - we'd been eyeing two desserts but could only find room in our collective hollow legs for one.

When she brought our dessert out, I told M the story about my coworker; after our first bites, we agreed: he was absolutely right.

Oddly enough, I found that the ice cream was the standout element for me - cinnamon and cardamom are a heady, sweet-spicy-earthy combination that I'd happily try again. But with at least four other homemade ice cream varieties offered at Bhima's, it might be a while...

Gastronavigation: Muskoka Brewery

I'm rarely the type of person who finds the most direct route from point A to point B.

This can drive M (with his logical, plan-based thought processes) for loops, particularly when we're zooming down the highway, intent on some eventual goal, and I exclaim in the general direction of a roadside flyer or an ever-helpful blue attractions-at-this-exit signs and insist on a detour.

Fortunately for both of us, most of the detours end well! One of our most recent triumphs happened as we were heading back to KW from Algonquin Provincial Park (which, for the record, actually knows what a proper winter should look like - snow, glorious snow!)

We were approaching Bracebridge, and though I didn't get much of a solid first look at the exit sign, I did catch the words "Chocolate House" and "Brewery."

"Are we stopping?" M asked.

"Chocolate and beer in the same place, and you're asking me this?" I replied with a smile.

Five minutes later, we arrived at the Muskoka Brewery. Heartened by the sandwich board by the door and its promise of a free beer tasting - we'd struck out earlier that day in our attempt to visit another brewing company and were hoping to try something new - we wandered in and were greeted cheerfully, both by the representative and her golden lab cross, Gertie.

Muskoka Brewery's tasting room is bright, comfortable and welcoming, with lots of nods to its cottage country surroundings - not least these chair taps!

Don't be fooled by the tongue-in-cheek humour into thinking they're lightweights; these brewers know what they're doing. The rack behind the taps had no small number of awards gracing its upper shelves; on the lower shelves were glass jars of the various hops and malts used in the brewing process.

I've got a lot to learn, and enjoyed the time that the Muskoka beer expert (sommelier?) took with us, going over a little bit of the history behind some of the brews and showing us individual flower clusters of one of the hops.

Hops - or, at least this species - was prettier, softer than I'd expected, a thing of light green petals and a mildly sweet smell. It seemed more like something that would be added to a herbal tea, not a full-bodied beer. In the picture to the right, the hops are in pellet form in the middle jar; the petals themselves can be seen just behind the jars.

(The other two jars hold the malts for the Dark Ale and Craft Pilsner, respectively.)

But while ingredients, ambience, and awards are wonderful things, how did the beer itself fare?

Quite well! We had the chance to try their full range of beers, and the seasonal feature - a "Winter Beard" double-chocolate cranberry stout. M and I had tried the stout earlier this year, but we certainly weren't complaining about a second opportunity. The cranberry flavour is definitely discernible, and the chocolate (very strong cocoa flavours upon first sip) lends the stout a depth that suited these cooler months. It would be a great beer to curl up with.

The other standout - new to us - was their Mad Tom IPA. It's strong stuff; denser, somehow, than their other offerings (even the stout; yes, my brain is still figuring that one out.) There's a distinct lemon-citrus note to it and a richness we both found compelling.

I also enjoyed their Dark Ale, but with snowshoes, ski poles, and skates already filling the trunk, we made a mental note to come back after a future trip!

That said, if you're in the Muskoka area, look the Brewery up! We never had a chance to tour, as it was Family Day when we visited, but something tells me it would be fun. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming, the space itself interesting and with lots of little details to investigate - not to mention, the beer sampling is complimentary.

Did I mention that you might just run into the friendliest golden lab who will love you forever if you only play frisbee with her (yes, in the tasting room)? I know that she stole M's heart! He strategized about puppy ownership at least until Barrie...

Happy travels!

(Also, any recommendations for Ontario brews that have knocked your socks off lately?)