Underground Tap & Grill Re-Visited

By Rebecca | May 15, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Disclaimer: Although I have been to the Underground several times on my own, this particular visit was at the invitation of the business.

I can’t remember how long the Underground Tap & Grill has been around, I know it’s been a few years now. It used to be a place that I frequented when I worked downtown because it was right across the street and the whole “craft beer” thing was relatively new. Duck has always been the Chef’s specialty and nothing goes better with a nice cold beer than a nice salty Duck Confit poutine. My huge dislike for the Underground was that I would go to visit with friends on the weekend and not be able to have a conversation because the music was too loud.

Fast Forward to Today…

No longer working downtown. Let’s face it – since the new “ICE” district came in the parking is ridiculously expensive on a night where there is an event in the arena. Most people who have a decent head on their shoulders avoid the whole downtown situation whenever possible at great detriment to the local businesses that depend on us.

Well… Underground has tackled the parking problem and oh so much more!

$3 evening parking after 4pm in the parkade located in the tower right next to Tres Carnales. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Underground. Aptly named, you will be going down the stairs to the pub to enjoy some great food and now 72 different beers on tap. 72!

There is a wonderful selection of different styles of beer from different breweries. The selection is always changing. There is a monthly tap takeover and when the keg is gone, it’s off the menu. They even have the lovely Brittany as the Beer Manager. She knows her stuff and is more than happy to help you make an educated choice when you are overwhelmed by the menu. There is also a weekly rotation for the beer cocktails. These are fun and creative mixtures that will leave you wanting more.

And huge bonus, there is no more live DJ on the weekends so that you can now have a conversation with your friends without having to yell!

Now onto the Food

The menu has also gone through some recent changes. Duck is still Chef Lang Hsiao’s specialty. Therefore, we had to try something with duck in it. We had the Adobo Buffalo Duck Wings ($15) which are also available for the “Wing Wednesday” menu special for half price. These were just the right amount of spice, moist and delicious. We will definitely be back for more of these.

There is a new weekly “Chef Special” where Chef gets to be creative. Of course, I had to try it. My choice was the “Canadian Back Bacon” which was “Bourbon maple glazed local farmed pork loin, dry cured in house for 10 days. Served with baked potato, grilled zucchini and egg plant. Although the flavours were all really good, this was not as tender and moist as I was expecting.

My husband tried the 8 oz. striploin with the peppercorn sauce. He says the medium rare was done perfectly; tender, moist and delicious. These come with “all you can eat” sides which are served buffet style. The peppercorn sauce had a bit of a kick to it that was delightful.

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The Beer…

Oh the beer! Brittany was wonderful about explaining what a Gose was, as I had not yet had the opportunity to sample one. The tap takeover was with Red Racer brewery and they had a delicious sounding Gose; the Lime Margarita.

“Inspired by the beaches of Mexico, the essence of a lime margarita is captured in a craft beer. This lightly salted, slightly tart beer is infused with lime juice and a splash of Tequila to give a tropical cocktail take on a German style ale.”

This beer was amazing! Such a refreshing beer that needs to be enjoyed with some sunshine out on a patio. I’m a new fan. Hubby had the Beavertail Raspberry Ale by Grizzly Paw in Canmore.

So if you have any burning questions about a particular brew and Brittany is on shift, she has all of the knowledge to help you.
We had no room for dessert, however there are 6 lovely choices on the menu for you to enjoy.
We were also informed that there is a Saturday Brunch menu available from 11 am to 2 pm on the weekend.
The venue is usually accessible but during our visit the elevator was being repaired.
There are gluten-free and vegan options available on the menu.

Thank you Underground! We had a wonderful evening trying the latest menu and taps. We are looking forward to our next visit.

Website:
http://www.undergroundtapandgrill.com/

Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/undergroundtapandgrill/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/underground_edm

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheUndergroundTapGrill/?fref=ts

Pourhouse Bier Bistro Has Ramen Burgers!

By Rebecca | August 5, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

As I am sure you can tell, “Gastro Pubs” are one of my favourite places to visit. I am a bit of a beer snob, I would like to be MORE of a beer snob someday. (Of the non-pretentious variety) Beer goes great with food, just the same as wine, only you don’t need a sommelier to pour it for you. The Pourhouse always has a rotating selection of taps and bottles as well as a regular selection. The beer are all listed by flavour profile, which makes it easier for the non beer drinkers.

Ok, now that you know you can go to Pourhouse for a great brew, let’s talk about BurlyChef Lager… Pourhouse’s heart belongs to Chef Daniel Huber. No, he isn’t the only one that brings the Pourhouse to YEG, but he is the flavour creator. He wanted to bring a “normal” beer to Pourhouse, like the one Dad used to drink when they were BBQ’ing. Before your start grumbling and complaining about the brewery he chose, please note that he did try the “local” breweries and they were not able to give him the flavour profile that he was looking for. Labbatt’s brews “Burly Chef Lager” for the Pourhouse. It is a nice, light lager that goes with anything that the menu has to offer for food. For the entire month of August, $1 per pint will be donated to the Bissell Centre to help them with the rebuilding of the “Thrift Shoppe” after the two devastating fires.

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Pourhouse Bier Bistro Has Ramen Burgers!

By Rebecca | August 5, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

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Central Social Hall – Grand Opening

By Rebecca | December 17, 2012 | Comments 0 Comment

I work in the Associated Engineering Plaza where the doomed sushi restaurant was situated. I am unsure of the name, but when I read the eviction notice on the door when I first started there, they did not look like they were very “upstanding” tenants.

I was excited to see that construction had begun with a new tenant and was intrigued by their marketing campaign. They had a few quirky videos that were advertising “Public Conversation”. I scoured Twitter and the internets to see what I could find out about them, which wasn’t much. The last month or so of the campaign they finally gave their operating name “Central Social Hall”, got their website, Facebook, and Twitter on the go. They are part of the Two12 Social Co.

The menu was not online on opening day which was a little disappointing. They had however, left a copy at our reception desk to get some interest from the neighbours. I was also fortunate that one of my clients was hired in the kitchen so he was able to recommend some of the things that he like on the menu.

Looking on to the bar on Grand Opening day.

The decor is pleasant. They have cozy two person booths lining the walls and group booths on the floor. The monitors were set to “Conversation Starters” – bits of trivia and information to discuss. The Manager was there to greet people and direct them to seat themselves. They do not currently take reservations for lunch.

The menu is a one page affair – relatively standard “Gastro-Pub” fare with their own flare on a lot of the items. Appetizers run from ten to thirteen dollars, salads from ten to eighteen dollars and entrees from fifteen to seventeen dollars.

The beverage menu is where Central Social Hall differs from the rest – they have a lovely variety of craft beers and martinis on tap – yes you read that correctly! Martinis on tap!

Since I was only there for lunch that day, I chose the Crispy Mac & Cheese; Deep fried Mac & Cheese squares filled with premium cheese and ham; a new spin on an old favourite.

As you can see the presentation is pleasant – the sauce on the side is ketchup.

The texture of the Mac & Cheese was pleasant. I found the taste was rather bland. I would have like to have tried it with a sharp cheddar or have had some hot sauce to accompany it.

My lunch companion had the “Fruit and Nut Salad” which she commented, was very refreshing and tasty.

I chose the appetizer as the main for lunch so that I could indulge in one of the three desserts on the menu. I chose the Creme Brulee.

As you can see from above – very nice presentation. The signature in chocolate and berry on the bottom is a very nice touch. The raspberries brightened everything up. The kitchen did a beautiful job of torching the sugar – it had a very nice crust on top.

The custard was smooth and tasty – not heavy or overpowering. Very tasty.

My lunch companion chose the Red Velvet Cake which was also very beautiful – very deep red. She commented that it was good but she had made better at home.

The downtown restaurants are notoriously busy at lunch and most strive to get the patrons through lunch as quickly as they can so they can get back to the daily grind. I was a little disappointed in the time it took to get the food to the table – 40 minutes. I was almost hesitant to order dessert but decided it should be relatively quick. I was late to get back to work, but luckily my lunch companion was my boss.

Will I go back again – yes. I will chalk it up to opening day jitters and certainly give them another try. I am a “three strikes and you’re out” kinda gal. I can see myself sipping martinis with friends and engaging in “Public Conversation”. It is a nice place to leave your social media behind and visit with great friends.

Tag: Craft Beer

Underground Tap & Grill Re-Visited

By Rebecca | May 15, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Fast Forward to Today…

Now onto the Food

The Beer…

Pourhouse Bier Bistro Has Ramen Burgers!

By Rebecca | August 5, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

Pourhouse Bier Bistro Has Ramen Burgers!

By Rebecca | August 5, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

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