I was pretty anxious for this place to open. Mostly because we've walked by hundreds of times, wondering what the former pizza spot would turn into. But then there was lots of buzz on Twitter and Facebook too in recent weeks. Although Saturday was just their second day of operation, they were ready. The staff knew what they were doing (we recognized many of them from Sugarbowl), both out front and in the kitchen. And by the end of the evening we agreed our expectations had been far surpassed.
I chose a Negroni from the tidy cocktail list that also included a Sazerac, Old Fashioned and beer cocktails amongst other items, while Charles chose a pint of Alley Kat's Black Dragon IIPA from their all local draught list (edit: Just wanted to clarify that their draught list rotates often and includes local and imported craft beer). We happily enjoyed our drinks at the bar, confirming with the bar tender that we did in fact all recognize each other from Sugarbowl, while waiting for a table in the upstairs dining room.
Food wise, we resisted all four items from the "Bar Snacks" section, opting for a few things from the "Sharesies" area - Buckwheat honey glazed Brussel sprouts, Wild boar terrine with beer mustard and pickled cippolini onions, Oxtail poutine and Marsala lamb neck with potatoes, kale and olives. Plates came out one by one in no particular order and were placed in the middle of the table to share. Charles' favourite dish was the poutine - super soft oxtail, rich gravy and squeaky cheese curds topped crisp, roasted fingerling potatoes. I found myself leaning towards the lamb dish, loving the balance of flavours and textures.
We finished things off with a warm, slightly sweet pear upside down cake topped with a bit of whipped cream.
We thought they did a great job maximizing seating in the tiny space, and we enjoyed the simply decorated space of wood, white walls, industrial lights and mirrors. The downstairs kitchen/bar service and upstairs bathroom/dining area split seemed to work well too. To top things off there's a bike rack sitting out front, and we're sure there will be drinks on the patio as soon as the weather warms a bit more.
The single page menu changes often so that local ingredients can be used as much as possible. And dessert changes nearly every day. One of our favourite things though, is the price point. Nothing (on this particular menu at least) costs more than $16, and we found one smaller item - like the Brussel sprouts ($5) - along with 2-3 larger dishes - the poutine ($8) and lamb (~$11.5) for instance - were filling enough along with a couple beer... and dessert of course.
I met up with Brenna and Catherine this evening, and we decided to head over for drinks and snacks. We munched on more Brussel sprouts and this time duck rillette, and chatted to the couple sitting at the upstairs communal table with us. Warm apple tarts were gobbled up easily.
It looks like they'll be changing up the menu tomorrow, and we're certainly hoping to swing by for a drink and more eats later in the week. I promise I'll bring along the camera next time! But for now, I leave you with this one terrible Instagram photo of the lights above their upstairs communal table, that I took because I was attempting to explain Instagram. And the link to their website where you can find many more photos.
Three Boars Eatery
8424 109 Street
780.757.2600
Open everyday, 4pm until late.
Reservations for 6 or more.
*Update May 21 - Finally went back with the camera. You can find some photos here.
I chose a Negroni from the tidy cocktail list that also included a Sazerac, Old Fashioned and beer cocktails amongst other items, while Charles chose a pint of Alley Kat's Black Dragon IIPA from their all local draught list (edit: Just wanted to clarify that their draught list rotates often and includes local and imported craft beer). We happily enjoyed our drinks at the bar, confirming with the bar tender that we did in fact all recognize each other from Sugarbowl, while waiting for a table in the upstairs dining room.
Food wise, we resisted all four items from the "Bar Snacks" section, opting for a few things from the "Sharesies" area - Buckwheat honey glazed Brussel sprouts, Wild boar terrine with beer mustard and pickled cippolini onions, Oxtail poutine and Marsala lamb neck with potatoes, kale and olives. Plates came out one by one in no particular order and were placed in the middle of the table to share. Charles' favourite dish was the poutine - super soft oxtail, rich gravy and squeaky cheese curds topped crisp, roasted fingerling potatoes. I found myself leaning towards the lamb dish, loving the balance of flavours and textures.
We finished things off with a warm, slightly sweet pear upside down cake topped with a bit of whipped cream.
We thought they did a great job maximizing seating in the tiny space, and we enjoyed the simply decorated space of wood, white walls, industrial lights and mirrors. The downstairs kitchen/bar service and upstairs bathroom/dining area split seemed to work well too. To top things off there's a bike rack sitting out front, and we're sure there will be drinks on the patio as soon as the weather warms a bit more.
The single page menu changes often so that local ingredients can be used as much as possible. And dessert changes nearly every day. One of our favourite things though, is the price point. Nothing (on this particular menu at least) costs more than $16, and we found one smaller item - like the Brussel sprouts ($5) - along with 2-3 larger dishes - the poutine ($8) and lamb (~$11.5) for instance - were filling enough along with a couple beer... and dessert of course.
I met up with Brenna and Catherine this evening, and we decided to head over for drinks and snacks. We munched on more Brussel sprouts and this time duck rillette, and chatted to the couple sitting at the upstairs communal table with us. Warm apple tarts were gobbled up easily.
It looks like they'll be changing up the menu tomorrow, and we're certainly hoping to swing by for a drink and more eats later in the week. I promise I'll bring along the camera next time! But for now, I leave you with this one terrible Instagram photo of the lights above their upstairs communal table, that I took because I was attempting to explain Instagram. And the link to their website where you can find many more photos.
Three Boars Eatery
8424 109 Street
780.757.2600
Open everyday, 4pm until late.
Reservations for 6 or more.
*Update May 21 - Finally went back with the camera. You can find some photos here.
1 comment:
Hurrah for winding down <3
Also, I am choosing to believe you about that photo, but I will be keeping a close watch (when I am not grappling with my newfound juice habit). Oh, what we have become.
Post a Comment