A crisp, chilly evening necessitates some hot comfort food, so a
friend and I venture into the Hart & Thistle Gastropub and Brewery
on the waterfront. Though full of booths made for large groups, we find
a table tucked away in the corner next to the inviting fireplace. The
restaurant is pretty calm on this Sunday evening, but filled with
laughter from our neighbouring tables.
When we inquire about the pub’s house-brewed craft beers, the server
enthusiastically goes over the offerings in detail, describing both
each beer’s characteristics and the brew process. I go for the Polygamy
Pale APA, a lovely amber-coloured beer with a strong citrus top-note
and a rich, almost caramel undertone. My friend chooses the darker
Cocoa Hops, an Indian Brown Ale with hints of coffee and chocolate.
They go down like buttah. Both beers are well priced—a 14-ounce glass
of each falls within five bucks.
As we assess the menu, I’m drawn to the calamari ($8), panko-crusted
and served with both a tomato jam and a sweet and spicy mayo. It
appears playfully presented on a tile slate, piled high with the tender
squid, enclosed in a light, crisp batter. The thick tomato jam is the
perfect compliment; sweet and meaty, its texture provides added depth.
The accompanying mayo is rich with a touch of smoky heat. I debate
about asking for more sauce, but my friend polishes off the last
morsels before I get the chance.
As a main course, I go for pub fare, ordering from the seafood and
chips portion of the menu, selecting the two-piece fish and chips ($8).
My friend chooses another pub essential, the Thistle’s Bigger Burger,
served with fries ($14). Our plates arrive quickly and we’re astounded
by the serving size (I would never have finished a third piece of
fish).
The fish is haddock, beer-battered and fried to a degree that leaves
the batter crisp and the fish inside moist and flaky. The fries are
fantastic—hand-cut Russet potatoes tossed with a good dose of sea
salt—and just the way I like them. A word of caution here: If you’re
watching your blood pressure, it would be best to taste them before
adding any salt. The tartar sauce is house-made. A combo of mayo and
capers, it’s slightly too heavy and would be improved with a touch of
lemon to cut through its richness.
The Bigger burger is a monster. It’s a large succulent beef patty
topped with barbequed Italian sausage, melted peppered Havarti,
lettuce, tomato, red onion and dill pickle. The combination of the
slightly sweet sausage and spicy peppered cheese makes for a
juxtaposition of flavours to excite the palate. As the meat starts
sliding out, we agree that a more substantial bun is needed to match
the patty’s volume.
Despite the fact that we’re already filled to the brim, we decide to
share the apple pie a la mode, the night’s dessert special at $7.
Though excited for a touch of sweet to end the meal, we’re disappointed
with the result. Instead of a crisp, flaky crust, the serving is soggy
to the point of almost being doughy. The ice cream is palatable, but it
tastes like it came from the bottom of the bucket.
As we make our way back out into the dark Halifax night, our bellies
are full and we’re fairly content with the night’s meal. Although our
dessert was less than thrilling, the Hart & Thistle does pub fare
justice. Not only do the tasty food and decadent craft beers warm up
our bodies, but the atmosphere, coupled with our server’s exuberance
and welcoming demeanour, make for a pretty heartwarming experience as
well.
This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2009.
Must have improved since I went, or this critic is delusional
Ate there once this summer. My pizza, my mother’s soup and my father’s club sandwich- all cold. (Did I mention I went there in the summer).
This is the first decent review of the food at the H&T I have seen. Though I question the reviewer’s judgment, given that I see in the photo that they give you what appears to be half of an entire raw red onion on an otherwise good burger. What is with the over-use of raw red onion everywhere these days? Don’t 90% end up going back to the kitchen untouched except to push them aside?
H&T lost me…been there 3 times and they sucked all three times. Food (although sounds great on the menu) was a bust. The brews seem like they are crap to begin with, so the brew master threw in a ton more hops…I heard somewhere that this was the same guy who brewed Shippey’s (the previous micro brew in the same location) well if so what the hell happened? Shippey’s ruled…this stuff just plain sucks!
Haven’t eaten there lately, but the house brews are among the best in commercial brews in the maritimes, if not the best. Anybody who considers them crap, really should be eating at McDonald’s, where the food will also be more to their taste.;)
I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some improvement in food quality since the summer – they just absorbed the kitchen staff of the far-superior O’Carroll’s.
Also – the brewmaster there is Greg Nash (formerly of Pumphouse and Garrison). He can be pretty off-the-wall with some of his flavour combinations, but he is talented and I back him 100%. Less than $5 for a pint of his craft beer is a steal.
I was waiting to hear if the food improved here once O’Carroll’s closed, and I’m glad it has. The H&T is now on my short-list of places to try.
The Little Gastropub That Could! Well done after a click-flash Summer opening! The beer is out-classed, I love how it’s paired with menu items, suggested by knowledgeable service staff…. I will be enjoying it as a Winter Wonderland for sure!
I have eaten at the H&T twice, and had the craft beers several more times: really enjoyed the beer (although you really have to enjoy hops, so Keith’s fans need not apply), and the Pulled Pork Sliders are DELICIOUS!!!
yeh, jamesk, that’s what would be called “double-hopped”….it’s supposed to taste like that
The beers made there are by far some of the best to be had in eastern Canada imho. I had the pleasure of bending the brewmasters’ ear one day and he is indeed the same guy that brewed there before. He explained to me since the other 14 beer taps on-site cover the basis of ‘usual’ beers – red ales, brown ales et al that he has been commissioned to brew off-the-wall or hopped up beers only, nothing too generic or even close. Makes sense to me. I think they are fab and totally remind me of my visits to California so fresh and so hoppy mmmmm. I see a LOT of people drinking them whenever I am there, that said I am sure they are not going to please the folks that enjoy a flavourless Budweiser or some other macro-brew.
As for the food: I’ve eaten there 7 or 8 times now. I was disappointed a couple time last summer but the waitstaff did what they could to make it right with a smile which brought me back for more – most new places need a couple months to get things in gear I think, especially there while they were bombarded with hundreds of touristy customers ordering food at the same time all day everyday.
The last half dozen visits have been very satisfying with great food and wonderful service to match the delicious and eccentric west coast type beers. I recommend this place to anyone.
AnarchX. I know beer, dude; I was being cynical. Double hopping, wet/dry hopping…I did all that about 15-20 years ago when I used to brew my own (and not your *Super* store malt kits either). I liken this new beer geek trend to the popularity of hot wings and how some idiots would rave about how great Triple Suicide Flaming Asshole wings are…as I would watch them gasp for breath between crying sobs of their so called Scoville Unit delights (looks like you’re really enjoying those eh?). What the hell is the point of drinking something that makes your mouth numb and tingly other than to brag to the person next to you about how many hops you can handle. Big deal, it’s beer. Drink it, enjoy it…it’s not a contest. My post was meant to comment on the quality of H&T and on the whole they still fall short. Their pulled pork sliders for instance (although quite yummy) are less like “sliders” and more like waaaaay too much pulled pork dumped on some token pieces if bread…somewhere under there. I should have gotten mashed potatoes with my sliders however the fries that came with were a very close resemblance. This dish is supposed to be served cold or hot?? Mine was neither.
I do have to say, (like Frank S.) the service was prompt and the servers knowledgeable to comment on the brews as their menus really fall short of telling the beer’s actual notes and flavours (I know they only have so much room for print; and to carry on as to get the full brew’s experience on paper might seem a bit like a short story). …and I don’t think anywhere else in the city does beer/food pairings.
I get that there are hop heads out there and, well, now you folks have a place to go. My reference to John Shippey’s (the previous micro brewery) was meant to state that HIS brews were more well rounded and there was something for everybody; the Porter and dark Brown drinkers like myself AND the hop heads…but also to the lighter than IPA fans as well. I do digress however, after reading Frank S’s post about H&T’s mandate for big hops I see that H&T fills a niche that was previously left void here in Halifax. I don’t like hops (I much prefer big nutty, oat mealy or coffee and chocolate notes in a brew) but if the hop heads like what’s brewing on the waterfront, good on ya! Next time I’m there I’ll drink one if their “brought in” selections and hope the food quality has improved…
jamesk:
I love the big hoppy beers but realize they aren’t for everyone, it was an acquired taste for me over time so I know where you are coming from. Last Tuesday when I visited I had their new pale ale 5-something percent I think, strong citrus and a bit drying like white grapefruit almost, hop-forward but not crazy like some of his others. What I didn’t mention in my earlier post is when I spoke with the brewmaster he said they are releasing a ‘malt-bomb’, some sort of dark smokey and malty beer he used to make there, I think he said it is a lager. His description made it sound really good so maybe that will be a better choice, I’m looking forward to trying it out I know that.
On the food side of things, here’s hoping this review is a sign of better things to come although I’ve had great experiences there of late. I work nearby and love to drop in now and then for a couple pints and a snack before heading home. Best of luck to you should you return.
– Frank
The reviewer knows her stuff – that’s the same gal who does With Bite. And she was not fooled, the food has really improved. Hey, I am with you on the raw onions Bo Gus, but then, I just take it off. One thing you have to agree, it is easy to do.
And James K, yes the brewer is Greg Nash, the guy who used to brew at Shippeys, then went to Garrison and made their now famous Imperial Pale Ale, and then went to the Pumphouse and created the best bottled session beer in Atlantic Canada, their SOB. The beers on at the Hart and Thistle are not all his, but he is not making “standards”. They have Garrison, Propeller and Pumphouse beers. Only missing Granite beers, which is a shame.
So if you really love beer, this here is the place for you. If you still labour under the misconception that Keiths is an IPA, pop around the corner to the Lower Deck, they have lots of it. I wouldn’t wish McDonalds on ya. Idiot Buster is right, the beers are probably the best this side of Dieu de Ciel in Montreal.
So yes, the food is better – why? Well, the food was always great at O’Carroll’s. And this place is kinda the new home for most of O’Carroll’s people now that their building is coming down, including Colin, the chef. Make sense now?
I agree 100% with JamesK, and think his analogy of the Triple Suicide Flaming Asshole wings is right on the money. There’s certainly a lot more to making a quality beer than dumping in a pile of hops and masking every other flavour. With respect to Brewnoser’s comment on SOB being the best bottles session beer in Atlantic Canada, I thought the SOB was very good too after my first one. But as I tasted subsequent batches I came to realize the terrible inconsistency in the brand. – even within the bitterness & hoppyness. A good part of quality is consistency, and I’m afraid this is the downfall of this and many other micros. You can’t continue to cover up your “sins” with hops.
Attention class. ie, James and Albert. Hops are one of the three major components that make the flavour of a beer, the other two being malt and yeast (water mineral to a lesser extent can amplify the effects). To argue that a malt based beer is a much more noble beverage than a hop forward beer is lacking in linearity to say the least. Hops, malt, and yeast are the flavours that were killed by the multinationals. It’s time to bring them back. All of them. That includes a very hoppy beer.
And the analogy of throwing in hops to Triple Suicide Wings is ridiculous in it’s simplicity. Number one, you can’t cover up a bad beer with hops, fruit, spices, etc. You will still just have a bad beer. Which is not the case at the H&T. Secondly, you can add many layers of hops at many different times that produce wonderful aromas and flavours without intense bitterness. Really James, if you really were a knowledgeable brewer, you would know that lots of hops does not equal ‘numb and tingly’ – it depends how you use them – you can have a very hoppy beer at a median 60 IBU – not Suicide Flaming Asshole by any stretch of the imagination. And those beers have been brewed at the H&T.
And Albert, lots of hops don’t mask a well made beer, they compliment by design, or dominate if that’s the effect you want.
Finally, variety is the spice of life. I compliment Greg for taking chances and giving the city some beer options that are outside the box we have been shoved into for too long. It’s not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, but then again, either is what has been shoved down our throats for over a generation. There are reasons that new and adventurous microbreweries are the fastest growing beer market, while the mainstream macro’s flatline.
Finally, quality and consistency are not really intelligent terms to judge out of context. Double Whoppers are very consistent, all over the globe. Quality, I think not…
Yet the little corner cafe down the street, which uses local ingredients that are of top quality, yet a new flavour experience every other week, is far superior to the sterilized, homogenized, ‘consistent’, franchised duds you trip over from sea to sea.
beer school 101,
When hops were first used in beer (15th century) they were meant both as a preservative and to compliment its flavours – not to over-power them. Any experienced taster knows that that excessive hopping can mask other flavours.
Late timing of hops (wet or dry) is of course common practice to bring out their rich flavours & aromas (not bitterness), but this is not what we’re seeing with theoretical bitterness values of 200+ IBUs. With the saturation point of isohumulones in your average beer being around 100 IBUs, hopping rates to achieve twice this level are most definitely “numbing & tingly”.
I can also see where you completely missed the point on quality AND consistency. It is not quality OR consistency; these 2 items are inseparable. If I enjoyed a pint of Craft brew-X last Friday night, I have good reason to expect something similar when I order the same brand this Friday. It doesn’t matter how good someone else thinks it is, if it’s not the same, then I didn’t get what I paid for. A good brewer needs to have control of his process because the customer has a right to repeatability.
I personally prefer craft beers to the watered down macros, probably for the same reasons that you do, and there are lots of good ones to choose from in the HRM. However I do insist on a well balanced, complex, defect-free beer that is the same every time I order it.
And here we go, this restaurant review gets hijacked by beersnobs. Man, you guys like to listen to yourselves talk.
Albert, it’s not the 15th century, times change, and you really weren’t around to know what beer tasted like either back then. In fact, when the highly hopped beer that was meant for foreign shores was first tried in England, it was the people who demanded the great beer they hadn’t had before. Anything done to excess can be unpleasant, but again, this isn’t what is happening at the H&T. Any experienced taster also knows that high hopping doesn’t mask other flavours in well made beers, it compliments them.
If you bother to look at the H&T beers on the brewers log, very few are saturated above 100 IBU, quite possibly only the simcoe smash. So concluding that the high hopped beers are excessive in bitterness and equivalent to Triple Suicide chicken wings is statistically wrong, and outright misleading. Which beers have you tried to conclude the H&T beers are all at such high levels of bitterness?
So you really think quality and consistency are inseparable? Are you serious? That consistent McChicken, the mechanically separated, deep fried, processed, horrifying example of ‘food’, is now a quality product because of it’s consistency? lmfao. Somebody is completely missing the point here, that’s for sure….
Are you also insinuating craft brewers are so inconsistent to be inferior to the macros? Better check you stats on who’s growing and who isn’t, and who’s buying up these defective businesses. Basically, your argument doesn’t hold water.
If you are looking for well balanced, complex, defect free beer, then the H&T is the place to have a beer. Just don’t get the Smash, the bubbles will burn your tongue.
Broc, it’s a Pub and BREWERY, read the intro. People have every right to discuss the beer. As opposed to your opening one sentence mindbogglingly complex comment.
AlbertE – you’ve made two comments inferring that H&T’s beers covered up their”sins” with hops and weren’t “defect free”, but you’ve yet to name a defect or sin. Unbalanced is subjective, so if you find them unbalanced, that’s fine. But a defect is a defect. Keith’s has DMS and acetaldehyde. Lots of craft beers made with Ringwood yeast (a la McAuslan, Granite Brewery, Picaroon’s, etc.) can suffer from Diacetyl. What defect are the hops covering up in H&T’s beers?
Many Double IPAs are very straightforwardly bitter, as though the brewer did just dump the hops in and hope for the best. But the very best Double IPAs go a step further and essentially ‘balance’ the bitterness with hop flavours and aroma, and create a layering effect where the flavours and aromas from different hops or different additions complement each other. Greg’s Dementia IIPA at the Pump House nailed this. Hart & Thistle’s Double Simcoe SMaSH didn’t quite have the same layering effect, but it did show off the different attributes of Simcoe hops (pine, citrus, even tropical fruit, plus that Sauvignon Blanc-like “cat pee” character that sometimes sneaks in) very nicely.
BRoc “Man, you guys like to listen to yourselves talk.” – And? I don’t deny it. And I don’t have an issue with it.
For me it’s like Christmas every time I hear the H&T has a new brew ready. Nash has raised the quality of brewing in the region to a level it’s never been before. The only defect in his beers is they’re so goddamned good I can’t keep myself from drinking them too fast.
JamesK has an open mind re: hops. Good on you. I happen to fall into a similar category of liking most beers, and NOT being crazy about hopstoopid beers (apologies to Lagunitas). But, I can appreciate that a lot of people like them, even if sometimes they seem to be throwing themselves though a gauntlet of sorts to consume them. And Nash can satisfy that niche. Heck, go to California and you’ll see where that style is at now.
Some beers in town, notably the Garrison Imperial Pale, or Double IPA? (they seem to be trying to emulate Keiths and call it something it isn’t) have gotten to the point where I won’t drink them any more. It is not the hopping, per se, but the lack of anything there to balance the bitter, and an apparent problem with water chemistry for the style. I now cut the ImpPA with 2/3 red at my fave drinking establishment. Used to be 50:50. I consider that lack of balance to be a character that I do not prefer, but not a flaw. The Simcoe Smash brews (I have now tasted three versions, I think) have a lot of things in there that provide that counterpoint and approach balance. The Polygamy Pale Ale (an unoriginal name) is a wonderful beer. The best thing in the city right now.
These beers are absolutely, totally, not ordinary brews with a bunch of hops thrown in at random. They are extraordinary beers, and they are designed and crafted by someone who knows what they are doing and what they want.
AlbertE is totally missing the point about what our favourite beverage is all about. This is a very small market niche product we are discussing. If the brewer wanted it that way, and is happy with it, and it is not an infection or obvious off flavour, then it cannot be a flaw. It may be a characteristic that one drinker may prefer over another, but that’s life. Handle it.
Methinks I recognize some repeated themes with this dude from other internet sites, and I think he may have some sort of strange hopuphobic obsession with the brewer, not the beer.
Oh, and BRoc. Sorry, dude. You are right. We did kinda hijack Kristen’s story, didn’t we.
Can anyone explain why the initial (largely negative) reviews have been deleted? Are we giving them a second chance? I note their rating has climbed from 2 stars to 3 stars. Do I dare go back?
Interesting that they cleaned up those comments. While the quality of the food on opening was rightfully questioned, there was also a lot of dumb negativity and rambling on about cheese on sandwiches in those comments. Still, I don’t think the remarks should be deleted unless slanderous or obviously untrue.
Just came from lunch at the H&T. The service was fine and affable enough, but not outstanding in any way. The veggie burger was structurally unsound and a bit bland: half of it ended up on my plate. This burger could benefit from something with kick, be it a sharp cheddar or a spicy sauce. The fries were just lukewarm and thus a bit soggy. This plate could benefit from some gesture, however slight, at the notion of salad. Even a dollop of good coleslaw would round it out nicely. Only two beers on offer! I’ve eaten at maybe just one other self-proclaimed “Gastro-pub” – Spinnaker’s in Victoria, and the Hart and Thistle did not measure up by comparison. They have a fair distance to go yet before they can honestly and fittingly wear the moniker, if this meal was a fair indication.