I now get it.
After wanting to eat at the Black Hoof for years, I finally got my chance last night. My dinner companion and lady date friend K. was more excited than me to finally eat here. Even her boyfriend was excited for me. The Black Hoof definitely met with my expectations and I hope to make this "meat palace" a regular place to visit.
From what you've read, getting there early is a good idea. We were the first ones to arrive at 6pm and we were the only ones for a while. But the restaurant quickly filled up within the hour.
Everything I've read about the restaurant I experienced: the ambiance was nice and intimate; the music selection was great; the wine list was impressive; and the beer selection was good. We each had the Beau's Lagered Ale which was a good choice.
OK, the food. It's delectable, comforting, flavourful, fatty, luxurious, pleasurable... Have I included enough adjectives? But you get my point. Each dish raised the bar for the next dish.
We had:
- House cured meats
- Bone marrow
- Spicy horse tartar
- Tongue on brioche
- Duck and black bean
It's hard to say which ones were my favourites but the tongue brioche just exploded with meat that melted in my mouth. It was the best meat sandwich I've ever had. The bone marrow was sumptuous: I would have sucked the juices from it if I wasn't in a public place.