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| - I had never been to Bier Market for food, as several of my musician friends had played gigs there, and I had only attended for the amazing beer selection. But as part of a CMYE, Bryan c. and I decided to go to the Fondüe Feastivül. Shortly after we were seated, Kat. F mentioned that we had to be done by 9:30pm for when the restaurant transitioned to the club mode I was familiar with. I didn't foresee that being a problem, but I knew the type of crowd that would be in attendance.
Of the four choices for cheese fondue, we ordered three:
1 Smoked Danish: Quite tasty, but the bacon garnish on top was overkill for flavour. When you're using a smoked cheese, you don't need to bring the bacon.
2 Cheese and Lager: The most disappointing of the three. It was alright, but boring and bland. I find that packaged supermarket versions of fondue are more flavourful than this dish.
3 Chevre: Very dry aftertaste, but lots of flavour and not as much sodium as I thought would result in such a recipe.
General complaints about the fondue:
-the fondue itself was served lukewarm, so we often found ourselves having to stir it. I think perhaps the rechauds were not big enough/hot enough.
-it also wasn't thick enough, from my experience, which leads me to believe they skimped on how much of the cheeses they used, adding plain old milk as filler.
-the baguette they served for dipping was "fresh", as written on the menu. Baguette for fondue should be crispy, not fresh. In fact, when I've had fondue in Europe, the bread was either slightly toasted after cutting/ripping, or it was left out to stale slightly before serving. They also didn't serve it with enough bread. There should always be enough bread to use all the cheese, to a point where la religieuse (toasted cheese) is exposed, and can be peeled out and eaten. I've had it served before, where the waiter regularly asked us if we needed more bread (free of course), so perhaps it was our fault for not asking for more, but I think I wanted to see if they offered it first.
-If you're developing fondue recipes for a restaurant known for its amazing beer selection, couldn't they have thought of a more interesting beer than Stella Artois to use for the Cheese and Lager fondue?????
-Cornichons, grape tomatoes, asparagus, herb fritters, etc., were some of the common dippers also served. I was happy to see the cornichons for tradition's sake, but missed some of the other regulars like apples and potatoes.
-Only one of the 4 fondues was diluted with alcohol. I would have liked to see more interesting pairings, especially from a place like Bier Market, because they have access to so much.
The dessert fondues were basic. Chocolate and caramel/toffee, served with a selection of cookies, and not nearly enough bananas and strawberries. Super rich, sweet fondues are best served with tangy fruits, for the contrast and balance. The cookies were overkill, but good on their own I suppose. The bananas tasted green, even through the sweetness of the chocolate. Oh, and the dishes were all served without the rechauds lit. One of MANY service-fails that evening. That being said, our waitress scored points with me for her product knowledge. I had ordered a couple bottles of Éphémère (Apple) beer from the Unibroue brewery (Quebec). They are likely most well known in Ontario for La Fin du Monde. I'd never had it before, but figured it would be a good pairing. After my first bottle, the waitress asked how I liked it, and was able to offer up information on the distinct brewing process, the label artwork, the history, and recommend similar products. Very impressed. Would have loved to see that beer used in one of the fondues. I might just make my own, after a road-trip to the Quebec border.
The Yelp party headed out around 9pm, but Bryan C. was already pointing out the very noticeable change in demographic that was filing in slowly. The 2 of us stayed to finish our beers and let our food settle. During this time, who I assume were the manager and a member of the waitstaff, came over to remind us we had to be out by 9:30pm, while other staff members pulled the table cloths off the now empty adjoining tables, and carted them off. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and I hate being pressured. We each had maybe 250mL of beer left, and the food had been cleared, so it wasn't like we looked like we were in it for the long-haul. Working in the bar industry, as I do, I think it's quite sad when you make it painfully clear to your dinner guests that their $50 spent on a quality dining experience is not as important as the $20/person avg of your soon to be messily intoxicated crowd.
I don't think I would consider eating here again. It's great for the beer. Take out? ;)
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