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| - Well, this Saturday, my girlfriend and I planned a double-date dinner, because even though the boys are best friends, they would likely not see one another if it wasn't for our coordination. Knowing we had a 10 PM Second City show downtown made for a perfect excuse to get my Beast fix. Finally.
Beast is hidden away on the corner of a neighbourhood street in a house that previously was home to restaurants like Amuse Bouche (Jason Innis) and Lotus (Susur Lee). While the summer months tout a fair-sized patio, tonight, the cozy 35-40 seat room is the only option on offer (and rightfully so, at -5 F). On the walls hang unusual paintings of personified animals, assumably the "Beasts" representing the restaurants nose-to-tail approach. It's quirky yet inviting, and makes me feel that I'm enjoying a casual meal at a close colleagues house. The dining room itself is a mere few steps from the small bar and kitchen, the latter through which you practically walk through to find the ladies room at the back. Understandably, with so little space and so many beast-digesting high -speed metabolisms going off, the room got a tiny bit hot. This does not happen often to me, and for that reason, I can't even consider it much of a flaw since I would rather strip off one of my (many) layers, than shiver through a drafty dinner. So just a little tip ladies, slap on an extra layer of ladies speed stick and see this as an excuse to show a little shoulder. Now, thankfully, despite the tight quarters, the spacing allowed for adequate room between tables, and enough intimacy for our party. Speaking of intimacy, other than a brief roudy moment around the restaurant's climactic hour at 8 PM, and an eerily stint of silence around 9 PM, I was very pleased with the moderate noise level throughout the night. I could hear my server, and my friends, and didn't leave the restaurant sans voice. Miracle!
Service was remarkably friendly, laid-back, and attentive. The servers consistently replenished our table's communal water bottle, cleared our dishes in a timely pace, and ensured that the meal was spaced out appropriately. I particularly appreciated the servers' enthusiasm each time a new plate came or left our table. I mean, it's not like I need a pep talk to get myself excited for STP but a positive attitude from restaurant staff always seems to enhance good flavours.
Drinks at Beast include a good spread of local and international wines, artisanal beers and ciders, and about 6 house-made cocktails. While most of our party stuck with beer (Beau's etc.), I went with the cocktail list which touted a good balance of classic stand-bys (ie. Caesar, Negroni, Manhattan), and unique recipes. Over the course of the night, we sampled their Caesar (standard recipe), French Martini (Grey Goose Vodka, Chambord Raspberry Liqeur, Pineapple Juice), and the Victorian Lady (Victoria Gin, St. Germain Edlerflower Liquer, Lemon Juice, Sparkling Wine). The martini was very smooth with a good level of fruit and sweet, while the Lady had a really gorgeous floral note. Being a sparkling wine bevvy, it wasn't the kind of thing I could order all night long, but certainly a great way to start. The boys also got themselves into the Scotch and a little Sauternes, which turned out to be the perfect distraction so us girls could get a head start on dessert.
The menu at Beast is broken into vegetables, fish and meat, all served as small plates with encouragement to share. With nearly everything made in house, Beast aims to showcase the best of Ontario's ingredients with decadent and unapologetically hearty comfort food. While I was assured the menu changes seasonally, I was pleased (okay, so I was elated) to see that the menu item fueling my visit was still available (bring on that bowl of caramel). Advised to select approximately 2-3 dishes were person, we ended up going with:
Parker House Rolls & Mini Baguette- Oh yum. I try not to fill up on bread in a restaurant, but when it looks as good as this, I have absolutely no shame. The parker roll was buttery and fluffy, while the baguette had a gorgeous chewy crust. Had there been more than one of each per person, we might not have made it to dessert (and what a massive shame that would have been!)
Fried Pickles & Buttermilk Ranch Dressing ($5)- While the pickle "chip" variety turned out to be easier to eat than the mini-pickle versions I always make, I missed getting that wicked burst of tangy pickle juice after I cracked through the batter shell. Regardless, I still certainly found these pickles tasty, particularly since the ranch dressing stood in for the sour factor I was missing in the pickle itself.
Pickle Plate ($4)
A really lovely selection of unique pickle flavours that included fennel, pumpkin, parsnip, celery and beet. My personal favourite was...
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