I adore poutine and was ready for the real thing after a lengthy day of travel. Luckily, we’re staying a few doors down from the closet-sized Patati Patata, a restaurant highly recommended by Montreal Poutine. I took a seat at the counter and ordered the Poutines Classique and a 10 oz pour of Boréale Rousse. The poutine was delicious – the perfect meld of frites, creamy gravy and firm cheese curds. The beer washed my palette clean nicely between bites. Our hunger satisfied, we headed north to Dieu de Ciel. There was a Japanese beer event scheduled for that night and the place was packed. We fought our way to the bar and ordered beers. I went with the Ochamena Bi-Ru while Tom chose the Chaman, both brewed by Dieu de Ciel. The Ochamena was quite tasty though I could not discern what made it so. It was listed as Ochamena au Sarrazin et Thés Japonais, which turns out to be buckwheat and Japonese tea. Very interesting flavor qualities – I’d like to try it again with a fresher palette. Tom’s Imperial Pale Ale was also very drinkable. We grew tired of being jostled by the crowd and headed back towards our lodging. We decided to duck into Reservoir, a brewpub around the corner from our apartment. Tom enjoyed the IPA while I ordered a small Blanche. The Blanche reaked of sulfur which impaired the drinking experience greatly. I ordered a small cream ale next while Tom had a stout – both were served on nitrogen. The stout was the best of the bunch in our opinion. We headed to bed after that. Mondial next and a return visit to Dieu de Ciel…
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When the e-mail announcing The Mermaid Inn’s new Blue Plate Special appeared in my inbox on Monday, I took notice. A lobster sandwich, fries and a bottle of Blue Point Toasted Lager for $20? Count me in. I’ve enjoyed several meals at Mermaid Inn in the past and found the food delicious, the atmosphere charming, and the service excellent. So Wednesday evening I met my friend and fellow degustation advisor, Chris Cuzme, at the East Village location. I had made reservations but we opted to eat at the bar instead. The bartender was attentive and our orders were quickly taken. Tasty crackers are provided to take the edge off of your appetite and the beer bottle is served very cold with a small water glass to drink out of. Blue Point’s Toasted Lager is a clean beer with a subtle toasted maltiness and enough hops to balance but not distract. I consider it a great food beer as it pairs nicely with almost anything. Mermaid’s lobster sandwich is no exception. The lobster salad is on a brioche roll instead of the traditional bun and is served with fries seasoned with Old Bay. This is a tasty combination – the sweetness of the lobster salad melding nicely with the buttery bun and contrasting with the spiced saltiness of the fries. And it washes down nicely with a swallow of the Blue Point. In lieu of a dessert menu, a small pot of chocolate pudding is provided at the end of your meal along with a Fortune Teller Fish, a novelty that I remember fondly from childhood. This was a delightful meal.
What you need to know: The Blue Plate Special is available from 5:30-7 pm daily and sounds like it will change monthly. The restaurant filled quickly around 6 pm – I recommend making a reservation on OpenTable just in case. You can always choose to sit at the bar if there is room. The special is available at both locations – the original in the East Village and the newer on the Upper West Side. How good of a deal is it? The sandwich normally costs $26 and I’m guessing the beer runs $5 or 6 (I forgot to check), so this is a heck of a bargain. I’ll be returning several times before the end of the month and I recommend you do the same.