BLUE ELEPHANT PUB AND RESTAURANT 

90 Norfolk St. Street South,  Norfolk On. (519) 428-2886 

A group of us went to the Blue Elephant Restaurant and Pub on a Friday afternoon for an early dinner. It is located in Simcoe Ontario.  It is quite a large space and has a good variety of spaces.  

It has it's own brew store where you can buy beer that is brewed in their own brewery on the premises.

Daily specials are posted at the entry which makes it easy to see them in one place.

A rather large collection of craft brew bottles and cans is displayed in the bar area.

They have their own brewery that can be seen through a viewing window.

A couple of rooms are used for evening dinners.

The bar area is a good size and with a good view of the patio in the back.

The menu begins with a brief description of the brew house and its philosophy.  The menu is easy to follow and includes most typical pub dishes with a few twists. The prices are reasonable, with most mains costing less than 20 dollars.

The menu explains how the establishment has evolved over the years and become the first brew house in Norfolk County.

The menu is easy to follow and has a good variety of offerings with nothing over twenty dollars.

One of us began with a cosmo martini.

One of us began with a white wine.

the rest of us had a red wine.

One of us ordered the quiche special with onion soup. She liked the onion soup, but found the quiche rather ordinary.

One of us had the quiche special with spinach salad and feta and she enjoyed both.

Two of us had the fish and chip dinner one had one piece the other had two.  It was a typical fish and chip pub meal.

I had the lake erie whitefish pan fried in butter with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables.  This was a pretty good meal except the fish could have been hotter.

There is an outdoor patio with a variety of seating.

All in all it was a typical pub experience with a few twists and an interesting craft brewery.  We will come again when in the area.

http://blueelephant.ca/

THE OXLEY PUBLIC HOUSE 

121 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, On. (647) 348-1300 Lunch and Dinner 7 days a week

My two sons and I decided to try the Oxley, after searching out a new place to eat in Yorkville, on a very cold Saturday evening in February.  The Oxley doesn't look like much, until you step inside and experience its charm. 

The bar is well stocked and has a variety of draft beers.

The inside is very dark and extremely homey.  Once you sit down you just want to stay.

After selecting our pints, which included Innis and Gunn and Fullers London Pride, we decided to order from the bar menu.  The bar menu was typical of a pub with a new flair.  We reviewed the dinner menu and found it a little pricey and had items we were not familiar with.  We suggest you view their menu online before coming here.  

Mark (http://www.markallen.ca/) ordered the BLT with maple braised pork belly.  It was accompanied by a nice salad.  He really enjoyed it.

Thomas and I decided on the hand chopped burger and chips.  The burger looked small (like a slider), but it was far more satisfying than it looked.  It was very tasty and filling and accompanied by chips that were very good.  The chips came with an unusual tomato like dip that was unique and tasted like licorice. 

The atmosphere was comfortable, the service was efficient and friendly.  We noticed a variety of patrons here including families with children, couples and groups.  It is definitely an inviting and warm atmosphere.

http://theoxley.com/

CROWSNEST PUB

CROWSNEST PUB 3.25 out of 5

5 Bay Street, Tobermory On., N0H 2R0, 519-596-2575, Open 11 am to late night.

The Crowsnest Pub is located in the Big Tub harbour in Tobermory Ontario (at the very end of Highway 6 North).  It has a great location overlooking the harbour, where boats from near and far can be seen moored.  We have come to Tobermory on July long weekend for years and sometimes go  to the Crowsnest Pub.

We came here on Sunday for dinner and were seated on the deck outside with somewhat of a harbour view.

We looked over the menus, which were easy to read.

Kathy (my sister in law) chose a Sleeman for a beverage while I had a Pabst Blue Ribbon. My wife had a nice light, red wine.

We skipped appetizers and went for the mains.  We all ordered the grilled whitefish (which is fished locally).  My wife and Kathy had the fish plain.

I had mine with lemon-butter seasoning.

All mains came with baked potatoes, coleslaw, sliced tomato and dinner roll with butter.  Unfortunately all three of our baked potatoes were undercooked.  However the waitress had them reheated and they were better, but still a little hard.

 It was a rather ordinary meal.  The location and surroundings added to the experience.  We later discussed that we did not like some of the renovations that made the interior more like a cafeteria and less like a homey pub that it was before the renovations.  

They have entertainment some evenings.

All in all it was a pleasant evening in a nice location.  The service was good, the menu was reasonable (the wine selection could be improved with a wider selection), the beer was cold and the evening was warm.

http://crowsnestpub.ca/

THE EXCHANGE (Rideau Centre) 

ByWard Market, Lower Town, Rideau Centre, 50 Rideau Street, Ottawa ON., (613) 234-5544

Went to the Exchange in the Rideau Shopping Centre by myself while my son and wife went shopping.  I was hungry and thirsty so I decided to try their menu after seeing various dishes the patrons were eating.  There were plenty of large windows facing the mall so it was easy to see what kind of food was being served.  

I decided to sit at the bar and asked what kind of California wine they had.  The bartender Robin suggested a nice Cabernet, so I tried it - it was delicious.

After trying to make up my mind as to what to choose from the menu, I decided on the shepherds pie with house salad ($12.50).  It came in a cast iron pan and was a generous portion.  It was satisfying, but a little bland.  The salad was just ordinary.  

The service by Robin the bartender was very efficient, the food was satisfying and the wine was awesome what more do you need for lunch in Ottawa (a beautiful city).




http://www.theexpub.com/