I am going to talk again about the Hare&Hounds. For the beer lover, real ale amateur that I am, I was sorely dissapointed, as you know. Because I like to try different/rare beers in such a place, I don't want to get something I can find almost anywhere else. In other words, I'd like the local beers, especially the home-made beers, to be available. I don't go to L'Amère à Boire in Montréal hoping to get a Boréale I can find in the nearest dépanneur. Not that I don't like the Boréale (or the Brakspear, for that matter), but I expect home beers in local breweries/pubs. Something I know I will get in l'Amère à Boire, and in a wide variety. That said, my wife had a decent cappucino, and the menu is really, really tempting. I'd give a lot to try their lamb, their venison and even their cod. It's a pretty common fish, and white flesh isn't exactly exciting, but the recipe they have, with red cabbage, shallots and beetroots, is simply mouth watering. And it's Lent after all, and I promessed to my wife not to eat meat, i.e. anything coming from a warm blooded animal. It wouldn't feel like so much of a sacrifice if I was having that fish. The pub in itself is really nice, the staff are friendly, the tables are comfy, it's not too old-fashioned for VeggieCarrie (she likes "modern" pubs). That said, at £2 the bowl of nuts, £15 the aforementioned cod, there is only a slim chance we will get back there. There is no point going to a fancy pub (and it sure is fancy) if they don't have the main attraction.
