The Bar Towel

Finally got the chance to go. Excellent and highly recommended. Beers in first-class condition, well chosen with an eye to the different markets.

My favourite was Galt Knife Lager. This beer is just about the perfect full-tasting but lower-gravity (just under 5%) lager. Great food and well-priced.

Gary

G.M. Gillman wrote:Finally got the chance to go. Excellent and highly recommended. Beers in first-class condition, well chosen with an eye to the different markets.

My favourite was Galt Knife Lager. This beer is just about the perfect full-tasting but lower-gravity (just under 5%) lager. Great food and well-priced.

Gary

Haven't yet been here, but have to wholeheartedly agree with you about the Knife. One of my favourite session brews; lower ABV and highly flavourful. Just restocked my fridge yesterday.

I've been to Wvrst a few times now and have really enjoyed it. I am a little worried as to how long it will survive. Each time I've been there the staff has outnumbered the customers and once I was the only customer. It may be partly due to my late afternoon timing but I really hope they are busier at lunch and in the evenings. I'd hate to see them close.

Wvrst just confirmed that they will be part of Toronto Beer Week this year! Big plans in the works.

good to hear

free bacon wrote:I've been to Wvrst a few times now and have really enjoyed it. I am a little worried as to how long it will survive. Each time I've been there the staff has outnumbered the customers and once I was the only customer. It may be partly due to my late afternoon timing but I really hope they are busier at lunch and in the evenings. I'd hate to see them close.

I went for the first time on Monday and the crowd was light, but not too bad...The weird thing was the mix: Half was 20-somethings, and the other half was Boomers (who all seemed to look a little bewildered upon entering). Maybe it was reviewed in Toronto Life...

JeffPorter wrote:The weird thing was the mix: Half was 20-somethings, and the other half was Boomers (who all seemed to look a little bewildered upon entering). Maybe it was reviewed in Toronto Life...

Page 81 of the latest issue.

FINALLY went here tonight. The place was absolutely PACKED - we waited 10 minutes in line just to place our order, and nearly every seat in the place was taken. Seemed to be some kind of work party going on, so that might have accounted for some of the crowd, plus the Toronto (Shall Not Be Nameds) hockey game was on the big screen, plus it was Saturday night on King West (probably one of the more annoying 'hoods in the city, IMO). All that said, the two of us had a great time. We ended up sitting at the bar and despite the crowds, were served our drinks in a ridiculously prompt fashion, and our food came out in a very reasonable time.

I had the Venison sausage with dijon and red pepper topped with 'kraut and sauteed jalapenos and a pint of BO Nutcracker to start. My partner had the Bratwurst woth 'kraut and sauteed onions and a Smashbomb. We shared a large order of duck fat fries. Everything was so, so delicious, and the beer was very fresh. Halfway through our meal they tapped a keg of Peche Mortel (seems to be popping up a lot in the city lately).

Would recommend the place to anyone - for food and/or drink - and will definitely be returning soon, though it'll probably be early afternoon or a weeknight next time.

I also visited for the first time this week. Went Thurs and maybe 25 people when I got there at 6:30. Had a beer at the bar while waiting for a friend. Bartender was friendly and I actually liked the total lack of TVs, as no leaf game was on.

Had a few more beers and the guinea fowl...all great...maybe slightly dry on the sausage.

By the time we left, before 11...it was packed, with only a few patches of seats left.

It seems to have caught on, which is great, as I'll go back.

Is the music still at ear-blasting volumes?

midlife crisis wrote:Is the music still at ear-blasting volumes?

It was pretty loud last night, but I just chalked that up to it being Sat. night downtown. Is it like that every night?

Since to see some seasonals. Must go for a visit soon.

I hadn't noticed ear-blasting music any time I've been (including Saturdays) but then we've never been there really late. Hopefully this isn't something new that they're doing across the board time-wise. I shouldn't have to yell, lean in or the combination of both to be heard and "WHAT?!" shouldn't have to be uttered.

It was pretty loud last night, but I just chalked that up to it being Sat. night downtown. Is it like that every night?

Way too loud for me, the one and only time I went (mid-week). YMMV.

I don't mind it when busy but mid-week after work I've found it usually quite quiet. The beers are very good in part because the lines are cleaned monthly (they post the dates). An Urquell there recently was exemplary, leaving rings on the glass and as good as the same beer I had in Prague last year.

The Paulaner helles is good too, most German lager imports never taste quite right to me - maybe they don't travel well as the old saying goes - but this pint was excellent.

I'm starting to think though that clean draft lines is the most important factor to quality, all things being equal.

A draft Guinnness at a mid-town bar last month startled me by its freshness, it was quite like a milder craft porter. The owner happened to be serving and when I commented on the beer he said the draft lines were cleaned regularly and carefully, and he believed that was an important factor to the beer's quality.

Gary

G.M. Gillman wrote:I don't mind it when busy but mid-week after work I've found it usually quite quiet. The beers are very good in part because the lines are cleaned monthly (they post the dates). An Urquell there recently was exemplary, leaving rings on the glass and as good as the same beer I had in Prague last year.

The Paulaner helles is good too, most German lager imports never taste quite right to me - maybe they don't travel well as the old saying goes - but this pint was excellent.

I'm starting to think though that clean draft lines is the most important factor to quality, all things being equal.

A draft Guinnness at a mid-town bar last month startled me by its freshness, it was quite like a milder craft porter. The owner happened to be serving and when I commented on the beer he said the draft lines were cleaned regularly and carefully, and he believed that was an important factor to the beer's quality.

Gary

Pls forward to the management at the Rhino, thx.