Hurry to Harricana, Says Jean-Philippe Tastet

Forget what you think you know about beer bars, begins the critic for Le Devoir, in his rave review of Brasserie Harricana today. "En entrant ici, vous entrez dans une nouvelle dimension." Put Jean-Philippe Tastet firmly in the camp of the new, and popular, Park Ex–Little Italy–Mile-Ex adjacent craft brewery and restaurant. From architect Alain Carle's plan to the solicitous service, Harricana is a brewpub cut from a different cloth.

Comments about Harricana's beers are limited, though, in fairness, Tastet calls the list "éblouissante" and gives a nod to the excellent ciders in stock. The critic's focus is on the food, clearly. Roasted carrots with thyme and honey, and beets with greens whet the appetite to start. Then, on to more substantial fare in a monkfish burger and a monster rib eye. "La viande était tendre comme une soirée d’été en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, servie bleue tel que demandé. Un gigantesque plat de frites maison arriva, qui m’acheva." A slice of delicious Queen Elizabeth cake for dessert and Tastet can take in no more. Verdict: a big thumbs up for Harricana. "Allez-y un soir de grande faim," counsels the critic. "Tout est préparé avec soin." Add Lesley Chesterman's recent three-star review and Harricana's on a roll.