BierCraft Tap & Tapas

It's a beautiful Friday mid-morning and the kids are in school. As parents of two boys with schedules busier than ours, it was nice to just be able to stop and take a break and breathe. Neither of us had to be at work, and so to satisfy that noon-day devil, we headed out to Biercraft Tap & Tapas on Commerical Drive.

Commerical Drive (originally named "Park Drive" in 1911) is a bustling centre of local businesses, residences, Italian Espresso bars and ethnic restaurants. Just walking down the Drive to do a bit of shopping is a treat in itself. But that's not what we came here for.

Originally looking for a quaint eatery called Stella's, we drove round and round in circles trying to locate this place. Stella's was recommended by a friend who said that their brunch was to die for. Little did we know that the BierCraft is the local hot-spot that was originally called Stella's Tap and Tapas.

The BierCraft is decorated in dark wood finishes and fanciful beer tap handles. We arrived before the lunch-rush, so the place was still empty with only one or two spots occupied. We had our pick of eating outdoors on the patio or inside. Looking around, we finally settled into a tall boy tucked into the far right corner. The glass sliding windows were wide open and we felt the pleasure of dining al fresco, but without the sun beating down on us.

Leafing through their menu (twice) I finally decided on the following choice from their brunch fare...a Frittata - the ultimate baked omelette full of roasted peppers, mushrooms, onions, spinach and feta. Served up with a side of hashbrowns and seasonal green salad. The meal was a perfect choice for this warm June afternoon. The frittata was not too heavy or greasy and the hashbrowns were nice and crisp. To top it all off, a refreshing side of seasonal greens lightly dressed in a warm raspberry vinaigrette.

Jean-François - I ordered a BLT. But wait it's no ordinary BLT - it was an ultimate BLT. Served on a lightly toasted croissant with Apple wood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, sundried tomato pesto aoli and a sweet slice of brie. The combination of the Apple wood-smoked bacon and sundried tomato pesto brought this very simple dish to a whole new level of delicious.

Of course there would be no point in going to the BierCraft without trying out at least one of the 120 Belgian & Craft Beers. I had La Chouffe, a twice fermented (i.e. in the barrel and in the bottle) golden ale. It was both flavourful and fruity, with a hint of coriander, albeit slightly hopped.

A MUST Eat here!