35 Elm StreetToronto, Canada
There are some evenings when you just want something different. The usual burger or Italian pizza just won't do. So, after searching through listings in Toronto Life Magazine, The Queen and Beaver seems like just the thing.
Nestled in a cozy corner on Elm Street, The Queen and Beaver is the perfect location when you want a couple of easy beers and a nice start to your night. Stepping inside only confirms this declaration, as you'll find that the owners have flawlessly recreated a quintessential (however upscale) English-style pub. The forest green walls are shelved with antique tea cups, and even the napkins on your dark oak table in the grand front foyer exude old-fashioned charm.
We're promptly greeted by our server, who delivers the specials of the evening with a friendly attitude. Immediately ready for a beer (as, what else would you have in a pub?), I am a little disappointed to find that the selection is not the greatest. There are a handful to choose from, however only one from England, and the rest are actually Canadian. I suppose, though, that one has to respect when a business owner support his local breweries. So moving on...
Everyone knows that England is not known for its fine cuisine. Most of the country's traditional dishes are very heavy, fatty and lacking in flavour. So when someone puts as much effort into the ambiance and innovation in the dishes as The Queen and Beaver does, you can't help it if your expectations are high.
To start, a shared appetizer of a mushroom and tarragon tart topped with a coddled egg. All I have to say is thank goodness that tart was befriended by the egg, as everything else within was fairly tasteless and dry.
I decided to go a hearty, meaty main, and selected the pork chop with pea dumplings, while my partner went for the oh-so-cliche "bangers n' mash". The pork chop itself was beautiful, the cut was perfect and well prepared to a medium temperature. Yet the sauce that accompanied it was over salted, which paired with the pork made for an almost-too-salty dish. Although edible, it could have been better. Speaking of edible, the pea dumplings, unfortunately, were not. I supposed what started out as a very imaginative idea ultimately tasted like (and even more sadly looked like) green play-dough. The dumpling lacked completely of any flavour resembling fresh peas, and the texture was truly gummy.
And lastly, the bangers and mash were nothing out of the ordinary, but really - what can a person expect when eating sausage and mashed potato? The plus on this plate was a nice gravy, which of course is somewhat of a religion in England.
If you're looking for a place with a great atmosphere to have a few beers, you certainly won't be disappointed with The Queen and Beaver. Who knows, the traditional old-England decor and ambiance in this restaurant is so well done, it might even be almost enough to forget about the food.
