A meat-eater’s Valhalla

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/05/2017 (3267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

First, let’s talk design.

The latest addition to the city’s cool and crowded artisanal gastropub scene, this Fort Rouge brewery and restaurant comes out of a massive, months-long reno that transformed the traditional Tudor-styled Round Table — a longstanding south end landmark — into a striking new space.

Brazen Hall’s clean-lined exterior combines buff brick, the rust of corten steel and tall black-framed windows. The high-ceilinged interior has a warm industrial vibe, with lots of wood reclaimed from the old venue.

The fittings and furnishings reference everything from hipsters to Vikings to Vegas, but somehow everything comes together in an integrated esthetic that looks and feels good. The Hall also offers different kinds of seating, depending on your mood and mode, with stools ringing a big central bar, a loungey area with a fireplace near the front, and some cocooned, curving banquettes at the back.

There are intimate spots for first-date conversations, as well as long, sturdy Beowulf-ish tables and benches offering communal seating. (Sitting with strangers isn’t for everyone, but I met some swell people when I opted in. And this being one-degree-of-separation Winnipeg, we found out we had friends in common.)

Beer is big here, with head brewer Jeremy Wells overseeing the onsite production. (Check the sidebar to see what Free Press wine writer Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson has to say about two possibilities.)

There are five beers on tap, several guest beers, as well as beer cocktails, which are kind of a thing now, and they have added flights. The Calvados-spiked Normandie has clear apple-y undertones, while the Girl Next Door, finished with lemon oil, is like a shandy with more oomph.

Food, from chef Derek Pauls, is inspired in scope but occasionally inconsistent in execution. The menu mixes up high-end bar snacks and creative takes on comfort food, some of which work well as shared plates.

Brazen Hall is a meat-eater’s Valhalla, starting with the “hamborgari.” Rather than getting super-cute with condiments, it really comes down to two excellent beef patties just barely contained by a house-baked Vienna roll. (That second patty isn’t some add-on, by the way. This burger starts with two.)

The smash steak sandwich is prepared sous vide, yielding an even, juicy tenderness that is seared to finish and drizzled with verdant, bright chimichurri. Too bad that the garlic-buttered sourdough underneath is a bit flimsy.

Braised short ribs, served with a cauliflower-potato mash, are fall-off-the-bone tender, though the stout in the sauce could have been more emphatic and the whole dish could have left the kitchen hotter. In a nod to the location’s Round Table past, prime rib (unsampled) is served on the weekends.

For diners not hepped on red meat, the fish and chips are a standout, with Manitoba pickerel and crisped skinny fries offset with sharp pickled red onion. Like some of the other dishes, this item is served in a shallow metal tray, strangely reminiscent of (very upscale) prison food.

Nashville hot chicken is a puzzle. The heat in the sauce is irresistible, but the overall gloppiness just swamps the moist buttermilk-marinated meat.

The lovely mac and cheese is creamy, never stodgy, but Vietnamese noodles are blandly underwhelming.

Sampled starters were good, including spiced bar nuts on the right edge of bitter and ruby-red beet chips. Cauliflower tempura is tasty, though on one night the soy glaze clumped up a bit in salty concentration. As with many dishes at Brazen Hall, it comes in a hefty portion, easily shared among four.

For dessert, citrus semifreddo with shortbread crumble is rich but refreshing.

The wine list is short but adventurous, and there’s something refreshingly frank and Manitoban about the way the really pricey bottles are announced with the headline “Hey, Big Spender.”

Menu shortages are still a problem at this point, but service is hospitable and attentive. As with many restaurants these days, you can’t get a reservation for less than eight people, and in busy periods the wait for a table can stretch out. But that’s not an unusual downside for big, buzzy night spots.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca