The Butchery opened awhile back but I’ve never able to drop by during their off-sale dates to snag some bread and meat. They only offer it on certain dates so check their website for the latest info. As of now, the fall dates are set at September 22-24 and October 20-22, 2016.
That’s beside the point. M and T invited me out to The Butchery’s very first event: Big Bottles in the Butchery. How’s it work? It’s no reservations, communal tables, small plates and big bottles (hence the event name). It was Tuesday night and surprisingly not very busy. If this was happening in Montreal, it would have been packed.
They have done an amazing job with the interior. You can’t see it but above the tables, there’s these vintage Bulbrite light bulbs (that I keep on seeing everywhere) hanging in these meat butcher fixings. So clever.
Close up of how gorgeous that fire oven is.
The small plates menu for the night.
Drinks. Wine by the glass or bottles if you fancy as fack.
There was even beer and ciders. Those ciders yeesh. $25.00 for one bottle?!?! I don’t know why I’m still shocked every time I see this.
Our waitress had to double check but the chef let us order from Rge Rd’s dessert menu. Score. I’ve actually never ate any of their dessert before.
Also some apres dinner drinks if you’re interested in a night cap.
Tenuta de angelis anghelos rosso ’12 ($15.00)
Like I said, M and T are the wine connoisseurs (they fancy) so they always are game for drinking something new. Smelled fantastic from the whiff I took.
Rabbit croquettes ($5.00)
With a chorizo aioli. These were more like arancini balls but with rabbit inside. Not bad.
Pork compression ($5.00)
With pickled onion. These pork compressions were BOMB. Totally worth the price tag. Fatty, meaty flavour. Funny how these came in three’s, which was perfect for us but not so much if you were a couple.
Wood baked flatbread ($4.00)
Bagna cauda, grizzly gouda and maloon salt. The flatbread didn’t live up to the description. It was pretty bare. Ours didn’t even have much cheese on it. The guys sitting beside us got one that was packed to the brim with cheese! WTF. Need to make friends with the chef apparently 😉
Porchetta di testa ($15.00)
Arugula sprouts, hemp seed pesto and pecorino. This porchetta was AMAZEBALLS. This might be one of the best dishes I’ve ate in a long, long time. Bursting to the seams with flavour and (good) fat.
Close up of the porchetta. Holy heavens. That pesto was icing on the cake. I want moreeeeeee. What I’ll never understand is why they don’t give you enough bread?!?!?
Pork liver pate toast ($10.00)
Tarragon pickled beets and baby greens. Gorgeous plating. The pork liver pate was quite potent. T really liked it but this one might not be for everyone’s palate.
Smoked pork belly ($10.00)
With a bacon-corn compote. Fatty, rich pork belly. Are you seeing a trend in the plates? The corn helped balance all the bacon and pork belly we were eating.
Hunter’s stew ($14.00)
Twice offal – seared & sausage, gnocchi and tomato. Another delicious dish! T was drinking the sauce like it was soup. This is Rge Rd bread and butter – they kill it on the wild game. The only thing we didn’t like about this dish was the gnocchi. The flour that they used tasted odd and gave it a grainy, off putting after taste.
Wild mushrooms toast ($10.00)
Garlic confit béchamel and shaved pecorino. The waitress was gushing about the wild mushrooms to everyone eating. The béchamel sauce was decadent and the mushrooms were indeed delicious. This was the whole package.
Pig skin carbonara ($14.00)
With baguette. We decided to try out their “carbonara” that was made to taste like noodles using pig skin as the catalyst. Verdict: we weren’t fans and I’d say we know our noodles. Not very tasty and wasn’t doing anything for us texturally.
Cappucino ($4.00)
Le Creuset game is strong. Cappucino on point (according to T).
Chocolate s’more ($9.50)
Flourless chocolate cake, marshmallow and graham tulle. M was craving dessert. Don’t you love when girls pretend like they don’t want dessert but they actually really, really want dessert? This s’more was nicely caramelized on top. The bottom was like a brownie – incredibly dense and rich. Personally, not my type of dessert but good enough to share between three.
We left very satisfied and I’m looking forward to the next event! Hope it’s a monthly thing. Now, can we be friends Chef Lebsack?
The Butchery
http://www.rgerd.ca/
10643 – 123 Street
Edmonton, AB
(780) 447-4577
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 