Port Pub/Sea Level

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GuingesRock
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Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GuingesRock » Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:12 pm

We went to the Port Pub (my local) this evening for supper and sat out on the deck by the water (Cornwallis river estuary). Roast beef and Yorkshire was the special. Their specials are usually the best thing and really well done, so we usually go for them, whatever they happen to be.

We had their "Summer Blond" ...I love that beer! and everyone seems to be having a glass of it when you go there lately. The last one that he made, that I really liked, was his Rojo Diablo Double IPA in February, we had quite a few of them and then Randy showed my wife and I around his brewery Sea Level Brewing Co. which is behind the pub as a separate business. That was a great day!

There have been some beers I wasn’t so keen on … might be a personal taste thing. You can get a taster tray and try them all. But! like the specials…the summer blond is really Nice and I can’t wait to go back for another! …and it is on the chalk board as a special!

Tuesday’s open mic. night is the best night to go there! My wife knows most of the local musicians which makes it even more fun.

...I see they are closed on Sat 27th for a wedding.
-Mark
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by mikeorr » Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:59 am

I was there last weekend - sadly they were all out of several of the SL brews so I couldn't try the tasting board, but between the Port Pub and another local Wolfville restaurant I was able to try the Pale Ale, Rojo Mojo Red, Blue Heron ESB, and the Summer Blond Pilsner. Liked them all, but I'd say the Summer Blond was my least favourite.

I enjoyed the beers, but sadly our experience at the Port Pub (in terms of the food) wasn't as good; even though their menu marked several items as 'Gluten Free', we found out from our server that they actually aren't - many of them are cross-contaminated in the deep fryer (imo they shouldn't be marked as GF on the menu!). As a result, my partner couldn't really eat there - we expected more, especially from a location that at least was once a member of Taste of Nova Scotia.

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by jason.loxton » Fri Jul 19, 2013 4:15 pm

Only tangentially related, but you can blame all the people who suddenly have gluten 'intolerances' for the new blase attitude towards gluten free labeling: http://jezebel.com/5991724/will-everyon ... me-kind-of" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by jherbin » Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:48 pm

Thanks for the gluten-free link. My partner is celiac (a diagnoses that is not pleasant to go through) and we were sad when the port pub gutted their previous offerings in the gluten-free realm. That said, I've been a line cook and met lots of line cooks and not everyone reads all the ingredients on what they're using at work...a lot of people assume that if it isn't breaded/you didn't add wheat flour to it, it must be gluten free! We have just decided not to eat out anymore until more places get a separate space to prepare GF foods - pretty much everything has some sort of wheat/malt/oats in it theses days. My wife is also type 1 diabetic so eating gluten really messes with her blood glucose levels and is bad for her iron. Its sad that things like this have become a fad when they're a legit dietary necessity for some people.

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GuingesRock » Sat Jul 20, 2013 8:30 am

I’m afraid I’m one of those bad people. I stay away from high glycemic foods (basically flour and sugar) completely as a way of not getting overweight. I get plenty of fibre from oatmeal and veg. This low fat thing that society went though over the past decade or two was a disaster, and I think responsible for all the obesity. Everything was labeled “zero grams of fat” and was all made of flour and sugar. Do you remember the old Canada health guide pyramid. The main bit at the bottom was all grains and cereals. No wonder we have an explosion of obesity.

I can understand the frustrations of true celiacs though. As a side issue. Celic disease is now much more common than was originally thought. It can be diagnosed with a simple blood test (TTG) that became available over the last couple of years. Before the blood test came along, it could only be diagnosed by intestinal biopsy, usually taken at endoscopy, and few were subjected to that, most were labeled as irritable bowel syndrome.

It’s a new fad, but one that I like. Much better than the “low fat” one, that was a disaster. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats are, however, in my opinion, really toxic, and are believed to be responsible for 25% of the heart disease in North America.

I have attended many true celiacs, in my line of work, and they nearly all seem to be fantastically slim, fit and healthy and seem to live for ever. I think that is one condition that might be a blessing in disguise.

Avoiding flour and sugar is the most effective weight loss regimen that I know of, and the only one, in my opinion, that works long term.

If a restaurant is making an effort to provide meals that aren’t cramming you full of bread. That’s at least a step in the right direction. As said. I understand the frustration that someone with an extreme intolerance to gluten would have from failed expectations.

I think a restaurant has to give a warning such as “may have been in contact with gluten in the kitchen” to cover themselves, in case someone has a serious allergy to gluten. Same with peanut allergies, which can be fatal. I think a similar severe allergy to trace amounts of gluten is rare though.
-Mark
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GuingesRock » Sun Jul 21, 2013 12:07 pm

The Port Pub says at the bottom of their online menu: "(*) Gluten free options, to the best of our ability, as we are a "Non-Gluten Free" kitchen."
From Chronical Herald July 16th…

A more true lobster poutine can be found in the Annapolis Valley, specifically at the Port Pub and Bistro in Port Williams.

The Port Pub nails it. It feels like poutine, even looks like poutine. The fries and the cheese curds (also from Fox Hill) are there. And instead of gravy, the dish is bathed in a creamy lobster sauce that lavishes your taste buds. Small chunks of lobster add a strike of flavour and texture that pushes the meal into the territory of the divine.

It started as a one-off special about two years ago when Port Pub head chef Peter Welton and sous-chef Louis Acker had some extra lobster cream sauce they were using for a pasta. Welton had heard of lobster poutine by then and decided to give it a try. It became a huge hit and is still on the menu.

Acker, who took over as head chef when Welton left, reveals that their lobster sauce involves a basic roux and whipping sauce mixed with white wine, fresh chives, garlic, basil and shallots.

Where the Dennis Point Cafe meal is subtler in taste and presentation, the Port Pub sauce is richer, with a stronger flavour. Your preference will depend on how much you like rich food, but both are fantastic.

The day I called the Port Pub, Acker had just served a table of six who all ordered lobster poutine. “We’re selling it for about $12 apiece right now, and people just absolutely love it. It’s become the up-and-trending thing. It’s just a matter of time. Everywhere you go, people are starting to incorporate it into their own menu.”
ps. My wife just told me one of her work friends has Celiac disease, and when they go for lunch, the Port is the "only place her friend can go" because of the gluten free options.
-Mark
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by benwedge » Fri Jul 26, 2013 8:51 am

[quote="jherbin"a lot of people assume that if it isn't breaded/you didn't add wheat flour to it, it must be gluten free! We have just decided not to eat out anymore until more places get a separate space to prepare GF foods - pretty much everything has some sort of wheat/malt/oats in it theses days. [/quote]
I've tried to minimize my gluten intake. A night with a half-dozen beer, a few slices of pizza (even healthy thin-crust like Morris East), and a bit of gluten spread out through the day makes me feel awful the next morning. I find if everything else in my diet is basically Paleo then I can have a bunch of beer and feel okay. It's definitely tough to find restaurant menu items that aren't full of gluten though. It's all burgers and wraps with a side of fries/rice. Carbs, carbs, carbs.
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GuingesRock » Sat Aug 17, 2013 8:40 am

I don’t suppose anyone is going to the Port Pub (Sea Level Brewery) in Port Williams, by Wolfville, today. I’m going today for lunch, will be there about 11.30 am before the rush so can get a table. I don’t have a brewnoser T shirt, but I’m tallish, English acent + wife (Kathleen) and 4 year old (Max) will be with me. Will probably be sitting outside by the river. Should be lovely out there.
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GuingesRock » Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:55 pm

Pics...
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-Mark
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by chalmers » Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:32 pm

Looks like a great day on the patio. How are the beers and food?

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GuingesRock » Sat Aug 17, 2013 4:24 pm

chalmers wrote:Looks like a great day on the patio. How are the beers and food?
Yes it was, and A+ for me on both counts. It's our "local".
-Mark
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Jimmy » Sat Feb 01, 2014 2:47 pm

Will be at Port in about 20 min or so for a beer or two.

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GuingesRock » Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:29 pm

Damn! We're in Halifax today. Otherwise would join you.

Cheers

PS. Recomend Blue Heron or Wee Heavy.

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-Mark
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Smckeane » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:08 pm

was there last Friday. Wee heavy was perfect as a winter warmer after some eagle watching. Then picked up a mixed 6, heron, red, pale ale. Very nice little sampler.

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Jimmy » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:12 pm

Had the Mojo Red and Wee Heavy.

On our way to Boston Pizza now for a birthday party lol

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Jimmy » Sat Apr 05, 2014 10:56 pm

Is that so..
sealevel.jpg
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by CorneliusAlphonse » Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:15 pm

Jeeeeesus I bought a pint of their altbier at Stillwell tonight. Traded it for about 8oz of north saison with my buddy. Fucking hideous.
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Jimmy
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Jimmy » Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:17 pm

CorneliusAlphonse wrote:Jeeeeesus I bought a pint of their altbier at Stillwell tonight. Traded it for about 8oz of north saison with my buddy. Fucking hideous.
Maybe it wasn't kept cold? :lol:

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Jimmy » Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:28 pm

So if you treat it like milk, does that mean you dump it down the drain after 2 weeks in the fridge?

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by NASH » Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:29 pm

No pastur what?? :lol:

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by JohnnyMac » Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:47 am

NASH wrote:No pastur what?? :lol:
Lol. Need a dickchenary there.
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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by mr x » Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:06 am

:silent: :lol:
At Alexander Keith's we follow the recipes first developed by the great brewmaster to the absolute letter. :wtf:

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Jimmy » Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:10 am

In all seriousness, though..Becky lucked out on a can of their beer a couple weeks back. It was pretty decent, and had been kicking around the house for a month or more before she opened it.

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by GAM » Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:02 am

Had 2 cans Alt and red. Both as full as you could make them. Alt was low in carb and tasted oxidized. The red was alright but not outstanding.

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Re: Port Pub/Sea Level

Post by Jayme » Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:58 pm

I'm pretty sure warm milk in a butter churner turns into butter slower than a warm Sea Level beer.... I think the slogan should be changed to "treat it like a topping for popcorn".
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