It all started with a grilled cheese sandwich and a goat statue.
Drew and I were two hours into the Local Connections Wine and Spirits Gala when we stumbled upon a magical food concoction – a smoked bacon and valley apple grilled cheese. The creator of this foodie wonder: a very stubborn goat.
And since it’s customary to kiss the chef for a job well done, I did.
Eager for more grilled cheese, Drew snapped a picture and entered us to win their #RoyalGoat package – a VIP dinner package good for Sunday only in honour of the Royal Visit.
Long story short, we won the package. I never win anything, so I was pretty stoked (though after seeing subsequent photos of people tongue-kissing the goat, I kinda feel like the win was fair payment for the germs I willingly engaged with).
And so, Sunday night, we bussed down to Grafton to indulge in some wine and food. It was quite the spread. The prize package was good for any two sharing plates, a bottle of wine, and any two main meals we wanted.
It took very little discussion to settle on the mixed meat and cheese board and the fully loaded fries to start. The loaded fries change daily. On Sunday, the toppings included curried lamb, goats milk cheese curds, and spinach. The spinach was one of the most interesting and surprisingly excellent poutine toppings we’ve encountered.
The cheese and meat board was a mix of house-cured meats and selections from one of our favourite local shops, Ratinaud. And while one can never go wrong with a charcuterie board, we particularly liked the beet puree (mixed with what our tastebuds best suggested was ginger or nutmeg – I don’t know – I’m an eater, not an analyzer).
I would have been happy to have skipped the mains for more shared plates. Tapas are my favourite way to eat. But I wasn’t sad about the mains. Since our meatless January and our $200 food budget challenge in February, we have dramatically reduced our carnivore ways. So our time at the Goat was a huge indulgence, and rare treat. Drew ordered the bacon wrapped beef tenderloin (rare) with parsnip chips on a parsnip puree.
I went with the beef short ribs, a huge (HUGE) portion of braised, slow-cooked beef ribs served with gnocchi. We both agreed that, while both meals were good, Drew made the better decision.
Regular readers take note – as someone who avoids wheat, this whole weekend has been one bad decision after another.
Stubborn Goat is arguably best known for their sharing plates and huge craft beer selection. They have an impressive 20 taps (though some are used for the big commercial players), and countless bottles of specialty beer (check out their “Cellar Program” that includes some very special selections).
All-in-all, an excellent meal, worth a germy kiss and worthy of a #RoyalGoat.
Location:
1579 Grafton Street
Halifax, NS
Hours:
Daily: 11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
Website: http://www.stubborngoat.ca/
Want to make more excellent craft beer decisions? Check out our Complete Craft Beer Guide to Nova Scotia.
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@GillianWesleyNS
@DrewMooreNS
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