Restaurant Review: The Club

If you're anything like me, you like to get a feel for a restaurant before you go there - you seek them out online in hopes of finding some quality food porn, you most definitely search for their menu to see what they have to offer, and you probably search the interwebs for a review or two - in other words, you become a little bit of a stalker, which is possibly what has brought you here - welcome, you're not alone ;)

As mentioned in a previous post, since there are so many restaurants popping up in St. John's, and so many we've yet to try, my friends and I formed a group in which we try to visit a new/different restaurant each month - emphasis on 'try', as we only managed 7 in 2013. In any case, on January 6th, 2014 we hit the 1 year mark of outings, and decided, what better way to celebrate than by returning to our favourite spot?! After a quick poll, it was obvious we were heading back to The Club!

If you've never been, it's a pretty wicked spot. Not only does it have an awesome vibe, it has the best food! I kid you not. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy the food. Every time I go, I leave happy and very full!

I also really enjoy how they seem to work traditional Newfoundland into their entire menu, including the drinks! Case in point, the Jam Jam pictured below -  Purity Syrup, Grand Marnier, Iceberg Vodka and frozen Raspberries - served with an actual jam jam 'wedge' as garnish. They also serve a drink called the Humphy Dumphy, which has Newfie Screech & Pineapple Crush on the rocks. I mean, where else can you buy these?!

Fish 'n' Brewis

It doesn't look like much, ladies and gentlemen, but don't let this picture fool you, behold the deliciousness that is Fish 'n' Brewis. 'What is this masterpiece?' you ask? Well my friends, it's a very simple, very delicious, combination of 3 ingredients: Codfish, Hard Bread, and Scrunchions a.k.a. tiny fried pieces of pork fat. Next to Jigs Dinner, this is the quintessential Newfoundland food.

Now, I will admit, like most Newfoundland dishes, there are a few varieties. Some people like to mash potato into the mix, or substitute the scrunchions with fried onions (a much healthier alternative). There's also some discrepancies in the naming, I like to call the above fish 'n' brewis, while my husband and his family refer to it as Fisherman's Brewis and call Fish 'n' brewis a decomposed version of the dish served with potatoes. Either way, this is what comes to mind when I hear the words fish 'n' brewis, it is the best, and my favourite way to eat it... not that I'd turn down the other stuff ;)

Moose Stew

I know Newfoundland isn't the only place in the world where people hunt and serve up moose. I also realize they were foreign to the Province once upon a time, and were brought here wayyyy back when. But that doesn't change the fact that it's a delicious, lean, meat that can be prepared in many delicious Newfoundland dishes. Now you may remember the moose recipe I posted a while back for Moose Burgers (my fav way to eat moose by far), but this recipe is up there too, Homemade Moose Stew!