Bellwoods Brewery takes its name from the neighbourhood already home to that other makeshift drinking spot called Trinity Bellwoods Park. After seeing their storefront patio pop up along with a promising bar snacks menu we planned a first visit. Our anticipation grew as we eagerly waited in line for patio seats, but as the evening wore on mired by erratic service, cramped picnic table seating, and passable food, it all amounted to a somewhat disappointing night a few Saturdays ago.
Eaten:
The grilled oysters ($18) were unforgivably spongy, the micro-smorgasbord ($15) a messy plate of pâté and salami with olives and peanuts was overpriced and unimpressive, and the charred duck heart with jalapeno ($4), though tasty, couldn’t salvage the menu. Funnily enough, the only snack I enjoyed were the mashed beans with spring onions ($5), but of course, I ran out of film by the time we got it.
The main draw is of course the beer and Bellwoods is for craft beer lovers. We sampled their crisp Farmhouse Saison 6% ABV (something of a house specialty and easily the high point of the night) as well as their more humbly named Common Pale Ale 5.6% ABV. Bellwoods already serves an impressive number of house-made craft brews on draught – we counted 8 on our visit, which may well be enough to warrant a return visit for fuller tastings. Non-beer drinkers, however, may as well not bother with the lineup and would be better off taking their en-plein-air drinking to the nearby park.
Canon AE-1 | Ektar 100
