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Peg beer co
Neighbourhood. . . . . . Exchange
Address. . . . . . . . 125 Pacific Ave
Phone. . . . . . . . . . 204-416-2337
Entrées. . . . . . . . . . . . . $12-$60
The flood of new craft breweries
putting our city awash in local suds
has made this the year of beer in
Winnipeg. While interest in local
beer has been steadily growing for
years, one of the first restaurants to
capitalize on the brewpub concept in
Winnipeg was Peg Beer Co.
Setting itself apart from the many
breweries that offer taproom tast-
ing, this brewery has a full menu of
regionally focused dishes to com-
plement pours brewed on site. Chef
Aron Epp’s penchant for local and
scratch-made ingredients (excercised
during his tenure at the University of
Winnipeg's Elements)is evidenced
by everything from house-pickled
eggs and veg to fresh baked bread.
Despite the unlikely pairing of a
brewery and a religious community,
hints to this province’s Mennonite
heritage appear on the menu. The
peculiarities of regionality result
in dishes like Faspa (a traditional
Sunday meal of buns, cheese, and
cold meats) and rhubarb platz (fruit
crumble), proving that the new gen-
eration of homesteaders are a little
less buttoned up.
Food that pulls from rustic, nos-
talgic inspiration is only fitting for
the restaurant’s setting, an Exchange
District warehouse whitewashed and
illuminated with twinkling lights.
Beer hall wooden tables and stainless
steel accents give an industrial edge.
The sprawling space has room for
beer production and consumption;
you may be able to take a peek at the
brewery, where steel tanks are hap-
pily fermenting away new batches of
brews (free brewery tours take place
Mondays at 7 and 8 pm, private
tours can be booked for $5 a head).
With six specialty beers on tap
and available by growler, it’s no
wonder beer makes its way into the
food. ISA (India Session Ale) lends
light, hoppy flavour to an aged ched-
dar soup, rich without being heavy.
Beet and ricotta salad is elevated
by the malty edge of a citrus-stout
vinaigrette.
In lieu of entrées, “large plates”
encourage family style sharing.
Oktoberfest spirit—no matter the
date on the calendar—gets in full
swing as a server lowers a platter
bearing a slab of bone-in ham, glis-
tening with honey glaze.
A smoked corned beef platter,
another monster portion, is worth
gathering the requisite 2-4 friends
to splurge. Served on a mound of
roasted veggies—carrots, parsnips,
and smashed potatoes, all laced with
dill—the meat is served in fist sized
cubes stacked neatly under a trail
of whole seed mustard. Soft house-
made bread, sauerkraut, pickles and
dressing are on hand for building
heaping sandwiches.
A selection of flatbreads offers
an option for those looking for a
lighter meal. A fungus 'za layers on
the cheese with a mound of mush-
rooms and a scattering of bacon, all
under an earthy swirl of truffle oil.
Good food and good beer brings
people together, forging a bond by
breaking bread and clinking glasses.
Undermining the legacy of haute
cuisine, regional food has always
found its strength in authenticity, in
how closely it aligns with the dishes
lovingly prepared in home kitchens;
it connects those who eat it with the
land and its people. From the chat-
ter at the filled tables of this bustling
brewpub, its easy to see that Peg Beer
Co is making connections.
Peg Beer Co is open Mon-Thu 11
am-11 pm, Fri & Sat 11 am-12 am,
and Sun 4 pm-11 pm.
Across the board
Neighbourhood. . . . . . Exchange
Address. . . . . 211 Bannatyne Ave
Phone. . . . . . . . . . 204-691-3422
Entrées. . . . . . . . . . . . . $12-$17
In the current age of smartphones
and instant entertainment, cafes
remain bastions of face to face fun.
At the newly expanded Across the
Board Cafe, analog entertainment
isn’t going any