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Local Guides
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REBEL'S ROCK IRISH PUB
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by
Leanne Kemmler
February 8 - 14, 2007 |
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REBEL’S ROCK
537 King St E
905.777.1771
My grandmother asked me about Rebel’s Rock one day. “I hear
they make really great Irish food. I hear it’s the best Irish food in
the city. I’d like to go, but the neighbourhood...” She didn’t finish
the sentence, but I understood.
Rebel’s Rock stands in a downtown neighbourhood that has
an unsavoury reputation. But, if even my Granny was asking about
it, perhaps it was time to bite the bullet and see for myself. So it
was that on a cold winter night, my son, my guest and myself
entered Rebel’s Rock and discovered something close to magical:
a place where we entered as strangers but left feeling like family.
It helps that my guest’s and my families include a few folks
from Ireland. We’ve both visited the country and had a chance to
explore its cuisine, its people and its pubs. As our night at
Rebel’s Rock wore on, we both agreed that nowhere else in this
city or beyond had we ever been to a place more authentically
Irish.
The pub is one smallish room. A tiny stage and jukebox sit
at one end while a bar anchors the other. In between are an
assortment of wooden tables that look like they’ve been liberated
from a variety of old kitchens and dining rooms. A church bench
lines one wall, with a coffee table for drinks. Memorabilia,
including personal photos of the owner’s own Irish pilgrimages,
fill the walls.
If this was the end of my description of the décor, you might
think it nothing special. But, most pubs don’t have a couple of
upholstered chairs just inside the door for people to sit back and
read. Other pubs don’t have a bookshelf full of reading material
and board games, or a piano with instruments just waiting for
someone to lead the crowd in a spirited rendition of “The Wild
Rover”.
It was fairly quiet when we arrived, but filled up soon after.
The crowd was definitely respectable and very friendly. When my
son spotted the pub’s dog, Rebel, a young woman, herself a
regular, came over to introduce them and teach my son how to
give Rebel treats from the tin of dog biscuits up on the piano
back.
On the menu there were many interesting things from which
to choose, from traditional starters to things one would only find
in Ireland and the UK — curry sauce for the chips, perhaps? My
guest and I decided to indulge and ordered the Irish Bread Platter
($9.00).
The platter came laden with cheeses, pickles, chutney and
lots of homemade bread. First there were three gigantic pieces of
fresh buttered beer bread. The stout used in the mix gave it a
strong savoury flavour. The second bread, perhaps another beer
bread using a different brew, was deep-fried, leaving it warm and
soft inside a crispy crust.
Two cheeses complimented the bread. Several slices of
white, nippy cheddar were balanced beautifully by slices of
smoked cheese. It was the smoothest and most delectable cheese
I’ve ever encountered. There was also a dish of sweet banana
chutney, and a selection of sweet homemade pickles rounded out
the filling offering.
Next up was my single fish and chips ($10.25 or $8.72 on
Friday). Call me old fashioned, but eating fish and chips in an
Irish pub for Friday supper seemed to be the right move. And I’m
very glad I went with my instincts as the serving of chips was
staggeringly large and the fish tasted great. The chips looked like
they’d come right out of my granny’s fryer. They were cut thick
and cooked just right with lots of salt.
What I really liked about the fish, besides it being a nice
piece of cod, was that you could actually taste the beer in the
batter! On the side was a large dish of homemade tarter sauce as
well as a dish of “Kateslaw”. This house slaw is an interesting
blend of carrots, cabbage and cider vinegar. It was tart but tasty.
My guest decided to go for the stew of the week ($9.95).
This particular week it was a Hungarian stew. Loaded with huge
pieces of sirloin, sausage and root vegetables, this red stew
started out sweet tasting before finishing with a bite of hot
paprika. The large bowlful would please the hungriest of diners.
My guest washed it all back with a half pint of Kilkenny ($4.15).
Owner and chef Kate Quirin visited the table and had a kind
word for my son who’d decided to break up the monotony of
eating with dancing on the wee, but otherwise empty, stage. She
helped us feel welcomed into what was essentially her home, the
one she shares with friends new and old. And that’s what a great
pub is, a kind of home. That’s certainly what Rebel’s Rock is. V
[LEANNE KEMMLER]
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