Month: July 2017

“Welcome to Cast and Crew. We take your taste buds seriously. Great food.   Awesome Atmosphere. Amazing people.” Cast & Crew Gastropub, Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada

Many restaurants in the states are situated near movie theaters; however, I have yet to see a movie multiplex and a restaurant in one, stand alone location as I did on a recent vacation trip to Bathurst, New Brunswick in Canada. Cast and Crew Gastropub is located next door to the Apollo Cinemas on St. Anne Drive just outside of the downtown area. What a convenient way to have dinner and movie with your favorite date! In fact, if it’s your birthday, Cast and Crew will include a two-for-one movie pass with your meal as well as give you a percentage equal to your age off your food bill! However, you do not have to go to a movie to enjoy dinner or lunch at Cast and Crew.

My husband, John, and I, visited Cast and Crew on warm Thursday night in July while vacationing in Petit Rocher, a town near Bathurst. Our daughter and her friend, Gracie, were making their own pizza in the summer cottage in which we were staying, so John and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a date night. Walking into Cast and Crew, we were immediately greeted by staffers and offered a table; however, we politely declined and chose, instead, to sit at the expansive bar area.

Choosing to sit at the bar is a trick John and I have learned to do, especially when traveling.   The bar area is fantastic opportunity to meet locals who can offer unique insight to area in which we are staying. Additionally, dining in the bar allows us an opportunity to scope out both the ambiance and atmosphere of an establishment.

Walking through the front part of the restaurant towards the bar, John and I could not help but notice the welcoming environment perfect for get-togethers with family or friends, a date-night, or even dining alone. From the beautiful bar area, to the comfy fireplace setting; and, from numerous tables and booths, to the warm patio area; Cast and Crew was spacious, comfortable, and appeared able to accommodate all sizes of parties, small or large. Additionally, we observed several customers ordering take-out food.

A birthday celebration was ensuing during our visit to Cast & Crew.

Bar tables align the bar for more private seating.

Tables and booths are scattered throughout Cast & Crew to suit your party’s mood.

Our bartender/waitress for the evening was named Terri. And, while Terri was originally from the Bathurst area, her mom now resides in the Cleveland, Ohio area! What a small world in which we live! Terri states that she does visit the Cleveland area a couple times per year, but continues to reside in Bathurst. When we asked her why she chose to remain in Bathurst, she replied with a question, “Have you seen this place?”

This caused us to laugh because that was one of the reasons we were on our third trip to this maritime province! We agreed with Terri—New Brunswick is indeed beautiful (not to mention friendly), especially in the summer time of our visits. That said, Terri informed us that this past winter was particularly rough in the Bathurst area of New Brunswick as they received many deep snows. “But, you know, that is part of living here,” Terri added with a smile. “You just learn to appreciate the two months of summer that much more!”

As John and I often do when dining out, we arrived at Cast and Crew during Happy Hour, which happened to occur there daily from 4:00-7:00! Happy Hour is often an excellent time to get deals on food and drinks in many restaurants, allowing the dining experience to be easier on the pocket. Cast and Crew’s Happy Hour was no exception. In addition to daily lunch specials and the previously mentioned birthday special, Cast and Crew presents five different specials—depending upon the weeknight. Wings, Salt ‘n’ Peppa Ribs, and MooseLight pitchers were specials on the night of our visit. Furthermore, Terri stated the restaurant often prepares exclusive entrees not found on the menu; and, on the night in which we dined, that dish was a lobster stuffed salmon dish for an incredibly reasonable price.

Scanning the menu, John and I could not have been happier as it was expansive, eclectic, and offered a number of gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. Cast and Crew’s menu has something for everyone. From a wide variety of appetizers to salads galore; from meat-based entrees to sandwiches and wraps; and from pasta/rice-based dishes to “cast from the sea,” the choices were a bit overwhelming. Furthermore, sitting at the bar near the kitchen entry/exit, all the food that went by us was beautifully presented, smelled delectable, and made our dinner decision that much more difficult. It is also worth mentioning that I could not help but notice that there was a separate menu for kids, which includes a wide array of meal choices, choice of beverage, and dessert for just $8.00!

After ordering drinks, we decided to start off our meal by splitting a so-called “side” of Homemade Chips thinking it would be a small snack on which to nosh. Nope, it was a huge serving! These chips were thick cut, but still managed to be crispy and cooked to perfection! We enjoyed savoring these crunchy morsels.  (Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of these delectable delights!)

For my main meal, I decided to try a dish I had never before eaten called, “Cauliflower Steak.” Seared and oven roasted, this so-called “steak” was topped with a bold tasting, roasted red pepper and olive tapenade. Further, it was served with a beautiful and delicate tasting “chef salad;” however, this was not what is often considered the typical chef salad in the states. Chef salad simply meant— the chef’s salad creation for that day. Therefore, my salad consisted beautiful, local greens and veggies tossed in a house-created vinaigrette.

Cauliflower steak with “Chef Salad” at Cast & Crew.

Cauliflower “steak” with “Chef Salad” at Cast & Crew

When it came time for John to choose his dinner, he really struggled, but in the end, could not resist trying the Mac ‘n’ cheese. Terri shared that the Cast and Crew Mac ‘n’ Cheese was one of their more popular dishes. She explained that it was the Gruyere cheese mixed with the more traditional cheddar cheese that made this baked pasta dish so yummy. In the end, John could not have agreed more! The menu offers to top this creamy pasta bowl with bacon or lobster for a modest price addition, but John is a purist and would not hear of it.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese at Cast & Crew.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese at Cast & Crew.

I should also add that John enjoyed tasting Pump House Blueberry Ale Draught. This beer has been proudly brewed in New Brunswick since 1999. Served in a chilled glass with fresh blueberries, John found this beer to have a refreshing, light taste—not too heavy with subtle fruit hints. It was a perfect summer ale in his opinion.

Overall, John and I enjoyed our gastro-adventure at Cast and Crew. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. Our service was attentive and affable. Additionally, our meal was a delicious, tasty treat. Cast and Crew is highly recommended in our humble opinion. If we lived in the Bathurst area, we would certainly become regulars!

            “Serious food and over 500 craft-beers—discover your new favorite today.”— Sedona Taphouse website

          “Sedona Taphouse works diligently to bring you the best in local and international craft beer, interesting wines, and creative handcrafted martinis. We also prepare our dining menu from the finest ingredients based on their seasonal quality and availability.”—Sedona Taphouse website

As faithful readers know, my husband, John and I love traveling. Part of the appeal of a trip is meeting new people; and, of course, eating new foods/dishes. What better place to meet others and get a sense of the local flavor than eating a meal at the bar in a well-rated restaurant? And, for those of my readers that do not imbibe alcohol, trust me, you are still welcome to dine at the restaurant bar—it is an experience I highly recommend, especially when traveling!

When sitting at the bar of a restaurant, you often get more than one bartender taking care of you, which is great if you tend to need frequent refills on your favorite beverage. Furthermore, they tend to have more time to talk to you—after all, that is part of their job. Not only are bartenders helpful in making food, wine, beer, and dessert recommendations, but they are also a wealth of information regarding best places to visit in the area—especially if you’re interested in non-touristy or off-the-beaten-path adventures. Such was the case while we were visiting the Charlottesville, VA area.

Sedona Taphouse was ranked number 19 out of 339 restaurants reviewed in Charlottesville, VA on Trip Advisor, one of our go-to websites. What especially appealed to me was the fact that it appeared to offer an unbelievable number of gluten-free dishes—which is a huge plus for me as I have celiac disease and cannot consume wheat products. According to Trip Advisor, not only did Sedona Taphouse offer copious, exclusively gluten-free dishes, but also a variety of menu items coded, “gfo,” meaning, a gluten-free variation of that dish can be prepared. Furthermore, the menu also featured dishes deemed, “heart healthier.” What’s more, we later learned from bartenders, Ryan and Danielle, the kitchen would gladly modify any dish to our taste-preference. Additionally, a visiting manager, Peter, further elaborated that each location (I counted six on their web site.), creates unique menu offerings based upon local availability of ingredients.

Walking into this Charlottesville location of Sedona Taphouse, the ambiance was warm and welcoming with earthy greens, wood, and stone surrounding the diners. The bar area was quite large, and we were able to find two seats together without waiting (another plus for sitting at a bar—no wait time). One of the biggest eye-catchers of the restaurant was the extensive line of beer taps as well as chalkboard and TV screens listing the bottled craft beers alongside reviews. In fact, we happened to meet one diner from, of all places, Columbus, OH, taking pictures of the beer taps, boards, and screens because as he stated, “My buddies back home won’t believe me when I tell them, and I want proof!”

There were two cases of beer on either side of the tap–all with different types of craft beer and ciders.

Once seated, we met Ryan, our main bartender/waiter, for the evening.   As we chatted with Ryan, a young man preparing to enter chiropractic school, he handed us the menu. I had already viewed parts of the menu on-line; however, taking in the extensive list of gluten-free and gluten-free option dishes—including appetizers, salads, pastas, sides, wood grilled meat-based entrees, and various seafood dishes (hello, crab cakes)—well, I was stunned. Adding icing to the cake, literally and figuratively, was a gluten-free, flourless chocolate cake! (Oh, yes, you know I had my eye on that one immediately!) Needless to say, Ryan seemed accustomed to diners who experience difficulty deciding on the perfect meal. Furthermore, he was quite knowledgeable about the various dishes and patiently answered our questions.

We happened to be visiting Sedona Taphouse on a Wednesday evening. We already knew it was their happy hour; which meant all appetizers were 50% off as well as several drink specials. What we did not realize was that it was “Wine-down Wednesday.” This special included a wine tasting of two featured wines near the entrance of the restaurant, discounted wine by the glass, as well as 50% off all bottled wines.

Ultimately, we ended up beginning dinner with an appetizer of Chicken and Black Bean Tostada. Made with a scrumptious combination of tortillas, cheddar cheese, fresh pico, jalapenos, black bean salsa, cilantro, and sour cream, this was truly the perfect appetizer size for sharing—just enough to nosh and enjoy without filling up the stomach. For dinner, I chose another succulent appetizer, Spicy Thai shrimp served with fresh green beans and Napa cabbage, sautéed in a savory Thai sauce. Beside me, John enjoyed the Australian ‘Kobe Beef’ Sliders. These mini-sandwiches were made with Wagyu beef, Vermont Cheddar, house made sauce, and caramelized onions. They were served with a side of house made blue potato chips that they call, “blues.” Needless to say, John and I were in food heaven. And, yes, I did order that gluten-free Chocolate Decadence cake (I could only eat a small portion; it was that rich, and saved the rest for the next night.); whereas, John ordered the Salted Caramel Cheesecake—which he thoroughly enjoyed!

Chicken & Black Bean Tostada–clearly we sampled before this picture was taken!

Spicy Thai Shrimp–yep! I also sampled before thinking to take this picture!

Australian ‘Kobe Beef’ Sliders with a side of “blues–John has more restraint than me when it comes to remembering to photograph his food BEFORE sampling!

Needless to say, our experience was so positive at Sedona Taphouse, the menu was exceedingly extensive, and the service was outstandingly personal, that we returned the following night. Just as the night before, we returned during happy hour for food and drink discounts, and the place was packed! Fortunately for us, Ryan, was working again, and he quickly cleared two seats in order for us to join him at the bar.

Like a broken record, John and I split the same Tostado appetizer—it was that yummy. Then, after consulting with Ryan over various food choices—it was still as challenging a choice as the first night—I decided to try the Wood-grilled Salmon Asparagus Salad. This salad was filled with organic greens, asparagus, feta, walnuts, tomatoes, dried cranberries, and a house made lemon balsamic vinaigrette. Talk about delicious—even John, who claims not to like salmon, tasted my salad and was surprised by how much he like it! Meanwhile, John ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich made with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onion, Fontana cheese, and horseradish sauce on an artisan roll. It was served with those tasty, salty, and perfectly crisp blue chips. John loved every delectable morsel.

Salmon Asparagus Salad for me!

John’s Prime Ribe Sandwich

Therefore, if you are ever in the Charlottesville, VA area, I highly recommend the Sedona Taphouse. We were treated to personal service, a kitchen open to customer modification of dishes, unbelievably scrumptious foods, and an extensive selection for those in need of gluten-free, heart-healthy, and/or other specific dietary needs. Plus, for those who enjoy “adult beverages”, the beer, wine, and drink varieties are wide-ranging. And, let’s not forget, this memorable dining venue serves up gluten-free Chocolate Decadence Cake!