Moncton Dine Around

Surprising culinary experiences in the Hub City

BY DARCY RHYNO

French fine dining is doing just fine in Canada’s only officially bilingual province, but if Moncton’s culinary scene has a theme, it’s variety.

I could have easily gone with the global vegetarian menu at Calactus, a casual eatery beloved for burritos, enchiladas, and nachos. Calactus spices up its varied menu with Indian pakoras, Italian cannelloni, and Middle Eastern falafel. Other Moncton restaurants add to the international flavours available around town, such as at the Vietnamese-inspired Red Satay Grille and the Tunisian, Lebanese, and Moroccan-influenced Blue Olive.

The Pump House Brewpub is a New Brunswick craft beer pioneer and a Moncton fixture since 1999. It’s as much a mainstay as Windjammer, although at the opposite end of the culinary spectrum. Along with Picaroons in Fredericton, Pump House kickstarted what is today a provincewide industry. Just around the corner from Windjammers, Pump House pours signature beers like Cadian Cream and Blueberry Ale. From the wood-fired oven, it turns out unique pizzas like the Smoke-Show, topped with smoked brisket, pulled pork, roasted red peppers, red onion, pepper jack cheese, and barbecue sauce made with the Fire Chief’s Red Ale.

Within a stone’s throw of both Windjammer and Pump House, things are always buzzing at the Tide & Boar Gastropub, popular for its contemporary spin on classic pub food. It’s Funky Burger Fridays and I’m chilling with a craft beer brewed on site. The grilled burger changes weekly. The aroma pulls pedestrians in from the sidewalk.

To fully enjoy this creative kitchen, it’s best to toss aside the menu and rely on the specials: Korean barbecue brisket tacos or blackened salmon with pineapple salsa and black bean, corn succotash, or French beef dip with crispy onions.

A beautiful steak at the Windjammer.

WINDJAMMER –DELTA HOTELS BY MARRIOTT BEAUSÉJOUR

After all these mains, it’s time for dessert. At Halo Donuts, fans of The Simpsons will chuckle at the D’Oh-nut called the Homer — the pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles bring to mind that character’s favourite food. Made either from raised dough or cake batter, these all-original, house-made dunkers can be light and fluffy for classic toppings or dense and sweet for favourite flavourings like cinnamon and sour cream.

At Tony’s Bistro and Patisserie near Moncton university, a short drive from downtown, the mains are delicate and delicious, but it is the pastries and desserts that make it a Moncton must. Colourful Parisian-style macarons often decorate tarts, cakes, and pies. With opera cakes, mille feuille, and éclairs, Tony’s echoes the European flair found at Windjammer. Fans of The Great British Baking Show will admire the artistic touch on each and every sumptuous dessert.

Perhaps most unexpectedly, there’s now a winery in Moncton. Magnetic Hill Winery overlooks the city from its namesake quirky tourist attraction, the slope that seems to pull cars uphill. Just above the giant slides and swimming pools at Magic Mountain, the Everett family renovated a rundown farmhouse and built a winery. In 2005, they started selling wines made with grapes, berries and rhubarb, some grown on site.

The family is continuing to hone their winemaking skills, but on a tasting tour with Zach Everett, I discover that Magnetic Hill wines have matured quickly. They now age reds in oak barrels and practice traditional sparkling wine techniques. Downstairs in the barrel room, Everett uncorks a few vintages for sampling.

The first is named Illusions, named for the gravity defying hill. It’s a crisp, medium white with a citrusy finish that would recommend it as a seafood pairing. Everett reveals the name’s full meaning when he shares it’s made not from grapes, but from rhubarb. Next up is the sparkling

Tide & Boar Gastropub, Moncton.

Submitted by Tide & Boar Gastropub

Tide & Boar Gastropub, Moncton.

New Brunswick Tourism / Emilie Iggiotti

Resurgo Rosé, which pours a frothy red. It’s a semi-dry that again surprises for its rhubarb and berry base.

The wine cellar, Magnetic Hill Winery, Moncton, N.B.

Darcy Rhyno

Finally, Everett takes samples from a wooden barrel and distributes small tastes of a deep, amber wine. This is an intense, sweet, but complex vintage with a mysterious, smoky finish. Everett explains that we’re sampling Maple Swish, a dessert wine made from maple syrup aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. His perfectly descriptive name for this rare treat is “oaky, smoky whiskey maple.”

I hold my glass to the light, savouring this winery’s finest, both for the intensity of its colour and the unexpected maple smokiness of its flavour. It’s the perfect drink to toast the surprising city down the hill for all its variety. I chuckle to myself as I think, this wine is so good, I could be in Paris.

Sugar Pie

This recipe for sugar pie topped with whipped cream and berries is courtesy of Tony’s Bistro & Pâtisserie in Moncton.

Ingredients

9-inch pie shell

½ cup (100 mL) heavy cream

1 ¾ cups (400 mL) brown sugar

1 ½ tbsp (25 g) unsalted butter

1 ½ tbsp (25 g) all purpose flour

2 eggs

Instructions

Bring cream, sugar and butter to a boil. Sift in flour and bring back to a boil. Let the temperature cool to 122°F (50°C) and add eggs. Whisk until well blended. Pour mixture into the pie shell and bake at 325°F (163°C) for 35 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and your favourite berries.