At 37 Flora Street, just a quick turn past the Bank Street intersection, a former garage houses Flora Hall Brewing. The space is all at once cozy and lofty, offering room for about 100 guests. Opened last year, it’s a relatively new spot for denizens to hang out and grab some upscale comfort food.
In the back, huge metal tanks are used to brew ale, lager, stout and other styles of craft beer at the in-house brewery. The selection of signature beers is served on draft or sold in a downstairs store for customers who prefer to indulge at home.
I visited with my mom on a Sunday afternoon while the place had a steady buzz of visitors. We were seated promptly upstairs at a small table for two, overlooking the lower level. The dim lighting and bluesy music made for a relaxed atmosphere, and the open garage door offered a street view.
Flora Hall’s menu is tight and rotates frequently. There were around 15 dishes to pick from, and prices ranged from seven or eight dollars for small bites to around $18 for entrees.
I had the farfalle with Mediterranean pesto ($17). The bowtie noodles were tossed with a blend of cashews, olives, tomato, basil and parmesan and artfully topped with fresh red peppers. A few bites in, I found it was not quite hot enough for my taste, so I asked for it warmed up. Our server told me it was meant to be room temperature, but she quickly brought it back to the kitchen to add some heat.
This made the dish much more enjoyable for me. The flavour was rich, with a hint of tangy sweetness. All the ingredients in the sauce balanced beautifully, and I found the parmesan and cashew combination added a slight nuttiness and unexpected bit of crunch that enriched the texture.
My mom had the Korean bulgogi chicken wings ($13). Coated in a delicious sweet and salty marinade and topped with thinly chopped green onions, we were both impressed by the size of them. My mom joked that they could have been dinosaur wings since they were so meaty. She shared a few bites with me and we agreed that these go far above and beyond your average restaurant wings.
I had celebrated my birthday the evening before and felt a little worse-for-wear, so I opted out of having a full beer myself, but my mom gave me a sample of her Norwegian Kveik pale ale. The crisp, slightly fruity flavour and mild hops cut through the spice of the wings wonderfully.
We finished our meal sharing the stout brownie: a dense, fudgy treat with chocolate chunks inside, paired with a coffee ice cream.
Flora Hall is welcoming to just about any type of customer. The décor and atmosphere make it ideal for an after-work get-together for young professionals, and it would be great to rent out for a staff Christmas party. In the dining room nearby, I saw an elderly couple, two mid-twenties women doing university coursework over a glass of wine and a young couple with a small baby (they have high chairs). All seemed to feel at home. Dave, the owner, chatted with us on our way out. He guessed that around 70 per cent of the customers he saw on an average night were regulars and said he was grateful that Centretown people really seemed to embrace Flora Hall.
I was pleased to note that customer bathrooms are gender-neutral. The garage door opens flat on to the first level, and there are no stairs to get over, making it wheelchair accessible. Flora Hall’s website says they do take reservations at select times. For keen beer enthusiasts, they do offer tastings and tours of the brewing tanks.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Flora Hall. I look forward to coming back soon for a brewery tour to explore more of the behind-the-scenes of their beer program.
Provided photo
