On this sunny Wednesday, just after spending a few hours in the hands of the wonderful Idexa who gave me my first tattoo, I walked around in the neighborhood with the BF looking for some serious food.

Of course, came to mind very quickly the Monks Kettle. I had been to this 16th street Gastropub a few times before but never for lunch. Beer sounded good!

We started with their fresh pretzel with served with ground mustard and house-made cheddar ale sauce. Paired with the perfect Amber ale, I knew right away I was in good hands. Those things fly out and now I know the reason why!

We followed with what I thought was the best soup I have ever had!  The Roasted Tomato and basil soup’s texture has still me drool when I think about it, smooth, rich and creamy, I was eating the most decadent soup I ever put in my mouth. It felt almost sinful!

I also really enjoyed the grilled asparagus topped with lemon vinaigrette and prosciutto.

As my main course, I ordered the Skirt Steak with shallot butter. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed when I received it well done since I had ordered it medium rare. But I have to say that, the staff was very understanding and re-fired the ordered right away. The second time around, the meat was perfect!

As a French person I am not for the Salad in the same plate with the main course, but understand the idea of having everything in one plate. The portions of fries and salad was very generous making it a bit difficult to maneuver the cutting of the meat without having to push everything of my plate. But this is a personal opinion and it certainly not affected my opinion on the food.

The BF ordered the Lobster pot pie, though I thought the presentation was quite impressive, it was not my favorite item on the menu. The puff pastry on top was nice and crisp, the inside creamy and rich. It was good. I guess after the soup that totally wowed me, it was hard to compete with that dish.

Our lunch was paired with different beers for each dish. I have to say, their beer collection is impressive. The Monk’s kettle offers about 24 beers on draught and over 120 bottles. The staff is quite knowledgeable and if like me you are just a beginner they will gladly take you on a journey of beer discovery.

Summary: I highly recommend the Monk’s Kettle, as a great place to share a pretzel and a beer, for a lunch or late night dinner (kitchen open until 1 am). Of course you have to go and try the beers, and if you feel lost just ask the staff. The service is good and the prices justified. I will go back for more soup that’s for sure!!