The Xavier pizza at the Grove is loaded with sweet pineapple slices and oodles of crisp, smoky bacon.
The Grove Pub & Restaurant
Address: 164 Stafford Street
Neighbourhood: Corydon
Webpage: www.the-grove.ca
Phone number: 204-415-3262
If I'm being truthful, lamb isn't my thing. The lamb I have tried has always seemed a bit tough and way too gamey, so I've have given it a pass more often than not. Silly me. Of course any meat doesn't taste very good if it's not prepared well.
The lamb sarnie at The Grove near Wellington Crescent doesn't suffer that fate.
It has made me a believer. It is served open face with loads of deep, dark meaty gravy and shaved slices of tender, succulent roasted lamb shoulder piled high. The caramelized onions, tomatoes, tomato, arugula and crispy shallots play a secondary role.
The Grove's menu kicks it old-school like an English pub with fish and chips and sarnies but also serves popular North American cuisine like burgers and artisan pizzas. Often with broad-ranging menus, it's typical that no one dish is done very well. That's not the case at The Grove. Thought was definitely put into the menu and that care is carried through in the kitchen.
On our visit we also tucked into a Xavier bacon and pineapple pizza, a fine sweet and savoury blend. This is a large meal for one. All of The Grove's eight pizzas are thin crust and with melted grana padano, a semi-aged, hard Italian cheese, on top. Toppings cover the favourites (all cheese, salami, meat lovers) but ingredients like arugula, spicy eggplant, chevre and pequillo peppers up the sophistication.
Insider’s tip: If you have a big appetite or are with a group, order the chevre and pequillo pepper croquettes to start. Three panko-encrusted fingers of smooth and creamy cheese deliver oozy divine cheese flavour with a slight poke of heat from the peppers.
Here's what else you need to know about The Grove:
- Six different burgers, including the Stafford with blue cheese and bacon jam, are named after nearby streets.
- It has a great pub and casual restaurant vibe.
- It is family friendly and also great for larger parties.
- The summer patio is open for business.
- Beer lovers step up to the bar and try local ales by Fort Garry and Half Pints brewery. The restaurant also offers a four-draught sampler (1/4 pint each) to help customers choose a brew from many on tap.
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