Mill Street Brewpub
55 Mill Street
416-681-0338
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $75

On the surface, the Mill Street Brewpub in the Distillery District is a warm, comforting bar-restaurant with a focus on their own independently-brewed beer and the charms that come with it. This image is perpetuated by the display of massive distillers, a comprehensive selection of Mill Street brews (many of which aren’t found in other bars or the Beer Store) and a decor consisting of large wooden beams, low lighting and cozy tables. But after a few minutes of taking the place in, it becomes clear that Mill Street Brewpub is having an identity crisis. While it’s based around a well-loved Toronto microbrewery and spews the image of “local” and “independent”, the place is run by F.A.B Concepts Inc., a company that also manages such large-pub operations as The Foggy Dew, Pour House, and Murphy’s Law. In other words, Mill Street Brewpub is battling between indie cred and sharing a corporate bed. Too bad you can’t please everyone.

That’s not to say the place isn’t doing some things right. The beer is, as it should be, the highlight. With 11 selections on tap, plus a cask-conditioned offering of the Extra Special Bitter, it’s tough choosing between the malty Tankhouse Ale, an old favourite, or something new. The server is kind enough to proffer samples, and I settle on the Raspberry Ale, which is light and fruity with the taste of fresh-not syrupy-berries. My dinner partner - a beer enthusiast - orders the IPA (India Pale Ale) and is pleased by the nice amount of hoppiness combined with caramel-y sweetness. But being a self-admitted hop addict, it’s not at the top of his IPA list. We also try the standby Cobblestone Stout (smooth and comforting) and the Extra Special Bitter (dark and slightly spicy).

The Mill Street Brewpub is also doing a good job with their food. My expectations for pub fare are comforting dishes with a few flavour surprises, and this place generally does a good job of meeting the mark. Although the menu has many predictable items (nachos, wings, roasted vegetable sandwiches, etc.), it incorporates the beer into some dishes and has a section of “hand-made fare” that focuses on hearty meals like savoury pies (Chicken and Leek, Steak and Stilton). The waiter tells me there will be beer-matching on the menu in the future, and that they’re also looking to try out some organic food choices.

We start the meal off with a basket of sweet potato fries ($5.99) and mustard beer aioli. The matchstick-sized morsels are addictive with a sprinkling of crispy coating, as is the garlicky dip. For a main, I opt for the strawberry spinach salad ($11.99) (healthy) topped with crispy fried calamari (not so healthy). It’s delicious-the dressing is bursting with strawberry flavour, and I’m thrilled that an extra $3.99 gets me such a generous topping of correctly-cooked calamari. My partner goes for the Distillery Lane penne pasta ($14.99) and is happy the broccoli still has some crunch and the noodles are cooked just right. The creamy parmesan sauce, however, could use more seasoning. The only dish of the evening I’m truly disappointed with is dessert, a dry apple crumble ($5.99) that needs more crumble (come on brown sugar!). Luckily, the accompanying ice cream is tasty.

Throughout the meal, the clues of corporate influence and the “let’s keep everyone happy!” attitude keep popping up. The music is all over the place, ranging from cheesy Top-40 stuff like the Goo Goo Dolls to more “hip” stalwarts like Radiohead and The Doors, with Black Sabbath and Jimmy Buffett thrown in for good measure. The wait staff is dressed in uniform - golf shirts and black pants for the guys, black and grey kilts for the girls. Memories of my Catholic high school days come flooding back. When I go to the bathroom, I’m greeted by mini TV screens playing Bell phone commercials. As if I need to see those goddamn beavers when I’m washing my hands!

And so it goes. I’m torn between enjoying good food and beer alongside excellent service, and being annoyed by several aspects of the atmosphere. I wonder why a successful brewery like Mill Street decided to go to F.A.B Concepts to open their own pub when they could have been a really cool indie pub in a smaller space. I assume the answer is money, and I can’t point too many fingers because I’m no business-savvy mind (plus, I hear the place is lined up out the door on weekends). But as someone who eats and drinks out often, it’s disconcerting when a place fails to maintain a consistent image or tries to be something it’s not. And in aiming to make everyone happy, there’s the danger of alienating the very people you set out to please in the first place.