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In the spring of 2017, Clunie, along with the eatery’s general manager Michelle Comeau, bought the gastropub from its owner, André Cloutier. But rather than rename the place Chez Harriet or something like that, they’ve kept the old name, which rightly stresses the restaurant’s neighbourhood roots.

I’ve eaten a few times this fall at the gastropub, and have liked what Clunie and Comeau have done with the place. I had mixed feelings about the venue when I reviewed it in early 2015, but think it’s now improved on all fronts. That said, some dishes have clearly been better than others.

Clunie’s menus have been concise, weighted toward smaller plates and appetites, and reliant upon from-scratch cooking and locally produced ingredients. Her best dishes have combined heartiness, breadth of flavours and refinement.

Passing on the cheese and charcuterie, which draws upon goods from Jacobsons Gourmet Concepts up the street and Seed to Sausage and house-made meats, we’ve been quite pleased by two appetizers.

Breaded and fried eggplant medallions, served with grilled zucchini, marinated tomatoes, feta and radish were spot-on, delivering a nice mix of fresh veg, salt, acid and crunch. Ceviche made with small, organic, Pacific shrimp boasted similar complexity and harmony. It had a lot of zestiness to it, good mouthfeel and the tostada provided for scooping and nipping was a nice touch.

At another visit, however, I thought less of fried smelts with an unremarkable slaw, which in addition to being overly crisp and underly meaty needed a more acidic accent. Mussels and fries didn’t quite wow us too, mostly because the P.E.I. mussels were wee and the fries, while appealingly tossed in onion butter, were too mushy. Grilled bread, sopped in the mussels’ white wine sauce, was the highlight of the dish.