BY SARAH BROWN
Chef Danny Mongeon has recently launched a new menu at The Brig, changing the focus to homemade pub fare.
He burst onto the culinary scene three years ago as a first-time executive chef at Brut Cantina Sociale. There, Danny Mongeon quickly made a name for himself, wooing diners with dishes that combined creative with delicious. After that there were short-lived stints at Hooch Bourbon House on Rideau, then Share Freehouse on Somerset.
Now the Chef has shown up at The Brig Pub on the ByWard Market, recently launching a new gastropub-like menu that he has been fine-tuning since he took over the kitchen in May. Mongeon sat down ahead of a busy lunch service to talk about his latest gig — and his plans for the future.
How did you come to land at The Brig?
I heard in the spring that The Brig was looking for a new chef. I used to come here a lot when I was younger — about 10 years ago. It was always known for pretty good food. I met with the owner, who lives in Toronto, and we got along well. He was looking to start putting out funkier food so he invited to me get started right away, get comfortable, and build my team. I started in May, and the idea was to play around for a few months before launching a new menu.
The duck fajita has been super popular since Mongeon launched it on the “specials board” in July.
So how did you “play around”?
I started testing out different ideas on the specials board, trying out things I wanted to make and seeing what people were comfortable with.
Did any dish stand out as a sure winner right from the start?
The duck fajita! It’s been on the specials board since Canada Day. I tried it out and sold 20 portions in the first two days. I called up Mariposa Farms right away and said “I’m going to start ordering lots of duck!” So the duck has basically been on the specials board ever since July and now it’s on the new menu.
So you launched the new menu right after Labour Day (Sept. 8). Tell us about it.
It’s still got a pub feel to it, but with lots of thought put into each dish. And everything is very fresh. Before I got here, not all the food was being made in-house; shortcuts were being taken in the kitchen. Making everything from scratch makes the workload more intense, but everyone here is passionate and on-board with the new menu.
Although it’s a pub, the chef has included lighter items, including a colourful tuna nicoise salad.
Some examples?
There’s the duck fajita, which comes with mango salsa, guacamole, peppers, onions, fermented habanero peach hot sauce, fresh herbs, lime, queso fresco and tortillas. A 10-ounce rib-eye steak has a peppercorn demi glaze and comes with cheese curd mashed potato. Fish and chips is a tempura-battered cod with ponzu tartar sauce, celery root slaw, and crispy fries.
But like any good pub, you can still get fries with just about every meal?
We prepare an insane amount of fries.
And the new-menu verdict so far?
It has been going really well. My plan is to see how people react to it and go from there. If they don’t love some dishes as much as I thought they would, I’ll tweak them. But that will be a few weeks down the road — maybe late in October.
Is it hard planning a menu for such a varied clientele?
You have to know your market, for sure. Here, I get a bit of everything. In the summer, there were lots of tourists and people in their early 30s on the patio and in the courtyard. But it’s a more local crowd now that summer’s over. Because we’re open late [until 2 a.m.] we see a lot of industry people [people who work at other restaurants around the Market] coming over after their shifts for beer and small bites. On weekends there’s a DJ so it’s a younger crowd.
Plus you have The Armada Lounge upstairs. Tell me about that.
It’s a really great spot for private lunches or dinner and parties. Right now, it’s mostly canapés and drinks, but with Christmas party season coming up I’m planning a table d’hôte dinner menu.
Enclosed on three sides, The Brig’s hidden courtyard stays open until it gets too cold to be outside.
Speaking of cozy spots, The Brig’s sheltered courtyard is a hidden gem. How long does it stay open?
Until it gets too cold for people to hang out there!
What else is in the works?
We’ll close down for a couple of weeks sometime in January for a full-on renovation. The owner is just working on the design now. That’s going to be exciting.
Are you involved with that?
Not really. I’m into food, not design! But they do ask my opinion. One thing I think would be fun is a takeout window so people could just walk by and pick up late-night snacks. I’m not sure if that will happen or not.
It’s obviously been a whirlwind this past few months — starting at a new restaurant, building a team, and launching a new menu. Are you having fun?
Yes! The staff are great and the owner treats me with respect and lets me be creative. I have felt taken advantage of at some of the other restaurants I’ve worked at in the past, but here I’m being paid well for the time I put in. It’s all good.