Jennings Bitter (3.5%) goes well with hearty meat or vegetable soups.
A local favourite is Le Pain de la Bouche, which serves hearty meat and potato dishes.
The tiny pasta pillows were fluffy and light, the hearty meat sauce everything it should be.
And hearty meat sauce was wasted on gnocchi, which were soft and spongy.
Some of the hearty meat dishes are sold by weight: a large portion of roast pork runs about 200 koruny.
We chose the red and loved the contrast of the hearty meat balls with the tender baby bok choy.
It is a hearty meat broth, laced with chilli and loaded with hominy, known as cacahuazintle in Mexico.
Three reds, successful in differing ways, all come from 2005, an outstanding vintage; all match hearty meat dishes.
In these late winter months, particularly, Alain's is a good choice for hearty meat dishes, like the braised short rib that came in a deep, satisfying red wine sauce with whipped cauliflower, and the tender but crispy duck leg confit.
"I grew up in Chicago a robust and hearty meat eater," he says, "consumed hundreds of Big Macs, maybe a thousand, but there's nothing worse than a McDonald's hamburger with 75,000 different cows ground up in it.
For hearty meat cuisine with deep country roots, grab a bite at Au Pied de Cochon (536 Duluth), where the owner has taken the bizarre Quebec speciality "poutine" (french fries topped with gravy and melted cheese curds) to a new level by adding foie gras ($21/£10.50).
