New Years Eve at Harp and Fiddle

I generally don't make plans for New Years Eve.  That doesn't mean that I don't do anything, it just generally means that I have a quiet night with friends with good food and drink.  I had no plans for this last New Years Eve, but a friend noted that an Irish Pub in a suburb close to where they live was doing a five course dinner for a good price.  It sounded like a good deal and I would be hanging with my friends, so I decided to go.  I had been to The Harp and Fiddle, in Park Ridge, before and knew that they had a pretty good craft beer list and did some pretty good bar food. I arrived on New Years Eve and saw (and heard) that there were live musicians playing, but we were sitting on the other side of the dining room, so we could actually hear each other speaking.  Looking at their multi-page list, I was looking for something unusual and there were a few beers that certainly fit the bill.  I started with Untitled Art Barrel Culture Dragonfruit Sour IPA.  With the exotic fruit and the fact that it was purported as both a Sour and an IPA, it really interested me.  The risk of trying something unusual that you don't really know much about is that you might not like it.  With the pour, I saw that it had a nice head and an unusually red color.  It had a nice tart and citrusy aroma and flavor, but the finish that some have called floral, I found soapy and didn't care for it.  I was able to drink it, but I don't know that I would ever order it again.  The fact that I disliked it was totally on me, and while I didn't care for it, I'm glad I tried it out.

While I was sipping my beer, our first course came out.  It was an incredibly creamy Wild Mushroom Bisque, topped with  Black Truffle and Arugula Coulis.  It had a great mushroom flavor with a creamy texture and a sprinkling of truffle oil on top.  The Coulis added the funky and savory truffle flavor on top of the savory mushroom flavor, as well as the bitter pepperiness of arugula.  Several of us would have been happy with another large bowl of this.

Our second course followed the standard course progression map and was a vegetable dish.  It was a salad of sorts with a Shredded Brussels Salad with Shaved Parmesan, Carrots, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, and Cherrywood Smoked Bacon.  It was crisp and very flavorful, with a very nice Creamy Garlic Dressing and this I enjoyed as well.  With two courses down that were both wins, I was wondering if I should up my preconceived assessment that they did good bar food, but don't expect much more than that.

Our next course was our first entree, Grilled Salmon.  It was served with a Rattatouille made with Sliced and Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash topped with a Tomato White Wine Broth that really reminded me of Ketchup.  The salmon was tender, flaky, and flavorful without being exceptionally strong.  The vegetables tasted fresh and cooked enough to be tender without getting mushy.

Our second entree, the red meat, could have theoretically been pretty simple.  The chef and company, though, amped things up to good measure.  As presented, it looked like steak and mashed potatoes, the steak cooked medium well, though still juicy.  The steak was actually Filet Mignon, topped with a Mushroom Madeira Gravy, and the potatoes were actually Pureed Parsnips.  The filet was fork tender and very flavorful.  The gravy, which very much tasted like the soup at the beginning of the meal with added Madeira Wine was also very good. 

 

By this time, dessert, I was looking for my second unusual beer, but one that would also go well with dessert.  I went with an Imperial Oak Sinister Minister Quad with Tart Cherries.  For dessert we had a the Chef's Special Bread Pudding that was topped with Syrup, Whipped Cream, and Cinnamon.  The beer was something else.  As it was a Quad, it was pretty big.  It was pretty big and tasted boozy, both from the fact that it was a quad and the barrel aging.  In addition, it had a nice and tart cherry flavor.  It was heavy, but it was also cold out, so it was a fitting beer to be drunk.  The bread pudding was good.  It was soft, sweet, and a fitting end to a fun night.  I really enjoyed myself and my opinion of their food has increased.  I am not saying that I had thought that their food was bad, I thought it was good, but pretty simple.  The food that I had had tonight impressed me and while it is a little far for me to hang out.  I would come for something special.

   

Kimski

The Marszwewski clan have a wide ranging and expanding empire.  They started out with Maria's Packaged Liquors & Community Bar, a Slashie (bar/packaged liquor store) in Bridgeport.  They then went on to Marz Community Brewery, which was contract brewed and largely served and sold at Maria's (as well as other places around the city).  In the early days, they would have cookouts in the back patio featuring Korean and Polish (and Korean-Polish) fare.  This eventually became the Counter Service restaurant Kimski, a name referencing both their Korean and Polish heritages and Their mother's maiden name, Kim.  While I was interested to see what they might do, I have some friends of Korean and Polish descent who were also interested, so we decided to make it a group outing.  Maria's is an old-style storefront, Kimski is very modern with a patio in front under an angled overhang.  The ordering area is actually pretty small with the counter straight in as you enter and the kitchen window to the left.  There are event posters on the walls and Korean toys on the counters.  In order to get to the main seating area, you actually have to walk around the counter.  So we ordered our food and wandered back with a number to show where to deliver our food.  The interior dining area is largely black with high unfinished ceilings, has a large bar, and seems to be a joint space with Maria's, which is also black.  The back wall's are glass sliding doors that lead to an enclosed patio with high walls and generally has a tan color scheme.  There is one graffiti art painting in the corner with "No Smoking" written (painted) in many languages and styles.  There are booths and four tops in the interior dining room, but as it was a nice day, so we decided to sit on the back patio.  There are smaller Two Top and Four Top banquette picnic tables around the edge of the patio as well as a few large high top tables in the center, where we sat.  The bar is separate from the food area, so you have to get your beer after you order food and wait for it.  It is not delivered.  I like the tap list here because there is generally a wide variety of different beers from all over.  Before the Marz Brewery Tap Room opened, there used to be several Marz Beers on tap.  I was surprised not to see any on the tap list when we were there.  I like Marz beers and they were close, so we decided to visit Marz Brewery Taproom after.  Despite the fact that there were no Marz beers, I was easily able to find something that I would like.  I went with Odd Side Ales Shadynasty New England-Style IPA.  This had a nice hop flavor featuring pine and grapefruit flavors without exceptional bitterness.  It had a nice head that broke down quickly and left some lacing, and had a dry finish.  It was a good beer.

Our food started arriving when we were drinking our beer and everything was shared.  One of the first things that arrived was the Scallion Potato Pancake.  The pancake was made with Beer Batter, Scallions, Shredded Potatoes with Dill, and topped with Tamari Sour Cream Sauce and Scallions.  This was pretty good and very Polish.  I liked the dill flavor in the pancake, and the sour cream provided for a nice sour finish.

Banchan aren't exactly a dish, but are more various sides that are presented with your main meal.  They can be any number things, but are meant to enhance the main meal.  Banchan was on the menu and I like the idea, so I ordered a course.  The menu lists it as a serving of three Ko-Po vegetable sides.  I also like surprises, so ordering this was a given.  While I did know that I was going to be getting vegetables, I didn't know exactly what vegetables that I would be getting or how they would be prepared.  I was presented with a plate of Green Beans, Zucchini, and Broccoli served with Red Pepper.  I am going to guess that they had been canned (or Mason Jarred, as it were).  I was kind of mixed on this.  The beans were nice and crisp, but the zucchini was pretty limp and the broccoli was a bit dry.  The flavor for all of the vegetables was good, but the texture needed work.

There was a dish on the menu that was a combination of Korean, Polish, and Quebecois Bar Food, and a couple were ordered.  This was the Kimski Poutine.  A standard poutine will have cheese curds and brown gravy on french fries.  With this, there was the Fries, and the Wisconsin Cheese curds, but the gravy was Kimchi Gravy, and it was topped with Pickled Onions, Scallions, and Sesame Leaves.  It was nice and gooey with some spiciness, and a sesame finish.  While everyone had some and seemed to enjoy it, I am going to guess that I gave the impression that I liked it more than everyone else because it was given to me to finish, which I heartily enjoyed.

My main course was kind of a spin on Bibimbop, a Korean dish that I really like.  Called Be Bim Noods, it was made with Cold Cooked Wheat Noodles instead of the standard rice.  It was also served cold.  The Noodles were topped with Kimchi and Cucumbers, and served with a Sliced Hard Boiled Egg.  This was a favorite.  It was good and I liked it, but it was also pretty spicy.  This was a dish that should have been fairly easy to eat with chop sticks.  I can use chopsticks, though not well, but I did eat much of it, slowly, with chopsticks.

While the food was fairly simple and their were a few slips, I did enjoy things here.  It's very casual and friendly, the food is easy to share, and the dishes that were wins were very good.          

Revolution Brewpub

As most of my friends would say, I love going to brewpubs as well as any number of restaurants.  I like going to breweries to try the beers that they make.  If they also serve food, all the better.  Revolution Brewing, one of the veterans of the Chicago craft brewery scene (opened in 2010), has been a favorite for years.  I realized recently though that while I have been here many times, I had never had a regular meal.  I have gone to a few popups and special dinners at Revolution's Brewpub, but those generally do not reflect the menu.  There beer reputation is well established and I had read many good things about their pub menu (which puts a seasonal focus on relatively standard bar food), so I decided to actually try it out myself.  Located in a very hot section of Logan Square, it is located in a vintage building with some very nice lines.  For the first few years of its existence, it had pillars in front of the entrance that were topped with fists.  The fists are a big part of the visual imagery for the brewery and are still on cans and coasters, but I was a little disappointed when they removed them from the building.  Entering the building, there is a large bar in the center with seating on 3 sides.  There are booths on the walls as well as some table seating on the main floor and an elevated seating area to one side.  The kitchen is open and in the back of the dining room with a window next to it that shows the brewery.  The brewpub is very popular and there is frequently a wait for seating.  A stairway leads upstairs where there is a second bar as well as overflow seating or a space for private dining.  I sat at the bar on the main floor and started with the beer list.  The beer list at the brewpub features the brewery's flagship beers, as well as what they happen to brew there.  They also have a commercial brewery close by with a taproom that actually has a longer beer list, but does not serve food.  As I was at a brewery with a long list, I obviously had to go with a flight.  For my flight, I went with a variety of styles, none of which was a standard bearer that I  had had many times.  I started with Freedom of Speach Peach Sour, Sun Crusher Hoppy Wheat Ale, A Little Crazy Belgo-American Pale Ale, and Rise Hoppy American Stout (which won gold at the World Beer Cup in 2012).  All were very different and with the variation of hops used, even the hoppy ones had different flavors.  The Freedom of Speach was not exceptionally sour and the sour went well with the peach flavor.  Sun Crusher is a good and light summer beer even with the hop flavor.  A Little Crazy had the body of a Belgian Single with the flavor of a pilsener.  And Rise is a very good and hoppy stout with flavors of chocolate and coffee.  They were all good, but I think I liked Sun Crusher best.

Between the beer and the bar food that I would be eating, I thought I should at least try to have something a little healthy, so I started out with some Brussels Sprouts.  I will grant that they were Pan-fried, but at least I tried a little.  The Brussels Sprouts came with Roasted Cauliflower, Butternut Squash, Maple-Chipotle Sauce, and Toasted Pepitas.  This was really good.  The Brussels Sprouts and Squash were crispy, and the Maple-Chipotle sauce added a sweet and spicy flavor.  The toasted pepitas added a finishing crunch.  While it wasn't necessarily the most healthy way to eat brussels sprouts, they were good and at least better than the bacon fat popcorn that was also on the menu.

The healthiness went out the window for my main course.  I had a burger.  This burger, the Galaxy Burger was topped with Chipotle Cheddar, Pimento Cheese, Pickled Pineapple, Cucumber, Red Onions, and Bottom Up Wit Aioli.  As with most places, my burger was served with a large serving of fries.  Galaxy hops have a flavor profile with a lot of fruit, and Bottom Up Wit, has a lot of fruit flavor as well.  I imagine that the fruit was used to pair with the aioli.  It was all very good and filling.

 

When I go out, I order dessert, so I looked at the dessert menu and saw a S'Mores Pie.  Local pie masters, Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits, have a S'Mores Pie on their menu and their main shop is located very close to Revolution's brewpub, so I thought that the pie came from Bang Bang.  I have no issue with a bar outsourcing their dessert if it brings in something  this good.  When I found that Revolution made their own S'More's Pie, I had to order it to compare, if for nothing else.  The pie was very good, but I could tell immediately that it was not a Bang Bang pie.  The flavor was very good.  The chocolate was rich, the Marshmallow Cream Topping had a nice brulee to it, but the crust was a little tough.  While it wasn't perfect, it was still very good and a nice ending to my dinner here.  I will undoubtedly return, I know know that the food is of a high standard to match with their beers.

Old Irving Brewing

 

 

I will be the first to admit that I like beer.  I also like exploring and have been to many of Chicago's breweries and have gotten to know brewers, partners, owners, or other employees of several breweries.  One such brewery, Old Irving Brewing, I have been friends of the brewery since it was an idea in the head brewers head.  I met Trevor Rose-Hamblin, the Head Brewer/Partner at Old Irving Brewing when he managed fine dining restaurant, Moto.  The last time I had a meal there, he mentioned that he would be leaving to train with the guys from BrewDog in Scotland, so he could start his own brewery/brewpub.  He returned a few months later and worked toward opening the brewpub.  There were complications and things took longer than expected, but it opened at the end of 2016.  I tried to get there soon after it opened, and I did actually get there a few times, but complications prevented me from actually going in until last spring.  I have been there a few times and enjoyed both the food and drink.  They had a bottle release on black Friday for a beer that I was very interested in.  So I decided to stop in shortly after to pick up a bottle and have some more of their excellent food.

As it is a brewery and I was coming for a specific beer, I decided to try a few of the beers that they have on tap.  They generally have 8-10 beers on tap ranging from low alcohol to high, and light to dark.  There is always a very drinkable Kolsch, an IPA, and a Stout on the menu.  For this trip, I went with House of 'Pagne, an American Strong Ale that was a collaboration with Pipeworks Brewing, that used White Peaches and Belgian Candy Sugar, Trendi the Sixth, a Double Dry Hopped IPA that goes through frequent variations (hence the Sixth part of the name), and Imperial Krampus Cookies (the bottle I was picking up), a Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout with flavors of Cherry and Vanilla.  A ll of the beers were good, though House of 'Pagne was a little dryer than I generally like.  Of the three that I tried that night, I liked Trendi the Sixth the best.

As I was sitting there drinking and it was close to dinner time, I decided that I should eat.  Their restaurant menu has some really good food.  In the past, I have had some Brussels Sprouts, Marrow, and a very good burger that changes topping from week to week.  This time around, I decided to stat things off with the Fried Zucchini which was served with Sicilian Caper Salsa, Garlic Aioli, and Parmagiano-Reggiano.  It was very good.  The zucchini was sliced lengthwise and had a crisp crust, but it was not completely fried through, so you got some of the texture of the zucchini in the center.  The flavor of the zucchini also went very well with the caper salsa and the garlic aioli.  As this was very much an Italian dish, what better way of finishing it than by topping it with grated Parmagiano-Reggiano Cheese.

For my main course, I went to Spain and had the Wood Fired Spanish Octopus.  It was served with Crispy Potatoes, Piquillo Peppers, more Garlic Aioli (I can say for certain that I am not a vampire, because I like the aioli and think that it goes well with the food it was served with), Oregano, Lemon, and Green Olive Salsa.  Many people confuse octopus and squid and think that they might taste similarly.  Octopus has a much meatier texture and flavor, and goes better with savory elements.  The potatoes (which would have gone well with a steak), were cut in large pieces had crispy edges, but were well cooked fried potatoes.  I am generally not a huge fan of green olives, but the salsa went well with the octopus and other elements of the dish. and the piquillo peppers added a nice spice.

To finish things off, I was a little torn.  They generally, have a brownie, a panna cotta, and a strudel on the dessert menu.  All sounded good, but I decided to go with the Chocolate Fudge Brownie that was served warm with Fudge Sauce, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  It was very good on it's own, but also, I drink my beers from light to dark and by this time, I was down to the Imperial Krampus Cookies Barrel Aged Milk Stout, which it went very well with.  I enjoyed my dinner and beers here.  The food was good and the staff is very friendly.  I will definitely return to enjoy more of their good beer and food.   

Smylie Brothers Brewery

And the unplanned brewery tour continued with Smylie Brothers Brewery in Evanston.  This is the first brewery in Chicago, outside the city of Chicago, that I have gone to.  While there are many other breweries in the suburbs to visit, I am done with breweries for a while.  Located near the northern downtown part of Evanston, it is in a brick building with a large patio area that would be great for sitting in the summer, but not in January.  The inside is gray brick and black wood with a cement floor.  It kind of has a hunting lodge feel to it (although there is no taxidermy there).  There are several large communal tables, but there are also several two tops and four tops closer to the bar which is curved and sits close to the back of the dining room.  There is also a second level dining/drinking area that has a vintage bicycle sitting near the top of the stairway, but as I never went up there, I can't talk about how it looks.  The brewing area is off to one side of the dining area and is viewable through a large window.  The beers that they serve generally lean toward the sessionable with an alcohol content between 5-6% and a lighter flavor.  When I was there, they were making only one IPA and that was sold out.  They do make Belgian Strong Ales and do barrel aging for a stronger and more distinctive flavor.  As this was my first time here and I had not previously had much of their beer, I decided to do a flight.  I decided to drink two base beers and their barrel-aged counterparts, the Farmhouse Saison and its Gin Barrel-Aged counterpart and the Belgian Strong Ale and its Bourbon Barrel Aged counterpart.  All of the beers were good, but I liked the barrel-aged versions more.  The base saison was light in flavor (and the lighter color of the two beers) and wasn't as funky as many saisons tend to be.  The gin barrel-aged version added a nice herbal flavor similar to a good gin.  As there was no smokiness to it, I have to imagine that the barrel was made from a light wood and was uncharred.  The Belgian Strong Ale was richer and definitely had more flavor, considering the fact that it was 10.25% ABV, this is not surprising.  The Bourbon Barrel-Aged version was smoky and boozy and my favorite of the four that I tried.

The menu that Smylie Brothers puts out is similar to a smokehouse crossed with a bar.  There are a lot of sandwiches, burgers and pizzas, but there is also a lot of barbecue.  I was there for lunch and my trip home would take about an hour, so I wasn't really interested in anything heavy, although admittedly, seeing it on other people's plates, I did think that the barbecue looked really good.  I ordered a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup with Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar, Gruyere, and Fontina Cheese and House Smoked bacon on Challah Bread, and Tomato-Basil Soup.  Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup is a total comfort food thing and this just stepped things up.  There was a lot of cheese with a gooey texture and a sharp and funky flavor and the bacon added a sweet, smoky, and porky flavor and a variation in texture.  The tomato-basil soup was creamy with a sweet tomato flavor and a nice basil finish.  It was good for dipping the sandwich in or on its own.

While I have been told that there are better breweries in Evanston (Temperance and Sketchbook), I liked Smylie Brothers and would be happy to return.  The food is good and I would like to try their barbecue and more of their beer which doesn't seem to rely on a single style.     

Lagunitas Brewery Taproom

 It is a good time to be a beer drinker.  There are over 5000 breweries in the United States and about 50 in the city of Chicago alone.  Most are pretty small and self-distribute if they distribute at all, but there are a few big boys in town.  Many places have a capacity of a few thousand barrels per year, Lagunitas Brewery Chicago has a capacity of 600,000 barrels per year.  I had been to several several breweries before I first went to Lagunitas, so I knew what to expect, I thought.  Riding there, I noticed that it is much bigger than the other breweries that I was used to.  While I had seen breweries in warehouses before, this seemed to take up an entire large warehouse space.  The sign was on one corner with a very complete address.

Walking into the building the fun continues.  The Long hallway leading back into the building is blue with a lot of black light and lasers.  The painted sign leading to the tap room is yellow and orange with a real psychedelic vibe.  The letters are twisted and have a winding tail that leads down the hall.  In addition to the blue light and the lasers, the Willy Wonka theme (Pure Imagination) plays on repeat.  At the end of the hall is a picture of a woman holding a beer labeled Waldo that is completely made of bottle caps and around the corner is another painting of a cartoon monster with a green body and red horns and tongue.

At the end of the hall where the art is, the passageway turns left and passes window, behind wich are brewing and packaging areas and a sense of scale is started to be gained.  The number and size of brewing and fermenting vessels are of a scale I had not previously seen and I was kind of blown away.

At the end of the hall is a stairway that leads to the third floor where the taproom is located.  On the way up, there is a door on the second level that references Star Wars, saying that this is not the door that you are looking for and instructs the prospective drinker to go higher.  At the top of the stairs, there is more wandering to be done.  There is a Schwag shop across from the stairway and windows showing a party room and the upper level of the brewing area.  A walk down the passageway at that level, it turns right and then enters the taproom.  The taproom is well lit with windows on three sides, wood paneled walls, long picnic tables and a large rectangular bar on the far side.  there is a small "stage" on one side that frequently has live music, typically Roots, Folk, and Americana.   In addition to the seating inside the taproom, there are couches and tables in the passageway before entering the taproom and tables on a catwalk overlooking the brewing area.  While it is cool to walk out on the catwalk, I prefer to do my drinking and dining in the taproom and at the bar as well.

There is a chalkboard on the wall dividing the taproom from the kitchen listing the beers on tap.  there are generally about 16 beers on tap.  You can order by the pint or 5 oz pour in a flight of 4 or 8.  Because they have so many beers, I like to get a flight so I can try as many as I can.  generally, i go for a flight of 4 because I want to be able to get home without issue.  I discovered Lagunitas through their IPA and while I like it, I generally prefer to order new beers or limited runs.  Fo r this trip, I went with Aunt Sally Dry-Hopped Sweet Tart Sour Mash Ale, CitruSinensis Pale Ale, Fusion American Double/Imperial IPA, and Hop Stoopid American Double/Imperial IPA.  Aunt Sally is a hoppy Wild Ale and it's pretty good.  It is pretty sour, but the hops actually complement the sour flavor.  The CitruSinensis is a Pale Ale made with Blood Oranges.  I like their standard Pale Ale which is what their base beer is, but the addition of blood oranges adds a sweet tart flavor.  The Fusion and Hop Stoopid are both High Alcohol beers.  the Fusion leans more toward a Double and the Hop Stoopid is more an Imperial IPA.  Of the beers, I think I liked Aunt Sally best.

The food menu at Lagunitas leans toward barbecue, burgers, and bar food, but they do have salads and some entree plates.  This time I decided to go with Pork Schnitzel with Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Apple Demi, and Pickled Fennel and Onions as a garnish.  The Schnitzel was tender and juicy with a nice crispy crust.  The apple demi added a cider flavor to the schnitzel and acted as a gravy to the mashed potatoes.  The Brussels Sprouts were tender, flavorful, and the entire plate was very good and enjoyable.

For dessert, I went with a Spent Grain Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream, Caramel, and Candied Malt.  I am a sucker for brownies, and this brownie, very large and made with grain that had been used in the brewing process, was very much a winner.  The ice cream, while nice, was unnecessary.

I always enjoy coming to Lagunitas.  The beer is good and there is always something new, and they don't skimp on the food.  While there are other beers that I like more, the beer here is good and they know how to have a good time, so I will surely return.      

Corridor Brewery and Provisions

The explosion of Microbreweries in recent times has provided for the idea of the "neighborhood brewery".  It's nice, when you are out, to be close to a place where you can stop for a beer, and possibly food, that isn't the same as everywhere else.  While some local places just serve beer, some also serve food, although the kinds of food served varies widely.  I was in Lakeview in the Southport Corridor around dinnertime recently and decided to stop into local brewery and taproom, Corridor Brewery and Provisions, which does serve food as well as brewing their own beer.  As can be gathered by the name, the place is long and narrow.  There is bicycle parking in front, as well as a sidewalk patio.  They are a sister brewery to the very popular Dryhop Brewers (although they brew independently of one another) and they are in a very popular area, so it can get crowded.  There are tables sufficient to seat about 50 people which you have to wait for, but the bar which seats about 10, is first come, first served.  I did come on Saturday night during prime time so there was about an hour wait for a table.  I prefer to sit at the bar when I am dining solo and there was a solo diner/drinker that was getting ready to leave, so my wait was less than five minutes.  As this is a brewery and taproom, I started things out with a beer.  While it was evening in the fall, I decided to go with Pale Afternoon, an East Coast Pale Ale.  It is pretty hoppy, at 70 IBUs, but is not considered an IPA, because its ABV is 5.4%, as opposed to the 7-8% which is the standard for IPAs.  While it was bitter, it was not one note and had many other flavors including citrus, passionfruit, pine and peach.  It was pretty crisp and actually kind of reminded me of a Kolsch, although more bitter.

While I was enjoying my first beer, I looked at both the food menu and beer menu to plan my attack.  Their beer menu did have several things that interested me and they did offer a flight of 6 - 5 oz pours, but I was not in the mood of drinking 30 oz of beer, so I decided that my next beer, when I was ready for it would be another 10 oz pour (They do pours of 10 oz, 12 oz, and then Crowlers, and Growler fills).  For my food, after looking at the food menu I decided that I would have a pizza.  Corridor's food menu consists of several shared plates including Croquettes, a Cheese and Charcuterie board, a warm Pretzel, and Mussels, several Salads, the aforementioned pizzas, and several sandwiches including the standard burger.  The pizzas served were 12 inch pizzas cooked in a clay hearth oven and included such things as Mushroom, Leek, and Goat Cheese, Chorizo and Date, and Steak and Chimichurri.  I went with a Clam and Bacon Pizza, which had Quahog Clams, Smoked Pepper Bacon, Garlic, and Oregano.  It was served with sliced lemons and I tried it with and without.  It was very good with a nice chewy crust and peppery bacon, but while there were plenty of clams on the pizza, they were fairly neutral in flavor unless the lemon was added.  It was a very good pizza and I would definitely have it again.

 

Sitting at the bar near the front gave me a good view of the dining and brewing area and I like what I saw.  The bar is at the front and runs back into the room with the brewing area at the back of the bar area.  There are some booths that begin where the bar ends that border the brewing area.  There are 6 - 5 barrel mixing tanks each on top of a fermenting tank.  They have a single manual canning machine for their crowlers (32 oz cans which are a half-growler size) located in the bar area with the taps, the record library, and turntable.  The bartenders provide their own vinyl and on the night that I was there, it was a mixture of classic funk, and Kanye West.  On the wall opposite the bar hang several classic European cycling posters as well as an old Tandem bicycle.  I really like that wall, but what struck me was the wall behind the bar.  Just a quick glance makes it appear to be wallpaper with an old classic design, which would fit with the general vibe of the place, but if you really look at it, you will notice rats, pigeons, parking meters, and fire hydrants.  It is still a very nice design, but with these things, it is a little odd.

I finished off the evening with another beer.  Sour beers have become pretty popular in the last couple of years.  They vary widely in style, flavor, and quality, which might be an argument to stay with one you like, but I use it as an argument to see what else is out there.  Corridor was serving a Brett Pale Ale (a Pale Ale fermented with Brettanomyces Yeast which imparts a sour flavor) called Funkadelic #5, so I decided to try it out to see how it is.  It was sour, but not overwhelmingly so with flavors of Mango, Pineapple, Grape, and Sour Apple.  I generally prefer my sour ales to be a little more sour, but this was pretty good.

I like Corridor.  They have a nice design and are pretty laid back despite their popularity.  Because they are so popular, I am not sure if I would bring a large crowd here, but if I was in the area and we were looking for some good beer and good food in a casual atmosphere, it would come under consideration.     

 

Wyler Road

When I first moved into the neighborhood, there was a small sandwich shop about 3 blocks away called The Brown Sack which I really liked.  After a few years, it moved to a bigger place, which was a block further away, but I actually passed it regularly, so it was easy to stop.  I didn't visit it often, but I did go occasionally and I was sad when it closed a couple of years ago.  Last year, another place opened in their space.  I am not sure if the new owners bought the place from them, or bought it after it closed, but in any case, a new sandwich shop called Wyler Road opened in The Brown Sack's former space.  Other than a new paint job and different wall art, the space was not changed a lot.  One big change was that it now has a liquor license and the sandwich counter is now a bar.  There is a chalkboard at the front that lists the beers on tap and the cocktails.  When I go there, I like to sit at the bar because I can always be guaranteed a conversation.  The last time I went, I sat at the bar and ordered a Destihl Counter Clockweisse, a sour weisse from a brewery that does several very good sours.

While the sandwich menu between the two sandwich shops is similar (Wyler Road does not have a BLAST (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Shrimp, Tomato)), Wyler Road has restaurant style sides.  I decided to go with a side that I seem to frequently go with when I come here, Fried Cheese Curds with Fried Basil and House Ranch.  The curds are served warm and have a nice crispy shell surrounding a gooey and chewy inside.  While the ranch dressing is good with the curds, it really isn't necessary, because the curds are good on their own.  I would not pass, however, on the fried basil, which was sprinkled on the ranch dressing.  It provides a flavor explosion.

For my sandwich, I went with a Short Rib Sandwich served shredded on a Batard (French roll similar to a Baguette although more squat) with Moody Bleu Cheese, Beef Gravy, and Fried Shallots.  It was also served with Housemade Chips.  They were offered in Plain, Spicy, Salt and Vinegar flavors, I went with the Salt and Vinegar.  The beef itself was a little dry, but the gravy provided enough moisture to the sandwich.  The shallots were crispy, and, along with the bleu cheese, added some great flavor.  The bread was crusty and chewy, and as a whole it made for a substantial sandwich.  The chips were thick, crunchy, and provided a great complementary flavor to the sandwich.  While I do miss the Brown Sack, Wyler Road does a great job at more than replacing it and I will continue to go for a good sandwich and a beer or cocktail.

Finch Kitchen and Brewery

Those of you that read this blog regularly know that I enjoy going to different breweries, both for the beer, and in the case of those places that are also brewpubs, to try the food that they serve.  I recently went to a brewpub in North Center that I had previously been to and liked before when it was known as Breakroom Brewery.  I was kind of sad when Breakroom went away, but it was nice to see another up and coming local brewery, Finch's Brewing Co., now known as Finch Beer after also buying out Hopothesis Beer Company.  I had had several Finch Beers before and liked what I had had.  I knew that they had been looking for a place for a taproom for a while, so while it was a little sad to see a good brewpub go away, it was good to see another local brewery move in quickly bringing in their own celebrity chef.  The opening chef for Breakroom was Dirk Flanigan (formerly of The Gage), the opening chef for Finch Beer Co. and Kitchen is Matthias Merges (Yusho, Billy Sunday, A10).  As the space simply went from one brewery to another, only minimal changes were made in the dining room.  The space still has a high ceiling with exposed rafters, hardwood floors and furniture, garage doors at the front, and brewing tanks on either side of the dining room.  The major change came in the back of the room.  The woodshop that made bars that was in the back is now gone and is now an expanded brewing area.  The wall that separated the bar making company from the brewpub used to have a large wooden flag on it.  That has been replaced by a neon yellow finch which is the symbol for Finch Beer.

As far as the beer is concerned, they have a flight menu that is also used as a serving coaster.  There are 8 beers offered on tap that you can order as part of a flight.  There was also a cider, a guest tap, and a Hopothesis beer offered on tap, but which had to be ordered in 10 or 16 oz sizes.  When I was there, flights of four or eight were offered, it seems that they are now offered as three or five.  As it was early and I had other places to be, I decided to just go for a flight of four.  At the time that I went there, they seemed to be focusing on IPAs as there were 3 IPAs and an APA on the flight menu.  The flight menu now seems to be more widely focused with a variety of styles including a saison, a lager, a Mexican Lager, a dubbel, a wit, and one of the IPAs that had been on the menus previously.  The flight that I ordered included  Skull Hammer American IPA, Liquid Swords APA, Shards of Narsil American IPA, and Western Exposure Belgian Witbier.  As the name suggests, Skull Hammer hits hard and was pretty bitter.  Between the two IPAs that chose, I preferred the hops of the Shards of Narsil which had a more tropical flavor.  Liquid Swords was a hoppy pale ale that does not quite reach IPA levels of bitterness, and Western Exposure had a grassy coriander flavor and a higher ABV than a standard ABV.  Overall, the beers weren't bad, but I liked the Shards of Narsil best. 

When looking at the food at a brewpub, you have to look at the bar snacks offered.  Pretzels and nuts should be expected, but pork rinds, sausage,  and crispy chickpeas were a surprise to see on the menu.  I ordered the Crispy Chickpeas with Smoked Paprika which were served in a sealable plastic bag with a window which was brought in a bowl.  It was a good thing that they were brought in a sealable bag, because I got more than I would eat in a single sitting (actually I got more than I would eat in several sittings).  The chickpeas were crispy, flavorful, and well coated in smoky paprika, which gave them a spicy and smoky flavor.  They were also a great palate cleanser so I could better differentiate between the beers.  They were very addictive and reminded me of corn nuts and while I didn't eat them all in a single sitting, I made sure that they came with me when I left.

The rest of the menu is divided into For The Table, shareable dishes, Sausages, Sandwiches, and Dessert.  While there were a few things on the shareable menu that looked good like the Raclette Cheese Platter, Charred Beets, and Beer Steamed Mussels, I was by myself, so I wouldn't be sharing, and while the sausages looked interesting, I went with a Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Kimchi, Fried Shallots, and Sesame Aioli which were served with a side of Kennebec fries.  The chicken had a crispy breading with a tender, juicy interior, and a great flavor.  The kimchi and the aioli gave the chicken some sour, some spice, and a nice Asian accent.

Dessert basically worked out to be a choice between ice cream and donuts and while I like ice cream and they were serving Black Dog Gelato, I really was not in the mood for ice cream, so donuts, it was.  The Donuts in question were Chocolate Stout Donuts with Ginger Caramel Dipping Sauce topped with Powdered Sugar.  The bartender suggested that I order a Finch Secret Stache Chocolate Stout, which was the stout used in making the donuts because it would make a great pairing.  While I thought it sounded like it would be a great pairing, I tried to wave it off.  The bartender though, noticed that I am a great guy to give free stuff to, and decided to give me a tasting glass of the stout.  The donuts were hot and fluffy with a great chocolate flavor and a bitter malt undertone.  They did pair perfectly with the stout and the dipping sauce provided a creamy and spicy sweet finish.  I enjoyed my beer and meal here and will return to try more.