Eris Brewery & Cider House

 

 

In Greek Mythology, Eris was the Greek Goddess of Chaos and Discord, sister of Ares, the God of War and the one who instigated the start of the Trojan War by rolling the Golden Apple of Discord in front of Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite inscribed with the words, "For the Fairest One."  It is fitting that a business owned and run by women has chosen the name Eris, both for the apple and the fact that the concept throws a bit of discord into the brewery scene of Chicago.  It is ironic however that the location that was chosen for Eris Brewery and Cider House was in fact a Masonic Temple, an organization that is very much about regimentation and order.  The space itself is a large square shaped brick building, as might be expected from a former Masonic Temple.  It has the look, from the outside, of an old bank or school.  There is a sign above a door, on the east side of the building that says Eris.  It looks, very well, like it could be an entrance but it is not.  The entrance is on the west side of the building and while it very definitely looks like an entrance, there is no sign labeling it Eris.  The only indication of what it is are the door handles which have the arrows pointing in all directions, which is Eris's symbol.  There seems to be two host stations, the first one is just inside the doors at a table that also sells hats, glasses, and other souvenirs, the other is up the stairs at the end of this alcove in another alcove just inside the dining room.  This looks more like a host station and is made from a safe with a desk on top and a Freemason symbol on the door in front.  The first thing that you encounter when you enter the dining room are the enormous padded leather booths that will seat about 12 people each lined up like pews in the center of the room.  The long bar that runs the length of the dining room is on the right side of the room, and there is seating on the left side of the room, as well as a stairway using old radiator parts as a handrail leading to a catwalk with more table seating that overlooks the dining room.  The kitchen is on the opposite side of the room from the entrance and the brewing/fermenting area is located on the left side of the room on the same level as the entrance.  It is best scene behind glass in the far left corner of the dining room.

 

The beer and cider menu is fairly equally split between cider and beer.  They buy juice to ferment the cider instead of squeezing the apples themselves.  Many of the ciders are treated similarly to beers, though the ciders that I liked best were treated more like wine.  I went twice and have tried five ciders and four beers.  Of the beers, my favorite was the New England Style Hazy IPA, Foiken Haze, which had a tropical and juicy flavor, and Fnord, which is a light ale using beets.  The Original Snub, the beer that Fnord is based off of uses Apple Juice, and to me, just isn't that exciting.  Moral Warpitude, their stout, has a bit of a coffee finish, but it's a little light of body.  Of the ciders, I actually had Van Van Mojo twice.  It is a cider with blueberries and mosaic hops added, so it's a both fruity and hoppy and has a dry finish.  It's Tricky is a semi-sweet cider which was pretty good, though nothing that you can't find anywhere else.  Delicate Flower was a cider made with Chamomile and while I generally don't mind floral flavors in moderation, this was too much.  Pedestrian Dry cider was pedestrian, and Prickle Prickle, a dry cider dry hopped with Hallertau Blanc was a little too dry.  While I liked some of the beers and ciders more than others, other than Delicate Flower, there isn't one that I wouldn't order again, and even with Delicate Flower, if someone were to give it to me, I would drink it (slowly).

 

 

For the first course, you can choose from a variety of appetizers, salads, and bar snacks.  I tried a variety of things and they were all very good.  Beer and Cheese (and Cider and Cheese, for that matter) go very well together, so it's no surprise that there is a Cheese Board on the menu.  In addition to the  5 Year White Cheddar, Blue Cheese, Manchego, and Alpine Cheese, we also had Spiced Nuts, Apple Butter, and Thyme (more, I think, for aroma than for anything else) and toast points to eat stuff on.  The cheese was all fresh and good and went well with the more flavorful beers and ciders.  The Duck in the Duck Tacos was thinly sliced, tender and very flavorful and served with lettuce and some Pico de Gallo.  The favorite pre-entree thing that I have had, though, has been the Shaved Brussels Sprouts, which were served with Cranberries, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, and served with Maple Stout Vinaigrette.  It was very fresh and crisp, with a lot of flavors and textures, finishing with the sweet-sour of the Maple Stout Vinaigrette.

 

For entrees, there are both sandwiches and plated dishes.  I have had both and they are both very good.  On the Hand Held/Sandwich side of things, they have your typical Burgers and Hot Dogs, but I wanted to try something different.  I was very surprised, when I saw Cevapcici on the menu.  I had had Cevapcici from a trailer at various street festivals and really liked it.  It is a Croatian Skinless Sausage made with Beef, Pork, and Lamb, typically served with a Red Pepper Sauce on a Pita.  This was all of that as well as Pickled Cucumbers and Onions, Cucumber Yogurt, and Field Greens, served on a Pita Flatbread.  It was served with Fries and Ketchup on the side and was very good.  On the plated side of things, I had a Special which was a Shrimp Creole with Shrimp, Rice, Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Celery, and Hot Sauce.  It was spicy and flavorful with a lot of shrimp, and very good.

 

The dessert list is small, containing only Bread Pudding and Creme Brulee.  I had both, and while both had their moments, I only really liked one.  The Creme Brulee had Fried Apples and Mint.  While it did have a good flavor, the crust was a little sad and required nothing to crack through.  The Bread Pudding, though, was something else.  It was a Stout Chocolate Bread Pudding with French Bread, White and Milk Chocolate Ganaches, and Almond Bark.  It was both sweet, as a bread pudding is supposed be, with the bitterness of a good stout (as well as lots of chocolate).  The Almond Bark stuck in the top was a nice finish to a good dinner.

Eris is interesting and creative as well as being family friendly.  Because of this it is very popular and frequently crowded.  While I would return, I would make sure to come at an off time like early during the week to avoid having to wait for a seat. 

The Loyalist - Restaurant Week

Last year a combination Gastropub/Fine Dining Restaurant opened last year in the West Loop.  Headed by Husband and Wife Team, John and Karen Urie Shields, who met while working at Charlie Trotter's, Smyth and The Loyalist got a lot of buzz after opening.  Smyth, the fine dining half, is located upstairs, and The Loyalist is located in the basement.  Although they are both very different experiences, I was very interested in visiting both, Smyth because it's a fine dining restaurant which is like experiencing art, and The Loyalist, which looked to have some very good bar food.  In fact, The Loyalist was noted by Bon Appetit to have one of the best Cheeseburgers in the country this year.  Unfortunately, both restaurant and bar operate using Tock, an electronic reservation system that frequently makes it difficult to book odd numbered parties.  I understand the logic, an odd numbered party leaves an open seat which can't be booked and makes it that much harder to make a profit, but it does make it difficult for those people that like dining solo.  Luckily, The Loyalist decided to participate in Restaurant Week this year and I have an easier time finding someone to dine with during this festival of food, so it was a given that I would go.  The building in which Smyth & The Loyalist are located is kind of a non-descript office building.  Entering the building, you encounter a landing with stairs leading downstairs for The Loyalist and Upstairs for Smyth.  Going downstairs we enteres a space that was like a partially finished basement.  The floor was cement, the walls were black, and the lights were hanging.  The furniture was wood and steel and had a bit of a Colonial bent to it.  We were seated and we began perusing the menu.  The restaurant week menu was small, but it did select items from the regular menu.  The cocktail menu was pretty extensive and adventurous so it took some time to decide what I might be interested in.  I decided to start things off with Buddha's Little Finger, a cocktail with Genever (a Juniper flavored liquor that is the national liquor of The Netherlands and a predecessor to London Dry Gin), Italicus (an Italian liqueur using bergamot and with a citrus and floral flavor), Buddha's Hand (a hand shaped citrus fruit that is all rind and no fruit and is used in cocktails for it's citrus flavor), Lemon, and Egg White.  It had a nice creamy head, a citrus and floral flavor, and was a nice start to a relaxing evening.

For the Restaurant Week menu, there were two choices each for entree and dessert with a salad served for the first course.  We decided to order one of everything and add an additional salad off of the regular menu, so we could each experience as much of the menu as possible.  The Salad that came as part of the Restaurant Week menu was a Bibb Salad served Family Style.  It started with Bibb Lettuce leaves with Watermelon Radish, Walnuts, Dill, Green Goddess Dressing, and Fromage Blanc.  The vegetables were very crisp and fresh and the lettuce was served as whole leaves.  It was very good and flavorful, but I had a little trouble with the lettuce, because it became stuck in my head at a young age that you don't cut lettuce.  I realize as an adult, that while you might not want to cut the lettuce before service (to prevent bruising), the diner would be perfectly within his rights to cut the lettuce.  While the Bibb Salad was good, I liked our additional salad better.  It was a Beet and Endive Salad with Smoked Salmon, and Caramelized Mandarins.  It had a variety of flavors and textures and it was easier for me to eat.  The beets were bittersweet and cubed, and the salmon was served between the beets and endive leaves which were served on top.  While I knew that it was there, it was hidden under the endives, and it was a surprise to find and taste it.

 

 

For our entrees we were very happy to see the Cheeseburger on the menu.  If it had not been, we would have had to have ordered it off the regular menu.  Leaving without trying it was not an option.  The burger on the Cheeseburger was a mixture of Short Rib, Chuck, and Ground Bacon.  It was griddle fried (which results in crispy edges) and presented on a Sesame Seed Bun with American Cheese, House Made Pickles, and Onions prepared three ways:  Charred, Pickled, and Raw.  It was presented with a Jus and Onion Infused Mayo on the side as well as some perfect fries that tasted like they were double fried.  It lives up to the hype and is one of the best burgers that I have ever had.  Our other course was Fusilli with Short Rib and Tripe Bolognese, Goat Cheese, and Parsley.  The pasta was simple and had a nice flavor, and was presented perfectly Al Dente.  It was good, but it really couldn't compete with the cheeseburger.

Dessert was another winner.  We were presented with a couple of Macaroons with a Chocolate Mousse Brulee on top.  There were two served, so there was no worry of dividing them.  They were crispy and sweet with a nice smooth and creamy mousse topping that had been touched by fire crisping the outside and making it a little sweeter.  While these were good, I liked our other dessert better even though it was a little tricky to divide.  It was a large and very delicate cream puff with Hazelnut Praline topping, lots of Whipped Cream filling, and Toasted Hickory Nuts.  It was sweet, delicate, nutty, but also very much a mess.  I think that I did consider eating it with my hands, if I had, I would have ended up wearing as much as I ate.  Both desserts were very good and made for a perfect ending.  I decided to pair them with another cocktail.  The Lonesome Dove, a Gin Cocktail with Gentian, Lavender, Lemongrass, Lime Bitters, and garnished with a sprig of Sage.  It was tart and floral and was a contrast to the sweet desserts.  Everything was very good and I would be happy to return either here or to go upstairs to Smyth, for some fine dining.

AMK Kitchen Bar

 

I will admit, that when it first opened, I was a little turned off by AMK Kitchen Bar, because the name seemed a little jingoist, being a shorthand abbreviation of America.  This attitude was helped with reviews mentioning the paintings of the American Flag and Uncle Sam on the walls inside.  Considering the neighborhood, though, I am not sure if a place with an "America Right Or Wrong" attitude would really fly.  I later went to their sister restaurant, Nosh and Booze for brunch, and really liked it and I had heard that they operated as a scratch kitchen, making a comfort food menu from scratch, so I become interested and recently stopped there for dinner.  Located near a major intersection in Bucktown.  The front window/wall is a garage door which is opened when it's warm outside.  It was not warm when I went, so things were buttoned up tight.  The walls on which there are many murals are old brick, giving the murals the appearance of being weathered with age.  I was seated next to a mural of Uncle Sam which was very big, weathered, and kind of cool.  The flag, also very large and weathered. was on the wall behind me and to one side.  There was a painting of a woman on tile behind the bar between the bar shelves and beside one of the several TVs around the dining area.  The kitchen was open and a little small, sitting next to the bar and the lights are on wires hung in the unfinished ceiling.  It looks like they started the design of this place by stripping it to the bones before painting on the walls and putting in furniture.  The look was very rough, but it worked.

AMK has a nice cocktail list combining classics with originals.  They also have a good whiskey list of American Whiskeys primarily focusing on Kentucky Bourbon, but also including Rye and Tennessee and local varieties.  The beer list seems to be split pretty evenly between local and national craft beers, but it does have a macro representative, Miller High Life, the Champagne of Beers, whose ABV "Doesn't Matter" (from the beer list).  I started things off with a cocktail, actually the same cocktail I had at Nosh and Booze, although with a slightly different name.  Here it was called an IPA Mule (at Nosh and Booze it was called an IPA Jackass).  It started with Hophead Vodka, and included Ginger, Lime, Deschutes Freshly Squeezed IPA, and was garnished with Mint Leaves.  It was both hoppy and sweet, with a tart finish, and was very refreshing in it's copper mug.

The food served at AMK could both fall under bar food and comfort food, everything of which as made in house, so there were many things that looked of interest.  The menu was divided into Snacks, Salads, Sandwiches, and Mains.  While there were several snacks that interested me like the Cheese Curds and the Dorito Pie, I decided to start things with Fried Pickles with a Spicy Ranch Sauce.  The Pickles were sliced and coated in breadcrumbs and fried.  The exterior was crispy while the center was still juicy.  While I like pickles as they are, they lose little flavor in the frying and the spicy ranch dipping sauce went with it well.

 

There was an item in the snack list that was quite a bit more expensive than the other snacks, the Mac and Cheese.  I was told that it won the Mac and Cheese Fest this year, so it was a must try.  What I didn't expect was how big the serving was going to be.  It was served in a 6 inch cast iron pan and filled to overflowing.  In addition to the cheeses (I'm not sure how many or what cheeses were used) and the Cavatappi Pasta, it included Bacon, Jalapenos, Parmagiano-Reggiano, and Breadcrumbs (I think Brioche).  It was spicy, cheesy, and had plenty of bacon flavor.  As it was listed under snacks, I ordered a main course as well.  I saw as soon as it arrived that I was going to have to bring part of it home and at least half came home with me.

Under the mains they had a Chicken Pot Pie listed that I was very interested in.  I was told though that the Chicken Pot Pie would require a 30 to 40 minute wait (because they would have to make it).  I was interested in it, but I didn't really want to wait as long as it would take, so I decided to switch my order.  A burger would have been an easy order and they have been recognized for their burger, but I wasn't interested in a burger, so I went with Nashville Hot Chicken on a Biscuit.  This was a big piece of fried chicken covered in pepper sauce on a large biscuit with a dill pickle slice skewered on top and served with fries on the side.  There was also a small container of Ranch Sauce served on the side, I assume to temper the heat of the hot sauce, like it's done with Buffalo chicken, but I really didn't want to take the sandwich apart to add it.  The sandwich was very big and I had to stretch my mouth a lot to get a bite of it, but it was very good.  The Crust was crispy and crunchy and held in the juices of the tender chicken.  The biscuit was unusually square, but it did have the crispy exterior and crumbly interior of a good biscuit.  The hot sauce was very spicy, as might be expected, but it wasn't so hot as to make it inedible and did add to the flavor of the sandwich.  The fries that were served with it were done well, and were lightly salted, but with everything else that I had eaten, were kind of unnecessary.  

When it came time for dessert, I was starting to feel a little full, but I couldn't turn away dessert.  I asked about a dessert menu and was told that they only had one thing that they offered for dessert called a Brookie Sundae.  The waiter described it and after hearing Brownie, Cookie, and Ice Cream, I was interested, though still unsure what I was going to be getting.  What came out was ridiculous and something that I knew that there was going to be no way I would finish.  It was a Chocolate Chip Cookie baked in a Brownie in a Cast Iron Frying Pan, topped with Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, and drizzled with Fudge Sauce. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to finish it, I wanted to at least try everything together and eat it in a way that I would be able to bring home what I couldn't eat.  The brownie and cookie were warm and were great with the vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.  I only had a few bites of the brookie in the restaurant because I knew that would be transportable, I did eat the ice cream, and left very full.

While I really enjoyed the food here, I know now that the portions are very large, and I can plan next time to order less or plan to bring something home.         

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.   

Pub Royale

While I have been told that I am a pretty adventurous water, I am a little intimidated when I don't really know what the food will be like.  Indian food uses so many unusual spices that are not used in other cuisines, that I have been a little intimidated to dive in.  There are things that fall within the realm of Indian cuisine that I really like, but my knowledge base of Indian Cuisine is small so it is generally not a go to for me.  India, however, was a colony of the British Empire and Anglo-inflected Indian cuisine is popular in England, so if Indian Cuisine is put through an English lens, this makes it easier for me to try.  If a restaurant putting out Anglo-Indian pub fare hores a chef that I know and like, that makes it easier for me to try.  Pub Royale, a gastropub with a really good beer list serving Anglo-Indian cuisine recently hired Chef Joanna Stachon, formerly of Ada Street, a restaurant I have come to love, so I decided that it was time for a visit.  The sign over the door looks really weathered with the lettering giving an exotic Indian feel and green neon signs above the name announcing food, beer, and brunch.  Inside, the space is narrow with the bar running along one side.  The walls are brick with Indian masks hanging on the brick walls and hanging globe lighting.  There is a large mirror behind the bar framed by a couple of stuffed white peacocks.  The glassware is kept hanging or sitting under the shelf holding the liquor and there is an old BMW motorcycle hanging on the wall behind and beside the bar.

While there is a printed beer list, the most up to date list is on a digital screen at the back of the restaurant.  I didn't actually notice the list until I had already ordered and received my beers off of the cardboard menu.  I ordered Odell Pyrus and Prunus American Wild Ale and Prairie Twist Farmhouse Ale.  The Odell was very tart.  While I liked it, it was a sipper as opposed to something you might put down quickly.  The Prairie was a hoppy and funky saison.  It had a pronounced flavor, but I had never had a high alcohol sour before (the Odell was 9% ABV), and I liked that more.  Having said that, while I did like the Odell better, the Prairie was better with my food.  

As for my food, I started with something I will almost always start with when I eat Indian food, Samosas.  They had a crispy outer shell as a good samosa is supposed to and was filled with Potatoes, Peas, and Onions, and was served with Cilantro and Tamarind Chutneys.  The samosas were good without chutney.  The crust was like a fried wonton with steamed potatoes, peas, and onions and the flavors that they provide.  While they were good without the chutney, they were better with, thiough I will admit that I did prefer the tart and bitter flavor of the tamarind to the green flavor of the cilantro chutney.

When I looked over the food menu, I saw something else that there also was no question about ordering.  At Ada Street, Lamb Ribs had made a showing on the menu and they were a big favorite among my friends and I.  They were also on the menu at Pub Royale with an Indian twist, adding Pomegranate Seeds, Cilantro, Pistachios, and Crispy Rice.  The ribs themselves were tender and flavorful, but required a little pull to remove from the bone.  The pomegranate seeds provided a bitter sweetness, and the crispy rice had a light fried flavor and added some crunch.  While it was a little different from that that was served at Ada Street, it was still very good.

My next course, while vegetarian, could very well be considered a main course.  It was Butternut Squash Dal with Red Lentils (the dal), Broccolini, Saffron, Pumpkin Seeds, Lasanachi Chutney (Garlic Chutney), and Crispy Kale.  This was very rich, flavorful, and spicy, and the Kale was very light and crispy with the lentils and squash being very creamy textured.  While I expected that I would like this, I was surprised at how much that I did like it.

While I was enjoying the dal, Chef Joanna came out to greet me (I asked if she was in and when told who was asking, she said that she would come out and say hi).  We exchanged pleasantries and caught up a little and shortly after she returned to the kitchen, I received a bonus course that was not yet on the menu:  Charred Rainbow Carrots with Lemon and Honey Greek Yogurt, Smoked Pistachios, and Sherry Golden Raisins.  I really like carrots and these were cooked to a perfect tenderness.  They were lightly sweet which the raisins paired well with.  The pistachios added a crunchy textural variety and a nutty flavor and the yogurt provided a tart counterpoint.  It was simple and complex at the same time and I really enjoyed it.

There is one thing on the menu that could qualify as dessert and that was the Naan Doughnut with Chai Dulce de Leche Sauce.  While most doughnuts are finger food, this, because of the Dulce de Leche Sauce needed a knife and fork.  The doughnut itself was pretty dense and powdered with sugar, making it lightly sweet.  The Sauce provided the sweetness that you would expect of a doughnut and the chai spices added a sweet spiciness to the whole thing.  It provided for a very nice finish to a good meal.

 I really enjoyed my meal here.  The food was really good, and while a little exotic, not inaccessible.  The staff is very friendly and helpful and the place has a nice design.  I will definitely return and will probably bring friends.    

Centennial Crafted Beer + Eatery

 

While I will admit to liking beer, most of the time when I go out for a beer, I prefer going to a place that also serves good food.  I kept seeing Centennial Crafted Beer + Eatery popping up as a good place to eat  and drink, so I decided to try it out. Located in River North, next to Tapas joint, Cafe, Iberico, it's pretty narrow with a small sign, so you kind of have to know where it is.  Inside, it is very rustic with the walls showing horizontal 2x4s.  The bar is long, with a very long tap line and the present beer list behind that.  The beer menu is divided into several categories that are more than simply the style of the beer.  They are listed as Hoppy, Roasty, Refreshing, Wet Hopped, Session, Malty, and Belgian and Wild, with a list of upcoming drafts.  I started things out with a beer from a new brewery that is actually a collaboration.  Warpigs Brewery is a collaboration between Danish Gypsy Brewer Mikkeller and local heroes, Three Floyds.  The beer that I had was called Foggy Geezer Hazy DIPA.  DIPA seems to mean different things depending on the brewery, for some, it's a more bitter and higher alcohol beer akin to an Imperial IPA for others, it seems to be a combination of a Belgian Dubbel and an IPA.  This seems to fall in the latter category.  It is fairly bitter, but it has a slight sweetness, and a dry earthy finish.  I like hoppy beers, but I could do without hop bombs, and this one seems to avoid going simply for bitter.

The menu is divided into Snacks, Small Plates, Charcuterie and Cheese, Mains, Greens, and Sandwiches.  It also gave an indication as to the style you might want to pair each dish with.  There were a lot of things on the menu that looked really good, but I wasn't starving, so I decided to take it easy and order a snack and a sandwich.  For my snack, I ordered Lamb Meatballs with Curried Lamb, Beer Jus, Mustard Greens, and Golden Raisins.  I was actually surprised at the size of this item which was listed as a snack and when I finished, I was almost finished.  It was very flavorful with the curry, and the mustard greens providing an herbal spiciness, and the golden raisins adding a sweet finish.  I didn't precisely plan to pair my dishes with my beer, but it was recommended to pair an IPA with this.  As that is what I started with, I can say that their pairing recommendation was on point.

 

My second beer was Greenbush's Distorter Porter, which was very rich and creamy, and had a nice bitter roasted malt flavor.  This inadvertently paired perfectly with the KBS Barrel Wood Smoked Pork Sandwich with Dry Rubbed Pork Shoulder, Slow Smoked, Cilantro Lime Slaw, Avocado Crema, on a Toasted Baguette with Frites on the side.  This was a very good sandwich with a meaty and smoky flavor.  The Avocado Crema and the Cilantro-Lime Slaw almost gave it a Mexican flavor without the heat.  The frites were double fried and had a crispy outside and a soft inside, were nicely salted, and tasted very good.  This was also more than I could handle after the lamb meatballs.  I really enjoyed it, but it didn't get finished.  While I was there I didn't see a dessert list, but even if I had, I'm not sure that I would have been able to dive in.  Everything was very good and I will have to come back, but I will definitely have to come hungry next time and better plan my eating.