A Triumphant Return to the 21st Amendment

I recently had the good fortune to make a business trip to the Bay Area, and even more fortunately, my better half was able to accompany me.  At the end of the trip we spent a night and a day in San Francisco.  At my insistence (C. didn't really put up a fight), we spent our first San Francisco evening at the 21-A.

Aside from the somewhat drunk, after-ballgame crowd, it was a great return to one of my favorite places. We had the Amber Waves and the Bitter American while we waited for a table.  I didn't take any notes at the time, but what I do remember is that they were both wonderful.  C. reminds me that the Bitter American was very yummy, and she particularly liked the modest ABV (4.4%).

Regarding dinner, first the bad news.  We ordered the calamari appetizer, and it was a little disappointing.  It looked amazing - it had just the right golden-brown color.  But the the pieces were actually quite dry and chewy.  It was very unexpected.

For dinner we both had pizza.  I had the Mexicali, and C. had the Margherita.  Both pizzas were excellent.  The Mexicali was perfect for a meat-lover, and the Margherita was a light, tasty contrast.

It was a big thrill for me to be able to return to one of my favorite spots (of the long-distance variety), and to be able to share the experience with the love of my life.

Cheers!

The Liberal Cup, Hallowell, Maine

We went to Maine to tour colleges this spring.  Yep, that's the stage in life that we, and just about all of our friends, have reached.  We checked out Colby - absolutely beautiful campus, and I've heard they have good academics, too - and the University of Maine at Farmington - a very quaint campus, and an extremely nice, central Maine town.

But all work and no play makes Jack, and Jill, dull parents.  Naturally we did our research before the trip.  One of the places we ate at turned out to be quite a gem.  The Liberal Cup, located just outside of Augusta, in nearby Hallowell, Maine, is a terrific place.

For beers, I had the Ex-Wife Extra Special Bitter, while C. had Dunkel John's Band.  Both beers were very much up to snuff.  A better blogger would have taken copious notes on the color, aroma, mouth feel and finish of these beers.  But as you may have figured out by now, I'm a lot better at drinking craft beers than I am at describing them.  Suffice it to say, the beers at The Liberal Cup are worth going out of your way for.

For dinner I had the meatloaf, rolled with bacon, garlic mashed potatoes and spinach. It was hearty and delicious, and we all enjoyed our meals.  I really liked this place, not just for the beer and the food, which were both excellent, but also for the atmosphere.  It's in an old mercantile building, like a hundred other restaurants in Maine, but the friendliness of the surroundings goes beyond that.  The place was quite crowded with locals on a Tuesday night, and I took that as a very good sign.

If you're in the Augusta area you should definitely check this place out.