Stoddard's Fine Food & Ale, Boston, MA

Stoddard's has one of the best selections of draft beers in the Downtown Crossing area, if not the entire city. It has a very warm, friendly atmosphere. In addition to a very vibrant collection of craft beers, the also pride themselves on artisan cocktails. But when I visit, I can't resist the beers, so I'll have to review those another time.

This past weekend C. and I were out for a day on the town to celebrate our anniversary.  We popped in to Stoddard's to break up our walk from the ICA to the Public Garden.  It was so nice to grab a seat at the bar, away from the crowds, and enjoy a fine brew or two.  As I mentioned to the bartender, while Stodard's lacks outdoor seating, most of the bars that do have it have average-to-lousy beer lists.  He agreed.  "That's their only draw".

In the mood for a summer beer (by my definition, at least) I had Honedydew, an Farmhouse Ale from Night Shift Brewing.  Clean-tasting, with a little bit of the spicy, yeasty character that I (an avowed hop-head) have learned to appreciate in recent years.  It was one of a few good beers we had that afternoon, from their impressive line-up.
I'd consider Stoddard's a "must visit" for beer lovers passing through Boston.  I miss it already!

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.

A long-awaited return to the Trinity Brewhouse, Providence, RI

My better half and I had a nice night out in Downcity Providence last Saturday night.  We started with dinner at Bravo Brasserie, which was very enjoyable.  It has a nice atmosphere, a very varied menu (French-inspired American cuisine), and very reasonable prices.

It was still early, so we ducked into the Trinity Brewhouse.  It had been a couple of years since our last visit.  We both had the RI IPA.  This beer has an excellent aroma, and is very full-bodied for an IPA.  It has above average bitterness and hoppiness, and slightly below average sweetness.  I enjoyed it a lot.  Oh, and we got to see the the Bruins dramatic, double-overtime win over Les Habs.  Sweet!

On a related note, we recently tried one of Trinity's bottled offerings, Trinity IPA.  This too is a very pleasing local brew.  I'll post a more complete review when I get a chance, but I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Trinity is a bona fide local gem.  Check them out.

Dunkin Donuts "Big N' Toasty"

Let's make a slight diversion from beer and squid to another of the major food groups - the "Cheesy, eggy breakfast sandwich thingy" food group.  I left the house early the other day, skipping breakfast at home.  So I decided to try the new Big N' Toasty" from Dunkin Donuts.  DD describes it as "2 fried eggs, 4 slices of Cherrywood smoked bacon and American cheese on thick Texas Toast."  Sounds good to me.

Big N' Toasty

So I had one.  The first thing I realized is that "Texas Toast" is toast that's more or less soaked in butter (or a butter-like substance.)  This is one thing when you're eating it to complement a meal, and it's only lightly soaked in real butter, and you eat it right away.  But when you put this in a fast food context, the effect is a very greasy experience.  The sandwich tasted fine, and I liked the thickness of the bread.  But after one bite my mouth and chin were covered in, well, butter-like substance.  It's not a sensation that fills you with feelings of self worth.  I don't need to look at the nutrition facts to get the feeling that this sandwich goes beyond decadent, into the "off-putting" territory.  So despite my love of eggs, cheese and bacon, and my intense like for Texas Toast, I won't be having the Big N' Toasty again.

P.S.  For a real star in the "Cheesy, eggy breakfast sandwich thingy" food group, check out the "Grilled Cheese Eggsplosion."  I've made several - waaayy cool!

Northampton Brewery, Northampton, MA

Our family's big Christmas gift this year was a 5-day, 4-night ski trip to Ski Butternut, in Great Barringon, Massachusetts for February vacation.  Naturally, when you think "ski trip" and "Western Mass" (or New England in general), you think "craft beer".  Well, at least I do.

During the first leg of the trip we decided to stop for lunch at the Northampton Brewery.  This establishment became the first brew pub I was conscious of when it opened while I was in college down the road at UMass, Amherst.  During the ensuing (cough) several years, the venue has added a huge roof deck, and redecorated.  It had an OK atmosphere back then, and they've made a big improvement.

Sandwiches and beer (just one - still plenty of driving to do) were just what was needed.  The brewery has a Cuban sandwich on their menu.  This somewhat rare offering is always a welcome one.  So my eldest and I went Cuban/Ruben, and shared.  Yummy!

Old Brown Dog Ale (left) and Blue Boots IPA

I had the Blue Boots IPA, and my better half had the Old Brown Dog Ale.  I think I liked mine better than she liked hers, but they are both quality brews.

We had debated a bit whether it was worth adding an hour to our trip West to go to the NBC (it's a half hour from the Mass Pike to Northampton, and a half hour back.)  In the end we were soooo glad we decided to invest some time in a sure bet for a nice meal and a really good beer at a friendly spot.

Barrington Brewery and Resturant, Great Barrington, MA

On the first night of our February ski vacation we went all the way across the street from our Great Barrington hotel to the Barrington Brewery and Resturant.  This brew pub is located in a mini strip mall made up of several barns and other farm-like buildings.  The have an upstairs loft with pool tables, where a sedate cat stands guard over the stockpile of brewer's grains.  The decor is very rustic and relaxed.  The atmosphere was a little noisy, but it was school vacation week, and the place was packed with kids.

I didn't start this beer blog to write negative reviews - it's not in me to criticize someone's livelihood and their labor of love.  Having said that, the beers at the BB (in GB) are not really for me.  They are a little weak and watery for me.

I thought the food and prices were quite good.  Others in my party thought it was average.  But food-wise, at least, I would go there again.

Union Station Brewery, Providence, RI

We recently went out for a family dinner a the Union Station Brewery, located near Waterplace Park, in Providence's recently revitalized downtown section. We've known about the place for some time, so it was great to have a chance to finally give it a try.

Waterplace Park in Providence, with the Union Station building in the background.

For my first beer, I tried the Friar Brown. This beer reminded me a bit of why I tend to shy away from brown ales, and stick more to IPAs. It was not as malty or toffee-ish as the name and description would imply. For me it lacked body and depth.

My better half, who loves most porters, tried the Vanilla Bean porter. She was as unimpressed with her beer as I was with mine. Again, as is the case with an alarming number of beers, the description said "dark, rich and full-bodied", and we found the beer to be 0 for 3. Are we missing something?

For both of us our second choices were a significant upgrade. I had the Trip Hop. Weighing in at 8.2% ABV and 63 IBUs, this beer really packed a punch, in terms of both flavor and bite. Not as much citrus flavor and aroma as some hoppy beers, but an excellent brew in its own right.

C. had the 1/2 Day IPA for her second glass, and she, too, was pleased. She found it pleasantly hoppy, with a very nice linger.

Our food was very good. My oldest and I each had half-pound burgers (he had the Texas burger and I had the BBQ bacon.) C. was very happy with her fish and chips, and my youngest thought the Caesar salad and fries were top notch.

I was neglectful in my duty to this blog, in that I did not try the Calamari. I was trying to be somewhat austere. (Poor me - a half-pound burger, and no appetizer!) I guess I have a lot to look forward to next time.

Pike Stout Extra Stout

Our foray into darker, maltier and, in some cases, higher ABV beers rolls on. Among the fairly long list of beers we've sampled this winter, Pike's Extra Stout is a real gem.


The Pike Brewing Co. actually calls this brew Pike XXXXX Extra Stout. It's very dark in color with a respectably creamy head. It has a full, burnt and bitter flavor, almost more like a full-bodied porter than a stout. It has a beautiful finish, and lingers nicely. This is one of my absolute favorite finds of the season.

Harpoon Leviathan Barleywine Style Ale

As I recently learned, barley wine is not wine at all, but rather, strong ale. Wikipedia has some good information on this for further reading. The basic idea is, more flavor, and a higher alcohol level than most other ales.

We tried Harpoon's offering after getting a quick sample on the Harpoon brewery tour. I am very impressed. Complex is a word that gets thrown around a lot when describing how things taste, but it really applies here. Dark, bitter, sweet, and VERY complex. This beer has a long, ever-changing finish, with caramel and tropical fruit, among other flavors. Two thumbs up!

Harpoon Brewery Tour, Boston, MA

This past Saturday I and my better half took our first ever tour of the Harpoon brewery, located in the South Boston Seaport. We've both been wanting to tour Harpoon for years, but the time was never right. Finally, we found ourselves with a Saturday morning to spend in Boston. So, after a Dim-Sum brunch in Chinatown, we headed out to the brewery.

I've been on a couple of winery tours, and at least one other brewery tour, and enjoyed them all. I like learning about how things were made, and I'm always amazed at what it takes to produce food and beverages at even a modest scale. The Harpoon tour did not disappoint. As expected, we were given an overview of the process of creating and cooking wort, and brewing the final product. We got all the dirt on yeast strains, water purification methods, protein strands and all the other good stuff that goes into brewing. The real unexpected treat of the day, though, was getting to sample raw beer (prior to filtering and carbonation) drawn straight from the bottom of one of the tanks. The IPA we tried was cloudy, and, as you would expect, a little flat. But it had a lot of flavor. It was way cool.

After the tour we retired to the friendly confines of the Harpoon store, where we got to sample from among about nine varieties, including Leviathan Imperial IPA, Oak Aged Dunkel (this year's 100 Barrel Series offering), UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen and Leviathan Barleywine. Of the last, more later.

It was a great tour on a great day. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes beer, or Boston.

Cold weather and holiday beers

As the summer of 2010 morphed into the fall (now quickly becoming winter ... 9F this morning), I have made an effort to take a step back from the IPA side of things, and tried to embrace the darker, more malty, and less citrus-y world of brown ales, Oktoberfest offerings, and winter lagers. I have tried this in the past, usually without success. I tell myself that my beer tastes are too one-dimensional - that I need to branch out from Harpoon IPA, Red Hook Long Hammer, and Stone Ruination. But each time I've tried, I've gone running back "home" to hop-head land, having been let down by the dark and malty crowd.I had reached a point where, if you couldn't taste the hops right up front, I couldn't enjoy the beer.

This time, I really tried to adjust my mindset prior to taking the leap. I've also been reading "The Naked Pint", a very thorough volume on all things beer. The authors do a good job of explaining the differences between different beer styles, and highlighting the best characteristics of each. This adjustment of mindset helped me to know what I was looking for in the world outside of Simcoe and Cascade.

I think this approach has helped, and I am finally developing a taste for malty brews. (There, I know you'll sleep better at night now.) Over the past month or so, I, and my better half, have shifted our beer buying and tasting to brown, malty, sometimes sweet and sticky, brews. I intend to write about at least a few of them in the coming weeks. Suffice it to say, I'm glad I stuck with it.

Unrelated post - familial bragging

My big sister, Alison Kenney Paul.

Mayflower Pale Ale

I think the Mayflower Brewing Company, founded way back in 2007, shows a lot of potential upside. I recently picked up a six pack of their Pale Ale. I was tempted to grab the IPA, but it's still summer, and I'm trying to stick with lighter tastes for the time being.

"Pale Ale" seem to mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Sometimes pale ale is very pale, and similar to a lager. Other times, as with Anchor's Liberty Ale, pale ales are more hoppy and/or full-bodied, and more like an IPA.

Mayflower Pale Ale sits firmly in the latter category. Medium body and color, hoppy aroma and taste, with a hint of citrus, and a slightly bitter finish. Almost like an IPA junior (I almost said "light".)

I like this beer, and this brewery. Buy local, right?

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

We recently discovered this bad boy of an IPA -- Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's Torpedo Extra IPA.  It has a relatively high ABV (7.2) but doesn't clobber you over the head. There is a slight citrus taste (that "grapefruitiness" that I so love in American IPAs) but also pine notes as well. The finish is pleasingly bitter -- something unexpected in an IPA for me, but extremely welcome.  A definite keeper.

Visit to S.F., Part Three - Anchor Brewing

I hate how some of the best beer places are at airports. Boston-Logan has a Sam Adams bar, a Harpoon bar (way out of the way, in the terminal A annex - you have to use the under-tarmac tunnel to get to it), and a Cisco (of Nantucket) brewery bar. Why so many great beer places, in a place where no one wants to be? (I know - travelers drink a lot, so that's where the money is.)

With a little time to kill at SFO prior to my return trip, I ducked into the Anchor Brewing Company bar at the domestic terminal. Liberty Ale is Anchor's hoppy, pale ale offering, and it is excellent. A great way to say goodbye to the city by the bay.

The best part about this visit, though, was what transpired with another customer. A sixty-ish business woman sat a couple of seats down from me and asked the bartender what was on tap. OK, this is good. Quality beer is achieving demographic reach that would have been unimaginable only a short time ago. So the barkeep ran down the list, and when he got to "a Pilsner, with a touch of wheat", the woman said, "Yes, I'll have that. And could I have a lemon wedge, also?". "Oh, no", the bartender replied, "You'll want to try it first." So now we have bartenders, who are knowledgeable about the nuanced flavors of particular beers, to the point of knowing that a lemon wedge would overpower this particular pilsner. The woman tried the beer and agreed. I was very impressed.

On the other hand, this is San Francisco. Maybe that's just how they roll.

Study hard and do your homework...

... little boys and girls, and you too might someday get to write about(and more importantly, research) craft beer for a major newspaper/website.

Better Beer - The Boston Globe

(My way of saying, "I enjoyed this article.")

Visit to S.F., Part Two - Gordon Biersch

This twenty-year-old brew-and-gastro pub is located along the Embarcadero, San Francisco's very chic waterfront boulevard. It's in the old Hills Brothers Coffee building, and sits in the shadows of the Oakland Bay bridge (pictured above) (no, I didn't take that picture).

One big downside to this pub, for me at least, is their website. It features a little bit of information about the history of the pub and its founders, and just about nothing else. No detailed beer descriptions, and no menu. I can't understand that. Isn't browsing the menu online a must activity for like 95% of first-time diners?

The lack of a menu did force me to look at reviews, and I found plenty of opinions. Here's a summary:

"You must have the garlic fries"

"The Marzen is legendary"

"Frat-boy crowd"

"Try the garlic fries"

"I love the eclectic, un-pub-food-like menu"

"I hate the eclectic, un-pub-food-like menu"

"Did I mention, garlic fries?"

The Embarcadero truly is a great place for a walk in the early evening. The bridge is quite striking, and the waterfront is beautifully developed, with palm trees and curved walkways.

I sat at the bar (World Series in high-def - I was happy), and tried... wait for it... the garlic fries.

Now, I love garlic, and I usually can't get enough of it. But I don't think garlic fries are my thing. You take some nice fries, and you toss them in moist, oily garlic and some chopped parsley. This makes the fries a little less hot, and a little more soggy. The garlic was fresh - really fresh. And to my surprise, I found it a bit overwhelming. They were just OK for me. I don't think I'll have them again.

The beers at Gordon Biersch are decidedly European in style. Although I'm an American IPA guy at heart, I was more than open to trying hand-crafted European brews as a change of pace.

I was not disapointed. I had the Czech Pilsner, and it was great. It crisp and refreshing, with the right amount of bitterness. Great for watching baseball.

The Martzen is their most popular beer, and I tried a sample, but I didn't care for it. With Americian beers, I go for IPAs, bitters and porters. But when it's European, I find I like lagers and pilsners more. Darker European beers are not my cup of tea.

Some of the reviewers were down on the crowd at G.B., saying it is too uptight. Well, it is very close to the financial district, and the crowd is a bit older, and more formally dressed than at, say, the 21st Amendment. But I didn't feel that it detracted from the atmosphere.

I would visit George Birch again. I'd particulary like to sit on their patio on a warm evening, and enjoy the view.

Update: Regarding the website, somehow the Google search result I clicked on was the one for the Brewery (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/brewery/). There is a separate, very complete site for the Resturants (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants/). Oh, well.

Visit to S.F., Part One - 21st Amendment Brewery

I recently paid a visit to my company's San Francisco office, which located in the city's SOMA (South of Market) neighborhood. Not far from the office, toward AT&T Park (home of the Giants), is the Twenty First Amendment. As happy as I was to be in San Francisco, I was even happier to find a friendly, relaxed brew pub so close by. I visited two of the three nights that I was there. If trips to the West coast ever become a habit (and that's not very likely), the 21A will undoubtedly become my home away from home.

The beer I had the most of there was the "Brew Free or Die" IPA. Sounds more like the name of a New Hampshire brew, than a bay area one, if you ask me. It is a perfectly serviceable beer with medium color, a light head, and lots of citrus aroma.

I wanted to try Humming Ale, the new Anchor Brewing beer they were featuring the second night of my stay. I had a sample, which was just OK for me. As it turned out, they had just tapped the keg, and were having trouble drawing from it. So I stuck with the IPA.

I also had the good fortune to run into an acquaintance from another division of my company, also located in S.F. He, his wife and another co-worker did have the Humming Ale, and they said it was pretty good. It was nice to run into friendly folks - not hard to do in laid-back, friendly California. Thanks to Kieran, Trisha and Justin for making me feel welcome.

The twenty-first amendment is a very homey place with a very welcoming atmosphere. I can't wait for my next visit.

Pittsfield BrewWorks, Pittsfield, MA

Yesterday C. and I traveled to the Berkshires for the "James Taylor and Friends" concert at Tanglewood. Naturally, we did a search for local brew pubs. The Pittsfield BrewWorks looked like a good bet.

Pittsfield is a much bigger town than I envisioned. (I've only been there once before, many years ago. It was at night, and I didn't see much of the city.) The BrewWorks, like any good brew pub, is in an older building that's been nicely renovated. I really liked the decor - plenty of dark wood and brick. The dining room has nice ambient lighting. The bar, where we sat, has big windows that let in lots of light.

I had the Legacy IPA. It had a red-ish color, and light head, with a light hop aroma. This IPA leans more toward the malty and sweet, and less toward the hoppy and bitter side of things. I found it a nice change of pace from the other American IPAs I've tried. A little bit mellow, with a nice sweet finish.

C. had the ESB, which she really liked. A bit more brown in color, it has a hearty, bitter flavor, with out being overbearing. Both beers were top notch. We would have loved to stay for more.

The calamari was excellent, although C. thought the batter was a bit heavy. It was definitely robust, possibly cornmeal-based (but don't quote me on that.) I liked the firm crunchiness of it. The squid itself was very nice, and the hot peppers were great accent.

We also had some onion rings, which we both liked a lot. They seemed to have the same thick batter, making them a nice change of pace. They came with an assortment of sauces - barbecue, red pepper aioli, and horseradish sauce. A very nice appetizer.

Overall, two thumbs up. Nice atmosphere, very friendly staff, very good beer, and, from what we can tell, yummy food.