LEO's Eats with LouisvilleHotBytesWe arrived at Bank Street Brewhouse on a beautiful late-spring afternoon. The temperature was in the balmy upper 70s, the breezes were gentle, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
I looked longingly at the four round patio tables out front and whispered to my bride how frustrating it is that the outdoor dining section has become the de facto smoking section for many Metro eateries.
The server must have overheard me. “Those tables are no-smoking,” she said with a smile. “Take your pick.”
Outstanding. It was a perfect evening for al fresco, and we took full advantage. Bank Street’s inside dining room — which segues into the outdoors when the large overhead doors are rolled up on pleasant days — also is smoke-free. (Smokers are welcome, however, in the partially covered patio on the building’s north side.)
That’s all good. But the beer — and the food — are even better at Bank Street, not to mention the casually comfy atmosphere, the consistently friendly service, the fair pricing and, did I mention, the food? And the beer?
Let’s start with the suds: As a partner pub to New Albanian Brewing Co. on New Albany’s north side (still widely known by its former monikers, Rich O’s and Sportstime Pizza), Bank Street operates under the radically artisanal vision of publican Roger A. Baylor (who also is LEO Weekly’s beer columnist).
That means, in Baylor’s terms, that it’s a “‘Lite-Free Zone,’ wherein low-calorie ‘light’ lagers and industrial swill both are excluded from the premises ... and pelted with abuse at every opportunity.”
I can get on board with that. Bank Street also offers short but quality options for beer and liquor; but I can’t imagine dining here on anything but artisanal locavore beer.
After all, Bank Street takes its inspiration from Europe’s gastropubs (compare Butchertown’s Blind Pig and Anchorage’s soon-to-launch Anchor Pub & Roost) and brasseries (historically, a restaurant that serves beer with food to match). “Cuisine a la bière” defines Chef Josh Lehman’s bill of fare.
Check out the chef’s résumé: A Sullivan culinary grad, Lehman boasts 15 years in the kitchen, having served at Bluegrass Brewing Co., Blue Parrot and Hurstbourne Country Club before becoming grill chef and then sous chef at Le Relais.
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes:
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/lots- ... -brewhouse
And in LEO Weekly online:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/lots-about- ... -brewhouse
Bank Street Brewhouse
415 Bank St.
New Albany, Ind.
812-725-9585
http://www.newalbanian.com/bsb_at_a_glance.html
Robin Garr’s rating: 91 points