Ok, so things on the forum seem a bit subdued at the moment. Perhaps it's a left-over stupor; a holiday foodie malaise. Perhaps you've been drained by sparkly vampires? In any case it seems there's not much doing. I wouldn't normally post about such a mundane Saturday but I feel we could use a jump start... and I don't have any left over turkey to talk about.
I'm waiting for the IU game to start and finishing my second Young's Double Chocolate stout. I'm a bitter beer drinker as you may know but not exclusively. So I'm just the slightest bit toasty and feel like sharing my Saturday experience with a few friends who might also be looking to waste a couple of minutes. Here we go.
“I'm thinking of doing a mini-pub crawl,” I say. She looks back at me and even though her face changes not at all I can tell she's thinking “is that all you ever think about, drinking beer?” To her credit she says instead, “Where?”
Surprised and encouraged by this response I say, “Well I was going to start at Bank St for a beer and some Pommes Frites.” Then before I could lose my courage I hurry to say, “and then I was going to check out the Troll Pub Under the Bridge because Mark Gilley really needs to know what kind of beer they have there, and I need to give Against the Grain (ATG) another try, and I thought I would finish at Doc Crows for dinner. You know you like Doc Crows.”
She just stood there for a minute while I held my breath. I have been married to Donna for nearly 29 years. We first partnered up for Euchre during 6th grade recess when the weather was too nasty to go outside. We lost track of each other by junior high. I rediscovered this dark-haired beauty as I followed her out of the cafeteria one day in the eleventh grade. I'm pretty sure that was when I first became acquainted with the apple bottom jeans concept.
So, while we've been together for a long while, I still won't claim to be confident that I know how she is going to react to a given set of circumstances. She must have really been out of options because she said....ok.
I checked the hours of the places we would visit and, being the master planner that I am, I quickly devised the optimum chain of events for maximum drinking pleasure. (Drinking third Young's now).
We got to Bank Street Brewhouse (BSB) at 2:00. Folks, if you haven't figured out by now by reading my previous posts; I think Bank St is the jewel of New Albany. If you haven't been, you are missing out. Go there if you are a serious beer drinker, appreciate exquisite food combos, including world class cheese (Capriole), or if you would like to see real art. Allow me to elaborate.
NABC is, in my opinion. the premier local brewer and also one of the best micro-brewers within a five state radius (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania). David Pierce is a brewing genius IMO; and my only complaint is that sometimes the masterpieces he creates are here and gone and that frustrates me (Steam Boat). I can live with that -what choice do I have?
The beer slingers at Bank St know how to pour a beer. Yes, this is important to a real beer drinker. When I order a beer I've entered into a contract to pay for a beer. I want to be provided with a beer which, in NABC's case, is a full 20oz imperial pint as it should be. I can count on Tonya, Nathan, or Ben to pour me a full beer every time. What is a full beer? you ask. To me, it is beer to the rim, no head. Of course I've had to learn tolerance as this is not universally accepted. I will be happy if the head is no more than a half inch. I will not actually complain unless the head is over one inch; but I will not be happy.
Ben poured me a pint on Saturday with about a one inch head and provided me with a small glass with enough beer to make up the rest. The man is an expert in his field and should get a raise.
We ordered the before mentioned fries. I had a Beak's Best, and Donna a root beer. The Pommes Frites, which I believe is the Belgium term for french fries, is a staple at BSB. I've had fries from street vendors in Brussels, Bruges, and Ostend. These are not the ones I remember. They are, however, very good and they come with a variety of interesting dipping sauces. I was in a spicy mood so I chose the bacon horse radish and the aioli. Donna chose ketchup. (not actually listed but available none the less).
Himself was in attendance on Saturday at 2:00. You do know who I'm referring to? Uh the Red Baron, Rhett Butler, he who shall not be mentioned. Oh for peats sakes, the owner Roger Baylor was in the house. Roger, is quite a striking fellow and when he is in the room you know it. Roger carries himself with a presence which reminds me of the flag rank officers I encountered in my Air Force days. He was completely at ease and at the same time completely in charge. While his employees were very aware that he was there, they were not intimidated at all, but rather seemed pleased that the boss was near. I think Roger is a natural leader who values his employees, which all the best leaders do. (This point will be relevant later)
The final reason you should visit BSB (besides beer and food) is the art. Yes art. They employ an artist named Tony (can't remember his last name) to provide a face for NABC's beer. Tony's art is on display in this striking venue and his pictures tell a story that will add to your experience if you let them. You might also want to see the label that depicts David's dog Jaxon. Jaxon, if the label is accurate, is a small white terrier. He must be a big personality though, as the beer he inspired is a barley wine strength beer. Cheers to David and Jax.
Off to Against the Grain.
We entered the restaurant and there was no hostess. We waited a minute or so and a waitress who appeared to be out of breath approached and greeted us in a friendly manner. The restaurant was far from full at 3:15 on Saturday. We were nearly seated next to a family with several small children. I guess the waitress noticed the look on my face as she asked if we would rather be seated...further away. She didn't have to specify further away from what.
We agreed to a table and she asked if we were familiar with their beers. My first thought was “how could we be,” since it was ATG's policy to ensure that they never brewed the same beers twice. I resisted the temptation to counter with that response and asked instead what they had on cask. “Hoppy Seconds and Black and Mild” she responded. I checked the board and saw that the Hoppy Seconds was 7% abv. This was just about as high as I like to go, but as it was cask conditoned, I didn't hesitate. I also ordered the beer cheese with barbecue chips. Donna ordered a diet coke.
The wait for drinks was not long but I stared at my beer when it arrive with disbelief. The waitress was gone before I could even begin to express my thoughts about being given a beer with two full inches of head on it. I'm thinking, this is a place owned and operated by brewers and the server can't be bothered to pour a proper beer. Look, if this had happened in some dime a dozen chain, I would not have been surprised. But this is a brewery with serious chops and, in my book, an improperly poured beer is not acceptable. I thought that if a manager came by to ask how things were I would politely describe what had happened (no one asked). I wouldn't complain expecting to be brought two more ounces of beer. I just don't want short pours when I'm paying for a whole beer. The beer itself was excellent and I wanted more.
The beer cheese was tasty, although there were not enough chips to scoop up all of the cheese. This didn't matter as we'd had fries barely an hour previous. Still, seems like a careless oversight. We had finished our chips, beer, and diet coke and were sitting patiently when our waitress came up with an order of beer cheese. “Oh” she said “I didn't realize that you'd already gotten your beer cheese.”
Ok, so how much slack do you cut a new place? I don't know but I can say that, after having been there twice, it does not feel like things have settled yet. ATG, you're a brewery – your servers must always serve a proper beer. If they can't do that properly then as far as I'm concerned you're just another beer themed restaurant. I'm sure that's not what your going for. If you will just take your service as seriously as your brewing you'll have a fan in me.
The Troll Pub Under the Bridge was our next stop. We walked down to second street holding hands and I could not believe the warm breeze this late in November. It was early twilight as we passed Stevie Ray's, which has killer blues bands on a regular basis. I recommend “Hell Fish” from west Beuchel KY. Best local blues band. Any objections?
We passed O'Shea's at 4:05 and the valets in front of Doc Crows were joking around with each other and having fun. A right turn at the corner at Bearno's (how is that place still open?) and we saw the Troll. I thought this a masterful idea when I first heard of it and was anxious to try it. Some friends had visited prior to the Bob Seger concert, and had helpfully sent me a picture of the front of the menu (thanks? Jason). EllenP started a few short reviews here but, like Mark Gilley, I still didn't know what kind of beer they offered (really where are people's priorities?). This was bugging me.
As we turned the corner we encountered several couples who had obviously been inside the pub already and were quite - lubricated shall we say. They were taking turns getting their picture taken while posing with the Troll. That's a good sign I thought (in both respects). We descended into the depths and entered through a towering wooden door, complete with iron rivets and oversized knocker. I liked it so far and it got a lot better. This place had atmosphere in spades. It was slightly mazy, though not intimidating, and the walls were of beautifully refinished bricks. The very tall ceilings prevented any feeling of being closed in and lights strung strategically provided a festive feeling with just the right amount of mysterious shadows. There were cozy alcoves and larger open areas and, as some have already mentioned, an atrium open to the sky. We went straight to the bar.
This room was made to drink beer and watch sports. If for no other reason, I believe this place will be a fixture here for a long time. A very long wide bar and I think eighteen flat screen TVs. Somehow this was not tacky at all but rather every sports lover's dream. I quickly walked over to study the twenty taps. The selection was.....underwhelming to be sure but not disastrous. They had quite a few beers that I find acceptable when there are not real micros on offer. There were a couple of Sam Adams and a Shiner Bock from little Shiner Texas and they had Falls City. These are all acceptable options for me when I've come to a place for something other than the beer. They also had Stella. Stella is a Belgian lager and when I lived in England it was sort of the European Budweiser....and I just love saying Shhhtella! Falls City is a local, though its brewed in Milwaukee as far as I know. I met John Campbell over at the buy local festival earlier this year and his enthusiasm and ambitions for the Falls City brand were inspiring. He is no longer with Falls City and I suspect that this is an unfortunate sign for the brand. Too bad.
I recognized a single tap handle as NABC but it was turned sideways and I couldn't read it. I asked the bar tender which one it was and as she was trying to think of it a helpful client a few seats down said it was Hoptimus. At nearly 10% abv this beer is too big for me (I know I'm a lightweight).
I had to smile when I noticed that the rank of taps in front of me sported a Woodchuck cider tap. This reminded me of JackieR's hilarious assertions that she had released “more than a few” woodchucks from their cages in her day. I look forward to having a Woodchuck with Jax sometime.
I order a 23oz Founders IPA. It was promptly delivered and was completely full of beer. Donna decided to slow her pace a bit and ordered a water only (a spacer). The list of pub food on the menu looked extensive and interesting. If I hadn't been anticipating an oyster poboy at Doc Crows all day I would have ordered something. Maybe the Brat. I love Brats; who doesn't?
I asked the bartender why there was only one local offering. She was quite busy but she did say that the owner looked at the BBC and ATG as competitors and would not offer their products. I told her that I thought this was a mistake. The Troll Pub has something to offer that neither the BBC or ATG can. Location and atmosphere. IMO the Troll Pub is the best local place I've seen to watch sports and drink beer. If they would just offer the best selection of beer in town (including THE LOCALS) they would have the triple threat and would be unmatched.
As we left we decided to take the subterranean route through the guts of the building and were soon lost. We had just decided to turn back when we happened along a friendly dwarf, I mean valet, who pointed us to the stairway that led directly to Doc Crows.
Doc Crows was Doc Crows. It's a restaurant of most pleasing environs and they have very good food at an amazing price point. I had the oyster poboy which was very good as usual. I'm going to say though that it was not as good as the one I had recently at the Coach Lamp. I'm not just saying that either. But, all in all, I was not at all disappointed with Doc Crows; it's pretty much a sure thing. I wish they had a better beer selection but it can't always be about the beer can it?
I just have a few more minutes before the game so let me say just a few things about the Crow. I've been five times and I've had oyster poboys three times. I've had the pulled pork once. Pulled pork is one of my favorite foods. It is acceptable to me here. I lived in North Carolina for nearly five years and have eaten several times my weight in pulled pork. For me, Doc Crow's pulled pork is adequate; no more. Brisket – I lived in west Texas for seven years. Brisket is also one of my favorite foods. As far as I'm concerned the brisket at Doc Crows is far removed from Texas style brisket. In fact, I wouldn't even have recognized it as brisket at all had I not ordered it. I'm not saying it's a bad offering. The brisket had only a slightly smoky flavor and was cut much thicker than typical. It had a huge section of fat through the middle. Cutting out the fat was easy work and left plenty of meat which was extemely tender and tasty as well. I will not order brisket at Doc Crows again.
Well I've finished my last stout and the game is starting. I know that this was a lot to digest especially if you've just had a leftover turkey sandwich. If nothing else, I've amused myself recounting this mini pub crawl. What I wouldn't give to do a real pub crawl again. Are you up for it? Cheers all!
