Heavy Seas Alehouse (Rosslyn, Arlington, VA)

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*****

I have come to really enjoy brewpubs that have gone the gastro-pub route; this includes Bluejacket, a new D.C. brewery which I reviewed in May.  Sometimes in these situations, the food ends up  becoming more of a focus than the beer, or vice versa, and this can lead to problems, or at least a situation where you go for one more than the other; obviously, the goal is a nice equilibrium, where people want to go to your restaurant for both.  Heavy Seas Alehouse, in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, VA, has done a pretty good job of balancing things out, ending up with a nice restaurant that also serves very high quality beer.

Heavy Seas Beer, based in Baltimore, is the overarching organization that is responsible for the restaurant, which also has a location at the brewery itself.  Claiming to be the largest producer of cask conditioned beers in the United States, Heavy Seas has a great focus on high quality ingredients, including sourcing at least some of their hops locally in Maryland.  This kind of caring translates into quality, and the two beers I had were both delicious.  Unfortunately, I do not know the names of either for sure, but I am almost certain the saison I had was the Red Sky at Night (on cask) and the barley-wine I had was the Below Decks, based on what I can find on their website and on BeerAdvocate. 

The saison was light but boozy, definitely not a session beer, which I typically pick saisons for, but with the normal light, citrus and wheat forward spiciness I expect out of a good one.  The beer is both bright and cloudy, a strange mix that actually looks very cool as the clouds swirl through the glass; this could be related to being cask conditioned, but it did not taste like there was any sediment, and I suspect that Heavy Seas is more careful than to allow something like that to occur.  Either way, it looked good, and tasted better.  Assuming this was the Red Sky at Night, it is a 7.5%, and it definitely drank that way, but it was not overly sweet as some higher ABV saisons I have had were, and it definitely is still refreshing.

The barley-wine was absolutely not refreshing, but that is no knock on it.  Sweet, tart, malty, and with a hefty fruitiness, this was at the recommendation of the waiter (I'll get to him later) to accompany my rather heavy meal; as he promised, it held up well to, and even cut, some of the richness of the cream based sauce in my dish.  Nearly black and served in a goblet, this was a beautiful beer to behold, and my dinner companion, who had never had a barley-wine before, was quite impressed with the quality of it.  There was little hoppy flavor in the beer, but there was certainly plenty of booze; the Below Decks is a 10% beer, and while it drinks a little shy of that, I was a little buzzed by the end of dinner after the two beers.

As for food, Heavy Seas holds its own.  We split the Smoked Short Rib Taco, an order of which comes with three well filled soft corn shells and a ramekin of a sauce that appeared to be sour cream based.  The short ribs were rich and flavorful, shredded and accompanied by cotija cheese (a classic, and delicious, Mexican cow's milk varietal that melts well and holds up to strong flavors like good beef) and a "pickled chayote slaw" that really just served to provide an alternative texture, but little else.  This was a very good appetizer, not making me full, but definitely not leaving me starving.  Of course, even if it had, the entrees arrived as I was taking my final bites; I would take this over either arriving too early or after a long wait, but I do tend to like a couple minutes between courses, though I think I may be alone in this.

My entree, the Duck Cannelloni, was again a recommendation by the waiter, and it was a good one.  The sauce, listed on the menu as a "smoked cheddar cream" was heavy but not overwhelming, while the pasta, which resembled more of a very long, thin ravioli (and was actually almost identical to the ravioli my date had) was cooked fairly well, though it was maybe a tiny bit undercooked; just enough to be noticeable to me, but certainly not enough to be a problem.  Even though duck is listed as the primary meat, I did not see or taste that much of it, though what was there was tasty.  The whole dish was topped with fried onion strings, which were just shy of crispy; definitely a misstep on the part of the kitchen, as those need to have a legitimate crunch to be successful.  Instead, they were a bit blah, and by the time I was finished eating, they were soggy and a little chewy.  Despite this one issue, I ate everything with gusto, and really wanted a spoon to finish the sauce off with, though I held back.

Dessert was shared, with an order each of the Pecan Bourbon Bread Pudding and the Pyrat Rum Creme Brûlée, both recommended highly by the waiter.  The Creme Brûlée was solid, with a definite flavor of white chocolate, as promised by the menu, and with a glass-like crust of caramelized sugar; that was perfect, since so often I get creme brûlée that has a weak, barely there at all crust, and this was clearly done with care and precision.  That said, the Bread Pudding was the real star, not just of dessert, but of the whole meal.  Local ice cream (rum raisin?), raisin bread, and a crème anglais to die for, this was among the best I have ever had, right up there with the to-die-for bread pudding at Fat Cat in Quincy, MA.  It was sweet, but not even close to cloying.  The portion was large enough (and we were full enough) that even though we loved it, we left about half of one of the five pieces of bread on the plate when we left, plus about a quarter of the creme brûlée.  

 So, finally to the waiter.  Myron was up there with Timmy from David Burke Prime at Foxwoods, super knowledgeable, incredibly friendly, timed things well, provided great suggestions and checked in just the right amount.  We at a couple points exchanged recommendations on food (I told him about Fat Cat, since he said he is a bread pudding aficionado) and beer (he agreed with me on Troegs Hop Knife), and he was just spot on with all his food and drink suggestions during the meal itself.  I know some restaurants will do their best to honor requests for specific wait staff; if you go, I suggest asking to be put in his section.

All told, this was a really good experience, with pleasant staff, good food and beer, and a pretty nice atmosphere.  My one complaint might be how insanely loud it is in the front area by the bar, including in the seating area, but it was a bit quieter in the back (good job by the hostess, too, clearly recognizing the nature of the dinner and putting us at probably the quietest table in the place, despite several open tables elsewhere), though still a bit noisy.  This did not result in any problems for us, but it is something to be considered.  Either way, I absolutely recommend going, and do yourself a favor and order the bread pudding.

SingleCut Beersmiths (Astoria, Queens, NY)

While the rest of my trip up to Queens was fine for a group post, I felt that my trip to SingleCut Beersmiths deserved its own review.  A small brewery located in the Astoria neighborhood, my cousin and her boyfriend recommended we go there knowing that I love trying new beers.  Serving both their beers and a limited menu of food in their tap room, this is a fun little spot to hang out with a drink and a snack, though probably not a good option for a full meal.

I ordered a beer flight (5, 5oz beers) and a steak and mushroom pie, since I was a bit hungry and figured after two beers at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden I could use a bit of food.  The steak and mushroom pie was pretty good, reminiscent of the meat pies I ate constantly the summer of 2007 when I was studying in Oxford and frequented the pasty shop on Cornmarket St.  The meat was flavorful and tender, the mushrooms cooked just right, and the gravy savory, while the crust was flaky.

I asked the bartender to pick whatever she wanted for my beer flight, since I did not know their menu at all, and she did pretty well.  Virtually all of their beers are named for people, who I suspect either work there or are connected to the employees.  They also spell lager lagrrr...pirates?  I went light to dark, taking brief notes, as follows.  Descriptions from their menu are in italics.

"Ian" Olympic White Lagrrr!:  A wheat lagrrr! made with hundreds of freshly juiced and zested oranges, coriander and szechuan pepercorn.  The wittier witbier!   14IBU, 5.4% ABV.  Very little nose, with a light look and feel, a major coriander flavor, but lacking the szechuan flavor I was looking for.  All in all, refreshingly mild.

"Kim" Hibiscus Sour Lagrrr!:  Refreshingly tart and citrusy.  Made with hibiscus flowers and black currants.  5IBU, 4.1% ABV.  Wow!  What a great beer.  Huuuuuuge nose, sweet and sour smelling.  It both tasted and smelled a bit like Warheads candies, as my cousin pointed out (I could not quite place the flavor, but as soon as she said it I knew she was right), with a great tart, slightly fruity beer that was not nearly as sweet as it smelled.  The black currant came through well, as did the citrus.  The best beer I had there, and really the best beer I had other than the Troegs Hop Knife.  Despite its very low ABV, I do not think this is quite a session beer, if only because of the very intense flavor.

"Billy" Half Stack IPA:  This juggernaut of an IPA has a stone fruit, citrus and dank hop profile that is insanely drinkable.  88IBU, 6.6% ABV.  Very little nose, but what there was smelled entirely of hops.  The hops carried over into the flavor, with a good citrus note.  The aftertaste is actually very pleasant, a rarity, and despite its high IBU number, it was very drinkable.

"Dean" PNW Mahogany Ale:  A crisp, spicy and dry malt back bone featuring Pacific North West hops.  This mahogany colored ale has a notably resiny, piney and citrus hoppiness that will put hair on even a lumberjacks chest!  73IBU, 6.0% ABV.  Huge malt flavor, definitely sweet.  I honestly did not write much about this, because I just could not quite decide how I felt.  I do not recommend it unless you like super malty beers, but I would not necessarily say do not drink it either.

"John Michael" Dark Lyric Lagrrr!:  He's back, in black, and better than ever.  With it's (sic) deep dark hue, an abundant hope presence and surprisingly smooth quaffability this beer in black is what we mean when we say, "Lagrrr!" (usually followed by an echoing sinister laughter).  50IBU, 6.0% ABV.  Huge malt nose, but less malty flavor than the "Dean."  The booze is heavily present in the taste, surprising for a 6% beer.  My cousin had the coffee version, and it was much better.

High Horse (Amherst, MA)

 High Horse has taken over the former location of the Amherst Brewing Company, a locally well known brew-pub that moved to a vastly larger (and vastly inferior) space a short way away, opening the door for this new, superior brew-pub to enter the local bar scene.  Both the beer and the food are better at High Horse than at ABC, and the look is better; my only gripe is the volume level, and that may have been a one time problem.

I've only tried one beer at High Horse so far, having had the Libertine Porter both times I went; it's a dark, hefty beer--though at only 5.2% you won't feel like it's hitting you over the head--with strong coffee and malt notes.  It feels similar to drinking a good stout mixed with decent espresso, but with a nicely melded flavor.  The color is beautiful, just the right depth of blackness, without appearing ugly or one note, and the head is a lovely brown foam.  I was such a fan the first time I went that I got it the second.  It is pictured above and left.

The food at ABC was solid-average, but nothing to write home about, with the exception of a few delectable appetizers like fried pickles or very tasty nachos.  Having only eaten one thing so far at High Horse, the poutine (pictured with the Libertine Porter), I'm very impressed; it is by far the best I have had south of Old Orchard Beach, ME, and from that area north there is a heavy influence from the Quebecois, or French Canadians.  This poutine's only problem was having a bit too much cheese, but the fries were fried nicely, so as not to be too soggy except for the last few that had been swimming in gravy for a while, and the gravy itself was thick and delicious, with a strong meaty flavor that manages to not overwhelm the others in the dish.  Overall, something I'd strongly recommend.  I don't know if getting french fries there is a good idea or not, as the fries alone didn't have a ton of taste, but that could be because they don't season them the same way for the poutine as for a plain order.

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For those people who went to ABC, the upstairs of High Horse will be very familiar (I haven't been downstairs yet), as they only changed a couple things, but I felt like it looked better overall.  They eliminated the "two bar" set up, and instead have one large continuous bar, with a very neat tap station located behind it (see picture at right).  The back room, which is always my favorite place to sit because it's typically way quieter, was awful the first time I went, despite my friend and I being one of just two groups back there; the speakers were BLARING some awful attempt at rap music, to the point where I couldn't hear well across a small table.  The bar was not hugely crowded for a Saturday night at 11pm, certainly not so much so that it was necessary for the music to be that loud.

The second time I went was much nicer, on a Thursday evening from around 10pm to a little after 11pm.  It was pretty quiet, enough so that the bartenders and I had time to carry on a couple decent conversations which were only intermittently disrupted.  The bartenders that night were fantastic, very friendly, knowledgable (one engaged me in about a 10 minute conversation about the relative merits of poutine in different places, and was quite funny), and just overall a lot of fun.  The friend who was meeting me that night didn't show up until about 10:30, so I was there alone for over half an hour alone, and still had a lot of fun just talking to them.


Lastly, the bar offers a few decent whiskies, including a small batch whiskey that was quite tasty.  Black Maple Hill is smooth, with light notes of vanilla, and a true bourbon taste.  It doesn't lack the "fire" a good bourbon has, but it's more like embers than a bonfire.  There were others on the list I'd like to try, but this was recommended by one bartender, and she was absolutely correct.

******

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Madison Brewing Co. Pub and Restaurant (Bennington, VT)

Madison Brewing Co.©

Madison Brewing Co. Pub and Restaurant is my kind of place; simple, tasty food, good beer, and a great atmosphere.  My younger step-sister just graduated from Bennington College, and since I was not able to be there, I took her out to dinner in celebration; this was where she chose for us to go, and I can assure you, if she took nothing else away from her college experience, Madison Brewing Co. was well worth the cost of tuition.

Madison offers six year round beers, ranging from a Scottish style ale to a Belgian witbier, along with two "seasonal" beers.  I had the Old 76 Strong Ale, which lives up well to its name; it is a strongly flavored, heavy beer, though lacking the hops that I would have expected.  The beer was not special, but certainly much better than and of the mass produced options, and held up well against even some of the British ales I've had.  This is certainly a beer I can recommend to anyone who finds themselves in Bennington.

Despite being a brewpub, the food was really where Madison shines.  I had the bangers and mash dinner, and the mashed potatoes were fantastic; creamy, rich, with good texture but not so much as to be chunky.  The gravy was heavy and filling, with large slices of cooked onions in it, and while it had its own richness, it did not overwhelm either the potatoes or the sausages.  The bangers themselves, however, were a little disappointing at first; they are not really bangers, but more of a standard pork sausage, and once I got over the disappointment that they were not what I had had in England, I really enjoyed them.  They were extremely porky, which is pretty much my first requirement for a sausage (I have had good beef, chicken/turkey, and fish sausages, but let's be real:  sausages should be pork), with just enough fat to keep them moist but not so much as to feel heavy or greasy, and went well with both the potatoes and gravy.  The last thing on the plate was a small heap of apple chutney, which was an extremely sweet, but welcome addition, with the apples maintaining their crunch to provide a nice contrast to the primarily soft remainder of the platter.

Along with the bangers and mash, Madison offers a pretty great selection of traditional pub food, such as fish and chips (on Wednesdays it's all you can.  Seriously, this place was founded with me in mind), meatloaf, burgers (including bison and venison burgers), and wings, along with less traditional fare including a daily ravioli special, tortellini alfredo, and chicken scalopini.  The smoked gouda mac and cheese sounds pretty damn good too.

Now, I don't normally eat dessert, partially because I'm trying to convince myself I'm eating semi-healthy, but mostly because I just tend to be disappointed by it.  When offered apple pie with a pecan topping/crust, however, that whole "healthy" thing goes out the window, especially when the waitress (who was one of the best I've had in a while; friendly without being cloying, attentive without being intrusive or annoying) insists that it must be eaten warm and a la mode, and boy was she right.  First off, they use good ice cream; this was not that bleached looking "vanilla" that has no character, but instead more along the lines of Haagen-Dazs' Vanilla Bean (a personal favorite of mine).  Secondly, the pie itself was heavenly; think of the best apple pie you've had, and then try this.  It'll be a close comparison, I can assure you that.  While this may not be the best I've ever, it's damn close, with great texture, sweetness, tartness, and apple flavor that just melds perfectly into an overall fantastic eating experience, and one that reminded me that dessert does not have to disappoint.

Lastly, the aforementioned atmosphere:  the downstairs is small, but not cramped, with a tiny bar (maybe 8 seats, if that) and several tables.  Upstairs is separated into two sections, with an expansive indoor area and a moderately sized outdoor area, that has its own bar (though I don't believe you can sit at it), with about 8 or 9 tables.  We sat outdoors, and it was a really great place to sit, with the perfect (not too hot, but sunny) weather enhancing the already delicious meal.  If you have the option of sitting outside and the weather is nice, take advantage, you will not regret it.

******

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