October 7th, 8th, 9th, 2011 - This year during the Baltimore Beer Week celebration I wanted to hit up the events that weren't supposed to be the "Pick of the liter". Smaller venues and more unique selections of good brews. So during days 2,3,&4 that's exactly what I did...Hitting up Alonso's Restaurant in Evergreen/North Baltimore City for an event each day.

Friday October 7th, day 2, I attended the Evolution craft Brewing Tap takeover at the upstairs bar "Alonsoville". To my surprise, alot of other folks showed up also...Local Twitter Beer Peeps and more...BMoreBrian, CdoubleIPA, LDoubleIPA, Plank10, the owner of Alonso's Stephen Summers and the Brewer & Owner of the brewery Geoff, and Tom respectively. A nice crownd for special releases of MorningWood(Scotch Ale aged in oak bourbon barrels), Menagerie #3 Redux(aged in Oak Bourbon barrels with Coffee beans), and my favorite pumpkin brew out there, Jacques Au LAntern, poured through an actual Pumpkin.

October6, 2011 - It's fall in Maryland and that means Ravens football, Pumpkin farms, and Baltimore Beer Week. In it's third incarnation it seems to be getting better and better. First year was on the USS Constellation, last year was at the Museum of Industry...both places were great and the events were top-notch. This year they stepped-it-up again, doing it at the local concert venue in the heart of downtown Baltimore, Rams Head Live.

Three levels of beer enjoyment, a stage for presenting the First Firkin and the Star-Spangled Banger to tap it. This year they had a parade from famed Fort McHenry through the streets of Charm City, making numerous stops along the way at pubs, restaurants, and beer bars. Once the Banger arrived, and the Firkin was tapped, all the attendees flowed through the numerous brewery tables and had unlimited samples of whatever they wanted. Awesome Bar-B-Que was supplied by Kloby's Smokehouse in Laurel, Md.

The Opening Tap event is the first of over 300 events going on in the 10 days that make up Baltimore Beer Week. Events range from beer dinners to tap take-overs to demonstrations and homebrew events. These are all over the city and surrounding areas...from Severna Park to Mount Airy and everywhere in between.
The complete event went off without a hitch and the BBW11 committee did a heck of a job setting up the whole thing. If the rest of the week goes as smooth as the Opening Tap event, it will be another great week of beer in the "Land of Pleasant Living". For more information for this year's BBW11 events go to Baltimore Beer Week 2011

September 29, 2011 - During this years Great American Beer Festival in Denver I decided to do a little off the beaten Path Brewery itinerary...I stayed in EstesPark, Colorado at the infamous Stanley Hotel(Inspiration for Stephen Kings - The Shining). There is a brewery in town also, so that was in the cards for a visit. The brewery was decent overall with some plus' and minimal minus'. Beer was average with a couple high points...The Blueberry Wheat Ale was probably one of the better fruit infused brews I've ever had. The pale ale called The Shining 217 Pale Ale was fresh and crisp with nice hop bitter and a sweet caramel body.

The food was fair to good. I could be a little biased because of the great meals I get at the local GastroPubs in the Baltimore area...I had the Buffalo Chili Burger...This was darn tasty, but messy. The buffalo meat itself was cooked a perfect medium rare as wanted and slightly gamey. The chili was the standout, plenty of beans and meat with just the right amount of spice..

July 18, 2011 - Today there was a Beer Dinner at a pretty cool new "classic american" styled restaurant in Lewes,Delaware. The Brewery is pretty well known in craft beer circles,The Brooklyn Brewing Co., and is the first brewery to sponsor a Beer Event here. I arrived at Bettys Pure & Simple about 30 minutes early to check out the place. Classic decor...a big cabinet tv in the one corner with Johnny Carson playing, a classic Pac Man arcade game, Art on the walls of 50's & 60's icons, Art deco styled tables and chairs and Gunsmoke & Bonanza on the other TV's. The Menu was classic american also with, locally made scrapple, deviled eggs, Sloppy Joe Sliders, & Chicken & waffles just to name a few...Don't get me wrong, there is more than just the basics cooked well here.

FIRST COURSE: "Peanut's & Cracker Jacks" was paired with Brooklyn's Pennant '55 Ale, and a very good pairing it was. The sweetness and crunchy texture of the the popcorn and nuts were calmed down by the light bitter/dry profile of the brew. Seperated pieces in the mix, not big hard to chew chunks of caramel like in the the box version. It was refreshing and in my opinion, a good opening choice in beer to cleansing of the pallate for the next 4 courses.

SECOND COURSE: Local TA Farms, Turkey Burger Slider on a homemade pretzel roll with homemade pickle slices. With this one they paired Summer Ale, a clean and crisp brew with a slightly sweet malt profile and a minimal amount of hop impact. This was a pleasant contrast to the nicely seasoned turkey patty that had hints of smoke and parsley throughout. The homemade pickles weren't overly sour/tart, they were of a "bread & butter variety, bitter & sweet, which I love. The part of this meal that was tops for me was the roll...a freshly baked pretzel, sliced down the middle...crunchy on the outside while soft enough to suck up the tender turkey meat juices. Another home run for me.

THIRD COURSE: Another "classic" food that is part of this dinner is Fish and Chips. The fish was battered perfectly crispy with Brooklyns Brown Ale and served with Sussex county potatoes and a Re-Diculouly good tartar sauce(seemed like real mayo and the right amounts of sugar to sweeten). This worked well as the maltiness of the brown ale cut across the flavor of the light atlantic cod. The batter was buttery with a very distinct hint of the beer in it. So far very impressed with the menu and pairings.
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FOURTH COURSE: Local #2 gets paired with a local Bar Farms Ny Strip Steak, and the traditional sides of corn on the cob, fresh green beans, and a mushroom Demi-glace. First off the brew Local #2 is a tremendous brew on it's own...great malt character of brown sugar and hints of chocolate battling belgian yeast...and the choice of steak dinner pairing was bolder than the rest. Usually a Belgian yeasted beer would go with a vegtable dish alone, but having fresh basic veggies and a perfectly medium-cooked steak was awesome. Flavor in every bite and sip, not much to say wrong about this. A down-home all-american meal that the flavors of Europe made even better.

FIFTH COURSE: Dessert, Fresh sliced peaches with a syrup infused with Local #1, a locally produced creme fraiche and housemade honey-crisps. Again a top-notch brew adding to a very simple, but totally refreshing part of the meal. The peaches were firm, but still cut nicely with a fork. The honeycrisps were so original to the dish adding more sweetness, and a contrasting crunch that the dish needed. The brew, a more yeast-fronted beer would assist in the complexities that came from the syrup and creme fraiche mixture. A nice closing to a great dinner.

Overall I was extremely impressed with the level of service, and attention i received while here. Kim Hamilton, the manager was friendly and outgoing. The wait staff were also professional and attentive. Jesse Howell, the Head Chef created a great menu and paired them with the brews very well. Atmosphere was of a down-home style of retro, while not being outdated of old. I wish Betty's all the successes that I feel they deserve, I will be back. Cheers

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March 30, 2011 - Being on of my top breweries Evolution being involved with a beer dinner was definitely something I wanted to check out. I arrived at Fins a little early to pick up my tickets, meet the owner Mike and get a feel for the restaurant(never been before). The main bar was crowded but I did find a place to pick from the 8 rotating taps of craft beer. I had a Moylans - Hopsickle while hanging and talking to a fellow Baltimore Beer Dude and friend, (@Plank10)Nick.

FIRST COURSE: Fried Oyster Spoons - "Miyagi" - Orange Soy Ginger Glaze...Sweet, citrusy while staying salty from the oyster base. "Mayflower Cafe" - Cornmeal dusted with cajun tartar on the side...Crisp outside shell and a nice zing from the spices.

Oysters On The Half Shell - "Beau Soleil" - Blood Orange Mignonette...The blood orange does cut some of the "fishy" oyster taste for those who aren't huge fans. "Martha's Vineyard" - Cucumber Champagne Mignonette...Light, clean with a refreshing tingle. Opening this course we had a "Virgin Mary Oyster Shooter" which lead us to the a snifter of LUCKY 7 Porter. This brew having superb representations of coffee and chocolate contrasted well with the oysters salty, earthy presence. The cornmeal dusting on the one spoon stood out for me on this dish. Most of the time I have a breaded oyster. it is "Fried"(almost burnt)...not here this was light, and cripy with a still juicy filling inside. Adding the cajun tartar also added a zingy element that I love. Great first impression...

SECOND COURSE: Duo of Spicy Tuna Tartar & Salmon Tartar with a Savory Lobster Creme Brulee - I think Lot #3 being paired here was a very good choice. The tartars were chilled nicely to help keep the firmness intact. The presentation of the tartars on homemade chips was pretty cool. A small dallup of black fish roe accompanied, to bring a harder, saltier element to the raw fishes. These tartars were great but the sincher of this dish was lobter creme brulee...chunks of lobster...chunks, not small either. These are in a Re-diculously smooth cream of medium thickness with toasty vanilla pops. The brew is one of my favorite beers out there. the hop bitter cuts the sweet of the creme perfectly, and the grapefruity essence enforces the flavors of the fish well.

THIRD COURSE: "Sprung" Marinated Spearfish w/Scallop & Panchetta Risotto - Filets of spearfish with strong grill-marks resting on top of a creamy helping of thick risotto...There are so many good points to this course it's hard to break it down. The spearfish was very meaty, with hints of citrus livening it up...almost exactly the same texture as shark, which I love immensely. Now the risotto is one of the best one I've had, ultra-small pieces of scallop interchange the textures of the rice...leaving me wondering which was which. THe diced pancetta adds a smokey element that evens out the parmesan tart well. Now the beer, Sprung, is a very solid spring seasonal beer, but this is the lacking part of the pairing...The biscuity malt, doesn't bring anything out of, or contrast, the flavors for me.

FOURTH COURSE: Seared Duck Breast w/ Wilted Arugula, Oyster Mushrooms, Grilled Pears, Gorgonzola Cheese, and a Balsamic drizzle...The duck is ultra-rare, and sliced about a 1/4 inch thick, sitting over a thick bed of arugula greens. Sliced pears surround and the gorgonzola is crumbled on top with the balsamic sealing it up. There was alot of arugula, which with the earthy, wirey consistency fights with the other elements. The mild gaminess of the duck, needs all of the ingredients included to contrast it. The brew, Evolution ESB, also helps mellow out some of the earthy elements of the salad and poultry. Some bitter from hop, and a sweet roasty element calm down the base flavors. The grilled pear brings acidity in, that flows into gorgonzola crumbles of light sour. The dish in completeness is okay, not the bad, but not my fav of the night.

FIFTH COURSE: Upside down Apple Pecan Pie & "Rise Up" Stout Ice Cream - To me it was a pureed apple filling that had just the perfect strength of sweetness. I'm not much of a nut person, but the topping of candied pecans would make even a person allergic to nuts want some. If the pie wasn't good enough,(but it was) the "Rise-Up Stout" infused ice cream was heavenly. Subtle but still aggressive enough with the brew flavors that I could eat a gallon in on sitting...Tremendous closer to the dinner.

I can't say enough good things about this Beer Dinner...Great brewery in Evolution combining with seafood, and duck was a very well planned and thoroughly thought out combo. Mike was a great host, Evolution John came around and gave insight to the brews and why they were paired with the courses they were. All around a great experience that was well worth the two-hour and thirty minute ride each way...Will be a definite stop during my regular visits to Rehoboth Beach. Thanks again, Mike...Cheers

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March 26, 2011 - Had a friend that came over to the house for the weekend and she wanted to experience a Gastrpub, after hearing so many things about the fairly new type of Restaurant/Bar. Being to Victoria's a number of times I knew taking her there she wouldn't be disapppointed...plus I could get a good beer also(Win/Win). We walked in through the revolving front door and were greeted by 2 friendly host's, and told them we were gonna find a seat at the Bar high-top seats. The ever changing 24 taps were screaming out to me...I decided on the beautiful red-toned Duclaw Brewing - Euphoria.

After parusing the menu we decided to share a large order of Duck-Fat Fries with Poutine. They are the hand-cut fries deep fried perfectly to make them crispy on the outside while still fluffy on the inside. On top of that they smoother duck meat confit on top a delicious duck gravy and gruyere cheese. All of these flavors and textures mix so well together. This item is a staple for anybody coming here...Don't miss it. I ordered the Victoria Fish and Chips...Allagash White Beer battered Cod that comes with an awesome crab remoullade for dipping, and fries...I subbed my fries for the jalapeno chips, and I'm so happy I did. These are mini potato chips spinkled with a jalapeno dust that made them just hot enough, but not to hot for the average person. The fish was done just right, crispy outside golden-brown with a sweet essence in the batter, surrounding the flaky cod nicely.

As I hinted at before, the beer list is Re-diculous. 24 rotating taps always with the right mix of styles to please even the most finikey of Craft Beer Snob. They have regular events including Tap takeovers and beer dinners to help in the pubs uniqueness. If you want a brew in south Baltimore/Howard County this is one of the top spots.
Our server was Colin, a younger gentleman that did his job very well. From the time we arrived I felt as if he was keeping an eye on us to be there at a whim if we needed him for anything. The decor is of nearly all stained wood and specifically the bar is a site...If memory serves Tori the namesake for the restaurants, mother designed it, and did a great job. To close we had a superb meal, I had great beer, along with great service and a beautiful atmosphere, you can't go wrong heading to. Victoria Gastro Pub.



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January 27, 2011 - Having looked forward to this Stillwater Artisanal Ales Beer Dinner, I showed up a little early to try the newest offering from the Brewer himself Brian Strumke, Our Side. Basically a Hoppy Saison...I loved it. Good job again Brian.

After having the new brew, the arrival brew was Stateside Saison, one of the originals from Stillwaters line-up...I sipped this, while waiting for the first course. I started my first of four couses for the dinner with a smoked gouda and prosciutto Quesadilla. The shell was done nicely, crispy but not brittle, and the carmelized onions melded seemlessly with the cheese and brown sugars sweetness. "Our Side" was the paired beer and contrasted well against the darker, stronger sweets. The citrus and yeasty notes cut these flavors well.

The second course was a Seafood Bouillabaisse. There were scallops, prawns, and mussels resting in a fennel and saffron, tomato concasse broth. The broth was light and creamy, with a touch of spiciness. All the seafood was cooked perfectly firm with essences of the original flavors. "Cellar Door" was the second brew for the pairing, and matched well because the lemony notes were similar to the scallop and prawns.

Braised Short Ribs were paired with the "Autumnal", dark Farmhouse Saison. The rib was tender and the BBQ sauce had apricot chunks infused. This added sweetness to the nice contrasting smokey body. The beer was matched, instead of contrasting the main part of the meal. Although Autumnal was my favorite beer from Stillwater, until tonights "Our Side" tasting, the Parsnip Puree was the deal sealer for me. I had never had parsnips before, and I felt bad for myself that I haven't. Creamy and sweet, with a hint of nutiness combining with the apricot highlighted BBQ sauce made me want just a bowl of it to stuff my face into. Re-Diculous.

The final pairing was desert, a small Chocolate Lava cake that was matched with another newer brew "Existent". This was the only sub-par part of the dinner...The soufflee cup wasn't filled and there wasn't really any "lava" to speak of. The flavors of the beer and the cake were almost identical, with the beer leading in uniqueness...A charred caramel note gives the beer a subtle differnece that I really dig.

It was nice chatting again to Brian Strumke and hanging out in the relaxed atmosphere of Alonso's Restaurant. Owner, Stephen Summers, put together a nice menu with the help of his chef Colin Radka. I specifically enjoyed the parsnip puree, and the prosciutto & Gouda Quesadilla. I can't wait to get to more of these beer dinners when they come around.



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November 20, 2010 - After a losing afternoon at the new slot-parlor in Perryville, Md. the wife and I went into the downtown to find something to eat, with no avail. We ended up going across the Susquehanna River into Havre De Grace and found this nice little place that looks like it could've been a former movie house back in the day.

Laurrapin Grill is a welcoming, casual but still elegant styled restaurant that has a nice size wood-panelled bar to the right and multi-leveled and roomed seating to the left. The walls are decorated with hand-painted murals of oldtown Havre De Grace. Plenty of local artist have framed paintings scattered on the open walls. The table tops in the main dining room are hand painted images also...a very cool touch showing off it's local roots.

After sitting down at a corner high-top table I looked over the drink menu our hostess gave us...Nice wine selection, a number of basic craft beer bottles, no tapped beer(disappointed), but they did have a few special brews in bottle and I settled on the Monk's Cafe - Flemmish Sour Red Ale. I really enjoyed it, dark-red almost brown, with a bubbly head. Just the right level of sour, to not be to abrasive.

We next, looked over the menu that had small plates as well as gourmet sandwiches, salads, and hand made specialty pizzas. All of the beef, pork, and cheese's are local, and the duck is regional...fresh ingredients abound down to the veggies. We started off with Spring rolls, made with chicken and baby shrimp. The shell was crunchy and buttery surrounding the sweet shrimp, cabbage, carrot, and chicken that were dredged in a very delightfully creamy sauce inside. There was a ginger-soy sauce along with Srirachi for dipping. A very good start to the meal.

I ordered the Duck Club sandwich, with a side of sweet potato fries(they came with jalapeno ketchup). Tender meat flovored just right, on a lightly toasted focaccia roll...soft inside and crunchy on the outside. Local swiss cheese and crispy bacon top the field greens and firm tomato. The fries were great, with a subtle difference being sprinkled with slivered rock salt...a nice touch. Happy I ordered this meal out of all of the choices there were.

My wife ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca Pizza...Another great choice. The crust was perfect, airy and crispy(not paper thin crispy either). You could see the nooks and air pockets from the side view...not mushy and thick as most pizzas out there. The sage and spinach add a nice earthiness to contrast the sun-dried tomato and meats of chicken and proscuitto sweetness. This is one of the best pizzas I've had in a good long while. I don't know if this could be top.

As I was saying, after the main part of the meal, I didn't think I could be more impressed...I was wrong!

Dessert was actaully the furthest thing from our minds because we were full and were taking our leftovers home to enjoy later. Jason, our server told us about a few different options, but when he mentioned the Pumpkin Cheesecake, we couldn't resist. It came with cream and a couple of strawberries. I got the first forkful and was nicely surprised by how creamy, but still completely firm in texture. A sweet white cream rested on top(as a layer), and added a light vanilla icing type flavor to the already perfectly balanced pumpkin body. Re-diculous, how good this was.

So to wrap this dining experience up...Looking for a new place to eat while being in a sorta familiar part of the state, we totally lucked out with Laurrapin Grill. Relaxing, and inviting, locally-thinking and an all around dynamite restaurant. If you are in the region, do yourself a favor and check it out.



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September 30th, 2010 - Today, I went to the Brand GastroPub in the heart of downtown called Alewife. It's located at the corner of Eutaw and Fayette Streets, near the Hippodrome Theatre, where Lucky's Irish Pub & Maggie Moor'ss once were. Walking in makes you take a gander all around to take in all the beauty of this one time Bank. Gorgeous ornate wooden bar with similar accents all around. The taplist will feature 40 rotating, from some of the best Micro/craft breweries from around the nation as well as imports. The bottle list is deliberate and well thought out and will continue to evolve into more than the 100 or so that they have now.

A few pics that I took while there.

August 28, 2010 - Was out and about with my father, who I am still trying to get to commit to craft beer, when we decided to go to one of three DFH Alehouses in the region. Driving up to the place, it was a little anti-climatic. I was expecting a big and elaborate facade, but it was actually a laid back presentation with a single DFH sign, and an awning over the double front doors. There was actually a pretty cool set of wooden benches with the DFh logo carved into them.

Once inside, we walked into a big wooden stairwell splitting the dining area and the bar area. Up those stairs were extra dining seats for overflow. We sat down at a hightop table in the bar area and parused the available beers chalkboard. The usual were there, nothing really hard-to-find, so I had a 60 Minute, and dad had a Black-n-Tan(90 Minute & Chicory Stout)...Good choice. We ordered an appetizer, Fries, Rings, & Chips(all cut in house). Kinda wasn't expecting much, but wow...this was great. The chips were crisp and salted just right, as were the fries, and the onion rings were lightly breaded red onions that came with ketchup and a zingy remoulade.

After eating and having our one beer I walked around and took some pics of the decore. There were the DFH sharks all over, along with funny art, prohibition photos, and a nice mural on the wall near the bathrooms. After sitting back down, Jack, one of the managers came over and we started chatting about things DFH. He gave me a scoop on a brew being made exclusively for the Alehouses.

All in all it was a nice experience, good food, good beer and a good atmosphere...just what you should expect from a DFH owned pub.



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July 14, 2010 - Went to Alonso's/Loco hombre for the first time today, even though I live only a mile from it. I just haven't made time to get there. Believe me though, i will go back regularly from now on. When we walked into the entry way i was greeted with an open-aired packaged goods store...not your run-of-the-mill packaged goods store either. They had row upon row of Craft/Import beers. This was a good sign. On top of it, they had a pretty good singles deal(any 6 mixed for $9.99). 

Once we got to the hostess, she sat us in a comfortable booth seat in a corner of the restaurant/bar. On the way to the seat I gandered upon the beer taps...13 that rotate frequently. There was Evolution Craft Brewery- Summer Session, Newcastle Summer, Wild Goose - Oatmeal Stout, Stone, & Dogfish Head, along with the regulars of Guinness, and Yuengling. There were numerous flat-screen tv's along with local sports items on the wallsThe menu was small but still had a decent variety of apps, salads, main courses and burgers.

We started with two appetizers...Beer & Cheese Preztels, and Beer battered Onion rings(I think they were panko breaded, they were awesome). I had the Asian Burger that had local Md. beef or Bison, in an 8oz. or 1 lb. patty. It was topped with lettuce, tomato, Hoisin sauce, red peppers, and portabello mushrooms on a decent kaiser bun. The wife got Veal Medallionss that also included Polenta, and feta-stuffed mushroom caps. The one son got basic sliders that looked suffice, and the other son got a build-your-own thin-crust pizza with spinach on it. The waiter/Bartender was pleasant and attentive. He knew what was on the tap list and added commentary on the Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout I had(which showed his knowledge). They have an extensive bottled beer list and a number of craft beers on draft, plus here and there they will bring in specialty casks and firkins.  
All that being said, it is a nice place to bring the family, or to go with some friends to have a few craft brews and shoot the poop. The check wasn't too bad for all of the food we had. The service was accurate, prompt, and overall very good. So I would definitely recommend going here to friends and strangers.



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