Tag: mac and cheese

Philly

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Restaurants, Trips, whiskeyLeave a comment

It’s been a month actually since I went to Philly and I actually even made a second trip in that time. While my time on each trip was really limited, I got to say I really enjoy this city. I want to go back when I have the time to be a tourist and see the history aspects. Till then, you’ll have to settle for what I thought of a couple breweries.

The two I saw were Iron Hill and Yards. Both were solid beers, thought the Little Red Wagon at Iron Hill was my preferred one of the trip. Yard’s atmosphere was really nice and I could see that place being a great time during a weekend. Even for a weeknight it had a decent crowd. Bartender’s were engaging as well which is always appreciated when you’re a solo work traveler.

Now, the place I loved the most was actually a restaurant called Harp and Crown. The ambiance and the food were a great stop. My cousin and I caught up there for a few hours and I enjoyed all of it. Get the ribs. Till next time Philly.

Dallas/Fort Worth

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Restaurants, Trips, vacationsLeave a comment

2023 is starting off with me on the road almost every week. Two weeks ago, I was in Dallas/Fort Worth and then another North Carolina trip followed soon after with more to come. I’ll get to Raleigh in another post, but let’s start here with my Texas trip.

Arriving late in Dallas on a Monday, not much was open but I did snag one beer at Deep Ellum Brewing before they closed. The bartender recommend an IPA so I went with Manic Confidence. Really delicious Hazy. I was pleased with my first Texas beer of the trip.

The next day I grabbed lunch at Wild Acres. While the burger and fries were really good, the Mac and cheese was about the equivalent of Stouffer’s. I didn’t even bother finishing it. I did really like the fries. They were like a thick potato chip. Nice crisp to them. Pretty good Apricot flavored blonde ale as well for the beer.

Which leads me to my last stop, Second Rodeo Brewing. Now, Dallas is basically a concrete jungle with little character in my opinion. Fort Worth on the other hand has a completely different vibe. A fantastic bar scene that is reminiscent of Nashville. They call it the Stockyards and I would vacation here. Could be a great spot for a bachelor party. The Big Buckle IPA at Second Rodeo was pretty good in this area. I preferred the Deep Ellum IPA but this was still delicious. I wish I had spent more time in Fort Worth than Dallas but that just means I need to find another excuse for a work trip.

Filled to the BRIM

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

East side vs west side. Each part of Cleveland has a very distinct feel and culture. Sometimes, it is hard to believe they are the same metropolitan area. While I am a West sider, I do venture on over to the East side often where my girlfriend lives.

Saturday night, we went out with friends to BRIM Kitchen & Brewery in Willoughby. While I had quickly stopped in once before for a drink while killing a few minutes, this was my first time really sitting down to enjoy the place.

BRIM is located just passed the main portion of Downtown Willoughby. The inside is very modern and has that clean, slick feel to it. The brewery process is visible behind the bar as well.

I tried a couple of the beers BRIM had on tap that night as we grabbed dinner. They had a real interesting Christmas Fruit beer called Mr. Kringle and a pretty decent light blonde ale called the Brim Less. Both were solid, though nothing blew me away from a beer standpoint.

For dinner, I had the Sunday Gravy and a side of mac and cheese. The Sunday Gravy red sauce was definitely the best part of my meal. I cleaned the plate for your reference.

Overall, the place is solid. It was busy throughout and has a good ambiance. Nothing blew me away but no complaints either. Solid experience sums it up perfectly.

New Dog in The Flats

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

Thirsty Dog is by no means a new brewery. They have been around awhile, brewing many different styles and making some of the best Christmas ale beer around. Recently they just opened up a new spot in The Flats Eastbank in Cleveland.

This location takes over for one of the vacant crop locations that was down there. This is a fairly large space with tables and an indoor and out door bar area. Now, the beer here is true to Thirsty Dog form. With about thirty different taps, there is really something for everyone. Plenty of barrel aged varieties and the traditional Thirsty Dog beers as well. The new taproom has great service, we quickly got seated and our waiter was great throughout the night. I will say the food could still use some work but it was overall pretty good. I had the Mac and cheese and we started with the beer cheese chips. Little more cheese on the chips please. The barrel aged Christmas ale is great one. Stick to one though, it will put you on your ass.

Thirsty dog is a welcomed addition to Cleveland as most people here are already familiar with the beer and their new location should do well in the well talked about revitalized east bank. Cleveland can’t seem to get enough beer.

Jesus would have drank craft beer

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

I know it is Good Friday, I shouldn’t be drinking beer and eating meat but Jesus would have drank craft beer. That I am sure of. Can you think of anything more Jesus like then drinking something that is kind of anti-establishment? I mean the man liked wine and didn’t appreciate those in positions of power. Jesus would have drank craft beer.

Tonight, I tried out a brewery in Birmingham, MI 15 minutes from where I grew up. Griffin Claw Brewing Company has made a big name for itself the last few years and it lived up to its reputation.

The GC brewery was packed for dinner this Friday night. And luckily my buddy and I were able to snag a table. I tried out a couple brews including the Norm’s Raggedy Ass IPA, which is their award winning beer and definitely deserved its award. For dinner I had the above pictured Mac and Cheese. It was very good and the chicken on top was perfect, not over cooked or under cooked. A true contender for top 5 Mac and Cheese. Overall, this was a great spot and whenever I am back visiting my family in Michigan I will have to stop back in. Griffin Claw Brewing Company is a true gem of the mitten state craft beer scene.

Suburban Brew Sprawl

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Restaurants1 Comment

While in recent years across the country, we have seen a retreat from a suburban sprawl. Millennials have moved into the cities and gentrification has happened as soon as the hipsters find a new run down neighborhood to move into. While this has happened we have also seen breweries pop up left and right.

There are  two places new breweries pop up. Go where the foot traffic is and try to stand out among the crowd.  Or pick a new location and pave your own path. Both ways can work and it really comes down to the beer you make, service your provide, and atmosphere you create.

Avon Brewing Company launched a few months ago out in the suburb of Avon, Ohio. This is away from the downtown brewery scene that adds a brewery faster than a teenage girl adds Instgram pics.

While I love a good beer, I also am a giant child and love mac and cheese. Avon Brewing has one of the best mac and cheese dishes around. Great choice with the shells and the perfect amount of cheese. Top 5 mac and cheeses I have had and trust me I have eaten a lot of mac and cheese.

Another great thing about this brewery is that they just don’t serve their beers. It takes a brewer that not only believes in their product but believes in beer as a whole to serve guest beers at their place. Sometimes people want some other variety than the 5 or 6 beers many smaller brewers have and I think having guest beers is a great addition. This brewer realizes their beer can still stand out among others. Some brewers are afraid of the risk that their beer may not get selected every time but if people know they have choices I think they are more likely to return and hang out longer. I commend Avon for that decision. Overall, Avon Brewing is a great experience a little way away from the typical brewery spaces throughout the Cleveland area. Perfect for when you need a break from the downtown environment but still want a good beer.

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Climbing the Mountain of Beer

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, RestaurantsLeave a comment

I am late on this because it was about 4 weeks ago that I went but I need to get back to getting some posts up. Ascension Brewing Company is located in Novi, Michigan. It is relatively new on the craft brew radar and is tucked away among random other shops and businesses. I thought I put in the wrong location at first in my GPS.

Once I found the place and made my way inside, I ordered up a beer sampler. I have to say the beers were not bad but nothing really stood out to me. They have quite a bit of variety on their tap list and I think this place is trying to find their niche. I will say though the Mac and Cheese will pork was excellent. Besides beer, I like to think I have tried lots of different mac and cheeses. Beer and mac and cheese is a great combination in my book. I think I’ll have to give Ascension some time to climb the beer mountain and try them again in the future. Potential is there, they just have not reached the summit quite yet.