Category Archives: BEER PUB

COOPER’S SEAFOOD HOUSE

BEER PUB,

Image result for coopers seafood in scranton pa

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA

January ’04, superb Cooper’s Seafood House in rustic Scranton offered wide selection of tap and bottled beers plus fabulous lobster bisque, crab cakes, and clams. A diversified seafood/beer joint, Cooper’s interior features a central bar with separate dining spaces. A toy train goes thru each room nonstop and nostalgic nautical and cultural items line the crowded walls.

Initially, bought three Barley Creek brews while quaffing chocolate-y Stegmaier Porter. Worth noting: due Southeast six miles in tiny Eynon lies huge ‘distributor of micro and specialty brews,’ Ace Beverage, where I found middling Straub.

I had revisited Cooper’s a few more times before they began brewing their own beers May ’23.

While enjoying stuffed flounder and chicken corn chowder, June ’24, tried two newfangled dark ales but didn’t get to quaff Captain Cooper’s Helles Lager, Sozzled Skipper’s Pale Ale, The Moxie 40 IPA and It’s All About Timing IPA.

Peaty wee heavy, Cooper’s Smoking Scotsman, linked smoked brown chocolate malting to pecan-glazed chestnut, hazelnut and cola caramelization plus spicy dried fruiting contrasting weedy hop dankness.

Using similar base malts (?) as the wee heavy, Pennsylvanian Cowfish Milk Stout sunk dextrin malted sour milking into dry Bakers chocolate, oaken vanilla and distant soy saucing.

MEWS TAVERN

BEER PUB

WAKEFIELD, RHODE ISLAND

Neatly reminiscent of a proper English pub, pine-timbered Country Inn-styled sportsbar, MEWS TAVERN, is rightly claimed southern Rhode Island’s most popular watering hole. Hosting an astounding 69 microbrew taps in its original tree house-like Tavern, this natural wood Colonial-style fort just a few miles west of historic Newport also serves affordable gourmet pizza and juicy burgers.

A well-established mill town hotspot originally making its mark as a gathering place for local fishermen way back in 1947, Mews grew in size after acquiring the property next door. Nowadays, the sylvan Wakefield sanctuary has become the University of Rhode Island’s coolest hangout, appeasing traditionalist-minded locals and Narragansett Bay seafarer as well.

 “This whole complex is two different buildings that were constructed then pieced together in ‘98,” trusted controller George Mc Auliffe explains. “The Tavern was the original bar. The stand-alone building next to it was built in the 1800’s and had an outdoor patio. There was a beech tree in the middle of the room that stayed after the roof was put in.”

 Christened the Tree Room, the family-friendly main dining space features rustic regalia such as a canoe, kayak, ski lift chair and bicycle amongst its villager decor. When I first visited Mews nearly a decade back, my family sat next to the enclosed beech tree watching TV and enjoying the nacho platter and a few pizzas while some well-chosen local beers were consumed.

On my follow-up April 2012 trip, my wife and I settle in the original Tavern under the bay-windowed booth (where Jagermeister and Knob Creek Bourbon mirrored plaques hang). The side-winding bar (with short ice cream parlor chairs) displays the tap-handled beer assortment and thousands of stapled dollar bills wishing good luck line the walls. One bar-bound TV has a soon-to-be classic Yankees-Red Sox game on (Boston blew a nine-run lead) while the one above our heads is showing Bruins playoff hockey.

As the Kinks’ charmingly melodic “Waterloo Sunset” plays on the jukebox, we dig into Greek Pizza and quaff two previously untried beers. Grey Sail Flagship Ale, a locally crafted cream ale, retains a sugary biscuit malting above wood-toned hop spices and honeyed citrus. Schneider Mein Nelson Sauvin, a hybridized German weizenbock, plies ‘fresh mown grass hops’ to white-peppered gooseberry, grape and passion fruit illusions as well as sweet banana-clove nuances.

“The owners (Danny Rubino and Dave Barns) were commercial fishermen who have now owned Mews since 1990. They became famous for their large tapped beer selection and the rack sampler,” Mc Auliffe boasts.

The 6-ounce, 6-beer sampler can’t be beat. Beer geeks and casual novices could try several semi-popular favorites or take a chance on a few unknown choices. For those into elevated spirits, the mirrored wall shelves hold numerous high-end single malt Scotches, exquisite bourbons and detailed wines.

Upstairs, Mews exquisite mahogany-wooded Celtic Pub brings simple countryside elegance to the fore with its racked wine barrels, private booths and billiard tables.

On March ’13 St. Patrick’s Day sojourn, we got to Mew’s before noon to beat the holiday crowd. I gave newly coined 7-ounce 4-beer sampler a go alongside the pulled pork sandwich, part of my wife’s Greek Pizza and some of my daughter Nicki’s Chicken Taco Salad.

While watching the ACC basketball Championship between Miami and North Carolina and listening to Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden at the beech tree booth, I consumed four previously untried brews (reviewed in Beer Index). While Third Shift Amber (a Coors-related lager) didn’t suffice and Long Trail Bavarian Smoked Brown Ale got soapy (negating its cherrywood-smoked notion), Cali-based Black Diamond Jagged Edge IPA and Revival Double Black IPA maintained brisk citric-pined bittering and roasted malt stability. 

Don’t miss this uniquely antique New England retreat if you’re headed to the Newport mansions, Tennis Hall of Fame, Providence or Cape Cod.

www.mewstavern.com

COPPER MINE PUB

BEER PUB

NORTH ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY

In a tiny gray-painted corner lot next to a florist and across from renowned Holy Cross Cemetery on the quieter part of Ridge Road in Bergen County’s southernmost town, North Arlington’s warm and friendly COPPER MINE PUB is the humbly ambitious masterstroke of blue-capped twenty-something owner, Vito Forte. A craft beer enthusiast who grew up in the industry from an early age, he’s been learning steadily about the spirits business since working weekends at a local store.

On a sunny Thursday in April, I finally got to peruse this intimate neighborhood hangout and the homey ambience was all at once palpable. Named after the historic 18th century Schuyler Copper Mine (one of the first such mines in North America), this unpretentious dive bar couldn’t be any more hospitable. Perfectly placed between Routes 3, 7, 17, 21 and the Garden State Parkway and situated between the Passaic and Hackensack rivers a few miles from the Meadowlands Complex, Copper Mine’s a true blue dusty old gold mine.

At 4 PM, there’s already a dozen diversified brewhounds trying out Vito’s magnificent tapped selection. White-collar businessmen, local students and a few young women make their way in today. Within a 180-minute stay, I’ll drain a few delightful ales ranging from wine-y sour ale to sweet smoked German rauchbier. And I’ll be back for an amazingly resolute Belgian-styled Alaskan beer during dinnertime on Saturday.

“I was lucky,” Vito says as he tends bar from a stool next to the front window. “I worked at nearby Rutherford Wine Shop while in high school. I started in ’99 as a freshman. From day one, they were into better wines and beers. I learned at a young age. I stocked shelves and worked there through college.”

Within a few years, the amiable West Virginia University-transferred William Paterson history grad opened the Copper Mine. A blue awning with three insignias and a few neon signs promoting respected American breweries (Flying Fish; Stoudt’s; Avery; Firestone Walker) welcome patrons to the maroon-walled, beadboard-based, white tin-ceilinged interior. There’s a big screen TV at the 10-stooled left side bar and four opposing tables (where local patrons enjoy take-in food alongside Vito’s interesting tapped and bottled selection). Banners for California’s Ballast Point and Bear Republic plus New Hampshire’s Smuttynose, Canada’s Unibroue and Belgium’s Chimay line the right wall where shelves display empty bottles of hard-to-find beers.

Turning a rundown ‘old man’ saloon into a hip craft beer haven by the autumn of ’08, Vito did a few necessary renovations before establishing his rustic joint. But it all came to fruition quickly.

“I replaced the floor, which was badly carpeted, and put down tile. Then I took out the horseshoe-shaped bar and replaced it. And the basement walk-in cooler is new,” he explains while I finish vinous, cherry-soured, white-wined, oak-dried BFM Abbey St. Bon Chien.

At this point, Brendan, a Rutgers-Newark MBA night student, walks in for a spell. We try some double-fermented, bottle-conditioned water kifer, a bacterial yeast-sugared libation created by a Bayonne chiropractor that tastes sweetly grape-juiced at this young age, but will attenuate to a vinegary cider-like sourness over time.

Then a Meat Puppets instrumental comes on and I delve into herbal yellow-fruited summertime ale, Saint Somewhere Saison Athene, before settling on grapefruit-embittered Ballast Point Tongue Buckler Imperial Red, a wonderfully well-rounded and beautifully fruited full body placing tangy sugar-caned peach, pear and apple illusions above setback alcohol-burnt juniper hops.

As Vito’s local buddies continue walking in, I notice Dogfish Head 120 Minute India Pale Ale is by far the most popular drink here.

“IPA’s go out the fastest. They’re increasingly popular,” Vito says. “I like all beer styles. I’d never turn down a bourbon-barreled Imperial Stout. That’s one of my favorites alongside really good sour ales. But I also appreciate a good IPA.”

Two small floor-bound refrigerators at the bar prove Vito’s got exquisite taste. California’s The Bruery and Firestone Walker sidle Michigan’s Jolly Pumpkin selections. Plus, growler fills are available.

“We used to carry a lot more bottles, but we trickled it down to specialty bottles of more obscure or rare stuff unavailable in a keg locally. I love Jolly Pumpkin. They’re very artisanal and every batch is variegated. Their kegs are rare so I keep bottles on hand. I understand sour ales are expensive. They take longer to make and a lot of effort goes into them – sometimes aging in oak barrels for years. But if the beer’s good, customers don’t mind,” Vito justifies.

I dip into Schlenkerla Oak Smoke, an ambitious wood-burnt rauchbier with much more malt sweetness than usual smoked beers, to finish my initial three-hour sojourn.

Vito concludes, “The normal crowd’s like today. All these southern Bergen towns I draw from are like one square mile – Rutherford, Lyndhurst. It’s like a big checkerboard. Last week, some Texans came in. Local chemical factory workers, pilots from Teterboro and a few Toms River postal employees swing by too.”

I trek back to Copper Mine with my wife and youngest son to chow Jo Jo’s Pizza slices, grabbing a table to imbibe Anchorage The Tide & Its Takers. A Belgo-American ale aged in Chardonnay oak barrels, its orange-dried lemon rind tartness penetrates white-peppered basil, thyme and lemongrass to the sweet honey malted backend. As with my previous stopover, there are several knowledgeable beer fanatics scrutinizing Vito’s vital selections.

Make sure the Copper Mine’s on your ‘must list’ of diminutive north Jersey neighborhood beer bars to visit along with Bogota-based Andy’s Corner Bar and Haledon’s Shepherd & Knucklehead.

 

www.thecopperminepub.com

TWISTED ELM TAVERN – ELMWOOD PARK

BEER PUB

The Twisted Elm gastropub in Elmwood Park NJ closes

TWISTED ELM VALIDATES MR. ROGERS NEW NEIGHBORHOOD

As America’s craft beer revolution continues to move onward and upward at an increasingly fast pace, many fine neighborhood gastropubs have been popping up all over the Garden State. Being one of the latest beer-centric restaurants operating in northern Jersey, Elmwood Park’s TWISTED ELM TAVERN couldn’t possibly have a better regional location. Right next door to popular hot dog and hamburger joint, River View East, at the bustling side-winding corner of River Road just off Routes 4, 46 and 80 (plus the Garden State Parkway), this freestanding pub serves wide-ranging clientele including afternoon businessmen, dinnertime families and nighttime youths.

Celebrating its kitchen-incepted Grand Opening January ’12, but in business as a bar since August ’11, Twisted Elm is experienced restaurateur Jim Rogers latest flourishing endeavor. Retaining a casually elegant upscale charm inside the kitsch-y bygone wagon-wheeled Elmwood Barn, this red brick-based, maroon-paneled, white windowsill-framed space still houses the sturdy oak bar of its previous tenant, but the new wood furnishings, tongue-in-groove plank floor and intimate right side dining sections offer multifarious modernistic aspects. Yet it’s the rustic feel preserved by the crude wood paneled walls that brings a little country comfort to this snug suburban community.

A modest banquet party room features a community table alongside several smaller serving tables while the connected backroom offers a wood-burning stove, high stable ceilings, a few booths and regular seating. The left side 12-stooled U-shaped bar (gathering two TV’s, four side tables, pendant lighting, a blackboard beer list, oak-mantled hearth, exposed beams and Touch Tunes jukebox) supports a private 10-seat lounge with four bay windows.

Prior to owning Twisted Elm, Rogers ran Lodi’s Thirsty Toad (formerly the Rusty Nail) for seven years and, beforehand, headed an Englewood bar. But he was eager to diversify a bit and sought the comfort of a homier bistro-like atmosphere.

 

“Those were strictly drinking bars,” Lodi native Rogers explains as I down a tapped version of Port Brewing’s delectable Mongo Double IPA. “I’m getting older and I wanted to do more food – a gastropub type establishment. When we’re done serving dinner here, if there’s a bar crowd, we stay open. Otherwise, we close by 11 or 12 on weeknights. But weekends, people are here drinking ‘til 1:30 AM.”

Silent partner, George Kantakis, owner of Rochelle Park’s thriving Associated Wholesale Florist, had the same feel for a beer-centric eatery, so he was brought onboard to help. Then, Rogers approached his good friend, Al Scazafave, to become head chef. A Johnson & Wales alumnus whose love of beer pairing is no secret, Scazafave worked at nearby South City Grill, where Rogers would often stop by for dinner. Both agreed on formulating a creative menu.

The exquisitely prepared food items include pasta dishes and pub classics, but the wood-fired pizzas are just as recommended. Lamb’s Shepherd Pie (with cheddar potato crust) and Mustard Horseradish Crusted Salmon sound great, but on my first visit, I settle on the colossal Tavern Custom Blend Burger (with bacon and Irish cheddar). My pal, Fred, decides to nibble on the mouthwatering Lobster Grilled Cheese after we share the equally fine parmesan-cheesed Carolina Hot Crab Dip with toasted baguettes.

On this cold Monday afternoon in March, the exalted tapped beer selection includes a small but representative group going from Lagunitas Czech Pils and Stoudt’s Pilsner on the lighter end to Great Divide Yeti Stout and Defiant O’Defiant Stout on the dark side. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Stone Arrogant Bastard and Goose Island Matilda elevate the strong ale sector. Every day the beer selection changes, but a frequent best seller is Allagash White Ale.

“I’d never been a big beer person, but I’m growing. I’ve got Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA, Worldwide Stout and Barleywine in the walk-in box downstairs,” Rogers confirms. “Certain beers I think are interesting to hold to. I’ve still got Troegs Mad Elf Christmas Beer.”

An upscale vino selection from smaller wineries that get ‘closer to the grape’ (as Twisted Elm sommelier Bianca Miraglia claims) saddles a detailed spirits assortment comprising high end whiskeys, vodkas and cognacs.

Rogers admits, “I wanted a relaxing place you could come to once a month where there was simple food with a little twist to go with good beer as well.”

I return the next day for a late Tuesday afternoon ‘pop’ and get to hang out with bartender Aldo during a quieter session. The just-tapped Sixpoint Crisp Pils, with its yellow-fruited pungency, dank-grained mustiness and bread-crusted backbone, retains a stylistically robust nature that semi-counters Ballast Point Sculpin’s dry-wooded hop musk and harsher grapefruit astringency.

Before heading out, Rogers says, “We’re gonna do a Stone Brewing beer dinner, April 24th, for $55. It’ll be a five-course affair with a beer to match each course. And we’ll use a nice stout and some ice cream for a fountain-glassed beer float. I think it should be fun.”

Two days later on a sunny Thursday I venture back around 4PM just as the bar is filling up with local teachers looking to blow off some steam. This time, I dig into the mussels in white wine sauce, dipping Italian bread smothered in awesome garlic-herbed butter into the broth. A woman across the bar recommends the Beer Brewed Corn Beef on marble rye with grain mustard. And several customers in the lounge area have ordered more than a few Allagash White’s.

Meanwhile, I decide to contrast the two draught stouts on hand. Today, the just-tapped Yard’s Love Stout brings soy-milked dark chocolate roasting and black coffee bittering to toffee sweetness. The dryer O’Defiant Stout stays mellow and smooth, placing creamed coffee mildness over dark chocolate and wispy nuttiness.

As I leave Twisted Elm to get some rest before leaving on a three-day Virginia-Maryland brewpub tour the following morning, there’s no doubt in my mind that word will continue to spread about this cool new craft beer hangout.

www.twistedelm.com

 

THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD PUB

BEER PUB

THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD EMPOWERS HALEDON

I first met entrepreneurial beer baron, Chris Schiavo, when he was the liquor supervisor at North Haledon’s still-thriving Grand Opening Liquors in the mid’90s. At the time, I was a green craft beer enthusiast amazed by the thousands of national and international beers lining the shelves at this small mall spot, purchasing hundreds of diverse libations over the course of several stimulating sojourns.

Little did I know that Schiavo, along with Andy’s Corner Bar owner George Gray and now-deceased Beer International founder Rich Stolarz, formed the early foundation for New Jersey’s craft beer movement. The burgeoning triumvirate truly changed the direction of the state’s once-stale beer scene, creating a new-sprung market for independent brewers looking to increase visibility and gain a stronger foothold. Stolarz played the role of knowledgeable godfather, mentoring Schiavo and Gray like a genuine titan.

Just a stone’s throw away from midtown Haledon and down the hill from William Paterson College, THE SHEPHERD & THE KNUCKLEHEAD PUB has prospered since Schiavo opened its doors on July 3rd, 1998, at 6 PM. A diminutive neighborhood bar readied for expansion, its rangy customer base includes young beer geeks, established businessmen, local politicians and curious couples – all congregating here on my initial late-afternoon February visitation.

Taking its chuckled moniker from the first novel Schiavo got published in 2001, The Shepherd & The Knucklehead may, by delineation, be a pun on the duality of man. But in actuality, it’s one of the most pleasingly inconspicuous residential hideaways imaginable. A designated landmark by sundry beer connoisseurs, the hot l’il joint regularly attracts some of the finest Jazz artists as well. On Sunday evenings, it’s not unusual to see old and new William Paterson-related musicians get together and jam in a small club-like setting here.

The Shepherd’s casual interior, adorned by solid oak furnishings, bronze neo-Classical ceiling tiles and exposed pipes, couldn’t be cozier. The snug right side bar features over two dozen tap handles (collected inside a black stovepipe) and a fine assortment of spirits, plus a TV, jukebox, dartboard and River Horse insignia back-siding the front-windowed Founders Brewery neon sign.

On this busy Tuesday schmooze, dedicated bartender Talya Cacchione, who has been aboard since ’09 (and splits time in local indie rockers, Caged Animals) serves the devoted crowd splendid suds while chowing down rice-noodled Mie Fun. The chestnut-haired lass got into Allagash White Ale and Bitburger Pils as a teen, expanding her palate thereafter.

“What really got me hooked on craft beer was Young’s Double Chocolate Stout,” Cacchione says as she pours my cinnamon-toasted apple pie-like Shipyard Applehead. “Our taps are always changing, so finding the right beer for mainstream drinkers isn’t very difficult. I try to find out what they like and match that to an accessible choice. This is a special type of bar with a different kind of atmosphere. The late night crowd is full of off-hours musicians and artists.”

As night falls, the best selling beer so far is Colorado-based Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter. Two wonderful Lost Abbey brews from California, dark chocolate-roasted Serpent Imperial Stout and citric-herbed Devotion Belgian Pale Ale, score high with three young dudes. Yet besides being a beer centric bar, The Shepherd also boasts a terrific wine and bourbon selection. Schiavo, an experienced wine sommelier who built up Grand Opening’s vino sales from scratch before turning his attention to beer in the ‘90s, was the brainchild for Build Your Own 6-pack (along with beer pal, Mike Berini, “a flaming comet from out West”).

‘Mike turned me on to beatnik poet, Jack Kerouac, and that affected the microbrew scene,” Schiavo maintains. “Ale Street News went to print and asked us to be on an amateur home brew tasting panel. When (The Shepherd) opened, there was an ongoing concern for people in the community as well as those looking at us as a destination spot. We couldn’t be more grateful for their support.”

I dip into richly viscous mocha-bound Leinenkugel Big Eddy Imperial Stout (a creamy molasses-sapped, dried-fruited, bourbon-wined, cedar-burnt full body) while Schiavo explains The Shepherd’s impending expansion.

“We’ll have 60 new tap lines, a kitchen and 44-seat dining area,” the Mount St. Mary College grad proudly exhorts. “I’m hiring two full-time Culinary Institute of America cooks in March. We’ll serve steak, fish, kebab, bratwurst and sauerbraten. There’ll be 30 different bottled Belgian beers to complement the food with champagne-like herbal medicine qualities that suit these interesting digestifs.”

In typical rebellious Kerouac fashion, he concludes, “I plan to have a filibuster night for religious and political debates as well. We’ll talk about hot topic issues like an academic center.”

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My wife and I hit Shepherd & Knucklehead one night in June 2012 to try the newfangled cuisine with a few tapped beers. Richly sauced Riggatoni (with tender pork and fresh ricotta) and robust lamb wraps went well with tart cherry-enriched cream ale Erie Derailed Black Cherry. While vinous dry-wined sour ale Bockor Cuvee De Jacobins goes best on its own, multi-dimensional JW Lees Harvest Barleywine aged in Apple Brandy Barrels proved to be a fine dessert treat.  

After multiple 2013 visitations, decided to spend a few consecutive nights soaking up many seasonal pumpkin ales during early September, imbibing Anderson Valley, Blue Point, Erie, Ithaca, Lake Placid, Long Trail and Smuttynose offerings alongside another fine autumnal libation, Anchor Big Leaf Maple Autumn Red. On Tuesday, wife and I enjoyed The Sheps Paella (with saffron rice, mussels, shrimp, crab and chorizo), garlic-slathered Beer Mussels, spicy buffalo wings and nachos while imbibing tempting suds.

www.theshepnj.com

CLOVERLEAF TAVERN

BEER PUB

Image result for cloverleaf bar

CALDWELL’S CLOVERLEAF TAVERN COUPLES CRAFT BEERS WITH FRESH FOOD

A highly respected Caldwell watering hole since prohibition ended in the Thirties, CLOVERLEAF TAVERN has given multiple generations of northern Jerseyites a homey Bloomfield Avenue refuge. Never afraid to branch out and change direction when necessary, the busy pub went from a men-only establishment to a family-oriented neighborhood hangout by the Seventies. But Cloverleaf’s greatest achievement may have come when third generation grandson, Ryan Dorchak, embraced America’s craft beer renaissance in 2006.

A red-bricked, brown-shingled exterior with green and white awning welcomes patrons to the casual speakeasy rife with several shamrock logos. 25 taps at the right side bar serve a rapidly rotating oeuvre of handcrafted microbrews emulating from a cement-floored cellar kegorator. Dorchak takes great care cleaning the keg lines since it’s the key to running a successful draught system.

“Draught beers were meant to be an extension of the primary brewery sold in a timely fashion fresh to consumers,” Ryan obliges. “We don’t want to have any off-flavors. And getting the proper gas mix is crucial for a better tasting product. All our beers run on a 65/35 blend of nitrogen to carbon dioxide, except stouts and nitros, which run on a higher nitro blend.”

Joining the family business in ’97 after graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison with a marketing degree, Ryan became extremely passionate about craft beer. In fact, the tall proprietor educates his bar staff through an on-line certification to insure their general beer knowledge.

“I could make more money pushing Coors Lite, but I’d rather have people come back more frequently to enjoy better beers at a reasonable cost. We always have a featured craft beer for $3 going from Monday through Thursday,” he insists.

There’s also a fun syllabus for Masters of Beer Appreciation given to those who try 45 beers over the course of the season and anyone requiring higher education could land a PhD (professor of hops and draughts degree). A lover of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout, Sofie Saison and Pepe Nero Farmhouse Ale, Ryan claims he has never had a bad beer from Bruery, Founders or Allagash. And he recently developed quite a taste for newfangled brettanomyces-bound sour ales.

In a way, Cloverleaf developed into a ‘beer bar’ by accident. Way back in 1976, Ryan’s father had a problem with Anheuser-Busch’s service so he simply expanded the beer menu. He immediately ditched Bud’s foamy fare for Miller, Schmidt’s, Pabst, Ballantine and imports such as Becks, Grolsch, Guinness, Harp, Heineken, Kirin, Krakus, Kronenbourg, Molson and Tuborg.

Ryan affirms, “He told the King of Beers he’d carry every other beer he could get his hands on and made sure people looking for Bud would be given suitable choices.”

Many historic photographs line the interior walls of Cloverleaf, founded by George Dorchak Jr. at the tender age of 25. He acquired Caldwell’s first post-prohibition alcohol license in 1933 and stubbornly spent 40 years holding true to the antiquated local ordinance forbidding women and children from saloons. By ’42, he purchased an antique wood bar counter (estimated at 100 years old) for what was strictly a men’s bar until ’75 when Dorchak’s son, Richard, turned the tavern into a full service public house. In ’90, a sky-lit rear atrium attached to the new outdoor patio was added.

“My grandfather told my dad he’d never make money selling hot dogs and burgers. He was wrong,” Ryan snickers. “Nowadays, 40% of our sales comes from burgers since we get fresh chopped meat daily.”

A diverse crowd of businessmen, seniors, sports fans, and couples fill out the Cloverleaf this early Tuesday evening in late January. Ryan and I settle in the intimate hearth-warmed left dining area to talk. Above this expanded first floor space is a banquet room perfect for parties, receptions and business affairs.

“There’s also a self-contained smoker that has a cleaning cycle for wood chips and this week’s special is smoked pork chiquito,” he adds before noting the majority of food is fresh and made from scratch besides the fried appetizers. “People think we’re in the food business, but we’re really in the hospitality business. 68% of people who have a bad dining experience won’t tell the staff and don’t come back. With today’s social media, customers take the experience and pass it on about the venue.”

Moreover, when there were only 90 brewers in the United States in ’79, it was easier to get away with watered down product. Now, there are 2,500 stateside breweries with wide-ranging choices. Originally, Ryan was introduced to Miller High Life as a youngster. But he spit it out. That’s when he determined big brewers’ stuff was inferior.

In ’99, Ryan’s father took him to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, where he noticed 85% of the beers served were not available in Jersey. They stopped by a mining town where Tommyknockers Brewery had a “cool vibe,” then headed to Colorado Springs-based New Belgium, where Ryan was amazed by their four beers – including the now-classic New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale.

That set the tone for the eager lad, whose Czech grandfather and Irish grandmother passed on a rich European heritage of gourmandizing. For St. Patrick’s Day, Cloverleaf will feature homemade Irish soda bread made from his grandmother’s recipe alongside traditional corn beef and cabbage.

In this day and age of cookie-cutter corporate establishments, drab multi-chain restaurants and compromised eateries, Cloverleaf stands out for its fertile legacy, incredible cocktail selection and appetizing American cuisine.

For St. Patrick’s Day, 2012, my wife and I took a seat at the front entrance to try homemade soda bread alongside excellent corned beef and cabbage as well as tapped versions of Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura and Ballast Point Tongue Buckler (reviewed in Beer Index). Naturally, Ireland’s Guinness Stout was the clear favorite amongst the crammed in Saturday morning crowd.

Green and white St. Patty’s Day balloons, banners and streamers crowded the entire bar and the entire semblance was attired in green shirts, pants, hats or shoes to celebrate the annual event. Ryan’s 1-year-old son, Aidan, dressed in a Celtic kilt, danced to the traditional Irish music being played by a front-windowed duo who provided bleary-eyed versions of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” the piper-shrined “Danny Boy” and a rousing sing-along about a Belfast prostitute.

The city of Caldwell and Cloverleaf Tavern celebrate this March 17th holiday with utmost respect. Zach, our bartender, is attired in leprecaun garb. Even a few city cops were dressed in kilts. And the Allagash Wit my wife and I consumed before leaving a few hours later was colored green for good luck. A great time had by all.

Since May’s spring flowers have now bloomed, I decided to once again check out Caldwell’s historic CLOVERLEAF TAVERN. This time, it’s to experience MBA night – a Masters of Beer Appreciation program hosted every first Tuesday of the month to honor graduates from hosting owner Ryan Dorchak’s stylistically diversified 45-beer curriculum.

Seated next to Mario, a card-carrying MBA grad who’s now a three-time PhD major (having consumed the requisite 45 beers thrice over and earning a sturdy 26-ounce Cloverleaf-engraved stein for pint-priced beers), I decide to become a Clover Card member for $5. It’ll earn me Frequency Dollars and bonus points while consuming terrifically multifarious craft beers.

Today, the red-shirted Dorchak celebrates his 37th birthday and the place is packed to the hilt for Troegs Night. I grab a sampler tray of Troegs Dreamweaver (a grassy-hopped American wheat with German weiss-like banana-clove character), Nugget Nectar (a heightened amber ale showcasing honey-malted tropical fruits), Mighty Moose Mild (an English-styled session beer with mint-y herbal citrus spicing) and Spring Fest Helles Bock (a honey nut-grained and tart-fruited balm).

Cinco De Mayo’s just around the corner, so the bar area is decorated with hanging piñatas, a confetti-filled Modelo can, a papier-mâché green cactus with Jose Cuervo insignia and various red-green-white streamers. To commemorate the upcoming Mexican holiday, I dig into the special-priced Taco Salad while consuming a Jalapeno Margarita (with its immense peppery burn outlasting the sweet coconut frontage).

But soon I dabble with a few previously untried pale ales with noticeable biscuit-y malt spines. Fegley’s Always Sunny Pale Ale gathered dry-wooded tinder for sharp grapefruit-peeled lemon rind bittering and 21st Amendment Bitter American spread soft-hopped apricot fruiting across buttery almond nuances. Belgium’s Bockor Omer Traditional Blond retained sourdough and baguette illusions above delicate hop-spiced crystal malts.

As for Troegs Night, the packed minions showed major respect for spicy chocolate-fruited double bock, Troeganator. Plus, the 6:30 promotional raffle got everyone’s attention, especially since a 22-ounce bottle of Troegs’ rum-spiced, candi-sugared, pine-fruited Flying Mouflan Barleywine was one of the prizes.

There are now over 1,300 MBA graduates from Cloverleaf, each one having consumed the prerequisite pilsner-lagers, weiss beers, IPA’s, specialty and seasonal offerings alongside pale, brown and Belgian ales. But you don’t have to be a skilled craft beer denizen to relish the rotating line of brews convivial host Dorchak has picked to click. Besides, those who feel pinned in at the front bar could settle in at the sun-glazed back deck or private left side dining area for family or business occasions.

www.cloverleaftavern.com

THE OFFICE – RIDGEWOOD

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Instead of trying to reinvent what has become an institution for the affluent Ridgewood community, the new owners of THE OFFICE BEER BAR & GRILL simply refined an outmoded menu while continuing to bring fantastic craft beers to local minions. A veritable sportsbar (previously home to the long-gone Brass Lamp), The Office quickly earned its stripes as a reliable downtown hotspot since opening in 1995.

 Located one block away from the train station, a black and red awning welcomes patrons to the green-walled, mahogany-wooded Chestnut Street landmark. Montreal-bred General Manager Hugh Cohen, who came aboard in ’99, constantly revamps and upgrades the craft beer lineup while making sure cocktail selections stay topnotch. Presently, six to eight dedicated tap handles serve standard fare and the other fifteen to seventeen tender a rotating surfeit of choice suds. Fifty bottled beers add further versatility.

 Recently, The Office purchased a state-of-the-art NuCo system that makes its own oxygen and maintains perfect gas pressure for draught beer. One carbon dioxide tank is used for pilsners, lagers and light ales while another is used for heavier porters and stouts. The last one is strictly for sodas.

 “The NuCo system is clean, efficient and low maintenance,” Cohen insists. “It adds more freshness, creaminess and consistency to the beers.”

 Since Mardi Gras is just around the corner during my early February visitation, several Creole flags and danglers decorate the bar area. In a few weeks, it’ll be March Madness and basketball tournament brackets will inundate the interior. Next, Cinco De Mayo will be celebrated. Year round seasonal rejoicing is a top priority for this busy locale. And the ongoing party is centered around fine brews poured from the three solid brass mushroom-like wells at the bar.

 “All of the seven Office’s in Jersey are known for craft beer,” Villa Enterprises Marketing Manager Kathleen Janssen claims as we quaff pints of The Office Amber Ale, specially made by High Point Brewery for the Ridgewood pub. “Being a beer bar and grill is our calling card. And we made it more centric towards local craft beer. There’s usually only two international beers on tap, Guinness and Corona, and we have Coors and Bud Lite for the masses. Every location has at least nineteen taps. We dedicate four to seasonals and the rest to local or national favorites picked by our customers.”

 Now family-owned by Villa Enterprises’ Bioggio and Antonio Scotto since 2011, The Office offers ridiculously cheap Happy Hour specials such as $3 craft beer draughts, $2 domestic macrobrews and $4 margaritas from 4 to 7 PM Monday through Friday. In business for fifty years, Villa began as a pizzeria chain, Villa Fresh Time Kitchens – a string of highly frequented eateries at airports, malls, casinos and arenas. They also own the Green Leaf chain and recently purchased Jersey’s oldest restaurant, the Black Horse Tavern, built in 1740 as a stage house.

“We take pride in our food,” Janssen says. “We’ve revamped the outdated ’90s menu the defunct Charlie Brown owners used to have. It didn’t represent what the food really was supposed to be. Every item on the menu is cooked in the back. Everything’s fresh. The meat’s brought in raw and fresh fish comes daily. We implemented new items like Lettuce Wraps and sauteed chicken and shrimp.”

I chow down the Tuna Tower, a crisp tuna tartar with avocado and arugula in a wasabi and balsamic glaze, while sipping Saranac White India Pale Ale, a new brew with bright citric overtones and lilting herbal spices.

“In northern Jersey, the market available to us in nearby Manhattan boasts an amazing variety of restaurants. There’s a higher level of expectation since much of Ridgewood’s populace works in the city. We can’t just shovel food out of the kitchen and expect people to enjoy it. That happened beforehand. The Office had become an antiquated steak house,” the Philly-born Janssen says.

 Since the coolest new trend is matching craft beer to artisanal foods, The Office hopes to educate their customer base with exciting pairings. But it’s just one of the steps Villa has taken to help customers appreciate a transitional upgraded menu.

 “The Office is beer focused and family friendly. Villa’s not a huge corporation operating restaurants in an uncaring, profit-taking manner. We appreciate everything that goes into being a successful venture. The Ridgewood-based Office, comparable to the Montclair and Morristown franchises, has the best character and largest sales,” Janssen concludes.

 I stopped by The Office once more four days hence to try the smoothly vanilla-buttered, cocoa-draped dessert treat, Breckenridge Vanilla Porter (perfect for chocolate lovers). Stacy, christened by the surrounding Happy Hour customers as the ‘best bartender in Ridgewood,’ shows off her handiwork by making the couple next to me a few highly distinctive Bloody Mary’s.

 so don’t settle on slick corporate giants such as Bennigans, TGIFriday or Applebees for average food and limited beer selections. For maybe a few bucks more, The Office will offer better cuisine, finer brews and nicer ambience.

www.theoffice-beerbar.com

 

BARCADE – BROOKLYN

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Barcade Brooklyn | Corporate Events, Wedding Locations, Event Spaces and Party Venues.

BROOKLYN’S BARCADE BRINGS GAMING TO SPECIALTY BREWS

The original BARCADE in Brooklyn’s hipster Williamsburg section brought arcade gaming to endlessly rotating American craft draughts in 2004. A caliginous North Side bar with a grimy dive feel and rustic furnishings, Barcade’s a genuine one-of-a-kind novel idea promoted mostly by Jersey-bred co-owner Paul Kermizian. Just around the corner from international beer haven, Spuyten Duyvil, this dank brick-walled industrial space has an enclosed front patio walkway that offers patrons the chance to take a break from the 24 taps and 35 games to sit and chat.

Serious craft beer enthusiasts with a hankering for vintage electronic games from Asteroids and beyond will go spastic over this place – especially the cheap quarter-priced video gaming fee. Loud rock music blasts from the speakers, echoing to the high warehouse ceiling.

Tonight’s Winter Beer Night at Barcade and the crowded bar is plush with young beer folk. Several locals bring their dogs here while imbibing some of the best suds found under one roof. One’s seated next to Climax Brewing owner Dave Hoffmann, whose father and I drove in with him this cold Thursday evening in early December ’11. Hosting boss Paul Kermizian chats with Hoffmann and I at the left side bar, chewing the fat over a wide variety of brews.

I usually sojourn to Barcade on the way to Williamsburg rock shows a few streets down, but tonight I’ll be drinking for four whole hours since I don’t have to drive home or attend a concert. There’ll be so much socializing going on I’ll forget to drop a few quarters in the ’70s/ ’80s-related video games. The beers discovered run the gamut from a cabernet-wined strong ale to two barleywines, two Baltic Porters, a honeyed pils and a rummy gourd-spiced elixir (full reviews given in the Beer Index).

As we settle in around 8 PM, I dig into Kelso Cabernet Quad Bock, an oaken Cabernet Sauvignon-soothed quadrupel with sharp-hopped raisin-plum dried fruiting, musky Muscatel wining and tart cranberry-raspberry recession. Probably more suited to a noir-ish nightcap, its eloquent warmth loosened me up right away.

Traditional Czech-styled moderate body, Fisherman’s Honey Pilsner, brought a raw-honeyed lemon pucker to grassy-hopped herbage and sourdough malting. Brewed by Cape Ann’s Jeremy Goldberg, one of the stars in the informal ’02 documentary American Beer (alongside Kermezian), put together a wholly successful Fisherman’s line of brews and each one’s specially priced when featured at this venerable Brooklyn hideaway.

Next came Harpoon Leviathon Baltic Porter, a chocolate-y full body aged two years for a deeper wood-smoked molasses sapping. Similarly styled Sixpoint S.M.P. Baltic Porter contrasted its dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, and coffee bean roasting with beechwood smoked nuttiness.

We stepped outside to get some air before I reached for a few high alcohol treats that’d put me to sleep on the way back to Hoffmann’s brewery.

First up, excellent rum barrel aged Avery Rumpkin had a rum-spiced pumpkin pie sweetness sidled by red chery, bruised orange and candied apple illusions. As I sip this brandy-wined cognac-like strong ale, several new customers walk in and grab a few Middle Ages Dragon Slayer’s alongside Dogfish Head Faithfull. In town for the extended weekend, these twenty-something professionals admit revisiting Barcade time and again. And a few walk over to play Donkey Kong.

As my buzz thickens, I reach for some water before delving into two English-styled barleywines. A Challah-breaded almond toasting invited the dryer Pretty Things Our Finest Regards. But California’s sweeter Bear Republic Barrel Aged Olde Scoutter outdid its worthy winter-warming Massachusetts opponent. Its lilting bourbon lick recieved a brown-sugared fig-date conflux and oak-aged vanilla simmer.

Though Brooklyn’s Barcade may seem inconspicuous and inconsequential from the street, customers will be surprised by its tempting American craft beers as well as the large video game selection. Daily 5 to 8 PM happy hour offers $1 off well drinks. So double your pleasure and start gaming while fully imbibing with friends.

www.barcadebrooklyn.com

BARCADE – JERSEY CITY

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BARCADE EXPANDS TO JERSEY CITY AND BEYOND…

-John Fortunato

Barcade introduced one of the best original concepts for a craft beer bar during 2004. Its five owners, led by hands-on entrepreneur Paul Kermizian, wanted to re-invigorate the homey recreational experience of drinking beers with close pals while playing vintage arcade games. The novel whim would prove to be the coolest idea for an urban pub common city folk would like to hang out at, much like Kermizian’s Brooklyn apartment had been theretofore.

Barcade’s nascent Union Avenue post in the trendy Williamsburg section of Brooklyn has continually increased its customer base over seven years, allowing westward expansion to Jersey City and Philadelphia in 2011. Not only does each Barcade site offer 24 revolving taps of respectable American beers, the caliginous metropolitan clubs also feature select stateside liquor plus red and white wine. Furthermore, each location keeps it green by utilizing 100% wind-powered turbines instead of electricity.

“We keep our theme of having only American craft beer on our taps,” Kermizian says as we celebrate Weyerbacher Night in early November. “Two-thirds of the beers come from the local northeast corridor and two-thirds are sessionable beers the general public enjoys. There are only eight or nine strong Big Beers on tap at any given time because there’s only so many people who’ll drink 10% alcohol beer. That’s a cutoff. But we always try to be flexible and stylistically diversified. We always have the basics – a pilsner, India Pale Ale, and stout available. The rest we play around with.”

I originally met the dark-haired Kermizian after conducting a phone interview for American Beer, an insightful travelogue documenting forty national breweries the Bound Brook native perused with four close friends, three of whom co-own Barcade. We were at a High Times softball game with fellow documentary pal (and Cape Ann brewer) Jeremy Goldberg quaffing several Canadian brews bought during my family trip to Niagara Falls. Then, I introduced him to high profile Ipswich brewer, James Dorau, who’d brought down a few sixtels of rich and creamy Ipswich Oatmeal Stout for Barcade to tap in November ‘05.

Over the years, I revisited Barcade prior to many chic Williamsburg rock shows, trying my hand at Frogger, Pac Man, and Donkey Kong. Though known by some as a nerdy hipster joint, there was always a multifarious assemblage of people on hand at this former metal shop. Word spread and regional growth was just around the corner.

For my first trip to the Jersey City-based Barcade, Allagash Night got celebrated on a rainy October afternoon. An amazing 22 dedicated taps served the Portland, Maine brewers’ wild, sour, Belgian-styled and traditional beer styles. A former Washington Mutual Bank, Barcade’s newest hotspot across the Hudson River opened April, 2011. Its priceless corner spot, in close proximity to the Path Train, has a sandalwood exterior and lengthy front side windows. The high-ceiling black-walled interior nearly doubles the size of Brooklyn’s inceptive space. Six re-purposed wood tables centralize the elongated right side bar and left-walled gaming area.

The recently completed Philadelphia-based Barcade, situated in the gentrified Delaware River waterfront village, Fishtown, was chosen for its similarly fashioned industrial art community.

Besides 24 taps and 35 games, the new two Barcade’s also serve food. In Jersey City, General Manager Al Bacchiochi handles cuisine duties. A onetime kitchen worker at a private midtown Manhattan cigar bar, he brings plenty of experience to the table. He’d worked for Brooklyn Brewery’s sales force in the mid-‘90s, gaining a keen perspective into the beer scene.

“Al is a former chef,” Kermizian explains as he serves up Weyerbacher’s 14th Anniversary Wheat Wine during Weyerbacher Night a week after my initial Jersey City venture. “We wanted to bring in someone knowledgeable about preparing food and helping us choose appropriate beers. We told him to run with it and have fun.”

Whether trying the pickled hop shoots from a Washington State farm or the rosemary uncured ham, each short dish from the small bar side kitchen is handled with utmost care. And the sandwiches and cheeses look yummier than the usual bar food.

“The food in Philly is based on the same concept, but there’s also a yard so we could take advantage of a smoker for meats,” Kermizian informs as he pours a cinnamon-nutmeg-spiced Weyerbacher Pumpkin Ale from a hallowed-out pumpkin.

Though Jersey City’s site had much better structural integrity, Philly’s larger Barcade was carved out of an all-wood old carriage house (with a back barn and side yard). Construction began at the same time, but the very detailed work at the Philly spot took more time to shape up, even if Jersey’s antiquated liquor laws burden most startup beer bars.

“New Jersey’s bar scene is pretty clandestine except for Jersey City,” Bacchiochi divulges. “Fortunately, most of our clientele is young professionals that are serious craft beer enthusiasts. Jersey City’s transportation is easily accessible and we have a lot of customers within walking distance.”

ATWOOD’S TAVERN

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ATWOOD’S TAVERN, CAMBRIDGE, MA.

Just past the heart of Cambridge five miles west of Boston, ATWOOD’S TAVERN has the cozily rustic feel of an Olde English pub with its wood furnishings, low ceilings, bottle cellar, rear dining space and superb beer selection. A heavily rotated batch of draughts delights both neighborhood brew hounds and curious outsiders. My wife and I sat dead center at the left bar during a two-hour mid-December 2011 stopover.

Copious salads, burgers and sandwiches dot the menu. I totally enjoyed the crispy crabcakes over spinach. There were a dozen tapped craft beers listed on the board in front of me and I chose three different stylistically ambitious brews from three brand spankin’ new local Massachusetts brewers.

First up, Jack’s Abby Brewing Kiwi Rising, an interestingly deviant Imperial India Pale Lager, represented the nearby town of Framingham. As Velvet Underground’s heroin-indulging “Waiting For My Man” played in the background, I quaffed the subtly tropical elixir. On tap, its faded kiwi, mango and passion fruit dalliance caressed piney grapefruit-peeled bittering and white-peppered spices, letting less intricately detailed pineapple, peach and red grape illusions to filter through the backend.

Next, the Beatles joyous “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey” crammed the speakers as I dug into Backlash Convergence, a busy Belgian-styled farmhouse saison from the northwest Boston suburb of Brighton. Its barnyard yeast funk saddled prickly white-peppered rye malting, lemony candi-sugared banana-clove insistence and vanilla wafer sweetness.

A fabulous live bluegrass quintet played pristine acoustic numbers by the time I dipped into Somerville Brewing’s excellent Slumbrew Porter Square Porter. Based in Somerville two miles outside Boston and opened for business a mere month, this small operation now has three flagship beers in their young catalogue. A fine after dinner relaxant, Square Porter’s hop-roasted oats toasting allowed prominent coffee-stained black chocolate richness to deepen the wood-burnt walnut char and honey-glazed hazelnut sweetness.

Expanded reviews of these three brews are in Beer Index.

www.atwoodstavern.com

ZEPPELIN HALL

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JERSEY CITY’S ZEPPELIN HALL STANDS TALL

Fabulousness is nothing new to Zeppelin Hall proprietor, John Argento. The former owner of New York City’s premier ‘80s nightclub, Danceteria, now runs the Garden State’s largest German biergarten. Including its three-room interior, the 26,000 square foot public house truly does dwarf any competition in both expanse and draught selection.

“Danceteria was more interested in being fabulous than rich,” Argento says as we sit in his loft office. “We were always working on a budget and four weeks from bankruptcy. We were drawn into getting our name on Page 6 (of the Daily News) than buying Jersey Shore houses. You learn to be lean and mean and that’s how I run Zeppelin Hall.”

Taking its aerostat name from rigid airship inventor, Count Von Zeppelin, this luxuriously detailed ground floor space in Jersey City’s newly developed Liberty View was a raw shell of a building when local developer Peter Mocco recruited his pal Argento to take charge. They had already turned Jersey City’s Sand Bar into a successful restaurant lounge in the ‘90s – before Argento went to culinary school and got ‘headhunted’ to be General Manager of Queens-based Bohemian Hall.

Though Bohemian Hall offered good business, high income and low expenses, Argento claims the place looked like a 1970’s basement with drab wood panel. However, he enjoyed its ethnic diversity and interesting mix of business professionals and young artists.

“A poorly managed Czech Society owned Bohemian Hall, New York’s oldest biergarten,” Argento explains. “But it was crowded seven days a week. Lunchtime would gather 800 people. Peter came over unexpectedly one Saturday afternoon. There was a line down the block. Realizing nightclubs only made money from 10 to 2 in the morning twice a week, I knew the biergarten concept was being underutilized. People of all shapes, sizes and color sharing a common economic level came to enjoy sausages and beer on a beautiful day. Nightclubs segregated their population to narrow bins.”

Since Czech pilsners and lagers lack stylistic diversity, Argento wanted to open a Pan-European bar that took in Belgian beers, German wheats, British bitters and American micros as well. An astounding 144 taps were installed. He expected 400 people on a Thursday night soft opening in June ’09, but instead got 1,200 during a rainstorm. Some complained the first few nights because getting a beer from the understaffed bartending crew was difficult. Thereafter, an expanded staff was hired to cater as many as 2,000 varied customers at any given time.

“People thought I was crazy opening a mammoth space in the middle of nowhere – Jersey City’s ass end wasteland before revitalization. But it became a destination location,” he concedes. “You can’t survive as a local neighborhood bar here. But people will come to a big place with a wide beer selection because it’s a Happening.”

Unlimited free parking, path train access, and easy waterway transport afford Zeppelin Hall plenty of traffic. Upon entering, the Pub Room offers homey warmth with its stone fireplace (with overhead projection screen), multiple cafeteria-styled wood tables, and ample J-shape bar.

The middle room has a small stage area and a template of a German castle and Bavarian village sidling the open kitchen (serving pretzels, schnitzels, bratwurst, kielbasa). Filigreed iron doors lead to The Ratskeller, a 9-tabled 12-tap banquet spread with a beautiful nighttime view of Manhattan from the tall glass windows.

Then, there’s the festive biergarten featuring a tile walking plaza, 48 outdoor taps, London plane trees, and German-styled gravel ground. Backing up to the rail line, this colossal 12,000 square foot courtyard proves no stone has been left unturned.

“At age 50, I knew I had to get out of Danceteria’s trendy edge, beating my head against the wall appealing to only 5% of the people who went out nightly,” he asserts. “I’d send a booking agent twice a week to Manchester, England to book popular British bands, bringing the Smiths over and becoming the first to play Bananarama, Sade and Soft Cell. Billy Idol debuted “White Wedding” there. After culinary school, I tried to do something that’d appeal to the other 95%.”

During my inaugural November trip, hotshot beer mavens such as Hunterdon Distributors’ Dan Masterson, Flying Dog owner Jim Caruso and Victory Brewery sales rep Steve Gates stop by to enjoy a pop. There are some post-collegiate types, several white-collar businessmen, a few lab technicians and two moms with three kids on hand.

“There’s a German word, gemutlichkeit, which means a sense of well being or coziness amongst friends,” Argento elucidates. “That’s what we engender here. We encourage people to talk – a lost art amongst singles bars where people dress to the nines. It’s very low pressure. I don’t need any drama at this point of my life.”

So check out the capacious beer hall with the weirdly rock and roll-styled name that’s clearly connected to Jersey’s Hindenberg disaster or dare to miss out on one of the most unique drinking experiences you’ll ever encounter.

EDISON ALE HOUSE

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Edison Ale House Completed.jpeg

NEWARK’S EXQUISITELY DESIGNED EDISON ALE HOUSE ROCKS REVITALIZED DOWNTOWN

Residing across Newark’s sports and entertainment capital, the Prudential Center, in a formerly abandoned broken-down warehouse, the wholly exquisite EDISON ALE HOUSE has taken the downtown area by storm (but closed down a few years hence).

Due to Hurricane Irene, Edison Ale House had a ‘soft opening’ (instead of grand opening) on August 26th, but local politicians, businessmen, and families quickly regaled this seamlessly designed metropolitan hotspot. Part of Mayor Cory Booker’s citywide renovation, this ‘traditionally minded contemporary hybrid restaurant-sportsbar’ maintains a first-rate steakhouse feel.

Tucked inside Edison Place’s one-way street, the eloquently detailed 5,000 square foot space borders the equally charming Loft 47 cocktail bar and Brick City Grill, newfangled upscale eateries worthy of the multifarious clientele representing this ethnically diverse Gateway City neighborhood.

“It’s all about the execution. We want the menu to be the top-to-bottom best. We want the best sandwiches. We don’t want mediocrity. Everything’s made from scratch,” hands-on co-owner, Eddie Becker revels. “You could taste the difference. We don’t have to broadcast how good our burgers are.”

The red-bricked, black-tinted windowed, amber-lettered exterior may seem unassuming, but the gaslight-lined walkway leads to a soft earth-toned interior, with its sublime mahogany furnishings and ample 71-foot bar (Newark’s largest) chiefly specialized by Queens-raised visionary, Becker. Its resplendent copper-tinned ceiling radiates off the porcelain-tiled wood-styled main floor and wood-pitted copper-inlayed raindrop-like bar top. Down the hall from a semi-private dining area are two sterling tile-floored bathrooms featuring vintage granite-topped copper sinks that utilize a classic upside well-watered stream.

Better yet, the modular bar system allows instant access to plumbing and electricity just by pulling off the panels. Moreover, the stainless-steeled, silicon-sealed layout protects against odorous water damage to the broad-ranging bar. No stone has been left unturned.

As we down a few blueberry-pied, phenol-spiced, Graham Cracker-backed Blue Point Blueberry Ales, Becker takes me downstairs to the basement level storage area. Large new American Panel walk-in aging boxes store meats, vegetables, and kegged beers. Becker stresses the importance of fresh ingredients every step of the way. There’s even a few oil recycling bins providing “cheap money” to keep Green. But the true challenge for a new restaurant is to keep the food original, exciting, and consistent.

“Americans accept average food too much. We want to blow people away. When Dinosaur Barbecue rib joint comes in next year, that will test our resolve,” Becker says.

As we head back upstairs, I grab a seat at the bar and get ready for one of the best full course meals imaginable. A leather-branded menu with Thomas Edison gaslight insignia provides tonight’s offerings. After taking a sip from my floral-daubed, topical-fruited, bitter-hopped Flying Fish Hopfish India Pale Ale (prominently glazed by illuminating cantaloupe, melon, pineapple, peach and apricot tones), the sensational appetizers arrive.

The fulsome pretzel sticks awaken the tastebuds when dipped into the champagne mustard vinaigrette or aged cheddar sauce alternatives. Crisply crunched Bavarian Black & Tan Onion Rings, dipped in Yeungling beer, benefit greatly from superb clover-honeyed sesame seeding, setting up the best-selling Fillet Mignon Bites topped with garlic presimien, freshly melted mozzarella and homemade steak sauce.

The main course, Country Chicken, jumps off the dish with a juicily moist mouthfeel deepened by the underlying mashed potatoes and string bean/ asparagus-laden tomato sauce. Too full to try my sweet dessert follow-up, I got home this rainy eve to share the zestful strawberry-pureed, black chocolate-covered, cheesecake lollipop with my wife.

Though Becker claims it took eight months to setup the beautiful mahogany-walled mural behind the bar and there were minor delays for the prepping and permits, Edison Ale House would make the referential Thomas Edison proud.

“We set a goal to open on time and then did so,” well-mannered General Manager Tom Blume offers. “People are creatures of habit. They don’t want to drive somewhere if they could walk to a place they enjoy. There’s a comfort zone. They could get in and out quickly. A large part of our business will be lunch and happy hour. There’s a feel good fit. You could have a beer and unwind. When Disney On Ice comes through, the warm earth tones will have an inviting feel for kids. Despite 60% bar and lounge area, families with young children will feel at home on the other side of the glass partition.”

On top of everything else, at the rear is a stone-facade brick oven for reasonably priced New York-styled pizza, perfectly affordable for cash-strapped parents stuck with ridiculously high energy, insurance, and tax bills. For those in a rush, there are twelve seats at this backend hearth.

While Blume was groomed for his supervising position at Providence-based Johnson & Wales Culinary Art School, head chef John Manzo ran a family-owned Italian restaurant in Union. And the courteous staff they’ve assembled will please clientele.

Craft beer enthusiasts will delight in Blume’s thoughtful tap selection, which includes Magic Hat #9, Long Trail Ale, Blue Moon Belgian Witbier, Tommyknockers Maple Nut Brown Ale and top-shelf product from Victory, Brooklyn, Sam Adams, and Southampton. His well-selected single-batch bourbons, specialty martinis, signature cocktails, plus red and white wines will whet the whistle of any liquor-loving devotee.

Students from nearby Rutgers-Newark University, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Seton Hall Law School have already sojourned to this highly recommended regularly. But perhaps the biggest crowds still await, as the hockey season is about to begin and the New Jersey Devils clearly will have a shot at the Stanley Cup.

“When the Devils and Rangers rivalry heats up, we’ll raise the music louder,” Blume concludes. “Besides, we’ve already, in the space of a couple weeks, got clientele coming back for more because it’s enjoyable.”

What was once a nasty beat-up eyesore I previously mocked (when hometown Ramsey High School won the state hockey tournament two years hence at the Prudential), has turned into a sufficiently sustained backyard alley across from one of America’s finest arena-sized venues. There’s no doubt Newark’s on the upswing. And Edison Ale House tops the list of places to dine and wine when perusing Jersey’s largest metropolis.