Okracoke Island, Outer Banks, NC - Howard's Pub

Howard's Pub is the hot spot on Okracoke Island.

When planning our first trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, we decided to visit Okracoke, an island accessible only be ferry, boat or plane.  Spending a few days with only bikes as transportation sounded like fun.  In addition to the spectacular national seashore, award winning restaurants and an array of eclectic shops, it was a delightful surprise to find Howard’s Pub, a lively bar and restaurant that featured over 20 regional craft beers on tap.  Howard’s has been around for a while and is a popular gathering spot for locals and visitors alike.  On the summer weekend when we were visiting it was packed from opening time at 11 am until well after dinner hours.  It is conveniently located en route to the beach, with plenty of parking for bikes and cars alike.

Howard's bar is a busy place. 

Howard’s is an expansive, boisterous, family friendly establishment, with a full bar, in addition to their extensive beer menu. The decor is essentially made up of clever license plates from around the country and a variety of college pennants and memorabilia. The food is good and most folks seemed to opt for the fried seafood or burgers.   We chose conch fritters for appetizer and the grilled fresh catch of the day which was one of the favorite fish dinners that we had while on the island.  That’s saying a lot, since there are some truly noteworthy eating establishments on Okracoke.

A quiet Monday afternoon at Howard's.  Not the usual weekend crowds. 

The craft beer selection featured a number of North Carolina microbreweries in addition to popular favorites including Bells, Dogfishhead, Abita and the ubiquitous Guinness.  After a hot day at the beach, Mother Earth Wit, a favorite from the eastern North Carolina microbrewery, really hit the spot.  I’m sure it’s difficult to transport all those beer kegs to the island, and the price reflects this with domestic at $5.25 and most craft drafts two dollars more.  I decided to keep my consumption to one pint per visit, and to enjoy every sip.

A couple of frosty summer ales on a hot August day!

If a trip to the Outer Banks (OBX) is in your future.  Be sure to check out the pristine beaches of Okracoke Island and then be sure to drink a brew or two at Howard’s Pub.

Wilmington, NC - The Front Street Brewery

The popular Front Street Brewery and Restaurant

All these years we’ve lived in the Southern US, we never visited Wilmington, NC.  After pulling into town on our way to the North Carolina Outer Banks last week, I had to ask myself why?  What a charming a vibrant city! My husband Bruce, and I stayed in the historic downtown neighborhood near the Cape Fear River waterfront, and upon the recommendation of several friends, made our way to the Front Street Brewery.  At 4 pm on a Thursday, the brew pub, located in a beautiful historic downtown building, was packed.  The half-priced appetizers (available until 6 pm) and 10 microbrews kept folks coming in all evening.  

The bartenders stay very busy at the pub. 

We sat at the bar and decided to try all of their offerings.  Two samplers of five brews each, and a pint of the quite amazing barrel aged Eccentric Nobility, did the trick.  Unfortunately, the IPA was tapped out, but I was impressed with the overall quality of the brewing, and a few selections really stood out.  It was August and it was hot and the Coastal Kolsch was crisp, clean tasting and flavorful.  It did the trick as a thirst quencher.  The El Hefe Hefeweisen was also a good choice to help with the heat.  The fruity Raspberry Wheat was fun, and the Amberjack ESB, is a respectable British style brew.  I did favor the Eccentric Nobility for the depth and character created by the oak aging process, and was glad we ordered a full pint.

Such pretty colors!

On our second visit to Front Street we sampled the food with our brews, and I ordered a fried green tomato BLT that did not disappoint.  The pub grub on the menu is varied and good.  Bruce chose an entrée, the coriander seared tuna, and he finished it all and left with a smile on his face.  And why not?  Good food, excellent service, plenty of tasty beer… what’s not to like?  Even the prices were very fair, and if you choose the daily beer and food specials, you can leave with your wallet mostly intact.  Yes, I understand why the Front Street Brewery is so popular, and if you’re in their neighborhood I definitely recommend you stop by. 

Royal's Stadium - Kansas City, MO

What better place to spend the 4^th of July holiday than a baseball game!  Last year we went to a minor league game in Asheville, NC. (See review, July 2012)  This year, it seemed timely to visit the Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium, home of the 2012 All Star Game. Our friends, Teresa and Ralph, share our love of good beer and baseball, so we embarked on this adventure together.

Hometown Boulevard Brewing Company is the beer of choice in KC. 

Kauffman Stadium is a knock-out, highlighted with dancing fountains and waterfalls, but I was on a mission to search out the craft beer sold at the ball park. We walked around the entire stadium and found that the beer selections were dominated by the local BoulevardBrewery.  Fortunately, that’s not a bad thing.

There were six choices!

Between the four of us, we chose three of the six drafts available, the wheat, the pale ale and the IPA.  I personally liked the IPA the best, very crisp and refreshing for a warm summer night.  The price is a little daunting at $9.75 a glass, so we kept our consumption down.  It tasted great and sure beat the usual ball park options. 

What's better than craft beer and baseball?

In addition to the Boulevard, I did find a Goose Island IPA on tap, and a booth that sold a variety of bottled craft beer.  They also offered Guinness and Smithwick’s drafts scattered throughout the stadium.

A colorful fireworks display caps off the night. 

The game was mostly a pitcher’s duel, with an exciting 9^th inning rally, that unfortunately fell short for the local fans.  But even in defeat, the orderly crowd stuck around for a great fireworks display.  Hard to beat the fun of an Independence Day weekend that includes baseball, craft beer, great friends...and fireworks!

Athens, GA Pub Crawl - Treppenhaus, Walker's and Pauley's

My husband Bruce, had reconstructive foot and ankle surgery in February. Too many years of hard core running finally took it's toll. It kind of put a damper on our traveling plans, hence the lack of blog posts. Now he’s up on his feet again, and although not ready for any extensive trips, we did make it downtown for an Athens' pub crawl.  May is a perfect month for bar hopping, with warm weather, long evenings, no big crowds, but just enough people around to keep things a little lively.

The mini-beer garden, aka sidewalk patio, at Treppenhaus.

We started our Happy Hour adventure at Treppenhaus, a German style brewpub, featuring a variety of European draft beer and domestic craft favorites.  Although there is no beer garden, the patio is lively and the pub opens up to let the outdoors in.  We sat at an indoor table near the entrance and had a great view of the sidewalk passerby's and even enjoyed a fresh breeze. Bruce ordered a Warsteiner Dunkel and I stuck with one of my all time faves, Bell's Oberon The pints are only $3 until 9 pm on weekdays  That explained the healthy crowd.

  

Coffee by day and beer by night at Walker's. 

Our next stop was Walkers Pub and Coffee House.  What makes Walker’s unique is its dual personality,  a coffee house by day and a pub in the evening.  It’s a popular spot for students to study and then let loose a little after hours.  The relaxed atmosphere is perfect for a pint or two.  Their menu included Finch’s Fascist Pig and Allagash Tripel, two beers we had not tried before, and we spent a relaxing hour at Walker’s sipping a couple of winners.  

Pauley's outdoor tables, a great place to see and be seen. 

Our third stop is Pauley’s, a very popular bar and crepe restaurant featuring 150 draft craft and bottled beers that rotate regularly.  If you become a fan and want to be included in their wall of fame, all you have to do is try 100 different beers.  The Around the World Beer Club keeps growing, but there still is plenty of wall space left.  So if you’re up for the challenge, go for it. 

Here is one proud member of the Around the World Beer Club. 

Time to head home.  Okay, it was a really lightweight Pub Crawl, but remember, Bruce’s foot is still not fully healed, and after our walk around town, it needed to rest.  No worries, we’ve already got our next Athens Pub Crawl planned.  Stay tuned for three more of America’s quintessential college town’s best!

For two additional Athens  beer venues check out the reviews of the Globe and Trappeze. 

Bend, OR - Crux Fermentation Project

The stylistic sign welcomes beer loving patrons at night. 

Just when you think the beer scene in Bend, Oregon can't get any better, it does! During our winter visit we discovered a new exciting craft beer venue.  Crux Fermentation Project opened last June, but we didn’t get a chance to check it out until our visit this winter.  Now I’m sure it will be one of the first stops we make during our summer visit.

The door was open on this mild winter afternoon. 

Crux takes pride in producing small batches of beer with creative and complex tastes, and I’m happy to report they hit their mark...and then some.  It’s fun to find a new venue that is not just riding the super hopped band wagon foregoing all other beer styles.

The brew pub is busy during happy hour. 

The interior of Crux is not all that unusual.  They converted an old transmission shop and mill supply store into a brewery and pub with an industrial feel.   Patrons sit on heavy wood tables or at a long bar in view of the large gleaming vats of brewing beer. Lots of windows and the ubiquitous sliding garage doors surround the tasting room.  A good sized crowd was there the night I visited with my family.  We were in the mood to enjoy some full bodied beer and tasty food, and we were not disappointed.

Darcy likes the Nitro Stout the best!

We ordered two tasters and tried 12 of the 15 beers.  They also offered a draft cider. I don’t think there was one beer that we didn’t enjoy.  Our taste preferences vary and each of us was happy.  My husband goes for German style malt-driven beer.  Our daughter prefers a dark stout, and I’m all about a nice hop finish.  The Marzen, Nitro Stout and Imperial Triskel fit the bill. Original flavors and depth of character categorize their selection.  It’s clear that an experienced beer master created these brews. We ordered some tasty pub grub - sandwiches, wraps and salads - to accompany our beer.  It was one fun beer drinking experience! 

I’m told they open a beer garden in warmer weather and they are building a dog park in the back.  You can be assured we’ll be back to Crux this summer, not too long after we pull into town.

Arlington, VA - Rustico

On my recent trip to the Washington, DC area, I spent a few nights with my sister and brother-in-law in Arlington, VA.  They wanted to take me to Rustico, a recent discovery, with a remarkable draft beer list.  I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed when we got there and I saw the inscription on their front window: “Farm Driven Cooking, Hearth Fired Pizzas, Way Too Many Beers”.

Could you resist?

Rusico has stylistic décor, an eclectic menu and yes, plenty of beer choices.  I was thrilled that they classify their 40 plus draft crafts in interesting categories including Crisp, Hop, Malt, Cask, Roast, and Fruit & Spice.  It made it easier to choose an interesting selection of tasters.  Both my sister and I chose four tasters each allowing us to sample 8 beers that night.  My brother-in-law did not sway from his favorite style of beer, and chose a Schloss Eggenberg Naturtrub lager.  What fun beer! They were all distinctively different and enjoyable.  The only exception was the Heavy Seas Below Decks, a Cabernet barrel-aged ale that I think could have remained below deck.  The Goose Island Matilda and the Founders Dirty Bastard were my two faves of the night.  

Such pretty beer!

As I said the menu is eclectic, and that is for sure.  They featured some of my brother-in-laws favorite food in unusual preparations including deep fried deviled eggs and crispy stuffed dates.  He also ordered the special of the night, the pork schnitzel.  My sister and I got adventurous and shared one of the hearth fired pizzas with pumpkin, rock shrimp, caramelized onions and pecorino cheese toppings.  The crust was excellent although although the combination of toppings a bit unusual, it was still enjoyable and an excellent choice with the beer.

Memorable food at Rusico.

Since the reservation was not made well in advance, only the 5:45 pm time slot was available.  Within a half hour after our arrival every table was filled with happy diners, and the festive environment and excellent service added to our enjoyment.  Our trip to Rustico was a fun and I recommend you check it out if you’re ever in the neighborhood. 

Washington DC - St Arnold's Mussel Bar

Like most American cities, Washington DC is exploding with new and exciting beer venues.  When your visit is only for a long weekend, it’s difficult to choose where to go.  Fortunately, on my recent trip, I had some locals help out, and I came upon two blog worthy establishments that offered great beer and tasty food in a fun-filled environment. 

One of two St. Arnold's locations in the district. 

St. Arnold's Mussel Bar is a lively place located on a side street near Dupont Circle. On the night we visited, the dark, atmospheric, boisterous bar/restaurant was filled with mostly young professionals enjoying a drink and a bite after work.  Fortunately, we had a reservation and a table was waiting for our party of four, including my close friend Debby, her daughter and future son-in-law. 

Although there are other items on the menu, when you go to a mussels bar, I recommend you order the mussels.  There are twenty different choices, everything from classic mussels with white wine, or the more adventurous chipolte, curry or even blue cheese and bacon. They all come with frites, delicious Belgian style fries, and are served traditionally in cast iron pots. Although not quite as tasty as the mussels we had in Belgium, these were pretty darn close.

If you love Belgium style beer, this is your place. 

The draft beer selection featured mostly Belgian and German style ales, and since I’m a big fan, I was very happy.  The challenge was which one to select?  I decided on the Hofbrau Dunkel, a German Dark Lager.  Others had the Hofbrau Original and the Ommegang Witte, a Belgian style white made in Cooperstown, NY.   St. Arnold's also serves wine and cocktails, but great beer pairs so well with mussels, why choose anything else?  

Toasting the happy couple!

If you’re looking for a fun place to enjoy Belgian style beer, tasty mussels and an environment filled with  lively movers and shakers, then St. Arnold's is worth the trip.