Chattanooga, TN - Terminal Brewhouse

The Terminal Brewhouse all lit up at night. 

If you're looking for a place to go in Chattanooga for quality craft beer, a lively crowd and a tasty meal, look no further than the The Terminal Brewhouse . It's located on the south side of the city, across from the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo train station now transformed into an elegant hotel.  If you go on a Saturday night, just be prepared for a wait, since this place is popular. We arrived early hoping to beat the crowd, but no such luck. Even at 5 pm, we had to wait. Fortunately, two seats at the bar opened up before a table, so we grabbed them and had a prime spot to observe the ambiance. The bar service was excellent and it was only a minute or two before a flight of all their craft beer appeared before us. 

A beautiful flight of Terminal craft beer.

The beer tasted as good as it looked. It was hard to choose a favorite from the Belgian Wit, the Maibock, India Pale Ale, Stout, Copper and Nut Brown Ale. They were all well crafted and each had something a little special. 

The list of The Terminal's craft beers. 

The food was a notch above most brew pubs. You can get everything from pot roast nachos, bison burgers to five cheese pizza topped with mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, provolone and feta. My husband and I choose to share the salmon cakes drizzled with a jalepeno, cilantro, onion and bbq aioli. We could pick two sides, and we chose the fresh green beans and squash casserole which were especially tasty.

  

The food paired well with all the beer. 

By the time we left it was dark outside, the crowd had grown, and the wait was a little longer.  I smiled and told the folks waiting to stick it out.  The Terminal was well worth it. 

Chattanooga, TN - Big River Grille and Brewing Works

The welcoming exterior of Big River Grille and Brewing Works

During a quick getaway to Chattanooga, Tennessee, my husband and I discovered two blog-worthy brew pubs, and an amazing chocolatier. Since our planned afternoon activities included a trip to the famous aquarium, we decided to stop for lunch at a nearby brew pub, the Big River Grille and Brewing Works .  Because of its location, I was a little worried that it might be big on tourist appeal, and short on quality beer.  Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Obviously popular with tourists, the place was filled, but the service was excellent, the food was tasty and their craft beer – very drinkable. 

The taps at Big River.

The beer is brewed on premise and we ordered a flight of six of their standard brews and one seasonal.  Their handcrafted lagers and ales included a light lager, Vienna lager, pilsner, IPA, American brown ale and very smooth stout.  The seasonal ale was Irish red.  I liked all their offerings, especially the Sweet Magnolia American Brown Ale and the Iron Horse Stout.  Their beers are of the easy drinking variety.  Not too complex, not too bitter, very smooth, very enjoyable.

Big River handcrafted beer and ale. 

The menu features regional cuisine and offered a variety of choices, from light appetizers to full entrees. We ordered the lobster and shrimp tacos to share.  They were tasty enough and took care of our hunger for the afternoon.  Our server was very friendly and attentive, even with the bustling crowd.  If we didn’t have a busy afternoon planned we could have easily stayed and enjoyed another pint of two.  I might have even liked to play a game of pool on one of the tables in the back room.  Fun place, good beer, great service! There is a lot to like at Big River Grille. 

Dahlonega, GA - Montaluce Winery

Montaluce Wine

For the last few years I've heard quite a buzz about the new wineries sprouting up in the mountains of North Georgia.  Last month I decided it was time that I go check one or two out.  On a gorgeous fall Sunday, my husband Bruce and I rolled down the top of my Mustang and took the one and half hour drive to Dahlonega, a quaint historic gold-rush town that has become the heart of Georgia wine country.  After doing some online research I decided our first visit will be to Montaluce Winery. 

The beautiful entrance to the Montaluce Winery. 

The experience was delightful.  The tasting room and restaurant were esthetically beautiful, the views were lovely, and the wine tasting was very enjoyable. On that Sunday afternoon, Montaluce was comfortably filled with wine lovers mingling in the tasting room, on the back veranda, and in La Vigne, their popular restaurant.  Since we’d been sitting for several hours on the drive up and decided to stand at the tasting bar and enjoy our wine there.  You can select five wines to sample for $16. There are 10 choices total (not including their reserve selections) and between the two of us, we had it covered.

Some very tasty wines at Montaluce

After sampling them all we definitely had our favorites.  One of the whites that we enjoyed most was the Primaluce, a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and the Pinot Gris, made from grapes grown on the estate. The other, my favorite white, was the Viognier, produced from Oregon grown grapes.  Our favorite overall wine was a glorious red, aptly named Super Georgian, a remarkable blend of Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, created from estate grown grapes.  We were not the only fans, as we noticed numerous people ordering bottles to take home with them.

The aesthetic Montaluce tasting room. 

After tasting our wine we wandered around to take a few photos and found the back veranda an especially pleasant place to hang out.  They had a couple of guitar players strumming some easily accessible music, perfect to complement the wine tasting experience.

Enjoying wine and music on the back veranda.

Montaluce has only been producing wine for five years and can already be proud of their product.  The buzz is correct.  North Georgia wine is pretty darn good.  I’ll be back to taste more soon.

The view from the back patio. 

Hull, Massachusetts - The Sea Dog Brewpub

A portrait of the Sea Dog. 

My husband and I picked the perfect sunny September Sunday to visit his cousin and her husband in the seaside town of Hull, Massachusetts. After exploring the town and taking a long walk on the beach, we were ready for a frosty beer. So we made our way to their local tavern, the Sea Dog Brew Pub. 

Located on the third floor, the Sea Dog offers amazing views of the bay.

Located on the upper floor of a three story building, we found a table on the back deck and took in the panoramic views of the bay.  What a gorgeous setting to enjoy a nice cold beer!

The view from the Sea Dog deck.

Technically the Sea Dog in Hull is not a brew pub.  All the beer is produced at their sister establishment in Maine.  We started with a few appetizers, standard pub fare – nachos, fried calamari and coconut shrimp – all well enough prepared.  They feature eight of their own brews and two guest beers on tap.  It was a warm day and I was tempted to try their blueberry wheat.  When I saw they had Shipyard pumpkin ale as a guest selection, I had to try it.  It came in an iced glass with a sugar cinnamon rim.  So delicious! 

My husband chose the Old Gollywobbler Brown, a rich malty ale with only a hint of hops. It was quite enjoyable.  Since his cousin and her husband are regulars, they are members of the Mug Club and their beers arrived in large blue ceramic mugs, a few ounces larger than the standard pint. One of the perks of being a member of the club! Other choices included a blonde ale, a pale ale, a porter and a stout.  The IPA selection was also from Shipyard.

The Sea Dog bar features eight of their drafts and two guest selections.

There were plenty of folks there enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon, gazing out at the sailboats and sipping a beer or two.  The service was excellent. The beer was tasty. The company was great.The ambiance was
welcoming and the entire experience was fun.  

A gallery of patron's sea dogs. 

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!