David S.
Yelp
We have come here twice in the past couple on months, both times after seeing "Barbie" at the Cerrito Theater that is just next door.
On both occasions, Brian was working by himself, but he was in the zone and his hustle was fast but friendly. Despite the open space and hard surfaces, the background noise was not oppressive to conversation as in so many other pub-style eateries. For that, my wife and I are deeply grateful as we don't enjoy having to shout at each other in order to be heard, and especially when we're sitting so close.
The Scotch Ale, which was the strongest item on tap, proved to be a superb choice. It's very dark brown color belied the softness of the flavor. It seemed as if it might hit you the way that a stout does, with that storm-laden wall of chocolate and bitters. While there was initial cloudburst of darkness, the shadow quickly passed and gave way to a golden glow, much like the sun coming out to clear the air and make the droplets in the meadow sparkle.
I have a tendency to wax rhapsodic when it comes to great beer, but hey, it's great beer! I think that deserves a sonnet or two!
We split two starters, the Fried Brussel Sprouts and the Onion Rings. Both were excellent. The Fried Brussel Sprouts were blackened just enough for that smoky flavor, but not so much to make that the only flavor. The Onion rings, as before, were crunchy outside and soft inside, and not shiny with oil at all. They also came with small cups of BBQ sauce and ketchup for dipping.
We didn't want to risk a second round of the Scotch Ale even though we were walking home, but as we didn't get entrees, Brian was deftly able to steer us toward the Dessert menu, and that turned out to be a welcome detour. The Italian Lemon Cream Cake, OMG. A perfect dessert for us! Not cloyingly sweet, tart but mellow lemon flavor, and the cake was very light while also feeling substantial. We usually don't have room for dessert, so this a delightful diversion!
The attached picture shows the Summer Salad, Fried Brussel Sprouts and Onion Rings that we ordered on our last visit about a month ago!
One last thing, as Brian was getting the Italian Lemon Cream Cake for us, he passed by the table and took my empty glass, I assumed to the kitchen for washing. But, he brought it back to me and had poured a little more of the Scotch Ale into it so that my wife and I could still have some as we dove into our dessert. A simple but deeply appreciated gesture that will never be forgotten!
Thank you SO much, Brian! We will be back, and we will spread the word in the meantime!