Kim G.
Yelp
While several older established brew pubs have closed due to the ever increasing competition of new restaurants, food halls and food truck parks (see in memorandum link below) there is still a burst of new breweries establishing a foothold with great beer, of course, and a modern, homemade spin on what is now considered "Pub food."
Gone are the days of just burgers and chicken wings. Yes, you can still get them, but that burger may have caramelized onions and a freshly griddled bun and the chicken will be fried, served on a toasted bun Nashville style, meaning hot! Fries are Malt Vinegar, and if fries aren't your thing (I don't want to know you), then you can order fried pickles. Even the pizza has a fresh take, served "Detroit" style, a square shaped pie cut into four smaller squares. My family is from Italy and we call this Sicilian pizza; either way, its damn good.
That's a sampling of the food menu at Ex Novo Brewing, which now has locations in NE Portland, Beaverton and even New Mexico. They have several beers on tap. Disappointingly, no hard cider on tap, just three types of Reverend Nat in a can, served with a glass.
Love the modern-industrial meets rustic vibe of the interior. The bar is a slab of a tree, wood is polished, edges are left natural. Beautiful. From the bar you see right into the brewery gleaming with the stainless steel vats. Floors are wood, tables are wood, chairs are wood and metal - point being, there is nothing to soften the noise so it is loud. I like to think of it as bustling! If you prefer your ambiance a little quieter, ask to sit upstairs. There are also a few picnic tables out front.
Was there last night with a group of about 15 and everyone had a great time. We sat at one of the long, very narrow, bar height tables. It really works for conversation because you are all on top of each other so can engage with everyone, unlike traditional tables where you really can only chat with the friends directly next to you. Not sure if this was intentional, but its a good strategy.
Our group had:
- Mac& cheese, raves! Large portion, lots of ooey goodness. f
- Fried chicken sandwich Nashville style, high marks
- Brewburger, just ok. Meat patty super small
- Barley salad - fresh, colorful, lots of chew from the barley!
- Wedge salad - great, lots of chew since it was also stuffed with barley
- Fried pickles, a hit if you like some crunch with your dill.
- A few orders of the beer nuts which were very sweet so if you are not into sweet, but prefer salty, skip the nuts.
In Memorandum, Brew Pubs we said goodbye to 2018-2019
https://www.wweek.com/culture/2019/04/04/in-memoriam-the-breweries-we-said-goodbye-to-in-2018-2019/