Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.
Next to myself and music, my husband Andy’s favorite things in the world are yummy pizza and tasty brews. So when the kind staff at the Grove Park Inn referred us to Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. during a recent visit to the area, I’m pretty sure Andy thought he was in heaven. Read More »
I think I’ve said before that Germans take beer seriously. Well, if that’s true, then I think it’s fair to say Bavarians treat beer with a reverence that is second only to religion. (And honestly, for many, you’d think that God isn’t even a close second). But this is a serious boon for beer lovers traveling in this region. As you wander around, there are tons of great little brewery guest houses where you can try the local varieties of beer paired with some incredible traditional food.
And certainly the Sperber Bräu in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany has a wide variety of fantastic (and award winning) brews to choose from. But when I happened upon the the speisenkarte, I found a real treat. The menu had all manner of the usual knödeln, schnitzel, and wurst to go with my half-liter. But they also had a three-course Biermenü that featured dishes made with their own brews for a fixed price of under 15 Euro. Read More »
The peppered bacon cheddar burger with fries at the Steelhead Brewing Company in Burlingame.
There are only a handful of destination restaurants in Burlingame. Steelhead Brewing Company is one of them.
My boyfriend David and I met up with his best buddy Joe at the Steelhead Brewing Company because we were in the mood for some beer and some meat. It was a Friday night, so we were mentally preparing ourselves for a hefty wait and were surprised when we got a table right away. It was all about timing, because you will most likely have to wait for a table on a Friday or Saturday night.
I ordered the grilled chicken breast sandwich, which was served on a whole wheat bun with a slightly spiced honey mustard sauce and crispy fries. I paired it with Steelhead’s Hairy Weasel Hefeweizen, which — let’s be honest — is just fun to order. “Yeah, I’ll have the Hairy Weasel” [snickering]. The beer was light and served with lemon. It was perfection with the grilled chicken breast. The fries were yummy. I inhaled all of my fries and most of David’s.
My brother Eric really enjoyed his burger at Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery and Restaurant.
My little brother is getting married.
Married! God, I feel so old.
As a little pre-wedding celebration, my sister Michelle and I decided to take Eric out to dinner; a little Mansfield sibling bachelor party. Eric is not a fancy guy. He would not be comfortable at a chic restaurant with overpriced and over-sauced food in San Francisco. He’s a real red meat and potatoes guy, while his sisters are more grilled chicken breast and roast garlic potatoes girls. So, we decided to party Mansfield-style at the Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery and Restaurant in Walnut Creek.
Exploring Suomenlinna is like stepping back in time. This small island off the coast of Helsinki, Finland is home to the city’s famous Sveaborg sea fortress. And Suomenlinna is also home to Panimo, a great brewery restaurant that serves fantastic food and even better local-brewed beer.
After walking around the island for a few hours, we had worked up quite a hunger. And, yes, a thirst, too. A little overcome by sun, I opted for the popular UpCider Pear Cider over ice – a Finnish staple – to cool off. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – the drink looked a bit more like lemonade than an adult beverage – but the cool, crisp taste of the pear was the perfect antidote to a morning of heavy walking.
My husband, however, opted for a few of Panimo’s brews. He started with the Coyet Ale, a nice, smooth almost-British-like ale. He said it hit the spot but he was curious about some of the other brews. He then chose the Hoepken Pils to have with his meal.
Which then leads me to talk about the food, which was incredible. You won’t find your typical pub fare here. In fact, my son was a bit miffed that he his travel-constant, french fries, was not on the menu. My husband ordered an incredible tomato risotto topped off with fresh shish-ke-bobbed veggies. I might have tried some except he ate it so fast – usually a very good sign.
As for me, I ordered the chicken breast with tagliatelle in a lime cream sauce. Again, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but the sauce was incredible. The slightly tart cream was really the perfect complement to the grilled chicken. I could have eaten another plateful and still wanted more.
Panimo is located next to the main quay on the island. There are plenty of other cafes and restaurants on the archipelago to tempt you but I suggest getting your exploring in and then visiting the brewery before you take the ferry back to Helsinki proper. After a gorgeous day on the island, a good meal and, of course, some fantastic beverages, you’ll begin to wonder if Suomenlinna isn’t heaven on Earth. I sure did.
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Suomenlinnan Panimo Brewery Restaurant
Rantakasarmi
00190 Helsinki
Finland
Tel: 228 5030
Not Yet Tipsy Pig
What can I say about this place? The name is hilarious and the scene is lively! A somewhat new watering hole and pub in the Marina that is drawing big crowds, especially after work, is The Tipsy Pig.
Like other gastropubs, The Tipsy Pig gets very busy quickly once it opens. We had friends tell us how they got off work and waited at a bar down the street until The Tipsy Pig opened because the scene, and food was that good. Don’t worry, our friends work in the finance business so they get out after market close about 3:00 Pacific, The Tipsy Pig opens a normal 5:00. Read More »
California Wine Merchant in SF
After work this is one of my favorite places to meet my husband or a friend for a drink and snacks. The California Wine Merchant is in the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco. They have wine tastings all the time and they sell bottles in their retail shop. They are a real wine bar that has been around for years, not a restaurant with a wine list.
All of the staff are very knowledgeable about the wines they pour as well as the bottles that they sell. You can rely on their ability to answer all of your questions – I don’t know anything about wine but I always learn something new when we stop in here. It is enjoyable to come here, relax with a glass of wine and sometimes find a great gift for my more wine-savvy friends and family. Read More »
A few years ago, I sat in an Atlanta airport bar awaiting the flight that would take me to my new life in Germany. As I sipped my beer, I started speaking to the man next to me. He just so happened to be on my flight — but whereas I was going to start a new life abroad, he was a retired Army Sergeant returning to the Vaterland on his honeymoon. He had been stationed there nearly 20 years earlier and wanted to share the what he considered to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world with his new wife.
When I asked him the place he most wanted to show his bride, he did not hesitate in his answer: the Kreuzberg Kloster Brauerei.
Urban Tavern in SF
Urban Tavern is a gastropub next door to the Hilton Hotel in San Francisco, California. A gastropub is a British term that has been described as the Anglo-equivalent of the French brasserie, like Midi or the Japanese izakaya, like Nihon, all are essentially breweries or bars that serve food.
Urban Tavern opened its doors last year and has been bringing people in from the hotel next door along with locals shopping downtown or with tickets to a theater performance nearby.
I met a girlfriend there recently before an afternoon performance at A.C.T. American Conservatory Theater. Good lunch spots downtown in Union Square are difficult to find if you don’t want a slice of pizza or a very expensive salad. Read More »
Shabby Chic Interior
This was a last minute dinner decision that turned out to be just perfect. My husband and I were in Calistoga for an overnight mid-week respite.
Being iPhone users, like many other Uptake travelers, we used the free OpenTable app to quickly (seriously, it had to be really fast because I was starving!) find a dinner place within walking distance and reasonably priced.
The Calistoga Inn Restaurant and Brewery turned out to be a perfect choice. We had been to the pub next door on previous trips to Calistoga but had never been to the restaurant. During the hot summer months the restaurant is usually very busy with lots of people opting for outdoor tables.
We arrived early and they gave a cozy and intimate table off to the side, away from the other two occupied tables. The decor is very rustic French countryside meets Shabby Chic with lots of ceramic platters along the wall, distressed farm tables and starched dish cloths hanging near the ceiling.
They serve you immediately a bowl of soft and crusty rosemary bread which we gobbled up. We both then had yummy salads with lots of greens and mine had a nice dry-aged Sonoma cheese sliced into it. Deelish.
Fresh Salads
With Easter here, I chose their lamb shank with mashed potatoes and braised greens. It was savory and very delicious. My husband had their country paella that they offered mild or spicy, he went for the heat and was in heaven.
Spicy Paella
Our Wednesday dinner had a relaxing mid-week local vibe to it, very casual and probably more quiet than the weekends. A very nice evening and a great way to end the day – and our overnight getaway – in this relaxing hot springs town.
1250 Lincoln Ave
Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-4101
Photos taken by Sharon’s iPhone.
© UpTake Networks, Inc. 2009
