We breezed back into town yesterday afternoon, to be greeted by another piece in the Bank Street Brewhouse puzzle, as reported in the New Albany Tribune:
The board awarded a bid to Knight Concrete to build sidewalks and curbs in small sections along Bank Street — near the Bank Street Brewhouse — and State Street — near the old Speakeasy and home of Wick’s Pizza. The cost for both jobs is $16,177.
Thanks to City Hall and the Board of Works for making this possible. It will have the effect of cleaning up the area in front, by the garage doors, which was last repaired some fifty years ago, and allowing us to have seating for dining by the street.
There'll be more to come as I sort through notes and photos of the holiday in England and Denmark.
Showing posts with label downtown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label downtown. Show all posts
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
River City Winery now sampling in downtown New Albany.
Yesterday was the monthly "First Tuesday" mixer, co-hosted by Develop New Albany and the River City Winery. The photo above was taken by Ted Fulmore, and to view more, click here. I was busy dodging paparazzi determined to catch me in the act of drinking something other than beer, which turned out to be a dryish Cabernet/Merlot blend.
The River City Winery is located on Pearl Street, just a block away from the Bank Street Brewhouse. I call that "synergy."
The building renovation is nothing short of amazing, and the winery crew was busy bottling and applying labels downstairs as the event took place at ground level. I gleaned that there will be limited evening hours for wine tastings only beginning immediately, with food to follow later this summer (late July or August).
River City Winery website
Saturday, October 25, 2008
New Albany's Speakeasy will close after a final bash on Wednesday, October 29.
The news came Friday that New Albany's Speakeasy restaurant and jazz venue is closing its doors. The final going-away party is Wednesday, October 29.
At NAC: Final "Big Band Dance and Concert" next Wednesday at Speakeasy ... then, lights out.
Post-mortems will include references to the state of the economy, but it really wasn't that simple. Throughout its roughly 15-month run, the Speakeasy was acclaimed for physical ambience and the unique nature of the jazz and dancing concept. Unfortunately, consistency in service, food and drink proved elusive, and the learning curve was slow.
Anyone who has ever worked in the "hospitality" business knows how maddening it can be to translate a great concept into a functional entity on a day-to-day basis. It's never exactly the way you'd like it to be, even after (in my case) 16 years hashing it out. The bottom line revolves around your ability to make customers feel good about paying you for the service, and to make them feel good enough that they'll come back and repeat the process. It's glib, but its true. The marketplace is unforgiving in the best of times, and when money's tighter, the work becomes harder. Speakeasy never really mastered that equation, and speaking only for myself, I wish there'd have been a way for me to be of more assistance to the owners. The plan was great, and the execution wasn't.
What happens now? It has long been rumored that Louisville-area operators have an interest in the location, and the building's owner is committed to doing what he must to fill the space even if it takes time to find the right tenant. It seems unlikely to me that the name and concept will live on, but perhaps we'll all be pleasantly surprised.
It's true that the economy is far from ideal, and yet prospective occupants of the Speakeasy site should note that it lies only half a block from the new YMCA, which will be opening in mid-November, and is expected to attract several thousand members a week to downtown New Albany.
I feel bad for the Tharps. I know that the Speakeasy was their dream, and they're in a rough place now. They tried their best, and things didn't work out, but you have to give them credit for the effort.
At the same time, we must be thinking of what comes next. Prospects for downtown New Albany remain bright. It's all a matter of finding the right combination.
At NAC: Open thread: Speakeasy will close on Wednesday, October 29.
At NAC: Final "Big Band Dance and Concert" next Wednesday at Speakeasy ... then, lights out.
Post-mortems will include references to the state of the economy, but it really wasn't that simple. Throughout its roughly 15-month run, the Speakeasy was acclaimed for physical ambience and the unique nature of the jazz and dancing concept. Unfortunately, consistency in service, food and drink proved elusive, and the learning curve was slow.
Anyone who has ever worked in the "hospitality" business knows how maddening it can be to translate a great concept into a functional entity on a day-to-day basis. It's never exactly the way you'd like it to be, even after (in my case) 16 years hashing it out. The bottom line revolves around your ability to make customers feel good about paying you for the service, and to make them feel good enough that they'll come back and repeat the process. It's glib, but its true. The marketplace is unforgiving in the best of times, and when money's tighter, the work becomes harder. Speakeasy never really mastered that equation, and speaking only for myself, I wish there'd have been a way for me to be of more assistance to the owners. The plan was great, and the execution wasn't.
What happens now? It has long been rumored that Louisville-area operators have an interest in the location, and the building's owner is committed to doing what he must to fill the space even if it takes time to find the right tenant. It seems unlikely to me that the name and concept will live on, but perhaps we'll all be pleasantly surprised.
It's true that the economy is far from ideal, and yet prospective occupants of the Speakeasy site should note that it lies only half a block from the new YMCA, which will be opening in mid-November, and is expected to attract several thousand members a week to downtown New Albany.
I feel bad for the Tharps. I know that the Speakeasy was their dream, and they're in a rough place now. They tried their best, and things didn't work out, but you have to give them credit for the effort.
At the same time, we must be thinking of what comes next. Prospects for downtown New Albany remain bright. It's all a matter of finding the right combination.
At NAC: Open thread: Speakeasy will close on Wednesday, October 29.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
New Albany's Windsor Restaurant and Garden adding full service bar with draft craft brews.
The Windsor Restaurant and Garden shares ownership with the Grand Convention Center, and the two establishments are located adjacent to each other on Market Street in downtown New Albany.
In fact, the Windsor occupies the spot on the corner of Market and Bank where the Bistro New Albany held court until October, 2007, and following a slow and steady start-up during the summer of 2008, the Windsor looks to be hitting its stride.
Chef Justin McMillen has been on board for a few months now, and while I haven’t had time to sample the dinner menu (sorry), I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. The patio’s as nice as it ever was, and the interior is about to undergo a major conceptual makeover, which is even more exciting to me because the retrofit is to include a full service bar and the restoration of the former Bistro’s ten-tap draft system.
That's excellent news.
John Campbell and I spent time earlier this week with Isaac Fox, server and bar manager extraordinaire, who did time with the Bistro and later gravitated down the street to Speakeasy before alighting at the Windsor.
Isaac told us that the plan is to have the space known locally as the “place where the music shop was” (it now has relocated a block west) renovated and a bar installed. There’ll be comfy furniture, a couple of flat screen televisions, and with a full 3-way liquor license, the full gamut of beer, wine and cocktails.
Draft beer highlights are to include two NABC beers, rotating taps for Samuel Adams seasonals and Indiana microbrews, Bell’s, Goose Island, Newcastle, Dogfish Head 90 Minute, and a couple of others that have slipped my mind since. The bottle list will begin short and grow.
The whole thing is supposed to hit the ground by Harvest Homecoming on the 9th of October. Look for beer dinners and tastings later this fall and winter. It’s great to have another venue for craft beer downtown!
In fact, the Windsor occupies the spot on the corner of Market and Bank where the Bistro New Albany held court until October, 2007, and following a slow and steady start-up during the summer of 2008, the Windsor looks to be hitting its stride.
Chef Justin McMillen has been on board for a few months now, and while I haven’t had time to sample the dinner menu (sorry), I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. The patio’s as nice as it ever was, and the interior is about to undergo a major conceptual makeover, which is even more exciting to me because the retrofit is to include a full service bar and the restoration of the former Bistro’s ten-tap draft system.
That's excellent news.
John Campbell and I spent time earlier this week with Isaac Fox, server and bar manager extraordinaire, who did time with the Bistro and later gravitated down the street to Speakeasy before alighting at the Windsor.
Isaac told us that the plan is to have the space known locally as the “place where the music shop was” (it now has relocated a block west) renovated and a bar installed. There’ll be comfy furniture, a couple of flat screen televisions, and with a full 3-way liquor license, the full gamut of beer, wine and cocktails.
Draft beer highlights are to include two NABC beers, rotating taps for Samuel Adams seasonals and Indiana microbrews, Bell’s, Goose Island, Newcastle, Dogfish Head 90 Minute, and a couple of others that have slipped my mind since. The bottle list will begin short and grow.
The whole thing is supposed to hit the ground by Harvest Homecoming on the 9th of October. Look for beer dinners and tastings later this fall and winter. It’s great to have another venue for craft beer downtown!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Mark your calendars: NABC's Fringe Fest to provide downtown counterpoint to Harvest Homecoming, Oct. 9-11.
As the New Albanian Brewing Company continues to work toward the opening of its second location at 415 Bank Street in downtown New Albany (open winter ‘08/’09), we’re planning outdoor fun to coincide with the city’s annual Harvest Homecoming celebration: NABC’s Fringe Fest 2008: Harvest Culture on the Skids, showcasing craft beer, food, music, art and film from Thursday, October 9 through Saturday, October 11.
The goal of this first annual Fringe Fest is to create a cultural counterpoint to Harvest Homecoming and provide unique music, interesting exhibits, captivating films, and – most importantly – good beer. Fringe Fest embraces everything creative and original, and welcomes anything outside of the social “norm”.
This year’s line-up includes the Louisville Film Society, the Derby City Roller Girls, and solo performers and bands from Indianapolis, Louisville, and New Albany. Other attractions being planned are a weekend-long art exhibit in the future Bank Street Brewhouse taproom, a beer bus shuttle from Louisville, Beer 101 class with publican Roger A. Baylor, a beer and cheese tasting with Capriole Farms, and a tattoo exhibit.
(John Campbell wrote the preceding; I edited)
The goal of this first annual Fringe Fest is to create a cultural counterpoint to Harvest Homecoming and provide unique music, interesting exhibits, captivating films, and – most importantly – good beer. Fringe Fest embraces everything creative and original, and welcomes anything outside of the social “norm”.
This year’s line-up includes the Louisville Film Society, the Derby City Roller Girls, and solo performers and bands from Indianapolis, Louisville, and New Albany. Other attractions being planned are a weekend-long art exhibit in the future Bank Street Brewhouse taproom, a beer bus shuttle from Louisville, Beer 101 class with publican Roger A. Baylor, a beer and cheese tasting with Capriole Farms, and a tattoo exhibit.
(John Campbell wrote the preceding; I edited)
Friday, September 05, 2008
Carnegie Center fundraiser tonight, and NABC will be there.
Tonight at 6:30 p.m. is the annual "Taste for Art & History" fundraiser at the Carnegie Center for Art & History, located at 201 E. Spring Street in downtown New Albany. The bill of fare includes wines from all over the place, craft beers from NABC and World Class Beverages, gourmet snacks and a wide-ranging silent auction. Interested? The price is $55 for members and $60 for non-members, and you can call (812) 944-7336 or visit www.carnegiecenter.org for information.
Because NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse eventually will be doing business right across the street, I put together a fact sheet for distribution this evening.
---
Craft brewing returns to downtown New Albany for the first time since 1935 when NABC opens its Bank Street Brewhouse later this year. This second NABC location will be located at 415 Bank Street downtown, adjacent to the Carnegie Center for Art and History. Work to renovate the former Bakery Thrift Store is ongoing.
NABC’s goals:
To be leaders in the craft beer segment and the community, not followers.
To be progressive, not regressive.
To challenge and to educate, not to pander.
The New Albanian Brewing Company is:
Sportstime Pizza (founded 1987)
Rich O’s Public House (founded 1992)
NABC (started brewing in 2002)
The new Bank Street Brewhouse at 415 Bank Street will function as NABC’s larger-capacity production brewery, with a 15-barrel mash and kettle and 30-barrel fermentation capacity, with fabrication by industry leader DME. Primary NABC brands like Elector, Community Dark, Hoptimus, Bob’s Old 15-B, Mt. Lee, Beak’s Best, Kaiser and Thunderfoot will be brewed, conditioned, kegged and canned for regional distribution. It will also be possible for consumers to buy kegs and carry-out growlers.
NABC’s existing brewery on the North Side at 3312 Plaza Drive will remain in operation, with small batches, seasonals and specialties being brewed there. NABC’s existing pizzeria and pub, which has garnered nationwide recognition for excellence, will function as it always has.
Why expand to downtown New Albany?
12% craft beer growth rates nationally in each of the past two years
Local and regional potential for distribution of NABC brands in kegs and cans (both environmentally friendly modes of packaging)
Rapid expansion of the “eat and drink locally” movement
The craft beer demographic mirrors that of the “creative class” and “New Urbanism”, all of which combine for downtown transformation
What else besides brewing at the new operation?
NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse will feature a taproom, with NABC’s beers on tap, and a limited Belgian-style café food menu prepared by a professional chef. NABC wearables, glassware and souvenirs will be sold on site.
What does it all mean?
The Bank Street Brewhouse will be phased into operation, with the taproom opening first in the 4th quarter of 2008 (target: November), and the brewery to be installed during the fall and winter (target: January). Beer will be ready for distribution in the 1st quarter of 2009, and the existing NABC brewery will supply the tap room and selected outside accounts until then.
Significantly, the NABC Bank Street Brewhouse represents an expansion of an established, existing business from a suburb back into a reviving downtown, and as such, NABC firmly believes there is a future both for the brewery’s “progressive pints” and for the cause of progressivism itself in city of New Albany… and Floyd County, metro Louisville and the surrounding region.
Unsurprisingly, the craft brewing revolution has prospered by emphasizing beer’s artisanal, localized roots, and in like fashion New Urbanism urges the progressive reuse of cities. For NABC to return brewing to a downtown, urban setting is to complete the circle initiated by New Albany’s beer-loving founders two centuries ago.
Roger A. Baylor, NABC Beer Director
(For my business partners Amy and Kate, our brew staff and all other employees, and both the New Albanian Brewing Co., Inc., and New Albanian Bank Street Brewery, Inc.)
Questions? Call me at 502-468-9710
Because NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse eventually will be doing business right across the street, I put together a fact sheet for distribution this evening.
---
Craft brewing returns to downtown New Albany for the first time since 1935 when NABC opens its Bank Street Brewhouse later this year. This second NABC location will be located at 415 Bank Street downtown, adjacent to the Carnegie Center for Art and History. Work to renovate the former Bakery Thrift Store is ongoing.
NABC’s goals:
To be leaders in the craft beer segment and the community, not followers.
To be progressive, not regressive.
To challenge and to educate, not to pander.
The New Albanian Brewing Company is:
Sportstime Pizza (founded 1987)
Rich O’s Public House (founded 1992)
NABC (started brewing in 2002)
The new Bank Street Brewhouse at 415 Bank Street will function as NABC’s larger-capacity production brewery, with a 15-barrel mash and kettle and 30-barrel fermentation capacity, with fabrication by industry leader DME. Primary NABC brands like Elector, Community Dark, Hoptimus, Bob’s Old 15-B, Mt. Lee, Beak’s Best, Kaiser and Thunderfoot will be brewed, conditioned, kegged and canned for regional distribution. It will also be possible for consumers to buy kegs and carry-out growlers.
NABC’s existing brewery on the North Side at 3312 Plaza Drive will remain in operation, with small batches, seasonals and specialties being brewed there. NABC’s existing pizzeria and pub, which has garnered nationwide recognition for excellence, will function as it always has.
Why expand to downtown New Albany?
12% craft beer growth rates nationally in each of the past two years
Local and regional potential for distribution of NABC brands in kegs and cans (both environmentally friendly modes of packaging)
Rapid expansion of the “eat and drink locally” movement
The craft beer demographic mirrors that of the “creative class” and “New Urbanism”, all of which combine for downtown transformation
What else besides brewing at the new operation?
NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse will feature a taproom, with NABC’s beers on tap, and a limited Belgian-style café food menu prepared by a professional chef. NABC wearables, glassware and souvenirs will be sold on site.
What does it all mean?
The Bank Street Brewhouse will be phased into operation, with the taproom opening first in the 4th quarter of 2008 (target: November), and the brewery to be installed during the fall and winter (target: January). Beer will be ready for distribution in the 1st quarter of 2009, and the existing NABC brewery will supply the tap room and selected outside accounts until then.
Significantly, the NABC Bank Street Brewhouse represents an expansion of an established, existing business from a suburb back into a reviving downtown, and as such, NABC firmly believes there is a future both for the brewery’s “progressive pints” and for the cause of progressivism itself in city of New Albany… and Floyd County, metro Louisville and the surrounding region.
Unsurprisingly, the craft brewing revolution has prospered by emphasizing beer’s artisanal, localized roots, and in like fashion New Urbanism urges the progressive reuse of cities. For NABC to return brewing to a downtown, urban setting is to complete the circle initiated by New Albany’s beer-loving founders two centuries ago.
Roger A. Baylor, NABC Beer Director
(For my business partners Amy and Kate, our brew staff and all other employees, and both the New Albanian Brewing Co., Inc., and New Albanian Bank Street Brewery, Inc.)
Questions? Call me at 502-468-9710
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
River City Winery coming to downtown New Albany.
Regular readers know that we're in the process of building a new production brewery and taproom in downtown New Albany. There'll be more on that project later in the week, primarily because much has been accomplished during the past two days to facilitate our goals, but until I have the time to write about NABC Bank Street Brewhouse, your attention is directed to Pearl Street.
Roughly one hundred yards away from the future brewery lies the forthcoming River City Winery. Gary's task has been larger than NABC's, because in addition to the winemaking and food service start-up costs, he and his wife have taken on the responsibility of restoring an historic building for the winery's use in addition to accommodating tenants upstairs.
Lately I've been drinking more wine. Not less beer, mind you, but opting for glasses of wine here and there rather than a brew. As an illustration of how depth of knowledge in one area does not necessarily imply a corresponding understanding in another, the local/regional winery bug hadn't bitten me until the past year following visits to Huber (Starlight IN) and Thomas Family Winery (Madison IN), the former being a place I'd dismissed years ago after drinking a sweet wine, and the latter known to me primarily for Steve's brilliant hard cider.
I've been mistaken, and I'm looking forward to River City Winery in helping me to learn more about local winemaking. Proximity should benefit us both ... and help improve the prospects for downtown revitalization.
Roughly one hundred yards away from the future brewery lies the forthcoming River City Winery. Gary's task has been larger than NABC's, because in addition to the winemaking and food service start-up costs, he and his wife have taken on the responsibility of restoring an historic building for the winery's use in addition to accommodating tenants upstairs.
Lately I've been drinking more wine. Not less beer, mind you, but opting for glasses of wine here and there rather than a brew. As an illustration of how depth of knowledge in one area does not necessarily imply a corresponding understanding in another, the local/regional winery bug hadn't bitten me until the past year following visits to Huber (Starlight IN) and Thomas Family Winery (Madison IN), the former being a place I'd dismissed years ago after drinking a sweet wine, and the latter known to me primarily for Steve's brilliant hard cider.
I've been mistaken, and I'm looking forward to River City Winery in helping me to learn more about local winemaking. Proximity should benefit us both ... and help improve the prospects for downtown revitalization.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
The history of NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse building revealed.
My first foray into the history of the future NABC Bank Street Brewhouse building at 415 Bank Street in New Albany yields the following information. In short, the current building on Bank Street came about as an annex/extension of a bakery business located just behind it on Pearl. All years below are approximate. The bakery company that absorbed Grocers in 1959 is variously referred to as "Rainbo" and "Rainbow."
1919
Model Baking Co. is incorporated and baking begins shortly thereafter at 414 Pearl Street, directly across the alley from 415 Bank Street.
1938
Model's "Super Bakery" is slated for 414 Pearl Street. Source materials aren't clear whether this involved renovation or new construction.
1940
Model Baking Co. becomes Grocers Baking Co., "The Home of Honey Crust Bread."
1949-1950
Grocers Baking Co. acquires house at 413/415 Bank Street, tears it down and builds current building soon to be used by NABC to brew beer. The building becomes the bakery's service area and garage for route trucks.
1955-1956
Remaining houses on each side of the bakery's Bank Street garage disappear and become parking lots. The south parking lot originally was used by Cora Jacobs Realty and Union Bank, and now is owned by attorney Rick Fox. The north parking lot was for the bakery/garage. Interestingly, the building brought down to provide the future NABC parking lot housed the New Albany chapter of the Women's Christian Temperance Union for more than thirty years, and perhaps longer (hardbound street directories went back to 1922, and I ran out of time to go to microfiche).
During the same time span (20's - 40's), the house that now belongs to Ricke & Associates boarded students from a local Bible college.
1959-1960
Grocers Baking ceases to exist and becomes Rainbo. How this was transacted isn't clear.
1964
Longtime bakery manager Hobart W. Fox, who worked for both Model and Grocers, dies at his home on Gary Drive ... the same street where founding NABC brewer Michael Borchers now lives.
1970
Rainbo ceases baking in the old Model/Grocers site on Pearl Street.
1975
The Floyd County Museum gets an Indiana Arts Commission grant to paint a "supergraphic" on a downtown New Albany building. The south wall of the former bakery garage is chosen, and Larry Dalhover, a New Albany artist and dance instructor, wins a competition sponsored by the museum. Dalhover's design is painted in one day by a St. Marks UCC youth group.*
1980
For the sake of "modernization," Rainbow installs vinyl siding and a faux façade on the Bank Street side of what they have started referring to as a "thrift" store, otherwise known to many as "the day old bread store."
1985
A Tribune photo shows a newly created vacant lot at 414 Pearl Street and exults: "Downtown keeps improving … The old Rainbow Bakery building on Pearl Street has now been demolished … others will be torn down back to the city parking lot."
2006
Rainbo closes the thrift store, and the building goes up for sale.
2008-2009
NABC brings the brewing revolution to downtown New Albany.
---
* Information from the February, 1975 edition of Louisville magazine, (pg. 75; "They Were Wall-Eyed!") The unknown author provides grist for the debate over how to identify a resident of New Albany with this line (italics added): "The next morning New Albanians heading downtown to work and shop did a genuine double take." Has anyone found an earlier reference to New Albanian?
1919
Model Baking Co. is incorporated and baking begins shortly thereafter at 414 Pearl Street, directly across the alley from 415 Bank Street.
1938
Model's "Super Bakery" is slated for 414 Pearl Street. Source materials aren't clear whether this involved renovation or new construction.
1940
Model Baking Co. becomes Grocers Baking Co., "The Home of Honey Crust Bread."
1949-1950
Grocers Baking Co. acquires house at 413/415 Bank Street, tears it down and builds current building soon to be used by NABC to brew beer. The building becomes the bakery's service area and garage for route trucks.
1955-1956
Remaining houses on each side of the bakery's Bank Street garage disappear and become parking lots. The south parking lot originally was used by Cora Jacobs Realty and Union Bank, and now is owned by attorney Rick Fox. The north parking lot was for the bakery/garage. Interestingly, the building brought down to provide the future NABC parking lot housed the New Albany chapter of the Women's Christian Temperance Union for more than thirty years, and perhaps longer (hardbound street directories went back to 1922, and I ran out of time to go to microfiche).
During the same time span (20's - 40's), the house that now belongs to Ricke & Associates boarded students from a local Bible college.
1959-1960
Grocers Baking ceases to exist and becomes Rainbo. How this was transacted isn't clear.
1964
Longtime bakery manager Hobart W. Fox, who worked for both Model and Grocers, dies at his home on Gary Drive ... the same street where founding NABC brewer Michael Borchers now lives.
1970
Rainbo ceases baking in the old Model/Grocers site on Pearl Street.
1975
The Floyd County Museum gets an Indiana Arts Commission grant to paint a "supergraphic" on a downtown New Albany building. The south wall of the former bakery garage is chosen, and Larry Dalhover, a New Albany artist and dance instructor, wins a competition sponsored by the museum. Dalhover's design is painted in one day by a St. Marks UCC youth group.*
1980
For the sake of "modernization," Rainbow installs vinyl siding and a faux façade on the Bank Street side of what they have started referring to as a "thrift" store, otherwise known to many as "the day old bread store."
1985
A Tribune photo shows a newly created vacant lot at 414 Pearl Street and exults: "Downtown keeps improving … The old Rainbow Bakery building on Pearl Street has now been demolished … others will be torn down back to the city parking lot."
2006
Rainbo closes the thrift store, and the building goes up for sale.
2008-2009
NABC brings the brewing revolution to downtown New Albany.
---
* Information from the February, 1975 edition of Louisville magazine, (pg. 75; "They Were Wall-Eyed!") The unknown author provides grist for the debate over how to identify a resident of New Albany with this line (italics added): "The next morning New Albanians heading downtown to work and shop did a genuine double take." Has anyone found an earlier reference to New Albanian?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Publican's rant: Restaurant operators, know thy market!
My wife is a vegetarian by philosophical principle, and she cannot consume dairy products owing to lactose intolerance. Consequently, she reckons herself a vegan, but one who’ll still eat eggs and the occasional fish.
Meanwhile, I’m an omnivore, and a meat and cheese lover of long standing who has learned that it is both easy and tasty to prepare suitable meals at home that satisfy both of us. It’s simply amazing how little effort it takes to adapt recipes and menus so as to accommodate vegetarians and vegans.
We live in New Albany, a city that is placing a great deal of revitalization hope in its steadily expanding downtown dining and entertainment zone. At the same time, ours is a city apparently inhabited by a gene pool that by all rights should be the topic of a major university’s study into the thinking habits of natives never exposed to thinking. The absence of empathy here is a startling and disturbing feature of daily life.
Not that we aren't used to it by now. When the time comes to eat out at restaurants, it takes little in the way of forethought for us to conclude that places like steakhouses might not be the best bet for vegetarian fare. Accordingly, we seldom dine together at such places. I simply eat my meat at other times.
Apart from the sort of traditional places that we know to avoid, it remains that in today’s diverse and multicultural world, it’s hard to imagine any eatery seeking status as “up-market” or “upscale” or just plain “in tune with society” not having a slight notion of purpose-made vegetarian/vegan options, ones that exceed the incredibly tired cop-out of “just put a few of our vegetable side dishes together and make a meal.” That’s the sort of thing you’d expect from the VFW or Elks lodge kitchen some time during the Ford administration.
In fairness, I’m aware that the friendlier (and more professional) of chefs will often prepare something to suit upon request – where have you gone, Dave Clancy? – but why place this onus on the customer at a time when all aspects of the dining scene point to greater choice?
Granted, a typical restaurant can’t be all things to all people, and yet if you’re already doing pasta and have olive oil close by, a good veggie stir fry is only moments away. Why not keep the comparatively few ingredients required to make such a stir-fry from scratch, prep the presentation, and list it as an everyday option right there on the menu? Why discomfit an increasingly growing segment of the population by constructing bills of fare still built almost exclusively around meat?
Haven’t we gotten past chicken fried steak as the star menu dish? For heavens sake, even today’s truck stops do better than that – and they don’t pretend to be anything other than what they are.
The reason why this is starting to annoy me so greatly is because it reminds me far too much of what I’ve gone through for so long in my life as a beer lover, and particularly, of the typical tavern owner’s clueless, and perhaps even gutless, refusal to cater even slightly to that segment of the population wishing to drink something other than a mass-market swill.
Because: Not only is ignorance of a constantly changing marketplace an insult to customers who’ve already done their homework and know what they want, it’s also damaging to the bottom line. Vegetarians and vegans want to spend their money just like anyone else, and they are sadly accustomed to accepting less than their due – eating wretched iceberg lettuce salads stripped of all things “chef” and making do with French fries (and not thinking about how the fries were prepared).
Why not accommodate these potentially loyal customers up front, rather than force them to ask for something special … especially when the scant knowledge required to pro-actively anticipate such conditions is something we have a right to expect from operators who’ve been around long enough to know better, and who remind us of their vast experience at every turn?
The preceding rant stems directly from an experience with a recently minted restaurant located in New Albany, as well as with the situation at another local establishment, where a special musical event included a meal, and the options for the meal were two choices of meat, but nothing vegetarian or vegan – and, where apparently no one present ever considered that such a question might arise. I simply find it inexcusable that the former restaurant bills itself as “upscale,” but doesn’t have a single vegetarian/vegan menu item on the menu except hummus – which wasn’t in stock when I visited.
In the latter case, it required a great deal of effort on my part, as well as the welcomed assistance of a veteran waiter (you know who you are, and thanks) who went well beyond the norm, both in advance and on the day of the show, to ensure that Diana would be able to dine at what, in the end, was a rather expensive event.
Why is enlightenment so elusive in this benighted locale?
Here's a promise. We don't plan on having an extensive menu at the NABC Bank Street Brewhouse, but there'll be more than one thing there on a daily basis for vegetarians and vegans. These will be there, on the menu card, available for ordering without feeling self-conscious asking for them. I predict that whatever these items turn out to be, there'll be a demand, because I already know the demand is there.
So there.
Meanwhile, I’m an omnivore, and a meat and cheese lover of long standing who has learned that it is both easy and tasty to prepare suitable meals at home that satisfy both of us. It’s simply amazing how little effort it takes to adapt recipes and menus so as to accommodate vegetarians and vegans.
We live in New Albany, a city that is placing a great deal of revitalization hope in its steadily expanding downtown dining and entertainment zone. At the same time, ours is a city apparently inhabited by a gene pool that by all rights should be the topic of a major university’s study into the thinking habits of natives never exposed to thinking. The absence of empathy here is a startling and disturbing feature of daily life.
Not that we aren't used to it by now. When the time comes to eat out at restaurants, it takes little in the way of forethought for us to conclude that places like steakhouses might not be the best bet for vegetarian fare. Accordingly, we seldom dine together at such places. I simply eat my meat at other times.
Apart from the sort of traditional places that we know to avoid, it remains that in today’s diverse and multicultural world, it’s hard to imagine any eatery seeking status as “up-market” or “upscale” or just plain “in tune with society” not having a slight notion of purpose-made vegetarian/vegan options, ones that exceed the incredibly tired cop-out of “just put a few of our vegetable side dishes together and make a meal.” That’s the sort of thing you’d expect from the VFW or Elks lodge kitchen some time during the Ford administration.
In fairness, I’m aware that the friendlier (and more professional) of chefs will often prepare something to suit upon request – where have you gone, Dave Clancy? – but why place this onus on the customer at a time when all aspects of the dining scene point to greater choice?
Granted, a typical restaurant can’t be all things to all people, and yet if you’re already doing pasta and have olive oil close by, a good veggie stir fry is only moments away. Why not keep the comparatively few ingredients required to make such a stir-fry from scratch, prep the presentation, and list it as an everyday option right there on the menu? Why discomfit an increasingly growing segment of the population by constructing bills of fare still built almost exclusively around meat?
Haven’t we gotten past chicken fried steak as the star menu dish? For heavens sake, even today’s truck stops do better than that – and they don’t pretend to be anything other than what they are.
The reason why this is starting to annoy me so greatly is because it reminds me far too much of what I’ve gone through for so long in my life as a beer lover, and particularly, of the typical tavern owner’s clueless, and perhaps even gutless, refusal to cater even slightly to that segment of the population wishing to drink something other than a mass-market swill.
Because: Not only is ignorance of a constantly changing marketplace an insult to customers who’ve already done their homework and know what they want, it’s also damaging to the bottom line. Vegetarians and vegans want to spend their money just like anyone else, and they are sadly accustomed to accepting less than their due – eating wretched iceberg lettuce salads stripped of all things “chef” and making do with French fries (and not thinking about how the fries were prepared).
Why not accommodate these potentially loyal customers up front, rather than force them to ask for something special … especially when the scant knowledge required to pro-actively anticipate such conditions is something we have a right to expect from operators who’ve been around long enough to know better, and who remind us of their vast experience at every turn?
The preceding rant stems directly from an experience with a recently minted restaurant located in New Albany, as well as with the situation at another local establishment, where a special musical event included a meal, and the options for the meal were two choices of meat, but nothing vegetarian or vegan – and, where apparently no one present ever considered that such a question might arise. I simply find it inexcusable that the former restaurant bills itself as “upscale,” but doesn’t have a single vegetarian/vegan menu item on the menu except hummus – which wasn’t in stock when I visited.
In the latter case, it required a great deal of effort on my part, as well as the welcomed assistance of a veteran waiter (you know who you are, and thanks) who went well beyond the norm, both in advance and on the day of the show, to ensure that Diana would be able to dine at what, in the end, was a rather expensive event.
Why is enlightenment so elusive in this benighted locale?
Here's a promise. We don't plan on having an extensive menu at the NABC Bank Street Brewhouse, but there'll be more than one thing there on a daily basis for vegetarians and vegans. These will be there, on the menu card, available for ordering without feeling self-conscious asking for them. I predict that whatever these items turn out to be, there'll be a demand, because I already know the demand is there.
So there.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Eating, drinking, and downtown New Albany's emerging new lineup of establishments.
Each year when baseball season commences, fans must survey ever-changing major league rosters to account for the winter’s trades and free agent signings.
In like fashion, the assemblage of downtown New Albany eateries and watering holes has undergone a near complete overhaul in recent months. Here are a few of the changes, bearing in mind that as usual, my primary emphasis is on those businesses aiming to have good beer as part of their presentation, and consequently are of greater interest to me personally. I know that some are being omitted, and welcome their inclusion via subsequent comments.
First, a quick shout-out to Speakeasy Jazz on State Street, which has survived both the Bistro New Albany and Connor’s Place, and should benefit from the unexpected closing of the Jazz Factory in Louisville. In some form, NABC beers usually are on tap at the Speakeasy.
Many readers have asked about the abrupt departure of Connor’s Place, formerly located at 207 East Main Street, and now in storage and on hiatus. It is a circuitous story that begins with owner Dave Himmel’s inability to reach a lease agreement with his landlords, continues through his oft-stated desire to open a fish and seafood restaurant downtown, and now has cleared its first hurdle with the opening of the aquatic project earlier this week. It is called the Market Street Fish House, and is located at 133 East Market, former home of the now defunct Treet’s Bakery Café.
Just across Market Street from the soon-to-open Fish House is an unused commercial building that will be remodeled to spec for Dave by its new owner, and in this space a revamped Connor’s Place hopefully will reopen by mid-summer. The remodeling is scheduled to begin during the week of April 21.
Got all that? Might as well rename that stretch of Market as "Himmel Way" and get it over with. When Connor's Place returns, NABC will have beer there. There will be bottled or canned beer only at the Market Street Fish House, necessarily precluding NABC's draft-only product.
You may be wondering what is to become of the Main Street quarters formerly occupied by Connor’s, and the answer comes from an NAC informant:
A new restaurant will be opening where Connor’s Place was, and they are planning on having ongoing artist showcases. It is going to be called “Studios” and the owner’s name is Trish Meyer.
There is no further information on the sort of eatery Studios will be, although early indications are something in the range of Bristol Bar & Grill. Trish, if you're reading ... let us know what's up. NABC hopes to be present when the time comes, and this may be early May.
Back around the corner in the building that most natives still call the New Albany Inn, The Windsor Restaurant & Garden is open for business at 148 East Market, which in Louisville-area parlance is “where the late, lamented Bistro New Albany used to be.” Business First recently offered a preview of the establishment, which is observing lunchtime hours at present and will expand into evening dining when it’s warm enough to use the famous courtyard. NABC has been contacted about beer for the Windsor, and we’re cautiously optimistic that there’ll be a good beer program there, though perhaps not to the scale of bNA’s great list.
Meanwhile … in the historic Baer building at 321 Pearl Street, work continues on the River City Winery. A couple hundred yards northeast as the crow flies is the spot at 415 Bank Street where NABC is continuing to plan its production brewery and taproom ... and don't ask me "when" this is going to happen unless you have a wheelbarrow full of money to invest.
Elsewhere, the Orchid Asian Cafe is located at 400 West Main, and is an intriguing addition to the downtown dining scene primarily because the menu includes Thai and Vietnamese offerings beyond the usual Chinese fare, and the décor is bright, modern and absent the kitsch generally associated with “Chinese” restaurants. It’s almost impossible to fathom that the venerable Kerstien’s tavern used to occupy the new home of the Orchid. No alcohol, but we’ve been impressed so far with the food.
What am I forgetting? Make a comment and let me know. By late summer or early fall, the downtown New Albany scene might be quite interesting, indeed.
In like fashion, the assemblage of downtown New Albany eateries and watering holes has undergone a near complete overhaul in recent months. Here are a few of the changes, bearing in mind that as usual, my primary emphasis is on those businesses aiming to have good beer as part of their presentation, and consequently are of greater interest to me personally. I know that some are being omitted, and welcome their inclusion via subsequent comments.
First, a quick shout-out to Speakeasy Jazz on State Street, which has survived both the Bistro New Albany and Connor’s Place, and should benefit from the unexpected closing of the Jazz Factory in Louisville. In some form, NABC beers usually are on tap at the Speakeasy.
Many readers have asked about the abrupt departure of Connor’s Place, formerly located at 207 East Main Street, and now in storage and on hiatus. It is a circuitous story that begins with owner Dave Himmel’s inability to reach a lease agreement with his landlords, continues through his oft-stated desire to open a fish and seafood restaurant downtown, and now has cleared its first hurdle with the opening of the aquatic project earlier this week. It is called the Market Street Fish House, and is located at 133 East Market, former home of the now defunct Treet’s Bakery Café.
Just across Market Street from the soon-to-open Fish House is an unused commercial building that will be remodeled to spec for Dave by its new owner, and in this space a revamped Connor’s Place hopefully will reopen by mid-summer. The remodeling is scheduled to begin during the week of April 21.
Got all that? Might as well rename that stretch of Market as "Himmel Way" and get it over with. When Connor's Place returns, NABC will have beer there. There will be bottled or canned beer only at the Market Street Fish House, necessarily precluding NABC's draft-only product.
You may be wondering what is to become of the Main Street quarters formerly occupied by Connor’s, and the answer comes from an NAC informant:
A new restaurant will be opening where Connor’s Place was, and they are planning on having ongoing artist showcases. It is going to be called “Studios” and the owner’s name is Trish Meyer.
There is no further information on the sort of eatery Studios will be, although early indications are something in the range of Bristol Bar & Grill. Trish, if you're reading ... let us know what's up. NABC hopes to be present when the time comes, and this may be early May.
Back around the corner in the building that most natives still call the New Albany Inn, The Windsor Restaurant & Garden is open for business at 148 East Market, which in Louisville-area parlance is “where the late, lamented Bistro New Albany used to be.” Business First recently offered a preview of the establishment, which is observing lunchtime hours at present and will expand into evening dining when it’s warm enough to use the famous courtyard. NABC has been contacted about beer for the Windsor, and we’re cautiously optimistic that there’ll be a good beer program there, though perhaps not to the scale of bNA’s great list.
Meanwhile … in the historic Baer building at 321 Pearl Street, work continues on the River City Winery. A couple hundred yards northeast as the crow flies is the spot at 415 Bank Street where NABC is continuing to plan its production brewery and taproom ... and don't ask me "when" this is going to happen unless you have a wheelbarrow full of money to invest.
Elsewhere, the Orchid Asian Cafe is located at 400 West Main, and is an intriguing addition to the downtown dining scene primarily because the menu includes Thai and Vietnamese offerings beyond the usual Chinese fare, and the décor is bright, modern and absent the kitsch generally associated with “Chinese” restaurants. It’s almost impossible to fathom that the venerable Kerstien’s tavern used to occupy the new home of the Orchid. No alcohol, but we’ve been impressed so far with the food.
What am I forgetting? Make a comment and let me know. By late summer or early fall, the downtown New Albany scene might be quite interesting, indeed.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Turn-Key restaurant opportunity in New Albany at the former Treet's.
The following announcement comes from Matt & Jessica Bergman, who have restored and reside in the historic commercial building at 315 E. Market. That's in downtown New Albany, across the street from the former Bistro New Albany and the Grand Convention Center.Most readers know that Matt's and Jessica's storefront was occupied by Treet's Bakery Cafe until a month or so ago. We continue to lament the passing of Treet's, but as Matt reveals, a good commercial opportunity has surfaced in its wake. It's worth noting that while there is no alcohol licensing of the floor plan, the building lies within the domain of the riverfront development area, and if the owners were willing, a permit would be easily obtained.
However, I persist in thinking that the best use for the space would be a coffee shop on the Heine Brothers model (don't ask them; I already have. While supportive, Gary and Mike are busy expanding in Louisville).
Note that the former Rainbow Bread building that NABC hopes to convert into a brewery and taproom (an expansion of our current operation, which will remain as it is) is only a block and a half away from Matt's and Jessica's building.
Help us by spreading the word, please.
---
I wanted to make you all aware that we recently lost one of our downtown businesses when Treet's Bakery Cafe closed at the end of January. Jessica and I are in search of a new tenant for our location at 135 East Market St. We would love to have another bakery & cafe type of place but are open to other options.
To secure a quick turn around, we have purchased all of the equipment and furniture in our building from the bank. This means we have a turn-key operation that is ready to open right away. The lease will be $1530 for over 2400 sq ft of restaurant space. We will also consider offers to purchase the equipment out right, creating an option to receive a lower monthly lease payment.
If you know of any businesses looking to expand or start a new business, please contact Mike Kopp 502-386-9022 to arrange a time to see our nicely restored space at 135 East Market St.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Operation Progressive Pint: Current progress.
It’s hardly a secret that we’ve been exploring options to expand the brewing side of the business. The existing pub, pizzeria and brewery have been going full tilt, and we’re running out of tricks to squeeze more people (and autos) into the available space.
Consequently, future growth will have to occur elsewhere, and I’m an advocate of a revitalizing downtown in New Albany. If any of this information comes as a surprise to you, consider reading a previous posting at the Curmudgeon’s blog:
"If Your Mother Says She Loves You, Check It Out."
Our strange internal company machinery is starting to clunk into something approximating a road gear, so I thought it might be time for an update.
There is a vacant building in downtown New Albany, and we’re about to begin serious negotiations with the owner pertaining to a remodel-to-spec, lease-to-own arrangement.
Roughly two-thirds of the 1960’s era industrial footprint would be home to a 15-barrel brewhouse (yet to be acquired) primarily intended to brew NABC brands for distribution off the premises. The remainder would be a taproom with a limited menu of snacks presumably modeled after the bill or fare at Belgian beer cafes.
We believe that it will be a difficult year for craft brewing given shortages in raw materials, but that this might actually enhance options if we’re in a position to be opportunistic with respect to equipment. In the meantime, the tap room could be up and running later this year with the beer we’re already brewing at the current home of NABC, where eventually the old brewhouse might become exclusively devoted to Belgians or another specific genre.
Yes, there’s much speculation and conjecture in all this, but progress is being made. The three owners are on board, along with the brewery team, and we’ve selected our friend John Campbell, late of BBC (Main & Clay), Schlafly and the Red geranium in New Harmony, to serve as de facto project manager. John is fond of telling people who ask that while the owners have a leisurely timetable, he expects to be up and running by Labor Day.
The business plan is being written, various action plans commenced, and the coming months -- not to mention the disposition of area bankers -- will tell the tale.
Consequently, future growth will have to occur elsewhere, and I’m an advocate of a revitalizing downtown in New Albany. If any of this information comes as a surprise to you, consider reading a previous posting at the Curmudgeon’s blog:
"If Your Mother Says She Loves You, Check It Out."
Our strange internal company machinery is starting to clunk into something approximating a road gear, so I thought it might be time for an update.
There is a vacant building in downtown New Albany, and we’re about to begin serious negotiations with the owner pertaining to a remodel-to-spec, lease-to-own arrangement.
Roughly two-thirds of the 1960’s era industrial footprint would be home to a 15-barrel brewhouse (yet to be acquired) primarily intended to brew NABC brands for distribution off the premises. The remainder would be a taproom with a limited menu of snacks presumably modeled after the bill or fare at Belgian beer cafes.
We believe that it will be a difficult year for craft brewing given shortages in raw materials, but that this might actually enhance options if we’re in a position to be opportunistic with respect to equipment. In the meantime, the tap room could be up and running later this year with the beer we’re already brewing at the current home of NABC, where eventually the old brewhouse might become exclusively devoted to Belgians or another specific genre.
Yes, there’s much speculation and conjecture in all this, but progress is being made. The three owners are on board, along with the brewery team, and we’ve selected our friend John Campbell, late of BBC (Main & Clay), Schlafly and the Red geranium in New Harmony, to serve as de facto project manager. John is fond of telling people who ask that while the owners have a leisurely timetable, he expects to be up and running by Labor Day.
The business plan is being written, various action plans commenced, and the coming months -- not to mention the disposition of area bankers -- will tell the tale.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
BadaBoomz: Great beer choice in downtown Indianapolis.
From the top of the hill on the breezy lawn at White River State Park in Indianapolis, the visitor is exposed to a 360-degree panorama that stunningly illustrates how far Indiana’s state capital and largest city has come since its 1970’s “Indy-A-No-Place” nadir.*
The vista to the north and west yields views of the terminus of the urbanized downtown section of the Central Canal towpath, the IUPUI campus, the NCAA headquarters, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indiana State Museum, Military Park and the Medal of Honor Memorial.
To the west are the Indianapolis Zoo and the main section of White River State Park. Facing south and sweeping east are seen the existing Convention Center and RCA Dome, and the new Colts home at Lucas Oil Stadium, still under construction, and Victory Field baseball park. Just past the complex of state government buildings directly to the east are the downtown skyscrapers (and Conseco Fieldhouse hidden just behind them).
Verily, downtown Indianapolis is booming, but upon closer examination it all can seem disturbingly corporate in nature. The usual food and dining suspects that one would expect to find in the open air food court in the exurbs -- Hard Rock, P.F. Chang’s, Jillian’s, Ruth Chris -- are slick, clustered and ready for charge cards. They don’t appear to be hurting for customers, whether drawn from the ranks of numerous tourists, visiting conventioneers or the Indiana state government employees swarming the streets at lunch and after work.
Standing at the corner of Washington and Illinois, and looking southeasterly, Rock Bottom pops up in the left eye, and both Alcatraz and Ram in the right. All three are chain brewpubs, and within the past two years Rock Bottom and Ram both have established branches in the teeming northern exurb. In my experience, they’re all above average in terms of overall beer quality, the food I’ve had in each was fine, and I respect them for what they are, usually opting for the rotating seasonals and specialty beers that better reflect the brewmaster’s discretion.
At the same time, I won’t deny that my personal preference for brewpubs in Indianapolis runs to the venerable Broad Ripple Brewing Company and relative newcomer Brugge Brasserie, located two hundred yards apart on the Monon Trail pedway in the Broad Ripple Village area far to the north of downtown Indianapolis, so excuse me if I sidestep for a moment the question of whether chain and independently owned breweries can both dance on the head of the ideological pin by noting that most beer-related itineraries probably are organized around either/or choices pertaining to Broad Ripple vs. the city center, and not both/all at the same time.
Rather, let’s consider the best independently owned establishment at which one can enjoy craft beer in downtown Indianapolis, and certainly one of the finer “hotel bars” anywhere, the newly transformed BadaBoomz Ale House & Grill. Many readers will remember it as Buffalo Wild Wings, then as now located on Maryland Street just around the corner from Conseco Fieldhouse, and with a door leading into the Hampton Inn lobby.
BadaBoomz owner Mike DeWeese has gone private, severing the BW3 connection and completely remodeling the interior and food menu while leaving the sports-oriented televisions intact as well as the forty taps, which continue to pour 95% good beer as they always have.
On the Friday evening of my session, before and after the outdoor Snow Patrol concert at the aforementioned White River State Park lawn, there were around ten Indiana microbrews on tap, two of which found their way to me: Mad Anthony IPA and Mishawaka Four Horsemen Ale. There also was time for a Founders dry-hopped Pale Ale … and then another IPA.
There’s a diverse bottled list as well, and from it I was able to locate a Moretti LaRossa dark lager to please Mrs. Curmudgeon, who also praised her vegetable pizza. From my perspective, an appetizer of jalapeno poppers (rings of peppers breaded and fried, sans cream cheese but with sour cream for dipping) followed by a smoked salmon wrap accented by blue cheese balsamic sauce was ample sustenance, and not overbearing.
BadaBoomz keeps pleasingly late hours. Brief but helpful beer descriptions are provided, and food and beer pairings are noted on the menus. Our server was knowledgeable. The commute from table to elevator to reach our Hampton Inn room was quite short, and in the morning, the Nordstrom department store located a few steps across Meridian has an espresso bar facing the street that opens well in advance of the store. The time-honored St. Elmo Steak House can’t be more than three blocks away.
All the ingredients are in place for a sports or concert road trip. Keep an eye on the schedules, especially for the Pacers; the Colts won the Super Bowl, but Indianapolis’s NBA squad didn’t make the playoffs in a weak conference. Larry Legend should be giving away tickets, so perhaps we should grab a few this winter, book a room at the Hampton Inn, eat a steak at St. Elmo, and then take a seat at BadaBoomz before and after the game.
Now that’s a Curmudgeon’s prime weekend getaway package.
----
* The I Choose Indy! blog offers pros and cons of the city’s ascent. This posting has no pictures because yours truly neglected to take his camera.
The vista to the north and west yields views of the terminus of the urbanized downtown section of the Central Canal towpath, the IUPUI campus, the NCAA headquarters, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indiana State Museum, Military Park and the Medal of Honor Memorial.
To the west are the Indianapolis Zoo and the main section of White River State Park. Facing south and sweeping east are seen the existing Convention Center and RCA Dome, and the new Colts home at Lucas Oil Stadium, still under construction, and Victory Field baseball park. Just past the complex of state government buildings directly to the east are the downtown skyscrapers (and Conseco Fieldhouse hidden just behind them).
Verily, downtown Indianapolis is booming, but upon closer examination it all can seem disturbingly corporate in nature. The usual food and dining suspects that one would expect to find in the open air food court in the exurbs -- Hard Rock, P.F. Chang’s, Jillian’s, Ruth Chris -- are slick, clustered and ready for charge cards. They don’t appear to be hurting for customers, whether drawn from the ranks of numerous tourists, visiting conventioneers or the Indiana state government employees swarming the streets at lunch and after work.
Standing at the corner of Washington and Illinois, and looking southeasterly, Rock Bottom pops up in the left eye, and both Alcatraz and Ram in the right. All three are chain brewpubs, and within the past two years Rock Bottom and Ram both have established branches in the teeming northern exurb. In my experience, they’re all above average in terms of overall beer quality, the food I’ve had in each was fine, and I respect them for what they are, usually opting for the rotating seasonals and specialty beers that better reflect the brewmaster’s discretion.
At the same time, I won’t deny that my personal preference for brewpubs in Indianapolis runs to the venerable Broad Ripple Brewing Company and relative newcomer Brugge Brasserie, located two hundred yards apart on the Monon Trail pedway in the Broad Ripple Village area far to the north of downtown Indianapolis, so excuse me if I sidestep for a moment the question of whether chain and independently owned breweries can both dance on the head of the ideological pin by noting that most beer-related itineraries probably are organized around either/or choices pertaining to Broad Ripple vs. the city center, and not both/all at the same time.
Rather, let’s consider the best independently owned establishment at which one can enjoy craft beer in downtown Indianapolis, and certainly one of the finer “hotel bars” anywhere, the newly transformed BadaBoomz Ale House & Grill. Many readers will remember it as Buffalo Wild Wings, then as now located on Maryland Street just around the corner from Conseco Fieldhouse, and with a door leading into the Hampton Inn lobby.
BadaBoomz owner Mike DeWeese has gone private, severing the BW3 connection and completely remodeling the interior and food menu while leaving the sports-oriented televisions intact as well as the forty taps, which continue to pour 95% good beer as they always have.
On the Friday evening of my session, before and after the outdoor Snow Patrol concert at the aforementioned White River State Park lawn, there were around ten Indiana microbrews on tap, two of which found their way to me: Mad Anthony IPA and Mishawaka Four Horsemen Ale. There also was time for a Founders dry-hopped Pale Ale … and then another IPA.
There’s a diverse bottled list as well, and from it I was able to locate a Moretti LaRossa dark lager to please Mrs. Curmudgeon, who also praised her vegetable pizza. From my perspective, an appetizer of jalapeno poppers (rings of peppers breaded and fried, sans cream cheese but with sour cream for dipping) followed by a smoked salmon wrap accented by blue cheese balsamic sauce was ample sustenance, and not overbearing.
BadaBoomz keeps pleasingly late hours. Brief but helpful beer descriptions are provided, and food and beer pairings are noted on the menus. Our server was knowledgeable. The commute from table to elevator to reach our Hampton Inn room was quite short, and in the morning, the Nordstrom department store located a few steps across Meridian has an espresso bar facing the street that opens well in advance of the store. The time-honored St. Elmo Steak House can’t be more than three blocks away.
All the ingredients are in place for a sports or concert road trip. Keep an eye on the schedules, especially for the Pacers; the Colts won the Super Bowl, but Indianapolis’s NBA squad didn’t make the playoffs in a weak conference. Larry Legend should be giving away tickets, so perhaps we should grab a few this winter, book a room at the Hampton Inn, eat a steak at St. Elmo, and then take a seat at BadaBoomz before and after the game.
Now that’s a Curmudgeon’s prime weekend getaway package.
----
* The I Choose Indy! blog offers pros and cons of the city’s ascent. This posting has no pictures because yours truly neglected to take his camera.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
