Dinner: Craft Ale House, Best Kept Secret in the Suburbs

Living in New York City, it is easy for me to find restaurants that are made with love, that have both quality and quantity. In the suburbs of PA? Not so much. I had always been a fan of Craft Ale House with they first opened, though they only served micro brews then. Upon hearing that they started serving lunch and dinner a while back, I had to go check it out. Could this be my future go-to restaurant when I am in the area? Quite possibly so...

Unpretentious setting, this used to be Limerick Deli. Neighbors with a hardware store, I am sure many have drove past this place without a second thought.

Chalkboard wall with the daily microbrews, and spacious seating at the bar.

If you don't have time to sit for a drink, they have six pack holders you can fill with whatever custom beers you wish. Great if you just want to try different types.

Flying Fish Doggie Style Pale Ale

Buddy's dad ordered this one. He is the type to like lighter flavored beers and  with ABV 5.3%, it still had a nice hoppy flavor without being overbearing. There was a pleasant malt flavor which comes from the addition of Carastan malts.

Price: $4.00

Left Hand Imperial Stout

I  ordered this because (to be honest) of the name and the fact that it was on nitro tap. It had ABV 10.4%, and wow was this thick. The consistency reminscent of Guinness, but the taste- double the flavor. 

Price: $5.50

Stout Mustache!!

Funky Farmhouse Mussels

This was made with Farmhouse ale, leeks, bleu cheese, garlic and spinach. The mussel shells acted like little spoons to get scoops of every component in one big bite. The bleu cheese flavor was not very strong, but still nice to get little bites of cheese in my broth and twice as nice to put on the soft and buttery garlic bread that accompanied it.  

Price: $9.00

Grilled Octopus

This was made with asparagus, and a tomato chutney and garnished with micro greens. A more modest sized appetizer, I ordered it as an entree. The octopus (or as Buddy would call it Oct-op-pose) was tender, and gave easily with each bite. The tomato chutney was a nice acidic alternative to lemons but not overbearing in anyway. The asparagus was fresh and cooked to perfection. Beautiful presentation, perfect size for an appetizer.

Price:$9.00

Buttermilk Tenders

Buddy ordered this one. This was the star of the night. Too modest to call itself tenders, this was more like hardy fried chicken and undoubtedly one of the best of I have ever eaten. The breading was thick crunchy, spicy and bursting with flavor. The chicken was moist and juicy- so much so that some jumped out at me. Though the sauce was delicious, it was almost not necessary. With 7 or 8 pieces per order, this was big enough for 2 people.

Price: $8.00

Roasted Pork Sandwich with Hand Cut Fries

Buddy's dad ordered this one. It was slow roasted with garlic, herbs, beer and provolone cheese. A side of au jus, and hand cut fries. I didn't get a chance to taste the sandwich, but he seemed to really enjoy it. Massive in size, the other half was packaged in a to-go box. The fries? Best ones in PA. Soft with tough and resistant outer skin. A sprinkling of kosher salt and it was the perfect bar snack.

Price: $8.00

F.Y.I

If you can't decide on a beer, they are happy to give you little shot sized tastings. After 4 or 5 shot tasting, they only charge $1.00 for each additional taste. A great (and economical) way for trying different types of beer.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Of course we had to get dessert and this was house made! The "bread" seemed more crepe like with chunks of melted chocolate in its folds. Essentially, a disfigured chocolate crepe.

Price: $5.00

Banoffee pie

The owner's (Gary) wife made this at home. This is basically a banana cream pie, but she calls it a bafonte. Either way- it was delicious. The lighter dessert out of the two, the whipped creams airiness was refreshing on such a hot day. There was a hint of alcohol in it...perhaps Grand Marnier? The bananas perfectly ripened and the the pie crust crumbly.
     * upon speaking with the owner, I found out that this dessert is an English dessert made from bananas, cream, toffee and boiled condensed milk

Price: $5.00

Verdict: New York quality food and drink at PA prices. How can you beat that? The perfect place to come and eat when you want a more relaxed atmosphere then a rowdy bar. I can not wait to come back... a great reason to go to Royersford and visit parents!

Craft Ale House

708 West Ridge Pike
Limerick, PA 19468

www.craftalehouse.com

Dinner: Dock Street Pub

One of the great things about dating a guy in a band, is that you sometimes get to go to new places you would normally not think twice about. Dock Street Pub is a microbrewery and pizza restaurant located in the out skirts of Philadelphia. We always come here whenever Buddy's band ( the National Rifle) plays a show at the Danger Danger Gallery (a DIY music and art venue). I love it when they play there because I will always be guaranteed a night of great food, and an even greater, wild show. Before they had to play, the whole band including some friends went to grab some drinks and food at the pub.

Ample seating outside, but unsurprising, all the tables were taken because of the beautiful weather we have been having

The list of microbrews on tap 

The Royal Bohemian 

The name came from the way they brewed the beer, traditionally as a pilsner in the style from Bohemia. This had a nutty, light and refreshing taste. Flavorful enough for beer snobs, but still drinkable for people who like brews on the "lighter" side.

Price: $4.50

The Bubbly Wit

This was aged in an apple wood barrel for 4 months. It was extra dry, and had a faint after taste of apple cider. I had to pace myself, and sip slowly since it was 8% alcohol by volume!

Price: $4.50

    Caprese Salad

My friend Kim ordered this one and added artichokes to her salad. I had a taste, and it was so refreshing! Everything from the basil, to the mozzarella, to the tomatos were so fresh. The tomatoes and basil leaves looked like they were on steroids! The only thing I wished for was a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette to give it the extra kick.

Price: $7.95

Apple Smoked Ham Calzone

This was filled with ricotta, mozzeralla cheese and wrapped in pizza dough. I didn't have any, but it looked amazingly delicous!

Price: $8.25

The Margherita

These pizzas are a little different then the Neapolitan style I am used to in New York. Instead of the classic tomato sauce, they used the whole peeled and canned tomato chunks. They were also more generous with the sprinkling of basil and mozzarella (which I very much loved) . The dough itself was on the thick side, but with a skinnier crust, and was chewy and hardy. Though it was a hardwood fired oven, there was minimial char, but cooked threw and threw. I really enjoyed this pie, it was a "meater" version of the delicate margherita. The tomatoes were delicous, soft, and juicy without making the rest of the pie watery. Overall I would recommend to traditional pizza lovers.

Price: $7.95

The Brie 

I apologize now for the messy still shot, people are ANIMALS and I had to quick grab a slice before it was all gone! This was my favorite slice of the night, composed of sliced pears, toasted walnuts, brie, and rosemary. I loved the nuttiness that the walnuts gave, which complimented the sweet pear and creamy brie beautifully. They found a wonderful flavor balance in this pie.

Price: $8.95

The Fig Jam

This was made with fig jam, gorgonzola, applewood smoked bacon, and fresh rosemary. A stronger flavor than the brie, the bacon added a great smokey flavor that went well with the sweetness of the jam. Again, the flavors balanced each other out wonderfully.

Price: $8.75

The Underskirt- See? What did I tell you.. minimal char!

Clockwise: Buddy (drummer), Me, Kim, Hugh (guitarist/singer), Lynna (keyboards/singer), Geoff (photographer), Anthony, and Rob ( guitarist/singer of Born Pilot). 

We were full and ready for a night of fun!

Verdict: This is a really fun and spacious place to come with friends, and unsurprisingly, very packed on a Friday night. Though it is in the middle of nowhere Philadelphia, it is worth the drive. Overall I felt that while their dough and crust weren't the best, they make up for it in their superb ingredients, and beautiful flavor balances in their pies. I can't wait to come back!

Dock Street Pub

701 South 50th Street

West Philadelphia, PA 19143

Burning off those pizza calories later that night at the show!

*Photo by Geoff Hall www.facebook.com/geoffreyhall