April 29th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
PHL is the best beer-drinking aiport in America, according to the May/June issue of Draft magazine.* The piece mentions Jet Rock’s 48 taps in Terminals B,C,D & F, but according to the Brew Lounge at least one of those was turned into a Chickie’s & Pete’s last year. Anybody know the current status?
No matter, locals know the best beer at the airport is at the Independence Brewpub in the B-C connector. It’s not really a brewpub but it features many local drafts. Uh, never mind - Bryan Kolesar of the Brew Lounge reports that closed, too, and may now be a (gasp) wine bar.
The rest of Draft’s list:
- Mineapolis-St. Paul
- JFK
- Boston Logan
- Seattle-Tacoma
- LAX
- Salt Lake City (!)
- Dulles
- Denver
- Portland
- Cincinnati
- St. Louis
- Cleveland
- AtlantaÂ
*Disclosure: I write for Draft mag, but I didn’t have anything to do with this list.
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April 28th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Reader Dave Dougherty sent along some snapshots from the primary campaign. On election eve, President Clinton dropped in at Chickie’s & Pete’s in South Philly. That was the night the Flyers dropped Game 6 to the Caps, which may explain the expression on the young lady in the middle.
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April 15th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
While heading down Pattison Avenue toward the ballpark for Jackie Robinson night at the Phillies, I found myself behind some guy in a green t-shirt advertising Casper’s Place on Cottman Avenue.
The cartoon ghost on the shirt is shown saying, “No spooks allowed.”
Please don’t tell me it’s an innocent joke; I’m not stupid. Only a dipshit wears a shirt like that. It’s easy to chalk it up to just one of those things, but I still wonder: How, in the 21st century, does anyone who conducts business with the public even think of printing a t-shirt like that? Honestly, the city Human Relations Commission nearly shut down Geno’s Steaks for less.
Until I hear otherwise, I’ll just assume the answer is, “Because I’m a racist asshole.”Â
So, I’ll ask two other not-so-rhetorical questions:
- Why would anyone do business with a bar that publicly expresses such vile sentiments. I’m not talking about just the customers here, either. One would presume that Anheuser-Busch, Coors and Miller would have some concern about their products being associated with that kind of message.
- How does this bar still have a liquor license - a license that is presumably issued in the “public interest”? The Pennsylvania LCB, which I know reads this blog, should take a closer look at Casper’s Place.
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April 10th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Figure on two weeks till the opening of the Memphis Taproom (2331 Cumberland St. at Memphis, Port Richmond). I stopped by this morning and caught a large crew hard at work, finishing tables, installing lights and - in the case of Leigh Maida at left - actually vacuuming the sidewalk.
Chef Jesse Kimball (right), formerly of Matyson and Lacroix, gave me a peek at the planned menu - it’s much more extensive than you’d expect from a neighborhood tavern. Look for artichokes marinated in IPA, tempura butternut squash, leek fondue, a ploughman’s lunch and lots of vegan dishes. And, in a nod to the neighborhood’s ethnic roots, the Port Richmond Platter features pierogies, potato pancakes and kielbasa from Czerw’s.
But you’re here for the beer, right? Here’s the tentative lineup for opening day (subject to last minute glitches): Philly Brewing Kenzinger, Monk’s Sour Flemish Ale, Yards Philly Pale Ale, Sprecher Black Lager, Victory Whirlwind Wit, O’Reilly’s Stout, Lagunitas IPA, Ace Perry, Poperings Hommel and Nodding Head 60 Shilling on cask.
And what about co-owner Brendan “Spanky” Hartranft (center)? Journalistic objectivity requires me to report that he didn’t actually pick up that broom until I pulled out my camera.
By the way, while Googling Leigh and Spanky, I turned up their very nice personal website. Check it out here.
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April 1st, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Devil’s Den (11th & Ellsworth, South Philly) opened tonight. It’s a very handsome joint - lots of woodwork (by craftsman Cameron Barton), airy window seats, a chainsaw-carved fireplace and a pair of kick-ass flatscreens. The tap towers are handsome, but even more remarkable is the glassware selection - at least 10 different types.
This is a neighborhood bar, so it’ll attract mostly locals. But if you don’t live nearby, it’s absolutely worth a special trip. Parking is fairly ample (surprising since this is South Philly), along 11th Street. Here’s a tip if you’re driving: head down Broad Street, turn left of Ellsworth, then park anywhere after 13th - plenty of spots. The neighborhood is not as rough as it looks (there’s a police district station right across the street from the bar).
As you’d expect on opening night, there were a couple rough edges - notably, the kitchen fire sprinkler erupted and shut down food service. The menu from chef Joe Turissi (ex-Union League, Carribou) is clearly going the gastropub route, with the likes of asparagus-stuffed wasabi-laced Sako tuna ($23), salmon Oscar ($19) and steak au frites ($22). Lots of very affordable bar food, too, though: mussels for $9.50 and pork-and-veggie dumplings at $8.
But you’re here for the beer, right? In addition to a primo bottle lineup (Peche Mortel, Uerige Doppelsticke, Samichlaus Helles), there are 16 taps. Here’s tonight’s list:
- Dogfish Head Red & White
- Schneider Aventinus
- Spaten Lager
- Ommegang Rare Vos
- Founders Devil Dancer
- Lucifer
- Ayinger Celebrator
- Blanche de Bruxelles
- Yards Philly Pale Ale
- Philly Rowhouse Red
- Victory HopDevil
- St. Druon French Abbey
- Gaffel Kolsch
- Franziskaner Hefeweisse.
Hmm.. that’s only 14, so I must’ve missed a couple. Anyway, the thing that struck me was the number of Germans. I joked that it looked like the joint had taken over the best of the now-closed Ludwig’s Garten. Down the road, look for Devil’s Den to open a second-floor bar with more dining and taps. But don’t wait: this place is already a hit.
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March 30th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Devil’s Den (1148 S. 11th St., South Philly), the new gastropub from the folks at Manayunk’s Old Eagle, is slated to open Tuesday (4/1). They’re talking 16 taps.
I mentioned the upscaled bottle list at the swanky Brasserie Perrier (1619 Walnut St., Center City)Â the other day; looks like they installed those new taps, too. The lineup right now: Hoegaarden, Victory Storm King, Magic Hat #9, Troeg’s Nugget Nectar, Victory Prima Pils, Victory Hop Devil.
Also, I’m hearing that Time, the bar that’s taking over the space formerly held by Ludwig’s Garten (1315 Sansom St., Center City), has remade the tavern’s shabby tap system with 20 new faucets. No announced opening, yet.
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March 25th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Until the state legalizes beer sales in movie theaters (don’t hold your breath), the next best thing is movie night at your local tavern. Rembrandt’s (741 N. 23rd St., Fairmount) hosts a monthly film festival featuring movies from independent filmmakers. There’s one tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8 p.m., with some cool-looking features that I won’t even begin to describe.
Compared to the rest of the neighborhood (Bridgid’s, Bishop’s Collar, Belgian Cafe, St. Stephen’s, London, Aspen, Jack’s Firehouse), Rembrandt’s draft beer list is only so-so (Stoudt’s Gold is the only local craft). But the food is very good and beer at the movies is a pretty good way to spend an evening.Â
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March 25th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Despite its continuing makeover, the atmosphere at Brasserie Perrier (1619 Walnut St., Center City) is still decidedly jacket and tie, but beer lovers oughta add it to their list of Philly joints nonetheless. The restaurant is doubling its taps to 6 (currently pouring Victory Golden Monkey, Prima Pils and Anchor Porter) and even more impressively has added a bunch of new bottles, including some rarities: Riverwest Stein Beer, Warbird Warhawk, Innstadt Passauer Weisse, Voodoo Love Child and the primo St. Somewhere Saison Athene.
And yes, for those on the prowl, the pickup scene at BP is still thriving.
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February 9th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Well, if you’ve visited the Sansom Street German tavern in the past 2 months, this will come as no surprise. Ludwig’s finally called it quits following the sale of the property. (Nice report from Kirsten Henri at FooBooz.) Though the barstaff insisted to me on at least 3 occasions since Dec. 1st that it wasn’t closing, it was pretty obvious the end was near. For one thing, you could hardly find a German beer on tap.
It’s doubtful the new joint will be German, which means there are absolutely no authentic Bavarian restaurants in Philly any longer. Look, I don’t expect lederhosen on the bartenders, but some smart tavern owner better start pouring Schneider Aventinus and Spaten Optmator or I’m going to go postal.
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January 28th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Somehow Capone’s (Norristown) was named the No. 1 beer bar in the world by the readers of RateBeer.com. That’s the ENTIRE WORLD, folks, above Brussels’ Delirium Cafe, New York’s Blind Tiger, Chicago’s Map Room, San Francisco’s Toronado, and Philly’s Monk’s Cafe…
When I ran into Matt Capone over the weekend, he was shocked. “Maybe they should have voted for me for takeout beer,” he said. Indeed, Capone’s is better known for its back-room bottle shop, not its bar. The bar has just 9 taps, and while Matt runs some very fine special events featuring unusual breweries, I don’t know how anyone with half a brain would put it in the same league as the Kulminator in Antwerp. I don’t even know if it’s the best beer bar in Montgomery County. I mean, it’s a very good joint, but if you ask its patrons, most of them are there for the Italian food, not the beer.
Polls like this are pretty much meaningless, but maybe the plaque will give Capone’s a nice boost. Matt told me he’s adding several more taps, so Capone’s will only get better. And if you haven’t made your way there, yet, it’s worth the trip - you won’t go home empty-handed.
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