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BHJ CONTINUES
After waking up none too worse for wear, my host & I drove
up to Sinking Spring, PA (just outside of Reading, about 2-1/2
hrs from Bethesda) to visit our old front-end manager from
our grocery store days, his wife, menagerie (2 Jack Russell Terriers
& 3 cats), & toy train & video collection. Toy trains all over
the dining room - he's had the layout up for 7 years! And what
he had in the basement was enough to stock a small toy &
video rental store!! We stayed for dinner & cracked open a bottle
of Spanish wine (vintage 1969 or so - probably sold for $3 a
bottle then) to see if it still was any good. It was way over the hill,
but not yet vinegar - it had been stored properly. Tasted OK,
but better for cooking than drinking, so we stuck to beer
(Yuengling & a couple of Maryland micros I'd brought up with us).
PA's liquor laws have yet to emerge from the dark ages (wine sold
in State stores only, which are closed on Sundays), so we
couldn't even go buy a decent fresh bottle. So - after the
MD-NC basketball game ended, we took the long drive home, thru
some nasty rain around York (the only rain I saw in 6 days!),
landing back in Bethesda around the witching hour.
Monday, a VA friend of mine "Metro-ed" over from
Springfield, & my host & I picked him up & headed for Rock Bottom
in Bethesda. I had 2 excellent appetizers for dinner (seared ahi
& sesame-battered calamari rings); they had burgers. The best
part of this evening was the "stupid waiter trick". When he first
came to our table, he told us that it was "pint night" - buy a beer
in one of their pint glasses for $5; for the rest of the evening,
refills are $2. My VA pal said that sounded like a good deal (pints
are $3.50, so this is a no-brainer if you're having more than 2, which
I knew we would be), & I agreed, so we ordered. My host
ordered a sampler of all 6 (best was the hoppy red; next the IPA - the
rest were nondescript), after which he joined us in the pint gig.
2 hours or so later, we get the check - oops! All pints at
regular price!! But once we clued him in, he was nice & fixed the
tab, saving us a collective $20 or so, & we got our choice of
glasses to take home. All in all, Rock Bottom's food is better than
their beer. They do have a full bar, so if nothing on the beer
menu appeals, you can get wine or some decent booze.
Tuesday's brewpub experience was longer & nicer. After
having lunch downtown DC w/a former coworker, I drove across one
of the many bridges to scout out Hops' location, figuring I'd
then go back to Bethesda & head back down around 6:15 to make
a prearranged dinner date w/friends I hadn't seen since 1997.
Northern VA sucks for driving around, so by the time I found
the place, it was 3PM. No sense battling rush hour traffic twice, so
I hung out at the bar. Ordered a sampler first & liked most of
what I tasted. The basic house lager was my least favorite; the
oatmeal stout the best, but too hefty to drink all afternoon, so after a
pint of it, I passed the time drinking their low carbohydrate
brew (3.5% ABV). which is the best "light" beer I've ever had. Got
a chance to talk to the brewer, who told me that he used Saaz
& Hallertauer hops, plus 6-row malt. Go figure.
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and continues ...
Best of all, it was happy hour until 6, so pints were only $2.
My friends showed up as scheduled, but we had to wait about 30'
for a table. Host brought appetizer samples around for the
people waiting, a nice touch. Dinner menu features steak - I had
the house special sirloin, which they marinate in a
soy/pineapple/ginger sauce, then grill. Melted in your mouth, They give
you choice of soup/salad, plus 1-2 sides - I had black beans over
rice, which also was very tasty. Prices very reasonable; nice
ambience; & also totally ADA compliant, unlike many other
restaurants in the DC area. My amigos picked up the tab, capping off
a great afternoon & evening.
Wednesday, I got to see MD play in Cole Field House - a
good friend of mine gave my host & I his floor seats. It's Cole's
last year for ACC Basketball - a new arena's just about complete
at the other end of campus - the bad thing is my buddy won't
be able to keep those seats unless he donates a big chunk of
change to the Athletic Dept/Alumni Assn. And they aren't cheap
to begin with ($29/game!). MD won in a romp, then it was time
to go crash & get up at 4:30 AM to catch a 7:00 flight home.
A quick fun weekend in LA ensued, 4 days in the office & then
a fun Saturday afternoon at Black Diamond! The brewery's
behind the bar, so the "tour" was easy - more time spent talking
than walking. We'd had a couple pints before going back there,
so after we exited, we ordered lunch. I had appetizers again
- excellent spicy chili w/green onion, chip strips, & jack cheese
on top, plus some baby back ribs steamed in pale ale then baked,
w/some thai-style salad alongside. Others sampled pizzas
& sandwiches - I heard no complaints, & the prices are
reasonable for yuppieville. Thanx again to Grant for making the brews
there drinkable & interesting! If you're out that way, stop in & enjoy
a pint or 3!! There's live music on weekend evenings, I think with
a small cover charge.
I've reached the bottom, so remember the Stout Bout &
whet those appetites for the oyster BBQ next month!! Next month
it'll be Dave's turn to hog this page - or one of you if you send me
a tale of one of your brew adventures, a book review, etc.
Charles Brandes sent me a copy of the Polygamy Porter label, but I
don't have a way to include it - too bad, because it's funny.
Utah brewing Co certainly has a sense of humor stronger than
the alcohol they're allowed to put in their brews. If you see this
in time & have nothing to do 4-8 PM Sunday, check out
the Celebarator Anniversary Party at the Englander Pub in
San Leandro - I've been to a couple of these & they're a lot of fun
- I'll be at GGF playing the ponies & celebrating my
roomie's birthday, so I doubt if I'll get down there. Tickets are $25
ahead, $30 or $35 at the door.
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