Restaurant:
Imperial Western Beer Company
Location: Union Station: 800 N. Alameda St. (Downtown)
Type of restaurant: Brewpub/Oyster Bar
We stipulated: For our 16th anniversary, Maria and I decided to return to where we first made it official: Union Station's Former Fred Harvey restaurant. It's where we held our wedding reception on Oct. 26, 2002, and now it's the site of the Imperial Western Beer Company.
They stipulated: "The new brewpub captures the glamour of 1940’s train travel while, in true beer hall fashion, also boasts custom game tables, pool tables, and shuffleboard. At the heart of Imperial Western lies the main bar, providing service for eighteen custom beer taps featuring Head Brewer Devon Randall’s selection of craft beer brewed in-house with light and refreshing options; such as a Mexican Lager and Cucumber Saison; and “hoppier” varieties, such as a Session IPA and India Pale Ale; dark and broody Oyster Stout and Vienna Lagers. LA-based chef David Lentz curates an extensive oyster and raw bar program, with daily fresh oyster selections available based on seasonality, as well as market driven American classics."
What we ordered: Crispy fried chicken (chipotle, chili vinegar, buttermilk) $12; chorizo and mussels (Spanish chorizo, romesco, sofrito, grilled bread) $16; fried mushrooms (sauce gribiche) $9; cauliflower (brown butter, parmesan breadcrumbs) $7
High point: What can I say -- being back in the Fred Harvey, home to so many great memories of that magical night, was wonderful. And seeing what they have done to fix up the place was amazing. It's classy, and a tasteful reuse of a space that had been woefully underused (well, except for events like our wedding!) in recent years. I love that the bar portion is also active now as the Streamliner. Really well done.
Low point: We're not big on oysters, which means for a bit of a more limited menu, but we still found plenty to eat and enjoy.
Overall impression: What a great spot. Love the homegrown beer selection, named after trains and other terms relevant to Union Station. Well designed so that even the TVs at the bar are hidden and not distracting. And the fried chicken, our favorite dish, had a great spice to it.
Will we return: Absolutely. Not only is it a great spot to meet friends, but this could be a new anniversary tradition. More pics:
1 comment:
First, I recently found your blog and love it!
Second, Happy Anniversary! The beauty of Union Station is something to behold and what a beautiful venue for your wedding reception! I always said that if I got married, I'd do it outside in one of the courtyards with a gorgeous sit down dinner in that same room. (I'll keep ya posted. :) )
Third, I'm SO glad to read your review. Earlier reports were tepid, but sounds like the place found their groove and streamlined! (See what i did there?)
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