Rate-A-Restaurant #386: Imperial Western Beer Company (Downtown)

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:

Kona Brewing Co. to the Mainland: You're Doing It Wrong

I love this. Reminds me of what I love about humor in da islands: Adweek writes about a new ad campaign from Kona Brewing Co.:

One of two new spots, "Sad Hour," suggests that we set aside one hour a day for all the tedious crap we hate doing so the other 23 hours of the day can be happy. A second spot, "Single-Tasking," introduces the concept of only doing one thing at a time (drinking beer, for example).

Kona is borrowing heavily from old Bartles & Jaymes ads here, and adding a healthy dose of island life stereotyping, but the big guy's delivery is good enough to make it all work.

The ads will air in Orlando, San Diego and Los Angeles markets throughout the summer. "The 'Dear Mainland' campaign truly captures the unique Hawaiian spirit of Kona Brewing and, in a fun way, delivers our message that reconnecting with family, friends and community is what truly matters," says Aaron Marion brand manager at Kona Brewing.

Here's one more:

Alpine Village's Oktoberfest Is Kinda Disappointing

I really wanted to like the Alpine Village Oktoberfest. Really, I did. I have zoomed past Alpine Village (located in Torrance) countless times over the years on the 110, but never actually visited until this past Sunday. The reason, of course, was Alpine Village's Oktoberfest, which they claim is the largest in the Los Angeles area.



What's not to love about Oktoberfest? Alpine Village found a way to make it a little less lovable. The menu is limited -- either a brat, Polish sausage, chicken breast or pork chop. ($10 for the sausage and two sides.)



I also got a 16 oz. beer for $11, because hey, this is Oktoberfest. There's an $8 giant pretzel, a $4 cream horn... and well, that's about it.



Again, that lack of real food options would be fine, I suppose. But Alpine Village can't keep up with the demand for the pricy $8 pretzels. They were out of 'em, but sold one to me anyway. After waiting in the food line for 15-20 minutes, I was told to come back in 10 minutes. When I did, they told me the pretzel *still* wasn't ready. You know, I didn't even want the pretzel. So I asked them for my money back. They said no -- and instead gave me *two* pretzels.



The event takes place in a massive tent -- not much ambience, but it meant there was plenty of room to move around.



The live band, flown in from Germany, gave the event the right amount of oomph and got the crowd up and moving.



On Sundays, the event is geared toward families and just $5 for adults -- with kids under 12 free. OK, so I do love that.



By the way, I believe you get in for free -- at least on Sundays -- if you're in proper Oktoberfest attire.



The real reason to visit Alpine Village is the actual village -- a mini re-creation of a small German village, with stores, restaurants and a grocery store boasting a wide variety of German and European products. Overall, I suppose I'm glad we stopped by for the experience.



At the "Alpine Market" we bought several chocolates, as well as spicy mustard.



The tiny Alpine Village chapel



Above, inside the mini chapel.

Oktoberfest continues until the end of the month. Location:
Alpine Village Center
833 West Torrance Blvd
Torrance, CA 90502
Tel. 310.327.4384

Rate-A-Restaurant #268: The Los Angeles Brewing Co.

Restaurant: Los Angeles Brewing Company

Location: The Chapman Building, 750 S. Broadway (Downtown)

Type of restaurant: Brewpub



We stipulated: Maria and I attended the Los Angeles Conservancy's Saturday night screening of "Chinatown" at the Orpheum Theatre. But before then, we wanted to eat. Time was of the essence: It was 7 p.m., and the movie started at 8 p.m. The Umamicatessan restaurant next door wouldn't have a table for 45 minutes. So we started walking down Broadway, and stumbled across the Los Angeles Brewing Company, which had just opened with a soft launch. (The real launch comes soon.) We looked at the menu, and it had some quick-sounding items. We went inside.



They stipulated: "At The Los Angeles Brewing Company, we thrive on providing our customers with a beer that can satisfy any palettes. From major breweries, micro breweries and local breweries, we have 100 taps dedicated to that task. We will also carry other beers in bottle and can, to further expand the beer selection that we have available for you at The Los Angeles Brewery Company."



What we ordered: Hand Cut Garlic Fries – lemon aioli & sea salt $4; Stuffed Shrooms – potato, chorizo & crispy pork belly $8; Honey habanero hot wings $8

High point: We liked the lemon aioli. It was quite nice for sports bar -- classy, even with all those projection TVs. Great, big downtown space. The Habanero wings had a nice honey touch, although it wasn't spicy enough. Plus, liked the extensive beer list.

Low point: The service was, plain and simple, atrocious. When I asked for a recommendation between the Eagle Rock Brewery beers on tap, the waitress responded, "all I know is the last guy ordered something called Asahi." Also, I asked for another lemon aioli and it never came. Plus, even though we told the waitress we were in a hurry and needed our bill, she never came back. I finally had to hold my credit card in the air to get her attention. Still, she didn't notice. She eventually made it back to the table -- and even though the table was completely cleared, she seemed shocked that I was already handing her a credit card (before the check). Another thing: When we finally got our bill, it was just the credit card slip, nothing itemized. I'm convinced that either I overpaid, or my beer was $15. I'm guessing it's the former, because if it were true they were selling $15 beers on tap, business would collapse.



Overall impression: We've long heard of the "Bringing Back Broadway" renewal efforts, but I've often wondered if Broadway could get a makeover. It's been neglected so long, with its boarded-up theaters and dirty storefronts -- and that task seems daunting. But now maybe we're starting to see that renaissance, with several more theatre makeover plans in the works; the revitalized Cliftons on the way; and new restaurants like the Los Angeles Brewing Co., which is a welcome addition to the street.



Chance we'll go back: Perhaps. I'm hoping the bad service is a fluke. We may be in the same boat and needing some quick food before this summer's Last Remaining Seats!

Rate-A-Restaurant #265: Golden Road Brewery

Restaurant: Golden Road

Location: 5410 West San Fernando Rd. (Atwater Village)

Type of restaurant: Brewpub



We stipulated: Golden Road, which consists of a brewery in one building and a full-sized restaurant/pub in another, is a nice bike ride away from our homebase. I've been wanting to grab the family for a ride there since it opened and Saturday was finally our chance.



They stipulated: "Golden Road Brewing was founded in 2011 by Tony Yanow (of local beer-focused restaurants Tony's Darts Away and Mohawk Bend) and Meg Gill (formerly of Oskar Blues Brewery and Speakeasy Ales & Lagers). Before opening Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, Tony consulted with Meg on picking top craft breweries in California for his ambitious state-wide beer list. They immediately realized they shared a vision around building a brewery to deliver fresh beer to locals."



What we ordered: Pulled pork sandwich ("Braised in GRB heff and wild flower honey with shredded cabbage and honey mustard on a croissant") $9; Vegan banh mi ("Deep fried tofu, julienned vegetables, pickled carrots, fresh herbs and sriracha mayo") $7; Pretzel ("Bavarian-style pretzel with spicy Dijon mustard") $7; Fritters ("wild mushroom risotto with vegan pimento cheese") $4; Golden Road Brewing "Point the Way IPA" beer on tap, $5.



High point: Maria liked the risotto fritter, the kids liked the pretzel and I enjoyed the beer -- a nice surprise, considering I normally don't care for the bitter taste of an IPA. But I had heard good things about it, and wanted to give it a shot.



Low point: Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like the pulled pork sandwich, it's a bad idea to put something like that on a croissant. The croissant becomes to mushy to eat (why not a harder roll?) -- so much so that you can't even pick it up. The pork itself was also a little too fatty. Trim the fat, put it on a hard, crusty roll and you've got something.



Overall impression: Great place to bike to -- and the bike racks were full, a testament to the location. Plus, it's extremely kid-friendly, which is great (the young ones will enjoy being so close to the train tracks). The food itself is just OK (there's room for improvement, and perhaps they'll get there), but the beers are good. I also love that it's in such an industrial area, and close to both the river and the train tracks. Something about that environment that makes it feel down-to-earth.



Chance we'll go back: Yep, I need to try the GRB Heff, and plus I've got to do more bike rides!

The Animal/Samuel Adams Taste Test

The scene inside Animal on Tuesday night.

When you get an invite for dinner at Animal -- the Fairfax meat-centric eatery that I hadn't yet tried -- along with promises of sampling an extra strong beer, you don't say no.

And indeed, the invite came from Samuel Adams, which was interested in touting its 2009 Samuel Adams Utopias -- a dark beer that actually looks, smells and tastes much more like a port. Guinness Book of World Records calls the Utopias -- with 25 percent alcohol by volume -- the strongest beer in the world.

Animal chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo came up with the menu to pair with a range of Samuel Adams beers. Here were the highlights (and yes, we were stuffed):


First course: Crispy hominy and lime (left) and lettuce/beets/avocado/pita/feta/creamy sumac. (Not pictured: Fluke, grape & yuzu granita, apple, orange, serrano, mint.) Paired with the Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat.

The Fluke/grape/yuzu granita combo was fascinating, and one of my favorite dishes of the night. The icy yet crunchy texture of the granita fit well with the raw fish. Extremely refreshing. The crispy hominy, meanwhile, was a guiltly pleasure. No interest in the lettuce though -- feta's a deal breaker for me.


Second course: Melted petit basque, chorizo, grilled bread. Paired with Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic.

In small doses, great. But don't want to overdo this one.


Second course, continued: Poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar.

This was unlike any poutine I've ever encountered. If poutine normally looked like this, I'd be a fan.


Second course, continued: Barbecue pork belly sandwiches, slaw.

The winner of the night, of course. Can't go wrong with pork belly sandwiches. Could have kept eating this.


Main course: Ribeye roast, escargot butter, mash, brussel sprouts. Paired with Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

Steak was a little too red for my taste. And the brussel sprouts were ordinary.


Dessert: Panna cotta, saba (left); bacon chocolate crunch barm s&p anglaise. Paired with Samuel Adams Holiday Porter.

I think the edge went to the panna cotta; was intrigued by the bacon chocolate -- one of their signature items -- and thought it was fine.


Joe's doughnuts -- cinnamon sugar, caramel; paired here with the Samuel Adams Triple Bock (1994)

How could this be anything but fantastic. And it was. The triple bock, meanwhile, is a bit too bitter.


The Samuel Adams Utopias (2009)

Gotta say, did like the Utopias; it was like a nice port, but didn't taste as strong -- even with the high alcoholic content.

I'll be interested to try Animal again in a normal dining situation. But definitely a pretty nice meal.