Rate-A-Restaurant #358: Eagle Rock Public House (Eagle Rock)

Restaurant: Eagle Rock Brewery Public House

Location: 1627 Colorado Blvd (Eagle Rock)



Type of restaurant: Gastropub

We stipulated: Date night! Looking for a place to grab a quick dinner before moving on to a nearby event.



They stipulated: "Here at Eagle Rock Public House, we believe that an elevated dining experience is matched perfectly with great beers, but often under-appreciated and difficult to find. Co-founder/Executive Chef Jerry Su has developed an amazing menu using seasonal and sustainable ingredients of the highest quality. Personally selecting the finest produce to use from the local farmers’ market, he artistically crafts unique dishes for guests to enjoy with our carefully curated craft beer list. With literally thousands of styles of beers that offer an incredibly wide variety of flavor profiles, (in our opinion) beers are the best option for all sorts of food. Collectively, we wanted to create a concept to share our passions with other like-minded people, and we hope you love the food and beer as much as we do!"



What we ordered:  Scallop (raisin miso, pineapple, seaweed emulsion, beef bushi) $18; Fried cod sandwich (manifesto batter, slaw, malt vinegar aioli) $13; churrones (Mexican hot chocolate) $8.



High point:  The scallops were fantastic... and you can rarely go wrong with churros.

Low point:  XXX.

Overall impression: Eagle Rock Brewery has long offered its beverages in its Glassell Park location, but it's great to finally add some gastropub fare to the mix. (I was also glad to see the disappointing and never-open Fatty's finally move out of the space.)



Will we return: Yes, we will be back to try the ever-changing menu.

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!

Exploring Downtown's Brewery Art Colony

Twice a year, more than 100 of the Brewery's residents throw open their live/work lofts to show off some of their wares. The Brewery Art Walk took place this past weekend, and the Franklin Avenue trio checked it out.

As interested I was in the art, the L.A. nerd in me was even more interested to get a good look at the lofts, and how a one-time brewery had been adapted.

A hodge-podge of 22 buildings on 23 acres, the complex dates back to 1888. Much of the site began as the Eastside Brewery, and later the Maier Brewery. Still later, Pabst Blue Ribbon took over the brewery, and operated there until 1981. The complex's buildings also include what was once one of Los Angeles' first power plants.

The Brewery functions as a mini community, which hundreds of residents creating a wide range of art. The doors open during the Brewery Art Walk, in which artists show off and sell their works; several studios also sell clothes at sample sale prices, among other things. Parking and admission is free.

It's obviously too late to attend this past weekend's events, but another one is scheduled for fall.

Some pics:


"Since 1894 - Paradox Iron," the sign on the warehouse reads. This is the building from which the famous smokestack, with the words "THE BREWERY" painted on the side, soars.


Once upon a time, where beer was sent to ferment. Now, artists lofts.


"Pabst believes in safety." 28 years later, this bulletin board still exists, now highlighting news and info for the Brewery tenants.


With the Brewery smokestack in the backgound, event attendees dine on food from Barbara's, the art colony's restaurant/bar.


In this piece, Arnold Schwarzenegger sprouts horns and holds a dead bunny. Much like the real governor.


A cat sculpture next to the studio of artist Bruce Gray.


No lie, this is a rug of Britney Spears' face. No takers as of Saturday morning.


Joy Division!


Yes. That is a dress made of sporks.


The artists colony even boasts its own bookstore, Bookfinger.