Day Block Brewing Review

I'll admit it, the frigid cold, ice-packed roads, and repeated snowmageddons here in Minnesota have kept me acting as more of a homebody than I'd like.  Several new breweries have opened since last Fall and I've been falling down on my self-avowed mission to review them for my readers.  This weekend we braved the arctic blast, heading downtown to check out Day Block Brewing.  Located on Washington Avenue, near the 7 Corners area, the brewery opened officially on January 27 2014.  As of this writing, they have been open just under two months.  I like to give brewpubs and breweries a little time to iron out the kinks and get a couple batches of beer under their belts before doing official reviews, and that time has now come!  Come along on a trip with me…

This particular trip was on a Sunday, around 12:45 in the afternoon.  Driving in from Waconia, I like to visit places on "off" days like Tuesdays and Sundays to avoid traffic and crowds.  This also usually allows more time for pictures and for asking staff questions about the food and drink.  On the other hand you do sometimes run into issues with restaurants having the "B Team" on those days and perhaps less staff than usual for a higher volume time.  In my opinion if a restaurant or bar has poor service on a day when there should be plenty of time, it does not bode well for busy crunch times!

The brewery is named after its location: the old Day Block Building, dating back to 1883.  There is a small parking lot behind the building, which is always convenient downtown, but if crowded you will need to find metered street parking.  The building itself is made of light colored brick, with thick walls made to last centuries and multiple fires.  I'm always happy to see historic and classic architecture reused rather razed for new high-rises, so this place had already piqued my interest.  I took along my new camera to test it out and hopefully get some good pictures of the place.  You can be the judge on how I did with that goal!  There is a small sign for the brewery on the street-side corner of the building, and a banner higher up on the front.  Walking from the parking lot, we passed two doors, each with an arrow pointing toward the main entrance around front.  Passing an unlabeled door, I reached yet another door, this one with an arrow pointing back the way I came from!  I would like to recommend that they add a Day Block Brewing sign directly over the main entrance at some point in the future, as I saw several other folks trying the wrong doors during my visit. 

Inside, the main restaurant, bar and small kitchen are located off to the right of the entrance.  There is a second bar area on the left, that was not open at this time, but gives them room to spread out during peak hours.  The 10 barrel brewery itself is located in a glassed in room behind that accessory bar, and is all fresh and glistening new stainless steel.  Both bars are of fine-grained lighter colored wood with a fairly large silvery tin-tiled back splash.  Growlers and glasses line the back of the bar and 6 hand-turned wooden tap handles are used to pull foaming pints of craft beer for thirsty patrons.  Brown painted tin tile lines the tall ceilings, criss-crossed by track lighting and industrial piping.  Exposed thick brick walls and a huge expanse of spotless glass windows line the room.  The overall impression is of extreme age with a fresh coating of paint, populated with new wooden booths and tables.  The look inside the building is pleasant and well-lit, but has a slightly generic feel to it.  The one thing I didn't see, that would be welcome, was some sort of Day Block sign over the bar.  Maybe they are not wanting to spoil the ambiance, but I think they could do with some branding here!  The place was very cold, with solid brick walls and huge expanses of glass radiating an icy chill through the pub.  We were forced to wear our winter coats through out our stay.  Summer will be nicer.

Artistic Licence!

Tell you more about the beer you ask?  They usually have six beers on tap at any one time, but had just run out of one during my visit.  With a small sized brewery, they are able to do many smaller batches and try more things, which is one reason I tend to like brewpubs.  They have listed the batch numbers on the beer menu, and at least one beer was up to batch seven.  This indicates that they have had time to dial in their system and hopefully make tweaks to recipes for fine tuning.  I ordered the six beer sampler for their 5 beers and got an extra pour of the rye bock.  Served in a long wooden paddle the flight certainly looked impressive when brought to the table.  I'll give my impressions of the beers as a BJCP beer judge, but keep in mind my tastes may be different from yours!  If you like a beer that I don't, that doesn't make you wrong.  The Winter Wit was a Belgian Wit style beer with a pretty strong orange character--I actually liked this one pretty well, but get migraines from wheat beers so let Sj drink most of my sample.  The humorously named Former Mayor Ryebock (R.T.Rybak for those non-Minnesotans out there) was a pleasant and malty maibock with rye and probably my favorite of the day.  The Black IPA was fairly good for what it was but I'm just not a fan of the style, so can't get too excited about it.  The Porter was decent, but didn't blow my socks off, seeming a bit thin in body.  My least favorite was the Frank's Red Ale.  I got diacetyl (buttered popcorn) and too much toffee sweetness from it that made it difficult to drink.

And the food?  I'm pleased at the new trend to go back to the brewpub model in Minnesota.  With Northbound Smokehouse, Free House and now Day Block taking this tack, there are more options recently for Minneapolis.  If I drive in from the suburbs I usually want some food with my beer, something that brewery tap-rooms can't do unless they happen to have a food truck stop by.  Brewpubs are also open on Sundays, unlike tap-rooms, but still can't sell growlers due to archaic post-prohibition laws about Sunday liquor sales in our state.  (Check the link here for more info on that particular problem via The Four Firkins.)  The kitchen at Day Block is tiny, but has an interesting mix of appetizers and pizzas.  We ordered the pickle sampler, which included pickled radish, kimchi, and regular pickles with hops in the mix.  All were good and refreshing.  We also ordered the much-discussed bacon flight: a mixture of three specialty bacons served end-up in tiny porcelain bowls filled with dipping sauces.  I love this idea and the sauces were really tasty (spicy chocolate, curry and another I can't remember) but at least half of our bacon was burned to solid black twigs of meat briquette.  If bacon is on your menu as a signature plate you really, really need to cook it correctly.  Sj ordered a Taco Truck Pizza topped with flank steak, cotija cheese, pickled jalapeno and radish.  This was good, but didn't "wow" either of us.  I ordered the Bahn Mizza: a pizza-fied take on the classic meat filled Vietnamese banh mi sandwich.  This one was a winner!  Slightly spicy with Asian flavors, pork and shaved carrots, atop a perfectly crispy crust.  Now this is a signature dish!

The burnt bacon was not as photogenic!

As hinted at earlier in my review, our service was a bit mixed during this visit.  When we entered the building, there were three guys at the bar and three other occupied tables.  We were not allowed to sit in one of the empty booths as they were reserved for parties of three or more.  I understand this policy, especially on a busy Saturday night, but perhaps they could have made exception for slow Sundays?  Our waitress did eventually push a second two-top table up to ours to give us more room for our apps, pizzas and beer flight though.  Our service was not fast, but we did find out later that our poor waitress had cut her hand and needed to take some time to get that dressed.  Ok, I'll give her some leeway there!  We did get our appetizers at the same time as our pizzas--a pet peeve of mine--but I should have learned by now not to order everything at once.

My overall impression of Day Block Brewing was favorable, but with some caveats.  I think the food was good, but they need to step up their game on that bacon.  Nine bucks for mostly burned bacon is nine bucks too much.  The beers were mostly good quality (minus the red) but none of them really excited me.  Perhaps my palate is jaded after years of chasing the next new hop or funky beer.  I'm hoping that these guys make full use of their small brew system and create lots of seasonal and one-off projects rather than sticking to a bunch of safe standbys.  I didn't mention it previously, but Day Block makes a note of trying to use as many fresh and local ingredients as possible--a policy I thoroughly agree with.  The beer they ran out of used a rare hop from Wisconsin, and I know they  use malts from Rahr in Shakopee, so they are trying to do this in their brewing as well as the restaurant.  I would certainly stop by here for a beer again, and perhaps a Bahn Mizza, but probably won't make the 45 minute trek from home just for that.  I hate to say it but Day Block is just too close to my old favorite Town Hall, and if I drive all the way to 7 Corners area I'm going to want to stop in there first. 

I'd love to hear what other people think of the place, so feel free to comment on this blog if you have anything to say!  Am I wrong?  Am I right?  Is there a new beer that I must get back there to try?

Update 5/13/14 Day Block Revisited!

After writing my initial review I was actually contacted by one of the owners, who seemed to really be interested in feedback.  He suggested I give them another try, so as of this update, that is just what I did.     This visit was also on a Tuesday at noon, but this time I took along my beer-loving mom for a late Mother's Day lunch.  The layout and vibe of the place is the same as my initial impression, though slightly less chilly this time.

We each got a 6 beer sampler and I have to say that I was very impressed with the results.  Out of all 6 beers the only one I didn't love was the Kolsch--and that was mainly because it was a Kolsch!  They had a Spring Lager that was hoppy, fresh and amazing.  The Block 21 Pale Ale was citrus-filled and entirely refreshing.  I'm always impressed when a small brewery can pull off lagers well and there were 3 excellent examples in this flight.

I ordered the bacon flight again, just to see what would happen.  This time the bacon was not burned and was heavenly!  One had a sweet maple dipping sauce, another was spicy jerk seasoned with a zippy pineapple sauce, and the last was chocolate dipped.  Yum!

For main dishes my mom got the Chimmi pizza, with beef chunks, pickled onions and spicy chimmichurrie sauce.  I got the Bahn Mizza again because it is worth making the trip for.  I won again, though both pizzas were good.

Overall, a few months after my first review I have to say that things have shaped up nicely.  Service was quicker, bacon was better, and the beers were even better.  I can now whole-heartedly recommend the place!

Freehouse Brewery Review

I've been looking forward to trying out Freehouse since I first heard rumors of it brewing late last year.  I have been a fan the Edina Grill and 3 Squares (also Blue Plate restaurants) for their casual but still upscale menus and good beer lists.  That being said, I have more recently been disappointed in the dwindling beer selection at Edina Grill.  So, a brewpub to open under this aegis?  Sounds like a perfect idea to me.  However, the place has sparked some controversy: even before officially opening, Freehouse made the national news with a somewhat ludicrous beer pricing scheme, that luckily they seem to have revamped since then.  I always like to give breweries and restaurants a little to time get through their initial growing pains before making an official ruling on them, which is why I waited a bit to get out there.

I picked up my mom in Maple Grove and headed downtown on a Tuesday for lunch.  The day was a bone-chillingly cold -6 degrees F, and we parked a few blocks away in a metered spot.  As we shambled ourselves over the poorly shoveled ice-slicks that Minneapolis calls sidewalks, we did see some parking spots near the restaurant that may have been fair game.  Oh well, I'm a suburb guy and don't know my downtown well!  The place is near Be'Wiched and Burrough, an easy walk to Fulton in warmer days.  A large metal grain silo emblazoned with an orange Minnesota, led the way to the building, drawing me like a beacon toward beer and blessed warmth.

A smiling hostess quickly opened the door for us and hustled us into the warm interior. Upon entering the large one story brick building I was struck by the contrasts.  Industrial girders and piping painted in white and black lined the ceilings and some of the walls--stark and monochromatic.  A large stainless steel square bar appeared just to the left of the entrance with a metal hanging shelf structure above it loaded with empty growlers.  Lots of windows offered good lighting, even on this overcast day.  Once we were seated in the restaurant proper at heavy light-grained wooden tables, I had time to continue looking around myself.  The dining area itself had soft booths of muted colors and despite the stark nature of the place it felt at the same time very comfortable and relaxing.  One can see the brewery itself behind glass at the other side of the dining room, with an animated Freehouse sign across the glass, bubbling with simulated carbonation.

The menu seemed a bit schizophrenic.  Classic pub fare like sandwiches, burgers and fish & chips vie for attention with breakfast items all day.  The appetizers were a bit out-there: oysters, bone marrow, oxtail croquettes, salmon Scotch egg, Korean riblets.  We ended up splitting two dishes so we could each try more things.  The fish & chips was very good, served with a wonderful house made aoli/tartar sauce, and a mint pea puree.  The star of the show was the strangely named $1000 Burger.  Served on a house made English muffin, the patty is a combination of flavorful cuts of brisket, short rib, sirloin and rich duck fat.  The flavors in this burger are crazy good and any extra juices soak into the muffin rather than escaping to the plate.  I'm usually a ketchup fiend, but I didn't even use any on this burger.  After trying these solid dishes, I'd like to sample some of the other wacky concoctions on this menu.

Let's talk beer, shall we?  Brewpubs are a difficult proposition, needing to succeed at both brewing good quality beers, as well as having great food.  This is the main reason there aren't a lot of brewpubs going up in the state.  With new taproom laws in Minnesota, breweries can sell pints at their own places without having to deal with running a successful restaurant as well.  However, nearly every brewery we went to in Oregon had their own restaurant, and most seemed to be doing great business.  The brewer for Freehouse is none other than Tim Piotrowski, (Pio for short,) most recently an alumni of the Minneapolis Rock Bottom.  Check this link to see last year's interview that he was kind enough to do for this blog.  At this point Freehouse has four house beers which I will touch on, but they also serve a limited supply of other craft beers along their own.  They serve beers in a pint, "middy" and 5 ounce sample glass so you can choose how you want it served.  I like having options.

1) The kolsch is a very light beer, obviously aimed at the casual beer drinker.  A subtle brew with a light fruity flavor, but I picked up a hint of plastic in the nose that I didn't love.  Luckily that faded quickly.
2) The brown ale was slightly more flavorful than a Newcastle, but in that vein.  Dry finish without a lot of body.  A light roasty flavor adds some complexity.
3) The stout seemed like a dry Irish stout but the lack of nitro tap to smooth the dry astringency of the finish and add mouthfeel knocked this down a bit for me.  My mom described it as "watery." 
4) The IPA was pretty mellow, but very well balanced.  This seemed more like a modern day pale ale, since IPA's have gone more over the top in recent years.  If I had tasted this 5 years ago I would have thought it was hoppy, but not today.  This was my favorite of the bunch, and I'd be happy to have a couple pints of it.  Very good with the fish & chips too!

When it comes down to it the beers were all fairly safe, but all were clean and drinkable.  Pio is known for well balanced, drinkable beers, and as such he is a good choice for this type of brewery.  All of the beers went well with the food choices we had, not overwhelming the flavors in the food--an important thing to consider when running a brewpub!  They are apparently working on a hoppier West Coast IPA and a wheat beer now, which bodes well for further experimentation in their line up.  It also sounds like they hope to feature some of the beers in the other Blue Plate restaurants as well, much like Town Hall and Fitgers have done with their off-shoot sites.

The service we had at Freehouse was stellar.  From the pleasant hostess to our knowledgeable and attentive server, I felt well cared for during my visit.  My empty sample glasses magically whisked away, and I never felt rushed or pressured.  At one point a jovial, bearded manager stopped by and seemed genuinely interested in what we thought of our experience and the beers in particular.  Everyone I dealt with seemed to know their beer and food well.

Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Freehouse.  Excellent service, good food and decent house-brewed beer made this a great place for lunch.  Having read an entertaining but less than glowing review prior to my visit, I had somewhat low expectations coming in.  I was almost disappointed not to be served a Lovecraftian dish, but my experience was apparently much better!  The setting was an interesting juxtaposition of industrial and comfortable.  At this point they lack a "killer" beer that I would make the trip out for specifically, but I look forward to stopping back in here again to try more beers over time...and to have another of those amazing burgers. 

Rock Bottom MPLS Holiday Brewmaster's Dinner 2012

Every year during the holiday season the folks at Rock Bottom in Minneapolis unleash their chefs and let them do a beer-pairing dinner extravaganza.  I have been to this dinner several times over the last few years and all have been a lot of fun.  I was really interested in this year's event because I wanted a chance to test out the new head chef (Raphael) and the new brew master (Pio).  Our Rock Bottom has had a lot of changes over the past couple years, being bought out by Craftworks being the largest of these.  Partially due to changes in policy at that time, the old brew master Bryon Tonnis left for greener pastures (Duluth).  Assistant brewer (and crazy vegan) Peter Mack stayed on and they brought in Sherlock's Home alumni Bob Mackenzie as head brewer.  Just when the two of them seemed to be hitting their stride, Bob left for Cold Spring/Third Street Brewhouse, and Peter ended up at Town Hall.  Like some kind of soap opera isn't it?  The new brewer is Tim Piotrowski, or Pio, originally from Wisconsin, but living in Colorado most recently.  I'm not sure who he angered to get sent out to the icy gulag of Minnesota, but he seems to be settling in nicely.

Back to Rock Bottom.  After the Craftworks buy-out there have been some changes.  All the Rock Bottoms have the same four flagship beers brewed to the same recipe but possibly different in taste due to the different water and equipment from brewery to brewery.  Beyond that it seems like the brew master has some free reign to do seasonals and experimental beers.  Recently the Mug Club card has been changed from on high as well.  Previously it was based on visits and one could accumulate growler cozies, hats, shirts and my own personal goal of the barbecue tool set.  Now all the progress one has made toward that goal is scraped clean and it will be based on how much you spend at the restaurant.  I believe that the rewards are no longer items, but gift certificates to the restaurant.  Probably makes more sense from a restaurant/corporate stand-point, but we beer folks like our swag.  I'm also sad that they no longer will be counting pints drunk towards getting your name on a plaque mounted on a big keg on the bar side. 

After the above mentioned changes I've seen some drop in interest for RB from the beer people I know, and have even had some such thoughts myself.  As a beer geek and homebrewer, I want variation and ingenuity in the beers I drink.  I want the brewer to make the beer he/she wants to make and not what a corporation thinks will be liked by more non-craft beer drinkers.  I view Rock Bottom as a brewpub, not a restaurant that happens to make beer.  On the other hand I realize that most brewpubs live or die by the food they sell, so that is a vital component of the business.

The beer dinner was a nice way to try some of the chef's new ideas and to taste a bunch of the new beers paired to contrast or compliment those foods.  I was at RB not too long ago, but several of the beers on tap were left over from the previous brewers and I wasn't sure which were from Pio and which were older.  By now, all the beers on tap are from Pio's hand and I got a good sampling of them over the night.  Sj and I were slightly late due to our one hour commute, but they caught us up quickly with a large glass of Kolsch and a lamb crostini on arrival.  We settled into a couple of open seats and met some very fun people over dinner.  Lots of homebrewers in the house!  We also got to sit next to Pio's girlfriend (dragged from the balmy land of California originally) who was very fun to talk to and hang out with.  She filled us in a bit while Pio was spending time socializing with the other tables.

The appetizer course came out next, consisting of amazing green mussels steamed with the RB White Ale and spicy jalapeno butter.  This was my favorite dish of the night and probably the best mussels I've ever had.  This should go on the regular menu.  The pairing was a good one since the beer was the base of the broth the mussels were served in.  I don't tend to drink wheat beers since they often give me migraines, so I didn't drink much of this one. 

Between each course Pio talked passionately about the beers and the thought behind the pairing.  He is a young man who obviously loves what he does and takes pride in his beers.  For me it makes all the difference getting to meet and discuss beer with a particular brewer.

A butternut squash bisque was next, made and paired with the Sunday Bloody Sunday Irish Red ale.  A good soup, and the pairing was nice.  The beer was quite dry but not in a bad way.  I find that style is often overly sweet and carmel-like and the dry finish on this made you want to keep drinking it.

Salad course was an enormous grilled Belgian endive served over a Nut Brown balsamic reduction with gorgonzola cheese and pickled red onions.  The endive was a bit too big and didn't really get soft enough from grilling, but the flavors were great.  The version of Big Horn Brown was significantly different from the old one.  It used to be sweetish with an English character, but now is dry and a bit roasty.  If I didn't know better I'd be tempted to call it a light porter.  Don't get me wrong here, I really liked it, but simply quite different from the old version.

The main course was a roasted duck breast and leg glazed with a Belgian IPA and orange glaze that really played well with the beer pairing.  I am a professed hater of the Belgian IPA style, but this one was restrained and among the better examples of this heinous travesty of beer style.  I did drink the whole glass which should tell you something.

The nemesis to my lactose intolerant gut came out next.  Beemster 18 month aged Gouda cheese.  Strong nutty flavor with crunchy crystals make this a wonderful and tasty cheese.  Worth the risk.  The pairing on this one was probably the best of the night.  Served alongside a vanilla flavored Winter Tartan Scottish Ale.  This one was a bit sweet, but not cloying. 

To cap off the dinner we had a chai molten lava cake topped with a cardamom whipped cream and salted caramel.  The pairing with the Coconut Chai Stout was very pleasant.  This version of the famed MPLS RB beer was different, but I think Pio did a very good job of making this beer his own.  Dryer than the sweet original, this one seems a bit more like an Irish stout.  That may have been accentuated by putting it up against such a decadently sweet dessert though.  I liked the mix of chai spice flavors in both the beer and the cake.

Overall this was a very nice way to spend a Tuesday night.  I would make it a point to get to next year's dinner, and hopefully Pio is here to stay for a while!  Here is looking for no more RB brewer upheavals over the next few years.  If you haven't tried out Rock Bottom since Pio and Raphael took over, I would recommend a trip out there.  I also hope that RB gets past its growing pains and the company will find a good balance between the beer/brewery aspect and the bar/restaurant portion.  You can't find a much better place to hang out for a pint after a show at the Orpheum or State Theaters. 

Republic

For a break from Fringe Festival updates, we now bring you a review of Republic bar and restaurant.

We have now visited this place enough times for me to give a decent review of it.  Located in the historic Preston's Building in the 7 Corners area of the University, Republic is a relative newcomer to the craft beer scene.  They have been increasing their tap selection and now only have craft on tap, and some macro stuff in bottles.  They have a fine range of local, other US craft, and some Import beers.  A stand out for me was the Sunner Kolsch from Germany served in the proper stange glass.  They also have Kwak from Belgium served in their wacky wooden-framed glassware.  The staff seem well trained in beer serving and styles as well.  One guy I saw pouring was an outright master at pouring from the taps, knowing just the right amount of height and angle to achieve the correct head on each different beer.  A friend of ours, Emily, has been serving here for a while too, and we got to see her the other day.  Tap lines were all clean and they serve a cask beer every Wednesday I believe.  They also serve samplers of 3 eight ounce beers for $10.  Not cheep, but a nice way to work your way through the beer list.

The decor evokes age with the old oak bar and paneling as well as the antique Preston's stained glass that they left intact.  Good move!  And some stuffed animal heads on the wall of course!  There is a separate dining section in the other half of the place, but most people seem to sit on the bar side.  This time of year the outside patio does a brisk business as well.

We have food here twice now, the first time being soon after they opened and not a fantastic experience.  Trying again yesterday we were happier with our food.  I ordered the hanger steak, (not a common cut of meat around here,) that was cooked perfectly served with crispy fries and a side of sugary carmelized carrots.  Sj had the hanger steak salad, that could have used a little more excitement.

Overall, I'd recommend stopping in here for a sampler and a snack, but probably wouldn't choose to eat here regularly.  Oh, and make sure to stop across the street at Town Hall Brewery as well!

Rock Bottom Minneapolis

Rock Bottom has been a fixture in Downtown Minneapolis for many years, and has spawned several great brewers over that time.  The brewers from Surly started here, and even more recently Brion Tonnis, who is starting up a brewery in Duluth.  Last year the brewers were Bob MacKenzie (the guy from Sherlock's Home, not from Strange Brew...) and Peter Mack, both have since moved on.  I don't know much about the new brewer Piotrowski yet, but based on this most recent sampling of beers, I think he knows what he's doing.  I do know that he was sent out from Colorado, where he brewed at another RB.  Over the years and brewers the beers have certainly changed...for instance Erik the Red Ale was changed to a Vienna lager.

The food here is always good, with slightly upscale pub feel.  Service is usually good too, and most servers actually know about the beers they serve.  It is always funny to overhear newbies in the booth next to you asking servers, "Don't you have any regular beers here?"  In the past they usually have had a Christmas beer dinner, and I hope they continue.

The aforementioned Peter took our brew club on a tour of the brewery last year, and gave us a lot of insight into how the process worked.  That was a fun time!  I hope the new brewer embraces the local beer geek and homebrew communities.

It kills me to see this as a display and not filled with beer in my basement

Growlers filled from taps so drink them quick!

Since the chain was bought out by Craftworks there have been several changes, and that just might have prompted the switch in brewers.  The brewery now has four basic beers they have to brew and the recipe is the same for all the sites:  Red, Kolsch, Belgian Wit, and IPA.  The Kolsch is actually very good, better than last time I was here.  The brewer still has some lee-way in seasonals, so each site is still distinct.  The Molly's Titanic Brown was very nice and nutty, but the winner of the day was the Cocoa-Motion Porter served on Nitro.  Overall, I think this is a great place to stop before or after a show or a baseball game.  I should get to try a RB in Seattle next week and will be able to compare the two.