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Magazines » May/June 2009 Issue » The Eagle Has Landed: Five Best New Gastropubs

In 1991, London’s The Eagle, revered as the world’s first gastropub, opened its doors and forever raised the bar for pub grub. More than 15 years later, the spirit of The Eagle has touched down Stateside, and American publicans are making it their own. These five gastropubs, all of which opened in the last year, have put a new spin on the English trend, and lead the flock of this dining and imbibing revolution.

CHICAGO
The Publican
845 W. Fulton Market,
www.thepublicanrestaurant.com

The realistic swine images that flank the walls of The Publican are not photos of bygone ungulates that made their way onto your plate -- though they could be. Whole hog deliveries from organic farms arrive regularly at the kitchen doorstep from Midwest parts such as Iowa, and are butchered onsite. (Not to be wasted, the blood is used for sausage.)

With chef Paul Kahan’s other ventures, Blackbird and Avec, both winners of James Beard awards that span from culinary to design, an appreciative following have come to expect freshness, simplicity and a dedication to classic cuisine from any restaurant to which his name is attached.

At his newest and passionately awaited project, Kahan and his partners have fashioned a kind of culinary rebuttal against the inefficiencies of factory farming and taken food-source transparency to its full-bore (boar?) and logical conclusion by providing each item with a carefully identified provenance. For the hungry locavore who yearns to be part of the solution, don’t underestimate how satisfying it can be to gaze upon a menu that asks you to ponder whether you might go for the collards (harvested from Growing Power, a community outreach initiative in Chicago that supports and fosters growing affordable food for inner-city youth) or fresh beets (from Buckley, Michigan’s alt-sounding Werp Farms).

Which brings up a point worth clarifying. Before the October 2008 opening, all buzz indicated the restaurant was to be a pork and beer gastropub; it is not. Design-wise, architect Thomas Schlesser and partner Donnie Madia have created an ambience more vintage beer hall than its modern spawn. The vast space has walnut walls, 13-foot ceilings illuminated by a parade of globes and brass fixtures and a shiny open kitchen. Claustrophobes will forego their privacy and opt for the enormous communal table instead of corral-like enclosed booths.

Menu offerings are more expansive, too. Maybe location had something to do with it. On an otherwise uninhabited block, The Publican is located very near Isaacson & Stein Fish Co., one of the last (and best) fish mongers in the city’s formerly thriving Fulton Market. According to Kahan, however, “the plan has always been based on oysters, pork and beer;” though selections include an array of fish. “Each category is defined by a zero-manipulation item,” Kahan says, with starters like oysters and charcuterie receiving the simplest treatment, followed by more involved preparations as course items progress.

Best for last, the beer menu was also designed to deepen with courses. Mike McAvena, the beer director, who is 25, looks every bit his age and doesn’t mind going by “beer guy,” recommends among the Belgians. He chooses a witbier -- always a “giggler,” he says -- for the smoked trout. The spicy Cheetos-inspired pork rinds warrant a “working-class” saison. Potee is a succulent trio of sausage, pork tenderloin, and veal breast, which requests the winelike treatment of a bruin.

At his tender age, how did he get so smart about beer so fast? It all started five years ago and involved a home beer kit. “Be careful with those things,” McAvena warns. His duplex, which he shares with a lenient girlfriend, is now overrun with homebrew.   –Rose Spinelli

DRINK UP
The best of The Publican’s nearly 100 brews.
2008 Fantôme Saison -- Secret spices make for a creamy, yeasty, dry saison-style ale reminiscent of strawberry shortcake.
Liefmans Kriek -- A slightly sour fruit beer, this kriek’s got a sweet sherbet touch with a tart, refreshing finish.
De Proef La Grande Blanche -- A Belgian double wit with an elegantly hazy body, the aroma of spice, elderflower, buttered bread, and lemon custard tempts the nose.
Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne -- This blended Flemish red ale, matured in oak, is rich with aromas of dark, overripe cherries, a touch of bitter chocolate, and a woody, dry acidic tang.
Vintage Schneider Aventinus -- As with “fresh” Aventinus, The Publican’s vintage versions are rich and complex with banana-nut bread impressions and portlike overtones.

SEATTLE
Spur
113 Blanchard St.
www.spurseattle.com

Spur’s stark-white walls stand blank. Surely some fortune-costing designer laid the beat-up floorboards, placed two high-backed chocolate-velvet chairs at the entrance, and hung the heavy drapes that seem to keep what’s inside a secret, trying in earnest to lend some sparse hipness to the place. But when you’re giving everything you’ve got to what goes on the table, who has time for hip?

It’s a long way from Seattle’s W Hotel, the swanky spot downtown where Spur’s two chefs, Dana Tough and Brian McCracken, met while working under chef Maria Hines. There, a coworker introduced them to mixologist David Nelson, and years later, the trio set out to create an Americanized gastropub, which, for them, meant celebrating everything -- spirits, beer, ingredients, hospitality -- U.S. of A-style. The result is Spur, a no-frills yet homey hideaway just up the street from Pike Place Market in Seattle’s tony Belltown, where the three enliven a menu of shared plates -- changing it monthly to keep things seasonal -- that pairs seamlessly with artful libations.

“The modern cocktail as we know it originated here,” says Nelson. So, he reasons, “An American gastropub should be -- and we are -- focused on spirits and mixology, and bringing the bar and the kitchen together.” The drink menu draws from a stack of rare bottles inching toward the ceiling, including nearly 50 American whiskeys (if Nelson’s drinking, he brings down the Black Maple Hill 23-year Rye), and touts old-school cocktails like his bourbon-based Kentucky Tuxedo and modern drinks that show off his house-made bitters, infusions, and foams. He’s working off a kind of sixth sense of spirits -- during a bourbon-pairing dinner, he famously charred the inside of martini glasses to elicit the drink’s smoke note -- and he often simply dreams up drinks inspired by whatever flavors a customer’s in the mood for.

More often, he’s inspired by what’s cooking. In the kitchen, McCracken and Tough match the bravado of the bar with neo-American dishes like a luscious, earthy Tagliatele pasta with oyster mushrooms, duck egg, and parmesan foam, and the most addictive menu item, pork-belly sliders with heirloom apples atop buttery buns. Nearly every ingredient is native to the Northwest: An exquisite buttermilk-fried rabbit confit hails from Oregon, while the butterfish, cooked sous-vide until it’s so soft it’s cheeselike and served with pickled grapefruit, was plucked from the nearby Pacific.

Like the food, Spur’s beer is locally sourced. Pike Brewing’s pale ale, for instance, comes from the brewery just five blocks south, while Hale’s Mongoose IPA ferments four miles away; both make a good snack alongside the crunchy, Fritolike fried hominy. Though there are just four taps, it’s easy to trust the tastes of Nelson, who admittedly likes “beers so bitter they suck the moisture out of my mouth.”
And for Nelson, trust, not pomp, is important. “I like to be able to trust who’s cooking for me or making my drink,” he says. “I want people to come in, relax, and feel comfortable with letting us take care of them. We’d like to get to a point where people can put themselves in our hands, trust the bartender and the chef and say, ‘cook for us.’” –Jessica Daynor

DRINK UP
The best of Spur’s drink menu.
Lover’s Lock -- Absinthe puts a licorice twist on this man’s-man grapefruit/Aperol cocktail disguised in magenta.
Georgetown 9lb. Porter -- Delicious alone or with Spur’s cocoa nib-dusted vanilla bean ice cream, this porter’s coffee undertones, malty richness and just-bitter-enough finish ooze elegance.
Kentucky Tuxedo -- A Bulliet Bourbon variation on a 19th-century cocktail, this tux is seamed with sherry, orange bitters and house-made lavender syrup; it packs some serious heat.
Hale’s Mongoose IPA -- Floral hop smells lure you into this lively, citrusy IPA. We’d take it with Spur’s Salmon Crostini dish, a play on bagels and lox starring mind-blowingly tender cold-smoked salmon and creamy, house-made mascarpone.
Pear Rum Swizzle -- Nelson makes a classic, boozy swizzle bespoke by infusing rum and brandy with fresh pears for eight hours, then mixing them with chartreuse and lime juice.

RALEIGH, N.C.
The Oxford 
319 Fayetteville St.
www.oxfordraleigh.com

Big beer is boon for downtown Raleigh. In a matter of five years, since North Carolina’s legislature raised the definition of beer from 6% ABV to 15%, the city’s become flush with new pubs and a population fanatical about suds. Raleigh may have arrived fashionably late to this country’s beer lovefest, but the recent opening of The Oxford proves it hasn’t missed a beat.

Opened in October, The Oxford bridges the uncommon bedfellows of craft beer, fine dining, and a lust for college basketball inside a 7,500-sq.-ft., dimly-lit setting, with stately swaths of black, burgundy, and gold running from the cozy parlor to the lively bar. If this country is known for reconstituting foreign memes, then The Oxford is no exception: It takes the English gastropub’s come-as-you-are mentality, and presents it in a way that’s truly American. Sure, a questionably large Union Jack looms in the parlor, but the spirit of Old Glory is alive and well.

“We’ll have people dining and there’s wine glasses on the table, and then you have a basketball game going on in the bar area, sports-barring it up and hollering at the TV,” illustrates Scott Steinsberger, general manager. “This just goes back to the idea of bridging the gap between an upper scale restaurant and the fun you’d have at the bar. If the game’s on, they almost create the positive energy for the diners, so you’re not just sitting in a boring restaurant.”

Allusions to Tobacco Road aside, credit for keeping up the excitement is due to Steinsberger and executive chef John Anderson, who develop the drink and food menus, respectively. Anderson’s multicultural menu, which rotates seasonally, combines English standards like a reimagined Bangers and Mash with boar and cranberry sausage with inspired dishes like Smoked Chicken Empanadas and a mouthwatering deconstructed guacamole, basically panko-fried avocados served with pico de gallo. For dessert, the unforgettable Chocolate Walnut Torte with homemade Young’s Double Chocolate Stout ice cream beckons, begging to be paired with house-favorite Delirium Tremens.

Steinsberger, who uses Anderson’s menu as inspiration for the drink selection, quenches the locals’ thirst for brew with popular labels found in English pubs like Carlsberg and Harp, as well as harder-to-find Innis & Gunn, and a wide range of worldly and native North Carolinian brews. But the menu also highlights Steinsberger’s knowledge of wine and scotch, all of which cater to Raleigh’s increasing interest in spirits.
“We just had some wine people in here last night, and we were talking about Malbec and Bernardo, which are Argentinean grapes, and we had beer people talking about Ommegang and cherry beers,” says Steinsberger.

Just like the city’s blossoming thirst for craft beer, Steinsberger and Anderson, along with owner G. Patel, are also coming into their own, developing new ways to showcase simple, gourmet food alongside phenomenal spirits. Plans for Wednesday farmers market dinners and special-event beer and food pairings are just a few ideas on a long list. And given Raleigh’s enthusiasm for newfound trends in beer, The Oxford should be around as long as its namesake. –Christopher Staten

DRINK UP
Our favorite drinks on The Oxford’s menu.
Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer -- Straight from England, this oak-aged beer elicits a wonderful bouquet of vanilla, toffee and orange notes, and delivers a taste of smoky, bourbon goodness.
Allagash White -- A perfect companion to The Oxford’s Crab Stuffed Shrimp, White cuts the heaviness of the dish’s creamy risotto, while its bright citrus notes draw out the inherent sweetness of the seafood.
Beckham’s Upper 90 -- This inspired creation named after the famous footballer is a sweet, creamy mixture of Absolut Mandrin, fresh blackberries, lemon syrup, and Boddington’s Pub Ale.
Big Ben -- Another of Steinsberger’s beer cocktails, this bubbly citrus concoction mixes Beefeater Gin, Cointreau, and Carlsberg Lager.
Johnnie Walker Blue -- Sure, The Oxford lists roughly 20 scotches and bourbons from both the U.K. and the States, but nothing quite compares to a snifter of this smoky, sophisticated blend of aged whiskeys.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
CommonWealth
1400 Irving Street N.W.,
www.commonwealthgastropub.com

A breath of fresh air swirls through our nation’s capital as newbies shake some spice into our oldest institutions. Gastronomically, you could say that CommonWealth, nestled in Columbia Heights, is doing the same in its inaugural year.

It’s not the first foray into D.C.’s culinary scene for executive chef Jamie Leeds and business partner Sandy Lewis; they were the minds behind the much-lauded Harry’s Oyster Bar. Yet this venture brings something wholly new to the District: To start, it’s the city’s first gastropub. “We wanted a place that would have foodie-type things, but in addition, patrons could have a burger or roast chicken, so the gastropub idea lent itself to that,” says Leeds.

Opened only last August, CommonWealth already has locals and foodies buzzing, and the hype is well-deserved. In all respects, it balances pub tradition and American invention. The decor tips its hat to classic English gastropub motif, with dark wood and close-quartered seating, but evades glum authenticity (read: no shadowy bar or sad, ugly Londoners hunched over pints) with clean lines, soaring ceilings, and metal and glass fixtures.

The menu is also built upon classic bones, but takes thoughtful, contemporary spirals. A meal here must begin with Scotch eggs, an English standard and house favorite. Meant to replace American bar munchies, these crispy hard-cooked eggs are coated with mildly spicy sausage, sliced in two, and served with three sauces. “It’s a traditional bar snack, and sustainable for the big drinker,” explains Leeds. “We also source all local and sustainable organic product as much as we can. So, it’s a farm egg, house-made pork sausage; the ingredients are elevated in an old classic dish, which makes it even better.”

If the heart of this menu is its English origins, the soul is sustainability. Leeds sources “as many ingredients as possible” from Virginia and Maryland farmers. “We bring in the whole pig; we’re using the whole animal,” she says. Fresh ingredients and head-to-tail usage are the ideological brushes that paint a better menu for patrons and the region.

Adventurous eaters should graze the Butcher’s Board, where whole animal dishes are most evident and “foodie-type things” are available in small plates for reasonable prices. House-made headcheese, succulent deviled sweetbreads and black pudding with a sunny-side up egg are highlights. Though these English classics are likely foreign to most American eaters, the unusual, delectable flavors aren’t lost in translation. Entrées swing back into the realm of recognizable (bangers and mash, fish and chips), but each has a twist. The London broil, for example, is a juicy, flat-iron cut on a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes, but it’s marinated in the restaurant’s own Worcestershire sauce, which Leeds concedes “brings it up a level.”

To swallow it all down, there’s a hearty beer list (14 taps, 50 bottles) that is as deliberate as the rest of the fare. “When we first started, we wanted to get beers from the U.K. and the four commonwealth states, but we’re going to be expanding a little bit,” explains Leeds. “We also have two hand casks, so that’s a really big draw.”

Aside from food and drink, the CommonWealth spirit is another, perhaps less tangible lure. “A commonwealth referred to the good of the people, governing people in the best way,” Leeds reflects. “We’re here for the neighborhood, and we’re here for the good of the people.”  –Erika Rietz


DRINK UP
Our favorite drinks on CommonWealth’s menu.
Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA -- With high carbonation and a smooth body, this drinkable English IPA is sturdy enough to stand up to hearty fare.
Well’s Bombardier Bitter -- Lovely toasted malts balanced with bitter hops and tart fruit character make this classic English brew an excellent meal addition.
Victory Golden Monkey -- Sweet and light, the candied lemon peel and mild clove tastes are rounded out with pleasant hop dryness.
Rioja Vega Crianza Tempranillo -- This medium-bodied wine balances jammy, dark berry fruit against a solid core of peppery spice and soft, smooth tannins.
Bishop’s Collar -- A delicious, creamy blend of Guinness, Stolichnaya Vanil, and Kahlua is the perfect dessert.
Hendrick’s Haze -- This house specialty is a refreshing mix of Hendrick’s Gin and basil/cucumber infused simple syrup.

PHILADELPHIA
Local 44 
4333 Spruce St.
www.local44beerbar.com

Ten minutes after she walked into the old tavern at the corner of 44th and Spruce streets in West Philly, Leigh Maida knew exactly how she wanted her gastropub to look.

She and her husband, Brendan “Spanky” Hartranft, had recently opened another bar, the Memphis Taproom, across town in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Now they’d been offered an unexpected opportunity to buy a second place just a few blocks away from their home. Maida cringed at the bar’s walls decorated with cream-colored shamrocks.

“I wanted a neighborhood joint that feels like it’s been there forever,” Maida says. “A swinging rock ’n roll juke joint... a dark bar where you can come and drink beer and act like an adult and put your glass down without worrying about leaving a ring.”

From the exposed metal-faced fire door to the old-fashioned light bulbs, Local 44 -- which opened to wide acclaim on New Year’s Day -- reflects Maida’s dream.

And perhaps more importantly, the bar reflects its neighborhood. This part of town, located about eight blocks from the busy campus of the University of Pennsylvania, is quiet and leafy and old. It lacks the sleek steel of Center City’s skyscrapers, the sacred history of Society Hill, the Italian cuisine of South Philadelphia. The place has the comfortably weathered character of your favorite leather jacket. A view of it all is just through Local 44’s large windows (a rarity in this town, where Quaker law once restricted saloon windows). Pull up a stool, and you could be sitting next to a college professor reading test papers or a City Hall worker checking lottery numbers. Start a conversation, and in minutes you’ll have the lowdown on anything from whether the Eagles should re-sign McNabb to the funkiness of the 2006 vintage Cantillon Lou Pepe that the bartender just poured.

“It’s amazing,” said Hartranft, “how much people in this neighborhood already know about great beer.”

Hartranft cut his teeth as a manager at the tender age of 19 at the city’s famed Khyber Pass pub, then worked for years at Nodding Head Brewery & Restaurant. At Local 44, he challenged himself to create a 20-tap lineup with no duplicate styles. “And not only that,” he declared, “but every one of them is a standout. Everything has a distinct, totally dialed-in flavor.”

A classic Irish stout? Forget Guinness; try locally brewed Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout. A balanced IPA? He’ll pour you an Elysian Immortal from Seattle. Something in a bottle? There’s just one available, Orval Trappist ale, Hartranft’s favorite.

Originally, the pair planned to serve just three menu items: wings, burgers, and fries. “But every time we talked about food,” Hartranft said, “we kept saying, ‘Well, this would be nice to serve...’”

Which kind of makes you wonder: What kind of food conversation ends with the staff agreeing on Reuben Fritters? Yes, a Reuben, as in pastrami and swiss -- only this delight is rolled in rye bread batter, deep-fried then served with sauerkraut and Thousand Island. Crunch into one, and your mouth explodes with the juicy sweet-and-sour goodness of the classic deli belly-buster. It’s unlikely the brewers at DeRanke had this dish in mind when they brewed XX Bitter, but the hoppy bite of this Belgian IPA seems perfect for washing down this hugely flavored delight.

The couple calls it boardwalk cuisine: Corn dogs like they’d serve on a carnival midway, Cuban sandwiches from the streets of Miami. Half the menu is vegan and it’s all under 10 bucks, but that doesn’t mean it skimps on calories. The po’ boy is just as full-flavored as the one they serve on Bourbon Street, only this crunchy baguette is filled with fried oyster mushrooms. It only seems natural to pair it with another offbeat flavor, Allagash Curieux, a Belgian tripel from Maine aged in a used Jim Beam barrel.

“Our goal was, instead of beer accompanying the food, we would serve food to accompany the beer,” Hartranft said.

There, he said it, no excuses: the beer comes first at Local 44. Take a big sip and don’t be embarrassed if your glass leaves a ring on the table.  –Don Russell

DRINK UP
Local 44’s most drinkworthy selections.
Coniston Bluebird Bitter -- One of the owner’s favorites, it’s a light but beautifully bittered, easy-drinking British ale.
Dogfish Head Raison d’Etre -- Dark and sensuous like a Belgian dubbel, flavored with raisins; perfect for a friend insisting on a glass of wine.
Misfit Brujeria -- Made for a small Philadelphia importer, it’s a full-bodied Spanish wine with a blend of shiraz, cabernet, grenache and tempranillo grapes.
Laphroaig Single Malt -- A small glass of this Islay Scotch Whiskey pairs nicely with a pint of smooth-tasting O’Reilly’s Irish-style stout.
Shirley Temple -- Don’t laugh; it’s a nice pick-me-up the morning after.

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This article originally appeared in the May/June 2009 Issue of DRAFT Magazine

Article Read: 2,820 Times.