It seems that more and more Pittsburghers are driving to Cleveland when they have to fly somewhere. (We went to San Antonio this weekend and saved $350 PER TICKET by flying out of Cleveland rather than Pittsburgh.) I thus have a recommendation for those of you travelling up that way, to fly, to attend an Indians game, to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or whatever. The Great Lakes Brewery is one of America's great microbreweries. They produce some very good beer. They also have a large, diverse menu of good food, making the trip worth while even for those who aren't beer drinkers. The menu features a number of interesting items, ranging from their Stilton and Cheddar soup (which is great) to jerk chicken to the peroigi and bratwurst plate. They also have steaks, seafood items, pastas, chicken dishes, and Cajun items, as well as burgers and other more traditional bar foods. If you have a salad with your meal, try the porter and scallion dressing. Great Lakes also features beers from all three major world beer cuisines--German, British, and Belgian. There German lagers are good, though not quite as good as the best the Penn Brewery has to offer. However, unlike the Penn Brewery, they don't limit themselves to German lagers. They feature seveal great British (or, in some cases, British/American) ales. The Burning River Pale Ale and the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, perhaps their two best beers, have both won a number of awards. The former is a fruity, hoppy pale ale (with a British ancestry but with a somewhat American hop character). The porter is a nice malty porter, with a good roasted malt character. About half the time the brewery also features good Belgian-style beers. Their Holy Moses Belgian White isn't quite up to Celis standards, but is the best I've had this side of Celis. Unfortunately for those outside of Cleveland, the beer sells so well in the Cleveland area that they don't ship outside that area. There seems to be no prospect of getting Burning River Pale Ale here in the 'Burgh. But I do stop by and bring some home every time I'm in the Cleveland area. The drawback to all this of course is that, given that we have to drive back to Pittsburgh afterwards, one of us has to be the designated driver and only have on glass of beer with dinner. But, as long as they have take out, and as long as the food remains as good as it is now, this isn't too big a drawback. ****************************************************************** Jim Mann [email removed] Transarc Corporation Technical Writer -- Encina Programming Documentation The Gulf Tower, 707 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 338-4442 http://www.transarc.com/~jmann/
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland: Great Lakes Brewery
Someone wrote: > > It seems that more and more Pittsburghers are driving to Cleveland > when they have to fly somewhere. (We went to San Antonio this weekend > and saved $350 PER TICKET by flying out of Cleveland rather than > Pittsburgh.) I thus have a recommendation for those of you travelling > up that way, to fly, to attend an Indians game, to go to the Rock and > Roll Hall of Fame, or whatever. > > The Great Lakes Brewery is one of America's great microbreweries. They > produce some very good beer. They also have a large, diverse menu of > good food, making the trip worth while even for those who aren't beer > drinkers. > > The menu features a number of interesting items, ranging from their > Stilton and Cheddar soup (which is great) to jerk chicken to the > peroigi and bratwurst plate. They also have steaks, seafood items, > pastas, chicken dishes, and Cajun items, as well as burgers and other > more traditional bar foods. If you have a salad with your meal, try > the porter and scallion dressing. > > Great Lakes also features beers from all three major world beer > cuisines--German, British, and Belgian. There German lagers are good, > though not quite as good as the best the Penn Brewery has to > offer. However, unlike the Penn Brewery, they don't limit themselves > to German lagers. They feature seveal great British (or, in some > cases, British/American) ales. The Burning River Pale Ale and the > Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, perhaps their two best beers, have both won > a number of awards. The former is a fruity, hoppy pale ale (with a > British ancestry but with a somewhat American hop character). The > porter is a nice malty porter, with a good roasted malt character. > > About half the time the brewery also features good Belgian-style > beers. Their Holy Moses Belgian White isn't quite up to Celis > standards, but is the best I've had this side of Celis. > > Unfortunately for those outside of Cleveland, the beer sells so well > in the Cleveland area that they don't ship outside that area. There > seems to be no prospect of getting Burning River Pale Ale here in the > 'Burgh. But I do stop by and bring some home every time I'm in the > Cleveland area. > > The drawback to all this of course is that, given that we have to > drive back to Pittsburgh afterwards, one of us has to be the > designated driver and only have on glass of beer with dinner. But, as > long as they have take out, and as long as the food remains as good as > it is now, this isn't too big a drawback. > > ****************************************************************** > Jim Mann [email removed] > Transarc Corporation > Technical Writer -- Encina Programming Documentation > The Gulf Tower, 707 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 338-4442 > http://www.transarc.com/~jmann/ Being a Cleveland transplant I'd also recommend the place. Make sure you ask to see the bullet holes in the bar (a beautiful ornate piece left from the original establishment of the 1930's) the holes are from (as legend has it) Elliot Ness (the namesake of one of their better beers) wha (as legend has it) was a fairly mean drunk! He may have been against booze but after prohibition he became something of an alcoholic (following a failed political career in Cleveland). You also didn't give the location - it's on the corner of W25th and Lorain (actually down a small side-street mal) - and it is right across from Clevelands West Side Market - another place not to miss - it's what the strip wants to be when it grows up. Stop at the stand in the NorthWest corner and get a bratwurst with stadium mustard on a soft roll - you'll make the 2 hour drive just for that next time! Make sure you seek out the balcony - it's a bit tricky to get to, but a nice place to sit and munch on a brat & watch the traffic. It's really like stepping back to when I was a kid spending the day with Gramma! Food prices & quality (especially poultry from "Famous Farm Queen" stand F-3) are unmatched anywhere (short of Seattle) - but get there early as the restaraunts in town suck up all the 5 star stuff early. The fruits/vegetables are in on outdoor are with cover but minimal heat - so dress accordingly. I routinely get broccoli for .50, 5 cukes for a buck, huge heads of lettuce for a buck, 10 orange/limes/lemons for a buck, red bell peppers for .25, etc - I save tons of cash by going there. The fish room stinks to high heaven - but in an odd way adds to the whole experience. That general area is known as Ohio City and there are a number of great taverns & lovely homes as well. This area is really nice in the summer - and the Brewery has a great patio. Alas, I've given up the hops - but you can always meet me there and buy me a brat! And - if you're going to the R&RHoF (lame) be sure to seek out Rockefeller Greenhouse 5 minutes away - it's free & is Clevelands best kept secret. Year round displays and over 150 different Iris's (?) every spring on the grounds. There is even a "touch" garden outside for the visually impaired. However - these places are a good 45 minutes from the airport... but worth the side trip IMHO. And you can hop on 90E to 271S to 480E to TP exit 13! As far as the snow squalls go - they are infrequent & almost always foretold - if you're caught in 'em it's your fault! However - O-DOT is LIGHT YEARS ahead of PEN-DOT when it comes to being prepared & cleaning up - and anybody who makes the Cleveland - Pitts commute (as I do _every_ weekend) can tell you that........ If you're going drop me note - I'd be glad to play guide...... Don [email removed]