Thursday, April 12, 2012

Riverside, O'brother's and shuckin' and a jivin'

Greg and the JBB

Our friend from out of town, Greg, was arriving Friday  (March 30) and we had made plans to meet the group at Riverside Liquors (1035 Park Street) where a whiskey tasting was being held. We were rather late in getting there and it was apparent the girl heading up the tasting was ready to leave.

At the bar, it was a much better experience! … Scott was once again our bartender and his mannerisms and personality impressed our friend Greg enough for him to declare Scott a “first-rate bartender”. Companion and I shared a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale. WOW! … every time I have one of these, I am pleased. Full-bodies hop jolt, bitter but smooth, this is a consistent favorite of mine. The 9.6% ABV and 90 IBUs make this fine nectar one you can linger with.

Sierra Nevada describes the Bigfoot: “Our award-winning barleywine boasts a dense, fruity bouquet, an intense flavor palate and a deep reddish-brown color. Its big maltiness is superbly balanced by a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness”

Riverside Liquors is a great place – a fairly new haunt of mine. Thanks to Scott and the others at Riverside Liquors for creating and maintaining the perfect ambiance for a Jax Brew Bitch experience!






Greg liked Riverside Liquors so much, he wanted to stay – but the group was starving, so we headed out in search of food. Being omnivorous, companion and I were open to anything – and the group settled on O'Brothers Irish Pub (1521 Margaret Street), walking distance from Riverside Liquors.

Needing a large table for the entire gang, we were seated in the rear of the establishment. The walls are a unique façade of some type of cloth and the banging around of what sounded like beer kegs “behind” the walls was a little annoying – hard to carry on a conversation.

O'Brothers  has a respectable selection of beer on tap – a little more pricey than I was expecting, but not unrealistic. Companion and I shared a large order of their Fish and Chips ($12.95) described on their menu: “Icelandic cod fried in a light batter with a load of fries, served with tartar sauce and curry. Don't forget the malt vinegar!”

O'brother's Fish & Chips
The flavor was good but the portions were disappointing - probably due to the gargantuan amount you get at Kickback’s Gastropub – which is our favorite Fish and Chips thus far. The load of fries was a light load but tasty, as well. Overall, the meal was fine – just not a great value.

To be fair, one of our group selected the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and it looked like half a chicken piled on it. If I go back, that's what I'll order.

Killer Deep Fried Pickles
& Green Room's Head High
We had been there before (pre-Jax Brew Bitch) for a quick drink and “Scotch Eggs” ($4.95). The listing on the menu would indicate to new patrons a plurality of eggs. Unfortunately, it was just one egg sliced into pieces – again, very good but not a value.

We left O'Brothers and ended this Prowl at a friend's house in the area, sharing some beer and fellowship.

O'Brothers is obviously a popular place and I'll probably return – just being very selective in my choices – to stretch the Jax Brew Bitch Prowling dollars.



To view more photos from O'brother's Irish Pub, visit the link below ...

Mile Marker Growler
with oysters
 
The next day (Saturday, March 31) was spent preparing the house and other food items for the Oyster Party at my house to start later that afternoon. Our good friend Tina sprang for the oysters and Theresa and Marco picked them up from J.C.'s Fresh Seafood (1347 Cassat Ave – 904.389.8771). We had purchase oysters there before for the Mardi Gras party I hosted earlier this year. The oysters are very good – fresh and salty – just as I like them. The staff there at J.C.'s are spectacular – being very respectful and exceedingly helpful!

You can also pull up a chair and eat right there, if you wish! … a great place to get your seafood, give them a try!

Bold City Growler
with oysters
We enjoyed having all the gang at the house – plus, they brought growlers from Mile Marker Brewery and Bold City Brewery! … WooHoo! … talk about a perfect pairing!

Although not “On the Prowl”, the fellowship, food and beer made this a very memorable Jax Brew Bitch evening!





To view more pics from the Oyster Party, visit the link below ...

No comments:

Post a Comment