Yesterday without any announcement that I am aware of, the Sly Fox opened it's new brewpub in Phoenixville. My wife noticed that there were balloons and a lot of cars at the new location and surmised that they must have opened. Could they reopen without any announcement? Even their website didn't mention the opening. I had to see for myself. I went over at about 8:30 last night and sure enough they were open. A lot of people somehow learned that they were open because there was quite a crowd. Apparently they did a soft opening in anticipation of some wrinkles which almost always occur with an opening. Good move. Apparently there were wrinkles.
As I was enjoying a tall Royal Weisse I was greeted by owner Pete Giannopoulos. Pete was kind enough to give me a sneak peek into the as-yet unopened part of the dining room which can be isolated from the rest of the restaurant by closing a pair of large sliding doors. Just as the original location had the upstairs section for private parties this room will be available to serve the same purpose. I told Pete that it might have been easy for them to say "Well we have the Royersford location we really don't need a presence in Phoenixville anymore". Pete said that idea "never, never, never" was a consideration. Thanks Pete. Just like me they call Phoenixville home.
Showing posts with label Royersford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Royersford. Show all posts
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Bitter Sweet
I just kicked my sixtel of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale. Kicking a keg at my house is always a bitter-sweet occasion. It is bitter because I really enjoyed that last one but it is sweet because I can now pick out something new to have on tap in the basement. Speaking of bitter-sweet I read a story on Sly Fox's web page announcing the closing of the Phoenixville location. We have a lot of fond memories from inside that pub and we will miss it. That is the bitter part. The sweet part is that they are opening up a new pub across the street. I am confident that we will continue to enjoy the Sly Fox experience in Phoenixville albeit in a new building. I wonder if at one time they considered closing the Phoenixville location leaving only the Royersford location. If they did I congratulate them on their decision to stay. The only question now is 'When will the new pub open'?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Lousy Weather Fabulous Saturday
Early afternoon on Saturday and the weather is lousy. Sounds like a perfect day to visit the Craft Ale House in Royersford. I start with a 21st Ammendment Live Free or Die. This is a very nice IPA. I follow that with a Coronado Hoppy Daze Belgian IPA. This is a great beer. It has a flavor that I can not compare to any other beer. You gotta try this one. Next up is an Ithaca Excelsior Ten. This is a fabulous beer. I like their Cascazilla Red and this one is like Cascazilla on steroids. Awesome.
I make my way back home and my wonderful wife says that she would like to have dinner at Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown. I said that would be satisfactory with me. So with wife and 3 daughters in tow we go to Downingtown. On the way, my 3-year-old falls asleep. My wife stays in the car with her and I take my 1-year-old and 5-year-old in to the Victory to get started. After 2 trips to the ladies room (1 trip for number 1 and a seperate trip for number 2) I am ready to enjoy the Braumeister Pils that is waiting for me. Great start to my dinner. This is a crisp enjoyable pilsner. Since I haven't been to the Victory in a long while, I decide to order a sampler. Victory has the best sampler deal I have ever seen. YOU CHOOSE the number of different beers you want in your sampler and YOU CHOOSE which beers you would like from ANY that are currently on tap including cask conditioned beers (i.e. no exceptions). These are not the little sample glasses you might be thinking of. And it can get expensive but it is still a great program.
The Wild Devil sample I got set me back $3.25. I loved this beer when it first became available but either the taste of the beer has changed or my taste has changed. I get the whole "wild yeast" thing and it seemed like the original version I had had a nice sour note, not overwhelming. The new version seems astringent and not nearly as pleasant. I say "original" and "new" version without knowing if Victory did indeed change the recipe.
The Harvest Ale (only $1.00) had a nice light taste not at all like the typical big Victory beers.
The Yakima cask ale sample was only $2.00 which I thought was a bargain. This is a fabulous beer. It is a dark copper color and all the big alcohol and big hops you would expect from the Victory. The cask conditioning ensured a nice mellow flavor despite the big hops.
The Storm King Stout which really is an imperial stout was satisfying as usual. Nice roasty flavor, it was like drinking a meal and for only $2.00.
Enough of these little glasses. I had to get a pint of the Yakima Cask Conditioned IPA. This still tasted just as good as it did in the little glass.
Oh yeah, we did eat also. My 3-year-old had the hot wings which in my opinion are the best wings on earth. My 5-year-old enjoyed her pizza. My wife had the El Paso Ensalada which turned out to be too sweet (dressing) for her taste. I had the Head Hunter sandwhich and this was great. Chicken breast, BBQ sauce, mozzarella cheese and onion rings all on a soft roll. Hurry if you want one of these. It is on their "seasonal" menu.
All in all it was a great day.
I make my way back home and my wonderful wife says that she would like to have dinner at Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown. I said that would be satisfactory with me. So with wife and 3 daughters in tow we go to Downingtown. On the way, my 3-year-old falls asleep. My wife stays in the car with her and I take my 1-year-old and 5-year-old in to the Victory to get started. After 2 trips to the ladies room (1 trip for number 1 and a seperate trip for number 2) I am ready to enjoy the Braumeister Pils that is waiting for me. Great start to my dinner. This is a crisp enjoyable pilsner. Since I haven't been to the Victory in a long while, I decide to order a sampler. Victory has the best sampler deal I have ever seen. YOU CHOOSE the number of different beers you want in your sampler and YOU CHOOSE which beers you would like from ANY that are currently on tap including cask conditioned beers (i.e. no exceptions). These are not the little sample glasses you might be thinking of. And it can get expensive but it is still a great program.
The Wild Devil sample I got set me back $3.25. I loved this beer when it first became available but either the taste of the beer has changed or my taste has changed. I get the whole "wild yeast" thing and it seemed like the original version I had had a nice sour note, not overwhelming. The new version seems astringent and not nearly as pleasant. I say "original" and "new" version without knowing if Victory did indeed change the recipe.
The Harvest Ale (only $1.00) had a nice light taste not at all like the typical big Victory beers.
The Yakima cask ale sample was only $2.00 which I thought was a bargain. This is a fabulous beer. It is a dark copper color and all the big alcohol and big hops you would expect from the Victory. The cask conditioning ensured a nice mellow flavor despite the big hops.
The Storm King Stout which really is an imperial stout was satisfying as usual. Nice roasty flavor, it was like drinking a meal and for only $2.00.
Enough of these little glasses. I had to get a pint of the Yakima Cask Conditioned IPA. This still tasted just as good as it did in the little glass.
Oh yeah, we did eat also. My 3-year-old had the hot wings which in my opinion are the best wings on earth. My 5-year-old enjoyed her pizza. My wife had the El Paso Ensalada which turned out to be too sweet (dressing) for her taste. I had the Head Hunter sandwhich and this was great. Chicken breast, BBQ sauce, mozzarella cheese and onion rings all on a soft roll. Hurry if you want one of these. It is on their "seasonal" menu.
All in all it was a great day.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Great Saturday
So my wife drops me off at the Craft Ale House in Royersford so I can enjoy a nice beer. I only have 20 minutes while she drives around with the kids asleep in the car. I tell Rob at the bar that I'm looking for something unusual. He suggests a St. Somewhere Saison Du Chene. This turns out to be a quirky beer and exactly what I was looking for. Citrusy and sour with a taste that I can't quite put my finger on. I will definitely get another one of these when I get the chance. It was so good I finish it quickly. I have enough time to order a second beer.
Up next I order a Stone Sublimely Self Righteous ale. This is a great beer. The guy at the bar next to me looks at the dark color and asks me if I usually like "those malty beers". I tell him I would not call this a malty beer. If I didn't see the dark color of this beer I would have thought it was an IPA or double IPA.
I say good bye to Rob at the bar and go to the parking lot expecting to see my wife and kids waiting. After about 10 minutes on the parking lot waiting for my usually prompt wife I head back inside the Craft Ale House. Rob asks me what's the matter. I exclaim, "My wife has either left me or has been in a horrible accident...pour me a Stone Epic 090909". This is another fine beer. Have one when you get a chance. I finish this beer and head out to the parking lot again and thankfully the van is back with wife and kids safe and sound.
Fast forward to home. I have a 2-tap kegerator at home but I allowed both kegs to kick. I dig through the refrigerator and open a bottle of Svyturys Ekstra. They advertise this beer as "Lithuania's most popular" lager beer. If Lithuania is inspired by American mass produced beer then they have done well (think Yuengling Lager).
Finally, in the back of the fridge I find a bottle of Founder's Red's Rye. Folks, this has to the be best bottled beer I have ever had. I have had this beer on tap and I insist that it is just as good from the bottle.
Up next I order a Stone Sublimely Self Righteous ale. This is a great beer. The guy at the bar next to me looks at the dark color and asks me if I usually like "those malty beers". I tell him I would not call this a malty beer. If I didn't see the dark color of this beer I would have thought it was an IPA or double IPA.
I say good bye to Rob at the bar and go to the parking lot expecting to see my wife and kids waiting. After about 10 minutes on the parking lot waiting for my usually prompt wife I head back inside the Craft Ale House. Rob asks me what's the matter. I exclaim, "My wife has either left me or has been in a horrible accident...pour me a Stone Epic 090909". This is another fine beer. Have one when you get a chance. I finish this beer and head out to the parking lot again and thankfully the van is back with wife and kids safe and sound.
Fast forward to home. I have a 2-tap kegerator at home but I allowed both kegs to kick. I dig through the refrigerator and open a bottle of Svyturys Ekstra. They advertise this beer as "Lithuania's most popular" lager beer. If Lithuania is inspired by American mass produced beer then they have done well (think Yuengling Lager).
Finally, in the back of the fridge I find a bottle of Founder's Red's Rye. Folks, this has to the be best bottled beer I have ever had. I have had this beer on tap and I insist that it is just as good from the bottle.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday
Yesterday I stopped into Union Jack's on the Manatawny. I had a Left Hand Chainsaw Double ESB. It was very good. It tasted like a barley wine like Victory's Old Horizontal but less alcohol. I didn't miss the taste of the alcohol at all (at about 8% it was no lightweight anyway). Next I had a Duck Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout. It was OK but I expected a lot better considering the good press this brewer seems to get. Actually, this beer tasted like the stouts I used to create as a home brewer. Which is to say, it was OK for a homebrewer...enough said.
Later we pulled into the parking lot of the Craft Ale House in Limerick but considering I had my wife and 3 kids in the car and the number of cars on the lot, we decided to continue down the road to the Sly Fox in Royersford. I had a refreshing Pikeland Pils and an equally refreshing Royal Weisse. The tuna steak sandwich I had was good.
Later we pulled into the parking lot of the Craft Ale House in Limerick but considering I had my wife and 3 kids in the car and the number of cars on the lot, we decided to continue down the road to the Sly Fox in Royersford. I had a refreshing Pikeland Pils and an equally refreshing Royal Weisse. The tuna steak sandwich I had was good.
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