Beer Run

Date
December 26, 2008

Location
In the little strip mall on Carlton
156 Carlton Rd. Suite 203

What I ate
Bowtie alfredo

Who went
Ditto and Squid (and Sarah Tweedt, kinda)

Website
http://www.beerrun.com/

Thoughts
"I don't know what this place is trying to be, but I think that's a good thing."
That's how Squid described it and I'm not sure I can come up with anything better. Here's a brief description of the layout: immediately to your left upon walking in is cafe-style seating for about 15 people; along the back wall is a fridge section just like the one you'll find in a convenience store; right in the middle of the place is the bar; the open kitchen is right behind that; and the far side of the store is full of racks of great beers from all over the country (and world?) with a little area for tasting in one corner.

Speaking of the tasting area, we'll start there. We were lucky enough to be there for a free wine tasting night and it was a great way to start the meal. I'm not a big wine fan, but there was a white wine that was delicious and a strong but tasty dessert wine; it was so good we went home with a bottle. The other two or three offerings were pretty good, too. The guy running the tasting knew quite a lot about the wines, both in terms of their taste and the production process. According to their schedule, wine tasting happens every Friday and beer tasting happens ever Wednesday, so I'll be back there soon and possibly repeatedly.

Then we went back to our table to start on our beers while we examined the menu. They had Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout, my new favorite beer (and easily my favorite winter beer) on tap, but I tried something new, the Ommegang Abbey Style Ale. It was really good, but my affinity for bourbon keeps Jefferson's Reserve atop the list. There were a bunch of other good beers on tap; check the website for the list. You can sample a beer before actually ordering it, which is something I really appreciate at a place with beers you may not have had before.

The food was also delicious. Andrew and Brian had the meatloaf and, while I was considering joining the club, I opted for the bowtie alfredo. I probably should've gotten chicken with it, but it was still a great meal and filling. The menu is a little limited, but there's enough on there for everyone to find something. For a place focusing on beer, it's more the sufficient.

Recap
Pros - great food, great beer, free tastings
Cons - the logo looks like it was designed by The Flash, but I guess that just adds to the charm
Overall - Like Squid said, it's a little surreal to be in there because you're trying to figure out exactly where you are the whole time, but it's great. If you don't go there, you're really missing out on a currently-hidden-but-sure-to-be-much-more-popular gem in Charlottesville.