Baker Street Brewery's founder and head brewer Art Hannemann takes you on a journey to find the ales. Catch the train for Arty's ride to the New Jersey suburbs in search of, what else, great beer! It's going to be a fun trip as Arty reviews and rates a new stop each month as he takes the rails to the ales.....and beyond! |
Take The Rails to The Ales to... Off the rails to Morris Plains & Denville, NJ ------- Hoover's Tavern 960 Tabor Rd Morris Plains, NJ 07950 (973) 455-9633 One of my favorite shows on the Food Network is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives so after watching a couple of episodes I headed out to a "dive" to see if the real thing was as much fun as the ones they showed on TV. The answer in the case of Hoover's is "yes". The term "dive bar" goes back to the 1880s when it referred to an illegal drinking den where the patrons on occasion had to dive under tables when trouble broke out, particularly gun play. Today it simply means a place with a relaxed and informal atmosphere—a classic neighborhood bars. That description fits Hoover's perfectly. The drinks are inexpensive, the bartender was friendly, the dart boards were in good shape, and the bar pie was good. As for the beer, well, you can't have everything. The taps ranged from Bud to Coors Light with a Yuengling in between so don't go for the beer. Still, every once in a while it's fun to get an ice cold macro lager in a ten ounce mug for $3 and enjoy a bit of that dwindling Americana - the dive bar. Keep'em cold and keep'em coming! This is a tough place to rate since the beer would get zero engines but the overall experience (and prices) would get three engines. Lets just semi-compromise and go with 2 engines! ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Thatcher McGhee's 53 Broadway, Denville, NJ 973-586-3377 Thatch can be defined as any vegetation used to roof a structure. The vegetation is gathered, bundled and secured to the framework on top of a building. So it's the unique roof that gives this place it's name - and it is a real thached one. The decor, atmosphere, and food is Irish to its core with even the bartenders speaking with a noticeable brogues. But it's the beer that I'm here for and nothing else. In a word - fair. There solid are offerings from Sam Adams, Hoegaarden, Cricket Hill, and Goose Island but nothing to draw any experienced craft beer hunter. Unless of course you count my favorite Irish stout, Murphy's which is not often seen on tap. The bottle list is decidedly weak featuring 4 types of Bud and 2 Coronas. The best of the bottle bunch is Guinness Black Lager. The bar can get noisy and the service a bit rushed. Don't expect to be able to chat about craft beer with anyone behind the bar or seated next to you. It bills itself as "a taste of Ireland" which isn't far off the mark. It does seem to believe it's a beer haven too and that is just a bit off the mark. I hereby bestow on Thatcher McGhee's the rating of three Engines . -------------------------------------- ============== Hope you get a chance to stop in at my new restaurant in the Bradley Gardens section of Bridgewater NJ. Bring your own great beer and enjoy my great food! Neil's All American Grill, 85 Old York Road Bridgewater NJ. 908-300-8658. Chicken Specialties, Sloppy Joes, Subs, Falafels, Burgers Cheesesteaks, Salads, Vegetarian Menu, Italian Specialties and All kinds of crazy stuff. BYOB ! Stop in if you are in the area and mention you read my column! =================================== *********************************** Here's some good info on planning your own Rails To Ales trip. First step go to www.njtransit.com web site. Then click on train schedules. Next click on "use our map to plan your trip." Now select your train station on the map. And next select your destination on the map. A new page appears and you want to select weekday, holiday or weekend accordingly. A new page appears with your schedule of departing times and length of travel time. Print this up and then go to the bottom of the schedule and it will say click here for return schedule--click away. Now print this page up as well and you have all the info you need to plan your trip. Remember to allow walking and drinking time. Gotta catch my train back-- see you at my next stop! Remember to leave the car at home and......Take The Rails To The Ales !!!! Arty Hannemann |
Arty's Ratings Five engines= the very best Four engines= excellent Three engines=good Two engines= fair One engine= bad news Zero engines=stay away For Off The Rails it's Barely Sacks instead of Engines |