| 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 Gladstone Tavern-At The Beginning Or The End ? Gladstone is a small rural town at the beginning of the Gladstone Branch for those who are heading eastbound, and at the end of the line for those headed west. The Gladstone Branch is run by NJ Transit from Summit westbound to Gladstone. So if you can take a train to Summit, you can continue on to Gladstone and walk less than 1/10 of a mile to the Gladstone Tavern - sounds like a good plan ! Upon leaving the station head west on Main St. Located at 273 Main Street at the corner of Pottersville Road, Gladstone Tavern offers outside dining on the front porch, as well as an elegant dining area with a fireplace and a separate bar/lounge area. I have been told that the bright yellow building can sometimes be seen on the television soap opera "The Guiding Light" so if you see a camera, be sure to smile. Upon entering, the bar is located to the right of the entrance. It is a nice granite topped structure with a large flat screen television behind it. The first thing I noticed was how clean the place was. The second thing I noticed was the beer taps. That tells you how really clean it was since it's the taps that count! My bartender that evening was Beth, who was very friendly and quick to serve me a Chimay Triple in a large Chimay glass, not the smaller glass most bars serve it in. Boy was it delicious ! My next ale of choice was the 60minute ale from Dogfishhead Brewery. This was served in a Dogfishhead glass and was mighty tasty, so I had another. I know a good thing when I find it. Other beers on tap that day were Guinness Stout, Blue Moon, Yeungling Lager and Stella Artois. In bottles they offered Chimay Red and Blue,Samuel Smith Organic Lager,Innis and Gunn, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale,Sam Adams Lager and Summer Ale, Lobster Ale, Red Stripe, Heinekin, Amstel, Corona and Bud. There were also a dozen or so good quality single malt whiskeys to choose from, and twenty-two wines offered by the glass (12 white and 10 red). I noticed the staff, and owner/chef Tom Carlin tasting a clear liquid from a mason jar. This turned out to be a jar of Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey. I took a wiff and it smelled like serious stuff allright, but at 80 proof I decided to stick to my ales. Chef Carlin offers a wide variety of menu items sure to please anyone's palate. There are many cuts of steak, seafood dishes and poultry dishes as well as salads soups and appetizers. Not being too hungry, and being on a budget lately due to dental bills, I ordered the bar pie. It was thin crust, tasty and more of an appetizer than a meal. Besides, a good beer and pizza are a perfect combination. On a side note--August 23, 2009 will be the third annual "Dinner With Your Dog" fundraiser on the outside porch. Proceeds benefit St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. Dogs will be dining on beef stew, while the people they own will be able to order from the menu or enjoy the beef stew along with their pooch pals. For reservations call 908-234-9055 website www.gladstonetavern.com See you at my next stop. And remember to leave your car at home and "take the rails to the ales"! |
Rails to Ales........and beyond ////////////////////////////////
by Arty Hannemann
by Arty Hannemann
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| Arty's Gladstone Tavern Rating: 3 1/2 engines Five engines= the very best Four engines= excellent Three engines=good Two engines= fair One engine= bad news |
| Gladstone Tavern- click to enlarge |
| Read more Rails to the Ales..... Hop on board and join Arty at Morristown - Land of Taverns Stirling Hotel "More-isstown" - Metuchen |