| 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... Here we go again - off to check out several places suggested by our readers. It was so much fun last month I thought I'd do it again. I picked three places random from the many sent to me from readers. You guys are the best! My designated driver is ready (poor guy) so let's get started as we go "off the rails". ------- Nicole's Ten Restaurant & Bar 246 State Route 10 Randolph, New Jersey (973) 442-9311 Nicely appointed restaurant with small but attractive bar to the side. Our designated driver had eaten here several times and gave the food a rave review, however this time it's all about the beer. And there were problems from the outset. First we were given an out of date beer menu. When we questioned it we were given a different one that also was inaccurate. Finally when we received a correct one we found that several of the IBUs listed were woefully incorrect. When we asked the bartender he had no idea about any of the beers. He called in another bartender, a supposed expert ,and he told us that the on-tap Carton Boat beer was an Imperial IPA at "around 8% ABV". When we said the beer was actually a session IPA well under 5% ABV (4.2% actually) he loudly, with an arrogant, condensing tone, insisted he was correct. Hard to believe that a bar with 13 quality taps and a place that seemingly prides itself on quality in all areas would tolerate such blatant disrespect for the fine craft beers (not to mention arguing with customers). I would have rated them at least 4 out of 5 engines but am deducting half an engine for not updating the beer menus and one full engine for having an untrained staff that doesn't even recognize their own need for a higher beer IQ. I rate Nicole's Ten 2 1/2 out of 5 engines. ……………… NJ Bar & Grill 100 Randolph Ave. Mine Hill, New Jersey (973) 989-1999 A neighborhood sports bar with quality craft taps is not easy to find but here's one worth seeking out. Located in a house like nondescript building the attractive and updated pub has a welcoming, warm, bright vibe. The place has recently expanded their dining area, replaced the bar, and, best of all, added taps. Twelve of their sixteen taps were solid craft brews with two from The Shed - a hard to find item in NJ. The bartenders were not only knowledgeable about beer but seemed to take pride in it's proper handling and presentation. Their enthusiasm about beer, especially bartender Patrick, was a breath of fresh air after visiting the more upscale Nicole's Ten. The place has a lot of work to do before being a beer traveler's destination stop but it's on the way. I intend to return and that says it all. Because several of their taps were wasted with the likes of Michelob Ultra and Bud Light I would have rated them 3 and 1/2 engines. However the excellent service merits an additional half engine. I give NJ Bar & Grill a total of 4 engines \ ------------------------------------- Sona Thirteen 13 South Street Morristown, New Jersey (973) 267-7999 Warning: this place was implicated in the recent Operation Swill crackdown in which bars were caught serving cheap liquor to its customers in the guise of higher quality brands. That's hard to do with beer but considering everything here seems to target the under 25 yr. old crowd who are likely neophytes in the craft beer world, it might be possible. There is a long bar along an exposed brick wall and an additional bar toward the rear. The long bar has an ice ribbon for the customer to place his drink on to keep cold. That alone should tell you about the seriousness of this place when it comes to really good craft beer. Ah, guys, serve your Coors Light ice cold but please don't render a great craft beer tasteless by doing the same. Anyway, they have 22 taps with about half being the usual craft suspects. Nothing special but a beer person could survive without too much trouble. Bottle list is decent but that's about it. If you're a craft beer novice there are worse places; if you're even just slightly beyond that level there are many better ones. I'm deducting a 1/4 engine from their 2 engine rating for their involvement in the Operation Swill investigation. I rate Sona Thirteen 1 3/4 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. And of course if you go off the rails like I often do but sure to have a designated driver! 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 |
Rails to Ales........and beyond ////////////////////////////////
by Arty Hannemann
by Arty Hannemann
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| 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 |
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For the complete listing of all Rails to Ales click HERE |
Note- I just revisited Nicole's and guess
what , that argumentative bartender
was no longer working there. Not only
that but their bar manager Nell has
transformed this place into a 5 engine
gem. I'll be giving it a full review in an
upcoming article but wanted to update
things so my readers don't miss what is
now a hidden treasure for beer fans!
what , that argumentative bartender
was no longer working there. Not only
that but their bar manager Nell has
transformed this place into a 5 engine
gem. I'll be giving it a full review in an
upcoming article but wanted to update
things so my readers don't miss what is
now a hidden treasure for beer fans!