A Beer/Food Event at The West End, NYC
by Stephen Bailey
January 29, 2005

On a cold day in 1911, a trolley jumped its tracks and came crashing thru the front of a bar on Broadway near 113th street. Despite the time it took to clear the wreckage and close the doors to the winter wind, the bartenders kept pouring for the eager patrons. This event marks what many would call the beginning of The West End's colorful history.

It's a history that includes fronting as a soda bar to hide the speakeasy in the back during the dark days of prohibition. The sounds of Jazz bands blaring and heels hoofin' during the swing era. And, when beat writers ruled NYC and epitomized the politically charged, intellectually hungry youth movement, Kerouac and Ginsberg could be found here.

These days, owners Katie Gardner and Jeff Spiegel describe the place as having a real Jekyll and Hyde personality. All day and into the evening you have your mild-mannered restaurant goers and happy hour seekers enjoying quality food and drink. Then, after 11:00 PM, the place transforms into a loud, rowdy, youthful party joint where Columbia University students can blow off steam. "By 4:00 AM you would not believe what we find on the floors here,"; says Jeff. "But we will always have the place spotless by 6:30 AM to get ready for the next day."

You can feel the pride they have in their 15 years as owners of this place and rightfully so. Affordable, warm, friendly and, as of October 2004 the home of hand-crafted beer that flows from a specially-built, custom-fitted brewery in the basement.

Meet Brewmaster Neill Acer. This is not just a guy that knows how to make beer; this is a guy that is passionate about making beer. Formerly of the Ramapo Valley Brewing Co., all you have to do is ask a question and he lights up like a Christmas tree spouting full history lessons. Neill went to college to get a degree in Chemistry all the while knowing he'd apply that knowledge to making beer.

He told me that, just like musicians have a form of music to which they are particular, so do brewmasters have brew styles. In his case, Belgian Ale reigns supreme. And you should have heard him when my buddy Nelson told him how the Kero-Whack brew served here reminded him of the "white" beer he enjoyed in Amsterdam. Not only did Neill know of it, express his love of it and the actual influence it had on his creation of Kero-Whack, but described in great detail how it was made and why it was white. I'd tell you, but you really need to experience Neill's enthusiasm.

This brings us to the food by Chef Conrado Ramos. Delicious, gourmet delights that are certainly not the typical bar and grill fare, though I'm told even that is quite good here. OK, I'm not a food critic. I can tell you what I like, don't like, etc. but I haven't a sophisticated enough palate to describe in those feelings in detail. So I contrived what I felt was a good idea at the time. I would rate the food using a scale known as the Yum-Factor. "This soup has a Yum-Factor of 9.5" or whatever. I told this to Nelson and he laughed. Not a "wow that's a great idea" laugh more of a "shut up and have another beer" laugh. So my Yum-Factor was aborted as quickly as it was conceived. I will only comment by saying the food was amazing.

As the courses were served we were wowed by the great job Conrado and Neill had done in concocting these pairings. Both confessed to the fun behind the long trial and error process they went through to get to this their first Beer/Food pairings menu. I could only imagine.

Neill coaxes the Octoberfest

Octoberfest with Chicken Stuffed Risotto Cakes
- A really nice brew but a bit stubborn coming out of the tap. Well worth the wait.

Belgium Dubble with Wild Mushroom & Fennel Soup
- Close Second for Best Combo

Pale Ale with Grilled Scallops with Roasted Corn & Red Pepper Relish
- Good Pale Ale, although I'm not a fan of Pale Ales in general.

Kero-Whack (10%er) with Arugula with Gorgonzola Cheese, Walnuts, Anjou Pears & Balsamic Vinegar
- Best Beer. Sweet, fruity and packs a wallop!

Christmas Beer with Smoked Breast of Muscovy Duck in a fresh sage & Merlot reduction
- Best Combo. A spicy beer that well complimented the smoked flavor of the duck.

Chocolate Beer & assorted Fresh Berries in a Sabayon Sauce
- Weirdest Beer. Not bad … just weird. Though if you sipped it with a mouthful of the desert … nice! But tough to drink by itself.

So, hop on a 1/9 train to 110th and B'way and walk a few blocks for the beer, the food or for one of the monthly tastings. Either way you will have a good time and a good meal.

Cheers,
Stephen

Related Links:
The West End
MurphGuide Beer Lovers Page
MurphGuide Directory of NYC Brew Pubs

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I call myself a Cultural Exchange Advocate, which is just a fancy way of saying when
I find something new, I tell people about it. Want to know more? Check out StephenBailey.com