|
View the
Sierra Madre Brewing Company2, Sierra Madre Menu
|
Restaurants: Sierra Madre Brewing
Company2
Where: 14 Kersting Court, Sierra Madre
Phone: (626) 355-1140
Reservations: Not required
Cocktails: Beer and wine
Service: Full table service
Atmosphere: Casual
Outdoor Dining: Yes
Credit Cards: MC, AMEX, Visa
Kid’s Menu: Yes
Senior Discount: No
Food to Go: Yes, yes, yes
Catering Menu: No
Price Range: $4 - $11, avg. $5 - $6 |
|
SMBC2
is in Kersting Court at Baldwin Ave. and Sierra Madre Blvd., in Sierra Madre |
Chef
Javier Sotelo |
|
Sweet
potato fries |
Clam
chowder bread bowl |
|
Corn
and black bean salad |
The
popular fish and chips |
|
Chili
cheese dog |
|
|
DOT COM DINING
A Look At San
Gabriel Valley Restaurants by SanGabrielValleyMenus.com
Sierra Madre Brewing Company2’s New Menu Gets Back to Basics
By Bill Coburn
Effective the beginning of this month, Sierra Madre
Brewing Company2 has a brand new menu, and with it, a return to some
of the old touches that made the Brewery such a popular Sierra Madre
destination. PEANUTS!! Yes, the peanuts are back, but as the menu states,
“Don’t throw the peanut shells on the floor, this ain’t North Woods!”
What better time to bring back Peanuts than the
holiday season, since so many of us (at least in my generation and a couple
generations before and after) associate Christmas with Charlie Brown and all his
friends. I missed watching the Christmas special on TV Tuesday, but I have it
on tape, so I’ll still get to see it. But I digress.
I stopped by with my wife to check out the new menu,
and found that it has been scaled back and simplified, with lower price points.
Most of the items are served a la carte now, instead of coming with two sides,
as on the old menu. But the food is still the same great quality food, and the
most popular menu favorites have been retained.
The two-sausage sampler is still there, as are the
Philly sandwiches (available with your choice of beef, chicken or veggie). The
burger is now called the Montecito burger, but it’s still an all-beef patty
grilled to order. The fish and chips is still there, and it’s a good thing,
because it’s the item I most frequently hear mentioned when people are
discussing the food at the Brewery, and I think there would have been a major
uproar among the regulars had it disappeared. I’ve had the fish and chips
several times, and never been disappointed. They’ve also added a few items,
such as “Brenna’s BLT with Avocado” and a “Blue Cajun Burger” featuring blue
cheese and lots of Cajun spices.
On our most recent visit, we decided to try the
sweet potato fries, which our waitress, Lisa Brandley, recommended. They were
really good, served with a sweet dipping sauce that was described as kind of a
whipped cream with spices and a little Tabasco. I don’t like sweet potatoes,
and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was glad we ordered them. I really
enjoyed them.
Katie had the clam chowder in a bread bowl.
Chef Javier Sotelo, who was the chef for
Fisherman’s Wharf (the restaurant in this location before the Brewery opened),
sure knows how to make some great clam chowder, thick and creamy, loaded with
clams, potatoes, etc.. And since it’s on the regular menu, you don’t have to
wait for Friday to enjoy it, as with so many restaurants. The bread bowl was
really good too, with a crisp crust, but soft sourdough inside. This was
definitely one of the better bread bowls I’ve had, and we got some butter and
finished every bite once the soup was gone. Don’t think we’ve ever done that
before.
For my dinner, I
decided to try the chili cheese dog, since I’ve never had it there before. I’ve
tried most of the menu at the Brewery, but had never tried a dog, which my son
has fairly regularly, and always enjoys. Well, I can see why he does. Now
don’t plan on picking this dog up and eating it, figure on a fork and a knife.
There’s so much delicious chili smothered over this thing, you really don’t have
a choice. But it was a big beef dog, with lots of chili and cheese, and I
enjoyed every bite.
As for the beer, I’ve
tried their pilsner, the pale ale, and on this last visit, at Lisa’s suggestion,
a hefeweisen. All are good, but since I prefer my beers on the light side, I
have always ordered the pilsner. Thanks to Lisa, I’ll be ordering the
hefeweisen from now on, it was really good. SMBC also has “guest beers,” made
by others, including Bud Light, Arrogant Bastard Ale, and others. They change
periodically, so if you want a particular beer, call to see if it’s on the menu
right now.
One thing people in
or close to Sierra Madre might want to keep in mind is that SMBC2
serves food to go. Come in and place your order, and enjoy a nice draft while
it’s being prepared. Can’t have a beer while your waiting at a drive-thru, but
SMBC2 gives you the opportunity to relax and take the edge off on the way home
from work, while getting on the better half’s good side by handling dinner for
him/her at the same time.
You can find the
Brewery’s new menu on their San Gabriel Valley Menus.com web page, at
www.sangabrielvalleymenus.com/smbrew2.htm. While you’re there, you can
click on the link to subscribe to the Brewery’s e-mail newsletter, sent
periodically, with updates of Brewery events as well as coupons for savings on
your next visit.
Recent signings on
the SGVMenus.com website: Lousin’s Arakadz Cuisine, Pasadena; Mother’s Cupboard
Café and Bakery, Covina; Mr. Baguette, Rosemead; Wahib’s Middle East Restaurant,
Alhambra. Look for their menus soon, or check to see if they are already
posted. Also, the coupon page has been completely redone, making it easier to
use, and adding lots of coupons. There are now more than 125 coupons, from more
than 60 different restaurants.
Bill Coburn is owner of SanGabrielValleyMenus.com, a
restaurant website featuring dozens of restaurant’s menus, as well as
downloadable coupons. He has nearly 20 years experience in the restaurant
business, and has been eating for much longer than that. |
