What you need to get at The Brewer's Art: 1. Semolina-crusted fried calamari with radish-caper tartar sauce. 2. Chocolate cloud cake. 3. Chocolate cloud cake. 4. Chocolate cloud cake.
Yes, you wouldn't think a place revered for its alcohol would have blow-you-away, drop-dead desserts. But this one does. The Brewer's Art can be spotted by the glasses hanging in the windows and the (usually) pretty people mingling at the bar. I don't drink, but my bud says they've got an impressive list of microbrews: everything from Maudite to Rodenbach to National Bohemian.
The Brewer's Art also has quality appetizers. Along with the calamari (which is light and tender), the smoked trout mousse with vodka whipped cream and crostini is another winner. The sweet, soft spreads on toasted bread are both delicious to taste and fun to crunch on. Rosemary-garlic fries are also popular, if you like rosemary - personally, I don't.
My entree experiences at The Brewer's Art are batting two for four. My first time there, I ordered a pasta dish with salmon and greens (possibly snap or sweet peas) in cream sauce that was extraordinary. Another time, there was the smoked mozzarella ravioli with fresh basil, tomato, and almond sauce with wilted spinach, which is still on the menu. That was okay, too.
But now, there's a bad taste in my mouth. The linguine with shrimp, arugula, tomatoes, garlic and asiago cheese I had was bitter and tasteless, somehow. Maybe the cheese is not the right cheese - maybe I just don't have the stomach for arugula - but I was definitely not happy paying $17 for something that would have been better if I had just picked up groceries at Eddie's and gone home. That's right: $17 for tender, well-made pasta destroyed by the sauce.
So. Hit up The Brewer's Art for the swank atmosphere, appetizers and dessert. Dress nice and bring ID, or else they'll pretend you're not there. Their entrees aren't worth the money, but hopefully this will change. The girl told me they would be changing the menu this week.
In the meantime, climb over each other for that last slice of chocolate cloud cake, and pray they keep that on the menu. It's dense, dense chocolate on top of thick, red raspberry sauce. Definite aphrodisiac material. The Brewer's Art currently also has creme brulee, but I think whoever made mine got a little too torch-happy. the sugar was burnt to the point of being bitter, and therefore no fun.
Maybe The Brewer's Art could use a little BYOB. Bring Your Own Blowtorch (heh).
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