Where I live, people love to recommend restaurants. They say, "Oh, you HAVE to try such and such a place. Their food is just the best!" And what do you know, they are wrong, every time. At best it is mediocre, or it might be down-right terrible. I am always better off eating at home. The food more consistent, has better texture, flavor and variety, and has a better value for the cost.
On trips, however, it is always best to sample the local fare. While in Michigan, we stopped at Olde Peninsula Brewpub and Restaurant in Kalamazoo. I had been there before when traveling, many times. I have loved it in the past, but when it is the first real stop after leaving home, it is like an oasis to a parched mouth. I always get a Brewpub Dip and a root beer to start.
The root beer is brewed on site along with many of the beers that are on tap. It was perfectly balanced with the soda water, and nice and cold. It has the same quality as Root Beer Barel candies that make my tongue a little tingly and numb along with classic root beer taste. This is nothing like any root beer that may be bought in a store. Fortunately, they sell growlers to go. I believe it is 1/2 gallon in size.
There is no dip that compares with the Brewpub Dip where I live. There are plenty of restaurants that have an artichoke dip of some kind, but this is different. It has asiago cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. It may also have a splash of the trade-mark Haymarket Ale. It has a remarkable, unrepeatable taste, with a wonderful smooth texture with occasional chunks of artichoke or tomato that aren't too big. The cheese, while being flavorful, is not overpowering and doesn't disrupt the texture.
O.P. used to have a fabulous prime rib dip, but it is no longer there. There is the danger with prime rib that the bun may be filled with fat instead of meat. That is my guess as to why they got rid of it. When they got it right, WOW, was it good. So, given that it was no longer there, I had to find something new to try. Browsing through the menu, I decided to turn back to an item that always used to be good, rather ordinary, but good: the Reuben. Years ago, it used to be made with sliced, processed corned beef. Nothing extraordinary, but fine. If there isn't a Club sandwich, I usually go for a Reuben. When they put the plate down in front of me, I was amazed. It was the same swirled rye bread brought in from the local bakery. All the bread and buns at O.P. are excellent. It had a nice amount of rye flavor, could maybe have even been stronger. The thousand island dressing was present, and blended nicely with the cheese. The sauerkraut was not too strong, and was lacking in mustard seed, thankfully. The star of this sandwich was the corned beef, exactly as it should be. They have changed out the cheap, processed, sliced sandwich meet for in-house roasted real corned beef. It was juicy and tender, with very little fat. My teeth bit right through the meet with none of it getting stuck between my teeth. It was absolutely fantastic! I can't wait until my next tip to come back to it again. It would amazing in a morning hash.
If you every make it to Kalamazoo, Michigan, stop by Olde Peninsula on West Main Street for a quality meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment