The Brohd Trip – 3 Burgers, 3 Brews, 5 States & 3 Bro’s

Sometimes you just need to get in the car and go. Sometimes you just need a hang with the boys. Sometimes you just need a heaping dose of comfort Food and Beer. Sometimes you just need an excuse to get the heck out of town and have a good time. Then there’s those other times when you need it all at once and that is why I created …

THE BROD TRIP
Take the eateries from the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives,” add in a group of friends like on HBO’s “Entourage” and sparkle it with a dose of Roadside America and you have THE BROHD TRIP. It’s basically an excuse for a couple of bro’s to get out of town and have some fun driving around this great country of ours eating food, drinking beer and seeing some randomly random stuff.

I have been planning this since December with my bro’s, Leo, Bram & Adam. Due to various set backs, including a snowstorm and Adam becoming a contestant on this summer’s season of “Big Brother” on CBS. After several start / stops and re-routing’s, we were finally able to pull out the first (of many to come) BROHD TRIPS.

THE BROHD TRIP – DAY 1
Saturday, August 20, 2011

Grove Street Path Station
Jersey City, NJ
7:04 AM

After grabbing a Coffee, a Sausage, Egg and Cheese Croissant and Donuts from Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, we hopped into Leo’s BROHD-MOBILE and pointed ourselves due East on Route 78.

CABELA’S HIGH TEMPLE OF TAXIDERMY
http://www.cabelas.com
100 Cabela Drive
Hamburg, PA 19526
9:30 AM

When you want clothes, you go to Macy’s. When you want groceries, you go to Shoprite. When you want electronics, you go to Best Buy. When people want to seriously hunt some beasts and or go off and live in the wilderness, they go to Cabela’s. It’s THE ultimate shopping destination for outdoors men. Tents, guns, camouflage, fishing rods, bows and arrows, duck decoys, you name it and more, Cabela’s is the penultimate destination to purchase these things. Nearly every vehicle in the parking lot was a 4×4 truck, which has to necessary when transporting ground blinds and full sized black bear archery targets!

They have a location that is 2.5 hours East of NYC and about an hour or so North West of Philadelphia in Hamburg, PA that has something very special to offer. Amongst the 250,000 square feet of inflatable deer, trolling gear, glock magazines, freeze dried rations and skull-mounting kits is a staggering collection of “museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats.” Walking around this amazing store is like half being in a Museum of Natural History and the most far removed retail collection of urban necessities you could ever imagine.

The deer taxidermy alone has it’s own wing of the building called “Deer Country”.

The aquarium holds 55,000 gallons of water and living fish.

HAMBURG, PA
10:21 AM

Any road trip that passed through Hamburg, PA and did NOT stop, is NOT a road trip that I want to be a part of it. Of course we had to pull over and drive through the town of Hamburg, PA. It’s the city that hosts the annual “Taste of Hamburg-er” festival every beginning of September after all. After finding the “Welcome to Hamburg” sign for a few photos and a quick tour around town we stopped for gas.

I announced to the guys, “I can’t come to Hamburg, PA and NOT get a Burger. Let’s get something to eat.” A quick check of the “Burger GPS” iPhone app came up short and we had to improvise.

HAMBURG DINER
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hamburg-diner-hamburg
210 State St
Hamburg, PA 19526
10:34 AM

The Hamburg Diner is the kind of classic short order diner that America is made of. Places like this are a true slice of our heritage serving all kinds of American comfort food and European pass down dishes, specifically Penn-Dutch like Potato Salad,  Chicken Pot Pie, Fritters, Dumplings and Pies, all of which is washed down with the non-alcoholic Birch Beer. It’s a place where locals gather to eat and catch up on Sunday mornings and stop in for a workman’s lunch on a weekday. Dressed with tables, booths and stools at a counter with a checkered floor, the Hamburg Diner couldn’t have been a more appropriate place to eat on THE BROHD TRIP.

The incredibly friendly staff ushered us in with a big smile and invite to sit where ever we wanted. The 3 of us grabbed 3 stools at the counter right in front of the flat top griddle. They have menus but encourage you to just order whatever you want. “You guys don’t need menus right? Just tell me what you want and we’ll take good care of you.” Our server took one look at Leo and asked “do you like Country Gravy? We serve it over Biscuits and it’s one our specials.” That’s all Leo needed to hear. Bram got himself a Ham, Egg and Cheese Croissant and me, well you can probably guess.  “I’d like a Cheeseburger please. Can I get that as medium rare as possible?” Jokingly our server replied, “let me go out back and cut it right off the steer.”

She scribbled down our order, placed the ticket above the griddle on the kitchen hood and the owner of the restaurant began to cook up our meal.

Even though my Burger was made with an over cooked frozen patty and served on a regular old White Bun, I loved every bite of it. Sometimes nostalgia and environment outweigh everything else.  I was stoked as hell to be eating a Hamburger at the Hamburg Diner in Hamburg, PA with 2 of my best Bro’s. As I was about halfway through my Burger, the game changed. The server asked me if I wanted some of the Country Gravy for my Home Fries. In a very Br’er Rabbit like response I said “YES I WANT SOME COUNTRY GRAVY!” As I spooned the thick and savory White Gravy with chunks of Sausage in it over my Browns a light bulb went off in my head and I proceeded to pour some over my Burger. Say whatever you want, it’s ok because this is what you do on a BROHD TRIP. I name this a Country BROHD Burger and I will cherish its memory forever.

7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

YUENGLING BREWERY
http://www.yuengling.com/breweries/pottsville/
501 Mahantongo St
Pottsville, PA 17901
11:38 AM

Beer is a mandatory party of a road trip and visiting a Brewery is a mandatory part of a BROHD TRIP. What better Brewery to visit than Yuengling, America’s Oldest Brewery. Located in Pottsville, PA, this 5th generation run company has been making Beer since 1829. Tours are available for a very short period of time Monday – Saturday as they do still make delicious Beer here EVERYDAY.  Get there early as the tours are not only very popular but you’ll also want to spend some time walking around the Yuengling Museum located in the gift shop. They have memorabilia including cans and bottles that date back into the early years of the brewery. Before entering, take notice of the now defunct Yuengling Ice Cream family that kept the company in business during the prohibition era.

According to their website, the Brewery tour promises  you’ll “Discover the hand-dug fermentation caves that were used for storage before refrigeration. Wander through time and enjoy a taste of living history in a building that has produced fine beers through times of peace, prosperity, upheaval and world war.” The tour starts in the hand-dug caves that if needed could still be used today to make Beer the “old way.”

From there, the tour guide takes up into where the Beer itself is actually cooked and processed. The room is unbelievably warm and has no air condition or man made heat to speak of. It’s all controlled by the natural environment including a beautiful glass ceiling intended to shield the workers from the hot rays from the sun.

After taking a look at how the Beer is made, the tour takes a turn into the distribution side of things. From brewing to fermenting to bottling / canning and shipping out, this brewery produces upwards of 600,000 barrels of Beer per year.

Once the tour is complete you are lead into the Yuengling Pub where many a TV show have been filmed. You’ve probably seen Dick Yuengling and any other number of characters chatting about Beer here from your living room. The Yuengling Brewery makes 7 different beers and after you’ve taken the tour, you’re invited to sample some in the pub. Sadly for us who after re-falling in love with this incredibly important piece to history of America’s commerce, we wanted to drink them all, however they have a “one sud Saturday” policy. It’s due to huge number of people who come through to enjoy a piece of history.

If you don’t walk out of this tour completely head over heels in love with Yuengling Beer and it’s rich history, you should move back to Germany and drink more Hofbrau.

WAWA
http://wawa.com
515 Lowland Road
Hamburg, PA
1:52 PM

Anyone that has ever driven through Pennsylvania or most parts of it’s adjoining states knows about the glory of Wawa. Any East Coast foodie knows that convenience store / deli / sometimes gas station chain WAWA is the bomb!! With their Ready-to-Go Snacks, tasty side dishes, refreshing Iced Teas, Fresh Brewed Coffee, delicious Sizzli breakfast sandwiches and of course, the best thing about Wawa, Built-to-Order Hoagies and Sandwiches!!! Just walk up to the computer screen and start mashing those hungry little fingers on the touch screen.

While I would normally get a Wawa Hogie, I was still feeling full from the Hamburg Diner’s Country BROHD Burger. Instead, I opted to go snack style and get a small order of Wawa Meatballs and Cheddar Filled hot Pretzels to split with my bro’s along with some MANDATORY Wawa Lemonade Iced Tea to wash it down.

VICTORY BEER BREW PUB
http://victorybeer.com/brewpub/
420 Acorn Lane
Downingtown, PA 19335
3:05 PM

In 1996, I took a permanent road trip, moving myself from Lansing, MI to New Brunswick, NJ. That very same year, German beer institute students Bill Covalesky & Ron Barchet opened the Victory Brewery on the former site of a Pepperidge Farm factory. They’ve been pumping out delicious American beer that’s rooted in many German brewing ideas and traditions. The brew pub holds a rotating list of various regular, seasonal and special brews that changes on a daily basis. They also offer a menu full of great culinary treats almost all of which is paired with specific Victory Beers. Whether you’re a Foodie, Beer Nerd or just like to have a great experience, it’s a fantastic place and a great company.

Anyone that knows me or has paid a visit to my NYC bar, Idle Hands, knows that I LOVE Victory Beers, which FYI pair very well with Slayer songs. While we had several Beers on our trip to Victory, there was one that stood out from the pack.

VICTORY SCARLET FIRE RAUCHBIER

• Smoked
• 5.8% ABV
• Downingtown, PA

THEY SAY: Exotic yet mild lager… Sublime complexity and intriguing malt character glow from this traditional amber lager. The hallmark beer style of Germany’s Franconia region, this beer features beech-wood kilned malts for a softly smoky and rich flavor. Overall mild and mellow, this one’s a fascinating treat!

REV SAYS: If this Beer was a sandwich, I’d say it was tick-cut, slow-cooked Country Bacon on toasted Whole Wheat bread. If it was a Star Wars weapon, i’d describe it as being half Light Sabre, half Jet Pack. What I am really trying to say is, this Beer is freaking awesome and kicks a whole bunch of ass!

Leo ordered a Wedge Salad covered in Blue Cheese, Marinated Flat Iron Steak, Bacon Crumbles, Red Onions, Tomato & Smoked Tomato Dressing paired with Uncle Teddy’s Bitter. The Bitter and Creaminess of the Beer’s flavor did indeed match up with the savory and thick flavors in the Salad.

Bram and I, completely unable to order just ONE entree decided to split two of them. A “Hickory Prime” Sandwich with thinly shaved Prime Rib on a Sourdough Panini with Provolove, Pickles and Wasabi Aioli paired with a Hop Devil Ale. The bright and spiciness of Victory’s Hopped out IPA made for a fantastic match up to the salty flavors and soft textures of the sandwich which on it’s own was actually more mild than I expected. Please do note, I definitely removed the Pickles from my half of the Sandwich.

The last item on our order was the “Jerk Grinder,” a long Roll Sandwich with roasted Jerk seasoned Chicken, with smoked Gouda, Chipotle Mayonnaise, Roasted Peppers, Lettuce and Onions paired with a Festbier. Now technically, this is an incorrect pairing and in fact, Victory suggests you eat it with their Saison, Helios Ale. The idea being that the spices in the Sando mix it up with the sweet and sour tastes in the Beer to balance each other out. But to understand the rules, you have to know how to break them!! Festbier is Victory’s take on an Oktoberfest / Marzen which only comes out in the fall. As a malt fan when it comes to beer, I love it’s smooth bready taste that is achieve by cold aging it. I also figured the malt flavors would actually flow behind the Jerk Spices giving a secondary taste to the Sandwich. I was right and it was awesome!

VICTORY STORE
http://victorybeer.com/brewpub/victory-store/
420 Acorn Lane
Downingtown, PA 19335
6:00 PM

Located all the way at the end of the Victory Brewpub is their retail location. There you will find all kinds of Victory apparel as well as a fine selection of their beers which are welcome to mix-n-match (six packs, large format bottles, growlers and barrels.) Before selecting a number of fine Victory Beers as a present for our friend Mike who was putting us up that night, something caught my eye. Over in the corner is a standing cold box with a glass front. Inside of it, Ice Cream made with Victory Beers. After much debate, Bram and I decided to get Storm King Crunch, chocolate ice cream made with the wort from Storm King Stout, with chocolate malted milk balls. Sounds good doesn’t it? Allow me to confirm, it was AMAZING and lasted maybe 8 minutes.

CHEF MACJON’S
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-macjons-downingtown
81 West Lancaster Ave
Downingtown, Pennsylvania
6:13 PM

This restaurant may look like any other rail car style diner you’d find out their in the middle of America but this one has a story to tell. Once, in 1958, a man saved the Earth from a hideous space creature intent on destroying all of us from this very location. Back then it was called “The Downingtown Diner” and actually no longer exists and that man was Steve McQueen who was acting in a movie called “The Blob.” None the less, this is the location that now marks this famous movie location.

Chef Macjon’s is only open for breakfast and lunch so we weren’t able to try the food. Their most famous dish is the “BBQ Blobwich.” Which I’ve seen on Cantab Publishing describe as “a sandwich that consists of chicken and peppers covered with what tastes like equal parts BBQ and Sweet and Sour sauce from the Chinese restaurant.” I’d certainly have tried it had they been open even though I was totally full from all the day’s eating.

However, that wasn’t the end of it. We hopped back in the car and drove South 124 miles for another piece of history from the same year…

BEN’S CHILI BOWL
http://www.benschilibowl.com
1213 U Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
9:21 PM

There’s a lot of great Burgers in this country and there’s a lot of history around many of them as well. Few of them play as significant a role in the history of the growth of a city as much as the original Ben’s Chili Bowl of Washington DC. Beyond that, even less of them have a stellar reputation for delicious food like Ben’s.  I’m going to give a quick paraphrasing but please do yourself a favor and read the entire story on the website for Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Back on August 22, 1958 Ben and Virgina Ali, newly married at the time, opened a new business on the former site of the Minnehaha Theater. Ben’s Chili Bowl was born in a section of Washington DC that at the time was known as “Black Broadway.” Many a famous performer frequented Ben’s when they were in town to perform as it’s popularity grew. In 1968 when DC was stricken with riots centered around the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Ben’s stayed open, guaranteeing locals trying to restore order to the city, somewhere to get a hot meal. After a bustling decade in the 70s, in part to a party thrown by Bill Cosby who was celebrating his number one rated show, the 80s brought about the opposite. Construction of a city train stop opened a massive hole right in front of Ben’s bringing business almost to a halt. The only thing that helped them stay alive was feeding the construction workers. Ben’s Chili Bowl persevered the lengthy set back and has gone on to be a landmark food spot in DC winning many award along the route. Unfortunately Ben passed away in 2009 but his legend lives on in the restaurant. It’s now run by 3 of their children using the same counters, booths and of course, secret Chili recipe that thousands of people have come to know and love.

Outside of the obvious reasons, I’ve been waiting for years to eat at Ben’s. Not only due to the history but also as a native Detroiter, I grew up eating Chili on my Burgers and Dogs. My order tonight on the BROHD TRIP was quite simple, a Chili Cheese Burger. All orders are placed right at the grill upon entering Ben’s. Once your food arrives, find yourself a seatin any of the 3 dining rooms and enjoy. As I sunk my teeth into this insanely historical Burger, I had to remember to take it slow and enjoy every delicious bite. The freshly ground beef is really not the focus here even though on it’s own, makes a great Burger. The star of this show is far and above the Chili. Coming from The D-Town we take our Chili VERY seriously, building life long relationships with the Coney of our choosing. But let me tell you this, Ben’s Chili has earned it’s place in food lover’s hearts. It’s smoky, savory and sitting on top of a delicious Cheeseburger. One bite of a Chili Cheeseburger from Ben’s Chili Bowl is all you will need to know why their restaurant has stood the test of time and remains a favorite of all who’ve been through it’s doors.

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

QUARRY HO– USE TAVERN
http://quarryhousetavern.com
8401 Georgia Ave Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910
11:34 PM

After a long day of driving, eating and sightseeing, it was time to give our designated driver Leo a break. We pulled into our friend Mike’s house, dropped our bags and walked into town. Mike and Caroline, although out of town, let us stay at their house to save a couple beans on the trip. Mike left us a note that had a suggestion for a local watering hole if had need of libation. That place was the Quarry House Tavern, a speakeasy type bar, located in a basement bar that’s known for their Bourbon, Beers and Burgers. (Sound familiar?) We had planned for only stay for a drink or two but upon walking in, we ran into a friend of mine, Diamond Dave, who I hadn’t seen in years. What are the chances? We hung with Dave and his buds until we closed the joint down ending a monumental first day of THE BROHD TRIP.

THE BROHD TRIP – DAY 2
Saturday, August 20, 2011

We woke up quite hungover but happy to have had some rest and thanks to Leo’s coffee run, some necessary caffeine. Soon we were back on the road, pointed about 45 minutes North to Baltimore.

ISABELLA’S
http://isabellasbrickoven.net
221 S. High St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
11:39 AM

If I asked you “where did you have the best Italian Sandwich you’ve ever had,” do you know what you would answer? I do. The Scooch from Isabella’s in Baltimore. This tiny little cafe and grocery store sells a small selection of Italian grocery items along with a hand selected menu of Italian goodies like brick oven Pizzas, Sandwiches, Salads and sides. With barely enough room for 12 people to seat, this Little Italy staple always has customers in the house.

Most of them are coming for one thing, The “Scooch” – Capicollo, Soppressata and Porchetta with Gouda Cheese, Roasted Peppers and Lettuce in a Balsamic Dressing. Sounds like any other Italian sandwich right? I’d agree with you and when I was first told about it, I had too held the same questions and possibilities of disbelief that you have right now. But much like me and now like Leo and Bram, when you finish eating the Sandwich, you’re going to pause, take a breath, collect your thoughts and finally speak; “I think that was the best Italian Sandwich I’ve ever had.” Why? Because even after you’ve eaten it yourself, you’ll still find it hard to believe. Seated on the most perfect and crunchy warm Italian Bread you’ll ever eat are fresh and warm Meats and Cheeses with wonderfully roasted Peppers and crisp Lettuce with the tangiest Balsamic Dressing you’ll ever eat.

You can try to eat an entire Scooch and I wouldn’t stop you from doing it. However, at least take a moment to consider saving room for one of Isabella’s stuffed Peppers. They take green and red Peppadew Peppers, hollow them out, fill them with Prosciutto and hard Italian Cheese before allowing them to bath in Extra Virgin Olive Oil to soak up the flavor. They’re ALMOST as good as the Scooch and definitely worth taking one down before moving onto the sandwich.

FESTIVAL OF SAINT GABRIEL
http://www.littleitalymd.com/activities.htm
Little Italy
Baltimore, MD 21202
12:00 PM

It was just our luck that this weekend in Baltimore’s Little Italy was the Festival of Saint Gabriel. It’s the 2nd part of a two part celebration of the summer held around the Church of St. Leo the Great. The Festival of Saint Gabriel marks the end of the summer season by filling the streets with Food, Drinks, Games, Shopping complete with bands and a bocce tournament. We had no idea it was happening but it made for a fun twist to the adventure. Leo was especially excited to get his photo in front of the Church of St. Leo the Great.

WESTMINSTER HALL AND BURYING GROUNDS
EDGAR ALLAN POE HO– USE AND GRAVE
http://www.westminsterhall.org
http://www.eapoe.org/balt/poegrave.htm
555 W. Fayette St Baltimore, MD 21223
12:42 PM

Macabre and mystery author, Edgar Allan Poe, originally born in Boston, MA was eventually buried in Baltimore, MD. He was most famous for a poem entitled “The Raven” about a man’s journey into insanity but also known for his stories “The Pit and the Pendulum,” The Masque of the Red Death,” and many, many more. I figure if you are going to visit anyone’s grave, someone like Edgar Allan Poe is perhaps one of the most appropriate! Fun part of it, EAP actually has to graves in the same graveyard!

WAWA
http://wawa.com
500 Jimmy Drive
Symrna, DE 19977
2:58 PM

What can I tell you? The allure of Wawa is too great especially with the great food, amazing drinks, convenient locations, gas stations and clean bathrooms. Wawa is custom made to fit into a BROHD TRIP. On this one I got Wawa Green Tea, Hickory Smoked Beef Jerky and a Wawa Shorti. My fave Shorti – Smoked Turkey, Provolone, Lettuce, Onions, Creamy Horseradish Sauce, Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Salt, Pepper and Banana Peppers and I ask for the whole Sub toasted.

FUTURO HO– USE
http://www.futurohouse.com
29710 Eagles Crest Rd
Milton, DE 19968
3:53 PM

In 1968 Finnish architect Matti Suurone created a vacation home that would fit on the side of a mountain. The two major requirement he was under were that the home needed to be transported easily and also that snow would fall off it easily. This style of house was dubbed “Futuro” and was designed to withstand the high winds of a snowy mountain environment. Less than 100 of them were manufactured and originally they were made with custom designed furniture made to fit it’s unique shape. If you want to buy one for yourself, this guy is trying to sell his. He also has some great information about Futuro. If you just want to see one for yourself, head to Milton, DE where one still stands next to the Eagles Crest-Hudson airport.

ZWAANENDAEL M– USEUM
MERMAN OF DELAWARE
http://history.delaware.gov/museums/zm/zm_main.shtml
102 Kings Highway
Lewes, DE 19958
4:09 PM

So far on this history adventure known as the BROHD TRIP we’ve gone way back in history but this stop in particular goes nearly 200 years more in the past than the formation of the Yuengling Brewery. In 1631 the Dutch settled this now area of Delaware and named it Swanendael, meaning “Valley of the Swans.” Their settlement was short lived as just about a year later they were extinguished by a group of local Algonquians over cultural misunderstandings. To pay tribute to the 300th anniversary of the European settlement, made to look like the former City Hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands.

Also located inside Zwaanendael Museum you’ll find something very unique. Believed to have been created in China in the mid 19th Century and according to the Museum’s site, is made of fish, hair, ivory, a shrunken monkey head, oak, stain, varnish, glass, and dye. Items like the Merman were created for Sea Captains to return home with mysterious great stories of their sea fairing ventures to the orient.

Today, it’s there to give a couple of guys on a goofy road trip an excuse to do something they would probably never do otherwise. On the way out of the museum, the curator asked us what wine we thought the Merman would pair with.

DOGFISH HEAD BREWPUB
http://www.dogfish.com/restaurant/index.htm
320 Rehoboth Ave
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
4:46 PM

Dogfish Head has the honor of calling themselves Delaware’s first brewpub, opening originally in 1995 by now well-known brew genius, Sam Calagione. His dream was to bring original Beer, Food & Music to the area. Their original system could only make 12 gallons of Beer at a time, less than 2 – 1/2 barrels (what you would consider a “keg”) a far cry from the massive production they have nowadays! The brewpub also boasts a wood-burning grill still used to cook up their delicious and “interesting” dishes. The majority of Dogfish Head beer, which is sold in 25 different states is made up the road in Milton, DE in their massive brewing production house. However nowadays, they distill Rum, Vodka & Gin in the brewpub.

As the Beers available on tap at the Dogfish Head brewpub are constantly changing and often feature brews you can’t get anywhere else, we couldn’t wait to get there and suck down a bunch of ’em.

60 MINUTE IPA

• IPA
• 6.0% ABV
• Rehoboth Beach, DE

THEY SAY: Our 60 Minute IPA is continuously hopped – more than 60 hop additions over a 60 minute boil (getting a vibe yet of where the name came from?). 60 Minute is a session India Pale Ale brewed with a slew of great NorthWest hops. A powerful, but balanced East Coast I.P.A. with a lot of citrusy hop character. The session beer for hardcore beer enthusiasts!

REV SAYS: – this is an IPA for IPA drinkers who like the flavor of hops but don’t want to just drink a cold glass of water and hops. This is the WWE’s Tag Team Championship match IPA answer to the ECW’s barbed-wire match IPA.

*****

BLACK & RED

• Spiced Stout
• 10.5% ABV
• Rehoboth Beach, DE

THEY SAY: Black & Red is a velvety smooth dry-minted stout with a serious fruit problem! The huge portion of heavily roasted grains brings a dry, chocolaty character which contrasts its sweet fruity full body. As you tilt your glass, youll notice that the black color you are perceiving is actually a very deep reddish hue and the rich creamy foam has a tinge of pink to it. Black & Red starts off roasted and warming with a robust mintiness from 100lbs of organic mint (from our friends at Washington’s Green Grocer) added to the secondary fermentation and finishes out sweet and smooth.

REV SAYS: Tastes likens fruity mint chocolate stout and I’d imagine is fantastic over ice cream … if you’re over 21.

*****

LIMB & LIFE

• Brown Ale
• 5.2% ABV
• Rehoboth Beach, DE

THEY SAY: Limb & Life is a ‘small’ beer, made from the second runnings of the larger brew, Life & Limb. Limb & Life has a roasted malt flavor reminiscent of dark roasted coffee and toasted bread, combined with a pronounced hoppiness from the use of bold and aromatic American hops.

Limb & Life is an easy drinking ‘session’ beer – an antidote to the heavy sippers, and a beer that begs for another glass. It is balanced yet flavorful, hoppy yet not without strong malt, and drinkable but still complex.Limb & Life will be an extrememly limited draft-only release.

REV SAYS: It’s like having cold leftover pizza, it’s in no way comparable to it’s original form but should be cherished in it’s own special way.

*****

The Beer at Dogfish Head is only part of the reason to go there, or so we had been told. I had read prior to our visit that they were so proud of their Burger that it got it’s own section on the menu. They were right. Taken directly from that menu:

The Dogfish Burger Experience
Our tasty burgers come from cattle fed the world’s finest brewing barley (from our brewery just up the road in Milton, DE)! All of our burgers are served with a pickle, red onion, lettuce, tomato and fresh cut fries on a kaiser roll

The Indulgence Burger $10
Piled high with a beer battered onion ring, melted cheddar, and house made bacon. Consider yourself challenged.

I love it when I don’t have to make any decisions on a Burger menu. Usually that’s because I will want all of them! Here, it was either order what they suggest or start from scratch by building a Burger. I was too tired and too excited to even try. The Dogfish Head Indulgence Burger is appropriately named but if they were searching for an alternate I’d suggest “MASSIVE.” I could barely get my mouth around it and had to attack it, bite by bite, coming after each approach from a different angle.

The Burger has a really crunchy Bun but not in stale way, more like you would expect from a French or Italian loaf and yet still as a Burger Roll. The ground Beef patty is really flavorful with a very slight smoke flavor that comes in over the natural taste of quality Beef. Extra crunch comes from the sweet Onion Ring. My only complaint? The Bacon, there wasn’t enough. It definitely tasted great but in smaller bites it just didn’t have the effect I was hoping for. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a damn good Burger!

2 key suggestions if you are going to pay a visit to the Dogfish Head Brewpub;
A. Don’t show up at dinner time otherwise you can expect a wait of up to two hours, unless it’s Nov-Feb.
B. Do not sit at the 2nd table from the hostess stand next to the bar on a day where they have the air conditioning cranked. The air vent is directly above the table and not only will you be cold, so will your food.

Other than that, the awesomeness of the Food & Drink is only matched by the awesomeness of the friendly and accommodating staff. Unfortunately we only had 45 minutes to enjoy as we had to catch the Ferry back to Cape May, NJ. A return trip is most certainly in order and next time, we have to visit the actual brewery.

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

We bolted outta Rehoboth Beach as fast as we could but as soon as we jumped into the car the rain started. As a result, traffic slowed down and you guessed it, we missed the ferry.  Between the rain and missing the ferry, that pretty much put the kibosh on any other plans we had which included riding roller coasters at Morey’s Piers in Wildwood and stopping at the White House Sub Shop in Atlantic City.

WAWA
http://wawa.com
500 Jimmy Drive
Symrna, DE 19977
7:16 PM

With plans thwarted we had to reroute home and when the need to stop for gas arose, Leo made a call. We could’ve stopped anywhere but he wanted to brighten up the mood a little and took us to get gas somewhere we would all enjoy. My thick and tasty Coffee Flavored F’Real Milkshake was thick, tasty and awesome.

From Smyrna it was a long, rainy and traffic-laden drive back to the NYC area. But it was one I will never forgot and not just because I spent nearly 12 hours writing this post but because I had a super blast hittin the road with 2 of my favorite Bro’s. We have to do this again fellas once Adam gets himself out of the Big Brother House!

Thanks to Mike & Caroline for the hospitality and place to stay. Hopefully your bed doesn’t still smell like Bram and apologies for the pasta. I hope the Beer was tasty.

Thanks to Bill, Sean, Kristi and everyone at Victory. You’re all way too kind and your Beer & Food is awesome. See you again hopefully soon.

Thanks to Adam, Sam, Maria, Connie and the entire staff of Dogfish Head. Our only regret is that we had to pack so much into less than an hour. There will be a return visit and it’s going to be one hell of a session and most likely not be around Beers defined as such.

Thanks to Diamond Dave and the rest of the Silver Springs “let’s get an omelet” posse for turning what was to be a drink or two into a laugh or twenty.

Nizam and Nick, sorry we didn’t meet you either of you. We had a fantastic time at both of your establishment’s and loved the food.

Thanks to my BRO’S Bram and Leo for trusting me to take a really stupid idea and turn it into a big fun weekend. Extra thanks to the Great St. Leo for driving the ENTIRE WEEKEND.

Until the next BROHD TRIP!!

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
440 Burgers

Aug 20 & 21, 2011