Roeg's Pick for 2013: Best Gastropub

Perhaps one of the hardest categories to judge since there are so many new beer spots that focus on offering great food with a fantastic selection of beer.  The food could be described as eclectic, or at least not kid friendly, but if your adventurous you can try a delicious dish that you’d never make at home (or at least I wouldn’t) along with a fantastic beer (that’s at least why I was there).  Here are my favorite places:

Gold: Deep Ellum, Allston, MA – Deep Ellum (http://www.deepellum-boston.com/) became one of my favorite restaurants when I attended the ACBF three years ago, a pub that specializes in great food and a fantastic selection of brews.  This morning I chose a Ballast Point Fathom Imperial Lager on draft to go with my breakfast burrito; a great combination of scrambled eggs, Kentucky sausage, the house hot sauce, pepper jack cheese, green onions, and tomatoes.  A breakfast fit for a beer king.  I’ll need to come back sometime for dinner sometime.

Silver: Armsby Abbey, Worcester, MA – Armsby Abbey (http://armsbyabbey.com) is another great gastropub, this year I passed on their cheese slates and went for a gourmet spring onion grilled cheese sandwich (comfort food after a long day).  I got a Pretty Things Magnifico, quite a sessionable Belgian Pale Ale (3.4% ABV) on draft and got to chat with the owner on the blooming MA beer scene.  It is always a potential stop for every trip to the seacoast.

Bronze: Dirty Truth, Northampton, MA – I like the Dirty Truth (http://dirtytruthbeerhall.com/) for brunch, and so did my family.  Jenn loved her chicken and waffles, while I had the corned beef hash benedict to go along with the Ballast Point Serrano Pale Ale on draft.  The heat of the beer went well with the Sriracha sauce that I put on my breakfast.  Great food and beer always make a winning combination.

Honorable Mention: Black Birch, Kittery, ME – The Black Birch (http://www.theblackbirch.com/) is the newest watering hole right outside of the PNS gate, and although I didn’t get a chance to eat there, the local beer was excellent.  I tried the Offshore Troublesome Gose, Maine 2013, and an Oxbow Season Noel on a recent visit.  The food is eccentric (i.e., mac & cheese with spam, specialty deviled eggs, and roasted cauliflower, etc.) so I can’t say it is kid-friendly.  But I’d love to take Jenn out for a date night? - 15116
 
“A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food.” - Queen Elizabeth I