Friday, March 27, 2009

Gastronomy in New Albany? You might as well get used to it.

Yesterday at my PC blog, I chewed over a few ruminations gleaned from the ongoing kitchen rollout at the Bank Street Brewhouse.

Bank Street Brewhouse: It's exactly because "different" isn't the "same."

Last evening I sampled the Flat Iron Steak with an Asparagus Salad, accompanied by an Oaktimus (Hoptimus aged with oak chips) dating from early 2008. Speaking with approximate objectivity, it may have been the best all-around meal I've had in an American brewpub, bar none -- and I've been to quite a few.

Yes, the intention was to have a continental, Belgian-cafe-style kitchen. Two weeks into the Brewhouse's existence, we've transcended that simple ideal by an Old Country mile. This has occurred because we had the chance to work with Chef Josh Lehman, whose vision and dedication should be obvious. Admittedly, it's the polar opposite of the menu at the Public House and Pizzeria, and for some, that fact has been an impediment. Happily, the scene at Grant Line is the same as it ever was.

Meanwhile, at Bank Street, we're all working as hard as we can to disseminate information about when we're open, what food is available and when, and a hundred other things that every start-up has to resolve. The brewery's coming within a month, and then another chapter begins. Exterior finishing work is set to resume.

The point to me is this: It hasn't progressed in the way I imagined, but it's far, far better than what I ever envisioned, which makes a very strong case for the collaborative theory of management as illustrated by our team. Our traditional location is utterly unique, and so is the new one. Our collective mandate has been to challenge, not pander, and my personal goal is to make the world aware of the possibilities of pairing first-rate cuisine with equally top-notch brewing. We're already heading toward fruition in these areas, and it's only just begun.

In fact, the only dissonance heard so far is the familiar variation on the crippling, self-loathing lament native to the vicinity: You can't do that in New Albany, and you shouldn't even try.

Bullshit. Why not?

My question, then, is what word do we coin to describe what we're doing? The one that seems closest in the "gastropub" in Brit-speak, as defined by Wikipedia.

A gastropub (or gastro pub) is a British term for a public house which specializes in high-quality food a step above the more basic "pub grub." The name is a combination of pub and gastronomy and was coined in 1991 when David Eyre and Mike Belben opened a pub called The Eagle in Clerkenwell, London.[1][2] The concept "helped create a truly British culinary scene" and "arose from a conscious effort to promote great food in well-loved places."[2] Gastropubs have been described as the Anglo-equivalent of the French brasserie or the Japanese izakaya [3]

The problem with "gastropub" is that Americans only hear the prefix when it is associated with stomach viruses, "gastronomy" being a little used word in Big Buford Land.

Any thoughts? Thanks to all readers so far who get it. Your patronage is appreciated very, very much.

3 comments:

John Manzo said...

I have not yet had the opportunity to try most of the dinner menu. I have had several items on the lunch menu.

I have tried several of the soups. All were very unique and wonderful.

The Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame are both amazing. They are rich and delicious from start to finish. They come with a small type of salad which is very flavorful. My wife had the roasted beet and goat cheese salad and greatly enjoyed it.

The mussels have a very unique preparation unlike any I have ever eaten. They were light and tasty. My daughter declared the scallops (I do not like scallops so this is one thing I would not order) to be great. They looked wonderful and I am sure any scallop lover would like them.

This is not a burger and fries type of place. There are, however, many places to get burgers and fries.

As for me, I will continue to fight the traffic and venture to Roger's new place.

(For those who do not know me, I'm the pastor of St. Marks across the street, so this is a joke.)

Christopher D said...

Judging by the crowds at any given time as drive passed, looks like the only problem you will really have is enough space for all of your clients!
I hope this trend continues!

PR Gal said...

Haven't had a chance yet to visit, but plan to very soon! Photos have me salivating!

No intention of sounding snobby, but I've been to both UK & Ireland and "Gastropub" just doesn't cut it for me-- it DOES sound somewhat clinical, if not infectious! I don't have any witty suggestions off the top of my head, but DO have a question, Roger: when you dreamed this place up, WHO were you hoping to attract? You know, the target audience, in marketing-speak? (I've only been to the Brussels airport, so "Belgian cafe" doesn't really tell me much . . .) So was your primary target craft beer aficionados or those looking for a non-franchise, non-ethnic dining experience without driving across the bridge?

Your menu selections sound eclectic, delightful and the presentation is beautiful-- I can't wait to sample some!

BTW, the menu says classy casual, the garage doors say jeans, & and your stated wanting to attract the the post-workout Y crowd says athletic wear--so HAS a dress code evolved yet? (Just curious-- but the idea of dressing up just a tad is alluring, just sayin' . . .)