First stop was McSorley's Old Ale House. It's always crowded in this 158-year-old tippling spot (now that they let in women). Took a while to get a spot at the bar, but eventually I ordered beer. Your choices are McSorley's Light or McSorley's Dark. I go for both. The mugs are small, but they're cheap.

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"P" rescues me and we mosey down East Seventh Street to Burp Castle. This nice little hole-in-the-wall is dimly lit and unnaturally quiet. Loud talkers here get "shushed!" The draft menu has both foreign and domestic beers and features Belgian and Belgian-style ales. I try the Mort Subite Kriek (4.5% ABV).

Holy Stromboli! This red lambic (fruit beer) has a strong cherry flavor—like candy! Kinda like a cherry cough drop—but with a tang. Damn, that's outstanding!

Next up is a Young's Double Chocolate Stout (5.2% ABV). After the kriek, this English import tastes really dry and oatey. Definitely palate-cleansing!

My next round was a Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela No. 1 Ale (5.9% ABV). This oak-aged pumpkin ale is clear, malty and rich, with only a faint pumpkin spice

"P" ordered the Steenbrugge III Tripel. This potent, 8.7% ABV, tripel is all malt, cardamom and clove. really nice!

I've got a really pleasant buzz going at this point. My ears are definitely feeing warm. Suddenly, a vision from the past miraculously appeared: Pradeep!

Pradeep is easily the hardest-working guy I know. He owns, or co-owns, at least three Denny's restaurants and four or five liquor stores. To hear him tell it, he is the laziest man in the world—he just hires good people to run each venture and sits back and watches. I know better. It's rare he can make it out to DNO, but when he does, it's always a HOOT! Tonight, he's just dropping in for a few as he travels between worksites. We all head out to the sidewalk so we can catch up without being "shushed."

[more...] ⇒

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#1362

Dad's Night Out—The Home of Thurdsday