BJ's

Last saturday i went to the cards game and ventured out to the oxmoor mall afterward. my good buddy- bourbons chef michael crouch- and i did a bit of shopping, some alpaca socks, a look in the bookstores- bon appetit and gourmet, and decided it was time for a libation. I had heard good things about this restaurant, but had taken my time to go try the spot. As we walked in, the SEC championship was playing- and all of the bar was full, as were the tall tables in the bar. I recognized people at two of the five high tops, so we sauntered on over. We grabbed a seat with Rob and Andrew- and ordered a beer. Well, i thought ok this place might have sam adams at best- EXTREMELY wrong. they brew their own beer and have a selection of imports that for its size, most fits my style better than anywhere this side of Rich-o's. Kwak, Chimay, La Chouffe, et al reigned in the bottles. But from the taps, this wonderful brewer from Denver has got their shit together. With New Belgium just up the road in Ft. Collins, paltry brews need not apply in this, the best state of American micro-brews. Fat Tire rocks the waves. I had the amber, but i tried the hefeweizen and a lighter pilsner. All three were excellent- hard for a brewer to be good at all styles, i would like to do a flight next go round.

We also ordered a bread bowl clam chowder and a thin margarita pizza. The soup came out first, the scoop of bread had been doused with garlic and baked, the soup was piping hot, which warmed our still chilly bones from the short walk from the entrance to the mall to the entrance of BJ's. The soup had ample clams and the potatoes were small enough that they didn't make the dish feel like potato stew. too many and you miss the mark. Great soup. The pizza was good, the tomatoes were very pink- i know its winter, but use fresh ingredients- tailor your menu to do such, or just leave them off and add something else. the cheese was rich, and the oven was made for making pizzas- brick ovens are the best. I would probably not go here for dinner- but for drinks and appetizers- I highly recommend this joint. AE