26335 Thu Oct 30 14:47:13 -0800 2003 17 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 106985 I think so. I've eaten at a good fraction of the brewpubs in Northern California and a sprinkling of others along the west coast. The menus are almost always the same, though some places (e.g., Gordon Biersch, Tied House, and yes, 21st Amendment) veer into the more upscale or multicultural. The quality almost always ranges from poor to acceptable. But occasionally I'll run across food that makes me think there's not just a cook, but a true chef in the kitchen. When it's on, Thirsty Bear's Spanish food falls into that group. Magnolia comes close, and until last night was my favorite for more traditional pub grub. 21st Amendment is now my favorite. The burgers are made with Niman Ranch meat, I had the Classic with cheddar cheese and grilled onions. The meat was served medium rare, was properly salted, and juicy enough to produce a 3mm deep pink stain in the bun. The cheese was a thick slab of sharp cheddar, the tiny pile of onions added just a touch of sweetness. The bun was a sourdough roll with a crunchy crust and chewy (rather than spongy) texture. No condiments required. A small side of greens were very fresh and dressed with a wonderfully simple, tangy vinaigrette. The accompanying fries were fantastic. They are large and thick with a pale color; visually they did not leave a good first impression. However, the thin veneer of crispy, tasty crust gave way to creamy, almost mashed-potato-like insides with plenty of pure potato flavor. The hands of a master were clearly at work. Other standouts were: beet and goat cheese salad (the arugula casted a plume of peppery fragrance over the whole table) and the quesedillas (which I did not try, but were deemed very good by my companions; note they are baked and not grilled, a frightening trend that I have noticed lately). The sweet potato straws, a jumble of orange shoestring spears, looked better than they tasted. The sweet potato flavor was good, but they were baked (I assumed they were fried but was wrong) and seasoned with just salt and parsley. If you're a big lover of sweet potatoes, you may really like them; one of my dining companions was and did. But I thought they just needed different seasonings; I'd be happy to snack on them if they were provided as free bar snacks, but I wouldn't pay another $4 for them. The beers are all good too. Seven were on tap, I tried them all and would certainly order pints of each one. My favorites were the cloudy, hoppy Harvest Ale and the smooth Cask ale. Prices are a little high (e.g., $9 for the burger) but worth the premium. Wine and a few spirits are also served. At 7pm on a Wednesday, the place was about half full, by 8:30pm it crested at about 75% and started to slowly thin out. On a previous visit on a Saturday night it was nearly empty. -Nick Link: http://www.21st-amendment.com/21A.html Thu Oct 30 14:47:13 -0800 2003 0 nja 1 107081 Great report, and from my experiences at 21A, highly accurate. But just because it's a brewpub is no reason to call it "pub food." 21A is a fine mid-line restaurant that strikes a balance between price/comfort and flavor/sophistication. It's a perfect place to go after work when you feel like taking off your tie. And I believe their beer is the best of all SF's brewpubs. Nico and Shaun have one fantastic place. If it were near Union Square, it would be packed all the time. Fri Oct 31 21:09:56 -0800 2003 106985 0 Bryan Harrell 2 107083 Agreed. Forget beer and bar, this is a terrific restaurant, much underrated by SF hounds IMO But actually don't forget the beer, 'cuz it's GOOD. ciao Fri Oct 31 21:40:00 -0800 2003 107081 0 Jim Leff 1 107135 I like the food, but I think their beers tend to be quite one-dimensional for their respective styles. The advantage is it's fresh because they make it there, but considering that they have complete control over the process I've been pretty disappointed in the past. One example that I remember was that they put watermelon in their hefeweizen, which is really a disgrace. And, with or without the watermelon, it was a pretty poor example (thin, one-dimensional) of even an American-style hefeweizen. Sun Nov 02 07:06:14 -0800 2003 106985 0 Reece 2 107187 I don't recall that the Watermelon Ale was a hefeweizen. From talking to the brewers, I got the impression that is was a plain old American Wheat Ale (not weizen yeast, and no residual (hefe) yeast) with the addition of watermelon in the mash. Interestingly, they put the vise grips on the sweetness, and the watermelon sugar fermented out fairly well, leaving it far less sweet than one would imagine. Two summers ago, some visiting guests of mine, who are master sake brewers in Japan, said the beer tasted of cucumbers, which are essentially much like watermelons (gourd vegetables) but without the high sugar levels. Their taste senses certainly outclassed mine, but heck, they brew some of the best craft sake in Japan and, by necessity, the world. Mon Nov 03 11:33:29 -0800 2003 107135 0 Bryan Harrell 3 107280 Yeah you're probably right, it's probably filtered. Regarding the "weizen yeast," are you saying they use American yeast strains rather than German yeast strains? Either way it's "weizen" yeast since "weizen" just means wheat. As far as the sake brewers, did they say the 21st Amend. watermelon wheat beer tasted like cucumber, or do you mean wheat beer in general tastes like cucumber? I personally don't think wheat beer should taste like cucumber OR watermelon. Tue Nov 04 04:29:41 -0800 2003 107187 0 Reece 4 107320 In the brewing biz, a distinction is made between the strains of German weizen yeast, which produce the signature "clove and banana" aromas, and the yeasts used to produce American wheat beers. The most famous of the German weizen strains is the Weihanstephan (sp?) yeast, which I believe is named after a brewing institute. Beers made with this yeast are aromatic with phenols, while those made with American ale yeast have less character. I believe 21A uses the latter yeast since it does not interfere with the delicate watermelon flavors. The sake brewers said the watermelon beer tasted like cucumber. If you want to know the details of 21A's beers, the next time you are in, ask to talk to Shaun, the brewmaster, or Nico, the manager who has also had extensive experience in brewing. They also have "beer school" a few times a month, and this would be a highly recommended experience. Tue Nov 04 18:31:22 -0800 2003 107280 0 Bryan Harrell 5 107363 Weihenstephaner is the oldest brewery in Germany, and was a monastery before an official brewery (they believe as far back as 800AD or thereabouts, although they've only been keeping paper records since around 1050AD) -- it's a favorite weissbier of mine. I'm familiar with the organoleptic differences between German and American wheat beers, but as far as the distinction between the German and American yeasts, that's why I said it's one-dimensional EVEN FOR an American wheat beer. Compared to a German wheat beer, 21A's is REALLY character-less. In my personal opinion, and I realize this is very debatable, it's not really an excuse to say it's based on the thinnest possible tasting yeast so that the watermelon comes through, since they have no business sticking watermelon in the beer in the first place. The whole point of German beer (or any wine, sake, etc., even music, although unlike Belgian beer) is to express oneself entirely through the instrument at hand and achieve a comprehensive spectrum of expression -- that's the difficulty -- it's easy to make something taste like watermelon by squeezing watermelon juice into it, I can do that too. :) Tue Nov 04 23:38:48 -0800 2003 107320 0 Reece 6 107483 Reece wrote "...since they have no business sticking watermelon in the beer in the first place." I disagree. Please realize this is a fun, seasonal beer that is only served for a short time during the summer. I say that it's okay for the brewer to mess around with silly things from time to time. In the case of the Watermelon Ale, it is impressive because they use a huge amount of real fruit, and the juice from that is fermented along with the mash. This is a nice departure from the normal practice of goosing the finished beer with extract. Considering that 21A's other offerings, particularly the year-round regular beers, are so impressive, I feel we should allow the brewer to freak out from time to time. Watermelon Ale is not one of my favorite 21A beers by a long stretch, but I always have a pint once a summer. In any case, it should not be considered representative of what they do. Rather, it is the exception that proves the rule. Besides, Watermelon Beer is FUN in the summer. That's why I am for it. As far as American Wheat Ales, I just avoid them across the board. To me, they are almost all boring. Put in a little something, though, and they can be fun. Finally, I really do appreciate Reece's thoughtful response, though. There is merit to the idea that a brewer should express flavors using malt and hops alone, which is what 21A does most all of the time anyway. Thu Nov 06 09:01:58 -0800 2003 107363 0 Bryan Harrell 7 107536 Funny, beer-idiot me thought wheat ales had that blank taste so you could squeeze lemon in them for summertime fizz. (G) I had a lovely marionberry ale this summer that had been cofermented the crushed fruit and was incredibly fruity, yet not that sweet. Thu Nov 06 18:42:50 -0800 2003 107483 0 Melanie Wong 8 107699 You are not a beer idiot. The only beer idiots are those who think all beer is the same, and drink only the most popular types. Wheat doesn't have the heavy tang of barley, and that's why it's a good canvas for painting with fruit. The Belgian Lambic beers, in particular, are made with a lot of wheat malt and unmalted wheat, and the sourness of their fermentation from natural airborne yeast (though not always the case these days) give them a chalky aspirin-like sourness that really brings out the complexity in fruit by shearing it from its natural sugar sweetness. In U.S. microbrew, always make a distinction between beer made with real fruit (fresh is best, but also frozen or juice) and that which has been goosed with fruit extract. The latter is easier to make, but less chowlish. Sun Nov 09 09:53:15 -0800 2003 107536 0 Bryan Harrell 9 107716 "chalky aspirin-like sourness" That's a really great connection. I never really thought of it that way, but I totally agree. I've also enjoyed 21st Amendment's beers over the last couple of years, though I've only been a few times. I haven't had any of the Wheat or Watermelon beers, however. Nowadays I almost always drink IPA's or American pale ales, unless I am making a point of trying new stuff. Thanks for sharing your insights. Sun Nov 09 20:44:29 -0800 2003 107699 0 ericf 10 107772 There is a fantastic Belgian Beer Bar where I live (Tokyo) which often has tastings of old and arcane Lambics. They have this flavor I described, and I am glad you could tune in to what I was trying to say. I have never had that flavor in U.S. microbrews, but the "brettanomyces" beers that Vinnie Cirluzo brewed at Russian River Brewery in the summer of 2002 came pretty close to those sour/mineral/aspirin-ish flavors. Your choice of IPA or American Pale Ale at 21st Amendment is excellent -- it is what they do best, though the heavier darker ales are quite often memorable. Opinion is clearly divided on 21A, and that is what makes Chowhound such a great site. I would never imagine wanting to eat in a restaurant that "everyone" likes. Tue Nov 11 09:56:38 -0800 2003 107716 0 Bryan Harrell 9 107769 Any craft pumpkin beers you'd recommend? 'Tis the season. Mon Nov 10 22:21:57 -0800 2003 107699 0 Melanie Wong 1 107254 We also like the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, although unfortunately not in the city. The beers are arguably the best of all the Northern CA pubs and the food we've had the 2 times we've been there has been very good. I'd like to get down there on a Wednesday sometime when they offer Mayan specialties. Mon Nov 03 22:03:02 -0800 2003 106985 0 Joan Kureczka 2 107262 Wonder if anyone has more info about the Yucatan specialties on Wednesdays? It's hard to find regional Mexican food around here and I'd be thrilled if this panned out. Tue Nov 04 00:01:22 -0800 2003 107254 0 Melanie Wong 1 107302 Really great report. However, I have to disagree with anyone who elevates this place to more than a brew pub ... burgers and beer, very good. Regular restaurant, hit and miss with more misses. I lived within walking distance of this place and finally gave up on it. I'm not a big fan of burgers and brew, so when I ate there I selected more of the dinner type entrees. I can't think of a time I ate there where something wasn't off. There is also not one memorable dish I've had there, so I can't get into specifics. I was always left with a feeling of disappointment and wishing I had eaten at one of the other restaurants in the area. Someone commented in this thread that if they had a better location, they would be packed. I have to disagree. They are right near the the ballpark. The neighborhood demographics are perfect for this type of place. It's just not ... really good. The staff is really pleasant, so I usually tend to be a bit more generous in my posts of friendly restaurants. It just wasn't enough to keep me as a customer. Tue Nov 04 15:10:53 -0800 2003 106985 0 Stanley Stephan 1 107806 Updates from a second visit... Harvest Ale is gone from the rotation, replaced by the U.S. I.P.A., which was very good and probably my favorite of their beers so far (I'm looking forward to trying the summer brews so I can add to Reece and Bryan's discussion). Food this time had its highs and lows: Grilled Monterey squid appetizer came with five smallish squid separated into tentacle sections and conical heads. Very fresh with good meaty chewiness. Some of the innards were still left inside the squid body, lending a somewhat bitter, intense fish flavor which I enjoyed a lot, but Erika strongly disliked. The tentacles were mostly good, though the very tips were carbonized and had to be chopped off before eating. Dressed with a bright coriander vinaigrette. A winter salad with greens, pears, walnuts, parmegiano, and radishes was good, though was a little skimpy on the pears. The radishes were a surprise, and looked very much out of place, but had been soaked for a long time in water and had lost all of their radishy heat. In the end, we declared the radishes worked after all. The fish and chips were a draw. The fish was rather poor: smallish pieces of fish with an abundant, thick, greasy, dark brown beer batter. The fish was still somewhat translucent and moist, qualities I generally like in cooked fish but drier and flaky would have worked better in this preparation. They use different fish for this dish, on this night it was ling cod. The fries were darker and crunchier than the previous visit, still very excellent fries but I liked those from last time a bit better. The homemade tartar sauce--fresh, pickley, and slightly smokey from chili powder--was excellent. I ate hardly any of the fish, so I finished eating the tartar sauce with a spoon. Another Saturday night visit, this time it was about 50% full. Mon Nov 17 19:20:42 -0800 2003 106985 0 nja