666523 Wed Nov 11 23:55:43 -0800 2009 2 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 5174864 Petaluma has a new hot dog and craft beer specialist. Located in the Petaluma Hotel, behind Bank of America, Taps features about 40 draft beers on tap and a menu of specialty hot dogs and other food. I stopped there on Monday night during football on my way back to the City to grab a bite. Besides the bar, the seating includes some small tables and I noticed a stack of kids’ booster chairs on the side. The alcohol-free side of the beverage list had six root beers. I went with the “BLT” hot dog, $6.75, featuring a hot dog wrapped with a spiral of bacon then deep-fried. It’s dressed with crunchy lettuce, slices of tomato, and a squiggle of mayonnaise. This dog was cradled in warm and crusty French bread that wrapped up along the sides but was essentially open-face. This was not the “ripper” I’d hoped to find here, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Made with a skinless Kirkland brand all-beef dog, the deep-frying changes the texture of the meat to be coarser and a bit dryer, but not dried out. It also tasted smokier and saltier than a grilled Kirkland dog. The bacon does crisp up nicely with this treatment. I could have used a little more mayo and I did add some mustard from the caddy of squeeze bottles on the table. Garnishes were very fresh. The bread part was the right amount but I felt the crust was too firm and crunchy for the application. Here’s the photo of the BLT. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/4097081447/ Garlic fries were fine. Not great, but fried to a light golden brown with nice crispness. The garlic-parsley mince was flicked randomly onto the surface of the fries in big blobs. Ranch dressing was offered on the side. Beer-wise, I asked about the casked Lagunitas Ruben and the Jets aged in a bourbon barrel and was offered a free taste. Deep and rich with chocolate malt and coffee flavors, but I needed something more refreshing to eat with a deep-fried dog. My waitress then suggested the house ale (made by Firestone) or the Trumer pilsner and brought free tastes of each. I went with the Trumer. I did ask whether snappier dogs with casings were available. The Chicago dog and the Italian beef are sourced from Vienna Beef. Also, each of the hot dogs has a different roll selected for the combination. The specialty is chili cheese fries and I was told the chili is housemade. I’d love to hear what other chowhounds think about this place. Beer is not a big interest of mine, but even I can tell that there’s something special going on here that beer lovers should be excited about. Taps Restaurant and Tap Room http://www.petalumataps.com 205 Kentucky Street (beneath the historic Petaluma Hotel) Petaluma, CA, 94952 Phone: (707) 763-6700 Hours: Mon – Wed: 4:00pm- 10:00 pm Thursday – Sat: 11:30 am – 10:00 pm Sun: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm (kitchen currently opens @ 11:30) Wed Nov 11 23:55:43 -0800 2009 10039 Melanie Wong 1 5334477 I went to Taps this past Saturday and spent a very nice afternoon. If you have the time to get tipsy, watch sports, then bum around downtown Petaluma while you sober up to head back to SF this is a terrific place. Impeccable selection of draft beers from the likes of Dogfish Head, Laguinitas, Firestone, Stone, etc. My friend and I went through a lot of them - all crisp, fresh, and perfectly cold, served in appropriate glassware. And you can't beat the prices - like my Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA and Alaskan Smoked Porter were both $5. The crowd is totally unpretentious - no hipster attitude whatsoever. The food is pretty good too - my pulled pork sandwich was the perfect accompaniment. I'd be happy to visit again. Tue Jan 19 16:32:52 -0800 2010 5174864 28655 waltmor 2 5338032 Thanks, I'm glad to hear from a beerhound on the quality of the drafts here. Thu Jan 21 00:09:04 -0800 2010 5334477 10039 Melanie Wong