BrentKulman

To read the article and then review the recommendations creates a disconnect in my mind. Somethink is rotten is the state of Passmore's journalism and I think this article smacks of a PR firm's involvement. As was posted earlier, with the exception of Lagunitas, these are all beers with big budgets for promotion. Reading the article about microbreweries and comparing the US craft brews with European imports, I was expecting a much more interesting selection. Where are the IPAs and the comparison between English IPAs and American IPAs. Or a comparison between the East and West Coast IPA styles. What about the extreme brews that we are seeing from breweries like Dogfish Head, Avery and AleSmith. No Belgians with the exception of Hoegaarden? Why not compare Victory's Prima Pils with the great Pilsners of Germany. My conclusion...this was a piece of hack journalism inspired by the PR firm of a major importer.

The Wall St. Journal writer who searched the US for the perfect beer bar made a comment something along the lines of ... "the tougher the bar crowd, the wimpier the beer." Don't let those guys at Talledega get you down!

Sorry, GRITS, but to cook in a pit you have to be a log burner and Bill Spoon's is a gasser.

I have been dining in Winston since October and the best meals I have eaten have been at Noble's. Having said that, nothing has been truly outstanding and, based on the description of your friend, Noble's might be a bit too upscale. I haven't been to Sweet Potatoes, but that might be an idea. I've had very mixed experiences at Milner's and Sixth and Vine, although the latter might appeal as well given its location. The best recommendation I can give is Marshall Street Smokehouse, a spot in the middle of restaurant purgatory, but near Old Salem. Decent food and a touch edgy.

I went to Bound'ry a few months ago when I was in Nashville and was pleased with the food. Didn't see any hookers, either.

I received a box from Liquid Solutions yesterday. If you don't know about them and care about great beer, you should. They are a store somewhere in Oregon that will ship some of those great west coast beers around the country to folks in states where the laws permit beer shipments. Anyhow, I tried two of the beers - New Belgium's Abbey Style Ale (a dubbel) and Elysian's The Wise (ESB). Both were incredible. The New Belgium was less sweet and had more banana esters than the typical Belgian dubbel and the Elysian was a cross between an ESB and an IPA - incredibly fruity and hoppy with a nice malt backbone. Then I sat back and watched the ACC tournament. A very satisfying beer and basketball day.

Sixpoint is a brewery to keep your eyes on. They make incredible beers.

Did you have the oak-aged version? That is spectacular.

Glad to see somebody else around here that recognizes that Shiner Bock isn't a REAL Bock.

It's not a true Bock, that's what I think. But I suspect its partisans wouldn't recognize any of the Bock styles, anyway. It's a step up from a macro lager, but nothing I would seek out as I don't care for most of the lager beer styles, except, of course, for true Bocks.

Not my absolute favorite, but a just finished a reasonably good one - Bison Organic Chocolate Stout. Dutch cocoa is added to the mash and the taste really comes through.

That's a great list, but don't forget to add Bonterra. We had a wonderful meal there last weekend. I am also looking forward to trying Copper.

Now that you've blasted me on the Samuel Smith's recommendation, perhaps you would be so kind as to explain why so many of the UK brewers export their beers to the US in clear bottles. Skunkiness is a huge problem with beers from Samuel Smith's as well as a number of other brewers yet the simple solution of bottling in brown bottles goes ignored.

Not in England so I don't know what may be available to you, but Samuel Smith's makes a good lager.

I've been to The Federal I few times when I have been in the area and I agree. Not only do they have an excellent craft beer selection (which is why they originally appeared on my radar) but, unlike a lot of good beer places, the food is excellent to boot.

Chipped beef on toast, Saxonburg baloney, Cope's corn, Pittxburgh style steak (charred on the outside/raw in the middle)...I'll try to think of some others.

There are lots of good choices to make downtown. Here's a good guide to what is available in the area: Charlotte Magazine restaurant guide My current favorite within walking distance for you is Blue, a Mediterranean place that is very popular.

In North Carolina: Lexington style - Lexington #1 Eastern style - Skylight Inn

I hope you will get to taste some AleSmith beers, too.

Very nice list! That was some evening of special beers.

Last night I had the Red Nose Ale at Natty Greene's brewpub in Greensboro, NC. Billed as "gingerbread in a glass" it was a deluge of holiday spices buoyed by a malty base. Without much of a hop presence, it was still nicely balanced by the spices with a rich body and modest level of carbonation. A real winner from the best brewpub in the South that I have sampled and one that could clearly compete on a national level.

I have been enjoying the Celebration Ale this year, too. On the other end of the scale, tonight I had a bottle of Mahr's Brau Christmas Bock, which is essentially a Maibock masquerading in holiday attire. Nonetheless, it was a well-balanced malt bomb that was a welcome departure from most of the holiday ales I drink this time of year. I have a number of bottles picked out to consume over the rest of the holiday season and will report back on any notable experiences.

Funny, when I first arrived in Chapel Hill in the mid-1970s, the only restaurants around, with the exception of Villa Teo, were steakhouses. There must have been four or five of them on Highways 54 and 15-501. I can't remember the names of all of them but they all had the "shrimp cocktail, followed by the iceberg lettuce and then the ribeye steak with a baked potato and texas toast" thing going on. Then La Residence opened and modernity arrived in North Carolina. At about that time, A Southern Season also opened and you could get fresh croissants flown in on Fridays. In Charlotte, that tradition lives on at the Ranch House, which I occasionally visit when I am in the mood for a retro experience.

I know the location on South Blvd. There have been a series of Latin American chicken joints there. They have turned over so fast I never seem to be able to hit them twice until new owners take over. I went to Marguerite's today and had a long talk with Brigitte (or at least the receipt had her name on it so that is who I think it was). She speaks English without an accent but clearly speaks French as well based on the tour that she gave me of all the baked goods in the display counter. I had a Turk, which is a day old croissant that is spread with almond cream and then re-baked so that it becomes crusty on the outside and much denser than a croissant on the inside. Yum! Brigitte has big plans to put in a wine and craft beer selection, to have backgammon and cribbage, to provide bread to the deli next door for sandwiches, to offer cheeses and maybe saucisson, etc. I wish her well and hope the market responds to her enthusiasm.