Anchor Public Taps

Rating
8.5/10

Wait
No Wait

Value
$7 per pint

Where
SF

Raspberry Mint Stout
Who knew raspberry and stout would work so well together. This experimental beer should become part of Anchor’s standard rotation.

With all the breweries and tap rooms in the Bay Area, it’s hard to distinguish yourself. Anchor Public Taps shares many characteristic that can be found in most tap rooms; it situated in a large industrial warehouse, there is an outdoor patio space, and a curated food truck rotation. At first, it’s hard to find what this O.G brewery has to offer that all these other breweries with less resources can’t. To our surprise, what we discovered is Anchor Public Taps is an “experimental tasting room.”

Anchor Public Taps carries the standard classics that made Anchor reputable like Steam and the California Lager. They also carry exclusive collaboration beers that were made together with other local breweries. But what really sets Anchor Public Taps apart, is they intermittently throughout the day open a small 5 gallon batch of experimental beer for the public to try for free.

I’m not fan of the standard Anchor beer line, but the experimental beer that I did try really made me a fan of Anchor Public Taps. Supposedly, a new experimental beer will be tapped every weekend, and it runs out fast! Not only is the experimental beer amazing, the brewmasters are there serving you and asking for feedback and any questions that you may have. Possibly with enough good feedback, maybe these experimental beers may make it in the standard rotation.

Overall, the space and setup is quite ordinary to most other breweries. However, the concept of the “experimental tasting room,” is what takes Anchor Public Taps to another level and generates a stronger reason to go back.

Website – https://www.anchorbrewing.com/publictaps

The Belgard Kitchen

Rating
9/10

Wait
5 Minutes

Value
$16 per dish

Where
Vancouver

Postmark Stout Sausage Skillet
The presentation of the dish is beautifully rustic with two perfectly well cooked poached eggs sitting over a sea of crispy potatoes and sausages served in a cast iron skillet. I think food just somehow always tastes better when it’s served in a skillet.
The sausage has a nice flavor but the stout is a bit lost and the crispy potatoes are good but not good like Plow. Overall it’s a solid dish and you’ll definitely leave full and happy.

Having only briefly visited Vancouver, I am glad I had the chance to stop by Belgard Kitchen. A major plus is that it shares the same space with Postmark Brewery – nothing better than killing two birds with one stone. The location is a bit off the beaten path, in an industrial neighborhood, but definitely well worth the trip. There something that can be said about a place that even before entering, you already know there’s something special.

By far the most memorable feature of Belgard Kitchen is the building. Surrounded in a neighborhood of by tired looking warehouses, Belgard Kitchen maintains the integrity of the context but uplifts it’s appearance with nice details. The exterior windows have a concertina treatment which adds nice texture to the facade and this concertina detail carries all the way through to the 30′ tall entrance door. Opening and walking through the entrance feels like you’re walking into a cathedral – but instead of worshipping religion it’s beer and brunch. It’s quite a transition from the cold warehouse exterior to the warm timber cladded interior. The interior is a large beautiful space with high ceilings and clerestory windows that bring in a lot of natural light. There is a balanced mixture of warehouse accents like the featured overhead crane, natural elements such as the timber columns/beams which support the crane, and rustic features such as the wrought iron furniture. As I’m writing this review, I’m realizing this is turning into a critique of the space than a review of the food. In the end, the food is tasty, but the atmosphere is what you’ll remember about Belgard Kitchen.

The Belgard Kitchen is gem in an otherwise worn neighborhood. Given more time, I have feeling that one can spend a whole day in the building moving back and forth from Belgard Kitchen to Postmark Brewing. This place will be a definite must stop the next time I visit Vancouver.

Website – http://belgardkitchen.com

Hardwater

Rating
8/10

Wait
None

Value
$15 per dish

Where
SF

Spicy Nashville Style
This isn’t the best fried chicken and corn cake, but it is a solid dish. The fried chicken isn’t that crunchy but it does have nice subtle spicy flavor. The corn cake is the definitely the star of this dish.

Bourbon Lift
A must order. Essentially an alcoholic version of a Snow Plover*. Beyond tasting delicious, the presentation of the Bourbon Lift is also very striking. There’s a large layer of foam “lifting” from the rim of a glass, with only a small metal straw sticking through the foam.

Hard Water is one of the cooler places along the Embarcadero. It feels like a place where the hip bougie sailors would go to drink and snack on some upscale home cooking. Beyond the food, the most striking feature is the interior which is a good example of adaptive reuse, the art of repurposing an old space into a new function. There is a good balance between the modern finishes and the various accenting nautical elements. Hard Water feels hip and trendy but not out of context.

Right when you enter, you’ll be confronted by a wall of whiskey. A very large wall as the ceiling are quite high. Your eyes will pan across the sea of whiskey bottles and it’ll eventually settle, dead center, on an amazing horseshoe shaped marble bar. Hanging above the bar, a sizable light pendant has been made by repurposing a mooring buoy. As you scan the rest of the space, you’ll notice that there is only bar type seating. By now the concept is understandable, Hard Water is a place to drink and the U-shaped marble bar is the “fashion catwalk” for the whiskey.

The whiskey list is extensive and exotic. I didn’t try any whiskey but did scan over the list and noticed quite a few good selections. Instead, I ordered cocktails which were delicious. It’s worth noting that there is only a handful of cocktails on the menu.

Hard Water is a great whiskey bar. It breaks away from the old idea of whiskey bars being filled with cigar smoke, dim lighting, and leather chairs. If you’re looking for an unique space that serves stiff drinks and small bites, you can’t go wrong with Hard Water.

Website – https://www.hardwaterbar.com

Deli Board

Rating
9.5/10

Wait
15 Minutes

Value
$17 per dish

Where
SF

Boca
This is an amazing sandwich. The flavors of all the meat are distinct and flavorful. What I enjoyed most is the way the meat was sliced. It’s sliced paper thin that the meat fold on itself to create a wavy texture which adds another sensation when eating.

Leroy Brown
This sandwich has it all – salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy. As mentioned previously, the meat is sliced in similar manner which adds another dimension. On top of that, the Dutch Crunch roll adds the crunchy texture which is perfect complement to the tender meat.

Pickles
Each of the sandwiches are served with a side of deli style pickles. They are a perfect palate cleanser when all that meat from the sandwich becomes a bit overwhelming.

Deli Board is like the Rolls Royce of sandwiches. Everything from the meat, bread, cheese, and vegetables taste of luxury. You would think with such great tasting ingredients the portions would be small, but, Deli Board packs a mountain of food in-between two slices of bread. I would even say half of the sandwich would be enough for lunch.

If you plan on arriving around lunch time, be aware that Deli Board’s line is consistently out the door. Don’t be surprised waiting in line 10-20 minutes before placing your order. Upon arriving, the most noticeable thing will be, the ever changing menu hanging on the wall. The menu is extensive, however, the wait in line will give you plenty of time to read it over.

The space is small and sparse. There’s not much seating inside and there’s only a couple tables right outside on the sidewalk. If you plan on eating in, be prepared to wait again for seats to open up. I can’t wait for Deli Board to move to a larger space and revamp their interior to be equal to the quality of their sandwiches.

Website – http://www.deliboardsf.com