I'm more of a wine gal than a beer gal. Yet back in the state of Washington, I was a fan of the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville. http://redhook.com/breweries/woodinville-brewery/
Redhook's attractive Forecasters Pub had good grub, especially the Tillamook Cheddar Cheeseburger. And situated near the beautiful Sammamish River trail, Redhook offered gorgeous views on clear days when "the mountain was out."
That would be Mt. Rainier.
Still, when in Rome ... or in Reno ... one must try the local, legendary brewhouse. This weekend, my husband and I checked out the Great Basin Brewing Company, 5525 S. Virginia St. in South Reno. (There's also a Great Basin in nearby Sparks, Nevada.)
We'd heard about their flagship beer, Icky IPA, short for Ichthyosaur India Pale Ale. Ichthyosaur was a prehistoric creature that became Nevada's state fossil. We thought we'd heed the advice, "Get Icky With Someone You Love," and also explore Great Basin's restaurant menu.
The South Reno Great Basin was packed at the time of our visit — and service was slow. But our server was apologetic and it was obvious that she was working hard. So we took the opportunity to relax and look around at the brewhouse's interesting decor, while waiting for our glasses of Icky.
No offense to the mighty Ichthyosaur, but the Icky IPA was literally icky.
It was a much darker beer than we had expected, very strong and bitter-tasting. Great Basin has several other beers on tap. Next time, we'll ask a server which of their beers is lighter — or maybe I'll just stick with iced tea or a glass of wine. But the food at Great Basin was enjoyable.
The highlight of my meal was a cup of Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup ($4.50).
I'm definitely not a Packers fan — GO BEARS! But I've had some great times and great food in Wisconsin. This top-notch soup was made with Great Basin's Nevada Gold beer, Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese, slices of bratwurst and bits of green onion and potato. It was served with a small slice of bread which was baked with Icky IPA and frankly, didn't impress me. The soup, however, was a real treat.
I must have been in a Wisconsin kind of mood because my entree was the Light Order of Ale Battered Fish ($7.95).
The Friday Night Fish Fry is a big tradition in Wisconsin and I've never found any other place that did it better.
Great Basin's fish filets were good, not rave-worthy. The menu mentioned that they were made from wild-caught Alaskan cod, battered with Wild Horse Ale. The fish was flaky and mild, maybe a bit bland. I don't care for Tartar sauce so I enlivened the fish with splashes of Heinz Malt Vinegar. The accompanying potatoes were not "chips" but regular fries. Again, good, not spectacular. Garlic fries were also available with the fish.
My hubby chose the Brewer's Patty Melt ($9.95) from a list of Great Basin Beer Burgers, all made with a half-pound of certified Angus chuck, mixed with spices and Icky IPA.
This oversized patty melt was unusual, but excellent. Patty melts typically have cheddar cheese and grilled onions atop the burger patty. This one featured smoked Gouda, avocado and garlic aioli, as well as grilled onions. I took a bite and found it juicy, messy and tasty. My husband concurred, but noted that his garlic fries were maybe "too garlicky" and he'd have been better off with the regular fries.
As another small gripe, at many pubs, our entrees would have been served with cole slaw and pickles. I was disappointed that this wasn't the case at Great Basin.
Overall, though, we agreed that we'd give Great Basin another try. Other menu options include salads, sandwiches and pizzas.
For more information about the Great Basin Brewing Company in South Reno, call (775) 284-7711 or visit http://greatbasinbrewingco.com/ .
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