Road Trip: Great Lakes BrewPub

As much as I love the Akron-Canton area, I don't want anyone reading this blog to think we don't get around. Northeast Ohio is loaded with great restaurants, and wonderful opportunities to explore creative cooking, wine making, and a couple of the best craft brew beer making operations in the United States. For as long as they've been around, I've been especially fond of the Great Lakes Brewing Company, their Dortmunder Gold and Christmas Ale, and their restaurant near the brewery operations on the west side of Cleveland.

A trip to the Cleveland Clinic recently provided yet another opportunity to have an al fresco meal on the new, extended patio outside the restaurant. As the Yankees were in town that night, the place was crowded with pre-game diners, yet the service was attentive, reasonably quick, and loaded with good advice. By the way, diners are often invited to hang around for a tour of the brewery, and if you get the chance, I hope you'll take advantage of this 45-minute walking showcase of small batch beer making.

Back to the food for a moment: I've got to admit there are certain things I always need to have at Great Lakes. One of these is the Stilton Cheese soup made with Dortmunder Gold beer. This is one of those quintessential European combinations that finds full expression in the hands of American chefs. Another is sausage and cheese-potato pirogi plate with red cabbage and Dijon mustards. On a recent visit, we also tried something new...a lamb kabob over lentils that had a distinctly Mediterranean flavor profile.

As most natives know, Christmas Ale is so popular that it usually flies off the shelves and disappears from the bars that carry it on tap almost as soon as it is released in November of each year. This year, Great Lakes also offered a second brewing as part of a “Christmas In July” promotion. We were lucky enough to get some with our meal, but I can't guarantee there will be any left.

The Great Lakes Brewing Company brewpub is located at 2516 Market Avenue, across the street and down the block from the West Side Market, and directly across from the Flying Fig. There is a public parking lot at the end of the block, which backs up more or less to St. Ignatius High School. This whole neighborhood is officially known as Ohio City. For those who want to know more, here is a link to the web site: http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/