Barley's

Saturday evening Dandy walked down to the friendly neighborhood microbrewpub and had themselves a swell feast.

He says: Sitting in the booths across from the bar so as to avoid the deafening din of the back room, we could actually hear each other. We ordered two pints of the wonderful MacLenny's Scottish ale and perused the menu. The award-winning beer features a carmelized malt which gives it a warm butterscotch/toffee taste, balanced with a hint of hops. It goes down smooth, let me tell you. I never liked beer before I tried this, and it never disappoints. The Pile High Nachos did not disappoint either: red and yellow crispy tortilla chips topped with white and yellow cheese (pepperjack and cheddar?), black beans, tomatoes, scallions, and jalapenos with sides of sour cream and salsa. I was diappointed by the absence of black olives, which used to be included, but my better half did not mind this. I also got the nice-sized "small" Greek Salad which included fresh mixed greens, generous feta cheese, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, red onions and a side of tzatziki sauce. The salad had no other dressing, so the garlicky yogurt sauce was a must. We finished off with a New York Creme Brulee Cheesecake with strawberry topping, whipped cream and cocoa powder. It was creamy and good, but not strong on the carmelized sugar taste. It did have bits of vanilla bean, but was a bit pricey for the size. From a green perspective, points off for plastic containers for the salsa, sour cream, tzatziki and cheese for my date's chili. The service was good, however, and the seats comfortable. We'll definitely be back!


She says: Unlike Dan, I have liked beer for a long, LONG time; like Dan, however, I agree that the Scottish ale is an exceptional brew. In fact, I may go so far as to say that it is my favorite beer of all time (except for the delicious Barley Wine produced by Meister Eckhart, also featured at Barley's during the previous year). I also enjoyed sharing the nachos, although I underestimated the amount relative to my hunger. Be consoled with the certainty that these bar munchies taste just as good following a quick warm-up in a toaster oven.



I decided to keep warm with a bowl of the Pale Ale chili in addition to the nachos. The chili seemed to fall prey to a common trap of spicy foods - it sacrificed nuanced flavors for "heat", most likely generated by an overabundance of chili powder. The chunks of ground beef were a little large for my preference, and I could not discern any undertones of the advertised Pale Ale. The addition of shredded cheese did improve the taste for this reader, but oh, how I enjoy a dish that doesn't require any additional accoutrements. Also, the soup came with 3 unrequested packages of saltines, which seems an unnecessary addition, not to mention a little "diner-esque". Lest anyone think I am against greasy spoons, I am emphatically a fan of these establishments...I just don't expect their unique charms to pop up in a microbrewery.