Ramsayings

I participated in the Save the Library protest back in November 2008. When I recently visited, I checked into Foursquare. If I check in again, I’ll be mayor of the joint. At a time when people are checking into Wawa, you’d think at least a handful of folks would still be willing to pop in for a book or two. Does it really make more sense to pay for every book you read?

C’mon, denizens of Fishtown! Visit your local library. Check out a book! It’s free and it will make you smarter. And you can hit Kraftwork immediately afterward to reward yourself.

When Helen and I moved to Port Fishington, or Flat Iron as it’s properly known, from the hustle and bustle of Two Street, we were in for a rude awakening. There was practically nothing here! Want a bite to eat? Our neighbors recommended Applebees! Good pizza? Key Foods!

Yuck. Stranger, there was just one coffee option for the bulk of Fishtown: the dreaded Rocket Cat. Now, Rocket Cat brought coffee right into the heart of Fishtown, located at the corners of Frankford and Norris, which is about as great a location as you can have in this neck of the woods. It’s a shame they serve bad coffee at premium prices with service that will ruin your day. Top it off with the shop’s west Philly vibe and you’ve got the trifecta of awful.

Last year we welcomed Milkcrate Cafe to Fishtown. It’s been out go-to spot when convenient. They serve La Colombe coffee, which is the gold standard of Philly coffee. Major upgrade over Rocket Cat, although they claim to have followed suit as customers rejected their watery organic blend. Bonus, right? It is, but Milkcrate is quite a hike, unless I’m headed to Penn Treaty Park with Charlie on a Sunday morning. The coffee’s good, the price is right and the service is wonderful, but I just don’t get over their often enough for it to be my regular spot. Wouldn’t hurt if they did something about the seating, too.

Enter the Lola Bean, which opened Saturday, right on Frankford just a block from Johnny Brenda’s. I’ve already been twice! The coffee’s great and the service is lovely. It’s a great addition in the heart of what will soon be a burgeoning strip of new businesses. I’m really excited to see what happens next!

Best part about the Fishtown coffee “problem?” We have options! It’s a luxury we didn’t have just three years ago. Love local folks investing in the neighborhood!

I’ve been to Kraftwork a number of times now and I think I like it. I mean, it’s okay. There’s that one sandwich that’s really delicious, but not much else that really stands out on the (recently reconsidered) menu. The draught list is amazing, although it’s like doing surgery with a shotgun; put enough beers on tap and you’re sure to get something right, no?

But you can fix menus and curate beer lists to make it seem like you know what you’re doing, rather than not wanting to get it wrong. What you can’t really change is physical plant. If you want to be clubbed over the head with concept, Kraftwork is the place. Without even mentioning the clunker of a name, you know it’s stylized to a fault, which really distracts from the things that probably brought you there in the first place. Did I mention how NOISY it is? Now, I know I’m getting older, but when you have a DJ spinning dance music during dinner, at a place that doesn’t have a dance floor, you’re going out of your way to seem silly. I mean, at least the Abbaye had sensible brunch DJs.

Thing I hear from fans of craft beer and gastropubs in general though is that the prices are simply too high. I can get a pint of Russian River Blind Pig for less than I can a tulip of the same at Kraftwork. And while the taps are more plentiful than other neighborhood bars, I don’t get the sense that more thought went into selecting what’s on them. Instead of feeling like you’re getting a deal on something that’s been carefully considered, you know you’re overpaying for something you can probably get somewhere else in town.

Will I keep going back? Absolutely. I have faith that Adam Ritter will get it right and, hell, who I am to say anything: the place is usually full to overflowing, which is a good problem to have in this economy. If they can build a tasty, inexpensive menu around their beer can chicken sandwich, then they’re already on the right track. Where else can you get a Mikkeller Breakfast Beer Geek Imperial Stout at 10:30 on a Sunday morning?

Last Thursday was a banner night for this beer lover. I met my friend Adam and we strolled on over to Memphis Taproom to enjoy a great Dogfish Head stunt tapping for their 75 Minute IPA. We got there a little early thinking we might have to twiddle our thumbs for a minute before they tapped the cask, but no, we were just in time to knock down a few pints of this great IPA.The 75 Minute IPA blends their trademark 60 and 90 Minute IPAs, resulting in a remarkably smooth IPA that will still knock you flat if you’re not careful.

Adam and I ended up having a wonderful conversation with my friend Derrick, another Memphis Tap regular and amateur beer aficionado like myself. We discussed the merits of Dogfish Head’s approach to brewing and how great it is to be sandwiched between so many great breweries, all of which are doing different, distinctive things. Dogfish Head really does a great job of brewing signature IPAs, complemented nicely by great seasonals. I think their spring and summer beers, both of which feature great fruit flavors, are among the most refreshing I drink, without being sickeningly sweet.

As an aside, I wanted to take this opportunity to mention Jay Hinman’s great beer blog, Hedonist Beer Jive. Some of you may recognize Jay from his legendary music blog, Agony Shorthand. Now, instead of debating issues of race with Black to Comm, he’s telling you why he won’t pony up for expensive bombers of Russian River Consecration (and I don’t blame him!) Jay’s always been a great read, and his beer writing is just as fun and engaging as his music writing ever was.

A.C. Newman
Originally uploaded by J T. Ramsay

I went out to see A.C. Newman at Johnny Brenda’s Tuesday night. I had a great time. I’m going to write about the man and his new album, Get Guilty, over at my work blog, Blinded by the Hype, today (hopefully.)

It was an amazing show. Regardless of how you feel about his most recent stuff with the New Pornographers, or his solo work, he’s an undeniable showman who must be seen to be believed. I can think of few songwriters whose body of work has been so consistently strong since he came back on the scene with the New Pornographers nearly a decade ago.

If you’re not at SXSW and you’re looking to hear some great music, make sure you get yourself out to see A.C. Newman when he comes to town. You won’t be disappointed.