There’s no Beer like Andechs Beer

I consider myself unbelievably lucky that four years ago, while touring Europe before a term abroad in Rome, my German aunt and uncle brought me (and Natalee!) to Andechs, a brewery and monastery located about 45 minutes from Munich.  On top of that, I got to visit again, two years later.

Reading this Atlantic Food piece about Andechs is sort of tortuous, because I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make it back there, but it’s also make me feel humble and happy that I’ve been able to experience Andechs twice.

 

Negro Modelo = Chips & Salsa

Last night Dave and ventured out for Mexican food.  There are two “real” Mexican restaurants in town, Casa Lopez and Rio Grande, and one pseudo-Mexican, worker-owned, organic and local, sustainable, blah blah blah, called Casa Nueva.  Casa Nueva is about the only place in town that’s suitable on Friday or Saturday nights, so we decided to try one of the “real” Mexican places.

We went to Casa Lopez because we would pass the video store on the way there and be able to return ‘Man on Wire’ (which was excellent, by the by).  Of course we forgot the DVD, so no luck with that mission, but we did get to Casa Lopez.  There was only one other car in the parking lot (it was almost 9 on a Monday) and the wait staff greeted us heartily.  They asked what we wanted to drink to which I replied, “a beer, please.”

The guy looked at me and said, dead pan, “Oh, sorry, no beer here.” And I started laughing, because, really, what Mexican restaurant doesn’t serve beer and margaritas?

Apparently, Casa Lopez in Athens, Ohio.  No alcohol permit allowed, or something like that.

It really pained us to leave, because the place looked like it needed the business, but we were sort of in the mood for beer with our meal, so we made the trek to the other Mexican restaurant, Rio Grande.  Which was good, and did serve alochol.

I’m just amazed at some of the things that are wrong with this town, sometimes.

Elitist Foodies Take the Town

Lucky for us, we live only a few minutes walk from two great little organic/local food establishments. One is the Village Bakery and Cafe, and it’s sister restaurant, Della Zona. Last night we walked to Della Zona for dinner and really enjoyed it. Here is as good a place as any to muse on the gourmet (and not-so-gourmet) offerings in town.

Della Zona is essentially a pizza place; all of their ingredients come from local farms. So local, in fact, that in the winter they won’t serve you tomatoes or basil. They allegedly replace tomatoes on your pizza with red peppers. I’m all for this local business, but I don’t think you can have a pizza without tomatoes. At least not a pizza meant to have tomatoes — leaving out the “New Haven Clam” and “White Pizza” varieties, obviously.

They don’t serve alcohol, but you can walk next door to The Village Bakery and buy all sorts of microbrews and far-flung, exotic beers to drink at Della Zona. Dave went to buy the beers and came back with a Ommegang Abbey Ale and a German beer, whose name is escaping me at the moment (but which I found a little light). They also stock lots of tasty looking freshmade pastries and breads, and a whole bunch of organic/local cheeses and other goodies.

Della Zona had tasty pizza; the crust was thin — the pepperoni specialty pizza was a bit soggy. It’s not New York and it’s not even Pete’s aPizza in Columbia Heights, but it was really good. Or maybe it was the 8.5% alcohol by volume Ommegang that we consumed.